Assuming you’ve visited Pokhara, Nepal’s biggest flying destination, then next on your list could be Bandipur.
With a backdrop of Himalayan giants including 8,000m Makalu the setting couldn’t be better. Once a royal retreat the village is about three hours from Kathmandu and makes a perfect stopover between there and Pokhara.
The flying is ridge-soaring in perfect winds that are drawn in every day by the big mountains behind.
After a lazy start and chai in the village, a fifteen-minute stroll up an easy path will take you to the launch. From there soar dynamically up to the main part of the ridge where you can waft over the dense jungle full of birds and monkeys until the sun sets.
There are cross-country possibilities too plus plenty of trekking options.
When to go: Oct to Apr
Photo: Andy Busslinger
This appeared in the 2016 Travel Guide as a Himalayan Getaway, one of six alternative sites to Pokhara and Bir for pilots visiting the Himalaya.
