Humla’s Long Road to Connectivity: Direct Bus Service Ushers in a New Era of Travel
For the residents of Humla, a remote mountain district nestled in Nepal’s Karnali Province, the simple act of travelling to the capital city of Kathmandu was once an arduous and prohibitively expensive ordeal. Journeys were defined by multiple, exhausting transfers between vehicles and fares that drained hard-earned savings. However, this reality has dramatically shifted with the recent inauguration of a direct bus service connecting Humla to Kathmandu, marking a significant milestone in the district’s decades-long struggle for connectivity.
Sabita Pariyar, a resident of Humla, recently experienced this newfound ease. Arriving in Birendranagar, Surkhet, on a Friday, she expressed a sense of relief previously unknown during her travels outside her district. For the first time, she was able to board a bus directly from near her home in Simkot, the district headquarters, bound for the national capital.
“I finally felt relaxed travelling in a single bus,” Pariyar shared, her voice tinged with relief. “Earlier, we had to change vehicles several times and pay very high fares. Now that hassle has been a thing of the past.”
The groundbreaking direct bus service is the initiative of Humla Hilsa Transportation Pvt Ltd. Pariyar noted that the introduction of this service has also led to a decrease in fares, a direct consequence of increased competition. “I used to pay almost double,” she explained, stating that she purchased her ticket to Kathmandu for Rs 6,500 on this occasion. She further elaborated that after one operator took the initiative, other transport companies quickly followed suit, launching their own buses on the route.
Decades of Isolation and the Dream of a Road
For many years, Humla remained one of Nepal’s most isolated districts, conspicuously absent from the national road network. The ambitious Karnali Corridor project, envisioned as a vital north-south artery linking the Chinese border at Hilsa to the southern plains, remained largely incomplete, preventing the operation of larger buses.
The long-cherished dream of connecting Simkot to the national road network finally materialized in July 2025. This crucial achievement was made possible by the construction of a Bailey bridge spanning the Chuwakhola River in ward 5 of Kharpunath Rural Municipality. This bridge effectively linked Simkot to the Karnali Corridor, paving the way for improved transportation.
Formal Launch and Operational Challenges
According to the District Traffic Police Office in Humla, the direct bus service was formally launched on December 17, 2025. The official fare to Kathmandu has been set at Rs 7,500.
However, Rajesh Chaudhary, the chief of the traffic police, acknowledged that maintaining a consistent schedule continues to be a significant challenge. The rugged terrain and precarious road conditions present ongoing obstacles. “Because of the terrain and road conditions, buses cannot always operate on a fixed timetable,” Chaudhary stated. He added, “Earlier, buses would turn back from Sarkeghad. Now they reach the district headquarters and even depart directly for Kathmandu.”
Tangible Benefits for Local Residents
The impact of the direct bus service has been immediate and profound for the local population. Anga Raj Pariyar, a resident of Chankheli Rural Municipality-3, highlighted the substantial improvements in both ease and cost of travel. “Earlier, Mahindra Boleros charged whatever they wanted. Now, we can reach Surkhet from Simkot for around Rs 5,000, and from Sarkeghad for Rs 2,500,” he reported.
Recounting a past journey out of Humla, Anga Raj recalled an instance where he walked for three days to reach Thirpu in Kalikot district before he could find a vehicle to Surkhet. “Just reaching Surkhet used to cost more than Rs 7,000 in fares alone,” he lamented.
Over the preceding year, as road access gradually improved, the fare to Surkhet had already seen a reduction, typically falling between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000, depending on vehicle availability. “As the number of vehicles increased, competition brought prices down,” Anga Raj observed, noting that the introduction of buses has significantly diminished the dominance of smaller, more expensive vehicles. He also pointed out that passenger traffic is generally heavier on routes leading out of Humla. “More people travel out of Humla than return. They go to escape the cold, seek medical treatment, or travel onward to India for work. That’s why buses are usually full of passengers,” he explained.
Operator’s Perspective and Future Outlook
Bishal Rokaya, an operator with Humla Hilsa Transportation, confirmed that his company commenced the Kathmandu service approximately three weeks prior to the report. “We were the first to start the direct service from Humla to Kathmandu. After that, another bus service also began operating from Simkot,” Rokaya said. He provided current fare estimates, stating that buses typically charge around Rs 5,000 from Simkot to Surkhet, Rs 5,500 to Nepalgunj, and Rs 7,500 to Kathmandu.
Despite the completion of critical segments of the Karnali Corridor, the journey remains challenging. Landslides, narrow tracks, and the absence of blacktopping on numerous stretches continue to pose difficulties. Nevertheless, the advent of direct bus services represents a transformative shift for Humla, a district that for years relied heavily on expensive air travel and manual porters for essential connectivity.
The fulfillment of Humla residents’ long-held aspiration to travel directly to Kathmandu by bus has materialized after nearly three decades of concerted effort. The road network, originating from Khulalu in Kalikot district and traversing through Bajura before reaching Humla, forms a crucial component of the Karnali Corridor.
The impetus for constructing a road into Humla dates back to 1997, following a severe viral outbreak linked to famine that claimed the lives of nearly 50 residents. In response to persistent food shortages, the then District Development Committee proposed a road link to China. Construction on the Simkot-Hilsa road commenced in 2000, utilizing internal resources.
