Pokhara: a lake, a sunrise hill and a first paraglide
Three relaxed days around Phewa Lake with a pre-dawn walk up Sarangkot, a boat to the island temple and a tandem paraglide I was too nervous to enjoy until I was in the air.
Priya Nair
10 Mar 2026 1 min read
- When February 2026
- Length 3 days
- Travelled With friends
In this story2 sections
Pokhara is the place in Nepal where you can put your feet up. The lake is wide and calm, Lakeside is lined with cafes and the Annapurna range stands over everything, on a clear day impossibly close.
We climbed Sarangkot before dawn, shivering in jackets, and watched Machapuchare turn from black to rose. Later the same day I took a tandem paraglide from the hill. I was nervous on the ground and then silent in the air, circling slowly above the lake with the pilot humming a tune.
The rest of the trip was small pleasures: a rowing boat out to the island temple, a walk up to the World Peace Pagoda, momos and cold beer by the water at sunset.
At a glance
- When
- February 2026
- Length
- 3 days
- Travelled
- With friends
- Getting around
- Walked around the lakeside; taxi to the Sarangkot trailhead.
- Stayed
- A guesthouse in Lakeside with a lake view.
As Priya Nair describes the trip; details may have changed.
The route
- 1
Day 1
Phewa Lake
A rowing boat across to the island temple.
- 2
Day 2
Sarangkot
Sunrise over the Annapurna range.
- 3
Day 3
World Peace Pagoda
A walk and a boat ride to a hilltop stupa.
Priya Nair’s tips
- Go up Sarangkot for sunrise, not midday: clouds usually arrive by mid-morning.
- Choose a registered paragliding operator and ask about the pilot’s experience.
- Mornings on the lake are calm; afternoons can be windy.
Written by
Priya Nair
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