Another great mountain town

Trip Start Sep 16, 2008
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Trip End Feb 25, 2009


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Where I stayed
Newa
(Bandipur hotels)

Flag of Nepal  ,
Friday, December 5, 2008

Bandipur attracted us not only for its mountain views but also because it boasts a cautious development plan for tourism. Initiatives such as limiting the amount of guesthouses and having guidelines for construction materials help the town maintain its historical and distinct appeal. As we crawled up the mountains side to the ridge where the town lies, we hoped to find few tourists, good chow mien, and clear skies.

When we got up to the town we saw that tourism was indeed having an impact here, but not enough to spoil our fun. Basically, there is one newly paved road in town that contained half a dozen guesthouses and some restaurants catering to tourists. The rest of the area was charming and even a little diverse due to the Notre Dame International School run by the Japanese. Our guesthouse was in a newly renovated building owned by a Nepali family. The owners' grandfather owed the building and now his nephews had turned it into their home with five guestrooms and a restaurant. The house was built with solid wood beams, wooden staircases, outdoor deck, and a typical shared bathroom with a squat pot and adjacent shower. I must say I am really looking forward to the USA where toilets are separate from showers!

As you can see from the photos, we did indeed see a wonderful landscape with many Himalayan Mountain peaks. Bandipur we learned is also a popular weekend picnic spot for Nepali families. They bring up their big families, a lot of food, and giant speakers to blare the questionably pleasant Hindi music from India.
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