Around n About Pokhara

In the town, shopping's the thing to do along Lakeside; otherwise strike out to the surrounding countryside and hit some of the lower peaks.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

Most hotels are within easy walking distance of Lakeside. To reach the other side of the lake - hire a boat (with a person to row you). Otherwise you'd be best advised to use taxis - the main bus station is a bit far away and more hectic than Kathmandu.

Situated a bit out of the way - near the end of the Airport - the hotel is set in its own landscaped grounds and is certainly a posh affair. To get here starting at lakeside, head out past damside and continue until you reach a T junction. There's a small sign at the junction but you head left on the far side. The hotel is a couple of minutes up on the right.

Half of the rooms have excellent views of the mountains so ask for one on arrival - there are all on the front right of the building. There's also a rooftop terrace which is a great place to view the sunrise and an outdoor pool. Food costs aren't too bad but you'll easily get a better deal in town. Still, quality and service were very good. Bar prices were very high and served in a lifeless bar.

The "must do" mountain according to the locals. The usual way is to take a vehicle to the far end of the mountain, then follow the obvious road / track to the summit - it takes about 4 hours and to be fair I reckon it's fairly pointless! - the track stays on the south side of the mountain so you are hidden from all the great views of the Himalayas but in recompense you do get good views over Pokhara's lake - I personally would recommend the Peace Temple route instead if it's views of The Himalaya that you're after.

At the end of the track, climb the steps to reach the summit viewpoint - a fairly neglected lookout platform which obviously once had a really nice garden laid out around it but has been left to overgrow. Here you will be encouraged to make a donation to the local village but it's not an entrance fee so you can give what you want. The walk itself is an easy going legstretcher and probably a good way to warm up before hitting the major trekking routes.

Whilst walking along you are likely to be approached by locals who offer you various bits of information about the area - the info is usually worth listening to but, of course, there's a catch - the bags they are carrying are full of potential souvenirs which they will offer to you as soon as you stop - the more information they have imparted to you then the more persistent they will be to sell something - or the higher the starting price!

Owned by an ex peace corps guy, this restaurant and bar is one of the most relaxing places to watch the sunset as it descends over the lake. The seating / tables are set out around the garden on the waterfront so there are a few insects out and about---especially at dusk---but nothing too nasty. Drinks are reasonably priced given its location, and the staff's efficient - I didn’t try the food but friends said it was fine. Top of the food list is that there are a good number of Western dishes on the menu - and as the place is owned by an American - they're done properly, not some Nepalese version of what they think it should be like!

Finding the place is a bit awkward. Near the north end of the main Lakeside shops there's a wider area in the street with a chautari tree in the middle. Mike's place is signposted down the lane. Follow the lane to the end and Mikes is on the left just before the boat hire.

A fairly recent addition to the skyline - the Peace temple sits on the hills to the Western side of Phewa Tal (Pokhara's lake). We made this a morning trip out, starting by getting rowed over the lake - picking up boats at lakeside (180rp per boat for the ten minute trip). Then we climbed the steps up to the temple. The route is fairly obvious but keep an eye out for the painted marks which indicate the route at junctions. On the way up beware of leeches that await your arrival - there are not many of them but if a leech gets its teeth into you, don’t pull it off. Instead, sprinkle some salt on it, and it will fall off instantly.

The temple itself is a huge white dome which is blinding in the sunlight. On each of the four faces is a Buddha, each donated by a different country, including Thailand - a smaller copy of the reclining Buddha found in Bangkok.

Just below the entrance to the temple are a couple of cafés which are well worth the visit to sit back and admire the views of the Himalayas.

Worth combining with a trip to the Peace Temple. If walking back down into town towards damside, this sight is a series of rapids and waterfalls in a cutting in the ground. Entrance fee is a mere 10rp and the site will take five minutes to look about - so whilst it's not a must-see item, it's nice enough. The name Devi comes from a tourist who fell into the falls some years ago, but they’ve put up safety rails since then.

Boats can be hired at various places along lakeside. This is certainly one of the better, more relaxed itineraries available. Boat hire prices are usually fixed; look out for the large boards at the landing areas near the royal house or at Mike's Place.

Boats are of varying quality - so check you don’t get a leaking one. Best bet is to take a picnic, row out and let yourself drift for a while. There's a temple in the middle of the lake that’s worth a quick stop - usually surrounded by hundreds of fish.

No motor boats are allowed on the lake so you are guaranteed quiet time.

The Temple in the middle of the lake has special importance. As legend has it, a beggar arrived in Pokhara and asked for help from the townsfolk; all but one family refused to help and the beggar turned out to be one of the gods testing his subjects. The one generous family were then told to leave town for a few days - when they returned they found that the town had been swamped by the river and so the family built the temple as a blessing for their lives that were spared.