Our Many Moons of Honey: Nepal: Relaxing Pokhara

Annapurna range at sunset from Pokhara

Our favourite city in Nepal during our 18 days there was definitely Pokhara. This town is perfectly nestled between Phewa lake and the Annapurna range (the western portion of the Himalayas in Nepal). Although a popular tourist destination it is a very tranquil town and the surroundings are just beautiful. In terms of tourist attractions, there is not much to see here, which leaves you with plenty of time to enjoy the surrounding natural beauty. And enjoy it we did.

washing laundry along the river

The main "tourist strip", which consists of shops and restaurants, runs along Phewa lake. Here you will find the same merchandise you could find anywhere else in Nepal but in a much less hectic atmosphere. We enjoyed an afternoon of boating on Phewa lake and around a Hindu temple on an island in the middle of the lake. Another day was spent walking along the river to the waterfalls and caves a few kilometers away. The waterfall is named "David's falls" after a tourist who was taking a bath in the river above the waterfall and got washed down and unfortunately killed. Crazy to believe but there is a plaque there in Nepali English explaining the whole thing. As we were there during the dry season, there was not much water falling to see but the walk there was fantastic. All along the river people were bathing and washing their clothes - a beautiful kaleidoscope of colours.

the view from M's paraglide

Another worthwhile walk for the breathtakking views is the three hour hike up to the World Peace Pagoda which sits on top of a hill on the other side of Phewa Lake. But talking of breathtaking views, the best views we had of the Pokhara valley were from our paraglides. Yes, you read that right, we went paragliding for the first time in our lives and can't wait to do it again. Pokhara is one of the top spots in the world for paragliding as the weather is very consistent from September to about January. We took off from Sarangkot and after an hour flight we landed by the lakeside. We soared hight above Sarangkot mountain and the Pokhara valley with the vultures and eagles. The experience was unforgettable!

For more pictures of Pokhara and our paragliding experience, click HERE (password: relax).