Lake and River (Waterfall)


  • Phewa Lake

Phewa lake is the second largest lake of Nepal and the largest lake of Pokhara Valley. IT is situated at an altitude of 784m at the western edge of Pokhara city near Baidam. It covers an area of about 4.43 sq km with an average depth of about 8.6m, maximum water depth is 19m. The maximum water capacity of the lake is
estimated to be 46 million cubic meters. It lies in the valley of Harpan Khola which feeds the lake. On the southern mouth of the lake, at the crown of Pardi River, a dam is built which has nearly doubled the water level. The water of the lake is used for irrigation and electricity generation.
The lake is surrounded by Sarangkot and Kaskikot hills on the northern side. The hill running along the lake is Raniban (Queen of Forests) which is very rich in flora and fauna. Mammals like Common leopard, Bengal fox and Barking deer are common in this forest. It is a home of abundant avifauna also.

The first main attraction is the pagoda style temple in the lake which is the shrine of Barahi (Water Goddess). The next main attraction is the mirror image of mount Machhapuchhre and Annapurna range on the crystal clear water of the lake. The south – eastern side of the lake offers the best view. THere is facility of canoeing and fishing.
Phewa originally used to cover an area of 9 sq km but now has been reduced to 4.43 sq. km. Geologically the rocks of either side of Phewa are slate and quartzite and make anticline structure along the axis of the lake.
The lake is the home of 17 species of native fish and 4 exotic species. The forest and lake is the habitat of 6 species of amphibians, 14 species of reptiles, 34 species of mammals and 104 species of birds. Out of 104 species of birds, 14 are migratory species.
The lake is linked with pitched vehicle road and boating facility is available.


  • Begnash Lake


Begnas Lake, the second largest lake of Pokhara Valley is situated at an altitude of 650m. It is located in the Siswa village on the eastern part of Pokhara and is 13 km away from the Pokhara city. It covers an area of 3 sq. km. Average water depth of the lake is 9.37 and the maximum water depth is 13.84m. The capacity of the lake is 29.05 million cubic meter. It is comparatively deeper in the northern and western part in the comparision to eastern and southern part. The lake water is drained out by Khudi Khola from the western part.

Geologically the area is composed of slate and phyllite zone with beds of calcareous conglomerate and gravel deposits. The vegetation here is quite different than in other parts of Pokhara because here the major species on the southern aspect of the hills on the northern part of the lake is Shorea robuista whereas the major species of the forest on the northern aspect of the hill lying on the southern part of the lake is Schima-Castonopsis. The forest is very dense on the northern and southern part of the lake whereas there is cultivation on the eastern part and fishery project on the western part.
The forest is very rich in flora and fauna. The forest surrounding the lake is the habitat of more than 150 species of other birds. The northern part of the lake is best site for observing water fowls. The forest is also rich in mammals where abundant leoparts roam majestically. The pride of this forest is that it is the home of some endangered flora and fauna. You can enjoy boating and fishing in this lake. You can travel to the nearby villages by hiring the boat all the day.

  • Rupa Lake



Rupa Lake is separated by the Pachabhaiya ridge from Begnas Tal, hence, these two lakes are often called the twin lakes. Rupa Lake is situated at an altitude of about 600m and covers an area of 1.12 sq km running along from north to south. The average depth of the lake is 3.0m and maximum water depth is 4.79m. Its water holding capacity is 3.1 million cubic meter.




  • Seti River



The Seti River is much popular among the tourists. It runs through deep channels in the conglomerate rocks, from Bagar to SitaPaila and in some places, it flows through narrow gorge. It can be seen at KI Singh Bridge, Mahendrapool Bridge and Prithvi Chowk Bridge, otherwise the Seti River remains elusive. The popular tributaries of the Seti River are Harpan Khola, Phushre Khola, Khudi Khola, Vijaypur Khola, Kanhu Khola, Kali Khola, Yamdi Khola and Bulaudi Khola.
Stretching from east to west, the breathtaking views of the world famous Himalayan range of the Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchhre and others appear so close as to make you feel that you can almost touch them. Sarangkot, Kaskikot, Kalikasthan, Bharat Pokhari and the Bhumdi Hill command beautiful views of the valley and the mountains. These places are also vantage points to view sunrises and sunsets over the majestic Himalayan peaks. The Photo here shows a River below Kau Danda which is popular for fishing purposes. It is a glacial river that flows from the Annapurna Himalayan region.
Kahun Danda is a hill at 1,433m high, and is two hours walk from Mahendra pool. Like other places this place also offers pleasing view of Annapurna range and flat terraces of Pokhara. On the top of the hill is a tower constructed for a clear view of the valley and the Himalayas. There is a fortress and a temple on the top.
A unique river passing through two beautiful and contrasting scenic areas. This river is relatively small in volume, blue and warm, it is recommended as a warm-up river for intermediate rafters, Kayakers and kayak clinic. The Seti Khola rises on the south-east slopes of Machhapuchhere and then flows south.


  • Devi’s Falls (Patale Chango)



Pokhara is the only city in Nepal which is famous for water falls. As we drive by the river sides below the hills we can see several beautiful and dashing water falls flowing downhill and finally flowing to the rivers. The highway to Baglung consist of several water falls. The city itself has a beautiful waterfall within itself and it is known as Davis Fall (In Nepali: Patale chango):
This is a breath taking view of Davis Fall in Chorrepatan. Chorrepatan is famous for this water fall and there is also a cave just two minutes walk from this fall. The water flowing in this fall comes from Fewa lake and the fall is worth visiting during the rainy seasons as it possesses its maximum velocity.
Pokhara is famous for mountains. But this is not only the thing that has made Pokhara popular. Davis fall is also one of the main tourist attraction center here in Pokhara. Davis fall is open every day of the week for the visitors. The ticket cost is very cheap and it is worth visiting.
This snap also features Davis Fall during the Winter season. During winter there is a mass decrease in the water volume of the Fewa Lake hence the Dam is closed to maintain the water volume within the Fewa Lake. This causes the Davis Fall in maximum decrement in its water volume. The corresponding snap features the rock formation made by the high velocity of the water flowing within it.
This snap features the Davis fall during the rainy season. The excess water in Fewa lake needs to be drained hence the dam is open during summer and this makes Davis fall much more vigrous. Davis fall is worth visiting during the rainy and summer seasons. This high velocity of water has created different type of rock formation as shown in the above snap.
The B.K.R.E Himalaya first explored this waterfall in 1970. The Devi’s fall measures 48 meters deep and 1479 meters long. The gushing waters of Phewa Lake travel through a roughly 1km. long tunnel to converge with the Phusre Khola.
During the Monsoon season, the water level in Devi’s fall rises to an amazing height, the most turbulent water currents engulf even the safety barrier built around the falls.
This is the most fascinating waterfall in Pokhara and the first of its kind in Nepal. It lies at 2 kms south-west of downtown Pokhara. This huge waterfall can be seen during the rainy season from June to September, n winter the strength of the water dies down and only a stream of water runs down the rocks from Phewa Lake and falls at Devi’s fall. Beneath the waterfall is a huge cavern with walls covered in limestone deposits.