Pokhara : A Blend of Culture, Nature and Adventure

Pokhara is regarded as the second largest tourist destination in Nepal after the Kathmandu Valley. With its several lakes and green hills, and the picturesque view of the snow-capped mountains, Pokhara is also known as Nepal’s Switzerland.

The lake city is renowned for adventure activities such as trekking, mountaineering, kayaking, boating and whitewater rafting. It also offers opportunities of sightseeing and bird watching.  The city is also a major gateway to the Annapurna Circuit, the newly promoted Guerrilla Trekking Trail, and Palpa and Lumbini.

Three out of the 10 highest mountains on earth – Mt Dhaulagiri, Mt Annapurna I and Mt Manaslu—are located just 30 miles away from Pokhara. In the region, the elevation rises from about 1,000 meters to 7,500 meters above sea level within a distance of 30 kilometers.

Pokhara, an ancient trade route, and its surrounding areas are a melting pot of different communities of people.

Blessed with matchless natural beauty, the Pokhara Valley is situated at an elevation of about 800 metres above sea level and lies about 200 kilometers west of Kathmandu. Pokhara’s climate is sub-tropical. In summer, temperatures average between 25 to 35 °C, in winter around – 2 to 15 °C. The city and nearby areas receive a high amount of precipitation. Located 25 miles away from Pokhara, Lumle receives the highest amount of rainfall (5600 mm/year) in the country.

Pokhara has good air and road connectivity with Kathmandu. The city attracts around 50 percent of the total tourists coming to the country. An estimated 400,000 foreign tourists visit the city annually. Many tourists visit Pokhara by road and prefer to fly back to Kathmandu. Figures of the Pokhara Airport have shown that it handled about 200,000 foreigners in 2012.

The city attracts a lot of domestic visitors as well. The number of tourist buses operating between Pokhara and Kathmandu has been increasing significantly over the years because of the growing demand.

The city has now become a year-round tourist destination as it lures a lot of tourists from the neighbouring countries of China and India as well as other parts of the world. Pokhara welcomes thousands of tourists from China during the annual holidays like Chinese New Year and the International Labour Day.

The operation of regular tourist bus services between Pokhara and Indian capital of New Delhi has been helpful in attracting Indian as well as other foreign tourists to the city.

In recent years, Pokhara has become a sanctuary for adventure sports like paragliding, skydiving, zip flyer and other ultra-light aircraft flights. On board an ultra-light aircraft, one can have a complete spectrum of the Pokhara Valley and mountain peaks and lakes. He/she can have a very close view of the majestic mountains. The best period for experiencing the ultra-light flight is between September and June.

Zip-flyer is relatively a new adventure tourism product in Pokhara.  Nepal’s only zip-flyer connects Sarangkot hill, a famous paragliding spot and view point in Pokhara, with Hemja. The 1,860-meter long zip-flyer is regarded as the world’s longest, tallest and most extreme zip-flying adventure.

There are numerous interesting places to visit in and around Pokhara. Some of them are described below:

Fewa Lake

This is the second biggest lake of Nepal after the Rara Lake in Mugu district. A vital attraction of the lake is the reflection of Mt Machhapuchhre and Mt Annapurna in the crystal clear water of the lake. The southeastern part of the lake is considered to be the most suitable place to have the best view.  Another attraction of this marvelous lake is the pagoda-style temple holding the shrine of Barahi (Water Goddess). Visitors can enjoy fishing and canoeing in the lake. The dense green forest adjoining the lake is home to a variety of wild animals and birds.

Begnas Lake

Located about 13-km away from Pokhara, the Begnas Lake is the second largest lake of the Pokhara Valley.  This is a pleasant destination for those willing to spend their time in solitary place. This is also an ideal venue for boating and fishing. A beautiful forest is located in the vicinity of the lake. The forest is home to over 150 species of birds.

Mahendra Cave

The Mahendra Cave is an important tourist attraction in Pokhara. Named after the late King Mahendra, the cave has a lighting system for the convenience of visitors. The cave is famous for rocks and stones which glitter with the reflection of light.

Davi’s Fall

This is another popular tourist draw in Pokhara. The water in the fall comes from the Fewa Lake. The fall is also called Patale Chhango. The fall looks more beautiful during the rainy season. A cave is also located nearby the fall.

Gupteshwor Cave

Located just 2-km away from the Pokhara Airport, the cave is regarded as a sacred place. The unique 3-km cave some hall-like rooms and passages. There is a Shivalinga, a phallic symbol of Lord Shiva, inside the cave.

Apart from these attractions, Pokhara offers many more things to tourists. The city has promoted two main hilltops as its viewpoints from where one can have panoramic view of the city and its surroundings.

Built in 1996, the World Peace Pagoda is located across the southern shore of the Fewa Lake. Located northwest of the city, Sarangkot is another viewpoint. One can have a spectacular view of the mountain ranges as well as Pokhara from Sarangkot. Most of the tourists visiting Pokhara go to Sarangkot.

Similarly, the International Mountain Museum (IMM), which was built in 2004, has become one of the main tourist attractions in Pokhara. The museum showcases the mountains, mountaineering, Himalayan ecology, culture and lifestyle of the mountain people, especially Sherpas. The Tibetan refugee camp is also another tourist attraction in the city.

Pokhara is also home to several other museums. The Pokhara Regional Museum, an ethnographic museum, and Annapurna Natural History Museum, which houses preserved specimens of flora and fauna, and collection of the butterflies found in the western and the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) region of Nepal. The Gurkha Museum features history of the Gurkha Soldiers.

The city, which is much cleaner than Kathmandu, has a number of Hindu and Buddhist temples, shrines and stupas and monasteries.  With the rise in the number of tourists visiting the city, the hotel industry there has grown fast. At present, there are around 300 tourist standard hotels and lodges in Pokhara. Having a more tourism-friendly environment, the city has now developed into preferred tourist hub of the country.