An unforeseen incredible journey – cycling from India to Nepal

The ride starts from Hauz Khas, a remnant of an ancient city from the Khalji Dynasty. Around the former water reservoir you will find a striking amount of green in one of the largest cities in the world. The place is therefore a very suitable place to get used to the hustle and bustle.



No visit to New… read more

On the second day I drove further east from Hapur to Moradabad. The recipe was the same as much of the day before: long straight roads over a wide hard shoulder. The right ingredients to cover a considerable distance.



Along the way we attracted a lot of attention. Much more often than every now and then… read more

We spent the night at a local's home. The night before we had the greatest difficulty finding a place to sleep. A man had seen us getting lost from his car. Not much later followed him to his apartment and we were met by his family. An amazing experience.



After breakfast the next day, we said goodbye… read more

A quick glance at the map showed that today could be the last day on the long straight roads through Uttar Pradesh. But after a few miles, that idea soon seemed to go overboard. The thread of Paxton, one of the two Americans, had turned madly, causing the pedal to fall to the ground at every turn.



A big… read more

Border crossing, checking visas on the Indian side. As we were called into the customs office, wanton monkeys struck and seized their chance. The snacks that were stored in small bags on the handlebars were stolen in no time. The control on the Nepalese side took a little longer. No online visa here… read more

The sixth stage took me deeper and deeper into the jungle. Where the first part can still be found villages and settlements, that suddenly changes from Chisapani. About five kilometers before you arrive at this village, an impressive river delta comes into view. On the other side of the delta is Bardia… read more

The day started with a good portion off road. In some parts there was no road at all and we had to make our way through rivers. The green area was beautiful. The sounds of the jungle are intense, with chirping crickets and screeching monkeys.



After approximately eleven kilometers you reconnect to the… read more

The start of the eighth stage is largely on long straight roads. This time no longer through Bardia National Park, but through Banke National Park. This is one of the youngest national parks in Nepal and forms a buffer between Bardia and some nature reserves in India.



The road profile was different from… read more

From the departure from Lamahi the road gradually ascends. At first it does not seem as if the road is going up, but appearances are deceptive. The road is - as it is so nicely called in cycling terms - false flat. As if the continuous and grueling ascent weren't heavy enough, we also lugged our entire… read more

The tenth stage became a special day. According to the program booklet, the stage between Budhi and Butwal would be the last flat stage. The relatively short stage was actually over in a flash without any noteworthy events.



Except that we said goodbye to Josh, one of the five traveling companions from… read more

From the hotel room window we could already see the road going up in the distance. Fortunately, we could postpone it for a while, because we had to have breakfast first. A generous portion of sel rotis (a traditional ring-shaped sweet bread) and masala tea and there was no escaping climbing, climbing… read more

The next morning was almost like waking up to a movie set of a nature documentary. The low-hanging mist was slowly clearing, where high mountain peaks appeared through the breaking cloud cover.



Unlike yesterday, the day started with a descent. And what a! The part between Tansen and the bridge over the… read more

The thirteenth day after departure from Delhi meant the last stretch to another big city. Admittedly not as big as Delhi - there are not that many worldwide. But after 55 kilometers we would arrive in Pokhara, Nepal's second city.



Pokhara is known to many tourists as a laidback backpacker destination… read more

Pokhara is the perfect destination for a few days of rest. Just about the other extreme of rest is doing some grueling expeditions through the Himalayas. That's exactly what I did. A bikepacking adventure on the roof of the world. You can read more about this here: komoot.nl/collection/1058466/bikepacking-het-dak-van-de-wereld-annapurna-circuit-trek… read more

During stage 15 you will slowly crawl towards Kathmandu. In some parts you will reach almost the same speed as if you were to walk. The route is not flat for a moment. There is also a lot of traffic on this part of the route. On the main road between Pokhara and Kathmandu many buses run from both cities… read more

The penultimate stage starts relatively easily. The number of altimeters to be mastered is not too bad. Especially for Nepalese standards. When you climb a hundred meters and then descend another hundred meters, this is not seen as climbing by a Nepalese. They call this - often with laughter - "Nepali… read more

The final day of the adventure between New Delhi and Kathmandu. Survival is the first twelve kilometers. But when the number of turns decreases, the road flattens out proportionally. Here you can expect gigantic traffic jams with traffic to and from the Nepalese capital. Fortunately, as a cyclist, you… read more