Phewa and Begnas lakes for rowing, kayaking and paddleboarding

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 haven't gone out yet, and the fishermen are still on the water. By ten it's choppy, busy and hazy.

Hand-rowed wooden boats, called doonga, are the usual hire, with a boatman or rowed yourself. We'd pay the boatman. It's somebody's living, and they're much better at it than you are.

Tal Barahi, the small pagoda temple on its island, is the standard stop. It's a working shrine busy with Nepali worshippers, not a tourist attraction, so take your shoes off and don't photograph people making offerings.

Kayaks and paddleboards are rented by the hour along the Lakeside shore. An hour on a paddleboard on a still morning, with the mountains out, is one of the better ways to spend your money here.

Begnas, which is where we go

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

Rupa, the next lake over, is smaller and shallower still, and very few visitors go there. The ridge between the two makes a good half-day walk, with water on both sides.

This is where Pokhara people go on their day off, and that's usually the most reliable recommendation you'll get anywhere.

Kayaking on moving water

Lake kayaking is flatwater and fine for anyone. River kayaking is another sport altogether, one that paddlers come to Nepal for from all over the world.

Introductory kayak clinics run on the Seti and the Trishuli, usually several days of learning to roll and read water on grade II to III. That's the sensible way in if you want to paddle yourself, not ride as a passenger. If you just want the river without the learning curve, take the raft. Our 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 for fun, and boatmen will take you out. Sahar and carp are the usual catch. There are licence and season rules, and your boatman will know them, so it's worth asking.

Swimming is fine in both lakes away from the boat channels. Skip Phewa near Lakeside, though. The eastern and southern shores are better, and Begnas is better still.

Life jackets are available but often not offered. Ask for one, especially with children and especially 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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