POKHARA NEPAL

POKHARA, NEPAL

Pokhara is like an oasis in the dessert after one has been in Kathmandu, little traffic, few horns blowing, cattle wandering up the streets and clear air with unobstructed views of the lake, mountains and sky. Of course there are many restaurants, bars and guesthouses to cater for the many tourists who flock here before and after trekking as this is the place to be in preparation for hiking the Annapurna mountains or to Everest Base Camp.

I stayed downtown for a few days before going up a mountain halfway to a lovely hideaway called the Castle. It is owned by an Irishman Joe and a lovely Portugese lady Sofie who rightly describe it as a paradise. There s perfect little rooms in the round, a swimming pool, a bar named Brannigans, really good food and wonderful views. There’s little to do except roam the hills around and maybe meet a few monkeys and certainly some farmers and buffalo, hens and goats.