This handbook is designed to help anyone who wants to visit the place on this planet that has most captured my heart, Pokhara, Nepal. Having spent three months in Nepal in late 2010, much of the time in Pokhara, and returning for another few months early in 2011, I came to know the town quite well and wanted to share with other Nepal-bound travelers my tips for everything from the best hotels and restaurants, to the not-to-be missed sights, right down to the best place to get a haircut:

CELL/MOBILE PHONE SERVICE:

If you have an unlocked smart phone you can purchase a Nepal sim card for 300 Nepali Rupees (NRS), which is about $4 USD. This price includes 50 NRS of “talk time,” which is charged at 2 NRS per minute. When you need more credit, simply buy a recharge card at any store that displays the purple NCell sign, scratch off the strip on the back of the card and follow the directions. A local number is invaluable, among other things, for calling an honest taxi driver with whom you’ve established a relationship or getting in touch with other travelers who also have local numbers to  team up for tours or trekking. I never travel for any length in a country without a local phone number, especially considering the cheap price. For three months in Nepal, my total cost will be about $5. If you have an iPhone, you may want to refer to my previous article: Traveling Internationally with an iPhone without Incurring High Cell Phone Bills. Nepal’s international country code is 977.

WALKING AROUND:

There is no such thing as a pedestrian right-of-way in Nepal; be alert at all times when walking in or crossing streets, however walking around Pokhara is much more pleasant than Kathmandu, as sidewalks are available in much of Lakeside and the traffic is much less. Additionally, the main street in Lakeside has recently been turned into a pedestrian mall every Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m.

TOILETS:

There are no public toilets in the Lakeside area of Pokhara, so you will have to rely on restaurants and hotels/guest houses. Many places now have western toilets, though in many places you will still find squat toilets. Hoard napkins, you will need them as toilet paper, but as in most places throughout Asia, if there is a trash bin in the stall it generally means you should deposit used paper in the bin rather than the toilet.

WATER:

Many hotels are now buying five-gallon bottles of purified water and allowing guests to refill their bottles either for free or for a price that is much less than buying a new bottle. This water is perfectly safe to drink and travelers should not hesitate to refill their bottles from it. You will also be doing your part to help save Pokhara’s lovely lake, which is becoming overloaded with plastic trash.

MUST SEE SIGHTS:

Hike to the top of Sarangkot pre-dawn to see sun come up over the Annapurna Himalayas

Hike or take taxi to the World Peace Pagoda for a spectacular view of Phewa Lake and Pokhara, framed by the distant Himalayas

Take a boat to Barahi Temple in the middle of Lake Phewa

Attend a Puja ceremony at Jangchub Choeling Buddhist Monastery, held at 3:30 every afternoon

View from atop Sarangkot at dawn

World Peace Pagoda

Barahi Temple on a small island in Phewa Lake

Jangchub Choeling Monastery

OTHER INTERESTING THINGS TO DO:

Gurkha Memorial Museum

International Mountaineering Museum

Shopping in the Old Bazaar

Visit one of the Tibetan refugee camps and spend time with the locals, perhaps a storyteller who can tell what it was like to come to Nepal during the years when China invaded Tibet, arrange for a healing ceremony with a Tibetan Shaman, attend Tibetan folk dancing performances, or learn about Tibetan Thangka painting.

Walk to the head of or entirely around Phewa Lake

Go paragliding from the top of Sarangkot, landing at the edge of Phewa Lake

Take the bus to Naudanda and hike back down to Phewa Lake

Whitewater rafting through the Upper or Lower Seti Gorges

Trekking possibilities abound, ranging from 2-3 days to the longer 14-21 day Annapurna Circuit Trek

Devi’s Waterfall, but only in the summer during the monsoon season, when the water is high

Gurkha Museum

Haming it up with Tibetan ethnic dancers at Jampaling Tibetan Refugee Settlement

Paragliders take off from top of Sarangkot and land on the shores of Phewa Lake

BEST HOTELS:

Hotel Mandala, owner Surya Pahari. On Lakeside Marg in Hallan Chowk, turn onto the small road between Be Happy Restaurant and Sweet Memories Restaurant. The hotel is a short distance down the road on the left. Very nice rooms for 700 Rupees per night ($10 USD). All have private bathroom with 24-hour hot water, comfortable beds and TV with remote. The 14 rooms surround a lovely enclosed garden with tables and chairs. The hotel offers a one-day laundry service, can arrange for tours (but are not pushy about them), and free wi-fi is included in the cost of the room, but the signal is usually only strong enough to pick up in the lobby. The side street on which the hotel is located is very quiet, is near some of the best restaurants in Lakeside, and is a short walk (one block) to the lake. Bars on the windows ensure safety. PO Box 185, Lakeside, Pokhara-6, Telephone 061-464690, Fax: 061-462889, Website: http://www.hotelmandala.com.np, email: [email protected]

Hotel Temple Villa is a short walk down the first side street south of Standard Chartered Bank, on the north end of Lakeside, in a quiet, safe location just a block from the lake. Set back from the road and surrounded by manicured gardens, this combination private home/hotel offer rooms ranging from dorm-type accommodations with shared toilet to spacious private rooms with ensuite bathrooms. Unlike many of the standard Nepali hotels that are furnished with beds that are hard as a rock, Temple Villa has comfortable beds and upscale linens. Guests have access to a rooftop deck as well as several balconies tucked between the rooms, and a lounge area offers TV with remote control. Free wi-fi is included, prices begin at 700 Rupees. Contact Bikash: Lakeside-6; Telephone 061-462203; cell 98462-94602; email [email protected]

Karma Guest House, located on a side street in Gaurighat, on the south end of Lakeside. Family run, nice folks. Really high speed Internet included in the nightly price of 350-400 Rupees ($5-6 USD) per night and if you ask nice the owner will bring an Ethernet cable right into your room. The rooms are spacious and clean, with private baths and 24-hour hot water, but no TV, and the first floor rooms tend to be musty smelling. If you really need the Internet, opt for a first floor room, otherwise take the second floor room. Nice quiet location on a side street, across from the lake and surrounded by good restaurants, sturdy bars on the windows. Owner Chandra Pun; telephone 61-462850; cell 98460-49867; email [email protected]

Hotel Mandala

Temple Villa Hotel is surrounded by lovely gardens

Karma Guest House

BEST RESTAURANTS:

Zinnia Fans: The best in town, both in quality of food and price. On the north end of Lakeside in Hallan Chowk. Delicious food, best lemon/ginger/honey tea in town, and excellent prices. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try the Eggplant Moussaka. Owner Minraj will take good care of you and always has a smile on his face.

Olive Cafe: Near the center of town on the main road in Lakeside. Not only do they have great food, they have the best Internet in town and they will let you veg for hours and work online if you eat there. The prices are a bit on the pricey side, but the quality of the food is excellent (best hummus wrap in town). Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with fresh baked pastries every morning and homemade desserts every day including heavenly chocolate croissants.

Ooh La La: A bit further north from Zinnia Fans. Also great food at an affordable price. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Pema Tibetan Restaurant: On Barahi Path near the Barahi Hotel in the center of Lakeside. Tiny restaurant with excellent traditional Tibetan food for budget prices.

Asian Tea Room: Located down a narrow alley just south Thic Thak Restaurant, in the center of Lakeside. Great food at amazingly cheap prices. Try the chowmein for 70 Rupees ($1) or the Rosti (boiled potatoes, chopped up with vegetables, spices, and cheese, and fried into a thick potato pancake) for slightly more. Delicious! And the owners are really lovely people.

Pokhara Kitchen & Restaurant: On the north end of Lakeside near Hallan Chowk. Look for a narrow walkway between buildings just south of Standard Chartered Bank. The family run restaurant serves mostly locals but welcomes tourists. They serve only the traditional Nepali set (dahl bhat, curd, curry, pickle, and papad) or an Indian set. Your plate will be refilled as many times as you wish for the 170 Rupee price (about $2.50 USD). Wash your hands at the outdoor sink before sitting down. Although they will bring you a spoon if you wish, they will be delighted if you try eating with your hands in true Nepali/Indian fashion.

Busy Bee: Lakefront In the center of Lakeside on the main road, this restaurant has good food at an affordable price, plus live music every night of the week until 11 p.m. Free wifi.

Zinnia Fans Restaurant - the best in town!

Pokhara Kitchen and Restaurant; not fancy but good Nepali and Indian food and plenty of it!

Continue reading →

You might also like: