Three destinations : Kathmandu to Bandipur, Doha to Bir Zekreet

Kathmandu to Bandipur

A 148 km drive from Kathmandu will take one to a beautiful mountainous region, Bandipur that lies between Kathmandu and Pokhara. Bandipur has age-old cultural heritage like temples, shrines, sacred caves and Newari architecture. It is developed into a prosperous trading centre and a community with town-like features. There is no motor-vehicle activity in the town and one can see lot of tables set out in the winding lanes of bazaars by the restaurants and cafes. This gives a feeling of being in Europe. One can also view that these lanes are lined with traditional Newari houses.

Doha to Bir Zekreet

It’s a popular beach destination for weekend campers who are water sports enthusiasts. The amazing landscape of Bir Zekreet has the presence of large escarpments with mushroom and pillar-like limestone formations. This region is a 90 km drive from Doha and is also a Unesco Biosphere Reserve. Since there is no public transportation to reach here, so the best way is to come in one’s own vehicle with lot of water and food stuff to eat. There is also a 9^th century fort in the area, called the Zekreet Fort. It is a protected site here.

 

Rajshahi to Puthia

For a history buff, Puthia is a beautiful town. It was named after the Puthia Raj family in the 16^th century. A 25 km drive from Rajshahi division will land you in a complex of ancient temples and palaces, which was built by the same family. Being a small place, it is better to walk around to enjoy the scenic historical aspect of the village. If one can’t walk, one can take a rickshaw to visit the sites. Puthia is a preserved site with quite a lot of Hindu temples. One will find amazing history in the Puthia Palace.