Nepal is full of mountains and hills. Transport has always been a challenging part of Nepal. People have been walking the mountainous trails of Nepal for centuries ago. The roads of Nepal have only started to spread all over the country just recently. Most of the cities in Nepal are connected by highways and roads. The highways move along the rivers and mountain slopes of Nepal. Nepal is not a big country in comparison, but the roads in Nepal are not fully expanded and are blacktopped.
The roads that lead to a more remote part of Nepal are rough dirt roads full of rocky trails. Only the major highways are smooth, with very few potholes. The scenery along the highway can be awesome to enjoy if you can endure a little abrupt movement. The roads are curved along the flow of rivers, so you will always see the rapid rivers flowing in most parts of your journey. Forest-covered hills will be at your side along your journey. Highways of Nepal pass through forests, plains, fields, villages, and towns, so the scenery changes frequently, keeping the uniqueness of view while driving for hours on the highway of Nepal.
Some major highways and where they take you
1. Mahendra highway
Mahendra highway is the longest highway in Nepal. This highway runs throughout the country in the Terai region of Nepal. This highway is 1027 kilometers long and passes through major cities of Terai region of Nepal. Mahendra highway is popularly known as an east-west highway. It is called the east-west highway because it runs from the eastern border to the western border of the country. This highway intersects and meets most highways in Nepal. It is also a national highway in Nepal. Mahendra highway starts from Mechi bridge at Jhapa border and ends at the Gaddachowki border at Kanchanpur. This highway passes through popular tourist destinations like Mahendra Nagar, Dhangadi, Bardiya National park, Nepalgunj, Bharatpur, Hetauda, Kakar-bhitta.
2. Prithvi highway
Prithvi highway is one of the busiest highways in Nepal. This highway connects the five districts, including Kathmandu and Kaski, where Pokhara is located. Prithvihighway starts from Naubise to Prithvichowk of Pokhara. It is only 174 kilometers, but the ride along this highway takes around 6 hours. This highway is only a two-lane highway with a lot of traffic. This highway always moves along the riverside, so you can see the rapid rivers of Nepal on your trip on this highway. Trishuli river flows till you reach Malekhuthen, later joined by Marsyangdi river.
It is a popular road because it joins Kathmandu with Pokhara, so many tourists remember this highway as an example of a road in Nepal. There are different types of roads according to the destination they join and the region they are located in. you can stop for fish in Malekhu. There are bazaars where you can shop in Muglin,Dumre, and Abukhaireni. The highway also passes at kurintar, a cable car station that takes you to Manakamana temple on the other side of the hill.
3. Araniko highway
Araniko highway is also known as the Kathmandu kodari highway. This highway joins the capital city of Kathmandu to china and other parts of northeastern Nepal. Araniko highway is only 144 m long but is one of the major roles in connecting Nepal with China. This highway starts at Maitighar junction at Kathmandu and ends at friendship bride at the Kodai border connecting with china national highway 318 to Lhasa. You can take this highway to visit some tourist destinations like Dhulikhel, from where you can enjoy the view of the mountains. A little further from Dhulikhel will take you to Palanchwok Bhagwati temple. This highway also touches Dolalghat, a junction of the Indravati and Sunkoshi rivers. This highway also leads to Jiri, a gateway to Everest.
4. Tribhuvan highway
Tribhuvan highway is the oldest highway in Nepal. It was built in 1956 with the help of the Indian government. It was the first serviceable road connection with India. It is informally known as Byroad in Nepal. This highway connects the capital city of Kathmandu with Raxaul at the Indian border. It is only 118 kilometers long, but you can get an amazing off-road experience on this highway. This highway starts from the king Tribhuvan statue at Tripureshwor and ends at Sirsiya bridge on the Birjung border. Tribhuvan highway meets Prithivi highway at Naubise and intersects the east-west highway in Hetauda. This highway meets the places like Daman and kulekhani that you can stop and explore.
5. Siddhartha highway
Siddhartha highway is the major highway connecting Nepal’s terai to the northern hills. Only 182 kilometers of curves and curved roads go through jungles and hills. Siddhartha highway starts from Prithivichwok and ends at the Sunauli border. Siddartha highway intersects Mahendra highway in Butwal. Most of this highway is rocky terrain, so the trip can be bumpy. This highway consists of about 34 bridges along the way. The more famous stops on this highway are Pokhara and Butwal. You can also stop at Tansen and Syangja and visit the Rani Mahal.
