Sunauli
Sunauli is the traditional name given to both sides of this India/Nepal border crossing, 70 km north of Gorakpur and 3 km south of Bhairahawa. The Indian side is officially called "Sunauli" and Nepal side is Belahiya. Both are small, congested, dusty and dirty towns and the quicker you can get on to Bhairahawa (again only 3 km north)/elsewhere, the better.
Understand
Sunauli is not a place to linger. But it is an important border crossing/trade point, therefore the traffic and congestion. There are a few travel offices, currency exchange facilities on the Nepal side, and zero sights - unless you count long lines of Indian big-rigs. If you are having Indian Currency and going to Nepal, no need to worry about exchanging money to Nepali Currency. Shops, hotels and buses in Nepal easily accept Indian currency in denominations up to ₹100.
Going from India to Nepal, Nepalese visas are available on arrival. Going from Nepal to India? Hope you have visa already as no visa's are available on arrival to India. And neither immigration offices are overly helpful.
Get in
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Attention! At the Indian side of the border there is quite a violent scam running. They make you buy train tickets and cough up ludicrious amounts of money under threat of physical violence. Do not buy any travel services in Sunauli, and ignore all attempts to offer you these. Postpone buying onward tickets to Gorakhpur no matter what they say. |
By bus
Indian "package" tour buses, mostly pilgrims to Lumbini and Kathmandu, do cross the border and continue on after immigration. The farang / backpacker "package" tour buses normally do not and you will sadly and most likely be booked overnight in a cheap, not so nice hotel in Sunauli for your connection "connecting service " to Kathmandu. If you have only booked to the border you can cross (on foot) and find buses on either side up to 6PM - 7 PM. Intercity buses depart on both sides usually twice a day - dusk and dawn(from 4 AM) . Delhi, Gorakpur, Sunauli, India/Belahiya, Nepal. 24 - 30 hours. Try not to cross border in the night, Security persons on both sides are not co-operative and hotels on the Nepali sides will be closed, you have to rely on a guide. Update!: Please note that the warning in the text box refers to night-time crossings only. Travellers and bloggers crossing in daylight report that touts are relatively polite and helpful (though as always exercising caution with touts is naturally advisable).
Via Delhi, Gorakpur, Sunauli, India/Belahiya, Nepal. 24 - 30 hours.
Via Kathmandu, Narayangarh/Bharatpur (var. Narayanghat), Butwal, Bhairahawa, Sunauli. 9 - 14 hours.
Via Pokhara, Palpa/Tansen, Butwal, Bhairahawa (potholed, windy road, but beautiful views) 5 - 6 hours. Also Pokhara, Narayangarh/Bharatpur/Butwal, Bhairahawa, Sunauli (better road conditions). 5 -6 hours.
Via Gulmi-Tamghas, Palpa/Tansen, Butwal, Bhairahawa (potholed, windy road, but beautiful views) 4 - 5 hours.
By train
Via Delhi - Gorakpur. Transfer to narrow gauge track to Nautanwa. Transfer to taxi, bus, or rickshaw to Sunauli, India (about 5 kilometers). Cross border to Belahiya and Nepal's Immigration. Total time approximately 12 - 18 hours.
Via Kolkata, Patna, Gorakpur. Transfer to narrow gauge track to Nautanwa. Transfer to taxi, bus, or rickshaw to Sunauli, India (approximately 5 kilometers). Cross border to Belahiya, and Nepal's Immigration. Total time approximately 10 - 12 hours.
By jeep
To Gorakhpur by jeep, around ₹100, 2-3 hours.
Get around
Rickshaw's, buses, taxis all available. If you are stuck overnight here do not hesitate to take a 10 minute rickshaw up north for wonderful restaurants in Bhairahawa.
See
Also see Manakamna Temple situated in Mugling there's very nice place to see there's cable car ride approx. 10 to 15 minutes cable car ride and also if you have time then you can go to Sauraha situated in Chitwan 30-35 minutes ride from Narayangarh and spent a night there.you can also hire a taxi from Narayangarh which may charge you 500-600 Nepali rupees.
Eat
Options for food on the Indian side of the border are very limited and of questionable standards (with the exception of the pilgrim's hotel). Eat on the Nepal side and/or pack extra food if possible. Look for nice little outdoor daba/tandoori restaurant run by Lucky Singh just 30 meters north of the border on the east side. Questionable atmosphere but great food! They even have A/C facilities (20 NRs extra) in the hot season.
Sleep
Most of the accommodations are found on the Nepal side, though there is a Government of India run hotel for pilgrims on the Indian side. Look for the large white building about 500 meters south of the border on the main road. Modern rooms with bathrooms, TVs, and A/C for ₹1200. None are recommended for women travelling alone. . Cheaper rooms usually go early in the day.
Go next
Getting out from Sunauli is easy during daytime, but harder in night. So plan your journey according to that. And in there border side most of the Indian police cheek bags when they saw new persons and if you just to escape from that without wasting your time you simply just catch 100/200 in hand give to police secretly they will let you. About 80% chances to get out from there. And beware if you do mistakes or without any reason they beat you the Nepali police will not help you.
We strongly recommend that you get the hell of this town, especially if you are Korean.