Malekhu

Malekhu is a small town in Dhading district on the bank of the Trishuli River, roughly halfway along the Prithvi Highway between Kathmandu and Pokhara. It is Nepal's best known stop for freshwater fish, deep fried, smoked or curried, sold at a long row of riverside restaurants that most vehicles on this road pull over for. The town is also used as a put-in and take-out point for white water rafting and kayaking trips on the Trishuli River.

Malekhu is about 70km from Kathmandu, roughly two hours, which puts it at the natural first stop on the drive to Pokhara or Chitwan. The fish is river fish, much of it now farmed rather than caught, sold by weight and fried to order, so stopping here takes longer than a tea break. The road to Dhading Besi turns off at the town. Rafting trips on the Trishuli commonly put in above it and take out below.