TheLoneRider
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Trekking to the World Peace Pagoda Apr 26, 2018

Trekking to the World Peace Pagoda (Shanti Stupa)

Location: World Peace Pagoda, Pokhara (city), Nepal

Maps.Me Route
From Pokhara town center facing Fewa Lake, the most conspicuous sight is a white stupa, 1100m up on Ananda Hill. It looked inviting. From Maps.Me App on foot, it's only 7.4kms and doable in 2 hours. The entire trail was marked on the map - it was lost-proof. I was already on my way, with various stops - for tea and even for a head shave (NPR 100).

Getting There from Lakeside
For the most part, I was walking along paved roads through a village up until the foot of the mountain. It was only then I walked on dirt road that continuously went up. This road was ideally for a 4X4 as the ground was loose and steep. As I gained elevation, the view became more engaging. Normally, this would have been an easy walk, but I haven't fully recovered from my congestion from Kathmandu - I felt a little struggle. I was the only one walking - I thought perhaps I'll be the only one up on the pagoda.

View
Finally, I reached the top. To my surprise, there were many tourists. Apparently, there were a few ways to get up - by car using the main roads and by boat across the lake from Pokhara town itself. It would have made for a great view of Pokhara town, but it was a bit hazy. Fewa Lake was in full view. I've seen posters where the entire Annapurna Himalayan Range was visible from the pagoda on a clear day - but that was not to happen this day.

World Peace Pagoda

World Peace Pagoda
The pagoda was constructed in 1973 as a tribute to the Buddha. It stands 115 feet tall and 344 feet in diameter. Within the sides of the round-shaped stupa are statues of Buddha. This pagoda is one of eighty peace pagodas in the world - another one in Nepal is the Shanti Stupa in Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha.

Cafes
It was a nice touch to find cafes around the area offering roof deck tables for great viewing. Coffee price was a little more, but still worth it considering the view and the location. I stopped by for mint tea and chilled out before my descent.

Birds of Prey
Birds of prey in swarms (hawks/falcons/eagles?) were closely flying overhead - perhaps a cluster of 25! One bird of prey even swooped from 10 meters of me. Here in Pokhara, it's a common sight. The birds know they are not hunted down and freely fly low over villages - always on a constant lookout for a decent meal.

Going Back
I didn't really feel like walking all the way back again. Taking the boat option would have been expensive. Instead, I hailed a cab with passengers already inside and offered the driver NPR100 to take me to the main road...with apologies to the passengers for my intrusion. They understood my predicament. Turns out, they were heading to another attraction, Devi's Falls. That's where I got off as well.

--- TheLoneRider
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Peace Pagoda as seen from Pokhara
Google Map route
crossing a foot bridge en route
passing by the dam
walking through paved village roads
villager doing laundry by the street
stopping by a local tea house
Nepali architecture
start of the ascent on dirt road
gaining elevation
lone trekker on the hilly dirt road
looks like a house from a Western film
pausing on a cliff side
first glimpse of the stupa
detour sign
looking back at the road I've taken
cafes offering great view
table with a great view
hazy day but Pokhara is still visible
finally arriving at the stupa
full view
view from the side
rest from the climb
a Buddha statue
looking down from the stupa
tea time with a view
enjoying my mint tea
bird of prey overhead

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Next stop: Exploring Devi's Falls, Pokhara


Google Map

Pokhara (city), Nepal

important places in Pokhara ESSENTIAL LANDMARKS
  • Pokhara Airport Pokhara Airport - Pokhara's local airport
  • Tourist Bus Park Tourist Bus Park - main bus terminal for buses coming in from Kathmandu
  • Thamel Pokhara Lakeside - the center of Pokhara's tourism with resorts, hotels, restos, cafes, bookstores, bars, etc.
  • Durbar Marg Pokhara Damside - also a tourism area of Pokhara but not as intense as Lakeside
tourist attractions in Pokhara TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
  • World Peace Pagoda World Peace Pagoda - a stupa on a mountain top just across the Fewa Lake, 6kms by hike from Lakeside Pokhara, (route map)
  • Davis Falls <i>(Devi's Falls) Davis Falls (Devi's Falls) - waterfall going down into a 100ft gorge and into a 500m tunnel, 4km from Lakeside, 45 mins walk, NPR 30, (route map)
  • Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave - enter through a spiraling staircase deep into the cave that continues to go vertically down until you see a slit of light from the outside as you reach the end, inside the cave is a temple of Shiva, NPR 100, (route map)
  • Sarangkot View Tower Sarangkot View Tower - 360° view, best place to see the sunrise or sunset on a clear day, 3.5 hours walk, 12kms, (route map)
  • Phewa Lake - the lakefront of Pokhara, kayak, boating, view. Lake shore is lined with restos and bars
  • Poon Hill - short and manageable trek to view the Annapurna Himalayan range
meditation in Pokhara MEDITATION

Travel Tips for Pokhara

  1. Pokhara is similar to Ubud, Bali when you walk along its trendy streets but Pokhara has the lake and the Annapurna Himalayan mountain range as a backdrop
  2. Pokhara has a cool and pleasant climate
  3. Pokhara has a Vipassana center, Dhamma Pokhara, by Begnas Lake, just 15kms away
  4. Pokhara's trendy areas are the Lakeside and the Dam Side, but Lakeside is more intense and fashionable
  5. travelers taking the bus from Kathmandu are usually dropped off at the Tourist Bus Station Pokhara Tourist Bus Station

How to get to Lakeside Pokhara from the Tourist Bus Station

  1. depending on where your hotel is, it could be a 2km walk. You can take a cab for about NPR 200
  2. if your hotel is on the Dam Side, you might be able to walk it

Travel Tips for Nepal

Nepal Blogs by TheLoneRider

    KATHMANDU

  1. Visiting Boudhanath, Nepal's Largest Stupa Apr 19, 2018
  2. Vinyasa Yoga with Dipendra at the Mandala Yoga Studio and Spa, Kathmandu Apr 18, 2018
  3. Hatha Yoga with Madhab Prasad Dhakal at Sawar Yoga Studio, Kathmandu Apr 17, 2018
  4. Fitness in Kathmandu Apr 15, 2018
  5. 7 Days In Kathmandu April 13-20, 2018
  6. The 18-Hour Trip from Kuantan, Malaysia to Kathmandu, Nepal April 12-13, 2018

    7. LUMBINI

  7. India Visa Snag May 9, 2018
  8. Exploring Lumbini - Buddha's Birthplace May 5, 2018
  9. Storming out of Dhamma Janani on the 4th Day May 1-5, 2018

    10. POKHARA

  10. Visiting Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave, Pokhara Apr 26, 2018
  11. Exploring Devi's Falls, Pokhara Apr 26, 2018
  12. Trekking to the World Peace Pagoda Apr 26, 2018
  13. Exploring Pokhara, Nepal Apr 20, 2018
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