Key Takeaways:

• 41-metre glass-bottom skywalk opened in 2024 at Bhendetar, Dhankuta
• Over 300,000 visitors in two years, including 35% Indian tourists
• Built at a cost of Rs200m under PPP model, leased for 25 years
• Hotels and restaurants report positive spillover from rising tourism

DHANKUTA, AUGUST 11 A glass-bottom skywalk has emerged as a major attraction at Bhendetar in Dhankuta, drawing growing numbers of domestic and foreign tourists to the popular hill destination in eastern Nepal. The skywalk, located in Sangurigadhi Rural Municipality-6, offers visitors panoramic views of the plains and hills of eastern Nepal. Its transparent glass floor also gives visitors a dramatic view of the steep drop below, combining the thrill of walking above the landscape with scenic views. Located on the border of Dhankuta and Sunsari districts, Bhendetar was already a popular tourist destination before the skywalk added a new attraction to the area. Visitors can view the Saptakoshi River, the vast plains of eastern Terai and mountain ranges including Everest, Makalu, Kanchenjunga and Kumbhakarna from the area, according to Sangurigadhi Rural Municipality Chair Jitendra Rai. The cool weather and frequent mist even during summer have also helped attract visitors from the Terai, with Indian tourists accounting for around 35 percent of visitors, Rai said. More than 300,000 visitors in two years The 41-metre-long and two-metre-wide skywalk was developed under a public-private partnership involving the Koshi Province Investment Authority, Sangurigadhi Rural Municipality, Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City and Wonders Amusement Parks and Attractions Pvt Ltd. Built at a cost of around Rs 200 million, the skywalk came into operation in 2024. According to the company's Managing Director Sanjiv Rokaha, 178,000 tourists visited the skywalk in its first year of operation, while another 131,000 visitors came last year. The land on which the skywalk has been built has been leased to Wonders Amusement Parks and Attractions for 25 years, after which the structure will be transferred to the government as stipulated in the agreement. The facility currently employs 21 people, around 70 percent of whom are from Sangurigadhi Rural Municipality, Rokaha said. Tourism businesses feel the impact The skywalk has also generated a positive spillover for hotels, restaurants and other tourism-related businesses in Bhendetar. Lilaraj Lawati, former president of the Hotel Association of Bhendetar and operator of Hotel Lawati Corner, said visitor numbers rise significantly during public holidays and festivals. He said the combination of mountain, hill and Terai views from the skywalk and tower has further strengthened Bhendetar's position as an important tourism destination in Koshi Province and beyond. The skywalk has also added another major attraction to Sangurigadhi, alongside Namaste Waterfall, Pathibhara Temple, Namje and Dhwajedanda, Lawati said.