Kolkata (SE India) to Kathmandu
 

Was just thinking about popping over for a look around and interested to see if anyone has any thoughts. it is just in the planning so need to make a decision within a few weeks.

Air Asia Gold Coast to Kolkata 15th Dec, return from Kathmandu 5th Jan. 3 weeks.

This would be a solo (no family and i haven't told wife yet) trip so back packing, public transport, bike, truck whatever just need to be a Kathmandu a few days before the flight. could do 7-8 days India then Nepal????

I would like to do some bike riding over there but not 100% necessary. as a rough measurement it is 800k but lets just say 1000k.

a few days on a bike would be good so has anyone been up near there?? Eastern Nepal across to Kathmandu or through India to the Border at Birgunj then up to Kathmandu.

any ideas or pointers would be good. is the Altitude hard to handle is it still a problem after the earth quake??

thanks Allan

?c?

Kolkata
 

i received a reply from a bike shop Kolkata suggesting ride up from Kolkata to Darjeeling and crossing over to Nepal.

has anyone gone this way???

I went that way a few years ago and it was a good route, recommended.

Darjeeling to Kathmandu
 

A quick plan is a good plan.

Flights booked, some accommodation book and initial planning of most of the route done. but i can change things to suit if something changes.
Solo bike trip from Kolkata to Darjeeling and across to Kathmandu.

If anyone has gone this way Darjeeling to Kathmandu) or close to it, if you know of stuff to look at, villages to stay in, the good, the bad, the ugly, fuel stops, etc etc.. it's going to be the start of winter but should be dry.

I have 3 months to plan the rest of the details but i would appreciate comments.
16th December land Kolkata (Calcutta) India 4am. 2 days look around here.
18th, 19th, 20th travel north through India close to the border of Bangladesh to the base of the Mountains and up to Kalimpong (near Dajeeling).

21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th (christmas in Darjeeling) i have a hotel in Kalimpong and a hotel in Darjeeling booked for a couple of nights each. looking and riding around this area.

26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st travel across to Kathmandu. There is a border crossing near Darjeeling at Simana Basti then down road to the Bridge at Mai Khola, up to Ilam, then there seems to good road or tracks on the way to Yasok Bazar.

what i am unsure about is the part from Yasok Bazar west to the river crossing at Ghurmi, Sunkoshi river, then it is along the main rd. i have marked a placed called Sindhuwa Bazar which is west of Yasok Bazar?????

The last 100klm to Kathmandu is easy with the highway and good roads so if i need to i can move a good pace over this bit.

1st, 2nd, 3rd around Kathmandu looking at stuff and going for a day hike. i have booked a hotel in Kathmandu close to the centre of town (i think) for $12.75 per night including breakfast.
4th at 2100hours fly home.

That sound like a good route, it is good to know where you will stay on arrival and at times like Christmas but I tend to make it up as I go along. I cannot remember anything in particular going that way but just travelling in India particularly on a bike is special in itself. Plenty of town and petrol stations along the way, just fill up every 100km or so and you should have a problem.

when i looked at hotels in Darjeeling last week the were a couple more cheap hotels with vacancies but now are booked out so i booked places to be sure i had something.

paying from $12.75 a night to about $25 a night.

after leaving Yasok Bazar i don't have anything booked but seems to be at least a barn to share with a Yak.

Darjeeling has loads of accommodation. Unless you're going up there on a holiday or in peak season, I wouldn't worry too much about booking ahead. Maybe prices have changed since four years ago, but you could get some fantastic rooms for 500/800 INR. Budget would be around 200.

i had a bit of a look but being Christmas i didn't want to take the chance.

happy to $20 per night for this at Kalimpong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h13crQcKmFY

Andy from india bikes 1A - HIRE RENT, LEASE, ROYAL ENFIELD CLASSIC MOTORCYCLES IN INDIA - MUMBAI, NEW DELHI, GOA & KOLKATA, EXPORT RESTORED ENFIELDS has indicated hire of top of the line Royal Enfield 500 classic efis, pick up Kolkata and drop off Kathmandu.

I have seen some videos of riders taking all sorts of bikes on the back roads and i don't plan to be treating it as a hard enduro so this should be fine??

just a quick question if anyone can help.

what about the money to have in india and nepal Rupee and Rupee, completely different???

is there any sort of ATM in the bigger towns??

Indian and Nepalese Rupee are not the same and ATMs in most towns in India, take a few Pounds, Euros or Dollars cash to change at the Nepal border.

Hi Mark thanks for that. AUD $$ or US$$

the next question i have is the visas for travel to india and nepal.

did you do the visas on these sites or different??

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html

Embassy of Nepal - Passport, Visa & Other services

thanks Allan

I have not used that particular site for an Indian visa but it has been a couple of years since I was there, the last time I arrived in Nepal which was from China I got a visa on arrival at the border.
Not sure how acceptable Aussie Dollars are but a couple of hundred US Dollars in new or good condition mixed notes of not more than $50 denomination is always useful.

i hope to get to this road up in the Nathang Valley if it hasn't started t snow.

The bike indicated by Andy from India Bikes is an Enfield Classic 500 (Jul 2013), this bikes seems to be good???

I have just returned from Nepal 2 days ago. I hired a Enfield 350 which was brilliant in all respects bar one, it was very uncomfortable ! It did a Stirling job on some pretty bad roads if you can call them roads, washed out tracks, landslides etc....

My observations are :

1. Don't expect to make "good progress" anywhere. It will take longer than you think.
2. Don't drive at night heading into KTM - HORRIBLE! I got caught out by number 1 above.
3. There are more hotels / guest houses than you will ever need.
4. Top up fuel often, sometimes the garages sell out. Some only have Diesel.
5. Often there are "strikes" over several days which result in locals blocking access in & out of towns. Don't worry they happily let "tourist" through, take you helmet off if you feel it will help as you approach. Mind they don't knock you off with over excited pats on the back ! :)
6. If you get into top gear your going too fast! See 7
7. When the road looks good be ready for a shit load of potholes.
8. pollution from trucks buses etc is beyond bad in KTM and approach roads, thick, black and smutty mixed with clouds of dust. You will benefit from as mask - which are for sale all around.
9. White Toyota hiace "taxi vans" will try to kill you. Look out for them front/back/both sides!
10. don't run over any chickens - they get very cross.

Blocked roads due to landslides was a major problem but should be clear by the time you go. They were working on some big ones last week now the monsoons have ended. Earthquake damage is still very much affecting the lives of locals, again waiting to start rebuilding after monsoon. There are many trucks carrying materials to affected areas and will continue for a very long while.

Nepal is OPEN for visitors and there is no reason to not go. It is a spectacularly scenic place and the people are very welcoming.
Nepal stole my heart ! :thumbup1:

thanks for all the info, i will have 5 days in the India Himalasa around Darjeeling then heading over to Kathmandu. leaving Darjeeling on the 26th and aim to be Kathmandu on the 31st.

i will be in Kathmandy 1,2,3,and flying out early evening on the 4th, i am staying about 1km from the monkey temple so pop for a look.

anything you suggest to look at around Kathmandu??

thanks allan

Kathmandu is full of things to see, but what floats your boat?
For a bit of piece and quiet early morning is a good time to visit garden of dreams. A small oasis of calm for 200 NPR's ( and good coffee ) It's near Thamel area.
Thamel area is good for buying gifts ect... prices are negotiable, some are fixed.
Kathmandu durbar Square has been quite badly damaged by earthquake but still worth a visit. 300 - 400 NPR's by taxi from monkey temple. If you take a guide around the square they will charge you 750 +/- NPR's without guide it is 200 NPR's - Same for monkey Temple 200 NPR's.
Budanath Stupa is the biggest temple in KTM and worth a visit perhaps, including the surrounding area to the rear. - again 200 NPR's watch for child pickpockets here!

Personally I spent a good deal of time wandering around Thamel day and night, it was fascinating to see how stuff is made in the back of the tiny shops. Best food is in Thamel also ( above shops) Thamel is tourist area so prices are slightly inflated but still cheap by European standards. Bike hire is everywhere if you need some wheels. Hundreds of money changer shops in Thamel all rates are good and about the same. You can't change back NPR's out of Nepal spend it all, they need it :thumbup1:

thanks for the info, the cheap accommodation "Hotel Silver Home" i am staying in is in the Thamel area so will have a good look around, also i have marked boudhanath stupa on google earth and now printed a map of it, a couple of other temps and the area on the river where they do cremations also marked.

Jamacho Gumba is to the north east of the monkey temple and over looks kathmandu so if i can get up there for a photo i will.

You know you have a serious run sheet when Mt Everest is in the back ground?? the word "Bazar" is town or there abouts. stop for the first night in Nepal in Sindhuwa Bazar then head down the valley then North to Dingla Bazar then west to Shayam Chhok village.

has anyone heard anything about current fuel problems in Nepal??

In August /September 2015 there were some shortages reported. On some occasions it was a case of visiting several fuel stations to get petrol. Quite a few had run out or just sold diesel. This only seemed to occur in KTM. The guy we hired bike from said that 2 days before we arrived there were more widespread shortages. But to be honest the distance you travel in a day is nothing approaching a tank full of fuel. You just cant get any distance quickly. We had an RE-350cc and it ran for ever on a tank 2up. You can buy very cheap plastic containers to carry spare fuel in if you are concerned, but quite honestly you can find petrol somewhere in any town or village if you ask around. Some petrol appears to look like red diesel, I sniffed it a couple of times just to be sure!

thanks for the info, on the extras for the bike (pay extra for) is a larger tank 20ltrs. On my klr 650 with a 22 ltrs tank i can get 450klm on a tank so i will only be doing 120 - 150 in a day at the most riding from Darjeeling to Kathmandu.

leaving Darjeeling on the 26th and arriving Kathmandu 31st so a good 6 days to ride across and have a look around.

i am looking into western union transfer and getting money out at a town (which is on my route) in Eastern Nepal so i shouldn't have to change too much money at the border of India.

has anyone done the loop in the attachments??

thanks
Allan

i head off in 5 weeks so starting to map the route out a bit better.

with only 2 weeks until i head off there is still some sorting out to do.. the fuel situation in Nepal is a problem so iam working on a plan B. with a 20lt tank and carrying 10ltrs extra in saddle bags i should have fuel range of 700klm so maybe

to go up to Darjeeling then across into Nepal but i might have to go down into india to get fuel.

Andy from Inidia Bikes is very heplfully with a up date of information.

http://www.indiabikes.com/autorentN1/indexn.jsp
.

Enjoy your trip, I am contemplating something similar next year but might just fly out there over Christmas to test the water, please keep us informed of how it went.

thanks will do, i have a route marked takes me Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Nathang Valley then into Nepal and to Tumlingtar airport which is only about 70k from Everest (could be as low as 0 degrees).

i have spent a bit of time (a lot of time) looking on Google earth to see what interesting places to look at or visit and working out how to fit them into the route.

place like this monestary about 45k outside of Kathmandu, there is a resort near by but i am more interested in staying in the small local motel.

Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery | Namo Buddha | Nepal

On the way from KTM to the monastery you will pass Kailashnath mahadev statue you cant miss it quite easy to see. Worth a stop and coffee Its located at a health spa resort. great view from there too. I think it was 100NPR to enter/park ? It can be seen on my video of Nepal trip at about 9min11sec ( youtube search "g6snl" )

Attachment 16613