Pokhara, Nepal: a pleasant mountain town

Pokhara is a picturesque city in central Nepal. It lies on the shore of Phewa Lake (Fewa), the second-largest lake in the country. Because it is close to the peaks of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu, Pokhara is the starting point for trekking routes to them, which is why it is so popular with tourists.

For us, Pokhara became a quiet and cool refuge, since we came here from noisy, dirty and stuffy Varanasi.

How to get to Pokhara

Pokhara has an airport, so the fastest and at the same time the most expensive way is to fly. Keep in mind, however, that only domestic flights come here. You can fly here from the international airport in Kathmandu, and it will cost about $100.

A cheaper and simpler way is the bus. You can buy a ticket at one of the many travel agencies. From Kathmandu the bus will cost less than $10.

We came here from India. First we took a train from Varanasi to the town of Gorakhpur (~$7), then a bus from there to the Nepal border ($2.8), and after getting Nepali visas ($56) at the border, we took a night bus to Pokhara ($12.8).

Sights of Pokhara

The main reason tourists come here is, of course, mountain trekking, but we were in Pokhara at the end of June (a couple of months after the earthquake and during the monsoon season), so the trekking routes were closed. Even so, there is plenty to see and do here.

As mentioned above, Pokhara lies on the shore of Phewa Lake. It is a beautiful, very picturesque lake with views of the mountain peaks. An incredibly calm and peaceful place that enchants you with its beauty. You can also rent a boat here (2 hours cost $3.8) to enjoy a leisurely ride on the water and the amazing views of the mountains.

Another amazing place in Pokhara is Mount Sarangkot. It is not really a mountain but a hill, yet it offers stunning views of the city and the lake. The most convenient way to get there, in our opinion, is by bike. Renting a scooter in Pokhara for a couple of days cost us $10.

Devi Waterfall (Devi’s fall) is an interesting place in Pokhara, popular with tourists and shrouded in legends. One of them says that a tourist from Sweden, Mrs. Davidson, fell into the cave where the waterfall disappears, and the waterfall was named in her honor.

It is also worth visiting the World Peace Pagoda stupa on the southern shore of Phewa Lake, and the Mahendra Caves, covered with stalactites and stalagmites and home to numerous bats.

All in all, Pokhara is a very pleasant and cozy town, and if you are in Nepal, it is definitely worth a visit. Still, we regret that we came here outside the trekking season and did not do even one of the many routes. So if you are planning a trip to Nepal, we strongly advise you to pick the best time for it, so you can fully enjoy the trip.

Renting a scooter in Pokhara

Renting a scooter in Pokhara is quite doable and will cost you about $8 a day. Usually nobody asks for a driver’s license, and no deposit is required. It makes sense to rent a scooter in Pokhara for no more than a couple of days: all the sights are close by, and there are not many of them. Traffic in Pokhara is moderate and causes no difficulties.