One Life Adventures Nepal Snapshot tour: An honest review

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Considering booking a small group tour in Nepal with One Life Adventures? This review’s got everything you need to know before you go, who the tour’s best for, my personal trip highlights and a day-by-day breakdown to show you exactly what to expect.

As a full-time travel blogger I have a (perhaps bad) habit of returning to places I’ve already been because I constantly have to think about updating my content, so when a chance came up to spice up my schedule with somewhere brand new for me, I was absolutely stoked.

And the destination that would be my first new country in two years? Beautiful Nepal 🌄

To be totally honest, Nepal wasn’t thaaat high on my bucket list for one key reason: I’m not a serious hiker and I don’t have the willpower nor the desire to be a serious hiker. I assumed that it was solely for travellers who wanted to spend their days in the mountains and their nights in tents, but I was wrong.

After a week exploring Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara with six other mostly-solo travellers and a superstar local guide, I can say with confidence that this place is something truly special, and there’s so much more to see and do than starve yourself of oxygen for days on end 🙃 plus there’s a day hike included in the itinerary if you want a taste of the Himalayas without having to buy expensive gear or train in preparation!

From spectacular temples and fascinating cultural traditions to mega national parks and mellow towns that seem to exist on a different spiritual plane from the rest of the world, my Nepal trip firmly secured its spot as one of my most memorable.

Here’s what you need to know about the Nepal Snapshot tour with One Life Adventures to decide whether it’s the right option for you.

Disclosure: I partnered with One Life to provide coverage of this tour, but they have no editorial control of this review and (as always) all opinions are my own and are based on my personal experience.

A summary of the One Life Adventures Nepal Snapshot tour

About One Life Adventures: One Life Adventures are a small group tour operator running immersive adventure tours throughout Asia, Central America and North Africa. Nepal was my fifth country with them (after India, Japan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines) and they’re one of my favourite travel companies on the planet.

Nepal Snapshot itinerary: 7 days/6 nights with two nights each in Kathmandu, Chitwan National Park and Pokhara before a bus back to Kathmandu on the final day.

You can book the Nepal Snapshot as a standalone one-week tour, or combine it with India by booking the 18-day India Nepal Expedition, which combines Nepal and the 12-day India Classic trip (which is what five of us did). The Delhi-Kathmandu flight is booked for you and included in the tour price.

Tour accommodation: Clean and comfortable twin or double rooms at decent 4* hotels.

Tour guide: Ram is from the Nepali mountains and his love for his country came through in everything he did. Always smiling, very knowledgeable, endlessly patient with my sore knees on the day hike 🙃

What was the group like: A cosy seven in total! Five of us rolled straight in from the India tour and two new friends met us in Kathmandu. All between 26 and 37, five of us solo (originally) and two were travelling together, but we were a little fam by the end ❤️

Included activities: Kathmandu city tour, a cooking class and dinner at a women’s social enterprise, a canoe ride and jeep safari in Chitwan, a guided walk of a local village, the day trek to Australian Camp, breakfast each day + three lunches and five dinners.

Free time: Solid stretches of a few hours in Kathmandu and Pokhara for doing your own thing, Chitwan was mostly filled with wildlife spotting but there was some downtime at the hotel too.

What you need to know about One Life Adventures

Who are One Life Adventures?

One Life Adventures are an award-winning small group tour operator with trips across Asia as well as Costa Rica and Morocco, mainly for travellers in their 20s and 30s, though all my trips have had a few adventurous 40+ year olds.

Their itineraries are all centred around blending bucket list moments, authentic cultural experiences, adventure and loads of opportunities to bond with your crew, which will be 22 people at the most (but my tours have all been between 7 and 16 people).

They’re ideal for solo travellers too, many of their customers arrive alone but leave with lifelong travel buddies! I joined their Sri Lanka trip solo and met friends who have since joined me in Japan, India and then Nepal for annual reunion tours 🥰

What really sets them apart from most tour operators targeting younger travellers is how much is included in the tour price. The majority of companies with youth-focused tours keep the upfront cost low with a stripped-back itinerary, then to fill your free time they’ll offer optional extras which can quickly add up.

With One Life you’ll always have major highlights and other fun stuff included in each trip, so you’re not constantly having to do mental maths about what you can afford or sit in your hotel with FOMO because you’re over budget.

But don’t just take my word for it either, their reviews speak for themselves! 4.9/5 on TourRadar from almost 12,000 genuine customers is WILD.

Why visit Nepal with One Life Adventures?

Amongst our crew there were three main reasons we each chose this trip for Nepal: the tour length, the solo-friendliness and the fact that it wasn’t only about hiking.

At seven days all up the Nepal Snapshot is perfect if you’re running short on annual leave or if you’re already spending a couple of weeks in India and don’t want to tack another fortnight onto your trip.

Two of our group were based in Asia and needed an easy option to fit into a week-ish off work, and for the five of us coming from the India tour it was the ideal amount of time to experience a new country without hitting total travel burnout (been there, done that 🫠).

The India Nepal Expedition tour includes your transfer to Delhi Airport and your flight to Kathmandu too so it’s all smooth sailing and you don’t need to worry about any logistics connecting the two.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you are doing the India trip and are tossing up whether to add on Nepal or not, at least a few other tourmates will probably have booked the Expedition and will be continuing on to Kathmandu on the day you’re saying goodbye. I’m not saying you should make travel decisions based purely on avoiding FOMO, but just know that it’ll suck 🤷🏼‍♀️

Most of us on the trip were solo which is typical with One Life tours. There’s no single supplement if you’re happy to share a twin room with another traveller of the same gender, or you can upgrade to a private room (what I did) for not too much extra.

The tour also includes your airport transfer for a stress-free arrival in Kathmandu and included activities like a cooking class and safari experiences are perfect for breaking the ice with new friends.

And if you’re someone who has mentally filed Nepal under “not for me” along with Mt Kilimanjaro, the Camino de Santiago or hiking to Machu Picchu, then this trip proves why you shouldn’t count Nepal out!

I love the concept of being ‘outdoorsy vs. outsidey’ and this is super relevant here:

• Outdoorsy people get their kicks from outdoor challenges that usually require intense physical exertion, and their experience is levelled up by pushing their body or mind to its limit to reach it. Hiking, biking, climbing, kayaking, the more effort they put in, the sweeter the reward tastes.
• Outsidey people might love nature and fresh air just as much but don’t need the same effort-to-reward ratio to feel like they’ve had an epic time. The scenery, the vibes or the fun along the way are the point, not how hard you worked to get there.

The Nepal Snapshot tour is very outsidey (lots of city wandering, wildlife spotting and stunning views) with one outdoorsy day for the decent-but-not-murderous trek to Australian Camp.

And finally, you can get 10% off the tour (or any One Life tour) with the promo code FINDINGALEXX when you book direct on their website 💃🏼

An honest review of the 7-day Nepal Snapshot tour with One Life Adventures

The tour itinerary

This trip hits a trifecta of tourism hot spots: Kathmandu, Chitwan National Park and Pokhara.

Day 1 starts with a group meeting in the evening before an included welcome dinner, day 2 is a full day amongst the chaos of Kathmandu, day 3 takes you to Chitwan National Park for a canoe cruise and jeep safari on day 4, day 5 is onto peaceful Pokhara for the day 6 trek to Australian Camp, and day 7 includes the long bus back to Kathmandu (or you can choose to book your own 25 minute flight instead). Phew!

Highlights from our One Life Nepal tour

• The drive from the airport to our hotel where I heard hardly any honking, after the CONSTANT honking we’d dealt with for two weeks in India 😂 Immediate relief!
• Our welcome dinner where we got to meet the new additions to our crew and break the ice by joining a cultural dance on-stage. Also, free popcorn!
• Ram telling us we could sleep in on day 2 because the city tour wouldn’t start until 10am (and we were running on about four hours sleep three nights in a row thanks to a sleeper train and two nights out in India)
• The aforementioned sleep in not actually happening (a lowlight) because the weather cleared up and we had the chance to book an optional Everest scenic flight that required a 5am hotel departure. WORTH IT THOUGH.

• The sleep I had post-mountain-flight while everyone else was on the Kathmandu city tour 💤 It’s very unlike me to bail on a group thing but the level of tiredness I felt can only be described as near death
• Our included cooking class at Sungabha (Seven Women) Nepal, a social enterprise that supports and empowers women in need
• The scenic drive through the mountains to reach Chitwan National Park
• Learning how local villagers live in Chitwan
• Meeting Annjey, our legendary Chitwan guide who had wildlife-spotting superpowers
• Our canoe safari through croc-infested waters 🐊

• A very successful jeep safari afternoon where we almost immediately spotted two rhinos bathing in the mud (from quite far away), then saw a tiger (!!!) and another rhino up close on our final stretch to the exit!
• Pokhara in general, I loved it here ❤️
• Parking up at Med5 café for a delicious lunch and some card games with views over the lake
• Our free time pedal boat adventure on the lake
• Sunset at the lakefront in Pokhara
• Ram helping me find a pea vendor and buying a bag of the freshest and sweetest peas in a pod for like $0.50USD (my favourite vegetable 🫛)

• A diviiiiiine dinner at Dunga Restro in Pokhara
• The mountain views on the drive to the starting point of our day hike to Australian Camp. I wish I could tell you that the views from the hike itself were a highlight too, but the clouds rolled in and we saw nothing 😂
• This doggo who followed us from our lunch stop all the way down the stairs for two-ish hours to the van meeting point 🥺

• A last minute free time side quest to the World Peace Pagoda post-hike
• Our final family dinner at byanjan
• Finding a genuine cashmere retailer in Pokhara with very affordable jumpers and scarves, taking too long to decide what I wanted, realising my flight to Kathmandu was leaving in less than 90 minutes and freaking out, and the shopkeeper insisting that he’d motorbike me back to my hotel so I could get there in time. Thank you Aamir from Cottage Crafts!

What was the tour group like?

Just seven of us which was a great size for a short week-long trip!

Five girls, two guys, all from mid-20s to mid-30s, from NZ, Australia, the USA, Norway and the UK.

The spider web of connections was a bit complex:

• Three of us knew each other from previous tours (Sri Lanka and Japan) and reunite once a year somewhere exciting
• One of that reunion crew brought a friend from home for the whole India Nepal Expedition
• Another solo traveller from our India tour continued with the four of us onto Nepal too
• Two separate solo female travellers came just for the Nepal trip

Because five of us had already spent two weeks together in India we already knew each other’s quirks and had our rhythm as a group, but the two who joined in Kathmandu immediately fit in and after a day or so we were like a beautiful blended family 👨🏻‍👩🏼‍👧🏽‍👦🏻

What was the tour guide like?

Ram is a born-and-raised mountain guy with a permanent grin on his face, he’s one of the smiliest people I’ve ever met on my travels and he’d crack a joke at every opportunity, whether we were sleep-deprived from an early morning alarm or getting impatient on safari or trying not to collapse on the uphill climb.

He set the tone from the initial arrival transfer, very warm and welcoming, and his super chill go-with-the-flow attitude was exaaaactly what we needed.

Throughout the trip he always made sure everyone was happy, helped us sort out our free time plans and logistics, and I’ll always be grateful for him finding me that pea man 🫛

What was the vibe and pace of the tour?

After two weeks going full throttle in India, Nepal felt like a looooong exhale 🧘🏼‍♀️ and omg it was sweet sensory relief.

The rhythm was very consistent: travel day, full day to explore, travel day to the next spot, and repeat.

Two nights in all three destinations was ideal too, no need to repack 12 hours after you arrived, and our own private minibus with a small group meant that intercity journeys were as efficient as possible considering Nepal’s road conditions.

We visited in February which is off-season for the big hikes which meant fewer international tourists around, so Thamel in Kathmandu and the touristy areas of Pokhara were ultra relaxed and pretty quiet.

I could’ve happily spent more time in Chitwan doing extra safaris and in Pokhara just existing, but seven days felt like enough to see the non-hike highlights of the three spots at a calm pace.

The only caveat is that you only get one shot at the trek day, so if the weather doesn’t play ball there’s no backup plan.

What was the accommodation like?

Solid 4* hotels with comfortable beds, air con/heating and excellent service.

Exact accomm might change for your tour but here’s where we stayed:

• Surya Heritage Hotel, Kathmandu: In the heart of Thamel with loads of restaurants and shops within easy reach. Rooms were compact but the nap I had in that bed was ✨ elite ✨

• Landmark Forest Park, Chitwan: Huge rooms (mine had a balcony) with beautiful gardens and a swimming pool that we didn’t use because there were controlled burns nearby with lots of ash in the air unfortunately. Really lovely restaurant staff who were entertained by how many Fantas I ordered haha.

• Hotel Kausi, Pokhara: Right opposite the lake, simple rooms but comfy beds and good views if you’re up high.

What was the transport like?

Private minibus for all intercity journeys, super easy with door-to-door service and no wasted time! Then we had an open-air jeep to get around Chitwan.

The final journey from Pokhara back to Kathmandu on day 7 is included in the tour price but it’s a full day minibus trip, approx. 8-9 hours (without delays) on some of the bumpiest roads on the planet. Not for the faint-hearted.

Most of our group decided to book our own flight instead to save the time, there are 25+ flights each day with Buddha Airlines or Yeti Airlines, and it’s only 25 minutes in the air. Flights are about $100-125USD, Buddha Airlines is generally a bit more expensive but they’ve got a better safety record.

Nepal Snapshot One Life Adventures tour: Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu

Day 2: Exploring Kathmandu

Day 3: Kathmandu to Chitwan National Park

Day 4: Chitwan safari & wildlife spotting

Day 5: Chitwan to Pokhara

Day 6: Day trek to Australian Camp

Day 7: Pokhara to Kathmandu

Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu

After perhaps immersing myself a liiiiittle too much into Delhi’s nightlife on the final evening of our India Classic tour, the 7am alarm clock to pack my bag before our 7.45am airport transfer was painful to say the least.

There were five of us continuing from India onto the Nepal segment too and our flight + the ride to the airport were both organised by One Life Adventures. It was just 1h 40m in the sky before we landed in Kathmandu!

If you’re booking the combo tour then select a window seat on the left side of the plane for the best chance of mountain views, you can usually do this on the airline app or website with the PNR (six character code) in the flight details One Life will send you.

Most nationalities can get a visa on arrival in Kathmandu but there’s also an option to apply and pay online before your trip, I did the latter and got through immigration in a matter of minutes. Most of the group either took the visa on arrival route or had done the online application but still had to pay in person, and they took 20-30 minutes longer.

Once we all got through immigration and grabbed our bags we made our way to the arrivals terminal, with some ATM stops on the way (which didn’t work for some cards) and a SIM card stall to compare a local SIM with eSIMs. Here’s the info to save you the time:

• 100GB for $11.50USD
• 20GB for $6.15USD
• 12GB for $4USD
• Requires verification which can take 10-20 minutes (they’ll copy your passport, take a photo of you and fill out a registration form)
• Very cheap but it was cash-only and the ATMs weren’t working, plus we were pretty exhausted and just wanted to get to our hotel

eSIMs through global providers on the other hand were more expensive per GB but way easier and quicker to sort out:

• Mobimatter was the best deal (yet again) with 10GB for $19.99USD and 5GB for $10.99
• Airalo: 10GB for $23USD and 5GB for $15USD
• Saily: Only had a 1GB option for $9.99
• Nomad: 10GB for $24USD and 5GB for $15USD
• Holafly: 7 days’ unlimited data for $65.90USD (yikes)

Our guide Ram was holding a One Life sign and greeted us with a huge smile, before leading us to the bus and setting off for the hotel.

The contrast from India was immediately clear, it truly felt like I could properly relax for the first time in two weeks. Don’t get me wrong, India was a magical experience with so many meaningful moments, but the level of the chaos cannot be understated 🫠

Kathmandu isn’t exactly a peaceful paradise free from traffic, pollution, noise and crowds, but it was a huge step down in intensity from Delhi, Agra and the cities of Rajasthan! Roads have lanes which vehicles actually stick to, horns were used for necessary alerts instead of as constant background noise, and our bus didn’t have to swerve even once on the journey to Thamel.

On the drive we warned Ram that we were all pretty shattered from the India trip and he totally understood (I’d say it’s common for the Expedition guests) and let us know that the following day’s city tour wouldn’t start until 10am so we’d get a sleep in. Praise the travel gods 🙏🏼

We checked into Surya Heritage Hotel in the heart of Thamel, Kathmandu’s tourism hub with hotels, international cuisine, hiking stores and souvenir shops lining the streets. I’d booked the private upgrade so had my own double room with a desk, minifridge, really comfortable bed and a view overlooking densely-populated neighbourhoods out to the hills behind the city.

We had a few hours of downtime before our 6pm group meeting to meet our new travel buddies, some of the crew chose to nap and some of us decided to explore Thamel.

My first Nepalese meal couldn’t have been less Nepalese if I tried. I went to a top-rated French bakery called L’Artisan Patisserie for lunch and it was divine, even the French customers in the store were impressed.

At the group meeting we met the two solo female travellers who’d booked the Nepal Snapshot tour, got the rundown from Ram about important info for the rest of the trip, and then he shared some good news and bad news with us.

The bad news: The day 2 sleep in we were desperate for might not happen, because…

The good news: The weather was looking decent enough for an optional Everest scenic flight (!!!), but…

More bad news: It’d require a 5am departure from the hotel to get to the airport for a 6.30am flight. Noooo 😭

Obviously no one in their right mind would choose sleep over the opportunity to see the tallest peak in the world, so it was an immediate yes from all of us except one tourmate on a tight budget who wasn’t fussed about the mountains.

The scenic flight was $240USD so definitely something you want to set aside money for in advance.

We walked to our included welcome dinner at a tourist restaurant that offered all-you-can-eat-ish Nepalese dishes with cultural performances as entertainment. Probably not the most authentic culinary experience but it was an ‘Introduction to Nepalese food 101’ kind of thing, and taste testing spicy food is always a fantastic icebreaker for new travel buddies.

With the early morning wake up locked in for most of us, we decided to call it a night at a very respectable time of 9pm to try get some sleep before our first full day in Nepal.

Day 2: Everest flight (optional), city tour (I bailed) & cooking class

The 4.30am alarm was nothing short of devastating, but with Everest on my mind I dragged my half-asleep body out of bed and into warm layers for the single digit temps outside, before we hopped into the van and headed to the airport.

Now when I say “scenic flight”, I’m going to assume that most of you picture a little 6- to 12-seater plane, like a Cessna, gliding through the sky like you’d find in Milford Sound, the Swiss Alps and the Great Barrier Reef.

This was not that.

First of all we had to check in at the domestic terminal (where normal point-to-point flights leave from too) at a counter with the destination listed as ‘MOUNTAIN’, we had proper boarding passes printed (with ‘MTN” as the destination, how cool), had our passports checked and then waited in the boarding gate for the weather report.

These flights are frequently delayed and cancelled for obvious reasons, you’ve got to be patient and understand that safety comes first.

Our departure was pushed back about half an hour before the all clear, then we took a tarmac bus to our very much not-a-Cessna plane. In all my travels I’ve never seen an ATR-72 used for a scenic flight!

These flights run every morning (weather-dependent) by Buddha Air and everyone on board gets their own window seat with an empty seat next to them. One seat for me, one seat for my cameras and lenses.

The flight attendant handed out a fold out map of the peaks we were about to fly past which was brilliant because I have no directional awareness at all (a real occupational hazard in my line of work) and honestly would’ve had no clue what I was looking at otherwise.

You spend about an hour in the sky soaring past 20 of the Himalayas’ highest peaks (including four 8000ers) before turning around at the end and coming back so the other side of the plane gets the views too.

I’m glad to say that the early wake up and $240USD splurge was 1000% worth it, the views were insane 🤯

The plane’s flight path is about 30km away from the mountains so it’s more of a panoramic flight rather than an up-close-and-personal one, but to get any closer you’d need to splash out on a helicopter tour which would be 5-6x the price and takes half a day.

The Buddha Air option is ideal if you’re short on time and want the best bang for your buck!

We were back at the hotel by 9am for breakfast and a bit of time to refresh before the city tour, buttttt I could feel my brain and body shutting down and unfortunately had to make the difficult call to bail on the Kathmandu orientation in order to catch up on sleep.

I felt so bad telling Ram because I didn’t want to come across as not caring about his country or culture, but I’ve dealt with travel burnout many times in the past from my ‘you only live once’ mentality while I’m on the road, and this time I actually recognised what was coming before it happened.

When you travel for leisure (like most people do) it might seem ridiculous to give up the chance of seeing a new city in exchange for a nap, but as a full-time traveller who has to keep up with content, blogging and the rest of my business (and who doesn’t get sick leave), travel-induced exhaustion and illness can throw my entire year up in the air. In other words, please don’t think I’m a bad person 🥺

The rest of the group spent the day seeing the capital’s highlights, including Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square and Swayambhunath (the Monkey Temple), and they even caught a glimpse of the Royal Kumari (the living goddess, a very contentious religious tradition, worth a deep dive from the perspective of modern ethics vs. cultural preservation if you’ve got the same brain as me).

When I came back to life in the afternoon I felt like a new human, just in time to join the group for our included cooking class at Sungabha (Seven Women).

This social enterprise was started 20 years ago to support seven disabled women by teaching them how to create and then sell handicrafts, and since then it’s transformed into a hub of training and employment opportunities that’s helped more than 5000 marginalised women build skills and gain an income to support their families.

People with disabilities are often ostracised in Nepalese society due to widely-held misconceptions that disabilities are a punishment for something you did in a previous life, and women face a compound effect of gender discrimination on top of stigma around their disability.

It’s hard enough in Nepal to deal with one of those barriers, let alone a double dose.

In reality this results in disadvantaged women being shut out from education, employment and community life, they’re often kept at home by their families or abandoned altogether, their marriage prospects are limited because they’re considered a burden rather than an asset (both are problematic but that’s a rant for another day), they’re more likely to get married earlier and end up in violent or exploitative relationships.

Now that’s a lot of heavy info, but there’s some good news!

Sungabha (Seven Women) provides women in need with practical skills training in sewing, knitting, tailoring, cooking and more, which they can then use to find a job, start their own small business or gain employment at Sungabha teaching other women or running cooking, craft or language workshops for tourists.

It’s beautifully self-sustaining: tourists book a class > classes fund training for more women > more women gain the skills required to teach more tourists, and so on. 10/10, no notes 👏🏼

Evana showed us around the sewing room first while explaining the organisation’s backstory, then we moved onto the kitchen to put on our aprons and get stuck into whipping up the lentil soup, tomato pickle, vegetable curry, fried potato and rice pudding, learning about Nepalese culture and home life as we sliced, sizzled and stirred at our respective stations.

The food was so good that I actually forgot to take any photos of the final product, but here’s how pretty it looked before we got stuck in haha.

They’ve got a giftshop onsite too where you can buy souvenirs, clothing and accessories from the women who Sungabha supports, I love my multi-pocket toiletry organiser made with traditional Nepalese textiles.

We left with a full tummy, some delicious recipes to try at home, a better understanding of what life is like for Nepal’s most vulnerable women and how important it is for tourists to support these types of projects.

Day 3: Kathmandu to Chitwan National Park

At 8am we checked out of our hotel and hit the road towards Chitwan National Park.

The 150km-ish drive took almost six and a half hours, thanks to a combo of precariously tight corners, unsealed roads in construction zones and slow overloaded vehicles in front of us. We had a couple of short rest stops on the way to stretch our legs and got some pretty spectacular views along the Trishuli river.

If you get carsick be sure to take medication before you set off, and if you’re a nervous passenger then sit on the left side of the van/bus so you’re not staring out at the brutal drop into the river below.

We reached Landmark Forest Park in the afternoon, checked into our rooms (super spacious!) and had our included buffet lunch in the hotel restaurant.

Our first Chitwan adventure was a guided walk through a local village with Annjey, our safari guide for the following day’s activities too. We learnt about the tools these rural communities use for agriculture, how humans coexist with the diverse wildlife that roams freely, and met some teeny tiny one-day-old baby goats 🥺

Annjey took us to a stunning spot for a fantastically fiery sunset before we jeeped back to the hotel for buffet dinner and hit the hay in preparation for a big day of wildlife spotting.

Day 4: Chitwan canoe ride & jeep safari

We kicked off the morning with a jeep ride to a riverbank, where we donned some ugly green lifejackets and parked ourselves on little wooden stools in a very back-to-basics canoe, which practically had us floating at eye level (or mouth level) with a range of creatures hiding in the water and in the grass above it.

Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, not scared of this guy at all.

We saw LOADS of crocodiles, both the critically endangered gharial (long snout, very docile, not dangerous to humans) and the not-so-chill mugger (wide snout, can get territorial or defensive), and Annjey also pointed out vibrant kingfishers and other colourful birds.

I love river safaris like this, it reminded me of Kinabatangan River in Malaysian Borneo. It’s wild how ‘at peace’ you can feel despite being in an extremely vulnerable position around prehistoric predators that could murder you at a moment’s notice if they wanted to. The trust we put in nature, eh?!

After the canoe ride we popped back to the hotel for a quick lunch and refresh before the included afternoon safari, which two other hotel guests joined us for.

They clearly didn’t get the memo about wearing low-contrast neutral outfits for wildlife activities and one turned up in a bright pink cap, though our collective annoyance must’ve been less subtle than we thought because she took it off pretty quickly 🙃

We got dropped at a crossing point and had a short walk to the riverbank where overloaded boats were ferrying tourists across to the entrance of Chitwan NP on the other side. And when I say overloaded, I mean probably 10cm away from letting in water.

Call me a scaredy cat but I’m not hopping into a boat designed for 15 people with 30 other travellers in a body of water where I just saw too many crocodiles to count, even if it is just a 200m paddle to the other side. Nope nope nope!

Luckily Annjey and Ram were on the same page and managed to nab us our own private transfer canoe with no overloading risk, phew.

We got settled into our open-air jeep and hit the trails to see what we could spot.

Almost immediately we came across a long mud pool with some grey blobs at the back of it, and my zoom lens quickly confirmed we were in fact looking at two One-Horned Rhinos! That’s a big tick off the bucket list.

A couple of hours later we were deep in the park away from other jeeps when Annjey spotted something on the tyre tracks in the distance, aaaand it was an elusive Bengal tiger just lazing in the shade 🤯 another bucket lister!

There are only 128 tigers in Chitwan NP and they’re pretty rare to see on day safaris, let alone seeing one totally chilled out with its tail flicking like a house cat, so we were incredibly lucky.

Our driver did try to get us closer but it got up and meandered into the thick forest before we reached it. Even in the pixelated photos you can see how majestic it is.

We also saw macaques and langurs playing in the trees, hornbills (cue 🎵 I Just Can’t Wait to be King 🎵), peacocks, eagles, herons, lots of deer, massive monitor lizards and technically a sloth bear too, though my eyes were too slow to focus before it was behind the grass and I could only see a patch of dark fur and lots of moving leaves.

The safari included a stop at the gharial breeding centre to stretch our legs and see how the conservation project is helping to repopulate the rivers (there’s 366 in Chitwan and thought to be less than 1000 adults in the wild globally).

The park exit we were using closes at 5.30pm but we were quite deep in the forest hoping for a second sighting of a rhino (no luck) and had to make a bit of a dash for it to get out in time.

We were literally a few hundred metres from the drop-off point at 5.31pm when a gigantic rhino walks right across the jeep path in front of us 😱 It was like it was waiting for closing time so it could come out of hiding!

So to summarise the day, we had a rhino-tiger-rhino sandwich with lots of other creatures as proverbial condiments. A great success in Chitwan!

One thing to note is that there were localised controlled burns in the national park while we were there in mid-February, these help mitigate the risk of forest fires in the hotter seasons and cause new vegetation to grow which provides better food for the animals. The park is huge so it didn’t impact our wildlife spotting but there was ash in the air in some parts, just something to keep in mind if you’re prone to respiratory issues.

Back at the hotel we had a buffet dinner and then watched the cultural show put on by local villagers, and some of us even got amongst the dancing 💃🏼

Day 5: Chitwan to Pokhara

We set off at 8am for another drive along zigzagging mountain roads, reaching the seemingly peaceful hub of Pokhara a little after midday. Hotel Kausi was home for us here, just across the road from Basundhara Park at the quieter south end of Phewa Lake.

As soon as we arrived I felt my heart rate drop about 10bpm, it was suuuper mellow with lots of greenery, photogenic viewpoints and healthy cafes. The best way I can describe it is like if Ubud in Bali, Lake Bled (Slovenia) and Pushkar (India) had a baby, this part of Pokhara feels like the best bits of all three.

We had a free afternoon and Ram shared lots of suggestions for sightseeing. Some of us found a cute café with a lake view rooftop, it was called Med5 and had a wide range of Mediterranean cuisine (unsurprisingly) as well as momos and other local dishes. The milkshakes were deeeelish, highly recommend.

The whole group was keen to head out on the lake, so we met up at the boat rental place and paid a grand total of $10USD between seven of us for an hour on a pedal boat, complete with a captain to pedal it for us.

He took us over to Tal Barahi Temple which sits on a small island in the lake, the temple was under construction after damage in the 2015 earthquake, but apparently when we visited it was near completion so might be all done by the time you’re reading this.

If it’s still covered in scaffolding then it’s not worth it, skip it and just pedal around the lake instead.

Back on land we met Ram for an evening orientation walk and quickly realised that our first impression of Pokhara being ultra-chill was in fact not the full picture.

The south end of Phewa Lake is relaxed (especially outside of hiking season) but just a short walk along the lake takes you from zen mode to peak crowds in about five minutes, with loud music blasting from beer gardens, a neon-lit amusement park and street vendors selling everything from plasticky souvenirs to prayer flags to candy floss.

There was a silver lining of navigating the chaos though.

In the Kathmandu cooking class we’d learnt that Nepal has abundant crops of garden peas that thrive in the mild mountain climate, and in autumn/winter you can often find ‘matarkosa’ or fresh peas in a pod at local markets. I bloody love fresh peas in a pod and Ram had been keeping an eye out for them for me, and in the middle of the packed lakefront walkway at sunset he yelled “ALEXX, PEAS!” and pointed at a little old man carrying bags and bags of them.

I think I paid about 50 cents for a huge bag and they were probably the best peas I’ve ever had in my life.

Dinner wasn’t included but we all decided to eat together and took Ram’s recommendation of Dunga Restro, a classy restaurant and lounge bar with a varied menu of Western and local cuisine.

I’d filled myself up on peas so just got a Snickers milkshake and a side of egg pakoda, dinner of champions.

Day 6: Day trek to Australian Camp

And it was finally here, the day hike that I reeeeally hoped didn’t actually require hiking boots because I didn’t have any and didn’t want to spend the money and lug them around in my suitcase just to use them once.

We left the hotel at 8am for the hour-ish drive to the trailhead in Kande (around 1700m), with a quick roadside photo stop for a panorama of snow-capped mountains to get us excited for the upcoming views.

At about 9.20am we hit the first set of stairs and it was an almost entirely uphill climb for an hour and a half until we reached Australian Camp, sitting at 2100m elevation with a sweeping outlook over the valley and up to the mountains… which were completely clouded over by this stage 🙃

After a bit of a rest for photos, finding the cutest lil mountain puppy and feeling immense disappointment that the clouds wouldn’t budge, we continued on an undulating path to Anu Guest House & Restaurant.

Our lunch here was included, we each had a hearty dal bhat thali with vegetable curry, lentil soup, pickle, papadum and free top ups of whatever we wanted to get our energy levels back up.

As they say in Nepal, “dal bhat power 24 hour”!

By the time we left the guesthouse the sky was even more covered, and we set off for the downhill stretch of the hike accompanied by a friendly dog who followed us the entire way.

There were sections of non-stop stairs at uneven levels which were an absolute killer for my knees, but after another two hours or so we reached the roadside where our minibus was waiting.

In the end the trek was fine for me from a cardio perspective (as someone who is constantly walking while on the road but doesn’t do any organised exercise and has only ever got to day 15 on the Couch to 5km app) but the worst bit was by farrrrr going downhill with untrained and historically injury-prone knees.

I’d rented hiking poles from an outdoors shop in Pokhara though which saved me for sure.

Our group had a range of fitness levels and everyone was patient, no one felt rushed or held back, and Ram was an expert at judging everyone’s level of enjoyment/pain/exhaustion and made sure there were frequent rest stops and hydration breaks.

I know what you’re thinking, after all that did we manage to see the mountains from any part of the hike? NOPE. The best view of the day was from the drive to the trailhead 🙃 but that’s what happens in terrain like this, clear skies are never promised and nature does what she wants.

I’m still glad I did it, it was a fun bonding experience with the crew and super interesting to get a taste of how mountain villages operate without roading networks and other infrastructure, but it also confirmed what I already suspected: I’m outsidey, not outdoorsy!

I didn’t get an ounce of dopamine from finishing the trek, my highlights were undoubtedly the photo stop on the drive and the two dogs I made friends with on the trail haha which isn’t very inspiring of me I know, but at least I’m self-aware 🤷🏼‍♀️

Some important info about the hike:

• If you’re not used to extended downhill sections or if you’ve got dodgy knees or ankles, rent hiking poles in Pokhara for extra stability. Your guide can help you with this!
• The trip details do say to bring proper hiking boots but as I already mentioned, they’re not conducive for a full-time traveller who lives out of a suitcase. After chatting to friends who have been to Nepal I decided to just go with my Hoka trail running shoes and they were completely fine, though we had perfectly dry conditions so different seasons might require more serious gear.
• The hike gains about 400m elevation with the highest point at around 2100m, not high enough for any real altitude effects for most people, but the air is thinner and your body might feel a little more under pressure than the same kind of hike at sea level
• You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to! If hiking really isn’t your thing and you’re not fussed about the potential scenery, or if you’re injured or otherwise limited from an accessibility perspective, feel free to opt out and spend your day doing whatever you want instead.

Back in Pokhara we had free time until our final family dinner, and a few of us made the last minute decision to boost up to the World Peace Pagoda which sits in the hills above Phewa Lake. We booked a cab through the local rideshare app InDrive and got to the carpark 25 minutes before it closed, enough time for a quick wander and some beautiful views before heading back down.

Our last dinner was included, we headed to a restaurant called byanjan and sipped cocktails while reminiscing about the peaks and the pits of the Nepal Snapshot tour.

Day 7: Pokhara to Kathmandu & depart

And that’s a wrap!

The final day of the tour includes a minibus transfer from Pokhara back to Kathmandu which takes about 8-9 hours on the perilous mountain roads, but most of us decided to book our own flight (25 minutes, $100-$125USD) to save time and stress.

I will say that I wish I’d spent an extra night or two in Pokhara, there are a bunch of adventure activities within easy reach but things run on mountain time (not always the most efficient) so I didn’t have time to squeeze them into the free time chunks we had.

The main thing I was gutted to miss is the Pokhara ZipFlyer, widely regarded as one of the most extreme in the world! Oh well, a good reason to go back again 🥰

One Life Adventures Nepal FAQs

Final thoughts on exploring Nepal with One Life Adventures

As a non-hiking solo female traveller who was keen to experience Nepal’s culture, soak up the scenery, spot some elusive creatures and explore somewhere new with travel buddies, the Nepal Snapshot One Life Adventures tour was absolutely perfect for me.

I’m never going to book a multi-day trekking tour so that already counts out a bunch of options, and having already decided to do the 12-day India Classic trip, adding an extra week to see the top highlights of Nepal without requiring any additional logistics made it such an easy decision.

As always One Life Adventures nailed the itinerary, a brilliant blend of fun stuff, social bonding, incredible scenery and free time for independent exploring, and our little crew and local guide gelled together hard and fast which made for even more memorable moments.

If you want to see Nepal’s major non-hike highlights without having to drain your annual leave balance, if you’re already in South Asia and want to make the most of being in the region, or if you’re travelling solo and want to visit somewhere epic with new friends without committing to weeks of constant social interaction, this trip might be the one for you!

Don’t forget to use the promocode FINDINGALEXX to save 10% off your tour when you book it direct 🥰

MORE INDIA & SOUTH ASIA TRAVEL GUIDES:

• Solo travel guide to India
• Solo travel guide to Sri Lanka
• Solo travel guide to the Maldives

OTHER SOLO-FRIENDLY TOURS TO ADD TO YOUR BUCKET LIST:

• Travelling India with One Life Adventures
• Travelling Sri Lanka with One Life Adventures
• Travelling Japan with One Life Adventures
• Travelling Borneo with G Adventures
• Travelling Morocco with G Adventures

MY GO-TO TRAVEL PLANNING RESOURCES

Flights ✈️ I use Skyscanner to find the best flights for my trip and then I’ll always book direct with the airline to protect myself from having to deal with dodgy third parties if anything goes wrong.

Trains 🚂 If I’m travelling through Europe, I try to travel by train wherever possible! For an extended trip (2+ weeks) I’ll calculate if a Eurail Pass is worth it, or I’ll book point-to-point tickets through RailEurope or the local train operator.

Accommodation 🛎️ I book almost all of my accommodation through booking.com, they have a user-friendly website + app and many of their options are free cancellation, easily cancelled with a simple click of a button.

Activities 🗽I use GetYourGuide, Klook and Viator to look for activities in the places I visit, or I just Google ‘things to do in [city]’! P.S. If you book anything on Klook you can use the promocode FINDINGALEXXKLOOK to get 10% off

Travel cards 💳 I’m a Wise gal through and through, they’ve been my chosen travel card for more than five years now. You can easily top up your card from your bank account or through Apple Pay, convert your money to local currency, and spend money with minimal fees and the best exchange rates around.

Travel insurance 🩺 I use Cover-More NZ travel insurance for my own trips, I have a comprehensive policy and I’ve only had good experiences with them. Cover-More also has an Australian company, but if you’re from elsewhere then two popular insurance options for global travellers are SafetyWing (cheaper policy, lower coverage) and World Nomads (more expensive but significantly better coverage).

Luggage 💼 I travel with Samsonite Cosmolite suitcases, one 75cm check in bag and a 55cm carry on bag, and I absolutely adore them and will never travel with anything else! They are SUPER lightweight (2.8kg and 1.9kg respectively) so I have much more space for my actual stuff.

Camera gear 📸 I use a iPhone 15 Pro Max for phone photos/videos, and my camera kit includes a Lumix S9 (incredible lightweight full-frame camera, a game changer for travel creators!) with a 20-60mm lens, a Lumix G9 with an 8-18mm and 12-60mm lens, a DJI Mini 3 Pro drone and a GoPro Hero 10. I do all my writing and editing on my ASUS Zenbook 14, it’s lightweight but powerful enough for photo editing and intense blogging sessions.