A little time away from everyday life gives us a new perspective to look at our lives and the world we live in. One of refreshments for busy capital life is getting far from the chaos of this whirling city. This doesn’t mean we need pockets filled with cash or plenty of time to spare getting over the hills and far away. 

The world just around this valley takes us to landscapes and lifestyles quite different to our own. These places are easy to go and there is no waiting for a particular season as any time is feasible. Add some of these easy get away to your bucket list and enjoy the weekends with your best buds.

Chandragiri-Chitlang

Chandragiri has become one of the beloved places to visit for the residents of Kathmandu since the launch of its cable car. The glory of this place is established by its natural beauty consisting of the elevated green hills along with the panoramic view of Kathmandu under various mountain ranges that leaves you bemused. One might also get the experience of what once the King Prithvi Narayan Shah must have felt at the first sight of the valley from this very place. The main attraction for visitors here is the Bhaleswor temple, which is also the ultimate destination for cable cars.

Just beyond Chandragiri hills is the village of Chitlang that lies in Makwanpur district. Not so far from the capital city still Chitlang has its authenticity maintained with only hints of modernization. There are many attractions of Chitlang, one includes the Chitlang Organic farm which provides cozy accommodation amidst its wide Pear yard and serves our favorite dal-bhat accompanied with the taste of local vegetable produce. Another site here is the Vedafarm (Sheep farm) which can be reached by walking for about 20 minutes. The landscape of this site is quite unique. The layered area of green hill with a single tree on it is a popular site and is also popularly known as One Tree Hill.  You can also treat your taste buds with the local Cheese produced in the nearby Goat Cheese factory.

The actual journey to both Chandragiri and Chitlang starts from Thankot and can be done by hiking or in a vehicle. The ride of Cable car starts from Godam. At this very place the public vehicle that directly goes to Chitlang is also available that follows a bumpy ride of 8 km. Alternatively, a hiking route can be adopted by descending down the hill from Chandragiri to Chitlang straight ahead. It is better to spend the night at Chitlang which provides good quality of accommodation or you could also camp at any feasible site. Getting back to Kathmandu can be done by returning back the same way or by hiking to Kulekhani Lake and catching a bus from there to Balkhu.

Chisapani

Chisapani is a short and easy trek located at about 12 km north from kathmandu, it serves perfect for overnight stay. The trek follows Shivapuri-Nagarjuna National Park. It is easy to get to Chisapani by guidance of signs and marks in the national park area. Starting off from Sundarijal, you already feel closer to nature in the national park with the greenery and the sound of a river crashing through the stones. There are waterfalls along and the way leads to forest paths covered with dry leaves and flower petals. It’s a rare pleasure for Kathmanduities to walk with the crackling sound over the dry leaves and breathing fresh forest air.

It takes about four hours to reach Chisapani from Sundarijal, the four hour walk takes us through small streams, agriculture fields of locals, tea houses on the way and the tunnel like paths of trees. What captivates the visitors in Chisapani is the morning view of Langtang range shining warm when hit by the rising sun rays. One of the must see places around is the Dhap lake, protected within the national park the lake lies quiet in the wild, unaltered by humans except for the visitors who occasionally get there.

Suirechaur

It is true that outskirts in every direction of the valley have something to offer, Suirechaur is one of them. The gateway to this place starts from Samakhusi, following Tokha and through one of the entrances of Shivapuri-Nagarjuna national park. It is possible to get here by both hiking and in vehicles however the situation of the road is greatly affected by rain. The hike to Suirechaur is about 4 hours long and on the halfway line lies one of the popular spot of Kathmandu,Jhor Mahankal. Many reach out to Jhor in summer mostly to get dripped in the waterfall that lies alongside Jhor-Mahankal temple. Jhor is about halfway from Gurjebhanjhyang which is the place where Suirechaur is located.

There are few places in Suirechaur for staying that only offer very basic accommodation facilities. However the spot is also ideal for Camping, for which you have to take your own tents. There are also few horses in the place, which again is a rare site in Kathmandu. Under the canopy of stars you can also see the bright lights dazzling down in Kathmandu valley. From the night sky filled with stars to the morning sight of Mountains over Nuwakot, Suirechaur has one the most incredible views that can be seen from around Kathmandu.

Balthali

Balthali is a small village located in the southwest of Kathmandu, passing further Panauti and Khopasi villages. Besides nature, another major driving factor for traveling is to observe and experience different people and their cultural norms. The perfect blend of nature and culture can be observed in this particular site, starting from Panauti where the authenticity of newari settlements remains intact. It takes about an hour in the early morning buses that leave from Kathmandu to Panauti. The bumpy ride goes along beautiful landscapes as well as traditional houses on the way. 

You can either start the hike already from Panauti or take a ride till Khopasi from where it’s about two hours to reach the resorts in Balthali. The growing popularity of this place also owes credit to the resorts that have been established there to provide quality accommodation for visitors. With the spectacular view of Mountains and beautiful landscapes down below it offers an environment of both luxury and rural tranquility.