Pokhara is the most beautiful of
city of Nepal. It is located in western region of Nepal. It is about 200km far
from the capital city, Kathmandu, of Nepal. All most all the visitors who come
to Nepal want to visit Pokhara city and would like to sink in the pond of
nature in Pokhara. Whatever I write about Pokhara, the value of the Pokhara
will always less than its fame all over the world. Pokhara is rich in the
context of nature. If you are in tension, you will be happy and your tension
goes away. Nepal is a mountainous country. It is surrounded by mountains and
hilly areas. It is a small and peaceful country in south Asia. It lies between
China and India.
Means to go Pokhara City:
Pokhara City |
Means to go Pokhara are:
1.
By Bus
2. By Plane
By Bus: If you
are international tourist/visitors, you will arrive first in international
airport that lies in the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu. In your schedule, there
might be moving/visiting Kathmandu. If you like to reach Pokhara by bus, this
is the cheap way. Travelling by bus will experience you the geographical scenes
with its beauties. While you visit by bus, you can see all the scenes until you
arrive at Prithivi Chowk, Pokhara. It takes about 5 hours to travel by bus from
Kathmandu to Pokhara. The cost visiting by bus is about Rs500 ($5.56).
By Plane: If
you are going to travel by plane for Pokhara from international airport,
Kathmandu, it will be quite expensive than travelling by bus. Travelling by
plane will take few minutes to arrive at the airport of Pokhara. It takes about
25 minutes to arrive in Pokhara by plane. When you travel by Plane, it will
cost about Rs4000 ($44.5). In busy hour, travelling cost by Plane might be
slightly greater than that (about $50). When you arrive, you are now ready to
enjoy with the nature of Pokhara.
Places to visit Pokhara
Beautiful
places to be visited in Pokhara are listed below:
- Lake Fewa / Fewa Lake
- International Mountain Museum
- Davis Fall
- Chinese Gumba ( World Peace Stupa)
- Sarankot
- Lake Begnas
- Lake Rupa
- Mahendra Cave
- Bat Cave
- Gupteshwor Cave
- Bindavaashini Temple
- Pokhara Museum
- Annapurna Museum
- Hotels/Restaurant/Guest House
Lake Fewa
Lake Fewa |
The Fewa (or Phewa Tal in Nepali) Lake is the most beautiful scene of Pokhara city. The
picture of Fewa Lake is shown above. It is about 1.5 kilometer long, second largest lake in
Nepal, offers an excellent view of the mountains and their reflections on the
lake. Many tours and trekking operators and hotels are located on the lakeside.
One can easily find a place to sit back, relax and enjoy great meal while
enjoying scenery here. You will also enjoy boating on the lake. Most hotels and
guest houses have traditional designs and layouts which match with the
surrounding views. The
photo on the right is of Fewa Lake, another picture of Fewa Lake.
International Mountain Museum
IMM |
International Mountain Museum
(IMM) is located in the Western Development Region, that is, in the
south-west of Pokhara City. When you come to visit in Pokhara, don’t miss to
visit International Mountain Museum once. It introduces about the mountainous
people that lives in the foreign and local mountains. It tells everything
about the ecosystem in the mountain. IMM is established with a purpose to
record, document, and chronicle the various developments and changes that has
taken place in the past mainly in three areas they are, people living around
the world mountain system the historic and scientific information of the
origination of the world mountain system and various mountain system
and various system activities. The museum exhibits include mountain,
people and their culture, world mountain system, their geological formation,
flora and fauna and the exhibits related with the mountain activities such as
mountaineering, skiing etc. IMM aims to develop it as an International Mountain
Studies Centre by enhancing its archive for the researcher on above subject.
Location
of IMM:
Since the Pokhara City is located
about 200km west of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal and is situated at an
altitude of 827m above the main sea level. It is the only one Museum of its
kind in the world. Pokhara is a starting point of trekking and rafting
destinations. A visit to Nepal without a journey to Pokhara is often considered
incomplete and while in Pokhara, a visit to the IMM is a must.
MUSEUM
LAYOUT:-
The
International Mountain Museum has four exhibit halls open to the public at present,
they are:
1.
Hall
of Mountain People (Basement floor): There are two sections
in this hall, they are:
Mountain People of Nepal: This
section introduces the customs, traditions and culture of the mountain people
of Nepal, the dresses, ornaments, musical instruments, household utensils and
cultural activites of the Gurungs, Thakalis, Chhantyals, Tamangs, Sherpas,
Magars and Kirats are displayed.
Mountain People of the world: This section includes all about the International mountain people such as Taiwan, Slovenia, Japan etc and Comparative photographer Alpine Mountain people of Europe before 50 years and present Nepal are displayed.
Mountain People of the world: This section includes all about the International mountain people such as Taiwan, Slovenia, Japan etc and Comparative photographer Alpine Mountain people of Europe before 50 years and present Nepal are displayed.
2.
Hall
of World Mountains (Basement floor): This hall introduces
the names and heights of national and international mountains, historical
background, highest summits, geological formation, origin of the Himalayas,
flora and fauna of the Himalayan region, researches on mountains and changes in
the earth over a period of time. There are four sections in this hall:
Mountain Section: This
mountain section introduces you about the fourteen peaks over 8,000m and their
photographs are presented in this section.
Geological Section: This
section exhibits the geological formation of the mountains.
Flora and Fauna Section: This
section displays the natural vegetation, animals and birds of the mountain
region.
Corner of Dedications: In
memorium of their invaluable contribution, this section displays the clothes,
equipment, Photographs, etc. of Kumar Khadga, Bikram Shah, Dr. Toni Hagen, Reverend
Kawa Guchi-Ekai and Dr. Harka Gurung in each Separate corner.
3.
Hall
of Mountain Activities ( Basement floor): There are four
sections in this hall:
Mountaineering Section: This
section displays the equipment, clothes and photographs of the successful
French Expedition team member Mr. Maurice Herzog who scaled an over 8000m. Peak
(Mt. Annapurna) for the first time in 1950. Furthermore,exhibits of Ms. Junko
Tabei, first woman Everest Suumiteer, Mr. T. Imanishi, the first Manaslu
Summiteer and other climbers equipments are also on display. This section also
exhibits the photographs of the first successful ascents of all the 14 peaks
over 8,000m in a chronological order to the year.
Mountaineering Equipment Section: The
necessary equipment and their uses in climbing mountains are exhibited in the
showcases.
Mountain Ecology/Environment
Section: In this section, environmental information of the mountain
region is presented.
Imaging Everest section: This
section exhibits the photographs of British expeditions to Mountain Everest
from 1921 to the successful expedition of 1953.
4.
Hall
of Associates’ Guests Exhibition (Ground Floor): There
are two sections: IUCN section and ICIMOD section. They both have launched
various programs to uplift socio economic life of the mountain people and their
activities conducted in the different periods, the present activities and
future planned activities are exhibited in this hall.
5.
Lakhang: A replica of
Lakhang, a prayer room is also built. This reflects the culture of the people
living in the Himalayan region.
6.
Library:
The library contains a large collection of books on
mountains, flora fauna, mountain people and mountaineering.
7.
MT.
MANASLU MODEL: The
31 ft high model of mountain outside the museum in another attraction for the
visitors.
8. Living Museum: The
thatched huts on the south-eastern side outside the museum, offer a view of the
typical Nepali mountain People’s village. It is a live museum, where one can
see people at work. In this village local or foreign visitors would find
equally interesting and homely village atmosphere with all originality and
tradition. It would have all the indigenous craft, culture, works and activities
of social and ceremonial. The unique restaurant serves all kinds of foods
including Nepali delicacies.
Devis Fall
“Davis Fall” is another unique attraction which lies
about 2 km from central Pokhara city. The Davis Fall has many nick names such
as Devin’s fall, David’s fall or Davis’s fall, these all mean the same thing
“The Davis Water Fall”. It is believed that once upon a time, a tourist namely
David, fell down into the canal and was never found, so that the name David
waterfall, named in his memory by the people of Pokhara. I have shown two
photographs above, the left one is of outer-looking part and left most part
that is, second once is the inner part of the Davis Fall. The water fall the
you are looking in the second photograph, goes directly into a deep and narrow
canal which has no any ends.
Chinese Gumba / World Peace Stupa (Pagoda)
A virtual tour of world peace stupa
of Pokhara, local people say Chinese Gumba and some say Japanese Gumba although
it was made by major grant by Japan. It is a wonderful visit and I suggest
everyone to visit this place if you are around Pokhara by any chance. This
place has become a popular tourist (both domestic and international)
destination in recent years.
Gumba is on the south side of Phewa
Lake on the ridge of the mountain. There are two routes to it. There is a rough
motor road to it. You can head to cross the Phewa Lake by boating and hiking to
the top of the mountain ridge. Boating may take 30 min or you can take your
time to reach to the other side of the lake. From there hiking uphill through
the jungle may take 1-2 hrs. It took about 2 hrs for us-talking, talking and
talking, watching back towards Phewa Lake and Phokhara city. Fish Tail Mountain
is also there. You can see the beautiful mountain clearly if the weather is
clear at the time of visit.
There is a beautiful garden infront
of the Stupa with some rest benches. Because it is on the top of the hill, one
could see beautiful view of Pokhara valley. One of the remarkable views
that we could see from this place was the para gliding from
Sarangkot. There were so many colorful para gliders flying on the
sky right above the Phewa Lake.
Sarankot
Sarankot is a hilli
area which is just beside the Lake side. From this, you can see whole pokhara
valley and you can do paragliding from here. The way to Sarankot is by vehicles
to reach its tip, but by foot it takes about 3 hours and by Taxi it takes about
45 minutes from the base of the Sarankot hill to its top level. It is like a
mountain and less number of people is lived and few required hotels and
restaurants are available here.
Bat Cave
The photograph shown on
the left hand side is of BAT CAVE. It is located in north-west from the central
Pokhara. It is about 6 km from the Mahendrapool city to the Cave. You can reach
to Bat Cave by Taxi or local public bus. The following map shows you the way to
the cave.
Mahendra Cave
The Mahendra Cave is
nearer to Bat Cave. The distance between Mahendra Cave and Bat Cave is about
1.5 km. You can enter inside the both Caves by buying a ticket with very low
and cheap price about Rs. 20 to Rs.40 or upto 0.5 Cent per person for
foreigner. You will enjoy and amaze that how it is made. Inside the Mahendra
Cave, there is light so that you can observe easily everything inside the Cave.
Begnas and Rupa Lake
Many years ago, the
name of the Pokhara was Pokhari, which is called as Pond or a Lake in Nepali.
Begnas Lake and Rupa Lake are located in Lekhnath Municipality which is about
14 km from Pokhara. These both places are ideal places for boating, fishing and
relaxation. You can get to Begnas by a Taxi or a Bus (Public
bus) from Pokhara.
Things to do in Pokhara
- Paragliding
- Riding on Glider
- Boating in “ Lake Fewa ”
- Trekking – Annapurna Base Camp, Manaslu and other.
Paragliding
As the most
experienced company providing paragliding holidays in Nepal we are unrivalled
in our knowledge of paragliding conditions, sites and local cultures. Nepal
forms a rectangle on the southern slopes of the Himalaya and is without
exception, the most stunning country imaginable. The main area for paragliding
is the Pokhara Valley, commanding views of 3 of the worlds 8000m peaks with
friendly and constant conditions for your paragliding holiday. You can enjoy
yourself by using all the facilities available here in pokhara. This
paragliding covers the whole of Sarankot hill at the altitude of 5,000 feet and
Fewa Lake view and whole scene of Pokhara City. Most of the tourists who come
here wants to fly on Paragliding once. I think the cost for Paragliding from the
Sarankot hill is about $100 - $120 for an hour. See the video given below:
Riding on Glider
Pokhara is also a very
safe and wonderful place for Glidder. You can see the Gliding picture on left
hand side. It is also called as Motor Gliding in Pokhara, Nepal. It starts from
the beginning of September to Jun from Pokhra airport. The fligt takes place
from sunrise to 9:00 am and from 2:00 pm to sunset everyday during these
months. You will enjoy most from this flight. This is Ultra Gliding / Motor
Gliding, is the another attraction point.
This flight covers
whole of Annapurna Mountain Range at altitude of 12,000 feet, Pokhara City,
Fewa Lake, Sarankot hill at the altitude of 5,000 feet. During this flight you
yourself understand the trekking idea in the Himalayan region of Mt. Manaslu,
Annapurna, and Annapurna Base Camp. I think, this gliding flight costs about
$120 - $150, not more than that.