Nagarkot to Dhulikhel Trek

There’s a popular 20km trail established by the NETIF called Kathmandu Valley Cultural Trekking Trail which connects the village of Nagarkot with Dhulikel. Some parts were well signed but others were unclear and deserted which made it impossible to ask for help. We had to follow our instincts and hope for the best! The path kept changing from wide, flat and gravelly, to narrow, uphill and winding through vegetable plantations. The weather was perfect, almost too hot and sunny for our liking. Thankfully, we had prepared for the long day by packing sandwiches and water so we were able to make pit-stops. 

Lost in vegetable fields

Stunning countryside

Is this really our trail? 

Local youths in rural Nepal

Charming local children in their rustic mud-brick farmhouses never failed to run out and ask for chocolates or money. We did succumb by giving a few rupees each to three dusty cuties who greeted us with fresh flowers and joined their hands in prayer with a jolly 'namaste!'. We don’t normally encourage begging, but these young peasants' kids were clearly disadvantaged and deserving of our generosity.  

How adorable are these three?

We worked hard on this trek which took us more than 6 hours but arrived with a sign of relief in Dhulikhel, where we had to take two successive local buses to return to Nagarkot, just in time for sunset and a well deserved meal.