Picturesque Pokhara

It took an overcrowded local bus in stifling heat to get here, but the picturesque town of Pokhara was well worth the journey.

Lush rolling mountain ranges meet the fresh water lake shore, with trendy upmarket restaurants and cafes lining the main street. Pokhara is definitely a hub for international visitors who begin their trekking expeditions here. The town also offers a vast spectrum of activities from white water rafting and paragliding, to the simple pleasures of hiring out a row boat and exploring the many Buddhist temples (known as a Stupa) on the shore front.

This is exactly how Deep and I past the time, paragliding one day from the mountain tops to cruising down the lake the other. Our welcome to Pokhara began with a severe thunderstorm, including some heavy hail. Through the drizzle of rain we saw the outline of the lake, though it wasn’t until we woke to sunshine the next day that we saw why this town was a hot spot for holiday makers.

 After enjoying the highs that Pokhara had to offer with our paragliding experience one our second day, we decided to experience a bit of the night life that evening. We were pleasantly surprised by the array of musical talent the locals provided with a number of pubs and bars offering live performances. But it wasn’t until we ventured into a Nepali night club that we were really given the local experience.

To all my girlfriends back home who know how hard it is to drag a man on to the dance floor, well this place is the opposite. The men love to get their dancing shoes on and dance to…. remixes of Taylor Swift.

On our last day in Pokhara, Deep and I decided to relax and unwind by hiring out a row boat on the lake. Half way around the lake is a mountain climb to a Buddhist Stupa which overlooks all of Pokhara. From the shoreline it didn’t look too far, though two hours later we made it to the top, gasping for air. That’s right we are the couple who are meant to be conquering Everest Base Camp in a few short weeks.

 So we left behind Pokhara with wonderful memories and plenty of beautiful photographs. We now embark on our two week trek though Nepal so will be out of action from the blog until we return. We look forward to sharing our trekking stories with you all then.

By Kerryn Anker