Rhinos & Rhododendrons

Feast on street food in the bustling markets, and enjoy a cup of lassi or a cool beer in side-street cafes as you soak up the atmosphere and watch the comings and goings of daily life.

If you’ve got an extra night to spare, head an hour’s drive out of the city for a breath of fresh air at the Neydo Tashi Choeling Monastery Guest House. Built beside a working monastery, the hotel is infused with a sense of serenity and peace, giving guests a taste of Himalayan monastic life as you dine and meditate alongside the monks. It’s the kind of spiritual simplicity you begin to crave when surrounded by these legendary mountains.

However, you don’t necessarily need to pack a tent and disappear into the peaks for days! A day hike between two of our favourite properties, the twin Pavilions Himalayas, allows you to dip your toes into Nepal’s famous trekking waters whilst enjoying refreshing respite at either end. 

The first Pavilions Himalaya, set on an organic farm in Pokhara, has excellent eco credentials, and is a serene place to spend a couple of nights soaking up the bucolic mountain scenery. Two to four hours’ hike away passing amongst slopes often blanketed in blooming rhododendrons, on the shores of Lake Phewa, the Pavilions Himalayas Lake View gives you space to unwind in alpine bliss, gaze at the distant peaks, and dine al fresco overlooking the water. Wake early to begin your trek between the two (which can be done in either direction) following a low ridge with some gentle inclines. Picturesque peaks, low-lying lakes, and small villages appear in all their glory along the way, so keep your camera primed.