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Few properties in the world can match the setting of Fish Tail Lodge in Pokhara in Nepal. With the Fewa Tal (lake) on one side, and a forest cover on the other, it is an island of delight. Accentuated with the imposing Machhapuchre (meaning Fish Tail) peak almost at touching distance towering over it. [continue reading…]
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Bhaktapur in Kathmandu
Ever since Nepal made front page news for its political troubles, it has been struck off as a holiday destination by most Indians. But surely Nepal’s charms must still be holding good? Ajay Jain hit the road in his SUV to re-discover Nepal he last visited in the 1980s as a school boy. And came back giving a thumbs up to the country. [continue reading…]
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Young boys playing chess on a large floor chessboard in the market street in Bandipur in Nepal
I set out from Pokhara for the Chitwan National Park on Day 10 of the Great Himalayan Drive – not knowing that I would eventually take another week before I would reach this destination.
The reason was Bandipur – without doubt a lesser known gem of Nepal Tourism. I was cruising along when I suddenly decided to swerve my car towards Bandipur on an impulse. Once an important trading town where the Newars of Bhaktapur settled in the 1800s, it is in many ways a boutique and increasingly popular tourist destination of Nepal. Here go some impressions that will stay with me forever: [continue reading…]
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A woman painting traditional Buddhist tankhas in a shop in Pokhara in Nepal
The Great Himalayan Drive is supposed to be more of an adventure and exploratory trip, but who can resist some shopping therapy. I ended up lighter in my pocket in Pokhara, and my car getting further overloaded. But no regrets whatsoever.
The best things to buy are stuff made by Tibetan artisans using materials like copper, wood, Turquoise, Ruby and other precious and semi precious stones. My pickings included a ‘guitar,’ a tea pot made of colourful stones and a game called Tiger Game or ‘Mongolian Chess’ where tigers and goats try to outwit each other. And a bunch of small curios. And lots of clothes meant for travel. Brands included North Face and Mountain Hard Wear at throwaway prices – I stand guilty of buying counterfeits. [continue reading…]
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Women praying on an early Saturday morning in Pokhara in Nepal
Like most days in Nepal, Day 9 of The Great Himalayan Drive also meant an early morning alarm woke me up to check out the rising sun from the World Peace Stupa. As I drove out from my hotel in the dark at half past five in the morning, I was greeted by sights I never imagined – even in the religion obsessed Nepal.
Young women were to be seen on the roads praying around trees at that ‘ungodly’ hour. Each of them had also braved the chill to take a bath before these rituals – their wet hair was proof of this. They were to be found every few hundred metres in groups of 2-5. Eventually my curiosity got the better of me and I approached one such group to know more. [continue reading…]
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One of the many excellent cafes in Pokhara in Nepal
What do I miss most (perhaps the only thing actually) is a good Americano and a cake or muffin to go with it. You can only imagine my delight when signs of Illy and Lavazza greeted me as I drove into Pokhara on Day 8 of The Great Himalayan Drive. Just what I needed to recharge my batteries for the long journey ahead.
Not only did I get good coffee (these guys sure have invested in the right things despite tourism being down in Nepal), the brownies and cakes matched it for taste and freshness. I sure was spoilt for choice. [continue reading…]
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Here go some more notes from Nepal as I log miles in the country during the Great Himalayan Drive:
*Managing the 15 minute time zone difference: For some reason, India decided to be 5:30 hours ahead of GMT; until recently, many softwares and gadgets did not even carry that time zone. And then Nepal decided to do something even weirder: it chose its time zone to be 5:45 hours ahead of GMT. Preferring to maintain my India time while in Nepal, the 15 minute did not matter as I did most stuff according to my watch – but it was still awkward comparing times with locals especially when I had to do some things at a fixed time.
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