Nepal Attractions

Daman

Southwest of Kathmandu, midway between the capital and Hetauda, Daman is situated 2322m (7616ft) above sea level. It claims to have the most spectacular outlook on the Himalaya - an unimpeded panorama of snowcaps from Dhaulagiri to Mt Everest.

If the mountains are in cloud when you arrive, you can stay at the ramshackle viewing tower and catch the peaks in the morning. If it's spring, check out the rhododendron forest on the southern side of the village. There are also great views over the Terai to India from here.

Kathmandu

Kathmandu is really two cities: a fabled capital of convivial pilgrims and carved rose-brick temples, and a frenetic sprawl of modern towers, mobbed by beggars and monkeys and smothered in diesel fumes. It simultaneously reeks of history and the encroaching wear and tear of the modern world.

Kathmandu has been attracting travellers since the 1960s and today's visitors range from well-heeled guided tourists and GoreTex-clad trekkers to the pierced and dreadlocked descendants of Nepal's original hippie trailblazers.

Pokhara

Imagine a perfect, snow-capped mountain buffeted by icy Himalayan winds. Imagine a millpond calm lake reflecting the snowy peaks. Now imagine a village on the shore, thronged by travellers and reverberating to the sound of 'Om Mani Padme Hum' wafting from shops selling prayer flags, carpets, masks, singing bowls and CDs of Buddhist mantras. That's Pokhara.

Nepal's second city - at least in tourist terms - Pokhara is the end point for the famous Annapurna Circuit and starting point for a dozen more treks through the Annapurna Range. Even if you aren't a dedicated trekker, Pokhara has numerous museums, and there are fascinating caves, waterfalls, a hilltop monastery and Tibetan villages in the surrounding hills.