Jomsom Road is the main road through the Annapurna National Park. We are told it’s fairly manageable by motorbike. After a nice breakfast, we leave for the National Park. The entrance to the Park is located in Beni, about 80km from Pokhara. Here, we refill the bike and have lunch because we were told that everything in the Park is more expensive. Short after entering the park we notice the road is not much better than the impossible road but the vistas are again beautiful and make it worthwhile. Occasionally we do see snow peaks up to 7 km high and we also see a large waterfall. Another interesting fact about this park is the marijuana that grows everywhere here.

Annapurna National Park

One field is even marked on the map! In general, we find the park is not intended to be viewed with a motorbike. The road serves as a connection between the main towns from which the towpaths leave. For trekking we are not equipped and it also takes a lot of time. The price difference for food turned out to be more than double. The worst is when we accidentally get a menu for Indians and Nepali in our hands, with the same prices as in the rest of Nepal. The accommodations are fortunately normally priced. The return trip goes much better, despite some fall overs and the many puddles due to the rain the day before.

Views over the Himalaya

After leaving the park, we drive straight to Kathmandu. The highway offers some nice views, but it’s a road like every road in Nepal, only fewer potholes. The last kilometres are gravel road due to road works with huge traffic jams as result: 20km queuing to Kathmandu. Hooray for Mickey, we are able to overtake the queue. Meanwhile, it’s getting dark, which is rewarded by the many lights adorning the houses in the mountains. It feels a bit like Christmas...what is going on here?

On the Road

More info on www.wijzijnweg.org