Info provided by: Sacred Summits | Photos: Royal Enfield

You can slug around a Royal Enfield inside the city and it will work just fine. But if you really want to put a smile across your face, there is no better way to do it than to take it out on a fully fledged tour. It is a proper workhorse and grunts happily when you put it on the tarmac.

Royal Enfield India knows this very well. A group of 13 Enfielders from India made their way across the border to Nepal in their annual tour of Nepal. Organized by Royal Enfield and managed by Sacred Summits (P) Ltd. & Moto Himalaya Tours & Travels, they thundered across the country. The trip which is only open to Royal Enfield owners was not a competitive event but a chance to unwind with fellow riders. With 3 support vans, 1 from Nepal and 2 from India, here are the excerpts of the group’s adventures that took them on a 2200km ride.

Day 1 & 2: ARRIVAL IN LUCKNOW AND RIDE TO DHANGADI (APPROX. 250KM)

Royal Enfield’s Tour of Nepal 2014 commenced on the 5th of October from the Indian city of Lucknow. After the ceremonial flag-off, the 13 enthusiastic riders set off for their journey towards the Nepalese border of Dhangadhi. After arriving in the Dhangadhi border, the participants, along with the backup vehicle, rode towards the designated hotel for an overnight stay.

DAY 3: DHANGADI TO BARDIYA NATIONAL PARK (APPROX. 160 KM)

The second day started with a briefing session which provided the participants information on individual safety, road safety as well as general knowledge about the culture, religion and the geographical structure of Nepal. The destination for the second day was Bardiya National Park. The ride which started with much enthusiasm passed through the iconic Karnali Bridge and finally into the Bardiya Wildlife Reserve. The team then embarked on a jeep safari to witness the beautiful wildlife, and the natural flora and fauna of the Bardiya National Park.

DAY 4: BARDIYA NATIONAL PARK TO LUMBINI (APPROX. 353 KM)

On the third day, the group took off for an enjoyable ride towards Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. The team set along the East-West or Mahindra Highway passing through long stretches of straight and smooth tarmac. On reaching Lumbini, the team rode towards Bhairahawa through Kohalpur, Banke, Dang and Kapilvastu riding through village settlements, green farm lands and serene forest. After reaching Lumbini, the team stayed overnight at Hotel Buddha Maya Garden .

DAY 5: LUMBINI TO CHIWAN (APPROX. 190 KM)

On the next day after a brief sightseeing in Lumbini, the team embarked on their ride towards Chitwan. After reaching Chitwan National Park, the team spent their afternoon relaxing in the hotel. In the evening, everyone headed to the bank of the Rapti River to watch thesunset and got back for dinner at the Royal Park Hotel.

DAY 6: CHITWAN TO KODARI (APPROX. 260 KM)

On the 5th day, the riders had to ride upwards towards The Last Resort situated near the Nepal-China border. The Last Resort is a perfect place to unwind for exciting adventures and complete relaxation. It is famous for the world renowned bungy jump, Tandem swing, and White Water Rafting. However, the entourage had to pass through the massive landslide in Barahbise. By the time they reached the landslide area it was already dark and one of the motorcycles in the entourage got stuck in the mud-pool due to slight gear problems. Sadly, the backup vehicle with the spare parts and the mechanic had still not arrived at the spot due to worse road conditions. However, the team repaired the motorcycle and everyone made it to the resort just in time.

DAY 7: KODARI TO KATHMANDU (APPROX. 140 KM)

After an overnight stay in the resort, the team headed back to Kathmandu. Like the day before, they had to cross the landslide area yet again. Luckily nothing unfortunate happened and the riders reached back to Kathmandu safely and checked in at the Malla Hotel. The day ended with a lavish dinner which was organized by Sacred Summits at The Kathmandu Handle Bar where the riders were also busy in a quick tête-à-tête.

DAY 8: REST DAY IN KATHMANDU

DAY 9: KATHMANDU TO POKHARA (APPROX. 210 KM)

On the 13th of October, the group buckled up for yet another ride. In order to avoid the traffic in Kathmandu, they started early so as to escape the traffic heading out of the Kathmandu valley. The weather in the morning was very good but as they started the ride, the weather changed surprisingly and there was a sudden downpour. The excitement wore down a bit as they had intended to ride to Jomsom the next day. The team had planned to ride all the way up to Mustang via Jomsom but due to the sudden downpour the chances of making upto Mustang were slim. After the lunch at Mugling, they continued their ride to Pokhara. Upon arrival in Pokhara, the team checked into a hotel and spent the rest of the afternoon to explore the lake city.

DAY 10: POKHARA TO BENI AND BACK TO POKHARA

The next day the team decided to ride to Jomsom despite the rainfall. Determined to reach the destination on time, the team started the ride after a quick breakfast. Praying for no further hindrances on the road, everyone kept on riding towards their destination. However, due to the continuous downpour over the last 24 hours, the conditions of the roads were risky. In addition, just before reaching Beni a landslide caused blockage in the highway which left the riders with no choice but to abandon their ride to Jomsom. Keeping everyone’s safety in mind, the team decided to ride back to Pokhara through Dhampus, a small scenic village en-route to Pokhara. One could see the most excellent panoramic views of the Annapurna mountain range touching the sky.

Day 11: POKHARA TO BUTWAL (APPROX. 166 KM)

The 2014 Nepal Ride was coming to its end but so far it had been a much enjoyable and learning experience for everyone. The beauty of Nepal and its people had mesmerised everyone in the trip. The ride to Butwal began but unfortunately one of the motorcycles suffered a breakdown due to the faulty fuel injection system and they had to load the bike on to the backup vehicle. The ride to Waling and Palpa was scenic with winding roads through lush green hills.

DAY 12: BUTWAL TO BARDIYA (APPROX. 315 KM)

The following day they headed back retracing their tracks to where the whole trip had started initially. Everyone knew what was next and this time they were able to see the things that they had missed in their previous ride through the same road. After a lunch-stop at Kohalpur, the team reached Nepalgunj and checked in at Hotel Batika where the rest of the day was spent on relaxing and packing.

DAY 13: EXIT NEPAL TO LUCKNOW

On the last day after completing the border formalities at Rupadiya border in Nepalgunj, the riders entered the Indian Territory. The trip ended with a lavish farewell programme organised for all the riders. Everyone was amazed at what was just accomplished. Finally, Royal Enfield’s tour of Nepal 2014 comes to an end.