Districts
Lumbini Province
Gulmi गुल्मी
Terraced hills, Nepali coffee
Gulmi, in the Lumbini hills with its headquarters at Tamghas, is the cradle of Nepali coffee — the crop was first planted here in the 1930s. Terraced ridges, the Resunga hill pilgrimage and long Himalayan views reward a slow visit. It is classic, lightly-touristed Nepali mid-hill country.
About Gulmi
Gulmi is classic Lumbini hill country: steep terraced ridges, Gurung and Magar villages, and long unobstructed views north to the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges on clear mornings. Its most visited summit is Resunga, a forested hill at 2,347 metres some three to four hours' walk above Tamghas, whose Siddhasthana temple, sacred ponds and yajna fire site draw Hindu pilgrims and make for a rewarding day-hike. Ridi, the Vishnu pilgrimage confluence of the Kali Gandaki and Ridi rivers on the district's eastern edge, is one of Nepal's four traditional chardhams.
Gulmi holds an unassuming place in agricultural history: in 1938, a hermit named Hira Giri planted coffee seeds from Burma in the Aapchaur area, giving Nepal its first coffee garden. The Aapchaur Coffee Development Centre now anchors a specialty-coffee trail through the mid-hills. The district headquarters Tamghas is a quiet but pleasant bazaar town; bus connections run via Tansen or Palpa toward Butwal, and roads can deteriorate in the monsoon.
At a glance
- Headquarters
- Tamghas
- Known for
- Terraced hills, Nepali coffee
Getting there
Gulmi is most easily reached via Tansen (Palpa): take a bus from Kathmandu to Butwal (~8–9 hours), then a shared jeep or bus to Tamghas, roughly 65 km north of Butwal and 2–3 hours on the hill road. The district has no airport; Bhairahawa (30-minute flight from Kathmandu) cuts the road segment significantly. Road conditions can deteriorate in the monsoon months.