It turned out that the road trip from India to Nepal via Sonauli Border was not as scary as what I had imagined at the beginning. I had plenty of time to travel overland from India to Nepal via the border and of course it would be more less cost than by plane. The routes are Varanasi - Gorakhpur - Sonauli - Kathmandu. Or other options you can go through the routes Lucknow-Gorakhpur-Sonauli-Kathmandu.
Varanasi is one option that can be visited before traveling to Nepal. From Varanasi, I took the train at 6:00A.M to Gorakhpur, the last station close to Sonauli Border. I started from the morning so that I didn’t arrive late in Sonali Border. Because I can't order train tickets myself, so I asked local people to order train tickets. I ordered 3 days before departure, second seating class. The ticket price from Varanasi Junction station to Gorakhpur station is 100INR with the distance of approximately 200km. To see the train schedule, you can download the "where is my train" application. In this application we can also see where our train locations are updated. If you choose a train in India do not forget to look for “how long train journey”, so you will not get bored.
Varanasi Junction Station
Next, the train arrived in Gorakhpur on time around 11.00A.M. Ah Gorakhpur city is also crowded. I took a short break for lunch to the city center 2km from the station. Rickshaw rides for 30INR. There I also exchanged Indian Rupee money to Nepal Rupee (can ask people around the money changer there). In Nepal, Indian Rupee money can still be used but for a nominal of 100INR and below.
Gorakhpur
After resting around 01.00P.M, I continued to the bus stand, close to the station (another 30INR rickshaw ride). Uniquely in India, bus stations and train stations are next to. You can ask local people also where the position of the Bus to the Sonauli Border. Or you can download the Maps.me application, download the offline map in the area that we want to go to, just in case if you don't find the internet anymore. This really helps!
Gorakhpur - Sonauli Bus
The Gorakhpur - Sonauli bus fare is only 127INR with a distance of approximately 95km or about 3 hours. This bus will stop for a break at the Jungle Treat Hotel. Strangely in India, the word “hotel” is also small eating places. So don't be surprised if there is a small eating place called "hotel".
Gorakhpur - Sonauli Journey
I arrived at the Sonauli bus stand at about 05.00P.M. The Indian provider that I used already has no signal. Because I really didn't know, didn't read, didn't ask where the Indian immigration position was, so I pedaled directly to the India-Nepal border gate. Ah, when I got there, there was only Nepal's immigration and I just found out that Indian immigration was 500m backward or 100m backward from the bus stand. It’s so sad to walk again. :D
So if you take a bus, we pass the immigration, you can ask for help the conductor to stop near Indian immigration.
India Immigration
In Indian immigration, I asked about Evisa regulation whether I could enter India again through the border or not. Apparently I can! The first entry, evisa holder must go through the airport, but for subsequent visits can enter India via the border. At first I intended to return to India by plane, so finally returned to India again through the border. I had one year evisa India with multiple entry.
After getting a stamp out of Indian immigration, I took a short break for dinner (still in India). Because Sonauli - Kathmandu trip would take a long time and I got information if the road is not too good and dusty. Also in the border there is also a lot of dust, so you have to get ready for masks and glasses. From here I have had eye pain for more than a month.
India Border Gate
Nepal Border Gate
After dinner, I continued to the border gate and headed for Nepal immigration, which is on the right side. The Nepal visa for Indonesian citizens is valid upon arrival. So I can immediately pay for a visa at immigration according to the length of visit. I paid 40USD for 30 days. Yes, I explored Nepal for 30 days. Lucky one I got there before 00.00A.M because at night the visa fee of 30 days staying goes up to 50USD per July 17, 2019. Don’t forget, for the Nepal visa payment using USD, so my advice is to get ready to buy USD because the exchange rate at the money changer border is usually bad rate.
Nepal Immigration
Nepal Visa 30 Days
The newest fare of Nepal Visa
After completing Nepal visa, I continued to walk as far as 30 meters from the border gate to the bus agent to Kathmandu. The position is still on the right side. Here there are many choices of bus types and buses are available to other areas of Nepal. But because I arrived at night, I got a standard bus. The price is 570NPR for a trip of about 270km approximately 8 hours. The bus was the last bus operating on that day. The bus departs at 10.00P.M, had stopped at several places to rest. And really, the road is broken and dusty! But it didn't feel it too much because I slept during the trip.
Finally the bus arrived in Kathmandu around 06.00A.M in the terminal outside Kathmandu (not in the city center). There is a bus to the city center (Thamel area), but must change buses again. Because at the beginning I didn't know where I was going, so I just went up and stopped at a location that was roughly crowded, to charge battery my phone and look for wifi. The price of buses in the city is 20NPR.
To make easy travel in Kathmandu city, you can download the Pathao application to order a car taxi or motorcycle taxi online.
I hope this writing is useful. Happy traveling :)
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