Eastern and southern Nepal sees fewer foreign visitors than Kathmandu and Pokhara, but it is the gateway to some special places: the tea gardens of Ilam, the long trek to Kangchenjunga, the wetlands of Koshi Tappu, and the temple city of Janakpur. The plains towns have a growing number of good hotels.
Quick answer: the Hotel Mechi Crown in Dhulabari, Jhapa, is a HAN five-star deluxe hotel, and Hotel The Kingsbury in Birtamod and Hotel Ichchha in Simara are five-star. Jhapa is convenient for Bhadrapur airport, the usual starting point for Ilam and Kangchenjunga.
Jhapa (far east)
- Hotel Mechi Crown, Dhulabari (five-star deluxe).
- Hotel The Kingsbury, Birtamod (five-star).
From Jhapa, roads lead north to Ilam's tea gardens and to Taplejung for the Kangchenjunga trek.
Biratnagar
Nepal's main eastern industrial city and the gateway to Koshi Tappu. Harrison Palace Hotel (tourist standard) is a HAN member; the city has several other business hotels.
Janakpur
The birthplace of Sita in Hindu tradition, with the white Janaki Mandir temple. Hotel Sitasharan (two-star) is a HAN member in Janakpurdham. See our Janakpur guide.
Simara and the central plains
- Hotel Ichchha, Simara, Bara (five-star), near Simara airport and the Birgunj border crossing.
Tips
- The plains are hot from April to June; choose a hotel with air conditioning.
- Flights connect Kathmandu with Bhadrapur, Biratnagar, Janakpur and Simara.
- Combine Koshi Tappu with our birdwatching tour, or Ilam with our tea garden tour.
Book with us
Contact us to plan hotels and transport in eastern Nepal.
Hotel directory: categories, rooms and facilities
All 6 Hotel Association Nepal members we list for this area, with their official category, address, number of rooms and main facilities as published by the association. Room numbers are shown where HAN lists them.
| Hotel | Category | Address | Rooms | Facilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Mechi Crown | Five-star deluxe | Dhulabari Jhapa | – | pool, gym, bar, restaurant, hot tub |
| Hotel Ichchha | Five-star | Simara, Bara | – | pool, spa, gym, bar, restaurant |
| Hotel The Kingsbury | Five-star | Birtamod, Jhapa | 84 | pool, spa, gym, bar, restaurant, airport shuttle |
| Hotel Sitasharan | Two-star | Janakpur Sub-metropolitan City 23, Janakpurdham, Dhanusa | 37 | pool, restaurant |
| Harrison Palace Hotel | Tourist standard | Teen paini Biratnagar -2 | – | pool, gym, restaurant |
| Hotel Seema | Tourist standard | Main Road, Hetauda Makawanpur | 36 | – |
Hotel categories follow the Hotel Association Nepal member directory (checked October 2026). The directory lists HAN members only.