Kakani, just 24 KM from Kathmandu is a perfect destination either to beat the Summer heat or to View mountain ranges or for a short hike or bike away from bustling city or just for a night out with family and friends is the best destination alternative to Nagarkot.
Which is also less crowded and less expensive.
You have lots of things to explore in Kakani as it’s rich in culture, history, agriculture and Nature
Things to do in Kakani includes
1. Cultural Heritage Tour and Nature Hike:
Kakani is a Historically and Culturally rich village. There are palaces (Durbars) from the Rana regimes, caves used by sages and Rumba (Tamang) forefathers. Also the Tamang people residing in this area have their own culture and traditions. They’ve their own Gumbas (Monasteries) and Temples for worshiping as they practice Buddhism and some Hinduism.
Also most of the forest remains untouched and there are not many concrete buildings as it’s not as crowded as other touristic places. Thus the traditional trails are intact and are used for hiking these days.
Thus a short hike or a tour can be very interesting as you can know the historical, cultural and diverse natural importance of the place.
2. Agriculture Farm Visit and Product Tasting:
Also the primary source of income for the local people is Agriculture along with Tourism nowadays.
From the past people have been growing rice, maize (corn), millet and vegetables and known in the valley for its agriculture production. Now, they’re also doing commercial farming as well. Like, Kakani is famous for Strawberry Farming in Nepal. And probably be the first place where strawberries were brought from abroad and its commercial farming was started.
You can try the Strawberries directly from the farm and also the alcohol made from it.
Along with it, people are also doing commercial Trout farming in Kakani.
3. Scenic Mountain Views:
On a clear day, you can have the panoramic view of mountain ranges like Annapurna II, Manaslu 8,153 Meter, Ganesh Himal, Langtang Lirung, Langtang ri, Gaurishanker, Gosainkunda peak, and Jugal and some Rolwaling peaks.
4. Peaceful Yoga Retreats:
As the place is not so crowded and mostly covered with forests, it’s a perfect place for yoga and meditation. Many resorts offer retreats programs, you can directly book in Kathmandu or here in Kakani.
5. Walk to Hidden Waterfalls:
There are many huge waterfalls near Kakani. Some of the waterfalls that’s being noticed these days are Fung Fung Waterfall and Laukey Jharana (Waterfall). These waterfalls are within walking distance from Kakani. Unlike any other places, it’s not crowded. If you go there during weekdays, you will hardly see anyone else. The whole waterfall will be yours.
6. Weekend Fun with Family and Friends:
Since Kakani is just 24 KM from Kathmandu, you can reach there within an hour and half at max. And as it’s not so crowded by the tourists, it’s peaceful and the price is reasonable. So it’s a perfect weekend getaway with friends and family.
Our Experience from Kakani
After an unsuccessful journey of visiting Laukey Jharana (waterfall) last year (2022) which was my first visit to Kakani, I had not thought of visiting Kakani anytime soon.
(Unsuccess Laukey Jharana has its own story, I may tell you sometime in future).
But it might be a god willing, we got invited by friends from Kakani (article reader) this soon.
So as soon as I got my first invitation I started looking for things to do in Kakani.
As you know how much I love adventures, I was looking for some fun adventures to do with my friends.
So, I let my friends know about the plan and discussed it with them, then fixed a date.
We chose to go on weekdays instead of weekends as it’s not crowded. So some of our friends took a leave from their jobs and prepared to travel on Sunday.
On The Way to Kakani
As planned, we (Amir, Ravi, Season and Me) gathered at Dhungedhara Chowk (Kathmandu) at around 2:30 P.M. and started our journey.
Though the distance is not that far, we started early as we know the road condition is not so good, weather is unpredictable and we also decided to explore places on the way.
As we’re traveling on our own two wheeler, we had flexibility to stop and explore places as we like.
So, from Balaju we took a left turn and moved towards Bypass (Machhapokhari), and then towards Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park.
On the way we also received our drone from friends.
And then moved towards Mudhku.
As we went to receive the drone, our friends moved ahead of us and waited there.
From here, the road condition was terrible last year. So we decided to move slow.
The road was mostly damaged because of the heavy garbage trucks as the road also took to the dumping site (Sisdol) of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
And the government was not maintaining the roads regularly.
With lots of bad feelings about the road we moved ahead.
The Best Roads
But to our surprise, the road was fully black topped (pitched road). It was so smooth that even a fly could slip if it tried to walk.
With a happy face and positive vibes, we moved ahead.
The roads where we faced lots of trouble last time were completely maintained.
After a while we reached Tinpipley, from there the road to Kakani got separated from the road to the Landfill site, Sisdol.
Wee had also heard about a famous hindu temple near Tinpiple, so we stopped and asked a local for directions.
They told us to go a bit ahead towards Kakani and from a place called Paanch Maney take the right off road which would take us directly to the temple.
So we followed the directions and soon we arrived at Paanch Maney and took the right turn (There was a big sign board of a homestay as well) towards the temple.
To confirm, we again asked other locals if the road leads to the temple or not.
As we got a positive answer, we moved slowly towards the temple.
After 10-15 minutes, we reached the top of the hill, and from there we started seeing the top of the temple and moved towards it.
As we reached near the temple, we parked our bikes and walked towards the temple.
The first glance of the temple amazed us. It was so big and beautiful at that height and still not known to many.
Very few people are aware of this temple. But it’s getting more attractions via social media (TikTok, YouTube and Instagram Reels).
All of us were curious to know more about the temple and moved towards it.
And the name of the temple is Bhubaneshwori.
Bhubaneshwori Temple, Tarkeshwor
There were lots of people visiting the temple.
The temple was built on a huge base and saw a door in the west but was closed.
We’re confused whether the temple was under construction or closed or has other doors.
As we moved near, we saw another door in the south direction as well, and as another door it was also closed.
Bhubaneshwori Temple, Tarkewshwor, Nepal
Then we moved in front of the temple and there was the main door in the east direction.
And to our surprise the front door had a small pond to wash feet before entering the temple.
We had only seen such a thing in Gurudwaras (Sikhs Temple). It’s probably the only temple to have such a system.
It’s a good thing as it forces people to remove shoes and enter the temple with clean feet.
So we put our bags on a nearby bench, removed shoes and climbed stairs after washing our feet.
After climbing the stairs, we entered the temple through the main gate.
As soon as we entered the temple, the environment made us feel as if we were in a very pious place.
There was a statue of goddess Bhubaneswhori and traditional classical music was being played with devotees singing bhajans.
We worshiped the goddess then came near the priest to put a Tika on our forehead.
There he also told us to take prasad from in front of the temple.
Very Auspicious Day
So we came out of the temple and took some photos for memory and moved towards the place where prasad was being distributed.
Other priests were distributing the prasad (Kheer, Puri, Tarkar and Achaar).
While having prasad, we heard elderly man talking about the temple. Then we asked about the temple and he told us that the temple is getting some popularity on social media (Tik Tok, YouTube Instagram, etc.) and devotees from all around the world visit there.
He told us that the temple has 12 gajurs and is unique from all other temples. We also found out that the temple was built mostly by the donation made by devotees.
And luckily it was the anniversary of the temple. That’s why the prasad was being distributed to all the devotees on that day.
He also shared that the temple’s remaining construction will be complete soon and the upgrading of the road is also going on, so many more people will be able to visit the temple easily. And then he thanked us for visiting the temple and left.
And we also went to a nearby tap to wash our plates after eating prasad and prepared to move as the weather was changing and seemed like it’s going to rain soon.
So, we packed our bags and went to the place where our bikes were parked.
Then we moved towards Kakani.
A little bit ahead Amir wanted to take drone footage of the temple, so we stayed there for a while.
After the footage was recorded, we left the temple area and moved towards Kakani.
It was a dusty off road, so we moved slowly. But sometimes buses and trucks would come and blow lots of dust.
As we’re moving I started recalling my memory of our last trip to Kakani and told about the moments to Amir.
Unknown Location and Bad Weather
Finally at around 5:00 P.M. We reached Kakani Chowk from where the roads to Nuwakot and Kakani Picnic Spot are separated.
And we did not know where our stay was located. So we called the people who invited us, then he gave us directions.
We had to take a road that took us towards Kakani Picnic Spot and there we should see the and take off road from there.
While we were confirming the direction, we took a short water break.
We had some paani puris there.
Then we hurried to move towards our place as it was going to rain. And we felt some rain droplets as well.
So slowly we moved as per their direction.
And as told we saw a big board and took the left road from there.
Now the intensity of rain is increasing. We thought we’re going to get soaked in the rain.
Luckily after 5 minutes we reached our place just before it rained heavily.
Kakani Adventure Camp
It was around 5:30 P.M. when we reached the place, Kakani Adventure Camp.
Then asked Mr.Raju who was responsible for managing the place to stay for us.
We went inside and made an entry.
Few foreigners were meditating inside, so we did not want to disturb them and had our black coffee outside.
Kakani Adventure Camp was located inside the forest, isolated from everything. Even the nearby shop or house was a 30 minutes walking distance.
Kakani Adventure Camp, Aerial View (Photo – Amir Shrestha)
So this place is best for someone who wants some peaceful time near Kathmandu valley.
We could see the pine forest all around the camp, chirping of birds and mostly silence.
After the rain stopped and other meditation was finished, we explored the camp with one representative.
He told us that the view of the Himalayas is spectacular when the weather is clear. And the sunrise and sunset is also magical from there.
Even at that time, the environment was so soothing.
We could see villages and farms in the distance, some hills and mountains hiding behind the clouds and green forests everywhere.
Also the staff told us that occasionally wild boars and deers are sighted and wide varieties of birds also can be seen around the camp.
We took lots of pictures as we were enjoying the environment.
Chill BBQ Night
It was getting colder and darker as it was around 6:30 in the evening.
So, we planned to have some chicken and pork barbecue before having our dinner.
As per our request they marinated the meat and made a fireplace for barbeque.
Now the fire kept us warm and after the wood burned and turned into coal, we started grilling the meat.
After some meat was barbecued and ready to eat, we ordered some drinks and enjoyed the moment.
It was really relaxing.
Probably one of the best moments of life.
Occasionally we would see thunder, hear chirping of birds, cracking of burning woods, sizzling of meat and silence.
Campfire and BBQ at Kakani Adventure Camp
At around 8:00 P.M. we had finished our barbecue and fire also, then went inside to have our dinner.
By now, the other foreigners had left the hall and went to their respective tents.
The representatives of Kakani Adventure Camp had set up a table for us.
Then they started bringing dinner for us.
For dinner we had Rice, Aaloo Kauli (Veg Curry – Potato and Cauliflower), Saag (Spinach), Chicken Gravy, Tomato Achaar (Pickle), Salad and Papad.
The food was delicious, we even had an extra portion of rice.
Thanked everyone for delicious food and went to our tent.
The tent was big and had 4 single beds with shoe racks outside the tent, mooda (stools), a place to charge our phones, and a hanger to keep our clothes.
Tent at Kakani Adventure Camp was quite cozy.
As it was already 9:30, we got ready to sleep.
And we also had planned for a hike the next day, so we had to wake up early in the morning.
So we went to sleep at around 10:00.
It should be around 2:30 in the morning
Suddenly, Amir shouted “Ravi! Is that your phone alarm?”
Ravi replied “No it’s not”.
Then what was the irritating sound outside the tent. It was a continuous “Tok Tok Tok Tok Tok” sound.
And then I realized it should be a woodpecker (bird) pecking on a tree right next to our tent.
It was so irritating that later Amir said he would hunt that bird down if he could see in the dark.
After around an hour the sound disappeared and we fell asleep again.
At around 5:30 in the morning someone started moving inside our tent, turned on the lights and started calling everyones name.
It was our friend, Season.
He was the first one to sleep last night, almost 2 hours before everyone else.
But others had not as good a night as Season. So, we’re feeling lousy and need some more sleep.
Anyhow at around 6:15, we woke up, washed our faces and went towards the dining area.
Not good luck
After last night’s rain we expected to have clear sightings of the mountains, but it still was foggy with no sign of any mountains.
Then the camp’s staff discussed our plan. We told him that we want to go for a 3-4 hour hike after breakfast and then have lunch and go for a Fun Fung Waterfall if everything goes well.
After discussing it with his team, he told us that one of the staff (also a local of Kakani) will guide us on a hike.
That was great news.
Soon our breakfast also arrived at 7:00.
We wanted to have our breakfast outside of the camp with the views of hills and fresh air.
So we set the tables ourselves and brought the breakfast.
For breakfast, we had fried potatoes, omelet, toast with jam and butter, and black coffee.
Though it was chilly, the breakfast was amazing with a beautiful view. It’d be even more magical if the weather was clear and mountains were seen.
After breakfast we got ready for the hike.
Breakfast at Kakani Adventure Camp
Hiking in Kakani
At around 7:45, we started our hike from Kakani Adventure Camp.
First, we walked along the off road then took the hiking trails built with stone stairs.
Sadly, we also saw the places burnt by the forest fire. And the guide brother told us that there was a forest fire the day before yesterday and the foreign guests were really scared, some even wanted to evacuate on helicopters.
As we walked up the hill through the pine forest, we heard chirping of birds and the view of the valley was amazing.
Valley View on North During the Hike
The valley down the hill had small villages, farms, rivers and across that were huge hills and mountains at a distance.
You can see villages like Thansing, Chaugada, Chhahare in the North, Kathmandu valley in the East and Daman and Sim Bhanjyang in the South.
Kakani Hiking Trail Map (Click Here)
Rumba Gufa (Cave)
After a while we reached a place where there was a cave, Rumba Gufa (Cave).
But the main entrance of the cave was blocked by the debris after the huge earthquake of 2015.
The guide told us that the forefathers of Rumba Caste (Tamang Ethnicity) used to live there. And even the remnants of the things like Dheki (traditional wooden rice mill), Jaato (traditional wooden lentil mill), etc. can be found inside the cave.
Unfortunately we couldn’t go inside. Just heard the story and took some photos and moved ahead.
He also told us that the remnants of the palace of Rumba caste is in Shivapuri Forest.
It’d be a great place for tourism and history, if local government bodies worked on the preservation of such sites.
Hope we’ll be able to visit inside the cave next time.
As we walked on stone paved trails, we saw varieties of plants and wild flowers which were increasing the beauty of the already clean and fresh natural environment.
Soon we completed the pine forest section and reached the village.
Hiking Past Beautiful Pink Flowers near Tara Gaon, Kakani, Nuwakot
Tara Gaon
Tara Gaon was the name of the village. Most of the people residing in Kakani belong to Tamang ethnicity. And they have their own culture, traditions, customs, dresses, songs and festivals.
Most of the people follow buddhism religion. Thus, you can see prayer flags on everyone’s house.
The Tara Gaon village lies just above the APF (Armed Police Force) area. If you come from the road, then you will have to come via their area and also have to make an entry on one of the checkpost.
But we came hiking via the jungle which did not go inside their area.
The environment in the village (becoming city) area was different. As it was morning time people were on morning walk, some sipping theri tea, kids playing farmers feeding their domesticated animals (goats and buffaloes), and some worshiping.
Such an environment gave a positive vibes as our body filled with good energy.
Along the village, we went straight to a historical site.
Basanti Bagh Durbar (Palace)
Basanti Durbar, Kakani, Posing at the Windows (Ravi, Season, Vijay), Photo – Amir Shrestha
This historical site is Basanti Bagh Durbar (palace) at Kakani which was built during Malla regime.
The historic palace is situated between APF area and Taragaon resort.
It is said that Kazi Gagan Singh Bhandari saw a beautiful village girl named ‘Mitthoo’ while he was participating in Rice Plantation. And he liked her so much and called her Basanti.Later, Gagan Singh Bhandari built a palace in her name at Kakani, Nuwakot which is called “Basanti Durbar”.
Basanti Bagh Durbar was also destroyed by the earthquake of 2015 but now it’s renovated and open to visitors.
But it’s empty inside. Don’t know whether the historic things inside are kept safely by local government bodies or trafficked and smuggled out.
Hope it’s the first one. Fingers Crossed!
After exploring the place and taking pictures, we continued our hike via the village.
Basanti Durbar, Kakani, Nuwakot (Ravi, Season and Vijay)
Tamang Stupa
A little bit ahead of the Basanti Durbar, there’s a small stupa with the statues of Lord Buddha inside.
Since the majority of people living there are Tamang ethnicity and follow buddhism religion, this is a local place to worship.
We also bowed our heads in front of Buddha, then took pictures and moved towards another place to visit in Kakani.
Thai Memorial Park
After walking for another 10 minutes, we reached another famous spot of Kakani.
It was Thai Memorial Park or Kakani Memorial Park.
The memorial park was built in the memory of people who died in an airplane crash in 1992 (Thai Airways International Flight 311).
As told by our guide, the plane crashed on the opposite hill and their bodies were taken to Kathmandu on a helicopter and then brought back here on buses and buried there.
The park is beautifully made with flowers and grasses. On the top of the park, there’s the name of all the people who died in that crash.
The park is small, nice and beautiful. It also seems taken care of as there’s no pollution like rubbish, garbage, broken beer bottles, etc.unlike other places.
But it can be made more beautiful with more flowers, fountains, etc.
Hope the local authorities will work on it to make it more beautiful, so many tourists visit the place.
On the opposite side of Memorial Park there’s also a temple of Lord Shiva as told by our guide.
Then we walked towards another destination.
Kakani View Tower
Just a bit ahead on a walking distance of 10 minutes, we reached the gate of Kakani View Tower.
It’s still under construction and hope to be complete soon.
Now, it was locked, so we couldn’t go in.
The view from the top would look awesome, as you could see most of the villages, hills from its base.
The tower looked fancy and well spent to construct it.
It could have a fancy restaurant in it as well.
But some locals think it’s a waste of government money as the Kakani hill itself is a tower. From the top of the hill you can see almost all the parts like Himalayan Ranges on the North with the hills and valleys on its base and the Kathmandu Valley on the East.
Then we returned and continued our hike.
Kakani Stupa
After walking for around 15 minutes along the newly constructed off road via a small village we reached a stupa.
It was a smaller version of stupas we have in Swayambhu and Boudhanath in Kathmandu.
On the way we also met villagers performing their daily routine.
Somewhere feeding breakfasts to goats and some just cutting fodders for their cattles.
From the stupa you could see Kathmandu valley on the East and on North you could see the mountain ranges (on a clear day) and all the hills, valleys and forests in front of it.
After staying there for a while to take pictures and videos, we continued our hike down to the Scout Centre.
Kakani Buddha Stupa
Kakani International Scout Centre (KISC)
“It is one of the members of Scout Centre of Excellence for Nature, Environment and Sustainability (SCENES) center.
SCENES are the centers that have made a long-term commitment to protect the environment and promote greater environmental understanding by protecting their natural environment and minimizing their environmental impact.
They also encourage everyone involved to make their own personal commitment to engage with nature and its sustainable conservation.”
It was a really proud moment to have such a place in Nepal and getting an opportunity to visit.
The place has a very big space.
Though the place is in such a remote location, it’s self-sustaining. The center generates their own electricity using solar cells, has their own water source and produces vegetables, fruit, honey, tea and also keeps chickens and goats for meat.
The Centre welcomes all scouts and non-scouts for camping, training, workshop, seminar, etc. They also provide food and accommodation services for visitors.
The center offers an ideal venue for programs on the environment like adventure trails, team building workshops to participants of all ages, national and international scouts, organizations – schools, corporate companies or social organizations, etc.
While we’re there I also saw a utensil to cook food by converging the sunlight (like a magnifying glass). I saw such a device for the first time while I was trekking to Everest Base Camp.
So, I also thought of sharing information with friends and showing it to others as it’s rare in other parts of Nepal.
After roaming around the Scout Centre, we continued our hike towards the Wall Climbing Spot and Picnic Spot.
Aiselu – Super Fruit of Nepal
While on our way to Kakani Wall Climbing, we found tons of Aiselu Bushes and started devouring its fruits whenever we saw the plant.
Aiselu is a thorny shrub which grows up to 4.5 meters and has golden yellow berries.
They’re sweet in taste and used for the remedy of indigestion, to enhance hunger, etc. (Kathmandu Cancer Center).
Scientific name of Aiselu is Rubus Ellipticus and commonly known as Golden Evergreen Raspberry, Golden Himalayan Raspberry or Yellow Himalayan Himalayan Raspberry.
Aiselu is considered one of the super fruits found in Nepal (According to Kathmandu Cancer Center). The juice of this fruit can be used for medical purposes like treating coughs, fevers, sore throat, etc.
In Eastern part of Nepal, Aiselu with Chutro (Barberry) is used to make famous Hinwa Wine.
Aiselu, Golden Himalayan Raspberry at Kakani, Nepal
Nostalgic: When I Was a Child
But to us, it reminded us of our childhood. When we were kids living in rural hilly villages of Nepal, they were the quick snacks during the season.
While herding the goats or just going to the jungle for fodders and firewood, we used to collect them and eat them as we didn’t have easy access to foods like noodles or chocolates.
But now, the scene has completely changed. We were shocked to see that many berries were not eaten by kids.
Since they get their favorite snack from a nearby shop, why would they bother picking fresh fruit from a thorny plant?
But we were eating like we won’t get it next time. And it was a possible thing as well.
It’s been long (more than 10-12 years) since we last had it. Once we left the village for higher education, we couldn’t find it in the cities and they are only found for a short period of time during the season.
And we don’t know when will be the next time we’ll get the chance to pick these berries by ourselves and eat them.
So we ate from every plant we found on the way.
International Mountaineers Memorial Park (IMMP – Kakani Wall Climbing)
Soon we reached Artificial Wall Climbing of Kakani also known as International Mountaineers Memorial Park.
I was sad to see the present condition of the climbing wall and its structures. It seemed like it did not get proper care for a long time.
Climbing Wall at Kakani
Don’t know why the government doesn’t invest in keeping such places safe as they have more potential to promote sports tourism. Instead they invest in new structures like View Towers when the hills itself is a natural View Tower.
Anyway, we went inside the View Tower area and found out that there’s a guard as well to look after it and one can climb the wall by renting the gears on supervision.
But no one was there when we were there.
Free Climb: Like We Used to in Village
We just had fun for a while on the climbing wall, pretending to climb and climbing the iron stairs and taking pictures.
Later our guide also told us that his son was also a trek guide and practiced there long before going to climb Mera Peak.
Also told us that anyone could come and train there.
And it’d be a really great place to train as it’s clean, air is fresh and mostly people are non-existent (not crowded).
Later I found that the park was built by NMA (Nepal Mountaineering Association) to honor the mountaineers who lost their lives on mountains and also as a place to practice climbing in order to reduce tragedies in the mountain.
“144 Ropani Land was granted to the organization by the Government of Nepal in 1996 and on May 28, 1998 on the occasion of Visit Nepal-98 foundation laying ceremony was held. Then with the limited budget, a shed for gatekeeper and 1000m fencing and toilets were built.
Later with financial assistance from the Embassy of the French Republic, a climbing wall, 15m high, was built at IMMP. (NMA)”
After roaming around the park for a while we moved towards our last and final destination, The Strawberry Farm.
Strawberry Farm and Strawberry Wine
As we climbed the hill on a village road, we saw a huge open space (mostly used as a picnic spot). From there, we could see the valley down the hills.
But we continued our walk. On the way we met a few kids on their way to school.
I tried to take their pictures but they were very shy.
As I saw them feeling uncomfortable, I stopped taking their pictures and talked with them instead.
They told me that they had Dal Bhat in the morning and were going to school. And everyday they have to walk around half an hour up the hill to reach school.
After talking for a moment we parted ways.
Kids Going to School at Kakani, Nagarkot, Nuwakot, Nepal
On the way, we again started finding Aiselu bushes on the road side.
Everytime we stopped and ate the berries like it was the first time.
And it seemed like it was planted in an easily accessible location and protected for us. Haha.
As we moved ahead we met the brother-in-law of our guide who had a goat farm and also a Strawberry farm.
He was feeding food to his goats in front of the goat home.
I took a couple of pictures and said goodbye to him and continued our hike.
Strawberry Farm: Ate More Than We Bought
Soon, we reached the main highway and after walking for a while on the road, we reached our guide’s Strawberry Farm.
He took us directly to the farm and also asked if we would like to take some with us.
As our answer was positive, we brought some plastic bags to collect for us.
Strawberry Farm at Kakani, Nuwakot, Nepal
He and his wife started picking berries and also told us to eat as much as we could.
It was our first time picking Strawberries from the farm and eating them.
We started taking pictures and tasting different shapes of Strawberries. They’re really sweet and the after taste was even sweeter. You can’t imagine how happy we were.
Our Guide packed each one of us a KG of strawberries and went to his house as it started raining.
Also on the way back home from wall climbing he had told us that they also make wine from Strawberries.
Strawberry Alcohol
And we were excited to see it and taste it a bit.
So, he told his wife to bring some Strawberry Wine for us to taste.
She also told us the process of making Strawberry Wine was the same as making any other wine in Nepal.
The difference is that they need to add 20% millet and 80% Strawberry, then ferment the mixture by adding local Marcha (yeast).
Then finally distill it. And the liquid collected after distillation is the “Strawberry Wine”.
She also gave tips to differentiate good original Strawberry Wine from the fake ones.
And told us that the ones we see on the roadside whose color is red/pink, they’re the fake ones and color is added to make it like they’re purely made from Strawberries.
Then she brought a liter of Strawberry Wine from inside and poured on glasses for us.
Now, Cheers!
All of us tasted the wine as we wouldn’t get it in Kathmandu even if we wanted.
The taste was similar to any other Wine locally made in Nepal but it had a little bit of sourness and smelled faintly like Strawberries.
Later our guide brought some radish pickles to take with Wine.
As it was raining heavily, we enjoyed the moment tasting Wine and eating chiura with radish pickle.
After it stopped raining outside, we prepared to move towards our camp.
So, we paid for the strawberries and Wine and thanked for showing us the farm and giving us a chance to taste Strawberry Wine.
Then left the house with the remaining Wine for our friends in Kathmandu to taste.
Heavy Lunch After a Hike
After a 15 minute walk, we reached our camp. It was at around 12:30 in the afternoon.
Now, all the other guests had gone for a hike after their yoga session.
So, we rested for a while inside the dining room, charging our phones and listening to music.
It was really soothing as it rained outside and the glass window was blurry with the view of a house and green forests in the distance.
In a while our lunch was also ready.
So, we got ready to have our lunch at 1:30 P.M.
The staff served us lunch. For lunch we had Dal, Bhat, Chicken Gravy, Aaloo Simi Tarkari (Vegetable Curry), Fried Okra, Salad, Papad and Tomato Pickle.
As we were starving after the hike, we ate lots and rested for a while.
Then as soon as it stopped raining we planned to leave the camp and return to Kathmandu.
As our weather app was telling us that there will be no rain from 2:30 to 4:00 P.MWe paid our bill to the camp and thanked all the members for taking care of us and prepared to return.
We took group photos in front of the camp with the staff and left the camp.
Now our new challenge was to return on bike without slipping as it was muddy on the road after the rain.
We took the shortcut from the camp which would decrease 4-5 KM for us, but it was steep down.
So, we drove slowly and reached Kathmandu at around 3:40 in the evening.
Kakani: Last But Not Least
Whenever I heard the word “Kakani”, I thought only of Picnic spots because from my childhood I had only seen people visiting Kakani for picnics with family and friends.
But only after visiting here did I find that Kakani had a lot of other things to offer.
From history, culture and traditions to the highly rich in nature and potential for lots of adventure sports tourism, it’s a perfect place for a getaway to everyone.
It has something fun for everyone whether they be youths, adults, elderly, athletic, non-athletic, it doesn’t matter. I’m sure that you’ll enjoy it here.
Being so close from Kathmandu it seems far because of the not so good road conditions.
Half of the road is very well constructed by Mayor Balen for the landfilling site, Sisdol.
Hope the remaining part from Tinpipley to Kakani will also be maintained by the government.
If it happens, then people from Kathmandu would visit Kakani without any hesitation as it can offer more things than Nagarkot, Kathmandu.
Good Road Conditions can surely change the tourist flow from Nagarkot to Kakani.
But our adventures in Kakani remained incomplete as we couldn’t go to Fung Fung waterfall and didn’t get the best view of the mountains because of the rain.
So we’ll have to come again for the waterfalls (Fung Fung and Laukey) and for the mountain view.
Not only for these but to chill out with friends for a night, we would visit again and again, without a doubt.
Now, it’s one of my favorite (No.1) places to be near Kathmandu for a night out.
Kakani FAQs
Kakani is 24 KM northwest from Kathmandu and lies in Nuwakot district of Bagmati Province at an elevation of 2,030m.
It can take around 1.5 hours due to poor road conditions though it’s just 24 KM from the capital city, Kathmandu.
The road till Tinpipley is very good (pitched-black topped), ahead from there is bumpy off road as of April, 2023.
You can either take a public bus from Machhapokhari, Kathmandu or hire a taxi or private vehicle or go on your own vehicle if you have one.
Kakani is just 24 KM from Kathmandu.
Kakani is famous for Trout fish, Strawberry Farms, Picnic Spots, Thai Memorial Park, scenic mountain view of Langtang, Gaurishankar, Manaslu, and Ganesh Himal ranges, waterfalls (Fung Fung Jharana, Laukey Jharana, etc.), Day Hiking, Mountain Biking, etc.
These are the must do things in Kakani
1. Cultural Heritage Tour and Nature Hike
2. Agriculture Farm Visit and Product Tasting
3. Scenic Mountain Views (Annapurna II, Manaslu 8,153 Meter, Ganesh Himal, Langtang Lirung, Langtang ri, Gaurishanker, Gosainkunda peak, and Jugal)
4. Peaceful Yoga Retreats
5. Walk to Hidden Waterfalls (Fung Fung and Laukey Waterfalls)
Photography in Kakani
Download “Kakani 2023” Preset Pack for Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw.
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