You could hardly ask for a better location than Pokhara. Sprawling along the edge of a perfect lake, surrounded by massive snowy peaks that are reflected in its waters, it's sometimes hard to believe that Pokhara is actually the second biggest city in Nepal.

Pokhara is the gateway to the Annapurna and Jomsom treks for most people, but it deserves to be visited in its own right. There are few more pleasant ways to relax than to row out on Phewa Tal with a few bottles of Ghorka beer and watch the birds skimming by.

Lakeside, the tourist district, offers all the bars, shops and cheap hostels and hotels that you need, and there are great walks nearby if you feel the urge to stretch. It would be silly to spend much time in crowded, polluted Kathmandu when you could be here, enjoying the slow, lazy feel of the place.