Pokhara: The City of Lakes

Pokhara is the second largest city and number one adventure and Leisure City in Nepal. Nepal is a beautiful country blessed with the varied topography, natural resources, mesmerizing mountains and culture, and traditions. Among various places, Nepal provides a sense of pleasure, fun, and adventure at the same time; Pokhara is one of the places that strikes everyone’s mind. Together with the adventure activities, Pokhara provides the visitors with a variety of the foods to taste.

Whether you are returning from weeks long trekking or traveled a long, tiring bus journey, Pokhara is the best place for revitalize your mind and body. With all the natural beauties like lakes, mountains and various adventure activities, Pokhara receives tourists every year from all around the world that it is also called the Capital of tourism in Nepal.

Pokhara Nepal

About Pokhara

Pokhara is a metropolitan city in Kaski district Nepal, around 200 kilometers west of Kathmandu. The altitude of Pokhara varies from 827 meters in the south to 1,740 meters in the north. The Annapurna Range which consists of three of the highest mountains in the world; Mt Dhaulagiri, Mt Annapurna -I and Mt Manaslu, lies in the Pokhara Valley and thus being a base for the Annapurna Circuit.

Looking back to the history of Pokhara, it was one of the parts of the kingdom Kaski (one of the 24 kingdoms of Nepal). King of Kaski established Pokhara as a commercial center in mid 18th century. The Brahmin, Chhetries, Thakuri, and Dalits settled in the most of Pokhara during the ancient time. However, the majority of Pokhara at present is inhabited by Khas (Brahmin, Chhetries, and Thakuri), Gurungs and Magar.

In recent days, Pokhara is a world famous tourist destination. Old Newari houses and many medieval era temples stand reflecting the architecture of the ancient time. On the other hand, the heart-melting natural beauty of the place and the thrilling adventures Pokhara provides is a perfect combination to relax you.

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Where to visit in Pokhara?

The beautiful and charming city has much more offerings than that a visitor is expecting. The beautiful lakes, the caves, and the viewpoints are something one should never miss during the Pokhara trip. Pokhara is also known as the ‘City of Lakes’ for the beautiful lakes it has. The beautiful lakes are enough to calm one’s heart and feel the peace. Also, the caves and the temples are other major attractions of Pokhara. Here are the places one should not miss during their Pokhara trip.

Phewa/ Fewa Lake

The Phewa Lake is the center of attraction in Pokhara. The lake lies at the altitude of 742 meters and occupies 4.43 km2 of area. The average depth of the lake is about 8.6 meters. The lake is famous for boating on the bank of the lake which provides the visitors with the tour of the lake. One can hire a boat and visit around the floating on the surface of the beautiful lake.

Fawa Lake

Barahi Temple

The Barahi temple is another attraction of the Lake. The temple is built in the center of the Phewa Lake. Visitors can hire a boat and enjoy their ride up to the temple. The temple is two-storied and in pagoda style. The Barahi temple is a representation of Ajima, which is the reflection of the female force. A large number of devotees visit the temple, especially on Saturdays. There is also a tradition of scarifying the animals in the temple.

The lake is also famous for the reflection of the Mt. Machhapuchhare and other mountains of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. The breathtaking view of the mountains from the lake and their beautiful reflection in the water of the lake make the lake as if it is a piece of heaven landed on earth.

Taal Barahi

Begnas Lake

Begnas Lake lies in the south-east of Pokhara valley and is the third largest lake of Nepal. The water in the lake is not constant and is used for irrigation. Begnas Lake is a quiet place with the beautiful mountains and a perfect place to be in the evening. One can also hire a canoe boat and paddle themselves on the lake. Begnas Lake is a perfect place to relax in the lap of Annapurna Range, and with the view of the beautiful sunset.

Begnas Taal

Rupa Lake

Rupa Lake lies at an altitude of 600 meters and covers an area of 1.35 km2. Cage culture and pen culture can be seen in Rupa Lake to promote fishing. Also, this lake is rich in floral and faunal diversity. Among the 193 species of wetland-dependent birds found in Nepal, 36 species of them are recorded in the Rupa Lake which alone contributes up to 19% of the total species.

Davi’s falls

The Davis fall is 2 km southeast from the center of the Pokhara city. The fall is also called Patale Chhango (Hells Fall) in Nepali. The water from the falls runs through an underground tunnel of about 150 m long and 30 m below the ground. It is said that in 1961, a woman slipped and got drowned by the water while swimming with her husband and was killed. The name of the fall hence was kept in her remembrance. The water in the Davis falls comes with much force during the monsoon season. However, always keep in mind to be careful about accidents.

David's Fall

Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave

The Gupteshwor Cave is close to the Davis falls. The cave is believed to have discovered in the 16thcentury and has two chambers. The inside of the cave is dark. Although, some lightning is available, carrying a hand torch will be a good idea. The first chamber of the cave consists of various shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva. Proceeding inside the cave, visitors can find the water from the Davis fall run through the end of the cave. This is why the second chamber of the cave is almost closed during the monsoon.

Mahendra Cave

Mahendra Cave is an ancient cave below a mountain in the northeast of Pokhara. The cave is formed by young limestone and is of religious importance. Inside of the cave is complete darkness with water dripping from the top. The first 100 meters corridor is properly accessible while it narrows as moving further.

Bindabasini temple

The Bindabasini temple is the Guardian Deity of Pokhara. The temple stands at the top of a hill at an altitude of 3000 feet and is dedicated to goddess Durga. Founded in 1845 BS, the temple receives a large number of devotees during the Dashain festival. The temple is colored in white, and a dome-like structure dominates the courtyard and surrounded by a park-like landscape. The scarifying of the animals is doneon the Saturdays and the Tuesdays. Beautiful mountains ranges and the view of the old Bazaar are also the attractions of the temple.

Bindabasini Temple Pokhara

Sarangkot

Sarangkot is a viewpoint at an altitude of 1600 meters and is famous for the mountain views, sunrise, and sunset. From here, one can view the panorama of the glorious mountains that includes Dhaulagiri (8167 m) in the west, Pyramid of Machhapuchhare (6997 m), and Annapurna II (7937 m) in the east. A short trek to the hilltop in the early morning or the evening will be a perfect time to get lost in nature with the sunrise or the sunset.

Peace Stupa

Located at the southeast of Pokhara at the altitude of almost 1,000 meters, the Peace Stupa is a holy place for the Buddhist. The white colored monument is 115 feet tall and 344 feet in diameter. The stupa is a good choice for a short hike, sunrise view, and sight seeing. The stupa provides a clear view of the Himalayan Range, Phewa Lake, and the Pokhara city.

It can be accessed by hiring a mountain bike and paddle up the rocky path. One can also hire a boat across the lake and walking along the uphill trail through the beautiful forest.

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Activities to do in Pokhara

If you are looking for something real adventure and fun part from the natural scenario and pleasing mountains in Pokhara, then you have got many options. Pokhara is all ready to provide you with the wonderful life experiences of various adventure activities:

Paragliding

Paragliding in Pokhara is an amazing experience. The take-off spot is Sarangkot. The flight swings over the Sarangkot for a while and then heads over Pokhara sharing the sky with the birds. Most people go for a tandem flight (with a pilot). Flying on the sky, below lies the beautiful valley, the green hills and the pleasing Phewa Lake, the experience is amazing. The closer view of the Machhapuchhare (Fish Tail) and the Annapurna Range will make all the fear during the flight escape in a second.

Paragliding Pokhara

Zip Flying

Zip flying is an activity that has been attracting tourists in Nepal. The Zip Flying starts from 1625 m in Sarangkot and ends at 960 m in Hemmja. It consists of a trolley what is mounted ona steel cable, 1.8 km long. You will descend 2000 vertical feet at an angle of 56% and speed over 90 miles per hour. The flight will amaze you with the Annapurna range, Machhapuchhare, Dhaulagiri range, Lamjung Himal range and beautiful Pokhara valley. Wait no more and make our dream to fly come true.

Hand Gliding

Hand Gliding is an amazing experience to ride a plane by own. Hand Gliding is also done from Sarangkot and you are the pilot of your own plane. You can enjoy the ride freely like a bird and look at the beautiful mountains, lakes and monasteries. Weather is an important element for Hand Gliding.

Sky Diving

Sky diving ads thrill to the beauty of Pokhara. Now fly above the clouds and witness the enchanting city. The skydive in Pokhara are traditional jumps and made from the altitude of 11,000 t0 13,000 meters at Pame Danda Drop zone, west of Phewa Lake.

Para motor

Paramotor is a power unit a pilot wears in his back. It is almost similar to Paragliding but a little risky and requires minimal training.

Bungy Jumping

Bungee Jumping in Pokhara is the highest water touch jump in the world. This thrilling experience is something you would like to do once in a lifetime. The jump is made from the top of the tower which is 80 m high and dive in a pond which is 18-20 meters deep.

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Trekking

Trekking is always the best option for adventure and exploration. Pokhara is a gateway for the trek to Annapurna Base Camp, Ghorepani Poon Hill trek, Mardi Himal trek, Jomsom Muktinath trek, and Upper Mustang trek. Also, you can go for a short one day trek around Pokhara like a trek to Dhampus village, Sarangkot- Naudanda hike, Peace Stupa Hike, a day hike to Australian Camp and others.

Mountain biking

A mountain bike ride will be a wonderful experience in Pokhara. Mountain biking is a chance to explore Pokhara little more riding through trials rarely followed by the tourists. You can bike up to the Peace stupa or roam around the Phewa Lake in the evening along the lakeside.

Seti river rafting

The warm and beautiful Seti River provides the adventure of rafting. The Damauli is the entry point and ends at Gaighat. It is also a destination for bird watchers. The Seti River is a gentle river and thus provides the experience of rafting without major challenges. However the flow may be wild during the monsoon.

rafting

Stand up Paddling

Stand up Paddling is another activity to challenge you in Pokhara. Paddling is done either in Phewa or in Begnas Lake. The choice of lake is yours. Although, you might find it difficult initially to balance the paddle, but as soon as you balance the paddle the activity is amazing that drives you lost in the nature of the lake.

Para-Hawking

Such an interesting name, isn’t it? Para-Hawking is a new, extraordinary sport and may be of special concern for someone who is interested in birds of prey. Before the activity, the pilot or the passenger takes a fragment of meat in their hand. During the flight, the bird will approach you and may also quietly land on the hand with meat. It takes the meat and then fly way to find the next flyer with another piece of meat. This real experience is something you cannot afford to miss.

Visit Nepal 2020 | What to Expect & Explore in Nepal in 2020.

After the success of Visit Nepal Year 1998 and Nepal Tourism Year 2011, the Tourism Board of Nepal introduced Visit Nepal Campaign 2020. The Campaign was announced in 2015 to be held in 2018 but was later postponed to 2020.  

The mainstream media publicized Nepal as utterly devastated by the earthquake in 2015 and failed to show that Kathmandu with other major cities was almost intact. The earthquake significantly affected the inflow of tourists in 2016 as the number of tourists halved compared with previous year.

Visit Nepal Year 2020 Logo

 

The year 2017 saw the inflow of tourists bounce back to the pre-earthquake numbers. The year 2017 saw 940,218 foreigners enter the country. Some came for recreational activities while some visited to support the people of affected areas and with the motive to help the country economically by visiting Nepal.

The Visit Nepal 2020 campaign was scheduled in 2018 to promote that Nepal was a safe place to travel and only 12 of 75 districts were affected by the earthquake. The crawling upgrading activity of Tribhuwan International Airport and delayed construction of Gautam Buddha International Airport in Lumbini and improper transportation infrastructure led the Tourism Board to postpone the campaign to 2020.

Why should you visit Nepal?

Nepal is fifth among the Top 10 countries to visit in the world and number one in Best Valued Destination in the World. Why wouldn’t they be, Nepal boasts pristine natural beauty, sky-high Himalayas Range and endless culture and traditions spread out all over the country.

Trekking and Mountain Climbing

One of the reasons to visit Nepal is for trekking and climbing mountains. You can climb to the top of the World by scaling and conquering the Everest, the highest peak in the World. Trekking comes with viewing the natural beauty of Himalayas and knowing the lifestyle of people living in altitudes above 4000 meters.  

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Culture Tradition and UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Nepal is also rich in culture and traditions. There are countless ethnic groups each following their distinct art and religions. This diverse traditions and lifestyle is a prominent feature of Nepalese people.

Nepal boasts in cultural diversity, and this vast tradition showcases in the heritage and temples. In Kathmandu alone, there are 7 UNESCO World Heritage sites including Pashupatinath, Boudhanath and Durbar Squares.

Patan Durbar Square

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BioDiversity of Birds and Watching endangered animals

Nepal is not only about trekking and mountain climbing. Nepal boasts a wide range of animals and plants, some found just in Nepal. Nepal has 852 species of birds and bird watching has evolved into a sought out activity of tourists. Nepal also homes several endangered species such as the Bengal Tiger, One Horned Rhinoceros, Bengal Fox, Red Panda and the elusive Snow Leopard.

A Royal Bengal Tiger in Chitwan National Park

Royal Bengal Tiger

Image Source: The Himalayan Times

The objective of tourism campaign is to promote Nepal as a tourism destination and to improve the economic situation of the country.  

Is Nepal Safe to Travel after 2015 Earthquake

The earthquake of April 25, 2015, killed 8686 people leaving thousands injured and many more homeless. The rural parts of Nepal are still recovering from the damage caused by the incident. The resulting year saw tourists number all-time low in preceding six years. The Visit Nepal 2020 campaign can be the backbone to support the fragile economic conditions of numerous families in the rural areas.

Some media outlets reports of Nepal in the state of complete devastation and buried under heaps of pile is wrong. The earthquake mostly downed old buildings made of mud and some temples around the affected districts. The majority of Kathmandu remains intact which was not shown in the media, all a scheme to generate more TRP.

Nepal was affected majorly in about 5 districts and minorly in 7 other districts. All other destinations are entirely untouched. The repair and reconstruction of temples and heritage sites are underway and will finish come 2020.

Nepal, It’s People, Culture and the Beautiful Paradise Still Lives

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The Tourism Board has checked every route and the damage sustained by the trail. Currently, all 35 main hiking routes are declared safe to travel, and national parks cleared for visits. The government sees transportation infrastructure and airlines service as a primary aspect that needs improvement to ensure smooth flow of tourists both internationally and domestically. The government is mending roads and constructing new roads where necessary.

After the earthquake, all the buildings, trekking routes, temples and other commercial buildings all over the affected districts were thoroughly checked by Government approved engineers. The buildings with a red stamp are dangerous and best left unventured. There are very few buildings with red marks as most of these are broken down and replaced by new buildings.

A yellow mark represents minimal damage while a green stamp on the front represents that the building is safe and has not sustained damage from the earthquake. Pillars support most of the affected buildings, and in cases, new buildings replaced old worn out buildings.

So, Nepal is as safe as any place in the world to travel in now and also in coming years.

Preparation for Visit Nepal 2020

The government of Nepal is working rigorously to ensure a successful tourism period till 2020. The Tourism Board set a target of 2 million tourist arrival in 2020. Currently, the country sees nearly one million tourist visitors yearly and expect to double this number promoting Visit Nepal Campaign aggressively. At the moment, the tourism board is running Visit Nepal Europe campaign supported by ambassadors and diplomats of Nepal in European countries.

By 2020, the government plan to operate two new International Airport, Pokhara, and Lumbini and introduce new Airbus 330-200 to provide airline services to a large number of tourists. The government also plans to run Tribhuwan International Airport for additional 3 hours from regular 18 hours to ensure availability of services to incoming and departing tourists.

The private hotel sector has planned to add 4000 new rooms in four and five-star category in Kathmandu, Chitwan, and Pokhara. Many new international chain hotels, Hilton, DoubleTree, Marriott, are expected to operate in the coming years.

Why Choose NST for 2020

Nepal Sanctuary Trek is a certified Tourism Agency involved in providing tourism related services to tourists. We specialize in personalized itinerary made as per your traveling needs, capability and preferences. We offer services in all the activities mentioned above and promote green tourism and environmentally friendly traveling. For booking and reservations, you can contact us directly from the website or email us at info@nepalsanctuarytreks.com, or you can also visit us directly in our office in Kathmandu.

 

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