Western Nepal

Both trips to Pokhara started with a flight on Buddha Air. This in itself is a highlight due to the awe-inspiring views of the Himalayas on the way in. Once you're there, however, some of the spots to check out are Lakeside (Baidam), the Bat Cave, Devi Falls, and the Fulbari. If you can manage it, a day trip (or overnight) to Jomsom is HIGHLY recommended.

Quick Tips:

As with everywhere else in Nepal, the food service isn't the fastest in the world, so slate plenty of time for meals. The Boomerang is a good Lakeside restaurant to spend a lazy lunch at.

Best Way To Get Around:

We hired a car for the day and had a local take us around. It didn't cost much and we got to see much more than we would have walking or trying to find things on our own.

The Jomsom Mountain Lodge is built from the native stone in the Jomsom area. The entire valley looks like "Lawrence of Arabia Goes to the Moon". If you like to hike, there are good trails in the area, and if you want, you can make the day hike back to Pokara instead of flying back out.

The lodge itself has a great staff, a nice evening buffet dinner, and the views are incomparable.

Best Things Nearby:
The Fulbari is really quite out of the way when it comes to having anything NEAR it. This is somewhere to go to actually just catch your breath and relax.

Best Things About the Resort:
It's a 5-star resort, no doubt about it. Perched on the edge of the Seti River gorge, the views are stunning and the grounds are immaculate. Be sure to get a 'mountainside' room.

Resort Experience:
The Fulbari is a lot like I imagine Shangri La would be, honestly. It's quiet and very relaxing. Being off the beaten path, the hotel doesn't seem to ever be very crowded. The food is phenomenal, the staff very pleasant, and they spared no expense when they were building the place. I blew three rolls of film just taking pictures of the hotel itself.

• Unit Type: Other
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Very Good

Be prepared to get dirty. There's a lot of damp soil (I keep telling myself it's damp soil, but there are 10,000 bats in that cave, so you do the math) and you'll get dirty. It's REALLY amazing to suddenly look up and realize that the ceiling of this cave is alive. There are literally THOUSANDS of bats clinging to the ceiling. Take all the pictures you want, it won't wake them up. The climb down into the cave itself isn't bad at all, but there's a little soda stand when you come out, in case you're thirsty.