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Hile sits on a ridge and is basically rows of houses on
either side of the road. There are however dingy settlements
on the slope on one side of the road. Surprisingly this little
town has quite a few hotels and at least one of them is solid
though furnishing and service leaves much to be desired. The
Tongba (Alcoholic drink made from millet) is great if you
can digest it.
If you turn left from Hile approaching from Dhankuta, the
road leads on to the Arun valley and Makalu treks.
Pushing straight up the road leads on to Basantapur, Taplejung
and the Kanchenjunga trek. A few Tibetan families still remain
as does the two Gompas. The rest of the inhabitants are a
mixture of Chetris, Magars, Rais, Tamangs, Brahmins, Limbus
and people of Indian stock. There are good views of the Makalu
massif from here. Walk up from the town and go past the army
barracks until you see a path cut out on the left side opposite
a few houses. Climb up over a grassy ridge and you will see
the Himalayas, weather permitting. There are many pleasant
walks around Hile. A walk to the Pakhribas agricultural center
built by the British many years ago is interesting.
Hile is only a half hour drive uphill from Dhankuta.
There are also direct buses to Hile from Kathmandu.
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