Extended our trip by adding on a few days to Pokhara and staying at the Tiger mountain resort. Flew to Pokhara from Kathmandu and collected and taken up to the mountain resort. Fantastic views of the Himalaya foothills. Perched 1,000 feet above the Pokhara Valley with a spectacular Himalayan backdrop, Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge provides a perfect haven, the essence of tranquility. Ideal for guests pre- and post-trek, or for those wishing to take day walks exploring local communities, bird-watching, gentle exercise, or just to relax in a typical Nepalese rural setting. Very good accommodation and excellent food but the service was a tad overbearing. A couple days doing local walks with a guide, bird watching (there were plenty), watching local farming, walking through villages and woodlands. Another day spent in Pokhara which is a bit grubby - didn't enjoy it really
Flight back to Kathmandu was cancelled due to fog at Kathmandu - happens frequently apparently. Lots of people expecting this flight. What to do ? people started haggling with taxis to take them the 220km/7hrs. So we joined up with an American and haggled a taxi ride. Well, it turned out to be the scariest journey imaginable. Busy, fast, crazy overtaking and then........Came to a halt - there had been an accident further up the road. All drivers, including ours, trying to move forward, horns blaring, crazy manoeuvers - the American in the front seat spent the whole time looking back at us in the back seat, he would not look forward. Somehow we made it to Kathmandu, then find an ATM so we could pay the driver. Said goodbye to the American. It was now 2am and having had no food since breakfast was able to order pasta from the hotel restaurant. We will never forget that drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu. On our return we did get a refund for the cancelled flight
2025-02-11