You’ve probably never heard of Pokhara, but this picturesque little city is actually the third largest in Nepal. A tourist magnet, Pokhara is a base camp for tourists heading into the Himalayas and a place for backpackers trekking the Annapurna circuit to relax and enjoy some creature comforts before hitting the trail again.

Pokhara caters to the adventurous with knock-off gear shops galore, a paragliding school, and plenty of guides willing to take you along on whitewater rafting trips or jungle safaris. However, the city is not just for adrenaline junkies. The picture-perfect scenery and relaxed atmosphere makes it a great place to “just be.”

Pokhara is located along the deep blue waters of Phewa Tal, Nepal’s second-largest lake, so if you really want to get away from it all for an afternoon, rent a boat and take to the water. According to Lonely Planet, there are also some gorgeous caves and waterfalls in the hills surrounding the city that are fairly accessible.

Of course, in Nepal, “accessible” is a relative term. Nothing good comes easily, and that definitely applies to Pokhara. It used to be open to hikers only – now, you can get there by bus or plane, but you may find yourself on the edge of your seat the whole time. Gadling explains:

“Rather than hiking into Pokhara like the hippies of yore, you can take the bus from Kathmandu. Advertised time is seven hours, but the reality is often closer to ten. Accidents are sadly all too commonplace, so be advised that personal safety is no guarantee. Those wary of long bus rides can fly on one of Nepal’s domestic airlines: Yeti Air, Buddha Air or Agri Air. Flight time is less than one hour, and the views below are nothing less than stunning. As a disclaimer however, all three airlines have less than stellar crash records.”

On second thought, perhaps there are advantages to hoofing it…

To visit Pokhara, you’ll need a passport and a Nepal visa. You can either get your Nepal visa ahead of time or apply on arrival. For details on how to do so, see Nepal Visa Requirements for Tourists.

If you decide to get your visa ahead of time, RushMyTravelVisa can help. Let us research your itinerary, help you with the paperwork and get your Nepal visa processed as quickly as possible!

Tags: Nepal, Nepal visa

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 12th, 2011 at 9:29 pm and is filed under Destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.