Walk the ramparts to Jharokhar Pokhari

The medieval city of Simraungadh was enclosed by earthen ramparts and ditches forming a rectangle about 7.5 km north to south and 4.5 km east to west. Locals call these banks baahi and remember the city as a labyrinth. Many stretches are now covered by fields and houses, but with a guide you can follow raised lines across the land. Ditches beside them still fill with water in the monsoon.

Your walk ends at Jharokhar Pokhari, also called Deutaal or Kachorwa Pokhari, near the Indian border. Once spread across about 52 bighas, the pond has shrunk to around 22 because of silting and encroachment, but it is still one of the largest old man-made ponds in Nepal, believed to date from the Karnata period. Birds gather on its open water in winter.

Village life fills the route: buffalo wallowing in ditches, women drying cow-dung cakes on walls, children cycling to school. Start early in the cool season, wear a hat and carry water. Keep your passport with you near the border. The walk covers a few kilometres on farm paths and village roads, flat but sunny. Bring a hat and water.