Halfway on the drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara, and four hours off the highway lies Bandipur, the hilltop Newar trading town that time has passed by. And it is none the worse for it. Unlike other towns that decayed and withered, Bandipur thrives and wears its isolation proudly.

The town is now promoting itself as a relaxed hill station, famous for its tranquility, its gorgeous views and as a retreat and educational centre.
You can catch the historical trading trail at Dumre Bazar on the Pokhara highway and climb three hours through pine forests alive with birds to the township situated at 1000 m. This is the climb immortalised by King Mahendra in his poem "Bandipur\'s Long Climb".

The view from up here of Ganesh Himal, Himalchuli, Manaslu and the Annapumas is unrivalled. The surrounding hills are ideal for hiking along trails that take you through rhododendron forests, holy caves and hilltop shrines that once served as fortresses.

In the 19th century, Bandipur was the transit point where Tibet met India in commerce.

Pokhara\'s airport and its growing importance as a tourist and trading destination in the 1950s, and then the Prithvi Highway which led to the shifting of the district headquarters out of Bandipur to a roadside centre put the old trading town out of business. The Newar traders moved down to Narayanghat, and its well-educated doctors, educationists and professionals to Kathmandu.

Today, many of them are coming back. Some are investing in schools, colleges and tourist retreats, and the old Newar houses are being renovated. The town\'s old world charm is now attracting a trickle of tourists.

For those who want to get even further away from civilisation, Bandipur can be the starting point of what is called the Magar Trek, a three- to four-day hike down to Gaighat to the south. This is one of the few mid-hill treks where you will not see any other trekkers.

The walk from Bandipur is along the north-south spine of a Mahabharat ridge offering spectacular sunrise and sunset views and a serrated horizon crowded with peaks of the Central Himalaya. The Magar villages along the trail are untouched by the outside world the hardworking farmers are hospitable and friendly.

An alternative route is to walk due east for three days through thick forests, with the high himals to the north keeping constant company. Also keeping you company, will be the 15 or so flights a day between Kathmandu and Pokhara which fly past at eye-level along the ridge. On the third day, you descend steeply down to the road junction of Mugling from where you can either raft down the Trisuli or take a bus to Kathmandu or Pokhara.