When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When Changan Auto Nepal gives you the keys to the Hunter, you make a road trip. And that is exactly what we did. From exploring the authentic night market of Kalaiya and gorging ourselves on their famous sekuwa, to visiting the second largest manmade lake in Nepal, here is the photo diary of our voyage to the South of Nepal.

On this journey, we decided to take the scenic, but slightly challenging route from Tikabhairab, throughThingan, past, Baguwa, to Hetauda, then on to the usual Tribhuvan Highway, past Pathalaiya, Simara, and Jeetpur, to reach Birgunj. This route takes slightly longer, but most certainly makes for better views.

We also took time to indulge in some local food at Kalaiya and Birgunj, exploring their fresh food market. It might not be a popular destination for many, but we think people are missing out. You’re not going to hopping cafes or clubs, but you won’t experience anything else like it. To round out our excursion of the South, we visited Bharat Taal, a destination that is steadily gaining popularity.

Keeping us company throughout our trip was the Changan Hunter. Spacious, comfortable, and just as eager as us to explore new grounds.

The bridge at Ipa Panchakanya marks your exit from Lalitpur district

Took a detour towards Makawanpur Gadhi. Enroute Hetauda

A local passer-by observing the Changan Hunter

Bharat Taal is the second largest manmade lake in Nepal. Named after the Mayor of the Bagmati Municipality of Sarlahi District, Bharat Kumar Thapa, the lake is 300,000 square meters in area and 35 feet deep

Escaping the chaotic Capital and exploring the terai flats was a breath of fresh air

Unsuccessfully recreating scenes from DDLJ

Terai sunsets hit different

Kalaiya’s Night Market is a vibrant effusion of sights, smells, and tastes (for those willing to indulge in the local foods)

The sekuwa at Sukdev Sah’s is Kalaiya’s crown jewel (in our gluttonous opinion)

Visibility is for the weak. The terai fog is infamous for making life behind the wheels difficult, and now we know why

While driving back from Bharat taal, we spotted a local villager bottling some Tadhi. Tadhi is an alcoholic beverage sourced from the sap of palm trees, which is indigenous to the terai region