Travel Guide Bandipur

The picturesque village of Bandipur is located halfway between Kathmandu and Pokhara in terms of distance, but is closer to Pokhara in terms of time (3h, compared to 5h for the capital) and is a stopover between Chitwan National Park and Pokhara. It's also 1h from the cable car to the Manakamana Mandir temple. From the heights, it offers one of the finest examples of traditional Newar architecture. A picturesque hilltop village where flowers and plants bloom on the facades of brick and carved wooden houses. It's a delight to stroll between the restaurants, most of which offer views over the wild, green valley. Once a simple Magar hamlet, Bandipur became a thriving commercial crossroads with the arrival of Newars from Bhaktapur, who settled here in the 19th century, taking advantage of its geographical location to make it an important stopover on the trade route between India and Tibet. Today, it's a real delight to take a break here. You can think of it as an open-air museum, as the cobbled, flower-filled streets are dotted with temples.