https://www.scmp.com/rss/302572/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com For most travellers the hills to the west of Kathmandu mean only one thing: the buzzing resort city of Pokhara, which draws many thousands of tourists every year. But the area is actually home to a wide range of little-visited attractions: beautiful lakes, wish-granting temples, ancient bazaars and hilltop palaces.   Begnas Tal and Rupa Tal Phewa Lake helped to put Pokhara on the tourist map, but it is now crowded by an ever-growing number of hotels, restaurants, bars and shops. Just 15km to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1639915/five-hidden-gems-pokhara-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1639915/five-hidden-gems-pokhara-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2014 14:45:15 +0000 "CH-OP," I SHOUT. NOTHING. "Chh-op." Nothing. "Chh-oooop?" My throat is getting sore. The mahout, knee-deep in the river, looks up, smiles and gives the thumbs up. One more try and a fraction of a second later Rani's wrinkled grey trunk arches back towards me and squirts water into my face. Down river, tourists are perched on pachyderms, enduring a similar drenching to a chorus of laughs, splashes and periodic trumpeting. People are busy scrubbing away or snapping photos. Elephant bath time has... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1442960/nepals-terai-plains-offer-wildlife-and-sacred-sites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1442960/nepals-terai-plains-offer-wildlife-and-sacred-sites?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Mar 2014 14:45:30 +0000 I'm half asleep when my car screeches to a halt on a dusty, rural road in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. My driver nudges me sharply in the ribs; barely 20 metres ahead of us is a flash of orange and black. As I scrabble in vain for my camera, the tigress casually saunters across the tarmac, pauses briefly to give us the once-over, and then disappears into the undergrowth. We are well outside Kanha National Park, a Kiplingesque landscape of lush forests, grasslands and meandering... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1427883/shergarh-tented-camp-place-safaris-serene-experience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1427883/shergarh-tented-camp-place-safaris-serene-experience?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Feb 2014 15:09:14 +0000 Instead of Tokyo, go to … OKINAWA Why? Japan's southernmost chain of islands, Okinawa has a sub-tropical climate, year-round diving, plus a distinct "Ryukyuan" culture that sets it apart from Japan's capital. It's also the birthplace of karate. What? Explore uninhabited beaches, learn snatches of the local language, tour temples and enjoy the peaceful wilderness. Winter diving is possible, and you (and the fishes) will have the oceans to yourself. How? Hong Kong Airlines has a daily direct... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1368775/escape-holiday-crush-our-guide-last-minute-destinations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1368775/escape-holiday-crush-our-guide-last-minute-destinations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Dec 2013 15:00:30 +0000 GIVEN ITS PROXIMITY to Mumbai, it's hardly surprising that Pune has long been overshadowed by its bigger and brasher neighbour. Now, however, the city is fast developing into a tourist destination in its own right. Dubbed the "Oxford of the East" due to its strong educational heritage, Pune is the second biggest city in the central Indian state of Maharashtra. It lies 150 kilometres southeast of Mumbai, close to the Sahyadri Hills on the edge of the Deccan plain. In recent years it has become... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1265986/pune-more-relaxed-travel-destination-nearby-mumbai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1265986/pune-more-relaxed-travel-destination-nearby-mumbai?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Durbar Square: in the heart of the bustling old town, Durbar Square is the best place to start your exploration of Kathmandu. Its focal points are the 16th-century Hanuman Dhoka, the old royal palace, and the 12th-century Kasthamandap temple, one of the oldest wooden buildings in the world and reputedly the source of Kathmandu's name. The most intriguing part of Durbar Square, however, is Kumari Chowk, home to the city's "living goddess", a prepubescent girl worshipped as an incarnation of the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1218498/10-things-do-kathmandu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1218498/10-things-do-kathmandu?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000