A ridge walk to Ramkot village

Ramkot lies along the ridge west of Bandipur, about 2 to 2.5 hours on foot. The path leaves town past the Tundikhel and follows the hillside through forest, terraced millet and maize fields and small hamlets, with the Himalaya to the north on clear mornings. It rises and falls gently, with no long climbs, and suits anyone comfortable with a few hours of country walking. Our guide knows the families along the way and stops to talk, which slows the pace in the best way.

Ramkot is a village of the Magar community, one of Nepal's largest ethnic groups, with traditional round and oval houses built of stone and mud and roofed with thatch. Families farm the terraces, keep goats and buffalo, and grow most of what they eat, and life follows the farming year, with planting before the monsoon and harvest in autumn. Where we can, we arrange tea or a simple lunch in a family home, which shows a side of hill life that Bandipur's bazaar no longer does.

The return is by the same path, about 2 hours, or by car on a rough road if you prefer to walk one way only. We carry water and snacks, and the guide sets a slow pace with time for photographs. Please ask before photographing people and homes, and keep to the paths through the fields. The walk is best from October to April; in the monsoon, paths are muddy and leeches are common, so we suggest other plans then.