Mahendra Highway
 

Hi

We are currently in Amritasar, India and are planning on travelling into nepal in the next few weeks. The plan was to cross at Banbassa and travel along the Mahendra Highway to Kathmandu. Does anyone know if this route is safe, and passable? We have been assured that the border is open but can anyone confirm this?

Thanks for your time and any advice is greatfully received.

Best wishes

Jason

Mahendra Highway
 

The present trouble in the Terai region is mainly on the eastern half of the Mahendra Highway. At present the Maoists are observing a ceasefire and have joined the government in Kathmandu.

The present trouble in the east is between the local ethnic community and the Kathmandu-based political parties and the Maoists.

The local caste and ethnic community in the terai: The Madhesis, who want a bigger say in the running of the central government in Kathmandu and more control of running their local community down on the plains.

I would have no problem riding the western half of the Terai (ask as you go along). If you come across police, army or anyone else on the road open up your helmet, slow down, be nice, and say Namaste! - has worked for 16 years for me.

Stay at The Forest Hideaway Cottages which are not bad in Bardia National Park, and when u get to Pokhara The Butterfly Lodge has an excellent secluded garden... and both are cheap!

Crazy Scot & The Brooklyn Babe

Hi

Thanks for the info, I think after what you said we will probabaly cross into Nepal at Banbassa and take a couple of weeks exploring Nepal on the way to Tibet and we will certainly try the accommodation you recommended.

Thanks again
Jason

Present situation in Nepal
 

Hi guys,

Over the last week or so there has been strikes down on the Terai and some trouble - nepalnews.com and ekantipur.com will keep you up to date.

The way things are going I would cross at Bhairawa/Sunauli, which limits your time on the plains. The road to Pokhara via Tansen, which goes up over the hills, if you start AM you can do it no problem in a day. Only ride during DAYLIGHT, but you know that. I rode this road at the height of the Maoist insurgency a number of times and I was just stopped a couple of times for a general chat, nothing heavy.

Depending on how it is on the ground - ask at Butwal. You could take the busier route up to Mugling, then Pokhara. I would not do Butwal throu' to Ktm in one day unless you are very short of time.

Pokhara via Mugling, will be busy from Naryangarth to Mugling then quiet throu' to Pokhara.

Have fun,

Ferg & TJ

PS Do me one favour have a beer in Sam's Bar in Thamel, Ktm for me.

Ah it seems to have just hit the fan!
 

Hi

Wow we have been offline for a few days and all of a sudden it really seems to have hit the fan in western Nepal. Unfortnatly we are actually within 90km of the banbassa border now, so we were going to hang on here in Nainital until sunday and see if the Bandh had finished. As far as I understand it Bandh seems to mean that the mehandra highway is impassable, I presume this is because of road blocks and maoists with guns saying 'go away!'. We were waiting until sunday just because it mentioned on Nepalnews.com that the strike would last until then but how accurate do you think that report is? We thought that probably the best way to find out the situation was to travel to the border and ask, but do you think they will have a clue what is going on in Nepal? Wow we were really looking forward to Bardia national park and really not looking forward to a trip along the Lucknow road and up into Nepal. In your opinion how fast do thngs return to normal after one of these Bardh things, is it days, weeks or months?

Thanks for all the info and I am looking forward to your response.

Cheers

Jason

Trouble in the plains...
 

I just wrote an expansive message, which some how did not get put on the blog.

In a nut shell, the present causes for concern are two-fold: An ultimatium has been given to the Nepalis' of hill-origin to leave the plains in the next 2 weeks by militant groups of the Terai. The second is that Prachanda, the leader of the Maoists wants the country to be declared a republic in the next two weeks. There has been trouble between other groups and the police, and curfews have been put in place.

I believe your main prolem is getting stuck in roadblocks.
I went on to say, that I was held up in a road block for 12 hours last November, and when me and two Nepali riders asked if we could pass, we were told in no uncertain terms that our bikes would be torched.

I would veer on the side of caution, as per my last message, and go up through Sunauli.

Have a beer in the New Amsterdam when you reach Pokhara.

Ferg

We are here!
 

Thanks for all the advice.

We are now in Pokara, we ended up driving on the Mehandra Highway all the way from Banbassa to Butwal with a 6 day stop in Bradia National Park. There were a few road blocks, but we missed all except one as we were in the park. The one we did hit, they let us straight through. To be honest the power cuts due to the early rains have been the worst thing,

Thanks again. Hope to see you on the road some day.

Jason

P.S We are on the way to the Amsterdam Bar now.