[saket77]

Wonderful log! It is one of those where I was literally ogling at the delicacies rather than the places! The foodie in you must be immensely happy
How are the roads inside Nepal? Pokhra and Kathmandu-Nagarkot are long pending in my list; but not in my vehicle. What are the transportation options there in Nepal for mortals like us who would prefer to reach a bordering town by train?

Thanks for Sharing!

Regards,
Saket

[bblost]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Lovely trip Immy and good to see your RE in action. We'd been to Nepal (only Kathmandu really) last year and it's a nice little place. The only thing I did not enjoy in Nepal was the food. We went with TripAdvisor ratings and were mostly disappointed.

I was eating only vegetarian food and since I like very earthy food, loved it.

Originally Posted by saket77

Wonderful log! It is one of those where I was literally ogling at the delicacies rather than the places! The foodie in you must be immensely happy
How are the roads inside Nepal? Pokhra and Kathmandu-Nagarkot are long pending in my list; but not in my vehicle. What are the transportation options there in Nepal for mortals like us who would prefer to reach a bordering town by train?

Thanks for Sharing!

Regards,
Saket

Sonauli to Pokhara was very good.
Pokhara to Lumbini was 50% on the former route and then turned away into Butwal. The Butwal section was very bad.

Traffic is fast and honking is frowned upon.
Almost all the bikers were helmets. Buses and bikes are very rash and they can be very scary at turns.

My friends who drove from Kathmandu to Pokhara reported that the majority of the road was very beautiful but the last 30-40 kilometers were bad.

Lots of people hire cabs from Gorakhpur to enter into Nepal and use it for local transport as well.

[satishv1987]

Great read. Good to know that the Himalayan held up well.

If only the bike churned out some additional BHPs and also had a 6th gear. That is the only thing which bugs me on long rides.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by satishv1987

Great read. Good to know that the Himalayan held up well.

If only the bike churned out some additional BHPs and also had a 6th gear. That is the only thing which bugs me on long rides.

Completely agree. When I rode solo, it felt kind of fine. But the return run with my very capable friend on his Interceptor was quite humbling.

[IntoTheStorm]

Nice inspiring trip! simple writing style! I am planning to buy the BS6 Himalayan and only concern was the tubed type tyres! but after reading your travelogue it is clear that getting or NOT getting the puncture is result of combination of how we ride and pure luck! will wait for some more time for feedback on BS6 vehicle and book the "Gravel grey" variant

[PapaBravo]

Beautiful travelogue bblost. Very inspiring. Traveling solo from Hyderabad to Pokhara on a bike must have been such an amazing experience. Your storytelling technique is very relatable.

This TL also brings back memories from 2010-15 when I used to visit Nepal very often for work. I had been to Lumbini in 2012. It has changed quite a bit. More crowdy it seems.

Wishing you many more miles !!

Originally Posted by saket77

How are the roads inside Nepal?

Roads are mostly good in Nepal for popular destinations. It gets really bad if you venture to an offbeat place.

What are the transportation options there in Nepal for mortals like us who would prefer to reach a bordering town by train?

There are 4 options :

1. Flight : There are cheap flights available from a lot of border towns to KTM by Buddha Air & Yeti Airlines. But the planes are small 12-15 setaer Beechcrafts and aviation safety is not the best in Nepal.

2. Bus : Cheap option but takes a long time.

3. Shared Taxi : Mostly a Sumo or a Scorpio.

4. Hired Taxi : Pretty expensive. Cars cost a lot in Nepal. A Swift costs NPR 30 lacs (~ INR 19 lacs) in Nepal. The rentals ought to be high.


Cheers,

Pawan

[advenk999]

Beautifully penned catalogue sir! Loved reading every bit of it to the minutest detail.
Pokhara is a beautiful place and yes, I dream to ride or drive up to it someday.
Having been associated with the SOS Children's Village Intl, I have had the opportunity to design schools and disaster rehabilitation centers in the remote location of Lakuri Danda, post the 2015 earthquake.
This place just about 100 kms from the first base camp and extremely beautiful!
A recommendation of water rafting along the Indravati tributary on the Sun Koshi (Melamchi) river is a must for every adventure lover.
What I really appreciate the most about Nepalese folks living on the hills is that they respect their resources. They were extremely particular in segregation of dry and wet waste and ensured that tourists do not litter.
It is a beautiful country to visit and we do have a lot in common with them, especially when it comes to football!

Thanking you immensely for sharing this wonderful travelogue!
Cheers!

[sachin_cs]

This is such an amazing travelogue. I'm seriously having an itch to head somewhere out to the mountains now. Anyway I'm inspired by your post and I'm thinking of penning down my Ladakh ride today.

[ishan12]

Such an inspiring travelogue and how casually you described such a long solo ride like it was nothing.

I am really itching to do a longish solo ride on my interceptor. Might do a Pune-Delhi sometime this year.

[naveenroy]

Nice writeup! Good to see that you had a great trip and that the Himalayan didn't give any trouble.

The funny pic with the sleeping bag - noticed the Rolling Thunder tee. Was that from the Rider Mania they hosted? Was also surprised to not see their logo on the club list (photo).

[benbsb29]

Awesome writeup, and great pics, Immy. The opening pic... it just sums up the experience of being out there, and surrounded by nature. As much as I enjoy touring, I prefer being in a 'cage', as the biking fraternity refers to cars.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by IntoTheStorm

Nice inspiring trip! simple writing style! I am planning to buy the BS6 Himalayan and only concern was the tubed type tyres! but after reading your travelogue it is clear that getting or NOT getting the puncture is result of combination of how we ride and pure luck! will wait for some more time for feedback on BS6 vehicle and book the "Gravel grey" variant

Not riding on the edge of the road and staying roughly in the middle of the lane has helped me avoid punctures.
But learn how to change the tire yourself. Since it has a disc brake its something most puncture guys are reluctant to change.

Originally Posted by PapaBravo

Beautiful travelogue bblost. Very inspiring. Traveling solo from Hyderabad to Pokhara on a bike must have been such an amazing experience. Your storytelling technique is very relatable.

Thanks a lot. I am sure the info on getting there will be very helpful to a lot of people.

Originally Posted by advenk999

What I really appreciate the most about Nepalese folks living on the hills is that they respect their resources.

One of my saddle bags was also my dustbin. I am very happy to say that I did not leave a single piece of trash anywhere by the roadside.

Originally Posted by sachin_cs

This is such an amazing travelogue. I'm seriously having an itch to head somewhere out to the mountains now. Anyway I'm inspired by your post and I'm thinking of penning down my Ladakh ride today.

Tell me about it. I am already itching for a long ride but strangely no on in my house has any sympathy for me.

Originally Posted by ishan12

Such an inspiring travelogue and how casually you described such a long solo ride like it was nothing.

I am really itching to do a longish solo ride on my interceptor. Might do a Pune-Delhi sometime this year.

Just do it.

Originally Posted by naveenroy

The funny pic with the sleeping bag - noticed the Rolling Thunder tee. Was that from the Rider Mania they hosted?

Yep it was the Rider Mania they hosted. All my t-shirts are form riding events. A wardrobe filled with blacks and greys.

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Awesome writeup, and great pics, Immy. The opening pic... it just sums up the experience of being out there, and surrounded by nature. As much as I enjoy touring, I prefer being in a 'cage', as the biking fraternity refers to cars.

Thanks Benny. The first pic is thanks to a master who guided me on whatsapp as I spent about 30 mins literally lying down on the ground to get the correct frame.

[aravindravi]

Wonderfully written travelogue that was rich in details and experiences. Made me want to plan a trip as soon as possible. I used to own a Thunderbird 350 but I have sold it after a few long trips because I was frustrated with RE quality issues. I regret having sold it. It was more impulsive. Currently impressed with 2020 Himalayan. Hoping to buy one soon. Thank you again for the wonderful post.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by aravindravi

Wonderfully written travelogue that was rich in details and experiences. Made me want to plan a trip as soon as possible. I used to own a Thunderbird 350 but I have sold it after a few long trips because I was frustrated with RE quality issues. I regret having sold it. It was more impulsive. Currently impressed with 2020 Himalayan. Hoping to buy one soon. Thank you again for the wonderful post.

Also check out the Interceptor. That thing is a rocket.

[R-Six]

Great narration and supported with a wonderful set of pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Originally Posted by bblost

Attachment 1963777

If I'm not mistaken, this blue Dominar belongs to "Mallu Traveller", a guy from Kerela currently on his world ride. I have seen quite a few posts from him on Instagram. This bike was readied by Junaid and his team from Art of Motorcycles, Bangalore.

Did you get a chance to talk to him? It would have been nice to catch up and share his experience on the saddle.

Ride Safe,
R-Six