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Mountain Views: Pokhara is blessed with stunning panoramic views of the Annapurna range which forms its backdrop. Although not the highest in the range, Machhapuchhare dominates because of its proximity to the valley and can be seen from anywhere in Pokhara. Stretching from east to west, the Annapurna massif includes Annapurna 1 to IV and Annapurna South. Further away are seen the giants, Dhaulagiri (8,167m) and Manaslu (8,163m).
Phewa Lake: Pokhara owes its popularity to enchanting Phewa Lake and along its eastern shore has grown the Lakeside town where tourists gather. It is the largest and most beautiful of the three lakes attracting a large number of visitors who enjoy boating on its placid waters. Boat can be hired and many visit the island temple that lies out in the middle of the lake. The other past time is sailing. Lakeside or Baidam, is a thriving resort town of hotels, restaurants, bars and souvenir shops that allows travelers to relax and yet have all they need.
Barahi Temple (Show in Map): Located in the middle of Phewa Lake, the Barahi temple is the most important monument in Pokhara. The two storied pagoda is dedicated to the boar manifestation of' Ajima who represents the female force Shakti. Sacrifices take place here and the largest crowds of devotees are seen on Saturdays, the official holiday in Nepal.
Seti Gandaki (Show in Map): An amazing aspect of Pokhara is the vanishing river. A natural wonder, the Seti Gandaki goes underground, vanishing from sight in many places along its route through the city. At various points the river is barely two meters wide where its depth reaches an astonishing 20 meters! A good spot for watching the river below is Mahendra Pul, a small bridge near the old Mission Hospital. Here the river can be seen in all its ferocity gushing down the deep gorge that it has carved over millennia.
David's Fall: Locally known as the Patale Chhango (Nether Fall), David's Fall (known variously as Devin's and Devi’'s Fall) is a charming little waterfall located about 2 km south-west of the Pokhara airport on the Siddhartha Highway. Many years ago a trekker named David or Devin is said to have been washed away by the river Pardi Khola and disappeared in an underground passage beneath the fall.
Mahendra Cave: A major attraction of Pokhara is the Mahendra Gupha, a limestone cave reached after a two-hour walk north of Pokhara. Known as the ‘House of Bats’ owing to a number of bats living within its walls, the cave is an interesting labyrinth of stalactites and stalagmites. Visitors will be well-advised to bring their own torches to closely inspect the formations. There is another deep cave called Bat's Cave known as the ‘House of Bats’ owing to a number of bats living within its walls.
World Peace Pagoda: World Peace Pagoda can be seen on the top of a hill on the southern shore of Phewa Lake. It has four images of Buddha facing in four directions. The dome shaped pagoda is an impressive sight and its hilltop location commands a great view. It is a great vantage point which offers spectacular views of the Annapurna.
The Old Bazaar: A stark contrast to Lakeside Pokhara, the old Pokhara Bazaar is 4 km away from Phewa Lake. It is a traditional bazaar and a colorful gathering place for an ethnically diverse group of traders. The temples and monuments bear a close resemblance to the Newari architecture of Kathmandu Valley. Except for the large concrete buildings that have cropped up, the market place retains much of its original charm. It makes for a pleasant walk; there are shops selling anything from edibles and clothing to cosmetics and gold. The old bazaar is also home to one of Pokhara's most important shrines', the Brindhyabasini Mandir. Perched on a shady hillock, this white dome-like structure dominates a spacious stone-paved courtyard.
Museums: The Pokhara Museum is worth a visit. Located between the bus stop and Mahendra Pul, it showcases the ethnic mosaic of the diverse cultures that thrive in western Nepal. The lifestyles and history of the Gurungs, Thakalis and Tharus are attractively represented by models, photographs and artifacts. Of much interest and also a major attraction is the recently discovered remains of an 8000-year-old settlement in Mustang. Open daily from 10 am to 5 pm, except on Tuesdays and public holidays.
Another interesting museum in Pokhara is the Annapurna Regional Museum which is also known as the Natural History Museum. Run by the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), the museum has an exceptional collection of butterflies, insects, birds and models of wildlife found in the area. Located at Prithvi Narayan Campus, east of the old bazaar, it is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm except on Saturdays and public holidays.
International Mountain Museum: The International Mountain Museum (IMM) has an impressive façade. It was built with the objective of recording, documenting, exhibiting and chronicling the entire past up to the present day, the development of mountain and mountaineering activities in the world. It has received much support from the many mountaineering clubs and associations as well as individual donors from around the world. The museum was established by Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) with the theme ‘Man, Mountain and Mountain activities around the world’. Accordingly, the entire display area of the museum has been divided along the theme. The exhibition Halls are:
Hall of Mountain People: This hall exhibits the customs, traditions, heritage, culture and way of life of the mountain people.
Hall of World Mountains: This hall showcases all fourteen peaks over 8000 m. and displays geological facts related to the origin of world mountain systems. The hall also exhibits and explains the flora and fauna of the Himalaya. Another aspect of the museum is the focus on great personalities like Kumar Khadga Bikrum Shah (founder president of NMA), Dr. Toni Hagen (Renowned geologist and lover of Nepal, who published the first pictorial "Nepal"), Reverend Ekai Kawaguchi (The first Japanese to visit Nepal in 1899), and Dr. Harka Gurung (Renowned scholar, geographer, development planner and first Tourism Minister of Nepal).
Hall of Mountain Activities: Highlighting historical ascents and explorations in and around the mountainous regions, this hall is dedicated to mountain activities such as mountaineering and trekking. Interestingly, it also showcases the development of climbing gears and other essential mountaineering equipment.
Surrounding Areas:
Pokhara is where some of the most popular treks in the Annapurna region begin and end. Among them, the highly recommended treks are the intensive Annapurna Circuit and Jomsom Treks. For those with limited time on their hands, there are a number of short treks that are equally fascinating like the Sarankot, Naudanda, Ghandruk or Ghorepani treks. The Sarankot (1,592m) trek is popular for its bird’s eye view of Pokhara and the spectacular panoramic view of mountains. It lies west of Pokhara and the hilltop was once the location of a Kaski Fort.

Things to do:

Motor Biking: Nothing quite compares to the thrill of exploring the valley on a motorbike. With natural beauty abounding around Pokhara the ride is an adventure packed with thrills and excitement. The friendly locals make the trip delightful and one can venture anywhere in the unrestricted valley. All you need for a great time is a good bike and a reliable map.
Boating : Pokhara's Phewa Lake naturally draws visitors towards it. Easily the best means of recreation, boating is a favorite past time which one can indulge in according to whim any time of day. The second largest lake in Nepal, the Phewa measures approximately 1.5 by 4 km. Its eastern shore, also known as Lakeside or Baidam, is the center of tourist activity in Pokhara while the opposite bank remains pristine and uninhabited. The other two lakes, Begnas and Rupa Tal are located 15 km out of Pokhara at the end of a road that turns off the Kathmandu highway. Less visited but no less beautiful, both these lakes are excellent for boating and preferred by those seeking serenity and peace. A boat can be rented easily for a number of hours and one can head out to the middle of the lake or the other banks where there is much greenery and tranquility. Taking a swim on a warm sunny day can be the highlight of your stay in Pokhara. It is also possible to hire a boat for the day or on an hourly basis. An interesting option is to do away with the boatman and go on your own for a more adventurous time.
When it comes to choosing a time, the best time for boating in Pokhara is in the winter months between October and February, when the skies are clear and the mountains cast their shadows on the lake's tranquil waters.
Ultra-lights: Go up in an ultra-light aircraft and get a sweeping bird's eye view of the entire Pokhara Valley. It is an exhilarating ride that allows unhindered views of the mountains and the scenic lakes far below. Ultra-light flights are operated from Pokhara Airport beginning September through June. They can take off and land on a field or even a dirt road, and in areas where other planes fear to tread. With a limited capacity, it seats only two, a passenger and the pilot. Ultra-lights can fly for hours and ascend to a maximum height of 5000 meters.
Paragliding: Paragliding is perhaps the most rewarding of short duration adventure sports given the fact that there’s nothing between you and the scenery unfolding before you. In the distance lie the majestic Himalayas and down below are the villages, monasteries, temples, lakes and jungles, a true bird’s eye view and a fascinating one at that.
Fishing: For anglers, the lake has a special meaning; it could mean his/her biggest catch. Fishing rods can be rented from the shops around lakeside.
Golf: Pokhara has the space and climate suitable for golf and the sport was introduced here many years ago. There are two world class golf courses in Pokhara.
Pony Riding : Pony riding is a delightful way of getting around Pokhara. Rides are organized by operators for rides in the valley and the surrounding hills.
Rafting: Nepal’s rivers rank high in the world of white water rafting and Pokhara is ideally situated for raft trips along its rivers. The most popular river for rafting is the Trishuli River, which flows along the Kathmandu-Pokhara highway. Equally good with plenty of exciting rapids are the Kali Gandaki and Seti rivers.
Short Hikes: Pokhara is the perfect place for relaxing before and after a trek, and for the avid trekkers, a respite between treks. But there is much to see around Pokhara as well and some yearn to explore the sights and sounds around Pokhara. The usual sightseeing tour lasts about 3-4 hours but can be extended by several hours to spend more time at places that hold special interest.
Mountain Biking : For those seeking a more physical challenge, mountain biking provides just the means as there is no better way to enjoy an exploratory trip in the urban centers of Nepal. Take to the countryside and there’s endless possibilities leading to unlimited fun. Ride through lush green rice fields, delightful little hamlets, up and down the hills, along river banks, around temples, past the stray cattle, over suspension bridges and along the highway. Mountain bikes can be easily rent for the day or even longer from any of the numerous bicycle rental shops in and around the city. For a better understanding of the local culture, rhythm of village life and to visit the cool spots, take a guided trip.
Access (Getting there): Pokhara is located roughly 200 km west of Kathmandu. Getting to your destination is the objective but even the journey between these two famed cities is part of the Pokhara experience. The easier and quicker means of reaching there is to fly out from Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu. Flying on a clear day gives one the thrill of catching an incredible panoramic view of the snow-capped mountains that stretch from east to west of Nepal’s boundary with Tibet. The changing landscape from the icy Himalaya in the north to the rich green Mahabharat range to the south and the sweltering sub-tropical jungles in the plains make this flight fascinating. There are daily flights and bus services between Kathmandu and Pokhara.

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Origin of Pokhara

The development of Pokhara valley and the origin of Annapurna range including the majestic peak Macchapuchhre is ascribed to Geological faulting in the 'Tertiary Period! (between 65‑25 million years ago from now). The convergence of Indian peninsula with Tibetan plate resulted into upsurge of Himalayas from the Tethys sea. After the upsurge of Annapurna range, due to the action of climatic components, glaciers started eroding mountains. The eroded materials ‑ limestone, gneiss and quartzite ‑were transported downwards depositing larger and coarser debris first and smaller as well as smoother debris later. Therefore the northern region of Pokhara has thicker layer of coarser and larger boulders but this thickness decreases southward and smoothness and size reduction occurs gradually. In this way, the tectonic valley was developed due to the hauling of debris as moraine and subsequent deposition as lake deposit.

Getting Inside Pokhara

Pokhara, now‑a‑days, is linked to the major cities of Nepal by air and road transportation. Aeroplanes of different airlines fly several times a day from Kathmandu to Pokhara and many times a week from other major cities of the country. All the cities of Nepal where motoring has been possible so far, are linked to Pokhara by roads and regular bus services are available.
Pokhara is the only city in Nepal which is famous for the Himalayan Peaks and the Annapurna Himalayan Range. Some of the Famous Mountains that can be seen from Pokhara are Mt. Machhapuchree, Mt. Dhaulagiri, Mt. Annapurna, Mt. Hinchuli etc. it is the only City in Nepal that consist of seven beautiful lakes. Some of the famous lakes are Fewa Lake, Begnas Lake and Rupa Lake. It is the only City in Nepal that has excellent and breath taking caves. There are more then 5 caves within this city. Some of the most popular caves are Mahendra cave, Bat cave, Kali khola cave, Shiva cave etc.
Pokhara is the only City that has several rivers flowing within itself. Some of the major rivers that flow within this beautiful city are Seti, Yamdi, Mardi, Kali Khola, Madi etc. This City must be God's idea of heaven. Pokhara is so rich in Natural vegetation and excellent climatic conditions. It is neither too hot nor too cold. It seems to be a paradise.
This breath taking view is from Sarangkot. This hill is famous for the panoramic view of the annapurna himalayan range. Pokhara is beautiful but it still depends upon how we take and feel it, but to be sure Pokhara is god's gift and is rich in natural beauty in all the ways. Sarangkot is also famous for paragliding purposes. It has the bird's eye view of the seti river, fewa lake, and the valley itself. This hill station is a 10 minute uphill drive from Aarchalbot. This route is also one of the short day trek route within the Pokhara Valley. Tourist also hires horses for a trip uphill to the station. Local peoples have kept powerful binoculars for the viewing purpose of the valley and the mountains.
Pokhara is famous for mountains. The most beautiful and demanding mountain is Mount Fishtail. As shown in the snap, this mountain has a peak that looks like a fish tail. In nepali this mountain is called Machhapuchre himal which means Mount Fishtail. Seeing the beauty of this mountain, tourist says that this mountain has been crafted by god for the Pokhreli people.
This snap also features Mount Fishtail. This snap is taken from the Fishtail base camp during the sunset period. Fishtail base camp is three days trek from the pokhara valley. we walk through dense forest, gurung villages and beautiful hills to reach this place. This base camp has about 5 hotels under the supervision of ACAP (Annapurna conservation area project)
This snap features the fewa lake view and domestic animals like horses and buffaloes grazing within the green fields. The hill has a concrete built hotel and graveled road (at present the road is pitched) to the village pame. This lake is famous for boating and fishing purpose.

Climate

Pokhara experiences humid sub‑tropical to warm temperate climate. The climate of Pokhara valley is basically the influence of topography. Yearly mean temperature of the city (827m) is 20.80C whereas monthly averages are ‑ maximum 25.50C (During July and August) and minimum 13.20C (during January). The deviation of temperature from mean value is also interesting: absolute maximum temperature is 37.40C and absolute minimum temperature 2.40C. Average annual rainfall recorded in Pokhara city is 3,755mm while 5,337mm is recorded in Lumle (a village nearby Pokhara city). Pokhara receives both monsoon and winter rains. It is important to note that profound effect of micro‑climatic elements on climatic parameters is clearly observable around Pokhara. Sunshine hours in Pokhara is estimated to be nearly six hours a day on an‑annual average. From June to August, monsoon clouds may create problems to view and photograph the mountains. Rest of the months are almost cloud free but November to March is the best time to avoid this problem. The annual average high wind speed recorded at Pokhara is 4 km per hour from February to June. The air is generally humid throughout the year with 80.16% relative humidity on yearly average. The relative humidity is found to be low in March and high in April.
The climate 'is neither too cold nor too hot Hence, from climatic point of view, Pokhara is enjoyable all year round. However, to visit higher Himalayas northern of Pokhara, especially for trekkers the best period is February to April.

After the annexation of Tibet by China that led to the Indo-China war the trading route to India became defunct. Today only few caravans from Mustang still arrive in Bagar.

Pokhara stupas

Pokhara has become a major tourist hub of Nepal, more than making up for the loss of its trading importance. The city offers a combination of nature and culture and is mostly known as the gateway to the trekking route Round Annapurana, which is usually a trek of 25 days.
Pokhara is quite a modern city with many tourist attractions in the town itself. Most interesting is the lakeside which is also called Baidam. It is situated at the side of the Fewa lake so it is named as Lakeside. The old centre in the north of the city (Bagar, Purano Bazar) where many old shops and warehouses in the Newari style can still be found. Although more seldom, mule caravans still arrive there from Mustang.
Temples worth visiting in city are Bindhyabasini, Bhadrakali, Sitaldevi, Gita mandir temple and Bhimsen temple. Another temple, Barahi temple, is located on an island in the Phewa lake, which is accessible only by boats.
The modern commercial city centres are at Chiple Dhunga(slippery stone, which is still there) and Mahendrapul (now called Bhimsen Chowk, named after a Shahid (Martyr) in Jana-aandolan II, April, 2006). Apart from this there are several subcentres in other parts of town: Bagar in the north, Newroad, Prithvi Chowk and Srijana Chowk at the centre of the western part, Gagangaunda, Lekhnath chowk, the road between Talchowk, Sisuwa and Begnas lake(rarely called Lakeroad)in the east, Amarsingh chowk, Rambazar and Hospital chowk in the middle part and Birauta and Devi's fall in the southern part.
Phewa lake in 1982

   Phewa lake and lakeside view  from Sarangkot

On a hill overlooking Phewa Tal from the south is the World Peace Stupa (at 1,113 m) QTVR built in 1996 with a view of the lake, across the city and of the snow peaked mountain ranges of Manaslu, Annapurna, Machhapuchchhre(Fishtail, which is named from its shape) and Dhaulagiri Himal. The best viewpoint of Pokhara is Sarangkot (1,600 m) and Thulakot (in Lekhnath, a part of famous Royal Trek) from where four lakes Phewa, Begnas, Khaste, Dipang out of more than half dozen and whole Annapurna range can be seen along with enchanting and clean city. People can go there by bus, car or motorbike which can also be hired. Paths and a road lead almost to the top of Sarangkot and most of the hill stations with an excellent view of the mountains, lakes and the city. Sarangkot being the highest viewpoint attracts many tourists. The mountain museum is another attraction of Pokhara.
The major tourist attractions of Pokhara are its scenic views in and around town and the cable cars. Many of them are not mentioned in guides or maps. The Seti Gandaki (White Gandaki) and its tributaries have created spectacular gorges in and around the whole city. The Seti gorge runs through the whole city from north to south and then west to east. At places it is only a few metres wide and the river is so far down below that, at some places it is not visible or audible. In the middle of the city, the gorge widens to a canyon looking like a crater. In the north and south, just outside town, the rivers created canyons, in some places 100 m deep. These canyons extend through the whole Pokhara Valley. One place is the Prithvi Narayan Campus and the other side at the foot of Kahu Danda, where several rivers and canyons join. Behind the INF-Compound (Tundikhel) one can see the Seti River disappear into a small slit of a wall about 30 metres high which is especially impressive in monsoon. Betulechaur in the far north of Pokhara is known for the musicians caste of the Gaaine(musician tribe).

 

Davis Falls at Pokhara

The Tourism Year 2011, as declared by the government of Nepal is hoping to have about hundred thousand tourist visiting Nepal and Pokhara is one of the first choice of tourists. Lakes, Mountains and the scene that can be viewed from Pokhara is awesome so the main tourism field is considered as Pokhara and the country is economically benefited from this tourism sector. But due to the negligence of government towards Pokhara, the people in there themselves are taking certain action to develop Pokhara by hook or crook. The people in there really love their hometown. Actually Pokhara has got most of the facilities and infrastructure mostly developed by the people in there.