Pokhara

Farmstay

Just outside pokhara is hemjakot where ishwar has opened his house for guests. he has a beautiful house and farm with an incredible view of the annapurna range and his wife does fantastic daal bhat which is lucky as that's what you get for lunch and dinner. price is 800rs per person per day for all food and lodging. call ishwar on 9806 576 980 to arrange, he can either meet you in pokhara or arrange to meet at hemjakot. from hemjakot it is a 50min walk up the ridge to his village. this is a brilliant place to stay. rooms shared.

Boating

Just hire a boat and go out in the water for a day

Festivals

Diwali is always a favorite

A yoga , music and meditation center across the lake.

Mountain bike

If you have your own quality bike, instead of a junker they rent, consider these two fun bike workouts.sarankot/naudada/hemja loop. 3 hours hard from lakeside is a fast time. go towards downtown mahendrapul from lakeside, turn north at "zero kilometer" along the main road to baglung. be careful, its crowded. ride about 5-6km north, slowly up, past the nasty old buspark, to the sarankot road junction, turn left west. the climb time starts at the fork 50m further. follow paved road up incredibly steep climb, 1st gear almost all the way. you'd rightly doubt a rental bike could do it. good pavement mostly, climb zigs past houses, up, up, you can ignore ticket taker guys, up up, pavement ends at a small village on a saddle, where you can stop my watch for the climb. perhaps about 40 minutes from bottom. from here you can park bike and hike up old ridge trail to sarankot, but for this loop continue west along rocky jeep road along mountains south slopes, past parasail place and onwards, rolling ascent to kalipani village and after and hour or so jeep road hits the "hi-way" at naudada village on ridgetop. from here good pavement zigs steep down to valley bottom, then its a long gradual decent to hemja village, and back into pokhara.dobindy pass ride. a fun up and back hillclimb to a pass on pavement southwest of damside. take paved road south from damside to birota area then turn right west along main road, the "hi-way to syangja and tansen, gradually down towards devi's falls, continue west thru chorepatan area to base of climb. the steep zigs begin here, road climbs steadily, though not too steep, along south side of peace pagoda ridge, up to a few villages, then after a short steep decent into a forest for last climb up to the pass at dobindy village. at least, it'll take just under an hour from lakeside. from here you can continue west through scenic rolling country towards syangja town, but it's usually possible to zip back down to hotel in about 35 minutes. beware; this road is getting more crowded each year, sometimes lots of buses/trucks often in wrong lane. still a fun ride however. wear a helmet. take water.

Sarankot/Naudada/Hemja loop

3 hours hard from lakeside is a fast time. go towards downtown mahendrapul from lakeside, turn north at "zero kilometer" along the main road to baglung. be careful, its crowded. ride about 5-6km north, slowly up, past the nasty old buspark, to the sarankot road junction, turn left west. the climb time starts at the fork 50m further. follow paved road up incredibly steep climb, 1st gear almost all the way. you'd rightly doubt a rental bike could do it. good pavement mostly, climb zigs past houses, up, up, you can ignore ticket taker guys, up up, pavement ends at a small village on a saddle, where you can stop my watch for the climb. perhaps about 40 minutes from bottom. from here you can park bike and hike up old ridge trail to sarankot, but for this loop continue west along rocky jeep road along mountains south slopes, past parasail place and onwards, rolling ascent to kalipani village and after and hour or so jeep road hits the "hi-way" at naudada village on ridgetop. from here good pavement zigs steep down to valley bottom, then its a long gradual decent to hemja village, and back into pokhara.

Dobindy Pass ride

A fun up and back hillclimb to a pass on pavement southwest of damside. take paved road south from damside to birota area then turn right west along main road, the "hi-way to syangja and tansen, gradually down towards devi's falls, continue west thru chorepatan area to base of climb. the steep zigs begin here, road climbs steadily, though not too steep, along south side of peace pagoda ridge, up to a few villages, then after a short steep decent into a forest for last climb up to the pass at dobindy village. at least, it'll take just under an hour from lakeside. from here you can continue west through scenic rolling country towards syangja town, but it's usually possible to zip back down to hotel in about 35 minutes. beware; this road is getting more crowded each year, sometimes lots of buses/trucks often in wrong lane. still a fun ride however. wear a helmet. take water.

Parties

Ask around, there are sometimes full moon parties

Rock

There's a great music scene, especially at busy bee