Tansen, Palpa one of the Best Places in Nepal For Hiking

Tansen, perched high above the Kali Gandaki River on the road between Butwal and Pokhara, is far enough off the radar to make it a rewarding detour for independent travellers. Tansen’s main attraction is both its Newari charm and distinct medieval feel. Lining Tansen’s steep cobblestone streets, which are too steep for cars, are wooden Newari houses with intricately carved windows, from where the clacking of looms can be heard. On winter mornings a blanket of mist is cast over the bowl-shaped Madi Valley, earning it the moniker ‘White Lake’.

Chatting to locals, you’ll find they’re fiercely proud of their home town, which no doubt stems from its rich history during the glory years as the capital of the Magar kingdom of Tanahun. Until the rise of the Shahs, Tanahun was one of the most powerful kingdoms in Nepal. Troops from Palpa even came close to conquering Kathmandu in the 16th century under the leadership of King Mukunda Sen. The power of the Magars waned in the 18th century and Tansen was reinvented as a Newari trading post on the trade route between India and Tibet.

Today Tansen remains the administrative headquarters of Palpa district, and many Nepalis still refer to the town as Palpa. The town escaped serious damage in the 2015 earthquake.

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