According to A2ZGOV, Bhairava (Siddhartha Nagar) is a large regional center in the south of Nepal, located 4 km from the border with India. In fact, Bhairava is the gateway for numerous pilgrims and tourists who come to Nepal from India in the town of Sanauli. From Bhairawa to Kathmandu about 265 km, and to Pokhara about 200 km, there is a constant bus service to these largest cities in the country. The city has a local airport.
The main attraction for which pilgrims and tourists flock to Bhairava is Lumbini. located 20 km from the city. It is believed that this is where the birthplace of the Buddha is located, as evidenced by a column erected in the 3rd century by King Ashoka. In Lumbini, everything is connected with the name of the Buddha, both numerous temples and ancient remains of buildings excavated by archaeologists.
In Bhairava itself, many tourists are happy to go to the local bazaar to buy souvenirs. In addition, Indians come here, buying mainly goods made in China. The local bazaar compares favorably with its variety and richness of choice, and for many, Bhairava becomes the first or last city visited in Nepal.
Around Bhairava there are some good cycling routes, such as Butwal, located 22 km north of the city. Such a walk makes it possible to see the life of small Nepalese villages in Terai, as well as the beautiful Tinau River, on which Butwal is located, and the foothills of the Sivalik Range.
30 km east of Bhairava is one of the largest rivers in Nepal – Narayani. It is one of the natural boundaries of the Chitwan National Park, located in the valley of the same name in Terai. You can get there from Bhairava by bus, passing along the highway along the entire, by no means small, territory of the national park. The largest cities located near the Chitwan National Park are Meghauli, Simra and Bharatpur. There are local airports, bus stations, hotels and everything you need to visit the park. The Chitwan Park itself, founded in 1973 and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1984, is one of the best and most popular of Nepal ‘s many reserves.. It is best known for the Bengal tigers and rhinos that live here, although in addition to them, you can also find leopards, sloth bears, wild boars, rhesus monkeys, langurs, wild dogs and cats and several types of deer in Chitwan. Crocodiles live in the swampy coastal areas of the Narayani River, and freshwater dolphins live in the river itself. More than 450 species of birds live in the park, hence the great interest of ornithologists. The most frequent form of visiting Chitwan National Park is a jeep or elephant safari. In any case, the trip will leave an unforgettable experience.
Jomsom (Nepal)
Jomsom is a small mountain town located at an altitude of 2720 m in the north-central part of Nepal in an area called lower Mustang. The name of this area comes from the Mustang River and the mountain range of the same name, which is part of the Main Himalayan Range, along which the border between Nepal and Tibet passes. Upper Mustang, also called the kingdom, is reliably isolated from civilization by its remote location in the mountains. Therefore, the traditional way of life, which is more characteristic of the Tibetans, has been largely preserved here. many of them found shelter here during the persecution by China. Jomsom, thanks to a small airport, is in fact the gateway to this amazing corner Nepal. However, from Jomsom to the upper Mustang, there are several days of off-road travel, in addition, the Mustang kingdom is under the tutelage of the state, and special permission is required to visit protected areas.
Jomsom is located in close proximity to the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massifs , one might say, at the foot of the eight-thousanders. Therefore, it attracts numerous trekking enthusiasts. You can get to the city by plane from Pokhara or on foot, climbing the Kali Gandaki river valley. However, most tourists still prefer the plane and down the valley to Pokhara. One of the most popular trekking routes, suitable for beginners, is called: “Jomsom – Pokhara”. For the more spirited trekkers, there is a route called the Annapurna Big Ring, which takes about 2 weeks to get around the entire Annapurna massif. This route also passes through Jomsom. Well, climbers, of course, strive for the Annapurna base camp, and some of them even attempt to climb to the top. At the same time, it is necessary to understand that such an expedition can take from a month to two and be associated with a serious danger to life.
Apart from the small airport in Jomsom there is a hospital, a post office, an archaeological museum and a temple of Shiva and Ganesh. Otherwise, it is not very different from the surrounding villages, except that it is larger in size. Not far from Jomsom are the Tibetan villages of Kagbeni and Jharkot, which look very colorful. For example, Jharkot is literally stuck to the rock, and short streets run up and down it between houses stuck to the rocks. There is a small Buddhist monastery, Shakya Gompa. Many pilgrims from India and Nepal visit the Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu at Muktinath. This place is considered holy not only by Hindus, but also by Buddhists; the Sarva Gompa monastery is located here. Muktinath is located at an altitude of 3760 m, so the ascent there is fraught with certain difficulties.
