Daman: The Widest Himalayan Panorama Within Reach of Kathmandu

Before any other road linked Kathmandu with the outside world, there was the Tribhuvan Highway, built in the 1950s to connect the capital with the Indian border. It takes a famously tortuous line over the ranges to the south-west. Near its highest point, at about 2,300 metres, sits Daman, a scattering of lodges and farmhouses with a claim to the broadest view of the Himalaya available from any roadside in Nepal.

What you see

Daman faces north across a succession of lower ridges. On a clear morning the snow line runs unbroken across the sky: Dhaulagiri and the Annapurnas far to the west, then Manaslu, Ganesh Himal and Langtang in the middle, Gauri Shankar and, at the eastern end, the distant cluster around Everest. The mountains are a long way off, so the impression is of sheer breadth, a white fence along the whole horizon, more than of looming height.

A concrete viewing tower beside the road has a telescope and a diagram naming the peaks. Many lodges have terraces with the same outlook.

When it works

• October to early December: the surest months.

• Mid-December to February: cold and frequently crystal clear. The pass just above Daman sometimes gets snow, which brings day-trippers from the capital.

• March and April: hazier, but this is rhododendron season, and the forests around the village are full of red and pink blossom.

• June to September: mostly cloud.

As elsewhere, dawn is the best hour. By mid-morning cloud often builds over the middle hills.

Things to do besides look north

The mountain botanical garden. A short walk from the road, a forest reserve protects native trees, with paths through stands of rhododendron and oak. It is at its best in spring and pleasant for birdwatching in any season.

A walk to the Shiva temple. A trail of about an hour leads through woodland to a small shrine in a clearing, visited by pilgrims and decorated with tridents and bells.

The pass. A few kilometres further along the highway, the road reaches its summit at nearly 2,500 metres before dropping in loops towards the plains. On the right day it offers yet another angle on the range.

The valley below. North of Daman lies a broad farming basin known for potatoes and vegetables supplied to the capital. Walking down through the terraces to the valley floor takes two to three hours and shows a neat, productive agricultural landscape.

Getting there

Daman is roughly eighty kilometres from Kathmandu. The journey takes about three hours by car: west out of the valley, then south onto the old highway, which climbs through forest in countless bends. Traffic is light, since most vehicles now use faster routes to the plains.

Local buses run from Kathmandu towards the town of Hetauda by this road and will drop you in Daman. Mountain bikers and motorcyclists favour the route for its curves and quiet.

From Daman you can continue south to Hetauda and on to Chitwan National Park, making this a scenic alternative way of travelling between the capital and the lowlands.

Where to stay

A handful of lodges and a couple of more comfortable resorts are spread along the road and the hillside. Rooms are simple, nights are cold from November to March and heating is limited, so pack warm clothing. Meals are Nepali staples and a short menu of noodles, soups and eggs. Book ahead at weekends in snow season.

A simple plan

• Day one: leave Kathmandu after lunch, arrive mid-afternoon, walk in the botanical garden and watch the light fade from a terrace.

• Day two: rise for sunrise at the tower, have breakfast, walk to the temple, then either return to the capital or drive on south.

How it compares

Nagarkot and Dhulikhel, on the eastern rim of the Kathmandu Valley, are closer and better known, with more hotels and a nearer view of the Langtang range. Daman is higher, quieter and sees a longer arc of mountains, including the western giants that the valley-rim viewpoints miss. It takes a little longer to reach and offers less to do.

Who it suits

• Travellers with their own vehicle or a hired car.

• Cyclists and motorcyclists who enjoy the road as much as the destination.

• People heading to Chitwan who would like to break the journey somewhere cool.

• Anyone who simply wants to count eight-thousand-metre peaks before breakfast.

There is no town at Daman, no monument and no entertainment. There is cold air, forest, a flask of tea and, when the sky is clear, most of the central Himalaya laid out in a single line.