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Introducing Gokarna Forest
At Gokarna, 4km east of Bodhnath, the 18-hole Gokarna Forest Golf Resort (4451212; www.gokarna.com) is one of the finest in South Asia. The Gleneagles-designed course has a beautiful setting in a 470-acre former royal hunting reserve - one of the valley's few remaining forested areas. An 18 hole round costs about US$40/50 for weekdays/weekend, plus club hire (US$10), shoes (US$5) and a caddy (US$3).
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The resort's Harmony Spa (7am-8pm) at Le Meridian offers a range of top-end massages, Ayurvedic treatments and wraps from staff trained in Thailand (try an hour's tamarind and oatmeal polish for US$25). US$20 gets you a day pass for the gym, pool, sauna and Jacuzzi; on Saturdays you get a barbeque lunch thrown in for free. Half-day spa packages start at Rs 3000.
In front of the Harmony Spa entrance is a 200-year old pipal tree, where the Buddha (played by Keanu Reeves, of all people) in Bertolucci's film Little Buddha was tempted by the demon Mara and called the earth to witness his victory. Not a lot of people know that…
Le Meridian also arranges forest walks (Rs 250 for a guide) within the reserve to the Bandevi (Forest Goddess) Temple and elephant steps, or to the Gokarna Mahadev Temple.
Last updated: Mar 2, 2009
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