On the water: rowing, kayaking, paddleboarding and where the quiet lake is

Phewa, and the hour that matters

The lake is at its best between about six and eight in the morning. The water is flat enough to mirror the Annapurnas, the tourist boats have not launched, and the fishermen are still out. By ten it is choppy, busy and hazy.

Hand-rowed wooden boats — doonga — are the classic hire, either with a boatman or rowed yourself. Paying a boatman is not laziness; it is somebody's living and they are much better at it than you are.

Tal Barahi, the small pagoda temple on its island, is the standard stop. It is a working shrine busy with Nepali worshippers rather than a tourist attraction, so shoes off and no photographs of people making offerings.

Kayaks and paddleboards are rented along the Lakeside shore by the hour. Paddleboarding on a still morning with the mountains out is one of the better hours you can spend here for the money.

Begnas, which is where we go

Twenty-five minutes east of Lakeside, Begnas is bigger than it looks, greener, and has a fraction of the development. Boats cost less, the fish is fresh from the lake, and you can swim without an audience.

Rupa, the next lake over, is smaller and shallower still and sees almost nobody. The ridge between the two makes a good half-day walk with the water on both sides.

This is where people from Pokhara go on a day off, which is usually the most reliable recommendation available anywhere.

Kayaking on moving water

Lake kayaking is flatwater and fine for anyone. River kayaking is a different sport and Nepal is one of the world's great destinations for it.

Introductory kayak clinics run on the Seti and the Trishuli, typically several days learning to roll and read water on grade II–III. That is the sensible route in for someone who wants to paddle rather than be a passenger. If you just want the river without the learning curve, take the raft. The Upper Seti half-day is twenty minutes from town and gives you moving water without a three-day commitment.

Fishing, and the practical bits

Both lakes are fished commercially and recreationally, and boatmen will take you out. Sahar and carp are the usual catch. Licensing and season rules exist — your boatman will know them and it is worth asking rather than assuming.

Swimming is fine in both lakes away from the boat channels. Phewa near Lakeside is not where you want to do it; the eastern and southern shores are better, and Begnas is better still.

Life jackets are available and frequently not offered. Ask for one, particularly with children, and particularly in a hand-rowed boat.

Walk it with us

Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.

Questions we get asked

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