Pokhara skydiving goes year-round as Kaligandaki bungee draws crowds

Skydiving in Pokhara can now run all year, and the bungee bridge over the Kaligandaki between Kushma and Balewa is drawing about 300 visitors a day, its operator says.

Skydiving expands in Pokhara

Skydiving in Pokhara has transitioned from a seasonal activity to a year-round operation following the issuance of a Recreational Aviation Operation Certificate (RAOC) by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the state news agency RSS reported on October 27 (carried by Nagarik and Nepal News). Until last year the authority gave permission for only 15 days at a time. To hold the certificate, a company needs its own aircraft or a five-year agreement with a helicopter operator, as well as its own base, airspace and instructors.

Skydiving in Nepal Pvt Ltd runs the jumps with the helicopter operator Simrik Air, to conduct jumps from an altitude of 13,000 feet. The experience involves a 50-second free-fall followed by a seven-to-eight-minute parachute descent. The sport once relied on foreign instructors; the company's instructors are now all Nepali: Alish Thapa, Subash Thapa, Manish Hirachan and Yashoda KC Thapa, Nepal's first woman skydiver. Since October, the company has facilitated jumps for 35 tandem and 20 solo participants.

Bungee jumping at Kaligandaki

Meanwhile, the suspension bridge connecting Kushma in Parbat and Balewa in Baglung draws hundreds of visitors a day. The Cliff Pvt Ltd runs a bungee jump from the 525-metre bridge, 228 metres above the Kaligandaki River, and claims it is the world's second-highest, according to The Kathmandu Post and Setopati. The site opened in November 2020, and visitors were still arriving for the Dashain holidays, its manager said.

Manager Safal Thapa stated that the company has invested over Rs 900 million into the site, which also includes a swing, sky cycling, and a resort. More than 90 percent of the structures are on the Baglung side. About 300 domestic and foreign tourists now come each day, he said. The facility can accommodate approximately 50 bungee jumps per day, though high demand often leads to waiting times for visitors, who include domestic tourists as well as travelers from India, Bangladesh, and Europe.

Pokhara Tourism Council President Hari Bhujel described Pokhara's tourism as a mix of nature, culture and adventure, and said year-round skydiving, alongside paragliding, ultralight flights and hot-air balloons, would build its name in the world market (RSS).