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Pokhara is a remarkable
place of natural beauty. Situated at an altitude of
827m from the sea level and 200km west of Kathmandu
valley, the city is known as a center of adventure.
The enchanting city with a population of around 200,000
has several beautiful lakes and offers stunning panaromic
views of Himalayan peaks. The serenity of lakes and
the magnificence of the Himalayas rising behind them
create an ambience of peace and magic. So today the
city has not only become the starting point for most
popular trekking and rafting destinations but also
a place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. Pokhara
is part of a once vibrant trade route extending between
India and Tibet. To this day, mule trains can be seen
camped on the outskirts of the town, bringing goods
to trade from remote regions of the Himalaya. This
is the land of Magars and Gurungs, hardworking farmers
and valorous warriors who have earned worldwide fame
as Gurkha soldiers. The Thakalis, another important
ethnic group here, are known for their entrepreneurship.
Pokhara is a remarkable place of natural beauty. Situated
at an altitude of 827m from the sea level and 200km
west of The climate of Pokhara is slightly warmer
than Kathmandu with daytime temperature hovering around
15 degrees Celsius in winter and 35 degrees in summer.
The monsoon season which lasts from mid-June to mid-September
is very wet; in fact Pokhara records the highest rainfall
in the country. Best time to visit is between October
and April. The activities of foreign visitors to Pokhara
focus around two districts known as Damside and Lakeside
(or Pardi and Baidam, in Nepali, respectively). These
two areas, with their strips of hotels and restaurants,
are a few kilometers south-west of the main Pokhara
bazaar.
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Place
to Visit: |
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Phewa lake, the second
largest lake in the kingdom, roughly measuring 1.5 km
by 4 km, is the center of all attractions in Pokhara.
The enchanting lake is an idyllic playground. Brightly
painted wooden boats and sailboats can be rented on
reasonable cost around lakeside. The lake is neither
deep (roughly 47 meters at most) nor particulary clean,
but the water is warm and swimming is pleasant if you
don't think about the probable pollution.
The eastern shoreline of the lake, popularly known as
Lakeside or Baidam, consists of seemingly endless strip
of lodges, restaurants, bookshops and souvenir shops.
One of the fascinating parts of lakeside is the splendid
view of the mountains, especially when the still water
reflects the peaks, creating a double image.
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| Begnas Lake
and Rupa Lake: |
| The lakes are located about 15km from Pokhara
at the end of a road that turns north from the highway
to Kathmandu. Divided by the forested hillock called Panchabhaiya
Danda, the lakes offer the perfect nature retreat because
of their relative seclusion. Splendid boating and fishing
can be done here. |
| Barahi
temple: |
This is the most important
religious monument in Pokhara. Built almost in the middle
of Phewa lake, the two storied pagoda is dedicated to
the boar manifestation of Ajima, the protectress deity
representing the female force Shakti. Devotees can be
seen, especially on Saturdays, carrying male animals
and fowl across the lake to be sacrificed to the deity.
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| World Peace
Pagoda: |
The pagoda is a massive
Buddhist stupa and is situated on top of a hill on the
southern shore of Phewa lake. Besides being an impressive
sight in itself, the shrine is a great vantage point
which offers spectacular views of the Annapurna range
and Pokhara city. You can get there by crossing the
lake by boat and then hiking up the hill. |
| Seti Gandaki:
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Flowing right through
the city, the boisterous river runs completely underground
at places. Amazingly, at certain points the river appears
hardly two meters wide. But its depth is quite beyond
imagination - over 20 meters! Mahendra Pul, a small
bridge near the old Mission Hospital, provides a perfect
view of the river's dreadful rush and the deep gorge
made by its powerful flow.
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| Devi's Fall: |
Locally known as Patale
Chhango (Hell's Fall), Devi's fall (also known as Devin's
or David's) is an awesome waterfall lying about 2 km
south-west of Pokhara airport on the highway to Tansen.
An interesting modern legend says that a foreigner named
David was skinnydipping in the Pardi Khola (river) when
the floodgates of the dam were opened, sweeping him
into an underground passage beneath the fall, never
to be seen again.
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| Gupteswar Gupha: |
Gupteswar Gupha, a
sacred cave, lies 2 km from Pokhara airport on the Siddhartha
Highway leading southwest from the city. The entrance
is right across from Devi's Fall and the cave is almost
3 km long. It has some big hall-size rooms and some
passages where you have to crawl on all fours. This
cave holds special value for Hindus since a phallic
symbol of Lord Shiva is preserved here in the condition
it was discovered. An entrance fee of Rs. 5 is charged
and taking pictures inside the cave is prohibited.
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| Mahendra Gupha:
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Mahendra Gufa, locally
called Chamero Odhaar ("House of Bats"), is the large
limestone cave. Shepherd boys are said to have discovered
it around 1950. A two hour walk to the north of Pokhara,
it is best to bring your own torch to see the stalactites
and stalagmites, although most of them have been carted
out by souvenir hunters. |
| The Old Bazaar: |
Pokhara's traditional
bazaar is colorful and so are its ethnically diverse
traders. In its temples and monuments can be seen ties
to the Newar architecture of the Kathmandu Valley. Located
about 4 km from Lakeside, the market's original charm
is alive and well.
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| Bindbyabasini
Temple: |
Bindhyabasini temple
is the center of religious activity in the old bazaar.
It is dedicated to goddess Bhagwati, yet another manifestation
of shakti. Worshippers flock here to perform sacrifices,
and especially on Saturdays the parklike grounds take
on a festive fair.
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| Museums: |
Pokhara Museum, located
between the airport and Mahendra Pul, reflects the ethnic
mosaic of western Nepal. The lifestyles and history
of ethnic groups such as the Gurung, Thakali and the
Tharu are attractively displayed. Open daily, except
Tuesdays and holidays, from 10 am to 4 pm. Annapurna
Museum, also known as the Natural History Museum, is
located at Prithvi Narayan Campus east of the old bazaar.
Managed by the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP),
the museum has an exceptional collection of butterflies,
insects, birds, and models of wildlife as well as samples
of various precious and semi-precious stones and volcanic
rocks. Open daily, except Saturdays and holidays, from
9 am to 4 pm. |
| Himalayan Panorama: |
The magnificent Annapurna
panorama that's visible on the northern skyline of Pokhara
is quite incredible. The main peaks are Annapurna I
to IV and the beautiful Machhapuchhare (or Fishtail
Mountaian, so named after its twin peaks). Besides these,
you can also see the Himchuli, Varahashikhar, Gangapurna
and other peaks. The mountains will probably be hidden
in the clouds between April and September. A nice evening
on the banks of Fewa Lake with the mountain range as
the backdrop is what Pokhara is really about!
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| Nightlife and
Entertainment: |
There is not much
of a nightlife in Pokhara other than dining. The (Lake
Area ) town shuts down by about 10:30 in the evening.
Until you can hang out some of the bars and pubs that
are becoming trendy in the area.
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| Around Pokhara:
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Pokhara is the starting and ending point
for many of the popular trekking routes in Nepal. Longer
treks (one to three week long) such as the Jomsom trek,
Annapurna Circuit, and Annapurna Sanctuary begin here.
Check a book on Nepal trekking for more details on this.
Otherwise, you can also visit this site Pilgrims Book
House for information on trekking books of Nepal.
For those with less time, Pokhara also provides shorter
(one to seven days) more leisurely treks around the neighboring
hills and villages. The popular ones are:
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| Ghachowk Trek:
Two days, a circuit through Lhachowk to Ghachowk
and down to Batulechaur, north of Pokhara, close up view
of Fishtail mountain. |
| Naudanda Trek:
Two days, to Naudanda from Suikhet and then back
through Kaski, west of Pokhara. |
| Ghorepani Circuit:
Five to seven days long, upto the Gurung village of Ghandruk
village, great views of the Annapurna range, north-west
of Pokhara. |
| Kahun Danda:
Day trip, north east of Pokhara, 1560m altitude. |
| Sarangkot:
Day trip, great view of the mountain range including Dhaulagiri,
north of Fewa Lake, 1592m altitude. |
| Rupa and Begnas
Lakes: Day trip, 15km south-east of Pokhara,
take a bus there and leisurely walk along the ridge that
separates the two twin lakes. |
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