Pokhara, the second largest city in Nepal, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places a backpacker can discover in the foothills of the Himalayas. It is located by the picturesque Phewa Tal Lake and overlooks the majestic Annapurna Range. It offers the ideal combination for the adventure you have dreamed of. This is where tourists and climbers come to recharge their batteries after demanding expeditions. This place will absorb you with its relaxed atmosphere. It is such a pleasant and peaceful resort. Unlike Kathmandu, which is full of smog and noise, it is more like a tourist paradise.
In the 17th century, Pokhara was a minor trade route connecting Tibet. After the Malla kings completed the road connecting the city to the Kathmandu Valley, Newari traders settled in Pokhara and brought the Newari style of architecture and design. This area of Pokhara became a major trade and commercial zone 300 years ago.
But now the situation has changed. The merchants have long since left. Most of the business sector has moved south to the capital. The department stores have become apartment buildings. Unfortunately, the government has demolished the old buildings and built new ones in their place, and over the past 50 years, most of the historic bazaar has disappeared. There are now dozens of hotels in the city, from cheap hostels for backpackers to more luxurious hotels for more demanding clients. I chose the golden mean because I needed to rest after the trek and I also wanted to use a normal toilet that wouldn’t be in the hallway. Well, I’m getting old! 🙂
OASIS FOR BACKPACKERS
For me, Pokhara is a place where everything I love about traveling meets. Exotic surroundings, good food, streets full of various goods, and nice and smiling people. So if you are looking for a combination of beautiful nature, adventure, and authenticity, you are in the right place. Many people come here for trekking, relaxing by the lake, or want to experience a little adrenaline while paragliding. I rested here after a trek around Annupuren and I couldn’t have chosen a better place. I am sure that Pokhara will definitely not disappoint you. So let’s take a look at what you can experience and see here!
PHEWA TAL LAKE
Pokhara lies at an altitude of 800 meters on the shores of Lake Phewa Tal and its location shows how quickly Nepal transitions from a subtropical environment to a realm of eternal winter and ice. It is only 25 kilometers to the eight-thousander peaks of Annapurna and Manaslu, so the dominant mountains provide a beautiful backdrop to the city on clear days. Lake Phewa Tal has deep cultural and religious significance. In the middle of the lake is a small island with the Tal Barahi temple, which is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Barahi. This temple is an important place for locals and pilgrims.
Visitors can reach the temple by boat, which is a popular activity for tourists who want to enjoy a peaceful cruise on the lake while paying homage to the goddess.
BOAT RENTAL
Renting a boat on Phewa Tal is affordable and you have plenty of options to choose from and enjoy a leisurely cruise on the lake. The cost of renting a motorboat or a traditional wooden boat is usually around NPR 800-2500 per hour for a small boat (approximately 4 people). If you want to enjoy a relaxing cruise with a guide, the cost per hour with a local captain is around NPR 1620-3200. The price may vary depending on the season, local conditions and the specific offer.
The walk around the lake is very pleasant and you will meet a lot of people who are just walking around and taking pictures with the boats. I have a lot of selfies from here, but unfortunately they are not publishable because we just returned from the trek and my whole face was burned and my lips were very chapped. There are many restaurants and cafes along the river with a view of the lake, where you can enjoy Nepalese specialties or international dishes. It is also pleasant in the evening, when everything is nicely lit with small lights like at Christmas. You just have to count on mosquitoes, who are ready to make your life miserable.
INDIAN FOOTPRINT
A whole range of establishments here offer my favourite Indian cuisine. Of course, in the case of such a vast country as India, one cannot speak of a relatively uniform cuisine, which makes it all the more interesting how varied the Indian gastronomic scene can be even in a Nepalese city. You will find typical North Indian bistros, modest restaurants where you can have my favourite Tandoori chicken. which I probably eated to every day.
This famous Indian dish is baked in a special oven, which is usually a circular oven about 1 meter high, where it is heated with charcoal and the meat is roasted on skewers. It is also used to bake naan bread. Yummy! 🙂
TIBETAN FOOTPRINT
There is a Tibetan community in Pokhara. They sell their products here. If you want to buy really cheap souvenirs in Pokhara, visit the Tibetan store TIBETAN GIFT SHOP. You will find bags, Himalayan tea, scarves, singing bowls and much more. The gentleman who sells here has prices so low that there is no point in bargaining. So you can buy as many gifts as you want.
I rummaged through wooden statues, prayer wheels, Tibetan bowls and also colorful thangkas (traditional Buddhist paintings), which are certainly beautiful memories of Nepal. In the end, the inscription NAMASTE, which takes pride of place on the shelf in the kitchen, won.
SASTO BAZAR
The name Sasto Bazar translates to “cheap market,” and that’s exactly what you can expect here. This bustling market is a magnet for locals and travelers looking to buy clothes or souvenirs at affordable prices. You’ll buy traditional Nepalese clothes and scarves here – warm wool sweaters, hand-woven shawls, and brightly colored skirts that will add an exotic touch to your wardrobe. The question is, can you wear them in Europe? Either way, you’ll look like a hippie.
You can also find various electronics and accessories here, the durability of which I doubt. But if you don’t have money and want to take a risk, you can buy a power bank, batteries, sunglasses or solar chargers. All of these can come in handy when traveling. Or you can find various gadgets for the kitchen here.
I honestly enjoyed the part of the market where vegetables, fruit and various spices are sold the most. It is common for people from rural areas to go to a hypermarket to buy vegetables. They drive dozens of kilometers for this. They usually buy food sealed in plastic from the other side of Europe. In Nepal, it is different. Since vegetables and legumes make up the majority of the diet of an ordinary Nepalese, they must be easily accessible and, above all, fresh. Every village has a small or larger market. The competition and therefore the offer is really great.
In the countryside, most vegetables come from the immediate vicinity. In the cities, however, large suppliers supply central warehouses like anywhere else in the world. However, the offer and quality are still richer than here. Nepalese are demanding customers. You can often see a scene at the market where buyers debate the price, take over and choose the best. In the end, they may even beat the wilted vegetables over the head of the market vendors. This is something that our sellers do not know at all. Can you imagine a similar scene in one of the Czech hypermarkets? 🙂 Different emotions reign here!
Říkejte tomu jak chcete, ale nepálské trhy jsou světem samy o sobě. Mají jasná pravidla. I když se nám Evropanům na první pohled mohou zdát zmatené a špinavé. Není to tak úplně pravda. Ano, na zemi je špína a odpadky se hážou přímo pod nohy. Často to tu páchne. Stěny by potřebovaly vymalovat. Ale večer vždy někdo přijde, vše zamete a vyšplíchá vodou. A další den tu zas najdete čerstvou zeleninu, ovoce a koření.
Sasto Bazaar is truly an experience. Imagine narrow alleys full of stalls, where vendors loudly hawk their wares and haggling is an integral part of the shopping process. On every corner, the smell of street food – momos (stuffed dumplings), fresh samosas or sweet jalebis – wafts through the air. Cyclists weave their way here and there, and the dinging of rickshaws adds an even more authentic atmosphere to the market.
But once you experience the colors, the variety, and the atmosphere of all the Asian markets, you will never be satisfied in the Western temples of consumerism. Something is simply missing.
MY TIP:
Tips for shopping at Sasto Bazaar:
- Bargain! – Prices are often inflated, so don’t be afraid to haggle, you can usually get the price down by half.
- Check the quality – It’s worth checking things out carefully, especially when it comes to outdoor gear.
- Pay in cash – Most merchants don’t take cards, so have some Nepalese rupees ready.
- Go in the morning – The market tends to get very busy in the afternoon, so it’s worth arriving early if you want to shop in peace.
The magic of Nepali and Indian cuisine lies primarily in spices. Their dishes can be spicy, but in a way that does not overshadow the natural taste of the ingredients in the dish. Ginger, curry, coriander or turmeric make dishes exceptional mainly because they stimulate appetite, warm the body and contain many beneficial substances. Some are even being studied for their positive effects as a prevention against cancer or mental illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Here you can also buy great Ilam tea, saffron, cardamom or traditional masala for making tea at home.
WOMEN SKILLS DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION CENTRE
I really like to support organizations where I think it makes sense and I see some results. During my trip to Asia, I came across a lot of women’s organizations that aim to improve the status of women. All of these women come from poor backgrounds, but they are extremely skilled. They make beautiful handmade products that you just want to have at home or bring home to give as gifts to someone. I visited one such shop in Pokhara (they also have a branch in Kathmandu). It is called the Center for Women’s Skill Development Organization and is registered under the government of Nepal.
This is a Fair Trade organization that has been operating since 1975 as a non-profit and profit-making program to support women who are facing severe and significant social and economic hardships. They are variously disabled, abused, widowed, divorced, single, orphaned or women of discriminated caste. The women receive free training and can participate in the various steps of making WSDO handwoven and handcrafted products. It is not a cheap thing. These are really very nice products that are of really good quality.
The production process is long and requires a lot of time and hard work. First, the cotton has to be boiled, washed, dyed (if possible with natural products such as tea, iron, copper, persimmon, pomegranate and Nepalese hops) and washed again. After drying in the sun, the cotton is rolled and set before it is ready for weaving. Meanwhile, products are designed and woven fabrics are then cut and sewn into some beautiful object. Finally, each individual item undergoes strict quality control before it is packaged, shipped, and sold in the local or overseas market. So by the time the products are ready for purchase, they have gone through 12 different steps and the production took at least a week.
What I like about the whole project is that they teach even the poorest and illiterate women to learn a skill. And I’m always happy to support such things.
There are a million other things you can do in Pokhara, from paddleboarding to paragliding, but if I may give you some advice, just walk around Pokhara and enjoy it. And also support the locals! 🙂
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