Khotang Travel Guide: Diktel and Halesi Mahadev

Getting to Khotang

Most travellers come in from the south. From the Mahendra Highway at Kadmaha, the Sagarmatha Highway heads north through Ghurmi and climbs to Halesi Mahadev, then continues on to Diktel. From Kathmandu the usual approach is the BP Highway via Dhulikhel and Sindhuli, joining the same corridor at Ghurmi. Either way, Ghurmi is the gateway, and the first sizeable settlement inside Khotang is Halesi.

Halesi Mahadev and Maratika Cave

Halesi is a limestone cave shrine, sacred to Hindus as Halesi Mahadev and to Buddhists as Maratika, where it is associated with Padmasambhava and with longevity practices. The temple itself is inside the cavern, so the visit is short, an hour or so, but the mixed Hindu and Buddhist crowd and the setting are the reason people come.

Opening arrangements, festival dates and the guesthouses clustered around the cave are handled locally. Instead of relying on any phone number printed in a blog, ask when you arrive. Numbers for local offices and lodges change, and anything written down goes stale fast. Festival days, Shivaratri in particular, bring crowds big enough to fill every room in the area, so arrive early.

On to Diktel

The road from Halesi climbs north to Diktel, the district headquarters, which sits at roughly 1,500 m on a ridge. In good dry weather it's a drive of an hour or two. In the monsoon, or right after heavy rain, landslides on this stretch can add hours or strand you for the night.

Diktel's bazaar runs along the main ridge road and the town is small enough to walk in half an hour. It's a working administrative town rather than a tourist one, which is part of its appeal.

Where to stay

Accommodation is basic: a handful of budget lodges and a growing number of family homestays. Rather than name places, ask at the bus park or at any shop in the bazaar. Owners change, and somewhere that was good a few years ago may have closed. Expect cash only in most cases.

There are ATMs in Diktel, but they can be empty or offline, and fuel at the town pumps is not always dependable. As a rule, withdraw cash and fill your tank at Ghurmi or another larger town on the way in. If you plan to head further into the hills, tell someone in the bazaar where you're going; mobile coverage thins out quickly away from the road.

Buses and jeeps

Buses reach Diktel and Halesi from Kathmandu's Gongabu bus park and from Janakpur and other Tarai towns, often overnight. Schedules and fares change frequently, and vehicles tend to leave when full rather than exactly on time. Get the current departure point and fare from the bus park counter or your hotel the day before. Jeeps and shared taxis cover the Halesi to Diktel stretch and can be hired privately.

Flying in: Lamidanda and beyond

Khotang does have an airport. Lamidanda Airport lies in the district, in the Halesi area, and has been served by small STOL aircraft from Kathmandu. Service on the route has been irregular for years, so check with the airlines flying it now before you build a trip around it.

The practical alternative is Tumlingtar in neighbouring Sankhuwasabha, which has historically had the more dependable schedule. From either airport the onward journey is by road to Ghurmi and then north up the Sagarmatha Highway.

Road conditions and season

Mid-October, just after the monsoon, is one of the better windows for travel, but landslides on the Sagarmatha Highway can still cut the road without much warning. Ask locally the morning you set out, carry a spare meal and water in the vehicle, and keep a plan B for an unplanned overnight. The stretch between Halesi and Diktel is the most likely to be blocked during the rains, roughly June to September.

Things worth remembering

• Get phone numbers locally. Printed ones for offices and lodges go out of date quickly.
• Carry cash. Diktel has ATMs, but they can be out of service.
• Festival days at Halesi mean crowds. Arrive early or plan to stay elsewhere.
• Distances look short on a map. Travel times on hill roads depend entirely on the day.