Pokhara Travel Guide
Pokhara is the second largest city of Nepal, located 200 km west of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Pokhara city full of natural beauty is called “Paradise of Nepal” and “Queen of Nepal”. The Nepal Tourism Department has a slogan, “Your trip to Nepal is not complete until you visit Pokhara.” The world’s longest (140 km) Himalayan mountain range can be seen from Pokhara. Pokhara is also known as the “City of Mountain View”. From here you can see one of the world famous four peaks ‘Annapurna’ and the fish tail peak Mach Puchar (6,977 m). There are many places of interest in this Pokhara.
Muktinath can be taken by helicopter from Pokhara to Jamsum after a journey of a few hours. Muktinath Temple and Jwalamukhi Temple are worth seeing here. If the sky is clear, the Annapurna mountain range can be seen very well from here. After reaching Kurintar by car from Pokhara, Manokamna Devi Temple can be visited by cable car.
Places to visit in Pokhara
Phewa Lake – It is one of the second largest natural lakes in Nepal. Length 4 km and width 1.5 km. The first lake is called “Rara Lake” which is located in a remote area of Mugu district in western Nepal. Phewa or Phewa Lake is a focal point of tourist attraction and an ideal recreation center. There is a huge Colorful boats are available for rent, paddle boats & sailboats are also available too. Rent has to be paid on time. Tickets are reasonable & available at the entrance.
Ticket prices for SAARC countries have been kept much lower as compared to foreign tourists. There is a very popular temple in the middle of the lake name is “Barahi Hindu Mandir”. All the Hindu community goes to the temple by boat, many tourists also go there. I like to travel by boat.
The main attraction for travelers of Pokhara is the boat trip to Phewa Lake which is amazing and must be done before dawn. Here the boat fare is determined. So there is nothing to do. There are two types of boats, small and big. If you are taking a group/family, it is better to get a bigger boat. This lake is very beautiful. At a glance it may look like a lake in Europe. Anyone would love to walk on a mountain.
Peace Pagoda – The local name for Peace Pagoda is Peace Stupa. A pagoda for Buddhists built on Mount Andu. People come here for meditation. This beautiful mountain setting will appeal to anyone. It is basically on one side of Phua Lake. Since the pagoda is on the top of the hill, you can get a good view of Phewa Lake and the entire Pokhara city from the top. This is a great place to record video or take pictures. But keep in mind that this is not a tourist spot.
It has been beautifully designed for religious places of worship. Silence is the first thing to be written when entering the area of the Peace Pagoda. Although tourists are not allowed to enter the main part of the pagoda, be careful not to shout/speak loudly. It is responsibility for everyone or every people to show respect to their religion. If someone speaks in a loud voice, then the responsible people of the pagoda control him immediately.
Davis Falls – Davis Falls is one of the attractions of Pokhara. A smaller waterfall is called Davis Falls. There is also a history associated with the naming. There is a dam on one side of Davis Falls. At one time when the water in the dam was controlled, the flow of water in the fountain was not that much. At this time, if the water of the dam is released a little, then water will flow in the fountain. Immediately the woman got electrocuted. His body was recovered after 3 days.
Later the Nepalese government put up a fence at the site. Named after the deceased tourist. Even if the fountain is not very big, you can go to see it. The entry fee here is Rs 30. All proceeds go to the school fund. You will find many shops outside the gate. You can go shopping if you want. But take the price. Start bargaining at 40% of the asking price.
Mahendra Cave- The limestone cave located in front of Davis Fall is called Mahendra Cave. This cave is named after the late King Mahendra Bir Vikram Shahadeb. Small low power bulbs are installed inside it. A guide and a torch are required for entry. Hindus have installed idols of their chief war god Mahadev inside the cave. There is also a priest. It is also a religious pilgrimage center for them. Big stones under feet inside, dim light, torch in hand, with guide, beautiful atmosphere, will be a new experience! At a little distance there is another cave called “Chameri Gufa”. There are also many bats inside.
Shoronkot- Shoronkot is the most attractive view point for tourists in Pokhara, from where you can get a spectacular view of the mountains, Pokhara Valley and Phewa Lake. Sharankot is five kilometers away from Pokhara at an altitude of 1592 meters above sea level. Tourists mainly come here to see the first rays of the sun on the mountain peak. New sun on one side Annapurna on the other, fish tail totally an amazing sight!!
International Mountain Museum – This museum is located in the heart of Pokhara city, 1.5 km south of the airport. One of the specialties here is that three mountain peaks are visible from here. Namely, Dholagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu. The main feature of this museum is that it displays the art of mountaineering, information about major mountains around the world, geographical location of mountains, equipment used by climbers from all over the world, clothing and history of climbing.
Gorkha Memorial Museum – This museum is also located in Pokhara city. Here the stories of world famous Gorkha soldiers along with details of their war victories, uniforms, batches, weapons used, other equipments are displayed. The Gorkhas have their origins near Pokhara, now known as Gorkha Bhumi.
Tibetan Buddhism Monastery – located four kilometers from the airport, on the banks of the Shweti River, on the outskirts of Pokhara. It is a Buddhist pilgrimage centre.
When will you go
- February to May
- August to November
How to go
Tribhuvan International Airport of Kathmandu is a very famous airport. Flights from different countries are going to Kathmandu regularly. Port Entry Visa can be obtained from Tribhuvan Airport in Nepal. Under package tour, the per person cost for 2 nights and 3 days hotel stay including flight tickets will usually be 24-35 thousand taka.
Nepal can be entered by road through Indo-Nepal border Kakarvita, Birjung, Raxaul, Sunauli, Nepalgunj, Dhangarhi, Mahendranagar and China-Nepal border Kodari. Other places in Nepal can be visited on package tours from Kathmandu or by car. There are helicopter services to Pokhara and Muktinath. Chitwan can also be reached by air. Reach Lumbini by air or bus.
Where will you stay
There are plenty of good quality residential hotels to stay in Pokhara. The names of some notable hotels are –
- Hotel Lakestar: The balcony of the resort overlooks Phewa Lake. There are many hotels on the banks of Pokhara Phewa Lake and also in the city.
- Hotel Viewster
- Hotel View Resort
Food and drink
Food tastes good in Nepal. Whether you eat rice or roti, papad will be served first. Jhal chutney will accompany it. You will get rice, vegetables and pulses. You can find delicious food in simple restaurants or roadside dhabas. Rice, curries, papras and chutneys go well with just about anything.
Dal-rice is a famous dish of Nepal. Lentils are cooked with spices, it is a lot of fun to eat. Meat and fish are not available anywhere except in large restaurants. There are many restaurants in Kathmandu serving Tibetan food. Here Tibetan food named Momo is available. This dish is a kind of meat ball dipped in red sauce. Can be of different meat. You will enjoy playing Chicken Momo.
There are Indian restaurants as well as food chain shops like KFC and Pizza Hut. Common people understand Hindi apart from Nepali language. It doesn’t matter if you can speak fluent Hindi. Understand English a little better in shopping centers and hotels.
Checkout this article: Best 6 Underrated Places in Nepal!
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