Bike Ride to Muktinath Temple of Annapurna Region

Posted by: Dipesh Khatri Chhetry   Posted Date: May 31, 2016

Bike Ride to Muktinath Temple of Annapurna Region

 What a lovely morning!!! I couldn’t sleep the whole night in the anticipation of this morning as six of us were about to go for the tour of our life. After weeks of planning we set off on our motorbikes leaving behind the clamor of Kathmandu valley in search of serenity, peace and tranquility in the amazing trekking in Nepal destination, Jomsom Muktinath trail of Annapurna trekking route.

Around 7 am in the morning we started our bike engine and hit the road. Once we passed the Thankot Naagdhunga Checkpost the rural Nepal started to amaze us in every turning of the Prithvi Highway. After 2 hours of bike ride we reached Muglin, where we had our light breakfast. The unique semi urban Nepalese community along the highway kept my eyes busy while my friend was driving the motorbike. We crossed the junction Bandipur, model village hill station of western Nepal, Damauli, and finally reached the lake city Pokhara in around 12 noon. We parked our motorbikes in Lakeside for a while and had lunch in Thakali Restaurant. The journey ahead was strenuous and long so without delaying we headed towards Beni along the Beni-Baglung Highway. We passed through Dhampus, Naudanda and Lumle from where we descended up to Nayapul. We rested for a while in Nayapul as it is the starting point for the most of the Annapurna Trekking routes. The Annapurna Circuit trek comprising of the Ghorepani, Poon Hill, and Annapurna Base Camp is also in my wish list. The 3 hours of motorbiking we reached to Beni the district headquarter of Myagdi district of Nepal. We stayed at Hotel Yeti in Beni for the first night. Dinner at hotel was very tasty and full of local taste but the accommodation was not up to the standard. We also had the Himalayan alcohol Marpha for the first time in Beni. The alcohol was very dry and smooth without any hangover side effects in the morning. Early morning we checked out of the hotel and started our journey to Muktinath along the Kaligandaki River. The off-roading experience enthralled our imagination of the upper Himalayan region of Nepal. We stopped for breakfast in Tatopani (Hot Springs) where we enjoyed the hot shower and hot natural water swimming in well organized resort in Tatopani. After 2 hours of bike riding we reached the Ghasa the check point to enter the Upper Belt. We showed our identity card to the security personnel and stayed in Ghasa for our lunch. Just before arriving in Ghasa we fest astound and amazing by the sight of Rupse waterfall. We strolled along the water for a while and then started our engines to move further. The Marpha spirit and yak meat were our starters. The authentic local black lentils, spinach and local chicken curry were so delicious. We had wonderful lunch in Ghasa. The occasional view of mountains in the dusty curvy road was amazing experience to make. We finally reached Jomsom passing by villages like Marpha and Tukuche at around 4 pm. We booked a room in Gauchan hotel opposite to the airport gate. We kept our bags and after light snacks we set off to the Muktinath Temple. In about 45 minutes of bike ride we reached to this majestic holy place. The usual prayers were done and dipped into the sin and purity pond. The view of Kagbeni below and the view of Neelgiri Mountain just above us enthralled us. During our ascending toward Muktinath we felt little uneasy as we changed the altitude pretty quickly however it was okay. The bathing in 108 taps in the temple and visit of ever flaming light in the womb of the hill was unique and fascinating experience for us. We were lucky to see and feel the snow as well. We had a local liqueur in Bob Marley restaurant and rode straight back to Jomsom for the overnight sleep and dinner.

The overall trip to Muktinath on Bike is the best days of my life. We spent Nepalese rupees 30,000 (thirtyThe overall trip to Muktinath on Bike is the best days of my life. We spent Nepalese rupees 30,000 (thirty thousands) for six peopl e. The trip was 2n3d in the Himalayas. The next day we came straight to Pokhara for relaxation and retreat. The clamor and vibrancy of Pokhara Lakeside took us to another level of enjoyment. Therefore, I would like to highly recommend you to make the Muktinath Jomsom Trekking, jeep ride or bike ride to this part of the Nepal trekking region. The thrill of nature, unique culture and the clamor of city all can be witnessed in the single tour to Himalayas.