Pokhara, Nepal
Phewa Lake
Our impressions of Pokhara
Naturally beautiful: Of the three cities we visited in Nepal, Pokhara was the most beautiful. The Lakeside area of the city, which mainly consists of small bars, restaurants, and shops, sits right up against Phewa Lake with a backdrop of the Annapurna mountain range (Pokhara is the gateway to trekking in Annapurna)
Relaxed: Outside of the Lakeside area of the city, the remaining shores of the lake are relatively undeveloped making it feel more like a quaint lake town than a busy city of a half a million people (at least in this part of the city). This, combined with the yoga, spas, and general laid back attitude of Pokhara provided a tranquil setting, especially relative to what we experienced in Kathmandu. An ideal place to end a trek and decompress for a few days
Granola: The lake, Buddhist influence, and yoga and spas combine to create an ideal place for the modern day Hippie or Yogi. This atmosphere manifested in certain tourists meditating alongside the lake and many cafes serving up smoothie bowls.
What we saw in Pokhara
VIP Super Deluxe Sofa Bus: As we had read and heard through the experience of our French-Dutch friends in Tajikistan, these buses outfitted with La-Z-Boy sofa chairs are a common and must-do mode of transportation between Kathmandu and Pokhara. We opted for one of the countless options and enjoyed what turned out to be a long but comfortable 9-hour drive (the roads in Nepal are awful with never-ending construction). An unexpected highlight was the delicious Dal Bhat buffet we enjoyed along the river at a popular roadside stop
Lakeside stroll: The night we arrived, we decided to walk by Phewa Lake on our way to dinner at the Roadhouse Cafe to check out the views and if anything was going on. We were pleasantly surprised to see that there was a lovely walking path following the lake on one side and lakeside bars and restaurants on the other. It was buzzing, so we spent some time walking on the path admiring the couples and groups of locals enjoying an evening on the lake. We spontaneously popped into a lakeside bar with live music that evening and also returned the following morning to soak in the views of the hand carved boats dotting the shoreline when the path was much less crowded
Paragliding: Pokhara is synonymous with Paragliding in Nepal, so this was a must-do activity for us. It was a slow start – the provider picked us and a few others up from our hotels and dropped us off at their office to fill out forms and wait around for another ride to the launch site. This took ~45 minutes which had one Quebecois man in our group quite frustrated (“is this just one big waiting activity? Plan A is not working… so, Plan B!”). Nepal requires some patience (and there is rarely a “Plan B”), which this man did not seem to have. The wait was worth it – within 15 minutes of arriving at the launch site we were flying high over Pokhara and Phewa Lake. Not quite as thrilling as Jessie’s favorite activity (skydiving), but a nice way to spend a few hours nonetheless
Jiva Cafe and Spa day: In addition to its adventure activities, Pokhara is also known for its spas and relaxing atmosphere. After 2 weeks of trekking and sleeping in tea houses we were eager for some R&R. Jessie found this promising, lakeside spa through research so we decided to give it a try. It was lovely – we spent a few hours receiving body scrubs, Ayurvedic massages, facials and a manicure/pedicure for Jessie. Our first spa visit together and the perfect way to rejuvenate and explore the more relaxed side of Pokhara
Where we ate and drank
Sunset Beach Cafe & Lounge: We saw a band setting up outside a neat looking bar and cafe while walking along the lakeside path the night we arrived so decided to stop in. We got set up at a lovely table and ordered a drink and some momos to snack on while the band got started. The music was awesome and the band played great covers of popular songs by Pearl Jam, Coldplay, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. We had been missing the live music scene of the US, so this was a welcome surprise in a beautiful setting
Roadhouse Cafe: Sitting in Roadhouse Cafe, you wouldn’t know whether you were in a new, hip Lincoln Park restaurant in the heart of a Chicago summer or Pokhara, Nepal. It was far and away the most hip/trendy place we went to in Nepal (hence the touristy nature of the place) and best known for its wood fired pizzas. The main draw for Jessie and I was the ability to build our favorite Parlor Pizza creation from Chicago (jalapeño, red onion, truffle oil), which maybe would have stumped us in a blind taste test between the two (read: it was delicious)
Jasmine Thai Restaurant: We walked by this Thai restaurant on the main drag in the lakeside area and decided to give it a try as we were craving Thai food (without cell service to validate the decision on ratings/reviews). We had a nice upstairs table overlooking the lake and dined on some chili tofu, red curry and pad thai. Overall, it was a solid Thai feast to “Thai” us over until Thailand
Blues Bar: We noticed many bars in Pokhara along the lake were serving IPAs on draft (a rarity in Nepal) from Nepal’s first and only craft brewery “Sherpa Brewery”. We were set on enjoying one for happy hour on the lake, so circled back to a fun looking bar at the end of the path we noticed the previous day. It was the perfect place to enjoy a cold pint (or two) as the sun set, snack on some chips chilly (basically, fries coated in a spicy tomato-based sauce with chopped pepper and onion), and write about our travels. We also befriended the man working the restaurant who knew how to play dhumbal, so enjoyed a few games while we sipped our brews
The Office: Feeling good from the sunset beers at Blues Bar, we decided we would “hop” to one more bar before dinner and began walking back up the main drag to find our next spot. This spot would become “The Office”, which felt reminiscent of a Colorado dive bar with a few round tables and small stage set up for live music. We ordered another IPA (which again quickly became two), befriended the local musicians sitting at the table adjacent to us, and played a few games of dhumbal (everyone in Nepal seems to know it!). A few games in, one of the artists took the stage and started performing with his acoustic guitar – not a bad way to spend a few hours
Aozora Japanese Restaurant: Feeling some type of way from our mini bar crawl, we decided to dine at the Japanese restaurant we noticed walking to and from our place everyday. The food wasn’t anything to write home about, but we did have fun singing “Rock and Roll All Night” by Kiss at one point
Where we stayed
Bar Peepal: This was a lovely boutique hotel sitting atop a hillside with beautiful views of Pokhara and Phewa Lake. During our honeymoon splurge in Nepal, this hotel was on the nicer end of the spectrum for our stays – they upgraded us on arrival for our honeymoon to a rose petal decorated room with a balcony and awesome view of the lake and city. Bar Peepal also had a fantastic breakfast buffet that we looked forward to taking advantage of every morning, including Indian favorites like Chole Bhatura and a made-to-order omelette bar
After reading all of your latest entries, I think Thailand was the perfect destination for me to visit . I doubt I could have handled all the adventures you participated in. To be young again!!!
Thailand must have been a restful vacation compared to all your adventures.
Loved reading all about them. Lots of love. Mimi
We think it was the perfect place for you too, but have no doubt you could handle any adventure thrown your way! The most impressive almost 80-year old. We love you, Mashi 🙂