Dhulikhel is the smallest municipality of Nepal in terms of population. It is situated only 30 km east of Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal on the Arniko Highway at an elevation of 1,550 metre above the mean sea level and along the ridge that seperates the valley of Banepa and Paanchkhal. According to census of 1991, there were 9,664 population living in 1,616 households on an area of approximately 1,087 hactres. The projected population of Dhulikhel for the year 2000 is about 11,000. How to Reach ?
It takes about forty five minutes to reach Dhulikhel in a taxi or private car, or two-and-a-half to three hours by bicycle from Kathmandu. On the way, one can enjoy the spectrum of Nepalese landscape from lush green rice fields to the women washing clothes and winnowing grains, children carrying water in clay jugs or playing lively games.
Dhulikhel: The Gateway to Tibet
Dhulikhel has for many centuries been an important trading center on the ancient commercial route linking Nepal to Tibet. Since time immemorial, people of Nepal travel to Tibet to bring home salt and gold. Likewise, the Tibetans every year with their flocks of sheep enter into Nepal during Dashain, the greatest Hindu festival. They purchased chilies and other daily necessities in Nepal and return to their homeland. In those days, a whole day walk from Kathmandu to Dhulikhel was comfortable for Tibet trippers with easily available of food and water at Dhulikhel at the evening for overnight stay. Even now, a bird's eye view from the resorts at Dhulikhel to the landscapes; highway to Tibet and horizons far to the Tibetan borders, clearly exhibits Dhulikhel as the gateway of Tibet. After adjoining with Tibet by motorable road in 1965, Dhulikhel got a face lift and developed as a tourist destination both for Tibet trippers and tourists. Many travel agents operate tours to Tibet. And of course, Dhulikhel is an ideal station to stop for overnight stay while going to Tibet and coming back to Kathmandu.
Why in Dhulikhel ?
Why in Dhulikhel ?
The first destination of most of the tourists visiting Nepal is the capital city, Kathmandu and whole of the Kathmandu valley is becoming more and more overcrowded and populated. The valley is converting into a chaotic "Concrete Jungle". Hence, there is a growing need to develop a touristic destination in a nearly pollution free environment to diversify the centralized stay of the tourists in Kathmandu valley. Nagarkot, Kakani and Dhulikhel could be such nearest touristic destinations. Out of these three destinations.
Dhulikhel is the most idyllic hill destination because of its locational advantage and natural gift. Besides, it is a medieval city full of ancient heritage and rich traditional socio-cultural millieu, which both Nagarkot and Kakani lack and also the industries that Dhulikhel is seeking are tourism related.
Dhulikhel already has about 24 hotels and resorts, and visitors can find accommodation ranging from the budget class to luxury lodges/resorts. These resorts have hospitable staff, lovely gardens with peaceful and pleasant environment, neat and clean rooms with attached bath running hot and cold water, STD, ISTD, money exchange facilities and mailing services. They serve popular menus - Continental, Chinese, Indian and exquisite Nepalese cuisine. They also have conference halls for seminar, training sessions, workshops and meetings. But, tourists in Dhulikhel come through the personal contacts of the individual resort promoters. There is a cut-throat competition and there is no joint efforts of the hoteliers for introducing an efficient marketing strategy to promote Dhulikhel as one of the best touristic destination. Because of this lack, Dhulikhel has not gained due recognition and popularity among the local and foreign travel agents and they are selling other destinations like Pokhara and Nagarkot.
Further, except few short treks, walking through old city and watching mountains, there are no such recreational activities/programmes run by hoteliers, which attracts tourists more and prolong their numbers of days of stay. Hence, until and unless the Dhulikhel Dream Land Project (discussed in separate Article in this Souvenir) is not realized and the Ecotourism (Nature and Village Tourism) is not introduced in Dhulikhel, the desire to make Dhulikhel an idyllic touristic hill destination will remain only in dreams.
Dhulikhel is one of those very few places on this earth I've been to and really love. It's a place my mother grew up in, roamed around, played with the mustard plants, delighted the entire air with the echo of her laughter. Of course, the roads she had walked on have all but transformed. But the root is still there; the traditions, the culture, the white peaks in the backdrop playing hide-and-seek with the floating clouds; you can't help getting amazed by the sheer beauty of it.
ReplyDeleteBut now I see fast-pacing urbanization starting to engulf Dhulikhel too. This is inevitable, of course, and something we can't and shouldn't stay away from. But urbanization should never cause a backlash of any kind on this one heritage we so much love. As you said Anup, Dhulikhel can be one of the prominent tourist destinations of our country. And this blog, I believe, will take that dream of yours and mine and many of us alike to a whole new level. :)