By Sandhya Pokhrel and Sumana Bhandari
I had heard that Kaski, which holds an incomparable beauty, is the must-visit place in Nepal. There are many amazing places in Kaski that could attract people easily. So, I was keen to go there. In fact, you could say it was like my dream to visit Pokhara, Kaski. Recently, I had the chance to visit these beautiful places. Our college took us on trips to Bandhipur, Pokhara, and Ghandhruk during our winter vacation.
It was early morning on the 2nd day of Magh, and we gathered at the college grounds. Our teachers were waiting for us. When everyone came with their backpack, we started our tour to Bandhipur from Sukedhara, Kathmandu. Bandhipur is about 147 km away from Kathmandu. We traveled on a luxurious tourist bus, and when we reached Bandhipur, it was nearly 1 o’clock. We visited Tudikhel, the old bazar, and Thani Mai Temple. Tudikhel, which means a playground, is located at a height of 1020 meters, which provides an incredible platform for sporting activities for locals. The views of the Marshangdi River, villages, and towns on the riverbank seized our attention. It felt like Mount Manaslu and Himalchuili were our childhood friends; we knew them for years.
Old Bazar gave us a sense of where we found the commingling of ancient Nepal and western culture. Bandhipur is an authentic village and a beautiful hidden gem in Nepal. Here, 18th-century buildings are well preserved, and because motor vehicles are not allowed in the village, it is nice and quiet. We bought some of the souvenirs of the place, like hemp-made bags, purses, and hats. The taste of the selroti and lassi still sticks to my mouth.
Although we wanted to stay for a while and see the beauty of Bandhipur, we were forced to leave the village as we had already booked our room in the lakeside hotel named ‘Hotel Glory Garden.”
After leaving Bandhipur, we headed towards Pokhara. Pokhara is approximately 72 kilometers away from Bandhipur. It took nearly 4 hours to reach our hotel. It was 8′ o’clock when we reached there. So, we first went to our room because we were tired after such a long journey. We had our dinner, and then we marched towards Lakeside for an evening stroll. The street was lively because of the dense presence of local and foreign tourists. The night view of the lake was amazing. Despite being exhausted from the long journey, we were happy to enjoy the beauty of Phewa.
Next morning, we headed to the Barahi temple, located at the center of Phewa Lake. We had to hire a boat to reach the temple, as it was located in the middle of Phewa Lake on a little island. I came to know that the temple presents the Barahi (boar) incarnation of the goddess Durga. I was mesmerized by the view of Machhapuchhre Mountain the moment I stepped there. The shadow of the mountain was clearly reflected in the lake. We offered our prayers at the Tal Barahi temple. After that, we went to many wonderful places, like Devi’s Fall and Bindabasini Temple. Although it is the city of Seven Lakes, we could only make two. We stayed two nights in Pokhara. On the second day, there was practical training in the 5-star hotel in Pokhara, i.e., Hotel Grande, for hotel management students. There, we learned many things that were included in our course. After completing the training, we had our launch there and returned to our hotel. We changed our college uniforms and went exploring different places like Shanti Stupa and Shiva Mandir. It was really exciting and a thrilling experience. The views were really marvelous. We took so many photos and videos, and even now, I can’t ignore the picture that we took there.
The next day, we went to Ghandhruk. Ghandhruk is around 60 kilometers northwest of Pokhara. The scenario on the way was beautiful. The high-speech bus journey on the Hemja Road, the chilly wind of Lumle, where we had stopped for a short break, the serene view of Madi Khola, and the beautiful typical Nepali houses were some of the amazing views to keep in mind. It was 3 o’clock when we reached Ghandhruk. Unfortunately, it was raining when we reached there. We couldn’t see the mountains as they were covered by clouds. At night, we built a bonfire and enjoyed a barbecue there. Next morning, we could see a giant and tall Annapurna south right in front of us. There were Mt. Machhapuchhre, Annapurna, and Gangapurna looking at us.
Ghandhruk is a mountain village at an altitude of 2012 m above sea level in the Himalayan region of Nepal, famous for its short trek. It is also popular as a stone village and Gurung village, where one can have an excellent opportunity to explore the inhabitants culture and traditions. The exciting thing about Ghandhruk is that we can dress up in traditional Gurung attire with beautiful ornaments. We tried it for Rs. 200 per person. After numerous clicks at the Gurung Museum with the traditional look, it was time to move on. The people of that place are so kind. It was worth visiting here; it was the only thing that flew through my mind. We returned to the hotel and packed our bag and kept it in the bus. We headed back to our home in Kathmandu.
I miss that place so much. That place is my favorite, and whenever I get the opportunity, I will sure visit Ghandhruk.
