Royal Mountain Travel Magazine Royal Mountain Travel Magazine Issue 2 | Page 40

A day in Pokhara

A day in
Pokhara

adjacent hill. Make sure your boat is safely tied up
as you don’t want to return to an empty space where
it once was, seeing it as it floats unmanned around
the lake.

By Nick Monro

The hike up to the Pagoda (as with all hikes)
depends on how fit you are but it takes at least
25 minutes though not more than an hour. It’s
a tranquil uphill walk through thick green woods
and bush. Once you reach the top you have an
unbelievable panoramic view of Pokhara, the
surrounding valleys and the jutting white crowns
of the Annapurna range in the background. Walk
clockwise around the Peace Pogoda and feel your
heart rate calm to a slower rate. With the sun
shining, the picture is flooded with bright light
and a stillness washes over you. Once you’ve
had your spiritual fill, trundle down through the
thicket and come out the other side to find your
boat ready and waiting. Take this section on the
lake at a leisurely pace. Open your backpack and
pull out the cheese, bread, fruits and snacks that
you picked up at the supermarket before you hired
the boat. Float around and have a light lunch with
the Himalayas as your backdrop. After that, set
your course for the island in the middle of the
lake. Row clockwise around the temple on the
island and if you want moor up and walk around.
As the early afternoon approaches take your boats
back to the harbour.

Boating on the lake, Pokahara . Photo: M Heredge.

Before you arrive in Pokhara, book your friends or
family on a paragliding trip. Tell them you have
something planned for the afternoon and watch their
faces blanche as you sit in the paragliding office to
sign the disclaimer. Obviously you are joining them
to go paragliding too, but at least you will have time
to mentally prepare for leaping into space.

Paragliding from Sarangkot in Pokhara. Photo: RMT.

Let’s say you have only one day to spend in the city
by the lake in the west of Nepal. (You’ll no doubt end
up staying longer). However, here are a few things to
prioritise from the moment you wake up.
First of all, to get to Pokhara you should book
yourself onto a tourist bus (you can easily do this
through Royal Mountain travel). Don’t party too hard
the night before because you’ll be snaking your way
through dramatic landscapes from seven in the
morning until early afternoon. When you pull up
into the dusty bus park in Pokhara, pay 150 rupees
to get to Lakeside where you will find all kinds of
hotels, to suit every budget.
The last two times we were in Pokhara, we stayed at
the Chhetri Sisters and expect to lug our bags that
way on the next trip too. Chhetri Sisters, or Three
Sisters, is a trekking company run by female guides

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www.royalmt.com.np

May 2014

and they have a Lakeside hotel just down from the
main drag. Many women have expressed that they
feel more comfortable trekking with female guides
and Three Sisters carry the flag in providing this
service.
So, this is how you start your day: eat as much as
you can for breakfast because the day ahead will
involve burning lots of calories. Once you’re feeling
full, march towards central Lakeside. At either end
of the makeshift beach is a scattered assembly
of rickety boats. Head towards the boats next to
Mike’s Breakfast. If there are more than four of
you I would suggest taking