Showing 1-21 of 21 results
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Bhimsen Temple
Head north on Bhairab Tole to reach the small two-tiered Bhimsen Temple, a two hundred-year-old shrine to the Newari god of trade and commerce, decorated with erotic carvings. The surrounding square is full of shops selling baskets and ceramics.
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Bindhya Basini Temple
Founded in the 17th century, the Bindhya Basini Temple is sacred to Durga, the warlike incarnation of Parvati, worshipped here in the form of a saligram (ammonite fossil).
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Devi's Falls
Devi's Falls marks the point where the Pardi Khola stream vanishes underground. When the stream is at full bore, the sound of the water plunging over the falls is deafening, but the concrete walkways don't add much to the atmosphere. According to locals, the name is a corruption of David's Falls, a reference to a Swiss visitor who tumbled into the sinkhole and drowned, taking his girlfriend with him!
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Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave
Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave contains a huge stalagmite worshiped as a Shiva lingam. The standard ticket only covers the temple, but you can pay extra to clamber through a low tunnel behind the shrine, emerging in a damp cavern behind the thundering waters of Devi's Falls. If you look at the ceiling of the cave, you can see branches and other detritus, forced into cracks by the force of the waters when the cave floods every monsoon.
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Gurkha Museum
Housed in a new building just north of Mahendra Pul, near the KI Singh Bridge, the Gurkha Museum focuses on the history and achievements of the famous Gurkha regiment.
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Himalaya
Most people come to Nepal for the Himalaya and Pokhara is one of the best places to get an up close view of the peaks. From west to east, the peaks are Hiunchuli (6441m), Annapurna I (8091m), Machhapuchhare (6997m), Annapurna III (7555m), Annapurna IV (7525m) and Annapurna II (7937m). The dramatic Annapurna Massif looms over the city and the lake. There are few places in town where you can't see one or other of the snow-capped peaks jutting up into the clear blue sky.
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International Mountain Museum
The newest cultural offering in Pokhara, the International Mountain Museum is devoted to the mountains of Nepal and the mountaineers who climbed them. Inside you can see original gear from many of the first Himalayan ascents, as well as displays on the history, culture, geology and flora and fauna of the Himalaya. The museum is south of the airstrip near the Himalaya Eye Hospital - a taxi from Lakeside will cost around US$400 return.
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Karma Dubgyu Chokhorling Monastery
Overlooking Pokhara on the east side of the Seti River, the huge Karma Dubgyu Chokhorling Monastery is worth visiting just for the views. The main prayer hall has a gilded statue of Sakyamuni (the historical Buddha) and there are more Buddhist statues in the monastery gardens.
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Mt Machhapuchhare
The Himalaya skyline is dominated by Mt Machhapuchhare ('Fish Tail' in Nepali) - at 6997m, it's actually one of the smaller peaks of the Annapurna Range, but it looks taller as it's closer to Pokhara. If you walk for a few days along the Jomsom Trek you'll see the second summit that gives the mountain its name, hidden away behind the main peak.
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Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is devoted to the natural history of the Pokhara region. Local wildlife is represented by preserved specimens and some kooky-looking concrete models.
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Newari houses
At the intersection with Nala Mukh, check out the Newari houses with decorative brickwork and carved wooden windows.
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Phewa Tal
Spreading majestically westwards from Pokhara, Phewa Tal is the second-largest lake in Nepal. On calm days, the mountains of the Annapurna Range are perfectly reflected in the mirrored surface of the tal . Away from the shore, the water is clean and deep and the dense forest along the south side of the lake provides shelter for brilliant white egrets. The best way to appreciate Phewa Tal is by rowboat.
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Phusre Khola Gorge
In the same area, you can get a dramatic view of the much larger Phusre Khola Gorge from the Phewa Power House - the track to the power station leaves the Butwal Hwy just south of Pardi Birauta Chowk, near the small road bridge. Locals come here in the afternoons to watch planes performing giddying turns as they come in to land at Pokhara's tiny airport.
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Pokhara Regional Museum
The interesting little Pokhara Regional Museum is devoted to the history and culture of the Pokhara valley, including the mystical shamanic beliefs followed by the original inhabitants of the Pokhara Valley. There's an additional fee for cameras and video cameras. In winter, the museum closes an hour earlier, except on Fridays.
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Sarangkot
The view of the Annapurna Himalaya from Sarangkot is almost a religious experience. From here, you can see a panoramic sweep of Himalayan peaks, from Dhaulagiri (8167m) in the west to the perfect pyramid of Machhapuchhare (6997m) and the rounded peak of Annapurna II (7937m) in the east. At dawn and dusk, the sun picks out the peaks in brilliant colours.
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Seti River
The roaring Seti River passes right through Pokhara, but you won't see it unless you go looking. The river has carved a deep, narrow gorge through the middle of town, turning the water milky white in the process. At points, the gorge is less than a metre across and the river gushes by more than 50m below street level. The best place to catch a glimpse of the Seti River is the park near the KI Singh Bridge, just north of old Pokhara on the road to Batulechaur.
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Tamu Kohibo Museum
This small but intriguing Tamu Kohibo Museum is dedicated to the culture and customs of the Gurung (Tamu) people, the indigenous inhabitants of the Pokhara Valley, who follow a mix of animist, Shamanistic and Bonist beliefs, brought here from Tibet in the days before Buddhism. To get here, cross the river via the small bridge just south of Mahendra Pul and head for the cluster of white towers on the side of the gorge.
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Tashi Ling Tibetan Village
Heading southwest from Pokhara on the road to Butwal, you'll come to. There are several shops selling momos and Tibetan carpets and handicrafts, plus the small Shree Gaden Dargay Ling Gompa.
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Tashi Palkhel
The largest Tibetan settlement is Tashi Palkhel, a few kilometres north of Pokhara on the road to Baglung. The colourful Jangchub Choeling Gompa in the middle of the village is home to around 100 monks and masked dances are held here in January/February as part of the annual Losar (Tibetan New Year) celebrations. To reach the gompa you have to run the gauntlet past an arcade of persistent handicraft vendors.
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Varahi Mandir
Pokhara's most famous Hindu temple, the two-tiered pagoda-style Varahi Mandir. Founded in the 18th century, the temple is dedicated to Vishnu in his boar incarnation, but it's been extensively renovated over the years.
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World Peace Pagoda
Balanced on a narrow ridge high above Phewa Tal, the brilliant-white World Peace Pagoda was constructed by Buddhist monks from the Japanese Nipponzan Myohoji organisation. There are three paths up to the pagoda and several small cafes once you arrive. Sadly, there have been muggings on the trails in the past. Check the latest situation before you head off.
Showing 1-21 of 21 results
