Nepal, Nepal is by far the cheapest
country we have been to. Imagine go-
ing out for date night and paying just
1 euro for dinner for two! Well, that
is Nepal outside of the more touristy
places, but that is part of the joy of
travelling on motorbike, isn't it?
India already shows you a little
time-travelling but reaching Nepal
you get a real throwback in time, es-
pecially at Bardia National Park.
Little straw huts, all with their own
pig, chickens and water-buffalo. Life
adapted to the temperatures. Morn-
ing means eating breakfast around
the fire, noon means time to take a
bath in the shining sun and cold riv-
er and evening brings you back to the
beginning sitting around the fire to
warm up cold hands and toes.
It is a place where tourists come
for the beauty of nature but getting
there requires a river crossing and 10
kilometres of dirt track through small
villages and beautiful forests.
You have many places to stay, al-
though without heating, so if you go
there in January, like we did, bring an
extra jacket or two! The advantage is
that there are hardly any other tour-
ists around, so the experience is just
that little bit better.
When you feel like it, you can jump
on your bike and ride around on some
rocky roads or take a chance in the
sand along the river. If you are lucky
you can even see some elephants
come along! However, there are main-
ly cows crossing through the water
when their shepherd starts whistling.
TRAVERSE 92
After India, Nepal feels like the
garden you cannot live without. Blue
waters reflecting the beauty above,
mountains taking your breath away
(literally when making your way up!)
and sunsets plunging the surround-
ings in a magical light.
India and Nepal may share a huge
stretch of border, but apart from that
they truly feel like totally different
worlds.
Nepal seems to have it all for an ad-
venturous spirit. Dirt tracks, winding
mountain roads, river crossings and
endless hiking opportunities. If you
feel up to it, get off your bike for a few
days and make your way up the moun-
tains.
We decided to walk up to Annapur-
na Base Camp, but there are so many