THE LAZY GIRL'S GUIDE TO CHASING THE HIMALAYAS

Maybe you have limited time to spend in Nepal. Maybe you have a condition that won't allow you to do strenuous trekking. Maybe your budget is not enough to fit a 14-day EBC (Everest Base Camp, to the uninitiated) trek. Or maybe you're just feeling lazy and want to see the Himalayas with the least amount of effort. Whatever your reasons are, there are ways to see this spectacular mountain range that boasts all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks (8 are in Nepal alone): heights that are commonly known as the dead zone. Don't fret - there's still hope for us travelers to see the Himalayas the easier way. Here are four ways that allow you a glimpse of the magical peaks, without having to break (much of) a sweat.

1. SARANGKOT, POKHARA

HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS YOU WILL SEE: Fishtail, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I-IV

One of the most famous places in Nepal to view the Himalayas during sunrise - and possibly, one of the best. It's a 30-minute flight from Kathmandu, but I did a road trip so as to do pit stops along the way and see the rural sights of Nepal - plus, getting to the destination via the country's winding mountain roads and cliffs are way more fun than taking the shortcut.

Sarangkot is a 30-45 minute ride from central Pokhara and most people go there before the sun rises. Read: early morning. During my stay, sunrise was expected at 7AM and my overzealous guide wanted me to get the prime spot on the viewing decks that litter the hillside so we left the very cozy Fishtail Lodge at 445AM and got there around 530AM. I was the first one there and called dibs on the best seat in the house.

The crowds started filling up the seats at around 615AM. There are several viewing decks on the hillside - essentially, rooftops of private homes that entrepreneurial owners converted into viewpoints and stalls - and you can even go all the way to the tower, but any of them will do. The tower is the highest viewpoint but to get there, you need to climb up some steep stairs. Pack a lot of patience while waiting for the sunrise - believe me, it's worth it.

It was a lucky morning after days of rain and cloudy skies. The golden sun slowly illuminated the panoramic snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas: Fishtail, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna range. There was a hushed silence across the viewpoint when the first rays of light appeared, the chilly wind picked up its velocity - as though heralding the arrival of the show's stars - and then the mountains put up a show-stopping spectacle. The crowd clapped in glee and oohed & ahhed over the beautiful landscape. The Himalayas are worth waiting 3 hours for on that dark, windy and freezing hillside even for a 20-minute glimpse of the peaks. I don't know if it was the ice-cold wind that made my eyes water or simply the sheer beauty of it all, but a couple of tears fell from the corner of my eyes. ;-)

2. LAKE PHEWA, POKHARA

HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS YOU WILL SEE: Fishtail, Annapurna

Pokhara seems to have the edge in lazy sightings of the Himalayas. The freshwater Lake Phewa, in the center of the town, boasts of clear views of Fishtail mountain and the Annapurna Range. The amazing part is - that on a very clear day, the mountains cast a filmy reflection on the surface of the lake and make for a surreal photographic experience.

Two ways to see the Himalayas from this vantage point: (1) via a boat lazily plying along the lake towards Tal Barahi Temple, one of the better-known and centrally-located Hindu temples in this part of Nepal, built in honor of the Goddess Durga, and (2) via the cozy Fishtail Lodge - preferably while swinging on the hammock fronting the placid lake and mountains or eating momos and drinking chai, all the while staring at the picturesque scenery in front of this hotel.

I did both options - during the boat ride, the skies decided to clear up the afternoon I arrived. We were on our way back to the lodge after a couple of hours touring the temple and its immediate surroundings, which included a village that can only be reached by boat. It was 330PM when we saw the peaks of the Himalayas, albeit still shrouded with some thin clouds and an overcast sky, but our boat man told us it was the first time that week that it graced the lake with its presence.

The second sighting on the lake was yet another lucky coincidence - it was my last day and I did not expect to see the mountains again because there was a storm the afternoon before and during the night, it rained buckets. The wind was simply blowing too many thick clouds in the direction of the Himalayas. But lo and behold, as I walked towards the breakfast area around 745AM, the mountains were showing off! It was so clear and the sun was in the perfect position to illuminate the upper half of these natural wonders that I was dumbstruck. The peaks revealed themselves to me one last time and we could see their reflection on the water. Fishtail Mountain, from which the lodge was named after, was simply majectic, with its pointed, snow-capped peak reaching out to the skies. What an experience to cap off the visit to Pokhara!

3. NAGARKOT HILL, KATHMANDU VALLEY

HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS YOU WILL SEE: Langtang-Jugal Range

Through some of the dustiest and hair-raising narrow cliff-side roads in Nepal is a small, nondescript town on the hill station of Nagarkot that sits at 2,190 m / 7190 ft. It was a couple of hours away from the bustling city of Kathmandu. The land around it was a bit barren, with swirls of dust coating every plant and leaf in sight. The uphill road opened up at times to sections of densely-packed pine trees, for which we rolled down the windows to cool our little moving oven and breathe in the fresh air. As we rounded the corner to enter the lobby of Club Himalayas, I was starting to think that this was a highly overrated place and well - a bit dead beat. There was practically nothing much to do in the afternoon as the entire town was winding down for the day. The only consolations, I remembered thinking to myself at that time, were the relaxing spa, the delicious dinner, and the 15% discount on alcoholic drinks at the bar

I decided to wake up with the rest of the sunrise-chasing guests at 630AM anyway, to see if the place had a redeeming factor. Every room has a balcony that looked out to the valley and the mountains, but it was too misty to properly see anything from that vantage point. So I decided to join the rest of the travelers at the rooftop viewing deck and boy, did I ever eat my words. Right in front of us, bordered by the greens of the Nagarkot hillside on one side and the endless heavens on the other, were none other than the mighty Himalayas. The mist suddenly disappeared and the sun glinted off the surreal-looking peaks of Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Langtang-Juwal Range, Rolwaling, Mahalangur (Everest) Range, and Numbur. I realized why Nagarkot is famed for having the broadest views of the Himalayas - with perfectly clear skies, the mountain ranges would be so crisp, you could practically touch them - it was like a hyper-realistic photograph.

4. FROM THE AIRPLANE

HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS YOU WILL SEE: Everything!

One of the best seats in the house - literally - is on the plane. If you are coming from Asian cities like Singapore or Bangkok and arriving into Kathmandu, you should sit on the right. If leaving Kathmandu and returning to either of those cities in the East, pick a seat on the left. When my plane first entered Nepalese airspace (it was early morning), the Himalayas were shrouded with a combination of mist and smog from the cities. But Everest did pop by briefly to say "namaste" to me that day. It was a good omen, on hindsight, and gave us luck, since every single spot that we went for Himalayan viewings was a success. Several travelers before me that week were in for a disappointment when all three places above did not afford them even a peek at the peaks due to increment weather. Possibly the most awe-inspiring sight from the comforts of a pressurized cabin - and was the best parting gift. I left with a heavy heart, I must say, because I learned to love this country in the 10 days I visited. For best views of the mountains, take a flight between noon to 2PM, when the sun is at its highest so your view is not blocked by fog, mist, and smog that usually permeate the Kathmandu Valley in the morning.

There's really no excuse why you can't see the Himalayas in its full glory even if trekking is not up your alley. These four vantage points are some of the best places to experience the mountain ranges and totally worth the early mornings and long waits. I hope that soon though, I'll make my way up to Everest Base Camp to fulfill a dream and for a 360-degree view of the mountain that has captivated every intrepid traveler on the planet since Edmund Hillary summited it in 1953.

HAPPY TRAVELS! x

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