I have been travelling for two years now and have been moved just this once to publically recommend a guest house via this blog. I have stayed at Lake Diamond in Pokhara twice on separate visits to Nepal, and found the welcome to be so warm and the staff so friendly that I offered to write this blog for the owner Man Kumar. Man and his family operate the place in a relaxed low key manner where their philosophy is to make their guests feel like part of their family - a home from home as Roden, another staff member explains to me. Roden always has time to sit and chat on the balconies and is the local arranger, who can sort out anything for you, from bus tickets to trekking guides and porters to a a round of golf (yes we did have a round!) to party tickets to party supplies. Part of Roden's job description appears to be to keep the guests happy and he does this so well in a quiet and unassuming way. The place itself is nothing fancy with simple but clean rooms, and this is reflected in the budget category room rates. Some have bath-tubs which is oh-so welcome after a long trek and some newly refurbished bathrooms, though they sadly seem to be moving away from tubs. Run the tap for a few minutes and you should get hot water anytime of day due to the solar power array up on the roof. The gardens are beautiful and lovingly tendered by Mama and the lad Rinco, and are a mixture of colorful pot plants, well manicured lawn, chickens at the back providing fresh eggs for breakfast and a variety of vegetables for the daily family and guest dal bhat. We were lucky enough to be invited into the kitchen when we expressed an interest in learning how to make the Nepalese staple, to help shell peas and learn the fine art of what goes in and when for the different parts of the famous dish. It is apparently important to put the ginger in at the right, and different, time, for the dal and for the vegetable curry. The other food is typical Pokhara 'we'll cook almost anything' fare - the fruit muesli curd and hash brown breakfasts are highly recmmended and cheap compared to the bigger Pokhara restaurants. Rinco, the young lad they have employed, seems to be everywhere, serving tea and breakfast, re-potting plants, making sure we have enough cushions as we sup a beer on the balcony and thankfully rousing from sleep in the hotel reception to let us in late at night after we have been entertained by the rock cover bands at Busy Bees down in town. It was also nice to see on my second visit that the ex-young lad from the first visit, Denis, is now training to be a plumber. I saw him on a number of occassions so he is still part of the Lake Diamond family. Rinco is Denis' younger brother - I told Denis he had trained him well and continues the family's excellent standards of service. My second visit to Lake Diamond was almost like returning home to family after a long abscence. Roden was there waiting with Bob the taxi driver as our bus rattled in, despite it being four hours late. Big smiles and welcomes were received from Man Kumar and over the excellent family dal baat which knocks the socks off most of the local restaurants offerings, I was thanked for writing them an email of recommendation on my last visit. I am writing this blog to extend that recommendation further. I feel that after a repeat visit this honest, hard working family deserves a slice of the Pokhara tourist business, despite not being found in any tourist guide and being a little more difficult to find than some better placed hotels. To reach them, find restaurant 'Once Upon a Time' on the main street - it is right in the middle of Lakeside near Busy Bee's, and then take the road immediately to the side leading away from the lake. Lake Diamond is 2 minutes walk up this road on the corner just as it bends round to the left. If however you call ahead from Kathmandhu with the name of your bus service they will be there to meet you at the bus station and bring you direct to the hotel, which can be most welcome in the face of a long day on the bus.
If you do take up this recommendation, enjoy your visit, and please mention this blog as the staff like to know what prompted travellers to use their services. I would also appreciate it if you could leave a comment on this blog as it will add credibility to its authenticity. Enjoy your travels in Nepal and best wiskes to Man Kumar, Roden, Mama, Rinco, Bob and the staff at Lake Diamond.
