Tansen

After a few days in and around Pokhara, we decided to do a small loop around central Nepal. Our first stop was the village of Tansen, after a bumpy 5 hours on the local bus. The Lonely planet describes it as a charming medieval town perfect as a base for walks in the surrounding countryside. The reality was slightly different as we discovered a dusty town with a few vaguely medieval looking buildings but only two restaurants and a handful of scattered dirty hotels. The town comprises of a dirty highway which luckily bypasses the centre with its maze of steep, winding cobbled alleys. There are some unique Newari shops producing traditional Dhaka cloth used to make shirts or hats called topis.

Tansen

Sitalpi, the town's octogonal pavilion and local man wearing 'topis' hat

We got a map from our guesthouse and the only walk suggested to us was up in the small park above town which we completed in a couple of hours. It was disappointing, but a small running track was redemption so we were able to train in the morning. 

Beautiful tree in Srinagar Park

Friends chatting

Town view from high up