Pokhara Grande
Despite being just a twenty minute flight from the bustling city of Kathmandu, Pokhara feels like a million miles away in another world. Set in a valley with the majestic Annapurna mountain range towering above, Pokhara is a city of 450,000 and home to Pokhara Grande, a welcoming hotel that provides the perfect base to explore the region, or to restore and rejuvenate after your Himalayan mountain adventure. For us, Pokhara Grande was hosting the Himalayan Vegan Festival which ensured that it was a vegan friendly hotel in Pokhara, exactly where we wanted to stay!
Our large and bright room was well appointed, with the bath offering the ability to soak our aching limbs, and the desk presenting a space to keep on top of our work. But it was the seating area adjacent to large windows that really made us happy. When the clouds cleared, which they did on a number of occasions during our stay, we were blessed with the most incredible views of the majestic mountains. Wanting to soak up even more of these mind blowing vistas, we headed to the rooftop on a regular basis to soak up the memorable sights of Machapuchare and the expansive nAnnapurna mountain range. Wow.
The Vegan Food
As hosts to the festival and the international delegates, it will come as no surprise that there was plenty of vegan food on offer. Breakfast options included tomatoes, baked beans, potatoes, mushrooms and toast for anyone who wanted a ‘western breakfast fix’, but for us it was all about the curries, puri and the dosas with chutneys which we enjoyed every morning. There were also mini muffins, cinnamon swirls and croissants available which were of course 100% vegan, the vegan cinnamon swirls being our favourites.
Our vegan lunches were served buffet style and there was a huge selection of plant based food. An extensive salad bar, soup and pasta was on offer, but as always we headed for the local curries and veggies! Our plate at lunch kind of resembled a dal bhat, or maybe even a thali, but quite simply it was a plant based bounty of vegan Nepalese delights. The lentil dal was perfect and we just loved the deep fried bhindi AKA okra which was kind of naughty but oh so nice. A selection of vegan desserts were also on offer and we tried them all of course. The cashew halva was a little too sweet sweet, but paired with a fresh fruit salad, it worked really well. The vegan apple crumble was excellent and the vegan umali was even better. Best described as ‘Nepalese bread pudding’ this veganised version of a local favourite that is usually made with dairy milk was super tasty.
The Vegan Essentials
For a hotel that is surrounded by incredible natural beauty, in an area where understanding and protecting the environment is at the fore, it was a shame to have so much single use plastic in our room. Now is the time for hotels to remove plastic water bottles and to replace the miniature bathroom amenities for larger refillable dispensers, let’s hope Pokhara Grande move in this direction in the not too distant future. We were too busy to use the pool, the gym and the spa but they certainly presented an opportunity, to relax, workout or pamper yourself, whichever takes your fancy!
The Vegan Food Quest Verdict
People often talk about ‘location, location, location’ when it comes to selecting the best hotel in town. Pokhara Grande has a great location as the views on a clear day have to be seen to be believed, especially when you consider that it’s a city centre hotel just a short ride from both the airport and the popular lakeside area. Add to these unique views, an excellent understanding regarding vegan food and you have the perfect plant based option in Pokhara.
We were guests of Pokhara Grande but please rest assured that their generosity in hosting us didn’t influence our views.
Pokhara Grande
Birauta Chowk
Pardi Pokhara
Telephone: +977-61-460210
Email: info@pokharagrande.com
Cost From: £90 / $105 September 2022