Surprising Sailung: “Maathi maathi Sailungey ma”

KATHMANDU, Jan 23: Here is everything you need to know about Saikung:

Address 

Sailung Rural Municipality Ward No 6

Dolakha District

Province No 3, Nepal

Altitude

3150 meters from the sea level

Distance

Road distance of Kathmandu to Dhulikhel=30 km

Road distance of Dhulikhel to Mude=76 km

Distance of Mude to Sailung= 20 km

The total distance of Sailung from Kathmandu: 126 kilometers

Time Taken

Local Bus: 7-8 hours from Kathmandu

Private Vehicle (Motorbike or car): 4-5 hours

Bus: Drive off from Kathmandu Purano Buspark at 12 PM noon. Get off at Dhunge bazaar or Bhaise and stay overnight in a locally available village-style hotel. Wake up at 5 AM, ascend to Sailung in an hour to see the sunrise. Enjoy the morning vista and roam around all the places and descend to Dhunge by 12 PM to catch the bus to Kathmandu. You will reach KTM by 6 PM provided there are no difficulties on the road.  

Private Vehicle: Drive off from Kathmandu at 2 PM to reach Mude at 6 PM. Stay at a hotel in Mude. Set off at 5 AM early in the morning to reach Kalopani at 6 AM. Park the vehicle at Kalopani and hike up for an hour to reach the Sailung top. You can come down to Kalapani at 2 PM and return to Kathmandu at 3 PM. You will reach  Kathmandu by 7 PM provided there are no difficulties on the road.

Best Season to visit Sailung

Falgun to Chaitra: When the winter season is just finished there is a high chance of snowfall, probably to the mid of Falgun. During this season, it is sheer cold at the top due to the breeze and snow, so be prepared with warm clothes. In Chaitra there might be some remnants of Snow but the plus point is the hillocks are all golden due to the faded color of grasses. Also, the hike up to the hill consists of rhododendron trees with blooming flowers in red or white.

Bhadra to Ashoj: This is another best season to visit Sailung because in this season the hillocks are all green due to the lush grass of the rains. However, due to the frequent rains, the road is not so easy for the vehicles and you have to carry an umbrella or raincoat. 

Here are some pictures taken recently by Ratopati Photojournalist: