Bandipur
Preserved Newar Trading Town On A Ridge Between Kathmandu And Pokhara · Bandipur, Gandaki
Bandipur is a small Newar trading town on a ridge above the Kathmandu to Pokhara highway, and it is one of the best-preserved old towns in Nepal. It grew rich on the old trade route between India and Tibet, then declined when the highway was built in the valley below in the 1970s and the traders moved away, which is exactly why its handsome eighteenth- and nineteenth-century houses, with carved windows and slate roofs, survived. In recent decades the townspeople restored the bazaar and closed the main street to traffic, and it is now a car-free lane of guesthouses and cafes, with the Himalaya visible across the valleys on clear mornings. From the town, short walks lead to the Thani Mai temple viewpoint for sunrise, to Tundikhel parade ground, and down to Siddha Gufa, one of the largest caves in Nepal. Bandipur sits in tier 2 because it is usually a stop between Kathmandu and Pokhara, but many visitors stay longer than planned. It gets busy with domestic visitors at weekends and holidays.
Bandipur, Tanahun District, above the Prithvi Highway, Bandipur, Gandaki, Nepal
A town, open at all times; the main bazaar is car-free, and vehicles stop at its edge. Cafes and guesthouse restaurants generally open from early morning until the evening, and the bazaar is liveliest in the evening. Siddha Gufa charges a small fee and requires a guide, and is visited in daylight. Bandipur is a short drive up from Dumre on the Prithvi Highway, about halfway between Kathmandu and Pokhara; the road can be affected by landslides in the monsoon.