A
short flight away is the valley of Pokhra with
a backdrop of 23 to 25 thousand feet high Annapurna
Ranges and at the foothills lies the famous Chitwan
National Park, the home of the single-horned Asiatic
rhinoceros and the Bengal tiger.
It
is also the second most-visited spot in Nepal
after Kathmandu. Pokhara is known for its lovely
lakes Phewa, Begnas and Rupa, which have their
source in the glacial Annapurna Range of the Himalayas.
A place of remarkable natural beauty, Pokhara
also offers splendid views of the fishtailed summit
of Machhapuchhre which rises from behind the Phewa
Lake. It is home to thick forests, gushing rivers
and emerald lakes.
Pokhara serves as the starting and/or finishing
point for some of the most popular treks including
the Annapurna Circuit and the Jomsom Trek. It
also offers a number of short treks for those
who cannot manage long and challenging ones. The
most popular among them is the one to Sarangkot
(1,592m), a former Kaski fort lying atop a hill
5km west of the old bazaar. |
