 Pokhara
 Pokhara is in Mid-Western part of Nepal which
is about 200km west of Kathmandu and can be reached in 5 hours
by bus. It is a good tourist destination where you can enjoy the
beautiful Annapurna Range and close look of Fish Tail Mountain.
Pokhara itself lies on the banks of Lake Phewa, a huge,
beautiful lake. Your placement can be in School, Social Work,
Environment. Pokhara starting point for major trekking routes
such as the Annapurna Circuit, Sancutary and Jomsom treks, a
number of short day treks in the surrounding hills may be
taken. General Pokhara
Information
Accommodation
Our volunteers stay with local Nepali families in the mountains around
Pokhara. Nepali families are extremely welcoming and all our host
families have experience looking after volunteers. The houses are
however basic by Western standards, most with Nepali style outdoor
toilets and showers and the electricity supply is not always reliable.
All of the houses are located close to the volunteers placements and all
have fantastic mountain views.
During your time in the house you will be encouraged
to participate in activities around the home such as cooking, washing
and generally caring for the house and family as if you where a member
of the family. We believe this is best way to experience real Nepali
life.
Weather
The climate around Pokhara depends very much on elevation. Pokhara
itself is at only 884 meters and the climate is generally warm and more
moderate that Kathmandu, although it gets hit harder than Katmandu by
the monsoon season which runs from June until September and can get very
humid at times. The best time to visit the region is between October and
November when its cool and views of the mountains are clear from
December through to February snows make much of the region and the
longer treks inaccessible and it can get extremely cold at night. March
and April are also good time to visit although May and June can get very
hot during the day making trekking unpleasant even at high altitudes.
Even at this time it can get very cold at night in the mountains so
volunteers should be prepared for this.
Food
During the week volunteers usually eat with their host families. The
staple food for people in Nepal is "Dal Bhat" which most families will
eat at least once a day and consists of rice (Bhat), lentil soup (dal)
and vegetables in curry (Tarkari) and/or meat (Masu) and a small amount
of pickle /sauce (Achar). Other traditional Nepali food are quite
similar to Indian food with lots of curries and potatoes although in the
mountainous regions Tibetan foods such as thukpa (noodle soup), momos,
Tibetan breads and tsampa are particularly popular. At weekends
volunteers often travel in Pokhara where there is a huge variety of
Western food available. Some of the placements are also close to
trekking trails and the trekking lodges also sell a variety of Western
food.
Activities
As well as the huge amounts of trekking, there are numerous other things
to do around Pokhara. Highlights include boating on Lake Phewa Tal (the
second largest lake in Nepal), paragliding, numerous temples (both Hindu
and Buddhist), Rani Ban (the Queen’s Forest), local museums, Patale
Chango (Devi’s Falls), Yoga Ashram Centers and Tashipalkhel (a Tibetan
area including a Monastery and village).
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