I went boating, paragliding, bicycling and shopping. I also visited all the places that tourists normally visit in Pokhara. This post highlights the other attractions of Pokhara besides Phewa Lake. The sunrise at Sarangkot Hill and The Himalayan Range are very impressive but many of Pokhara's other attractions listed here aren't that spectacular and something you will not miss much even if skipped. Since we had all the time in the world and knowing we would not be coming back here, what better way to spend our time in Pokhara than to see the best that Pokhara has to offer.
Sunrise At Sarangkot Hill
Is it worth the hassle forcing yourself out of bed before 5 am just to watch the sun rising?
The answer is yes if you are in Pokhara and watching sunrise from Sarangkot Hill. Sarangkot is a small hill located at an altitude of 1600 meters just 13 km from the city. It is known for a few things namely as the launching site for paragliders, as the best place to view sunrise in Pokhara and as a viewpoint over the local villages and the Annapurna mountain range.
For this activity, you will have to wake up early if you are staying at the lakeside since it takes half an hour to drive to the viewing point on the hill. Sunrise can be viewed from the gazetted viewpoint which is actually the rooftop of a cafeteria or from a higher altitude around where the paragliding site is. [Sunrise was at 6.07am during my visit]
You can see tourists of many nationalities all ready with their cameras to get snapshots of this 'famous sunrise'.
What's so special about the sunrise here is you get to see the whole round ball rising from the beautiful layers of hills and a pink one at that.
In addition to the superb sunrise, the sweeping panorama of the The Himalayan Range with its snow capped peaks was majestic and breathtaking.
Devi's Fall
Devi's Fall is peculiar in the sense that the water cascaded down and disappeared underground. Unfortunately you don't get an unobstructed view of the fall as there is a fence around it.
Seti Gorge is a very deep and narrow chasm where Seti River runs at the bottom. It appears to be lost amongst caves and tunnels for a short distance.
Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave
Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave is located right in the middle of a very busy town along the Pokhara-Tansen road. There is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva inside this 600 year old cave which was unfortunately closed due to The Festival Of Lights. What we saw was just the spiral stairways leading to the entrance of the cave.
Tashi Palkhiel Tibetan Refugee Camp
There are 4 main refugee camps in Pokhara and we visited one of them.
Jangchub Choeling monastery is located within the camp and the camp as a whole looks more like a place of devotion as the dwellers appeared very deeply entrenched in their own world of Buddhism and its spiritualism.
We spent very little time here. It's like walking one round and then exiting.
World Peace Stupa is located at an altitude of 1100 meters on Anadu Hill. It is one of Pokhara's top attractions and a popular tourist destination. This Buddhist pagoda-style monument is 115 feet tall and 344 feet in diameter and and is reachable by climbing a couple hundreds of steps.
The hill on which the stupa stands is also a good viewpoint over the city of Pokhara.
What attracts me most is the field of wild flowers on the stupa ground.
The Himalayan Mountain Views
More alluring to me than most of the attractions listed above are the views of the Himalayan Mountains with the snow capped peaks while driving through the villages and small towns. Below are some snapshots taken from a moving van.
1. Nagarkot -The Himalayan Views, Sunset And Sunrise
2. Nagarkot - The Village
3 Nagarkot - Staying In Club Himalaya
4. Bhaktapur - The Arrival & Bhaktapur Durbar Square
5. Bhaktapur - Pottery Square & Taumadhi Square
6. Bhaktapur - Walking Back In Time Photo Gallery
7. Road Journey From Bhaktapur/Kathmandu To Pokhara
8. About Pokhara And Where To Stay
9 .Boating At Phewa Lake, Pokhara
10.Paragliding In Pokhara
11. Pokhara Attractions
12. Bicycling In Pokhara
13.Glimpses Of kathmandu. (Photo Gallery)
14 Kathmandu's Top Attractions
No comments :
Post a Comment