From Lonely Planet: "Pokhara is the most popular destination in Nepal after Kathmandu. Its fame rests on the natural beauty of its lakeside location and its proximity to the mountains, not on a great historical or cultural endowment. It's the starting point for some of the most famous treks in Nepal, and there are also plenty of short walks and day trips..."
"Viewed from Pokhara, the Himalaya is indeed a mightly mountain range, looming over the horizon much closer than it does in Kathmandu. Only foothills separate the town from the full height of the mountains, and the magnificent 8000m peaks of the Annapurna Range utterly dominate the view to the north (weather permitting, of course). In the Kathmandu Valley, the high temples are all around you, in the Pokhara Valley the mountains are."
"Machhapuchhare means 'fish tail'...[it] stands out not only because of its prominent shape and lonely position, but because it is closer to Pokhara than the other peaks. ... The other peak with a mountaineering tale to tell is Annapurna I, which, at 8091m, is the highest in the range. It's also part of a long ridge line and because it's farther north appears less conspicuous."
Machhapuchhare can be seen in the 12th through 15th photos below. Annapurna I is in the 16th through 18th.
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