THINGS TO DO IN BANDIPUR

Bandipur Bazaar

One of the main attractions of Bandipur is the age old chastity of culture, art and architecture that seem to be unharmed by the modern civilisation. Age old houses and their transformation as cafes, hotels and homestays with most of the modern facilities is a must see for the travelers to feel its uniqueness. 18th century architecture, traditional stone carved footpaths for pedestrian with outdoor dining restros and cafes gives a discretely outlandish feel.

Siddha Cave
Siddha Cave is the largest cave in Nepal at 50m high and 437m deep. Most people hike upto the cave from Bandipur but there is an alternative way to access the Siddha Cave from Bimalnagar on the Prithivi Highway which comes before Bandipur. Either way, people have to hike their way to explore the beauty of this cave. The cave is full of stalactites and stalagmites and large number of bats, of course. It takes about an hour of hike to reach there.
Thani Mai Temple
Another attraction of Bandipur is the beautiful temple of Thani Mai. But more than the temple itself, it is the panoramic view of the Himalayas expanding across the horizon that could be spotted from atop of the temple viewpoint. One can reach Thani Mai Temple viewpoint after a steep half an hour walk from Bandipur Bazaar.
Tundikhel
Once the gathering spot for traders and former parade grounds for the Gurkha soldiers, Tudikhel of Bandipur, today, is mostly used as a picnic spot and playing grounds for people. On a clear day, views of some Himalayas can be visible from here too which includes Dhaulagiri, Langtang Lirung, Machhapuchhre and Ganesh Himal among others.
Khadga Mai Temple
To the left of the Binabasini Temple one can spot a large welcome gate-like structure accompanied by wide stone steps leading up the hill. At the end of these stone steps is the Khadga Mai Temple. It just takes few minutes to reach the temple, about 5 minutes from the Bazaar. The temple sanctifies the sword of 16th century King of Palpa, Mukunda Sen. The sword is rendered holy and revered as the symbol of power.
How to get There
Getting to Bandipur is fairly easy as you can find vehicles from Kathmandu, Pokhara. The trip takes about 4-5 hours to reach from Kathmandu and 3 hours from Pokhara. Public vehicles will always take more time to reach a place than private ones. And if you are planning to get Bandipur by motorbike, the journey will be of 3 hours from Kathmandu. The path will bid farewell to Prithivi Highway from Dumre and will start ascending towards hill from there.

Bandipur is a small town 150km away from Kathmandu Valley. Located on top of the hill, Bandipur is a hidden paradise in the cenral west and a popular tourist attraction mainly because of its rich cultural and natural heritage.

Developed as a town, Bandipur, however, gives the feeling of a typical Newari culture preserved through the time. Cobblestone streets lined with traditional row houses on either sides give the impression of age old Newari settlement with temples in the middle.

The melange between modernization and age old culture, art and architecture makes Bandipur a place to visit at least once. Perfect blend of old and new architecture complimenting each other, the town is vintage.

Before Prithivi Highway came into scene in 1960s, this beautiful and awe-inspiring town of Bandipur was an important stop on the trading route to Tibet. Bandipur was once the trading hub of the west routes to Tibet and today, it has transformed into a popular tourist destination because of its rich yet age old arts and architecture. These 18th century master architectures have now been converted to cafes, lodges, homestays and hotels portraying the harmony between the old and new culture and art. Each year, tourists flock in numbers to visit this age old town much of whose architecture has been transformed, today, into cafes, lodges and home stays.