We three from our company and one of our foreign Guest-friend - planned a short Monsoon Trek with overnight stay. Before finalizing the destination, on June 7, the four of us did a bike ride and short hike to Bhunadol, Farping to explore the area. Honestly, the place didn’t match our expectations, but reaching there made us realize how popular and meaningful it is for domestic tourists – a perfect spot for outdoor fun and connecting with nature. Seeing Nepali brothers and sisters enjoying the green hills and fresh air brought immense joy to us – especially as tourism professionals and teachers.
We noticed various groups – some students, some couples, some hikers, and even monastery kids – all happily blending with Mother Nature. But along with this joy, came a serious thought – Are we disciplined visitors? Loud music on speakers while hiking, throwing wrappers, bottles, and other waste along the trails – is this how we experience nature?
Anyway, we didn’t feel like staying down at the crowded field, so we hiked a bit higher and sat for meditation. It was peaceful – birds chirping, wind blowing, trees whispering – far from human noise. That moment reminded me why I love nature, culture, and mountains. That day we experienced both nature and the evolving youth travel culture – blending hiking, mindfulness, and outdoor freedom.
We had originally planned an overnight camping trip, and since our friend Mr. Luca was learning about Buddhism at Kapan Monastery, we waited for him to return and planned the trip. This time, we chose a new trail to reach Chhap Bhanjyang, located at 2303m, on the border of Kathmandu and Makwanpur districts.
On June 20, 2025 we – Luca from Italy (now living in Dublin, Ireland), Balmiki, Kedar, and myself – started from Basantapur at 1:15 PM on two bikes. Our route passed through Tribhuvan University, Kritipur, Bhateko Pati, Machhenarayan, and we parked at Masala Phedi near Krishna Kumar Lama Kaka (uncle’s) house. Uncle kindly guided us for the first part of the uphill trail up to kiwi farm and showed us the way further – so thankful for his hospitality!
It was monsoon season, and I had already warned Luca – “Today, we donate blood to leeches!” He showed me his trekking boots and laughed – “No way the leeches can eat me!” I, however, chose to hike barefoot, carrying my slippers – just to feel the raw experience.
The trail was full of nature’s music – the chirping of crickets, fresh breeze, wet leaves. We ate bananas and chocolates that Luca brought. The trail had mostly stairs. As we ascended to 2303 meters, it got cold and foggy. It usually takes about 1 hour, but we were in no rush. Despite fear of leeches and rain, we soaked in the beauty. I remembered my bachelor’s college life’s days, when last year I was guiding a group of 25 tourism professionals and NTB from Chandragiri to Hattiban on this same route.
We reached Chhap by 4:40 PM. Surprisingly, no leeches bit me, but Miki and Luca were not so lucky – we joked about their natural blood donation. We made coffee – I had brought a gift-pack from Malaysia, and enjoyed it with typical Nepali style snacks. Rain was on and off. We sat around the fire, chatting about tomorrow’s plan, making videos, photos, and sharing stories. Luca was simply enjoying the moment as well us too.
Later, we asked a host sister about nearby places. She mentioned a village with a cave – Gupteshwor Gufa – just 30 minutes below for local. As a student of culture and archaeology, I was instantly excited. We decided to go there next morning.
At night, we set up campfire and BBQ, danced and laughed till 10:30 PM, and had our dinner. Luca shared his travel stories and we talked about Nepali-global politics, business, teaching, and tourism. Dinner was set in an open field – fresh air, fog lifting. I used my hand to eat after so long, instead of fork-spoon wow it’s awesome.
After dinner, we went to a viewpoint to see Kathmandu’s night lights. I messaged my Aama and Bahini, “I’m here, will be back tomorrow,” and sent a photo. Around midnight, it rained heavily. I couldn’t sleep. Checked the tent, moved a bit outside with Kedar at 3AM, then at 4AM I charged my phone and waited for sunrise. Slowly, others joined. We watched clouds float above Kathmandu city -pure bliss.
After morning coffee, we hiked downhill about 20 mins toward Indrasarowar Gaunpalika-5 Simpane. Met a group of buffalos, tried speaking Tamang, “Mai khau,” and they followed us, giving us a little scare!
We met a local Kaka(uncle) – Madhav Lama, a farmer – who told us the story of Gupteshwor Cave. Discovered about 200 years ago by a shepherd, the cave had an image of Lord Shiva’s family. The community named it Gupteshwor (Hidden Shiva). Uncle guided us down the trail. After 1.5 hours, around 7:30 AM, we reached the cave with prayer flags and a strong metal gate.
At first, I hesitated to go inside. I’d never been into such a cave. Kedar encouraged us. We had only mobile lights. After the first ladder, I paused. Then slowly we all went down. It was about 200m deep – bats everywhere, dark and slippery. But it was magical. We rang the bell and offered our respects. Everything Kaka had described matched exactly. No locals were with us- it felt like a self-discovery trip.
After the cave, we hiked back up to Chhap Bhanjyang, passing local mothers, kids picking fruits, and exchanging some Italian-Nepali words with Luca. We reached Chhap around 9:30 AM, had breakfast, then hiked down to Masala Phedi, collected our bikes, and rode back to Basantapur by 1 PM. That’s how our trip ended – full of stories, nature, discovery, and friendship.
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| Plums Fruits |
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| I'm with Madav Lama- he's showing me Cave's ways |
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