Pokhara is one these places and it possess a great gift of extreme natural beauty. This beauty is nestled in the Annapurna range, which is the tenth highest mountain in the world. This Himalayan paradise is adorned with stunning views of mountain in the backdrop and the amazing nature of this city makes this a popular tourist destination.
Pokhara is blessed with a number of spectacular places to visit and makes your tour to Nepal worthwhile. To make sure that you don’t miss all these magnificent places, here is a list of 10 places one should visit in Pokhara.
1. Annapurna Base Camp
Annapurna Base Camp Trek is way around one of the remote traditional villages where our journey heads towards greetings of provincial people exceeding lush green growth with scenery snow-covered white mountains with fine views and a delightful blend of cultures unprecedented by any other treks in the World. Annapurna Base Camp is by far one of the most beautiful treks. It’s a path to the brilliant bastard amphitheater of the extremely elegant peaks of the Annapurna mountain range. ABC trek is the most familiar and vibrant hike in the Himalayas of Nepal. The journey starts from Pokhara in the foothills of the Annapurna and dies through charming villages of Magar and Gurung public as Gurkha soft soldiers recuperate. The lushness of the Rhododendron woodland, happy villages, and sky kissing mountains landscapes within just 8 days or less constitute an outdoor journey one of the most popular. The journey is indifferently full of exciting bums of ups and downs on the rough trail. Annapurna base camp at (4,130 )m is a funnel-shaped valley with panoramic inspection of Annapurna South, Annapurna I (8,097m/26,566ft), Tent peak, Fishtail, and others. Melting snow of the immense rock faces form a glacier that drains into the Modi River. Annapurna I is the tenth highest peak in the world and is the first of the 8,000 m peak climbed as early as in 1950.2.
2. Sarangkot
Located on the scenic Sarangkot Mountain, Sarangkot is a village famous for its sunrise and sunset view of Annapurna and the take-off site for paragliding. The village lies at an elevation of 1600 metres above sea level and is a perfect place to capture a mesmeric view of the Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, the Manaslu Mountain Ranges and the valley of Pokhara.
3. Phewa Lake
A freshwater lake in the Pokhara Valley region of Nepal, it is the most visited spot in the country. It is kept in check by the help of a Dam and is fed by a river stream, making it somewhat a mixture of man-made and natural freshwater lake.
The second largest lake in the country, it is extremely famous for the natural beauty, the Barahi Temple which is based on an island in the lake, and the mirror-like reflections of the Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Machhapuchhre in its waters.
4. Davis Falls
Davis Fall in Pokhara is an extraordinary waterfall which creates a 500 feet long underground tunnel as it reaches its bottom. This tunnel has brought the fall its name, i.e. Patale Chango in the Nepalese language, which means “underground waterfall.” Fed by Phewa Lake Dam, the waterfall is surrounded by abundant flora. A landmark of Pokhara, Devi’s waterfall is a must-visit when in Nepal. Witness the grandeur of nature as you see this colossal fall struggling with rocks to set itself free.
5. Mahendra Cave
Located in Batulechaur, Mahendra cave is a magnificent cave that tourists can explore in the town. The cave is named after King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and is a vast natural formation in limestone. Hindus consider the cave sacred and have installed a statue of Lord Shiva, but geographically, this is a cave with calcium salt deposits forming stalactites and stalagmites.
6. Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave
Caves have always been mysterious but the curious thing about this Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave is that it comes with a religious bent too. One of the huge stalagmite is usually worshipped as Shiva Lingam. The peaceful atmosphere of the cave will definitely soothe your senses and will let you introspect a little bit.
Amidst the regular hustle and bustle of the city, it is a good place to spend some peaceful time. If you planning to visit this place it will be advisable for you to carry a torch along as it is usually dark.
The Gupteshwar Mahadev Cave is a combination of Devi’s fall in the upstream and the cave in the downstream, one has to climb down the metal stairs to have a real look. Although it is a bit scary but its definitely worth a watch.
7. Begnas Lake
A quiet freshwater lake in Kaski district of Nepal that changes colour depending on the season. it is the second largest of the eight lakes in Pokhara valley with a maximum depth of 10 meters.
Since it is visited comparatively less, the original beauty is undisturbed. The lake supports irrigation and fisheries. The water level in the lake is regulated by a dam constructed in 1988 as it fluctuates with season and because of use for irrigation. The pressure of increasing human population is forcing conversion of the swampy area into land for cultivation.
It takes about 40 minutes by bus from Pokhara to reach the lake. Not far from the maddening crowd but extremely clean and quiet.
8. Bat Cave or Chamero Gufa
For those looking for a different level of adventure, the Bat cave or Chamero Gufa in Pokhara is just perfect. As the name suggests, it is where one can find thousands of bats thriving in the dark, gloomy and moist chambers of the cave. These are mostly Horseshoe Bats, and they are found clinging upside down on the ceilings of the cool (chilly even) and dingy caves. If one’s up for it, they can even explore the complete cave (which takes about 10 minutes) till the end and wiggle their way through a narrow shaft to reach the surface. This cave could get extremely confined, so those who have claustrophobia might want to rethink their visit.
9. Annapurna Butterfly Museum
If you have always loved to catch butterflies when you were young then Nepal is a land to witness some beautiful looking colorful butterflies. The small museum has housed wide variety of Butterflies which will fill you with a wide variety of knowledge. Every single minute that you spend in this museum is all worth it. The interiors of the museum is quite earthy which makes it a delight for most of the visitors.
Don’t forget to see Corman Birdming which is the largest butterfly of Nepal.
10. Bindhyabasini Temple
In the serene and calm waters of the lake of Pokhara, you will find this beautiful looking Bindhyabasini Temple. It is one of the oldest temple situated in Nepal with the idol of Godess Bhagwati. And an amazing boat ride is just an additional advantage along with it. While visiting the place you can even enjoy the spectacular view of the Himalayas.
It is one of the foremost Shaktipiths of western Nepal and all the rituals are strictly followed as per the Hindu culture. If you are lucky enough you can get a chance to witness a nice Nepalese wedding.