As a trekking and tour guide, I often travel to Pokhara, sometimes starting the trek and sometimes finishing the trek. For me, Pokhara is the best place to chill out and enjoy the surroundings. So that I have so many unforgettable memories of Pokhara in my travel diary. Pokhara is the base camp of the Annapurna region treks, such as Annapurna Base Camp Trek, Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek, Mardi Himal Trek, Annapurna Circuit Trek, and many more.
Pokhara is not only the gateway to trekking in the Annapurna Himalayas. It is the home of adventure activities such as Bungee Jumping, Paragliding, Ziplining, Mountain Biking, Hiking, Rafting, etc. Beautiful lakes such as Fewa Lake, Begnas Lake, Rupa Lake, and many more. Caves and waterfalls are also the attraction of the Pokhara, and these are natural attractions.
On the other hand, the beauty of the cultural heritage and cultural phenomenon. Temples, monasteries, and the daily lifestyle of the local people. This is one of the biggest towns in Nepal, so there are around 1.5 million people. Different castes, different religions, and different cultures are also attractions of Pokhara. But here I am going to write the most unforgettable memories of Pokhara.
Lost my Bag on the Bus and bought all the trekking gear in Pokhara – Expensive Memories of Pokhara in my Travel Diaries
Well, I was traveling by Bus to Pokhara for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek. Unfortunately, I lost my bag on the bus while traveling to Pokhara from Kathmandu. I knew that when I got off at the Pokhara Bus Park. I was absolutely mad when I couldn’t find my bag.
On that day, they promised they would see how that happened, and the staff of the bus suggested me to write a complaint to the bus company. I complained to the bus company about their service, from their side, they checked everything that happened. And they found CCTV footage of stealing my backpack at Damauli while they stopped for a break.
For me was a very tough time, because the next day I had to go to Annapurna Base Camp Trek. And, I don’t have any trekking equipment except my trekking shoes. So that I have no other option but to buy new trekking clothes. I bought a Jacket, fleece, trousers, a pair of socks, and needed trekking gear in Pokhara. Therefore, this is one of the miserable memories of Pokhara in my travel diary.
The first time was in Pokhara, walking around Lakeside.
I traveled throughout Pokhara several times, but I never stayed in Pokhara overnight and looked around Pokhara. When I become the first-time assistant guide, I got an opportunity to stay in Pokhara for two days. We drove back from Jomsom to Beni and then Pokhara after done Annapurna Circuit Trek.
We arrived in Pokhara in the evening time and I did not see the surroundings properly. I was so excited to see Pokhara, especially the lakeside and Phewa Lake. Because I used to read and hear a lot about Lake and Lakeside. After dinner with the trekking members, the first guide walks around Lakeside.
He showed me Lakeside after dinner while we were walking. I was thinking it was a bit different than Thamel Kathmandu. Because I found Pokhara is cleaner than Kathmandu, and lively and colorful. After some time, we went to sleep, but I could not sleep because I was overexcited to see Pokhara. Somehow, I fell asleep for a while and then woke up very early.
Early in the morning, I woke him up, and we walked around the Lakeside. First time in my life I was seeing such a huge lake, and the one that I read about in the books. So, I was very pleased to see that beautiful Phewa Lake, and we walked for an hour from one end to the other.
And spend the whole day traveling around Pokhara with guests. Because on that day, we have to make a whole day Pokhara tour for those trekkers who did the Annapurna trek with us. To sleep in Pokhara for the first time is also one of the most unforgettable memories of my travel diary.
Swam in the Phew Lake at midnight.
After finishing the Poon Hill Trek, we stayed in Pokhara. We had a party because we finished the trek, and we wanted to celebrate that. During the party, he drank a lot of beer, and he was a bit drunk, and he challenged me to swim in the Lake. I accepted his challenge to swim, and we went to the lakeside.
First, he drove into the lake, and then I followed him. While we were swimming in the lake, there were some people looking at us. We were enjoying our swim, but suddenly some police came there and shouted at us to get out of the Lake. We came out, and the police started to shout at us why you swimming here?
Because that area is not for swimming, and also, we were swimming at night. We apologized for our mistake, and then the police let us go to sleep. So swimming in the Lake at midnight was a kind of fun, as well as a miserable experience, because I broke the rules.
Sleep the whole night on the Bus – one of the worst memories of Pokhara
After finishing the trek, I took the night bus to Kathmandu from Pokhara. As their time bus will leave at 8:15 PM. Before leaving Pokhara, I ate dinner in a local restaurant in Prithivi Chowk, Pokhara. Well, things are going well. The bus left on time, and I plugged the headphones into my ears. Because that was a very long drive to Kathmandu.
After half an hour bus stopped because there was a big Jam which was occurred by an accident. I thought this problem would be solved soon, but things turned out differently. Because of the accident, two people were dead, and locals are on strike and burnt that was involved in that accident.
Waiting was going and going. All the vehicles are on the road, and the queue is very long. Till 12 noon, I was looking around and hoping to clear the road and move the vehicles. But that was not going to happen. Because of the accident bus stopped, and there was no place to go anywhere because that was a kind of Jungle and no residences nearby.
There was no choice but to sleep on the Bus. So I tried to sleep on the bus, but it was not possible to sleep that easily. I listened to the music for some time, and then I fell asleep for a few hours. The next day at 10: 00 am, the road slowly cleared up, and we drove to Kathmandu. So spending a whole night on a bus in the same place in Pokhara was also one of the unforgettable memories of Pokhara in my traveling life.
Clubbing Whole Night and Walking Barefoot at the Lakeside
We completed the Upper Mustang Trek and flew back to Pokhara from Jomsom. As it was the last day together, the entire time was planned for the last night celebration. Porters and assistant guides arrived at Pokhara at 5:30 pm, and we booked a Table in a restaurant for 21 people for 6:30 pm. As per the plan, we went to that restaurant for the last night party at 6:30.
Almost like everyone was there at the exact time because porters and assistant guides are going back to Kathmandu at 8:15 pm. During the party, everyone was happy, and soon we said good bye for poters and assistant guides. After that, some of the group members plan to go to the club and enjoy the night in Pokhara. We, 7 people, went to Busy Bee Bar and enjoyed the disco bar and dancing.
I don’t drink any alcohol or hard drinks, as it was the last celebration. Everyone is forced to drink, but I said no, and I drink juice only. When I went to the toilet, one of the member add some alcohol to my drink, and when I drank that i started to feel drunk, and then I had some hard drinks as well. Then the whole club was mine, hahaha. It was the first time I got drunk, so I walked around the lakeside without flip-flops.
The next day, some of the group memebers show me my videos and I felt very ashamed about myself.
