Baglung. Last year, domestic and foreign tourists had visited Jaljala during Dashain. Tourists have been returning home from Dhorpatan valley and Buki Patan this year due to long rainfall and lack of road opening. Jaljala of Dhorpatan, the only hunting reserve of Nepal, is connected to both Baglung and Myagdi districts. The attraction of tourists is increasing as one can view dozens of mountain ranges and sunrise from nearby.

Five years ago, the water was in obscurity. But lately, due to intense publicity, tourists have started coming here in winter. The road reached Jaljala, which lies 22 km west of the Dhorpatan valley, only last year. Dhorpatan and Lower Jaljala are connected to Dhawalagiri rural municipality of Myagdi through road network. Even though the road is connected, the tourists have been facing problems due to lack of vehicular movement during the rainy season.

Tourists could not reach Jaljala this year as they have to cross dense forests and big jungles from the Dhorpatan valley. To reach Jaljala, one has to cross the Gathesanghu at three places. However, this year due to incessant rain, the hotel has not been closed so far, said Jeevan Pun, president of Dhorpatan Valley Hotel Entrepreneurs’ Association. He said that the number of tourists visiting Jaljala has increased since two years so tourists could not reach there this year due to bad weather.

According to him, one and two Gurja Ghat wooden chains should be installed at Gurughat along the Dhorpatan-Jaljala road. Chairman Pun said that the road would be cleaned and Sanghu would be installed in the next few days as the river had washed away the Sanghu during the rainy season last year.

He said that tourists will easily come to Jaljala if the Dhawalagiri rural municipality of Myagdi cleans the Mareni road. According to him, around 100 tourists visit Dhorpatan every day and tourists visiting Dhorpatan have been complaining about not being able to visit Jaljala.

“The number of tourists visiting Jaljala has increased since last year, the area was deserted and only shepherds used to reach it, this place is really beautiful. ’

Situated at an altitude of 3,400 metres above sea level, more than two dozen mountains including Dhaulagiri, Machhapucchre, Annapurna, Manapathi, Putha, Chureen, Gurja and Nilgiri among others can be seen standing in close proximity. Rawal Rokaya, who came from Tulsipur, Dang, complained that he could not go to Jaljala due to the lack of road opening. He said that he was fascinated by the mountain range seen from the Jaljala on social media.

He said, “I had heard that one can travel by motorcycle from Dhorpatan valley but the road has not been managed yet. ’

Rokaya said that 12 people had come for a visit. He said that although he could not go to Jaljala, he returned from Bukipatan. At this time, those who have come to Dhorpatan to reach Jaljala return from the valley.