Rishikesh Bordercrossing!!!

iguana

anyone have info on going in and out from close to Rshksh. FOund one post but it is over 2 years old. Any recent info on times and distance, is it still Sounali? Dont need a new visa, just a bit of the old in/out.
thanks

AvidTrekker

Its called Banbassa in India, you cross over to Mahendranagar in Nepal.

In the Kumaon region of Uttaranchal.

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iguana

hey!!
any idea how long it will take to get from Rksh to Bambassa one-way, and what about travel options for the fastest way??
thanks

iguana

hey!!
any idea how long it will take to get from Rksh to Bambassa one-way, and what about travel options for the fastest way??
thanks

annipurna

hey. dealing with similar problem. but the other way....should go from kathmandu to rishikesh. so first to mahendranagar? so this border is open to everyone?? and i heard it is the maoist area...guess they are in peace now and it is safe ha? and well that question then too...this banbassa...how to get from there to rishikesh.

or if someone knows other quick way from kathmandu to rishikesh i would be more than happy.

sirensongs

Hi Annipurna; I just did that Mahendranagar-Banbassa border crossing and it's fine, but very very long....for more details see my blog page circa June 1st (below). There were plenty of Maoists commandeering the country buses in order to send delegates to a major rally in KTM and they didn't even glance my way. They have no beef with foreigners and tourists.

High points of the 19 hour bus ride included sweet old Mr Singh at the Nepali immigration post, crossing through Bardia Natl Forest (so many peacocks and deer crossed the road!) and the section between Narayanghat and KTM (make sure you do this part in the daylight...for safety and scenery reasons).

Also, there are no facilities at all at this particular border (nowhere to change money, or make passport sized photos or photocopies) so come prepared. And the bus stops are definitely rustic (men go on one side of the bus to pee in the bushes, women the other)!

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Prashanth

How do I get from Delhi to Banbassa? By train or bus? Is there a state bus service between provided between Delhi and Banbassa or must I go with a private company? What would be the total travel time between Delhi and Kathmandu via Mahendrenagar-Banbassa?

Thanks so much,
Prashanth

AvidTrekker

day 1. Delhi to Tanakpur... 12 hrs.

day 2. Tanakpur to Banbassa next day ... 3 hrs.

Cross border on foot.

Mahendranagar to Kathmandu bus starts early morning. Book your ticket for tomorrow. [no e-booking available]

day 3. Take KTM bus [24 hours]

day 4. reach KTM early morning.

If you dont have time, there is a Delhi to KTM bus journey in 24 hrs involving a change of buses at the Sunauli border.. but this goes thru the plains of India.... not the mountains.

sirensongs

I did it thisaway:

TRAIN from Delhi to Haldwani: 9 hours. 10pm till next morning

Cycle rick from train station to local bus station

*Absolutely no one believed that I was doing what I was doing. All the tourists were going to Almora. Everyone told me that I was nuts for going this way.*

LOCAL bus from Haldwani to Banbassa: some 3 hours

Cycle rickshaw from bus to Indian Immigration post
(my weirdest experience with them yet....started screaming "don't take pictures!" when I was still 50 feet away, then demanded my "Disembarkation card." What? am I embarking from a plane?

THEN grilled me on US trivia - "how many states are in the USA?" When I answered "fifty," they argued with me. "I think there are fifty-two."

Uh...how can I say this politely - there are 50, no more, no less. This didn't deter him. "Someone was here from US yesterday and they are telling there are 52." His tone of voice implied that my nationality was now suspect, despite my passport. How could a real American not know there were 52 US states?? )

...continue in cycle rickshaw across border, through a series of metal gates which for some reason are padlocked in the middle of the day and have queues of people waiting in the hot sun to get through; over a large dam/irrigation project; this bit of the journey will take at least 1 hour....there are no autorickshaws or buses available.

...continue to Nepali Immigration post in Mahendranagar. Say hello to the grandfatherly Mr Singh who works there. He will let you take all the photos you like.

...continue in cycle rick to Mahendranagar bus stand. Find the next bus for Kathmandu. Stock up on water and snacks. Buy the frontmost bus seat possible as it is a very rocky ride.

...Buy your hot, sweaty cycle rick driver a Coke while waiting for the bus and negotiate payment.

Local Bus to Kathmandu: if you go nonstop, about 19 hours. I was exhausted so stopped near Nepalganj and stayed in a guest house overnight, then got the morning bus - nearly 10 hours from Nepalganj to Kdu. All times include snack and pee stops.

I WISH there were private coaches available...it's all govt. shake and rattle coaches.

Enjoy! The ride from Narayanghat to K-du is really beautiful and should be done in daytime.