Champadevi Day Hike incorporates hiking through lush jungle nearby Kathmandu, seeing Kathmandu from a hilltop, having an eye-pleasing view of Himalayan ranges, walking through local settlements of Kirtipur, enjoying warm lunch at Hattiban Himalayan Height Resort, serving fishes of Taudaha, and being blessed from the scared place as Champadevi Temple.
When you are in Kathmandu and have a spare day with no proper planning, you can search for options for Hiking in Nepal. Champadevi Day Hike is one of the options for hiking nearby Kathmandu. Nepal Adventure team has been working in the field of travel and trekking. There are many packages related to hiking, tour, trek, peak climbing, sightseeing, jungle safari which can also be customized as per travelers’ requirements.
Champadevi Temple
Champadevi (Devi is goddess Kali) is a pilgrimage site of Hindu and Buddhist people located at a hilltop with an elevation of (2285 m/ 7497 ft). It lies in the southern area of Kathmandu valley. The area is not well developed or has stored monument of Champadevi temple rather a simple temple established with beliefs and values.
Currently, the temple is open with no roof with few statues and the path is decorated with prayer flags and one shrine. Especially, during the full moon day of Baishakh (Lunar Calendar) around April-May, the Champadevi temple has a festival that is greatly celebrated by locals and devotees.
Kirtipur
Kirtipur is a historic town playing a vital role in Nepal's history. Besides, Kirtipur is highly inhabited by the Newari ethnic group of Nepal and the alleys of Kirtipur highly reflect their culture, beliefs, and lifestyle. Usually, people visit Kirtipur to escape the chaos of Kathmandu city and enjoy the view of the valley along with traditional Newari cuisine.
The town is entirely built on a hill that creates a unique charm and attracts people. Being a small town, Kirtipur has delightful monuments such as Bagh Bhairab, Uma Maheshwar, Chlancho Stupa, and Nagar Mandap Shri Kirti Bihar. It also has Tribhuvan University which creates laughter and jolliness in the streets by young students.
Taudaha Lake
Taudaha is a small lake in the outskirts of Kathmandu where Taudaha means “Ta” is a snake and “Daha” is a lake in the Newari language.
It is believed Taudaha lake was formed while Buddhist character Manjushree cut hill, drain off the water in the valley, and formed Kathmandu Valley. When lake water was drained number of Nagas, mythological creatures of Half-human, and the half serpent was homeless. In order to calm Nagas, locals built underwater places. The King of Nagas also promised to protect locals around Taudaha on the condition that the tranquility of the lake never is disrupted. Locals avoid swimming and fishing and visitors cherish the water life of life.
Guide for Champadevi Day Hike
A guide will lead you to the Champadevi day hike. The number of guides depends on the number of individuals registered for the Champadevi 1 Day Hike. Each group of 4-5 pax is assigned with one guide.
The guide with a Nepal Government-certified license is only assigned to lead Champadevi 1 Day Hike. Additionally, the guide is also trained in first aid and eco-tourism. Usually, an English-speaking guide is available but on request, Chinese and other language speaking guides can be made available. A guide will lead as well as inform you about the locality, culture, rules, importance. Overall, the guide will have the feature of friendliness, leadership, communication expert, and jolly nature.
Transportation at Champadevi Day Hike
Early morning after you have your breakfast, the guide assigned by the Nepal Adventure team will come to pick you up for the hike. You will have a short drive from your pick-up point to Machhegaun, Kirtipur. Similarly, you will be driving back to your station from Chalanakhel. A private vehicle will be used for your transportation which may be a car or van as per the group size.
Food and drinks on Champadevi Day Hike
Lunch will be provided during the Champadevi day hike. Basically, lunch includes typical Nepali food: Dhaal(lentil soup), Bhat (Rice), Tarkari (Vegetable/Chicken curry), and pickle.
A Mineral water bottle is handed to you prior to the hike.
Additionally, around 40 species of birds have been recorded; 17 are residents, 2 are summer migrants and 21 are winter migrants. Taudaha is a special place for bird watching.
