DARCHULA, June 8: A team comprising journalists and artists has successfully completed the 'Taplejung-Darchula Bike Tour'. The team commenced their journey from Kathmandu on May 24 with the objective of promoting tourism in Nepal, reaching Darchula on June 6 after traversing more than 45 districts.
The team officially commenced their journey from Phungling, the headquarters of the far-eastern district of Taplejung, on May 28, and arrived in the far-eastern district of Darchula on the tenth day. At a press conference held in Darchula on Wednesday, the team announced the successful completion of their trip.
On Tuesday afternoon, the team arrived in Khalanga, the headquarters of Darchula, and in the evening, they reached Hikila village situated in Duhun Rural Municipality-2 of Darchula. Duhun Rural Municipality extended a warm welcome to the team.
Life on wheels
During their visit, the team engaged in discussions with representatives, employees, and locals of Duhun Rural Municipality regarding tourism potential, promotion, climate change, and other pertinent issues.
The team also held discussions on tourism promotion and the impact of climate change on tourism with local representatives, tourism-related organizations, and stakeholders in various locations across the five provinces.
Coordinator of the tour, Bishnu Bibek Bishwakarma, informed that they interacted with over 1,000 local stakeholders at different venues. During the press conference on Wednesday, he stated, "Throughout the journey, we engaged with more than a thousand local stakeholders, listening to their perspectives and sharing our experiences."
The team interacted with local representatives, important individuals, administrative officials, trade associations, Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), and Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) in Taplejung-Koshi province, Ilam, Jhapa, Morang, Janakpur-Madhesh province, Chitwan-Bagmati province, Lumbini, Bardia, and Darchula-Far West province.
Bishwakarma asserted that the team's journey was historic and would significantly contribute to the promotion of tourism in Nepal. He stated, "Everyone goes on the Mechi-Mahakali Tour because the road in the Terai region is good. However, the journey through the middle hill road is not easy. Despite facing numerous challenges, we successfully completed the journey. Our tour has demonstrated that a bike tour can be undertaken along the central hill track."
The tour team consists of coordinator Bishnu Bivek Bishwakarma, Chandra Tamang, Rajaram Poudel, Pabitra Khadka, and Chandrakala Karki. The team will return to Kathmandu today.
