Picture Pretty Pokhara

Pokhara is a lakeside town that serves as the base for hikes and treks to the Himalaya. This town's cool climate and serene lake and mountain views makes also for a relaxing holiday. After the chaos of Kathmandu and Chitwan's tiring jungle treks, I was so happy to be in Pokhara.

Was lucky to find a small hotel where I got a room with a real picture pretty view of the beautiful Lake Pweha and its surrounding mountains. Unfortunately, it was the end of monsoon. The snow capped Annapurna Range and Mt. Machhapuchhare (fish tail in nepali) were covered with clouds and not visible. Had only a glimpse of this dramatic mountain scenery on the morning of my departure from Pokhara. Perhaps, intended to provide a reason for me to visit Nepal again if only to complete my Pokhara experience.

Spent most of my 4 days stay in Pokhara resting, reading, and enjoying the tranquil scenery. Did also a half day tour of the sights ( Seti River Gorge, Devi's Falls, Tibetan Settlements, and the Old Town) around the town. But these places were not really impressive and not worth the exorbitant fare that taxis are charging for the around 2 hour trip.

Chitwan's Elephant Safari: The Real Thing

Was not excited about taking the elephant safari which was part of the package tour that I took in Chitwan. This was because I previously did a jungle elephant safari in Chang Mai in Thailand which was not great. The elephant just went around a river which run parallel to a hill and that was it.

Furthermore, the jungle walk that we did in the morning in Chitwan was a disappointment. We walked for 4 hours in the jungle and saw only monkeys, and foot prints of a tiger according to our guide.

The elephant ride turned out to be the best part of my Chitwan holiday. We were taken to a real jungle and saw at a vantage point seated on top of the elephant, Nepal's wildlife including one horned indian rhinoceros, spotted deer, crocodiles, and monkeys. This experience is one of highlights of my Nepal vacation.

Sunny Days at Chitwan

Chitwan is the only place that I went to in Nepal where I perspired a lot. It is hot and humid during the day in this Unesco World Heritage Site. Chitwan is famous as a premier wildlife national park in Asia.

I did not enjoy my stay in Chitwan because of the intense heat and the fact that the landscape is similar to the tropical forests of the Philippines. Activities here include visits to a Tharu village of local people and elephant breeding station, jungle walk, elephant safari, and a Tharu cultural show in the evening.

Nonetheless it is still worth a short visit if only to experience the elephant safari which will be the subject of my next feature.

Bodhnath Beckons

A short 30 minute walk from Pashupatinath is the impressive Bodhnath. Centerpiece of Bodhnath is the best and biggest stupa in Nepal. In ancient times, traders from Lhasa, Kathmandu, and Tibet made a stopover here to pray for a safe journey before climbing the Himalaya.

At present, Bodhnath remains to be an important religious site where Buddhist pilgrims continue to make their clockwise circumnavigation of the dome. As in the other stupas, there are prayer wheels which the Buddhist turn around clockwise with their hands to remind them of the law of karma, "what goes around, comes around".

There are cafes and restaurants around the stupa providing tourists opportunity to leisurely observe the rich and authentic religious rites that Bodhnath is known for.