Phulchoki area: Hub for sports tourism

• Rajkumar Prajuli

Even a 12-year-old boy participated in the competition organized in conjunction with the city on the muddy road of Fulchoki forest towards Kavre, which is considered the first in Nepal.

Last year, a bicycle track was constructed in the area with the financial support of Panauti Municipality.

In order to promote tourism on that route, an adventure cycling project has been started in the tourist areas of Phulchoki and Nagidanda.

A six-kilometer cycling ‘trail route’ has been fixed from Phulchokidanda, the highest tourist spot in ward no. 1, to Nagidanda in ward no. 2.

About 200 riders from Nepal, Canada, and India cycled on the ‘Fulchoki Tower Mountain Bike Trail’. Since then, domestic and foreign tourists have also chosen this route for adventurous cycling.

Purushottam Adhikari, Ward President of Panauti-2, informed that they are trying to develop the Phulchoki area as adventure sports tourism by including it in the city plan.

According to him, the games will continue to be organized on the cycling route, while the locals are happy to get permission for the more adventurous sport ‘paragliding’.

According to Nepal Tourism Board, Panauti-Namobuddha Hike, Balthali Eco-Trail (Low-Land Trek), Sanga-Panauti Hike (Community Hike), Gurdum-Mahabharata Hike, Mountain Bike (Around Phulchoki), Bird watching, Yoga Retreat, Community And private home stays, Tamang cultural hiking route, Jatra-Mela must be visited.