Pokhara, Nepal

Pokhara is the second largest city in Nepal with about 400,000 people in 2018. It is the starting point for most of the treks in the Annapurna area. It is a very popular location with most people staying around the beautiful Fewa Lake. Dozens of hotels and restaurants are sprouting like mushrooms everywhere, and today it is much easier to find modern amenities not common to other locations in Nepal, but Pokhara is losing its small town charm and the lakeside now feels more like Khao San Road (with all the usual: yoga, reiki, massages by blind people, overpriced souvenirs and disingenuous locals).

A new international airport, scheduled for 2020, is likely to bring even more tourists, so visit before the rush.