Activities in Nepal
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Sadhana Yoga
This friendly and secluded retreat is hidden away in the village of Sedi Bagar, overlooking Phewa Tal, 2.5km northwest of Lakeside. One- to 21-day courses in Hatha yoga for Rs 1800 per day, including tuition, steam and mud baths, accommodation and meals. Enquire about yoga treks.
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Ganden Yiga Chopen Meditation Centre
This calm place holds three-day meditation and yoga courses (Rs 3300 including lodging and meals) as well as daily sessions at 10am (Rs 200) and 5pm (Rs 150). The meditation and yoga room with a Tibetan altar and thangkas looks out to the lake.
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Paddle Nepal
Tiny office in Thamel under Nargila Restaurant, with a main office in Pokhara; also offers kayak clinics.
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Nepali Yoga Center
Daily hatha yoga classes (1½ hours, Rs 400) at 7.30am and 4.30pm, plus one-/three-day courses (Rs 1000/3000).
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Avia Club Nepal
Avia Club Nepal operates microlight flights from Pokhara between October and May. The 15-/30-/60-minute flights cost around US$65/112/198.
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Hearts and Tears
Ever felt envious at the sight of some dude zipping along winding roads on the back of a motorbike, but always lacked the nerve to give it a go yourself? Then Hearts and Tears is the place to overcome your inhibitions. Tucked away in the entrance to Busy Bee (you can’t miss the cool retro bikes), you can choose from customised Royal Enfields in a range of classic designs, and with an emphasis on safety, it’s a great place to learn to ride (lessons from Rs 3500). It also offers motorcycle tours around Nepal, and rents bikes from Rs 600 per day.
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Sunrise Paragliding
Paragliding from the top of Sarangkot must be one of the most exciting experiences in the Himalaya. Sunrise Paragliding offers 30-minute flights exploring the thermals above Sarangkot (US$75) and one-hour cross-country jumps across the valley north towards Annapurna (US$120).
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Intercultural Training & Research Centre
This well-respected language centre works with many NGOs, including the UK’s Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). It offers crash courses (three hours), 60-hour beginner courses and six-week intermediate courses. Tuition is one-on-one and costs around Rs 350 per hour. Contact Parbati Shrestha.
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Buddhist Monasteries Tour
Since the founding of the Lumbini Development Zone in 1978, Buddhist nations from around the world have constructed extravagant monasteries around the birthplace of the Buddha. Each reflects the unique interpretation of Buddhism of its home nation and together the monasteries create a fascinating map of world Buddhist philosophy.
The site is extremely spread out, so hire a bicycle in Lumbini Bazar or rent one of the waiting rickshaws at the entrance to the archaeological zone. Unless otherwise stated, all the monasteries are open daily during daylight hours.
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Banu’s Total Fitness
A decent health club for aerobics addicts is Banu’s Total Fitness, hidden down an alleyway southeast of the New Royal Palace. There are aerobics classes at 7am, 10.30am (women only) and 5.30pm, and regular yoga lessons (Rs 1500 per month). A visit costs Rs 200 for nonmembers, or Rs 375 with cardio machines and sauna.
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Seeing Hands Nepal
Seeing Hands Nepal has professionally trained blind Nepali therapists, who with a heightened sense of perception and touch provide excellent Swedish-style massages. Run by volunteers, Seeing Hands does excellent work in supporting Nepali blind people in a society where they’re often marginalised.
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Blue Sky Paragliding
Paragliding from the top of Sarangkot must be one of the most exciting experiences in the Himalaya. Blue Sky Paragliding is one of the big operators.
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Lake Breeze Gym
Fitness freaks wanting more exercise than walking up and down mountains can head to Lake Breeze Gym near the lake.
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Himalayan Golf
Golfers can have a hit at Himalayan Golf, about 7km east of Pokhara.
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Old Town Walking Tour
The Patan Tourist Development Organisation has developed a fascinating walk that winds its way through the complex interlinked courtyards and laneways of the old town. The walk starts at the Patan Dhoka, ends at Durbar Sq and takes about an hour. The route gives a great insight into the communal lifestyle and traditional structure of Newari villages, with their many bahal (courtyards), hiti (water tanks) and tun (wells).
It's great fun diving through the tunnelled passageways into hidden courtyards.
The walk is described in more detail in a recommended small booklet entitled Patan Walkabout (Rs 100). The booklet is hard to find these days but you might be able to get a…
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Walking Tours
For the visitor, Bhaktapur is really a town of one curving road - the old trade route to Tibet - that links several squares. Traffic free, the traditionally intact town is also in many ways the most timeless and is perfect for walking around. The cobblestone streets link a string of temples, monastery courtyards and monumental squares, and the sidestreets are peppered with shrines, wells and water tanks at every turn.
The lack of traffic makes walking through Bhaktapur a particular pleasure and certainly more enjoyable than walking in Kathmandu.
The town's cultural life is also vibrant, with centuries-old traditions of craftsmanship and strong communities of potters,…
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Doongas
If the commercialism of Lakeside gets too much, just head out onto the calm waters of Phewa Tal. Colourful wooden Doongas are available for rent at several boat stations, including near the city bus stand and next to the Fewa Hotel. Rates start at Rs200 per hour with a boatman, or Rs140/Rs500 per hour/day if you row yourself. You can also rent plastic pedalos (Rs250 per hour) and miniature sailboats (Rs200 per hour). If you are boating alone near Damside, keep well away from the dam wall.
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Kahun Danda
A good hike is the three-hour trip to the viewpoint at Kahun Danda (Seti River) on the east side of the Seti River. There's a modern viewing tower on the crest of the hill, built over the ruins of an 18th century kot (hill-fort). The easiest trail to follow begins near the Manipal Teaching Hospital in Phulbari - ask for directions at the base of the hill. You can also get up here by pony. One of the most popular walks around Pokhara is the trip to the World Peace Pagoda.
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Borderlands Resort
Tucked away in a bend of the Bhote Kosi River, 97km from Kathmandu, the superb Borderlands Resort is one of Nepal’s top adventure resorts. Adrenaline-charged activities include rafting, trekking and canyoning but you can also just kick back and enjoy the peace and quiet. The resort is centred on an attractive bar and dining area, surrounded by luxury thatch-roofed safari tents dotted around a lush tropical garden.
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Nepal Vipassana Centre
Ten-day retreats are held twice a month (starting on the 1st and 14th of the month) at its centre northeast of Kathmandu, just north of Budhanilkantha, and there are also occasional shorter courses. These are serious meditation courses that involve rising at 4am every morning, not talking or making eye contact with anyone over 10 days, and not eating after midday. The fee is donation only.
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Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme
Recently, a number of traditional villages around Lumbini have been developed for grassroots tourism as part of the Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme. The project is just getting off the ground but several of the lodges and hotels around the Development Zone now run village tours with a focus on traditional lifestyles and livelihoods. Call for more details.
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Himalayan Buddhist Meditation Centre
This friendly place offers guided meditations and talks on Tibetan Buddhism, with free lectures Monday to Friday at 8.30am and 5.30pm and Saturday dharma lectures with teachers from Kopan Monastery (Rs 400 with lunch; register in advance). The centre also offers yoga and reiki classes, a vegetarian restaurant, a library and a film night every Friday.
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Cosmic Brontosaurus Language School
Offering individual or group lessons from beginner to advanced, the rather primitive classroom in a wooden shack along the lake is surrounded by banana plants and is the perfect spot to learn Nepali. With seven years’ experience working with the UN as a translator, Prem, who runs the school, is a lovely guy.
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Centre for Buddhist Studies
The Centre for Buddhist Studies, based at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute, is part of Kathmandu University and offers a two-month Tibetan-language course (US$2180) from mid-June, with accommodation provided with local Tibetan families; it also offers longer university-accredited courses.
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Panditarama International Vipassana Meditation Centre
Starting at the Eternal Flame (just north of the Maya Devi Temple), follow the dirt road along the west bank of the pond to the Panditarama International Vipassana Meditation Centre, where serious practitioners of meditation can study for a nominal donation.
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