Adventures @ The Last Resort

Aptly named, ‘The Last Resort’ is the final resort on the Nepal side before crossing over to Tibet. The resort can be reached by crossing the metal suspension bridge built at a height of 160metres over the Bhote Koshi River.

On our return journey from Zhangmu we dropped in at the resort. We made our way one by one on the across the gently swaying bridge. Some kids ran down from the other side. I held my breath as the bridge swung (or was it just my imagination?). When I looked down, the river seemed to be flowing faraway. But obviously, I was looking down from a height of 160 meters! It was like looking down from the sky and I felt giddy. I gripped the railings on both the sides and slowly made my way looking straight ahead.

You enter the grounds of the resort as soon as you step off the bridge. Welcome to the popular haunt of adventure sports, the home of the famous Bungy Nepal and Canyon swing, the world’s highest giant swing where you get to swing at an arc of 240m at 150 km/hr. ‘The Last Resort’, a brainchild of Kiwi David Allerdice and Nepali Bishnu Neupane was established in 1999. Before the resort opened for business the duo initiated the construction of the bridge, employing world class engineers.  The bridge, 166 meters long and 160 meters high, took three months to complete and was built using Swiss technology.

The very exciting bungy jump and canyon swing is done from this bridge. The building of the bridge has had a positive impact on the development of the local economy and infrastructure. Previously the local villagers had to walk five hours to cross the river gorge. Now they can do it in a couple of minutes.

There is lush greenery all around. Nestled in a cliff top gorge in serene and peaceful surrounding, high above the Bhote Koshi river, the resort also serves as an ideal weekend getaway for Kathmanduites seeking to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. For accommodation the resort has put up spacious and roomy safari tents. The resort offers an array of exciting outdoor activities to suit your needs. For those seeking some adrenaline rush there is bungy jumping and canyon swing, rock climbing, kayaking, rafting, hiking and mountain biking. If you just want to relax and laze around, the resort has a spa where you can rejuvenate your tired senses.

Coming back to our visit, we made our way through stone steps and came to the Karma Bar. Built with stone and wood, the bar is quite spacious and tastefully decorated. The crowd gathered there was an eclectic mix of Australians, Americans, Israelis, French, Spanish and Nepalese. Most of them were there to do the bungy and canyon swing. At around 11 am, a guy came to brief the crowd. He began by saying that anyone whose weight is less then 40kilos can’t do the bungy or canyon swing. He told them the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ while ‘bungeeng’ and ‘swinging’. After the briefing, the participants’ names were called out and their weights taken.

After that, the first group was ready to take the plunge. No traffic is allowed on the bridge during the sessions. The gates were locked and the first jumper was ready to bungy. He stood on the edge and at the final count of the jumpmaster, took the plunge screaming ‘bungeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee’!

If you want to try any of these activities, you can contact:

The Last Resort Sales Office, PO Box 14431, Thamel, Kathmandu

Tel: 977-1-4700525, Fax: 977-1-4439501, Email: info@thelastresort.com.np

Images courtesy/ copyright:  David Allerdice, The Last Resort