Located about 40 kilometres from the capital, uphill from Panauti, this village constitutes one of the key stopping places for the treks offered in the Kathmandu Valley. After several days of walking on the paths that traverse the basin, my two friends and I reached the magnificent plateau of Balthali, which is surrounded by the Roshi and Ladku rivers. The landscape there is striking and contrasts greatly with the view of the snow-capped summits of the Himalayas that we had been seeing since the start of our trip to Nepal.
Carved into innumerable terraces of cropland, the natural basin in which the village of Balthali is encased enjoys a temperate climate, which is conducive to the appearance of many wildflowers in season. Rhododendrons or even colourful magnolias cover the hills, forming a patchwork quilt of enchanting colours.
*After the powerful earthquakes that shook Nepal in April and May of 2015, the country is slowly rebuilding itself. This article was written before the catastrophe.