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Outside
Kathmandu Valley :
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POKHARA |
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This city of the renowned
Gorkha Soldiers is situated
Two hundred km from
Kathmandu in a valley
beneath the 8000 meters
Annapurna massif dominating
the skyline to the north.
Pokhara has three beautiful
lakes - Phewa Tal, Begnas
Tal and Rupa Tal. The view
of the Phewa Lake against
the backdrop of perfectly
shaped Machapuchere Range
(the Fishtail) is the
popular landmark of Pokhara.
Pokhara is also the starting
point of many of the major
treks in Nepal. Mountain
Sightseeing tours available
in Pokhara normally includes
boat ride on the beautiful
Phewa Lake and also to the
island like temple – Barahi
Temple - dedicated to the
boar manifestation of Ajima,
protectress deity
representing the female
force “Shakti”. Devotees can
be seen especially on
Saturdays. Male animals and
fowl are sacrificed to the
deity.
Devin’s Fall is another
interesting place to visit.
Legend has it that a trekker
named Devin was killed in
the fall hence the foreign
name of the fall also
locally know as Patele
Chhango ( hell’s fall).
The Seti flows right through
the city and completely
underground at places. The
river appears hardly two
meters wide at certain
points but its depth is
amazingly over 20 meters.
The powerful flow of this
river has cut a deep gorge,
which can be seen from the
Mahendra. Bridge Gandaki
River
A stroll through the old
Pokhara bazaar takes you to
the important shrine –
Bindayabashini, dedicated to
Goddess Bhagwati, yet
another manifestation of
Shakti (power). Temple
The most stunning of
Pokhara’s sights is the
spectacular panorama of
Annapurna ranges - Annapurna
I to Annapurna IV - of which
Annapurna I (8091 m) is the
highest. Pokhara offers some
interesting day hikes or
Pony treks as well as
overnight treks to superb
vantage points such as to
Sarankot height (1592m),
Kahun Danda, Naudanda,
Gorepani, Gandrung and
Dampus, to name a few.
Special mountain flights can
also be arranged here. |
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MANAKAMANA TEMPLE |
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Manakamana Temple is
situated on a hill at 1,302
meters. The temple is
dedicated to the Hindu
Goddess Bhagwati who is
believed to posses the power
to fulfil wishes. It is one
of the most popular
pilgrimage sites in Nepal.
If it was not for the recent
introduction of cable car
service, the trip to
Mankamana was a stiff 3
hours climb to the temple.
Overnight halt at Mankamana
is also possible otherwise a
fifteen minutes scenic ride
over several hills by cable
car brings you back to the
pick up point. The view from
the top is beautiful and it
is a great cultural
experience.
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GORKHA |
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Located midway between
Katmandu and Pokhara with an
18 Kilometers scenic drive
uphill to the North lies the
beautiful Gorkha Durbar(
Palace) which was built
during 1606-1636. It was the
palace of King Prithivi
Narayan Shah who unified the
Kingdom. Since then the rule
of the Shah Dynasty still
continues. Mountain view
from the Palace area is
beautiful. It is possible to
make an interesting 4 to 5
days or even longer trek
from here to either Pokhara
or Katmandu.of Nepal
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LUMBINI - Birth Place of
Lord Buddha |
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Lumbini is the birthplace of
Lord Buddha and a very
important pilgrimage site
for Buddhists worldwide. The
broken pillar erected by
Asoka in 249 BC, remains of
an old monastery, and the
images of Buddha’s mother
Maya Devi, are the major
relics in the Sacred Garden
of Lumbini. The government
of Burma, Korea and Japan
have built beautiful temples
here, each in their own
traditional style. |
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TANSEN |
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A very picturesque town
still unaffected by modern
changes. Tansen is known for
its pleasant climate
throughout the year. It is
situated at an altitude of
1343 meters offering a
panoramic view of the
Himalayan ranges from
Dhaulagiri in the west to
Gaurishankar in the east and
looking downhill, one has a
sweeping view of the Tinau
river valley, the Churia
Hills and the Terai
lowlands. Very interesting
short and long hikes are
also available here. |
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DAMAN |
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Daman Hill-station at 2322
meters above sea level
offers a view of the
breathtaking grandeur of the
worlds highest peaks
extending in a glittering
arc from Dhaulagiri (8167m)
in the west to Mt.(8848m) in
the East. A beautiful place
for an overnight stay
specially if travelling by
surface from the Royal
Chitwan National Park to
Kathmandu. Everest
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