Head Count: 47,326

The Skinny: It would be almost impossible NOT to check out Pokhara while in Nepal, as it and Kathmandu are the two most popular destination cities in the country. Fewa Tal is the second largest lake in Nepal and the main attraction for Pokhara visitors. The actual town is a few kilometres away from the lake, but visitors can stay within a stone's throw of the water down at the stretch known as Lakeside. Pokhara is a good middle ground between hectic Kathmandu and the sleepy little village town. With very friendly people and a lazy, lakeside-Andy-Griffith feeling, Pohkara feels a bit like a touristy town in the midwest of the good ole' USA.

What Thar Be: You can take a rowboat out on the lake for very bargainable prices (we paid 200R for 4 hours), and check out the island in the middle with temples on it, or just find a quiet cove for swimmin'. The lake is obviously the main draw for people cruising through town, but there is more to see in Pokhara than just the water. There's a little town on the ridge on the north edge of the lake, Sarangkot, which provides good views of the Himalaya and places to eat and spend the night. Some caves outside the city are said to house impressive stalagtites and can be easily hiked to.

Digs: The Hotel Simrik-- located right on Fewa Lake in the Lakeside district, is very clean with spacious rooms and a gated driveway good for motorcyclists. The accommodating family who runs the hotel offer a laundry service, home-cooked meals on request, and always a free smile. We really dug the bamboo furniture in our rooms, and wished we could stay longer.

Vittles: Staying down at Lakeside, you are at a bit of a disadvantage for seeing any local priced food. But we managed to find some restaurants on the north end of the lake that offer momos for 30R, chowmein for 40, and an outlandish breakfast deal (at the Sweet Memories Restaurant) for 75R. This unbelievable breakfast is called the Trekking Brkfst, and includes milk tea, a banana milkshake, fruit muesli curd, 2 eggs, toast, potatoes, and grilled tomatoes, for one dollar! We have obviously not gone anywhere else for breakfast.

Hooch Factor: 22 oz Tuborg 70R, whiskey ???, some good two-for-one happy hours at the bars

Navigability: Very easy. Big, wide streets, spread out, with a reasonable amount of traffic, but the roomy roads make navigation simple.

Sliding In and Out: We cruised in on the Prithvi Highway from Gorkha, which was a beautiful drive with a river raging in the deep ravine to the right and a steep mountain cliff towering to the left. The road was excellent up till about 15 kilometres (9 miles) outside of town, where it became a bit crowded, unattractive, and bumpy.