Godavari Botanical Garden

The National Botanical Garden at Godavari was established in 1962 on eighty-odd hectares at the foot of Phulchowki, and it holds collections of Nepali flora arranged in themed sections: a fernery, orchid houses, a rock garden, a Japanese-style garden, and stands of the country's native trees. Rhododendrons flower in spring. The garden is used as much for a day out by valley families as by botanists. Behind it rises Phulchowki, at 2,782 metres the highest point on the valley rim, whose forested slopes are the single best birding site near Kathmandu, with a road and trails running to the summit and a species list that draws specialists from abroad. The two are usually done together.

What you actually see

• Native plant collections - Nepali flora in themed sections and glasshouses.
• Spring rhododendrons - flowering in the garden and on the hill above.
• Phulchowki birding - the forest slopes behind, best near Kathmandu.
• Family day out - the garden's ordinary weekend use.

When to go

March to May for rhododendrons and breeding birds, October and November for clear weather. Spring is the best birding season on Phulchowki. Weekends fill the garden with picnickers.

Honest expectations

The garden is pleasant rather than remarkable and shows its age in places. Phulchowki's summit road is rough and the birding needs an early start and a guide to be productive. There is an army post at the summit and access can be restricted.

Nearby

Phulchowki rises directly behind; Patan lies northwest.