Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 1 Species of Mammals

The 20 Days

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NEPAL GEOGRAPHICAL AND respect and honour the guests are the Isolated and forbidden by itself until CULTURAL DIVERSITY fi nest in the world. 1950, the Himalayan country Nepal In the glittering length of the is becoming more popular as one Himalayas, Nepal’s narrow breadth TREKKERS’ PARADISE of the unique natural, cultural and spans one of the most dramatic Trekking in Nepal is to travel on foot in adventurous destinations in the world. geographical and cultural transitions the remote and unexposed areas where The home of Mt. Everest, Buddha and on earth. The elevation of the country life has not changed in centuries. In the Sherpas - Nepal is a place of eternal ranges from 65 metres above sea trekking, we walk through charming attraction with magical culture and level to the highest point on earth, Mt. villages and valleys, river and forests, people, ancient history, superb Everest at 8,848 metres, all within a deep gorge and high passes, merging scenery and some of the best hikes distance of 200 kilometres with climatic with the local people and seeing and on earth. Nepal off ers an incredible conditions ranging from tropical to experiencing the way of life they are diversity of sightseeing attractions and arctic. Within this incredible variety of living. And the breathtaking sceneries mountaineering opportunities found ecosystems and geography, there are blends the physical challenge and nowhere else on earth. The sights and 125 ethnic groups with their language mental relaxation, giving way to sounds of Nepal are full of energy and and custom. The peaceful coexistence longevity and spiritual uplift . Nepal life and rich with genuine excitement. of multi-religious system and beliefs is off ers varieties of options of a day hikes Hundreds of thousands of tourists one of the fascinating aspects of Nepal. to four weeks to four months hike. return to Nepal every year because of its beauty, simplicity and hospitality! PEOPLE THE FLORA With a population of thirty million, Nepal possesses the most exceptional THE NATURAL BEAUTY Nepal is a melting pot of many races biodiversity in the world, ranging from Nepal is a land of stunning natural and tribes. The main characteristic of the sub-tropical Rain forests to the beauty with hundreds of miles of Nepali people is their simplicity and Alpine deserts. There are more than forested hiking trails, rivers and hospitality. Nepalese are simple in 6000 fl owering plant species in the streams, lush green valleys and hillside every way. Their means of livelihood, country with several native plants. villages fi lled terraced fi elds. The snowy way of life, dresses, expenses etc. are Himalayan Rhododendron is the most peaks of Mount Everest, Annapurna all simple! They are very friendly and famous one. and over 1310 peaks over 6000 meters cooperative. Nepalese are well known (19685 ft ) draw thousands of trekkers for their hospitality and believe in THE FAUNA and climbers from around the world. “aateethee deva bhawa” which means Nepal has thirty species of large Nepal is a heaven for nature lovers. “guest is a god.” The way Nepali wild animals and approximately 180

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 1 species of mammals. The one-horned trekking destinations in Nepal. The rhinoceros, the Royal Bengal tiger, main attraction is the Annapurna range TREK PROFILE crocodile, snow leopard, red panda, including its highest peak, Annapurna Himalayan black bear, and many other I (8,091m), the fi rst of the 8,000-Metre The total length of the trip: wild animals found in the forests of Peaks to have been climbed (by a 20 nights/21 days Nepal. Nepal has 840 diff erent species French team in 1950). Many other of wetland, migratory and residential mountains are seen, such as Annapurna Trip grade: birds. II (7,937m), Annapurna III (7,575m), Moderate to strenuous Annapurna IV, Annapurna South and Elevation achievement: THE KATHMANDU Dhaulagiri (8,167m). VALLEY Gokyo-Ri 5,357m. The ancient city of Kathmandu is slowly TREKKING IN THE Stay, and activities in turning into a modern metropolis, EVEREST REGION Kathmandu: but within its bustling streets and Everest, the World’s highest mountain, 4-nights in Kathmandu / squares remain numerous temples rises in the eastern part of Nepal, in the visit UNESCO sites and monuments of great beauty Solu-Khumbu region, an area inhabited and historical signifi cance. The rich by the famous Sherpa people. The Stay and activities in tapestry of the cultural heritage of Sherpas started to become well known Pokhara: Nepal is synthesized in Katmandu in the 1950s when the Tibet border 1-night in Pokhara / visit valley, representing a perfect example closed following the occupation of and Paragliding of harmony in urban design, elegant Tibet. The trade between Nepal and architectures, refi ned cultures, Tibet stopped then, and the Sherpas, Stay and activities in colourful bazaars and straightforward in search of a new means of livelihood, Bhaktapur: and hospitable people. Once began to act as guides for foreign 1-night in Bhaktapur / separate kingdoms in it, Kathmandu expeditions. Previously the Sherpas visit UNESCO sites valley contains three fabled cities - had never climbed mountains that are Annapurna region: Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. Out regarded by them as the abode of their 4-days panoramic of ten UNESCO World Heritage Sites in gods. Ghorepani trek Nepal, seven cultural heritage sites are in Kathmandu Valley. All those heritage The northern part of the district, the Everest region: sites are like open museums! Khumbu, is encompassed in Everest 10-days Gokyo Everest National Park. To the east of Everest View trek Some two hundred years ago a Western National Park is Makalu Barun National visitor wrote that there were as many Park, a remote and wild stretch of Raft ing: temples as there were houses and mountain peaks and deep and densely 2-days Bhote Koshi river many idols as there were people, in the forested valleys. To the west is the raft ing city. Indeed Kathmandu boasts one of Rolwaling valley, a well-protected the largest assemblages of magnifi cent microcosm of cultures and ecology. The Domestic fl ight: historical monuments and shrines ever southern part of the district, Solu, is Kathmandu – Pokhara – built. much less frequented by tourists, and Kathmandu consequently has retained much more Domestic fl ight: The Kathmandu valley surrounded traditional characteristics. The Peekye Kathmandu – Lukla – with several most beautiful viewpoints trek and the Dudh Kunda trek are two Kathmandu by helicopter such as Nagarkot, Dhulikhel and of the most beautiful destinations. Namobuddha from where one can Accommodation: enjoy a magnifi cent panoramic view In this region, there are various Hotel with breakfast in of the Himalayas: Manaslu (7,111m.), established trekking routes one can Kathmandu, Pokhara Langtang (7,246m.), Choba Bhamre optionally take a scenic walk of a week and Bhaktapur, Teahouse (6,016m.) and even Everest (8,848m.). to 3 weeks. The signifi cant passes (Lodge) on full board The view is particularly memorable that cross from one valley to another basis on the trek, and at the end of the day when the sun through some of its panoramas fi led hill tented resort in Bhote slowly sets beyond the horizon, and the saddles are Renjo La, Cho La, Kongma Koshi while in raft ing. mountains glow in the evening light. La, which are also known as the three Both sunrise and sunset, from these passes of Everest Region. Meals: viewpoints, are truly breath-taking. An open menu for each Sometimes the lower valley remains BHOTE KOSHI RAFTING meal to choose by clients. under a thick cloud, setting off the Bhote Koshi River is a two-day run of Best season to trek: mountains high above them. pure adventure. The raft ing site, above From the second week Baharabise, is located in a distance of of March to end of May TREKKING IN 3-hour thrilling drive from Kathmandu. and from the fi rst week ANNAPURNA REGION The fi rst phases of the journey take us of October to mid of The famous Annapurna region is out of Kathmandu valley to Dhulikel, December. undoubtedly one of the most popular 30 kilometres east of Kathmandu. Then

2 | www.annapurnatreks.com we drive down-hill against the grandeur mid-October. And we also have a lot of Day 07 Fly to Lukla 2,866m. and trek of a Himalayan backdrop toward Spanish tourists touring and trekking in to Phakding 2652m. A 45 Baharebise through Araniko highway, Nepal in these months. minutes fl ight and 3 hours the only highway road between trek. Nepal and Tibet, until 2015 April. During rainy months the parts of Terai This highway toward Tibet remained may see with fl ood and travelling Day 08 Trek to Namche Bazaar closed until June 2019 due to the during these months is hot and 3,440m. A 5 hours trek. damage of the 2015 earthquake. The temperature may reach to around 38 Day 09 Trek to Khumjung 3,790m. A 2 trail continues through the vast valley degrees, but during this time the Indian hours trek. with magnifi cent sceneries of villages tourists visit Nepal to escape the heat Day 10 Trek to Dole 4,084m. A 5 scattered over the green mountains. in their lowlands. During winter months hours trek. the part of Terai will be misty and On arrival to the raft ing starting point, may fi nd under winter mist until late Day 11 Trek to Machhermo 4,465m. A we will get welcomed with tea-coff ee morning (11 a.m.). 3 hours trek. or cold drinks followed by a briefi ng on Day 12 Trek to Gokyo 4,750n. A 3 safety and other related topics. Then End of February to mid-May is the best hours trek. the twenty-six kilometres of continuous time for fauna and fl ora both in the white water soaks raft ers as they shoot mountains and in Terai. During this time through a veritable maze of canyons one may fi nd a lot of rhododendron and boulders. It is one of the steepest fl ower, magnolia, wild orchids and TREK HIGHLIGHT rivers raft ed in Nepal and requires birdlife. The weather mostly remains much concentration and dedicated fi ne in all parts of Nepal. ¸ Visit Nepal’s one of the most team-work to make it joy-fi lled raft ing preferred tourist destination experience. January February are winter, and from Pokhara. the end of January to February, the ¸ Enjoy the lush mid-hill nature THE CITY OF POKHARA high passes in the mountain valley of Annapurna region. The town of Pokhara is situated next will be in the snow. During this time, ¸ Experience the cultural to the beautiful Phewa Tal lake with a the temperature around the Everest diversities of in the shortest stunning backdrop of the Annapurna Base camp will be -17 degrees (aft er period. Range behind. Pokhara is a relaxed sunset and before sunrise). During ¸ Experience the indigenous place and is the ideal spot to enjoy day time will be around 5 to 11 degree way of life and sample of relaxing aft er your trek has fi nished. and more if sunny. Nepal is a sunny Magar, Gurung and Sherpa There are opportunities to go boating country, so the temperature, even hospitality. on the lake, and for those interested full winter, is much better than some ¸ Admire the most magnifi cent in more extreme sports, you can do a European country and in American and panorama of Lamjung, tandem paragliding fl ight which will in Canada. Many of them from those Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Cho- give you the most incredible view of the countries travel to Nepal to escape their Oyu, Everest, Nuptse, Makalu, mountains. cold weather and to enjoy the sunny Amadablam and uncountable Himalaya Panorama. other beautiful summits. trekking. ¸ Relax and enjoy the comfort Note: and beauty of Pokhara city SEASONS The best months to take this itinerary ¸ Fly over Pokhara city to Nepal has four primary seasons: is from the second week of March to capture the exceptional 1. Winter : December–February end of May and from the fi rst week of sceneries. 2. Spring : March-May October to mid of December. ¸ Visit the Gokyo, a worldly 3. Summer : June–August know valley for its natural 4. Autumn : September – November ITINERARY IN SHORT beauty. ¸ See the largest glacier from its GENERAL WEATHER Day 01 Arrive in Kathmandu 1,350m., rim and enjoy seeing several The best time is from mid-September Nepal beautiful mountain lakes. ¸ to the end of January or from mid- Day 02 Fly to Pokhara & trek to Ulleri Take the bliss of Annapurna February to the end of May. July and 1951m. A 40-minute fl ight, 2 and Everest in a single August are rainy months for Nepal, hours’ drive, & 2 hours Trek. journey. but each season has its richness. The ¸ Take a Helicopter fl ight to jungles will be lush to the rain forest, Day 03 Trek to Ghorepani 2874m. A 5 enjoy the glittering mountain and the rivers will swell, the lowlands or hours Trek sceneries from its nears the fi elds of the hills will be full of rice Day 04 Excursion to Poon Hill points. and other crops. 3,210m. and trek to Tadapani ¸ Enjoy an adventurous white 2730m. A 5 hours Trek water farting ¸ During these month Japanese tourists Day 05 Trek to Gandruk 1,950m. and Visit centuries-old and from other countries, loving the drive to Pokhara 820m., A 3 monuments and medieval high Himalaya fl ower, comes to sight hours trek and 2 hours’ drive. towns fl owers. And most of the tourist willing to travel to Tibet comes from May to Day 06 Paraglide, visit and fl y to Kathmandu Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 3 Day 13 Day hike to Fift h Lake 4,980m. Costs per person (per hotel category in cities) Number in Group A 6 hours trek. 3-Star hotels 4-Star hotels 5-Star hotels Day 14 Excursion to Gokyo-Ri 2-3 Persons 2998$ 3178$ 3328$ 5,483m. and trek to Phortse 4-5 Persons 2855$ 3035$ 3185$ 3,840m. A 6 hours trek. 6-7 Persons 2793$ 2973$ 3123$ Day 15 Trek to Namche and Jorsalle. A 5 hours trek. 8-10 Persons 2731$ 2911$ 3061$ Day 16 Trek to Lukla 2,866m. A 6 Single room Supl. 245$ 425$ 775$ hours trek. Day 17 Fly to Kathmandu and visit Bhaktapur. A 45 minutes fl ight and 45 minutes’ drive. Day 18 Drive to Khadichour and raft . A 3 hours’ drive and 2 hours raft ing. Day 19 Raft to Sukute and drive to Kathmandu. A 3 hours raft ing and 3 hours’ drive. Day 20 Panoramic Mountain fl ight and visit UNESCO sites Day 21 Departure

ITINERARY IN SHORT DETAIL

DAY 01 Arrive in Kathmandu 1,350m., Nepal Pick up at the airport and transfer to hotel at Boudhanath. Leisure time to rest. In the evening, we’ll take you to visit the UNESCO site of Boudhanath, possibly the world’s largest Buddhist stupa and a place of great reverence and Tibetan Buddhism. The vast dome- shaped monument representing the Mind of the Buddha. Boudhanath stupa is the primary pilgrimage destination for Buddhists o from all over the planet. to reach Tikhe Dunga, where we’ll (Fish-tailed Mountain). Ghorepani Overnight in the hotel. make the lunch stop, a pleasant place village lies on a saddle of a hill at an where most of the trekkers from or to elevation of 2874m. It is one of the DAY Gorapani makes a rest. Aft er around famous destinations of short trekkers 02 2 hours of relaxation and a hearty for its exceptional Panorama of all the Fly to Pokhara & trek to Ulleri lunch, we start to walk, which is about Mount Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Lamjung 1951m. 1 hour and 40 minutes walking up to Himal, Fishtail, Nilgiri and many other A 40-minute fl ight, 2 hours’ drive, & 2 Ulleri village. It is a village of Poon small peaks ranging along with the hours Trek. Magars (one of the ethnic group of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri range. Stay In the morning, at around 8 a.m., we Nepal). Ulleri off ers the fi rst panorama in a guest house. Breakfast, lunch and drive to Kathmandu airport to board a of Mount Annapurna south and Hium dinner included. Accommodation in short fl ight to Pokhara. We will reach Chuli. Stay in a guest house. Tea-house/Lodge. to Pokhara at approximately ten a. m where our porter and jeep will be DAY DAY waiting for our arrival. 03 04 Trek to Ghorepani 2874m. Excursion to Poon Hill We then start driving about 52 A 5 hours Trek 3,210m. and trek to Tadapani kilometres to a small village called Aft er breakfast, we’ll begin the walk of 2730m. Hile, from where we will start our the second day through a forest full of A 5 hours Trek walk for the next four days. Leave the rhododendrons and pine and with a This day we will go to the Poon Hill vehicle and walk about 30 minutes beautiful view of Mount Macchapuchare viewpoint. Early in the morning, before

4 | www.annapurnatreks.com breakfast, take a short walk to the a level traverse through seemingly the Paraglider. The 45-minutes fl ight Poonhill lookout to enjoy the sunrise. rain forest and arrive at Tadapani, aff ords views of Annapurna range, We will start around 5 in the morning another beautiful viewpoint to Fishtailed Mountain, Annapurna South, to reach the viewpoint, in about 45 enjoy the panorama of Annapurna Himchuli, Lamjung Himal, Manaslu, minutes. It’s worth the lost sleep. When South, Hiumchuli and Fishtail!. and the Dhaulagiri range. The view walking up the eastern horizon lightens, Accommodation in Tea-house/Lodge. also includes villages and monasteries and the stars begin to disappear at the perched on hilltops, and deep valleys, behind the dazzling Annapurnas. The DAY river gorges and Pokhara City. We fi nally views from there are indescribable. 05 get landed at Lakeside paragliding Trek to Gandruk 1,950m. and landing location and transferred to our drive to Pokhara 820m. hotel. A 3 hours trek and 2 hours’ drive. Tadapani to Gandruk is three hours Just aft er landing, at the Lakeside, we walk. From Tadapani the trail goes will drive to the international mountain down continuously to Gandruk with museum. The International Mountain views of Mount Fishtail and Annapurna Museum is devoted to the mountains South. Gandrud is a village of Gurung of Nepal and the mountaineers who people, one of the ethnic groups of climbed them. Inside you can see Nepal, has its dialect, culture, dresses original gear from many of the fi rst and lifestyle. Gandrud is one of the Himalayan ascents, as well as displays famous destinations of trekkers for on the history, culture, geology and its beautiful view of the mountains fl ora and fauna of the Himalaya. and easy access from Kathmandu and Evening in leisure. Pokhara. For many, this village is the starting point of Khopra, Ghorepani DAY or the Annapurna sanctuary Trek and, 07 consequently, the trek ending point, as Fly to Lukla 2,866m. and trek there is a road to Pokhara. to Phakding 2652m. A 45 minutes fl ight and 3 hours trek. We stop here for our lunch and in the Early in the morning, at 07:30 hour, evening take a Jeep drive to Pokhara. we’ll drive to Tribhuvan International The road descends through Modi River Airport to board a Helicopter fl ight to valley through sparse villages and Lukla. It is an exhilarating mountain fi elds. Once the trail descends from fl ight of 45 minutes. During the Naudanda, there are magnifi cent helicopter journey, you can enjoy sceneries of Lamjung Himal, Fewa Lake, exceptional views of the Himalaya and Peace Stupa and city of Pokhara. most of the villages and valleys. Upon arrival to Lukla, you’ll meet the guide, Arrive and get distributed into the porters and Sherpa staff . At Lukla, we rooms and free time. We are just in- stop for about an hour for refreshments front of Fewa lake with many choices of and to reorganize and kitbags for restaurants and shops. Time permitting porters. Aft er a short tour of Lukla recommended to walk through the village, we’ll set out on a trek of about Then we back to the Lodge for a good bank of Lake Fewa for some stunning 3 hours to Phakdingma, where we’ll breakfast, and we will begin our trek views. lodge for the night. a day ahead. The fi rst part of trek requires a gentle climbing through DAY A pleasant walk of the fi rst day passes a lovely hill ridge which provides a 06 through several Sherpa villages with beautiful panorama of Dhaulagiri Paraglide, visit and fly to the view of Kongde Peak. Phakdingma range, Kaligandaki gorge, the deepest Kathmandu is a lovely place for an overnight stop gorge on earth, and the mountain that Early in the morning, before breakfast, set on the bank of the Dudhkunda river. includes Tukche, Nilgiri, Annapurna we drive to Sarangkot viewpoint to range and Fishtail. To the southwest enjoy the sunrise views. The view DAY are a deep valley and rolling hills till the from the lookout covers the entire 08 end of the horizon. Finally, we arrive Annapurna: Lamjung, Dhaulagiri, Trek to Namche Bazaar at a Hill Saddle called Deurali with Pokhara, and it’s surrounding. 3,440m. two teahouses, where one may want A 5 hours trek. a rest / tea-stop. From here the trail We will stop in one of the restaurants Today’s trek goes through the villages descent direct to Banthanti through for a sunrise breakfast and prepare for a of Toktok and Jorsalle and on to a narrow gorge and a lush jungle area paragliding fl ight to Pokhara. Namche. The entire route is scenic and with tall pine and rhododendron full of nature. The surrounding hills are trek. Banthati is a lovely warm place We walk to Sarankot Paragliding spot covered with dense forest and beyond under a sheer face, where we stop for to meet the pilot. Aft er an expert them are mountaintops capped with lunch. From Banthanti the trail makes briefi ng we take-off with our pilot on snow. Aft er a lunch stop in Jorsalle, we

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 5 continue to Namche Bazaar. Along the Then we descend to the village of rests like a smiling baby. The path then way, we climb to a vantage point called Khumjung where we can optionally visit enters summer pastureland. Huge Topdanda, near Namche Bazaar. From Khumjung monastery and its village. mountains surround the entire valley. there, weather permitting, one can see Our destination, Dole, is a beautiful Mt. Everest and the Tengboche valley DAY place with an enchanting view of Mt. and its famed monastery. Half an hour 10 Amadablam. later and you are at Namche Bazaar, the Trek to Dole 4,084m. “capital of the Khumbu valley”. A 5 hours trek. DAY The trek starts with magnifi cent views 11 Namche Bazaar, surrounded by of Amadablam and Thamserku. The Trek to Machhermo 4,465m. beautiful mountains from all direction, trail exits east and then begin a direct A 3 hours trek. is the commercial centre of the Khumbu climb, till Mongla, through a narrow The trail leads up a gentle incline and region. If you arrive on a Friday, you gully on the cliff , which brings us above along an open ridge. It off ers stunning can view the weekly bazaar the next a barren hill with fantastic panoramas views of the mountains including Kang day, when local people converge from toward Tengboche and Everest. A Thega, Cho-Oyu, Gyachung Kang, Tawu the surrounding area. In the Khumbu hilltop called Mongla with some house Che, Cho Lhatse and Macchermo Che. Valley killing of any animal is forbidden is a small resting place on a hill ridge Machhermo lies watching over a small so people from lower valleys come on with exceptional views of Phortse valley, which looks out east onto a fi ne Saturdays to sell meat and everyday village, Tengboche monastery and panorama. supplies and the local people and lower valley, and the summits of the hotel/lodge operator from around to Khantega and Thamserku. Then the DAY buy. trail descends to Phortse Tenga, where 12 we will meet the river that follows Trek to Gokyo 4,750m. DAY from Gokyo valley, a paradise valley to A 3 hours trek. 09 marvel at up to Gokyo. A gentle climb The trail fi rst passes along a cliff and Trek to Khumjung 3,790m. from Phortse Tenga off ers a startling crosses a rushing glacial river. Finally, A 2 hours trek. view of the tip of Mt. Cho-Oyu, which we reach the fi rst lake of Gokyo; one Today, your guide will take you to visit the monastery in Namche, Sagarmatha National Park Museum and the Sherpa House Museum.

Instead of staying all day in Namche, we move to the village of Khumjung. Aft er lunch, we make a scenic Namche to Khumjung trek. The trail leads through the nose-ridge above Namche to Syangboche, a short landing ﬁ eld for Pilatus porter plane. The higher we go, the scenarios are more open. The Dudhkoshi Valley, Kongde Himal, Khumbila, Tawoche, Everest, Amadablam, Kangthega, Thamserku and Kusum Kangru are some of the great masses of mountains in the world surrounding us from all directions.

Going to Khumjung, there are several trails. Still, we take the going through the Everest View Hotel, the only fi ve- star hotel situated at the highest place in the world, at an elevation of 3880 meters above sea level. The hotel has a spectacular view of Mount Everest, 8,848m., from every room. The hotel off ers a panoramic view of Everest and many other high peaks, including the most imposing Amadablam (6,812m.), described by many as the most beautiful mountain they have ever seen. At this hotel will surely make a stop for a cup of tea/coff ee and enjoy the most magnifi cent panorama that the place off ers.

6 | www.annapurnatreks.com can oft en see colourful mountain the aft ernoon, we retrace the trail down the fi rst lake and then gradually goes ducks paddling on it and enjoying the to Gokyo (4,750m). down following the river and traverses harmony of the serene valley. Then to the Phortse village. This part of it’s on to the second and third lakes of DAY the path less frequented by local and Gokyo. Gokyo itself is a most impressive 14 trekkers, provide peaceful sanctuary place of blue lakes, dazzling views of Excursion to Gokyo-Ri to the wildlife and birds, and we giant mountains and a breath-taking 5,483m. and trek to Phortse may enjoy seeing some of them. The glacier. 3,840m. magnifi cent mountain sceneries are A 6 hours trek. in every direction. At Phortse village DAY The foot of Gokyo Ri lies fi ve minutes we check into the lodge. This village 13 away from the stream that feeds the is one of the typical Sherpa villages Day hike to Fifth Lake Gokyo Lake. Aft er an hour of steady and of Khumbu region and off ers an 4,980m. panoramic going up, one reaches the excellent panorama containing Mount A 6 hours trek. summit of Gokyo Peak. Your eff ort to Amadablam, Kangthega, Thamserku Today we take a day hike to the fi ft h reach this summit will be rewarded with and Kusum Kanguru and Tengboche lake to the north of Gokyo. In about Everest (8848m), showing more of its Monastery. 2.30 hours walking, we reach the fourth northern fl ank than from Kalapatthar, lake known as Thonak Tsho (4,840m) Makalu (8475m) further to the east and further continuing, we arrive at and Cho Oyu (8153m), just in hand DAY the fi ft h lake known as Ngozumpa Tso reaching distance. Aft er spending a 15 (4,980m). On the edge of the moraine wonderful break at the summit, taking Trek to Namche and Jorsalle. to the east of the lake, there is a small the essential photograph or whatever A 5 hours trek. hill adorned with Buddhist prayer one wishes, return to Gokyo for a hearty We go down to Phortse Tenga and cross fl ags from where one will get to see breakfast. the river that fl ows from the Gokyo the beautiful views of Mt. Cho Oyu, Valley, and then begin a steep climb to Gyachung Kang, Ngozumpa glacier, Then we continue a pleasant trek to the hilltop to Mongla. There we take Everest, Nuptse Lhotse, and Makalu. In Phortse village. The trail retraces till tea-brake and enjoy the magnifi cent

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 7 panorama once again. The trail and briefi ng on river condition, safety, further descends to Sanasa, below the and paddling instructions. Then start Khumjung village, where we will make the river journey with continuous hits our lunch stop or one may continue of class three rapids. Aft er raft ing for further thirty-fi ve minutes to Namche. about 16 kilometres, we reach our campsite. The rest of the day is free to From Namche, the trail directly drops enjoy at camp and around. to the Dudh Koshi River. We are getting back again to “European” altitudes DAY as we descend towards the entrance 19 to Everest National Park at Jorsalle, a Raft to Sukute and drive to pleasant place to spend a night aft er Kathmandu. several days in height. A 3 hours raft ing and 3 hours’ drive. Continue the raft ing expedition driving DAY up to Jambu, which is the second put- 16 in point. It is a challenging and fun- Trek to Lukla 2,866m. fi lled day as we’ll be hitting a series of A 6 hours trek. class three and class four-plus rapids From Jorsalle the trail mostly follows including Barking Dog, Midnight Special the river. We retrace through some and the Great Wall which aren’t run- small Sherpa villages and arrive at able. Aft er an hour of raft ing there are Lukla. In Lukla, we spend our last night several signifi cant rapids such as Liquid in the Khumbu Valley. This evening Bliss, Fake Right Go Left , and Golden is the occasion to enjoy a farewell Gate and fi nally put us at our take- party with your Sherpa friends who out point, at the Sukute beach, where have accompanied you. They depart we will take lunch and head back to separately on a two days’ trek and one- Kathmandu, another 3 hours’ drive. A 3 day bus ride to Kathmandu or stay at hours raft ing and 3 hours’ drive. Lukla to continue another trek back to Everest region! DAY 20 DAY Visit UNESCO sites 17 A 6 to 7 hrs walking Fly to Kathmandu and visit Bhaktapur. A 45 minutes fl ight and 45 minutes’ drive. We’ll board an early morning fl ight, 08:00 hours, to Kathmandu and arrive at Kathmandu before 9 a.m. We then continue to drive to Bhaktapur, one of the most impressive medieval towns of Kathmandu valley. Arrive at the hotel and get distributed into the rooms — Rest, refreshing and lunch.

Aft er lunch, in the aft ernoon, the guide will take you to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bhaktapur – the home of medieval art and architecture. The Squares are some of the most charming architectural showpieces of the Valley as it highlights some of the most Today we visit the UNESCO site of of Patan City were comprised only exquisite medieval art and architecture Patan. Aft er visiting all these places, with monks and artisans. We will visit of Nepal. return to Patan city. Believed to have major Buddhist temples of Patan such been founded in the third century BC, as Golden temple founded in the 12th DAY and later expanded in the sixth century, century, Mahaboudha (Temple of 18 the ancient town of Patan renowned thousand Buddhas) of 17th century and Drive to Khadichour and raft. for its rich Buddhist heritage, was one other important Buddhist sites. Finalize A 3 hours’ drive and 2 hours raft ing. of the signiﬁ cant Buddhist cities in the trip and drive to the hotel. In the morning, at 07:30 hours, drive Asia by the 7th century as Buddhist to Khadichour, which will take around pilgrims, scholars and monks from At around the end of the tour, we’ll also 3 hours. Arrive at raft ing point and India, Tibet and China visited the city. visit the Museum of Patan. Located meet with the raft ing guide and staﬀ In its one period, the entire population inside the medieval palace, the Patan

8 | www.annapurnatreks.com Museum is a must for anyone interested in Asian Art, history of Nepal, curatorial science, or religion. It is a world-class museum that displays the traditional sacred art of Nepal in an illustrious architectural setting. Its home is an old residential part of Patan Darbar, one of the royal palaces of the former Malla Kings of the Kathmandu Valley. Its gilded door and window face one of the most beautiful squares in the world.

The museum also exhibits a long span of Nepal’s cultural history and some rare objects. Their meaning and context within the living traditions of Buddhism and Hinduism are explained in extensive labels.

DAY 21 Departure A 6 to 7 hrs walking Breakfast and free time till the time limit. In the indicated time, our oﬀ ice representative and vehicle arrive at your hotel to serve you till the airport. Drive to Kathmandu international airport see oﬀ formalities and departure.

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 9 FAQ WHERE DO WE SLEEP? a warm or waterproof jacket. Everything else needs to pack into a large duff le bag which will be given to a porter each morning. In Kathmandu and Pokhara we stay in comfortable 3-star The kitbag will be carried by the porter each day and delivered to hotels with private en-suite bathrooms. While on trek we your lodge room each aft ernoon. You need to make sure you have stay at Nepalese lodges which off ers simple but welcoming everything you need for the day before giving your bag to the accommodation and wonderful traditional hospitality. Lodges porter as it can be diff icult to access while trekking. typically have one large communal room where you can sit and take meals, and there is an adjoining kitchen where you can order WILL I BE AFFECTED BY ALTITUDE? your food and drinks. Bedrooms are twin bedded with or without private bathrooms, and dormitories with shared bathrooms. Most of the trek takes place at lower altitudes where you are unlikely to notice anything other than mild shortness of breath WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED? at the beginning of the trek. As the days go by, you will gain acclimatisation and feel more adjusted to the higher altitudes. You will need to bring appropriate warm outdoor clothing and At a height above 4300 metres, one may experience a headache a good pair of walking boots. A complete equipment list gets caused by the thin air and lack of oxygen, but these symptoms supplied when you sign up. Many of the necessary items can usually pass quickly. If you experience symptoms of altitude that be purchased or rented in Kathmandu so don’t worry if you does not go away, you will be accompanied by one of our Sherpas can’t buy everything where you live. The guides will check your to a lower elevation, where you should quickly recover. equipment and clothing before departing from Kathmandu, so if anything is missing, there will be time to obtain anything DO I NEED VACCINATIONS TO TRAVEL TO NEPAL? necessary. No vaccination is required to travel to Nepal, but we suggest CAN I ARRIVE EARLY OR EXTEND MY STAY? to consult with your doctor before travelling. You can get a vaccination in Kathmandu/Pokhara, but it is more comfortable if Yes, you can! All you need to do is to tell us what your fl ight you get them before you travel. details are and how many extra nights you need and we will book your hotel accordingly. Additionally, if you would like to arrange a WHAT IS INCLUDED? program of activities either before or perhaps aft er the trek, there are a range of options to choose from including the jungle safari ¸ Airport pick up and departure services as per itinerary Hotel at Chitwan national park, or perhaps white water raft ing on one accommodation in Kathmandu with breakfast of Nepal’s spectacular rivers such as the Sun Kosi. Kathmandu ¸ Kathmandu to Pokhara and Pokhara to Kathmandu airfare has several not to miss UNESCO World heritage sites and to visit (Tax included) all of them with time requires at least 3-5 days. ¸ Pokhara to Hile and Gandruk to Pokhara transportation by Jeep CAN I HAVE A SINGLE ROOM? ¸ Annapurna conservation area entry and TIMS permits ¸ A Trekking Map of Annapurna and Everest region in group Yes, you can! There is a single room occupancy supplement ¸ A good sleeping bag to each member indicated in the price list. Please, indicate on the booking ¸ A pair of a trekking pole to each member form for requiring a single room. ¸ A satellite mobile phone for communication in an emergency (Personal usage available with 4$ per minute call) WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE? ¸ A small Medial kit box for fi rst add medical purpose. ¸ 1 Nights hotel accommodation in Pokhara with breakfast It is a condition of joining the trek that you have insurance in ¸ Forty minutes paragliding service and visit international place which will cover you for the costs of medical treatment, mountain museum, all transport included. cancellations, emergency rescue and repatriation to your home ¸ Everest and Annapurna Panorama Trek on full board basis country. You must ensure that it provides cover for trekking to ¸ Kathmandu to Lukla and Lukla to Kathmandu helicopter altitudes above 4000 metres and includes helicopter rescue. We service (Tax included) do not sell insurance scheme so requires to manage on your own. ¸ Khumbu Pasang Lhamu entry fee ¸ Everest National Park entry fee DO I NEED A VISA? ¸ 1 Trekking guide in the group and one porter between every two-member for both Annapurna and Everest panorama Yes, you do. Everyone needs to get a visa for Nepal, but you can trekking period obtain it on arrival at Kathmandu airport. You will need to bring ¸ Two days Bhote Koshi river raft ing on full board basis and two passport photos and the appropriate visa fee, which is the US ground transportations. $30 for 15 days, US $50 for up to 30 days, and the US $125 for 90 ¸ Sightseeing tour of Kathmandu valley, with a language days. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the Speaking guide date of entry to Nepal. ¸ Entrance fees to the cities and monument sites for the whole programme HOW FIT DO I NEED TO BE? ¸ Insurance and all expenses of local staff ¸ Anyone who is in reasonable shape and good health can All taxes and agencies service charges accomplish this trek. Some days will be harder than others, but Hotels none require much more than 5 or 6 hours of walking each day, Cities with a leisurely lunch stop to break up the day. There is no rush 3-Star hotels 4-Star hotels 5-Star hotels or need to ‘keep up’, and you are free to walk at your own pace. Kathmandu Marshyangdi Shanker Del’ Annapurna We would recommend that you undertake some form of simple Pokhara Lakeside Resort Temple Tree Pokhara Grande training in advance of the trek, such as a 30-minute walk each Bhaktapur Bhadgaun GH Milla Bhaktapur Milla Bhaktapur evening for a few weeks before the start of the trek. Another exercise, such as swimming, bicycling and playing tennis, is also Raft ing In tented resort In tented resort In tented resort ideal. During trek In the best lodges (attached double room) DO I HAVE TO CARRY MY PACK? WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED? We use porters to carry the majority of our equipment so daily ¸ Travel insurance, International air tickets, Nepal entry visa you need only take a very light day pack which should contain no ¸ Lunch & dinner in Kathmandu and Pokhara more than the camera, water-bottle, a selection of snacks and ¸ Alcoholic and mineral beverages during the trek ¸ Tips and those, not mentioned in above price include section.

10 | www.annapurnatreks.com How do I sign up? All bookings need to be made through Annapurna Treks & Expeditions Pvt. Ltd. and to secure your place we will require a non-refundable deposit of US $200 and the rest of the payment will require as indicated in the booking and payment conditions section.

Payment Options: 1. Bank Transfer - This is our preferred method. Payments in US $/€/ ₤ or equivalent should be sent to the following account: Account Name: Annapurna Treks & Expedition Bank Name: Nepal Investment Bank Bank Address: Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal, PO. Box 3412 Account number: 001 611710T Swift Code No.: NIBLNPKT

2. Payment by a Card - payments can only be processed in Nepalese rupees (NPR), so if you wish to pay by card, we will convert the dollar amount to Nepalese Rupees equivalent at the prevailing exchange rate. Card payment is accepted only on your arrival into the country. There will be a 3.5% service fee on top.

Each participant should also complete and sign the attached Booking Form, which should be mailed or preferably emailed back to us at [email protected].

First Name ………………………………………. Surname …………………….………………...... Address ………...... …….... Phone ………...... Cell Phone ……...…………...... Email address ………...... ………...... Date of birth………...... ………. Passport number ……...... …...... …...…...... Nationality ...... Dietary requirement ...... ……………….……………….……………….………………...... Will you have travel insurance coverage? YES NO Do you require a single room? (at additional cost). YES NO I declare that I have read the booking conditions and agree to be bound by them.

Signature……………….………………. Date……………….………………. Booking and payment conditions

1. The fi nal confi rmation will require at least three months in advance of the tours commence with 50% of the tour payment. 2. The fi nal and total payment will require at least 25-days before the program commences. 3. The banking transaction charges of each time payment will be needed to be borne by the sender, and a net amount of the total amount will require deposited in the company account. Trip Cancellation To compensate the administrative charges, and other expenses in dealing with the booking process, the following cancellation fees will be charged:

¸ Cancellation aft er the confi rmation - loss of the deposit ¸ Cancellation 45-days before the trip commences - 20% of the total cost ¸ Cancellation 25-days before the trip commences - 50% of the total cost ¸ Cancellation less than 21-days before the trip commences - 70% of the total cost ¸ Cancellation aft er arrival or during the trip - 100% of the total cost Responsibility We, Annapurna Treks & Expeditions Pvt. Ltd., accept responsibility for ensuring that the services booked with us are as close as possible to the itinerary outfi tted in our mutual understanding. You agree and understand that it may be necessary to adjust the program due to unforeseen factors. In such a case, the group leader and sirdar/guide, in the team, will make the fi nal decision.

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 11 “We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.”

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions Pvt. Ltd. P.O.Box: 9965, Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +977-1-4423656, 4428768 E-mail: [email protected] | [email protected] 12 | www.annapurnatreks.com Call at +977 9851127771 or Email at [email protected] or for more information www.annapurnatreks.com

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egardless of faith, race or sex The itinerary ‘On the path of Buddha’ - we all have Buddha-nature is a sacred journey that covers all TRIP HIGHLIGHT Rwithin us, and we all can important Buddhist sites in Nepal, generate Bodhicitta. A visit to the including Lumbini. It brings us closer to ¸ Visit the medieval towns, birthplace of Buddha will provide truth and transformation. It enhances stupas, temple, and us with vibration, awareness, and our wisdom, compassion, and monasteries understanding of his teaching. perception. This itinerary oﬀ ers us visits ¸ Enjoy the beauty of Pokhara It brings a sense of inner peace, to the centuries-old medieval town, and its mountain sceneries happiness, and detachment. Nepal, temple and stupas and the breath- lying at the lap of the Himalayas, taking panoramas of the Himalaya to ¸ Visit the most signiﬁ cant sites has always been a sacred centre the birthplace of Buddha providing of Buddhism including the for Buddhist practices. Kathmandu immense mental and physical birthplace of Buddha valley and its periphery have relaxation. ¸ A broken moon land several famous meditation caves, renowned as a photogenic monasteries, and stupas related The ‘On the path of Buddha’ tour country to Buddha and Bodhisattvas. It itinerary allows you to immerse is in Kathmandu valley where yourself in its glorious age-old heritage ¸ Fly over the Himalayas to Guru Padmasambhava attained and traditional ways of life, whose sight its beauty and grandeur the state of enlightenment. It is in roots go back to the medieval period. ¸ Learn on life and longevity Kathmandu valley where sacred The tour begins from the capital Buddhist stupas of Soyambhunath city, Kathmandu, and beyond the and Boudhanath located. Kathmandu Valley to scenic mountain

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 1 landscapes around the beautiful town one may fi nd a lot of rhododendron of Pokhara and Tansen, and then to fl ower, magnolia, wild orchids, and Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, birdlife. The weather mostly remains the “Light of Asia.” fi ne in all parts of Nepal.

A part of the itinerary also off ers one- January February is winter, and from days yoga meditation courses, a chance the end of January to February, the to learn the benefi t of yoga giving you a high passes in the mountain valley will guideline to lose anxiety, depressions, be in the snow. During this time, the insecurity, and other fears and helping temperature around the Everest Base to uplift the mental and physical camp will be -17 degrees (aft er sunset health. The Buddha himself went under and before sunrise). During day time several teachers in search of who am will be around 5 to 11 degree and more I? What is life? Why are we here? What if sunny. Nepal is a sunny country, happens next?, before initiating an so the temperature, even full winter, TRIP PROFILE enlightenment meditation! is much better than some European The total length of the trip: countries and in American and in 11 days from arrival to the An accompanying expert tour guide Canada. Many of them from those day of departure leads the tour from arrival to departure. countries travel to Nepal to escape their Destinations are reached in spacious cold weather and to enjoy the sunny Number of the night in coaches or cars, or else by air as per the Himalaya Panorama. Kathmandu: itinerary supplied. 6-nights / visit UNESCO sites Note: SEASONS The best months to take this itinerary is Number of the night in Nepal has four primary seasons: from the fi rst week of September to the Pokhara: 1. Winter : December–February mid of November and from fi rst week of 2-nights / visit and Yoga 2. Spring : March–May March to fi rst week of July. 3. Summer : June–August Number of the night in 4. Autumn : September–November ITINERARY IN SHORT Tansen: 1-night / visit old villages GENERAL WEATHER Day 01 Arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal and coff ee garden The best time is from mid-September Day 02 In Kathmandu / visit UNESCO Number of the night in to the end of January or from mid- sites February to the end of May. July and Lumbini: Day 03 Visit Namobuddha and 1-night / visit the birthplace August are rainy months for Nepal, Bhaktapur of the Buddha but each season has its richness. The jungles will be lush to the rain forest, Day 04 Visit Pharping and A domestic fl ight: and the rivers will swell, the lowlands or Kathmandu Lumbini-Kathmandu the fi elds of the hills will be full of rice Day 05 Drive to Pokhara. A 6 hours’ and other crops. drive Accommodation: Day 06 In Pokhara The best hotels of the each During these month Japanese tourists town - selectable and from other countries, loving the Day 07 Visit Pokhara and drive to Tansen. A 4 hours’ drive. high Himalaya fl ower, comes to sight Meals: fl owers. And most of the tourist willing Day 08 Drive to Lumbini. A 3 hours’ Breakfast included. to travel to Tibet comes from May to drive mid-October. And we also have a lot of Day 09 Visit Lumbini and fl y to Spanish tourists touring and trekking in Best season: Kathmandu from the fi rst week of Nepal in these months. Day 10 Panoramic Mountain fl ight September to the mid of and free day November and from fi rst During rainy months the parts of Terai week of March to fi rst week may see with fl ood and travelling Day 11 Depart from Kathmandu of July. during these months is hot and temperature may reach around 38 degrees, but during this time the Indian Costs per person (per hotel category) tourists visit Nepal to escape the heat Number in Group 3-Star hotels 4-Star hotels 5-Star hotels in their lowlands. During winter months the part of Terai will be misty and 1 Person 2113$ 2400$ 2850$ may fi nd under winter mist until late 2-3 Persons 1409$ 1609$ 1909$ morning (11 a.m.). 4-5 Persons 1349$ 1549$ 1849$

The end of February to mid-May is the 6-7 Persons 1299$ 1499$ 1799$ best time for fauna and ﬂ ora both in the 8-10 Persons 1249$ 1449$ 1749$ mountains and in Terai. During this time Single room Supl. 300$ 420$ 700$

2 | www.annapurnatreks.com ITINERARY IN SHORT overlooking Kathmandu valley. Well Malla Kings of the Kathmandu Valley. Its DETAIL known as ‘Monkey Temple’ the golden gilded door and window face one of the spire crowning, Soyambhunath is the most beautiful squares in the world. DAY most ancient and vital of Buddhist 01 shrine in Kathmandu valley. The museum also exhibits a long Arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal span of Nepal’s cultural history and Our personnel will be waiting at the Aft er visiting all these places, return some rare objects. Their meaning and Kathmandu international airport to to Patan city. Believed to have been context within the living traditions of receive you with a traditional welcome. founded in the third century B.C., and Buddhism and Hinduism are explained Aft er checking into the hotel and later expanded in the sixth century, in extensive labels. Finalize the trip and refreshment, your guide of the circuit the ancient town of Patan renowned drive to the hotel. will inform you about the necessary for its rich Buddhist heritage, was one formalities and the upcoming program. of the signifi cant Buddhist cities in In the aft ernoon, visit another UNESCO Depending on arrival time, you will Asia by the 7th century as Buddhist site of Boudhanath - the vast dome- have the choice of visiting nearby pilgrims, scholars, and monks from shaped monument representing the shrines or resting. India, Tibet and China visited the city. Mind of the Buddha. Boudhanath is In its one period, the entire population the primary pilgrimage destination for If you arrive in the morning fl ight of Patan City was comprised only Buddhists of the Himalayas and a major then we take a late aft ernoon visit; with monks and artisans. We will visit draw for Tibetan Buddhists from all we’ll visit Boudhanath, possibly the major Buddhist temples of Patan such over the planet. world’s largest Buddhist stupa and a as the Golden temple founded in the site of great veneration and Tibetan 12th century, Mahaboudha (Temple of Buddhism. If you arrive in the late thousand Buddhas) of the 17th century DAY aft ernoon or evening fl ight, then we will and other important Buddhist sites. 03 include this visit on day two. Visit Namobuddha and At around the end of the tour, we’ll also Bhaktapur DAY visit the Museum of Patan. Located A beautiful drive will take you to 02 inside the medieval palace, the Patan Namobuddha outside Kathmandu In Kathmandu / visit UNESCO Museum is a must for anyone interested valley. The supreme sacred place sites in Asian Art, history of Nepal, curatorial Namo Buddha is located on the The rich tapestry of the Buddhist science, or religion. It is a world-class mountain about 2 ½ hours drive from heritage of Nepal is synthesized in museum that displays the traditional Kathmandu. It is the place where the Kathmandu Valley. sacred art of Nepal in an illustrious Buddha, in a previous life as a prince, architectural setting. Its home is an gave his body to a starving tigress and Aft er breakfast visit UNESCO site old residential part of Patan Darbar, her cubs. Soyambhunath stupa on a hillock one of the royal palaces of the former

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 3 On the way back, visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of restaurants. Accommodation in the hotel. Bhaktapur – the home of medieval art and architecture. The Square is one of the most charming architectural showpieces DAY of the Valley as it highlights some of the most exceptional 07 medieval art and architecture of Nepal. Visit Pokhara and drive to Tansen. A 4 hours’ drive. DAY Early in the morning, a short excursion to the Sharangkot 04 viewpoint to enjoy sunrise views and the incredible Visit Pharping and Kathmandu mountain panorama. Return to your hotel and breakfast. Located at the south of Kathmandu valley, Pharping is the sacred site, where Guru Padmasambhava, the 8th- Aft er breakfast, we will go to visit the International Mountain century Tantric sage, achieved enlightenment. For centuries Museum in Pokhara, where we will see and understand the Pharping has been a centre for spiritual practice and, besides history of the mountain and mountaineering in the highest the cave where Padmasambhava and his consort Shakyadevi peaks in the world. We will understand the importance of the meditated, the area boasts many monasteries, temples, and Nepal Himalayas and the benefi ts given by the Himalayas residences of revered Buddhist masters. Pharping is also a to billions of people and natural habitat where we will also place of signifi cant Vajrayogini temple. In the aft ernoon, visit know a bit of the diff erent ethnicities of Nepal. Yetkha Bahal, Tara Temple at Itumbahal, Abalokeshower Temple at Janabahal and walk through local colourful Aft er lunch, a winding, but a very scenic and enjoyable drive market Ason. will take you to beautiful hill town Tansen. The place is famous for its cultural heritage and traditions. Aft er lunch, DAY you will do a pleasant walk to Srinagar Hill and colourful 05 Tansen Bazaar. The walking is about 2 hours which off ers Drive to Pokhara. spectacular views of mountains and valleys. There is also A 6 hours’ drive the option of just relax enjoying the views from the hotel or A scenic drive passing through several small towns and explore the colourful town on your own. farmlands will take you to Lake City Pokhara where eye- opening views of Himalayas welcome you. Located beneath DAY the Himalayas, the lush natural beauty of Pokhara is a place 08 of “Dream Holiday”. The site is famous for its tranquil lakes, Drive to Lumbini. natural beauty, and superb scenery. We stop at Pokhara for A 3 hours’ drive lunch and walk around the lake. Then we continue further It is a beautiful drive through hills followed by the fl at and 30-minutes’ drive to Yoga Meditation centre. Get checked into fertile land of southern Nepal to Lumbini. Aft er checking the rooms – dinner and overnight in the hotel. in the hotel, you will visit Maya Devi Temple, the site of Buddha’s birth. Lumbini is the place where the Prince DAY Siddhartha Gautama, who later became the Buddha, the 06 Enlightened One, was born in Lumbini in 623 B.C. for that In Pokhara reason it has become one of the sacred places on earth. Full day Yoga meditation courses. In the evening drive to In our journey, we will visit a series of edifi ces, including Lakeside of Pokhara and check-in into the hotel. In Pokhara, the Pillar of Asoka, Maya Devi Temple, Tilaurakot and its we take a short walk along the Fewa lake to enjoy the museum. sunset atmosphere and a hearty dinner at one of its best

4 | www.annapurnatreks.com DAY DAY 09 10 Visit Lumbini and fly to Kathmandu Panoramic Mountain flight and free day A 5 to 6 hours’ trek Early in the morning, before breakfast, your guide and driver You will spend a full day in Lumbini visiting diff erent with a car will pick up you from your hotel and drive to the monasteries and Tilaurakot. The monastic zone developed airport of Kathmandu. A fl ight leaves early in the morning to into a World Buddhist centre with monasteries constructed let us enjoy magnifi cent landscapes of the Himalayas from by Buddhist communities from diff erent countries. Aft er their closest distances, with a sunrise view. It lasts for one lunch, we will take a short drive to Tilaurakot to see the ruins hour, during which one can enjoy views of Dorje Lhakpa, of the Shakya kingdom where Buddha spent 29 years 2500 Phurbi Chaychu, Choba Bamare, Gaurishankar, Numbur, years before. Karyilung, Cho-Oyu, Gyachung Kang, Pumori, Nuptse and, fi nally, Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Makalu. This fl ight will Tilaurakot is the ancient palace of King Suddodhan, take you back to Gokyo and Namche and will insight you the Sidhartha Gautam’s father, where the Buddha spent his geographical conditions that you walk through, one of the formative 29-years, as a Shakya Prince. Allowing yourself for best way to give a roundup to your journey to Nepal. a moment to wander around and soak in the atmosphere of archaeological sites will give you further information. Aft er Landing back to Kathmandu, we drive to our hotel, take The guide that accompanies you may explain to you at an a hearty breakfast and enjoy a free day in Kathmandu for extensive level. There’s a museum nearby, the Kapilavastu souvenir shopping and strolling around on your own. In the Museum, the pottery, jewelry, and ornaments are gathered evening get invited for a hearty farewell dinner in of the best in-house. restaurants of your choices.

Finalize with visits and drive twenty-two kilometres to DAY Bhairahawa airport to board a forty-fi ne minute’s domestic 11 fl ight to Kathmandu. Arrive at Kathmandu where our driver Depart from Kathmandu and vehicle will be waiting for your arrival. Drive forty-fi ve Breakfast and free time till the time limit. In the indicated minutes to your hotel – dinner and overnight in the hotel. time, our off ice representative and vehicle arrive at your hotel to serve you till the airport. Drive to Kathmandu international airport to see off formalities and departure.

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 5 FAQ WHERE DO WE SLEEP? DO I HAVE TO CARRY MY PACK? In Kathmandu, Pokhara and in Lumbini we stay in The whole tour is in a comfortable tourist vehicle. The comfortable 3-5 star hotels, category selectable, with guide, guide assistance and the driver or conductors are private en-suite bathrooms. In Tansen, we stay in a always in assist to receive, load and unload your suitcase/ comfortable 3-star hotel with private en-suite bathrooms. travel bag. In the hotels, there are bellboys/bellhops to assist with your travel bags to and from your rooms/ WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED? vehicles. You will need to bring appropriate light outdoor clothing and a good pair of a light walking shoe. A complete DO I NEED VACCINATIONS TO equipment list gets supplied when you sign up. This TRAVEL TO NEPAL? circuit of itinerary mostly travels in the warm to hot areas; No vaccination is required to travel to Nepal, but we therefore, any comfortable regular wearing is fi ne. suggest to consult with your doctor before travelling. You can get a vaccination in Kathmandu/Pokhara, but it is CAN I ARRIVE EARLY OR more comfortable if you get them before you travel. EXTEND MY STAY? Yes, you can! All you need to do is to tell us what your fl ight WHAT IS INCLUDED? details are and how many extra nights you need and we will book your hotel accordingly. Additionally, if you would ¸ Airport pick up and departure services as per itinerary like to arrange tour/trek activities either before or aft er the ¸ 6 Nights hotel accommodation in Kathmandu with set program, there are a range of options to choose from breakfast (category selectable) a short trek around Kathmandu valley to relaxing in some ¸ Sightseeing tour of Kathmandu valley with a language panoramic hill resort or perhaps a white water raft ing on guide one of Nepal’s spectacular rivers such as the Sun Kosi. ¸ One day’s full yoga meditation and courses The Kathmandu has several not to miss UNESCO World ¸ 2 Nights hotel accommodation in Pokhara with Heritage sites and to visit all of them with time require at breakfast least 3-5 days. ¸ 1 Nights hotel accommodation in Palpa with breakfast ¸ 1 Nights hotel accommodation in Lumbini with breakfast CAN I HAVE A SINGLE ROOM? ¸ Lumbini to Kathmandu airfare (tax included) Yes, you can! There is a single room occupancy supplement ¸ Entrance fees to the cities and monument sites for the indicated in the price list. Please, indicate on the booking whole programme form for requiring a single toom. ¸ an hour’s panoramic mountain fl ight, all tax and transport included ¸ Ground transportation of the entire circuit in a luxury WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE? tourist vehicle (fully air-conditioned) It is a condition of joining the program that you have insurance in place which will cover you for the costs of Hotels Cities 5-Star medical treatment, trip interruption/cancellation, and 3-Star hotels 4-Star hotels repatriation to your home country. However, this is a hotels comfortable journey covering the most convenient places, Kathmandu Marshyangdi Shanker or Del’ and the highest altitude is 1,750 metres at Namo Buddha. or similar Malla Annapurna We do not sell insurance scheme so requires to manage on Pokhara The lakeside Temple Treet/ Temple your own. resort/Yoga Yoga centre Treet/Yoga centre centre DO I NEED A VISA? Tansen Hotel Srinagar Hotel Srinagar Hotel Yes, you do. Everyone needs to get a visa for Nepal, but you Srinagar can obtain it on arrival at Kathmandu airport. You will need Lumbini Lumbini Buddha Maya Hotel Kasai to bring two passport photos and the appropriate visa fee, Garden which is the US $30 for 15 days, US $50 for up to 30 days, and the US $125 for 90 days. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry to Nepal. WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED?

¸ Travel insurance HOW FIT DO I NEED TO BE? ¸ Meals Anyone in good health can accomplish this tour. Only ¸ Tips to guide and driver and those, not mentioned in some short walking and strolling are required while in a above price include section. sightseeing tour, and some stair climbing and descending to visit the monasteries, stupas, temple and monument sites.

6 | www.annapurnatreks.com How do I sign up? All bookings need to be made through Annapurna Treks & Expeditions Pvt. Ltd. and to secure your place we will require a non-refundable deposit of US $200 and the rest of the payment will require as indicated in the booking and payment conditions section.

Each participant should also complete and sign the attached Booking Form, which should be mailed or preferably emailed back to us at [email protected].

Signature……………….………………. Date……………….……………….

Booking and payment conditions

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 7 On the path of Buddha

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions Pvt. Ltd. P.O.Box: 9965, Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +977-1-4423656, 4428768 E-mail: [email protected] | [email protected] 8 | www.annapurnatreks.com Call at +977 9851127771 or Email at [email protected] or for more information www.annapurnatreks.com

The 17 days Everest Basecamp & Kalapathar Trekking

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TREK HIGHLIGHT verest, the World’s highest much less frequented by tourists, and mountain, rises in the eastern consequently has retained much more ¸ Visit the World famous Everest Epart of Nepal, in the Solu- traditional characteristics. The Peekye basecamp Khumbu region, an area inhabited by trek and the Dudh Kunda trek are two ¸ Sleeping at Everest Basecamp the famous Sherpa people. The Sherpas of the most beautiful destinations. in a tented camp! started to become well known in the ¸ See the Everest from 1950s when the Tibet border closed In this region, there are various its nearest viewpoint, following the occupation of Tibet. The established trekking routes one can Kalapathar, in its full majesty trade between Nepal and Tibet stopped optionally take a scenic walk of a week ¸ Visit the villages with Sherpa then, and the Sherpas, in search of to 3 weeks. The signifi cant passes people and experience their a new means of livelihood, began to that cross from one valley to another culture, religion and life act as guides for foreign expeditions. through some of its panoramas fi led hill ¸ Experience a once in a lifetime Previously the Sherpas had never saddles are Renjo La, Cho La, Kongma trekking in the Everest region. climbed mountains that are regarded La, which are also known as the three ¸ Experience the cultural by them as the abode of their gods. passes of Everest Region. diversities of in the shortest period. The northern part of the district, the The Trekking to Everest basecamp ¸ Take a Helicopter fl ight to Khumbu, is encompassed in Everest enables one to see the most famous enjoy the glittering mountain National Park. To the east of Everest mountain bases in the World and sceneries from its nears National Park is Makalu Barun National visiting the Kalapathar, the most points. Park, a remote and wild stretch of visited viewpoints to see the Everest In ¸ Visit centuries-old mountain peaks and deep and densely reality and from its nearest distance! monuments and medieval forested valleys. To the west is the This itinerary off ers an opportunity towns. Rolwaling valley, a well-protected of sleeping at Everest Basecamp!, microcosm of cultures and ecology. The and meet and mix with hundreds of southern part of the district, Solu, is legendary climbers.

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 1 ITINERARY IN SHORT ITINERARY IN SHORT DETAIL Day 01 Arrive in Kathmandu 1,350m. TREK PROFILE DAY Day 02 Fly to Lukla 2,866m. and trek 01 The total length of the trip: to Phakding 2652m. A 45 Arrive in Kathmandu 1,350m. 17 days from arrival to minutes fl ight and 3 hours Our personnel will be waiting at the the day of departure trek. Kathmandu international airport to Day 03 Trek to Namche Bazaar receive you with a traditional welcome. Number of the night in 3,440m. A 5 hours trek. Aft er checking into the hotel and Kathmandu: Day 04 Trek to Khumjung 3,790m. A 2 refreshment, your guide of the circuit 2-nights / visit UNESCO hours trek. will inform you about necessary sites Day 05 Khumjung / Tengboche formalities and the upcoming program. Depending on arrival time, you will Number of the night in 3,867m. A 5-hour trek. have the choice of visiting nearby Bhaktapur: Day 06 Trek to Dingboche 4,410m. A shrines or resting. 1-night / visit UNESCO 5-hour trek. sites Day 07 Dingboche. A 6-7 hour DAY excursion. 02 Road transport mode: Fly to Lukla 2,866m. Car / Hiace Van Day 08 Trek to Lobuche 4,887m. A 3-4 hour trek. & trek to Phakding 2,652m. A 45 minutes fl ight and 3 hours trek. Trek starting point: Day 09 Trek to Gorakshep 5,164m. Early in the morning, at 07:30 hour, Lukla and Kalapathar 5,545m. A 3 we’ll drive to Tribhuvan International hours trek. Airport to board a Helicopter fl ight to Trek ending point: Day 10 Trek to Everest Basecamp Lukla. It is an exhilarating mountain Lukla 5,364m. A 3 hours trek. fl ight of 45 minutes. During the Day 11 Trek to Lobuche. A 4 hours helicopter journey, you can enjoy A domestic fl ight: trek. exceptional views of the Himalaya and Kathmandu – Lukla – most of the villages and valleys. Upon Kathmandu (both way Day 12 Trek to Pangboche and arrival to Lukla, you’ll meet the guide, helicopter) Phortse 3,840m. A 5-6 hour porters and Sherpa staff . At Lukla, we trek. stop for about an hour for refreshments Highest elevation Day 13 Trek to Namche and Jorsalle. and to reorganize and kitbags for achievement: A 5 hours trek. porters. Aft er a short tour of Lukla 5,545 metres Kalapathar Day 14 Trek to Lukla 2,866m. A 6 village, we’ll set out on a trek of about lookout hours trek. 3 hours to Phakdingma, where we’ll lodge for the night. Day 15 Fly to Kathmandu and visit Accommodation: Bhaktapur. A 45 minutes fl ight Hotel with breakfast in A pleasant walk of the fi rst day passes and 45 minutes’ drive. Kathmandu, Teahouse through several Sherpa villages with (Lodge) on full board Day 16 Visit the UNESCO sites the view of Kongde Peak. Phakdingma basis on the trek, and Day 17 Departure is a lovely place for an overnight stop tented camp on full set on the bank of the Dudhkunda river. board basis at Everest Basecamp.

Meals: An open menu for each meal to choose by clients.

Trip grade: Moderate

Best season to trek: from the ﬁ rst week of March to end of May and from last week of September to the end of October.

2 | www.annapurnatreks.com Costs per person (per hotel category in cities) National Park Museum and the Sherpa Number in Group 3-Star hotels 4-Star hotels 5-Star hotels House Museum.

2-3 Persons 2061$ 2151$ 2231$ Instead of staying all day in Namche, 4-5 Persons 1982$ 2072$ 2152$ we move to the village of Khumjung. 6-7 Persons 1936$ 2026$ 2106$ Aft er lunch, we make a scenic Namche 8-10 Persons 1895$ 1985$ 2065$ to Khumjung trek. The trail leads through the nose-ridge above Namche Single room Supl. 240$ 330$ 390$ to Syangboche, a short landing fi eld for Pilatus porter plane. The DAY Namche Bazaar, surrounded by higher we go, the scenarios are more 03 beautiful mountains from all direction, open. The Dudhkoshi Valley, Kongde Trek to Namche Bazaar is the commercial centre of the Khumbu Himal, Khumbila, Tawoche, Everest, 3,440m. region. If you arrive on a Friday, you Amadablam, Kangthega, Thamserku A 5 hours trek. can view the weekly bazaar the next and Kusum Kangru are some of the Today’s trek goes through the villages day, when local people converge from great masses of mountains in the World of Toktok and Jorsalle and on to the surrounding area. In the Khumbu surrounding us from all directions. Namche. The entire route is scenic and Valley killing of any animal is forbidden full of nature. The surrounding hills are so people from lower valleys come on Going to Khumjung, there are several covered with dense forest and beyond Saturdays to sell meat and everyday trails. Still, we take the going through them are mountaintops capped with supplies and the local people and the Everest View Hotel, the only fi ve- snow. Aft er a lunch stop in Jorsalle, we hotel/lodge operator from around to star hotel situated at the highest place continue to Namche Bazaar. Along the buy. in the World, at an elevation of 3880 way, we climb to a vantage point called meters above sea level. The hotel has Topdanda, near Namche Bazaar. From DAY a spectacular view of Mount Everest, there, weather permitting, one can see 04 8,848m., from every room. The hotel Mt. Everest and the Tengboche valley Trek to Khumjung 3,790m. off ers a panoramic view of Everest and and its famed monastery. Half an hour A 2 hours trek. many other high peaks, including the later and you are at Namche Bazaar, the Today, your guide will take you to visit most imposing Amadablam (6,812m.), “capital of the Khumbu valley”. the monastery in Namche, Sagarmatha described by many as the most

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 3 beautiful mountain they have ever seen. At this hotel will surely make a stop for a cup of tea/coff ee and enjoy the most magnifi cent panorama that the place off ers.

Then we descend to the village of Khumjung where we can optionally visit Khumjung monastery and its village.

DAY 05 Khumjung / Tengboche 3,867m. A 5 hours trek. This day’s trek contains magniﬁ cent views of Everest, Amadablam, Thamserku, Lhotse and Nuptse, all the way to Tengboche. Along the trail, one can spot wild animals, such as longhaired mountain goats, musk deer and the colourful national bird, danphe etc.

We stop for lunch at Punggi-Tanga and then continue gradually climbing to Tengboche, where we check into the lodge and pay a visit to the famed Tengboche monastery.

From the meadow, at Tengboche, there are beautiful views of Nuptse- Lhotse, the tip of Everest and the giant village with views of Amadablam and DAY Mt. Amadablam. Tengboche is one of Chhukung. If the weather permits, it is 08 the religious centres of the Khumbu advisable to climb up the village for a Trek to Lobuche 4,887m. Valley. The monastery burned down in better view of town and surroundings. A 3-4 hour trek. 1989 was rebuilt to its original shape The trek gently leads toward the thanks to generous contributions from DAY Khumbu (Everest) Glacier. The World’s the local community, trekkers and the 07 most signifi cant mountain masses Himalayan Trust. Here, every year in Dingboche surround you, feel the thinner air. October/November, according to the A 6-7 hour excursion. En route, near the lower edge of Buddhist lunar calendar, is celebrated It is a rest/acclimatization day, but we the glacier, above Thugla, you can one of the most spectacular and recommend taking a trip to Chhukung see numerous chortens (memorials important religious festivals, the Mani and back. The trail is beautiful with for those who died during Everest Rimdu. Buddhist stupas and prayer fl ags expeditions). Finally, you are at and incredible views. If time permits, Laboche, the base for most of the DAY we also recommend climbing to the trekkers hiking to Kalapathar View 06 Chukung-Ri (5.540m), at Chhukung. It Point and Everest Base. Aft er checking Trek to Dingboche 4,410m. is a hill above Chhukung village and into the lodge, time permitting, you can A 5 hours trek. just below the incredibly sheer wall of stroll around the glacial rim to observe The trek takes us fi rst through a Mount Nuptse and Lhotse. Some say the Khumbu Glacier, its loud cracking seemingly virgin forest and beautiful that the view from Chukung-Ri is better of ice and noises of chunks of ice and mountain panoramas to a monastery than that from Everest Kalapathar. scree falling into the glacial river. of nuns at Dingboche. Aft er a rest and The wall of Lhotse and Nuptse, the red visit, we continue across a bridge over granite of Makalu, and the south wall of DAY the Dudh Koshi River. The trees thin Baruntse, fl uted with ice next to 7000 09 out and give way to shrub. We arrive metres of Ama Dablam. Many feel that Trek to Gorakshep 5,164m. at Pangboche village and then go on Chhukung-Ri has the most beautiful and Kalapathar 5,545m. to Dingboche. We cross a bridge over views in the World. We take a hearty A hours trek. a stream that fl ows from the Khumbu lunch at Chhukung and retrace back to We start the trip early in the morning glacier, below Pheriche, and aft er an Dingboche. to get the sunrise view from the top easy climb, we arrive at Dingboche, of Kalapathar lookout. From Laboche the last largest village in the Chhukung we’ll trek to Gorakshep along the valley. It is a small but beautiful rim of the Khumbu glacier catching

4 | www.annapurnatreks.com The trail from Gorakshep is panoramic and also visit the camp of Himalayan with a surprising view of the Khumbu rescue, a team of doctors, camped Icefall and Khumbu Glacier. The mount to look aft er the health issue of the Pumori dominates the north-western climbers. We then return to our camp horizon, just above a hand reaching for lunch and depart on our return distance. trek. Aft er a remarkable two-days stay at the basecamp, the feet are The ﬂ at ﬁ eld below Kala Patthar, lighter, the sceneries are extensive and 5,545m/18,192 ft ., and Mount Pumori is the perspective to seeing them. We the Khumbu glacier. The glacier is with probably stop back at Gorakshep for large ice pinnacles, forming a perfect a tea-stop and continue another one place for ice climbing training. hours trek down to Lobuche.

The Everest Base Camp, one of the DAY most famous mountain bases in the 12 Himalayas and indeed in the World, Trek to Pangboche and Phortse is visited by thousands of trekkers 3,840m. and climbers each year. We arrive at A 5-6 hour trek. basecamp for lunch. We will be greeted From Lobuche, we retrace the same by our kitchen crew and distributed trail we took while going up and reach to our tents. Aft er lunch, we will to Pangboche, an ancient village with briefl y visit the Everest basecamp a Monastery. We’ll spend a visit to the camps, where we will meet hundreds village and 400 years old monastery, of climbers preparing and moving the oldest in the region. upward for their climb on Everest. Get introduced with legendary climbers, Aft er lunch, we’ll set off for Phortse dinner and overnight in tented camp. village, which off ers a beautiful view of Thamserku and Kongde. Tourists less DAY frequent the trail so one can see wild 11 animals and the colourful national bird Trek to Lobuche. of Nepal. The great mountain sceneries A 4 hours trek. are in every direction. At Phortse village views of Nuptse, Pumori, Changse, A surprising day! You are woken by a we check into the lodge. This village Cho Lhatse and many more peaks. mess attendant who brings in a bowl is one of the typical Sherpa villages of Gorakshep is a pleasant place towered of hot water for washing and the fi rst Khumbu region. It off ers opportunities by beautiful Mt. Pumori. From here a cup of tea or coff ee in your tent. Thirty to experience the way of Sherpa life in further 45-minutes’ walk put us on top minutes later, a full breakfast gets the villages and a beautiful panorama of Kalapathar (5,545m), one of the most served on camp dining tables! Enjoy containing Mount Amadablam, famed viewpoints to sight the mount a hearty breakfast in the basecamp of Kangthega, Thamserku and Kusum Everest from its nearest distance. The Mount Everest. We then go with our Kangru and Tengboche Monastery. view from there is indescribable, seeing guide to see the climbing activities the Mount Everest from a distance of your hand reach. Aft er taking an essential photograph and admirations, we descend to Gorakshep for a hearty breakfast and a relaxing day.

In the evening we maybe repeat the Kalapathar for a sunset view. Both sunrise and sunset, from Kalapathar lookout, are truly breath-taking so those willing may take a short sunset hike to the Kalopathar lookout for a sunset view!

DAY 10 Trek to Everest Basecamp 5,364m. A 3 hours trek. A big day! Today we make our dreamt trek to Everest Basecamp 5,364m/17,598ft ., (28°0′26″N 86°51′34″E), the base of the Third Pole.

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 5 DAY DAY science, or religion. It is a world-class 13 15 museum that displays the traditional Trek to Namche and Jorsalle. Fly to Kathmandu and visit sacred art of Nepal in an illustrious A 5 hours trek. Bhaktapur. architectural setting. Its home is an We go down to Phortse Tenga and cross A 45 minutes fl ight and 45 minutes’ old residential part of Patan Darbar, the river that fl ows from the Gokyo drive. one of the royal palaces of the former Valley, and then begin a steep climb to We’ll board an early morning fl ight, Malla Kings of the Kathmandu Valley. Its the hilltop to Mongla. There we take 08:00 hours, to Kathmandu and arrive gilded door and window face one of the tea-brake and enjoy the magnifi cent at Kathmandu before 9 a.m. We then most beautiful squares in the World. panorama from this beautiful lookout. continue to drive to Bhaktapur, one of The trail further descends to Sanasa, the most impressive medieval towns of The museum also exhibits a long below the Khumjung village, where we Kathmandu valley. Arrive at the hotel span of Nepal’s cultural history and will make our lunch stop or one may and get distributed into the rooms — some rare objects. Their meaning and continue further thirty-fi ve minutes to Rest, refreshing and lunch. context within the living traditions of Namche. Buddhism and Hinduism are explained Aft er lunch, in the aft ernoon, the guide in extensive labels. From Namche, the trail directly drops will take you to visit the UNESCO World to the Dudh Koshi River. We are getting Heritage Site of Bhaktapur – the home We then drive to UNESCO site of back again to “European” altitudes of medieval art and architecture. The Soyambhunath stupa on a hillock as we descend towards the entrance Squares are some of the most charming overlooking Kathmandu valley. Well to Everest National Park at Jorsalle, a architectural showpieces of the Valley known as Monkey Temple the golden pleasant place to spend a night aft er as it highlights some of the most spire crowning, Soyambhunath is the several days in altitude. exquisite medieval art and architecture most ancient and vital of Buddhist of Nepal. shrine in Kathmandu valley. DAY 14 DAY In the evening we visit the Kathmandu Trek to Lukla 2,866m. 16 Durbar Square, the old palace complex A 6 hours trek. Visit the UNESCO sites exhibits the multitude of temples and From Jorsalle the trail mostly follows At 10:00 a. m. your guide and a car palaces. The main attractions are the river. We retrace through some with a driver will arrive at your hotel the Gaddi Baithak Durbar, a Palace small Sherpa villages and arrive at to commence the visit of UNESCO site constructed in the Rana style in 1908, Lukla. In Lukla, we spend our last night of Patan. Founded in the third century Basantapur Durbar, the main building in the Khumbu Valley. This evening B.C., and later expanded in the sixth of the old royal palace, Kumari Chowk, is the occasion to enjoy a farewell century, the ancient city of Patan is the residence of the Living Goddess party with your Sherpa friends who renowned for its rich Buddhist heritage. and Kumari Bahal, where the family of have accompanied you. They depart In its one period, the entire population Kumari resides. We fi nalize our visits separately on a two days’ trek and one- of Patan City were comprised only with with a walk through the Ason Bazaar, an day bus ride to Kathmandu or stay at monks and artisans. old city centre and open market, where Lukla to continue another trek back to one can see and experience a bit of Everest Base Camp! At around the end of the tour, we’ll also what the Nepalese use in their daily life. visit the Museum of Patan. Located Arrive at the hotel to rest and relax. inside the medieval palace, the Patan Museum is a must for anyone interested DAY in Asian Art, history of Nepal, curatorial 17 Departure Breakfast and free time till the time limit. In the indicated time, our off ice representative and vehicle arrive at your hotel to serve you till the airport. Drive to Kathmandu international airport see off formalities and departure.

“SLEEP ONE NIGHT IN THE EVEREST BASE CAMP” 6 | www.annapurnatreks.com FAQ WHERE DO WE SLEEP? DO I HAVE TO CARRY MY PACK? In Kathmandu, we stay in comfortable 3-5 star hotels with We use porters to carry the majority of our equipment so daily private en-suite bathrooms. While on trek we stay at Nepalese you need only take a very light day pack which should contain no lodges which off ers simple but welcoming accommodation and more than the camera, water-bottle, a selection of snacks and wonderful traditional hospitality. Lodges typically have one large a warm or waterproof jacket. Everything else needs to pack into communal room where you can sit and take meals, and there is a large duff le bag which will be given to a porter each morning. an adjoining kitchen where you can order your food and drinks. The kitbag will be carried by the porter each day and delivered to Bedrooms are twin bedded with or without private bathrooms, your lodge room each aft ernoon. You need to make sure you have and dormitories with shared bathrooms. At Everest Basecamp, everything you need for the day before giving your bag to the we sleep in a comfortable camping tent (Ozark/Mountain porter as it can be diff icult to access while trekking. hardware) with a hard and soft mattress for each. WILL I BE AFFECTED BY ALTITUDE? WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED? Most of the trek takes place at lower altitudes where you are You will need to bring appropriate warm outdoor clothing and unlikely to notice anything other than mild shortness of breath a good pair of walking boots. A complete equipment list gets at the beginning of the trek. As the days go by, you will gain supplied when you sign up. Many of the necessary items can acclimatisation and feel more adjusted to the higher altitudes. be purchased or rented in Kathmandu so don’t worry if you At a height above 4300 metres, one may experience a headache can’t buy everything where you live. The guides will check your caused by the thin air and lack of oxygen, but these symptoms equipment and clothing before departing from Kathmandu, usually pass quickly. If you experience symptoms of altitude that so if anything is missing, there will be time to obtain anything does not go away, you will be accompanied by one of our Sherpas necessary. to a lower elevation, where you should quickly recover.

CAN I ARRIVE EARLY OR EXTEND MY STAY? DO I NEED VACCINATIONS TO TRAVEL TO NEPAL? Yes, you can! All you need to do is to tell us what your fl ight No vaccination is required to travel to Nepal, but we suggest details are and how many extra nights you need and we will book to consult with your doctor before travelling. You can get a your hotel accordingly. Additionally, if you would like to arrange a vaccination in Kathmandu/Pokhara, but it is more comfortable if program of activities either before or perhaps aft er the trek, there you get them before you travel. are a range of options to choose from including the jungle safari at Chitwan national park, or perhaps white water raft ing on one of Nepal’s spectacular rivers such as the Sun Kosi. Kathmandu WHAT IS INCLUDED? has several not to miss UNESCO World heritage sites and to visit all of them with time requires at least 3-5 days. ¸ Airport pick up and departure service as per itinerary ¸ 2-night hotel accommodation in Kathmandu with breakfast (Category selectable) CAN I HAVE A SINGLE ROOM? ¸ Kathmandu / Lukla / Kathmandu helicopter fl ight service Yes, you can! There is a single room occupancy supplement ¸ 1-night hotel accommodation in Bhaktapur with breakfast indicated in the price list. Please, indicate on the booking (Category selectable) form for requiring a single room. ¸ Trekking period on full board basis (tea house lodge accommodation on twin sharing basis) ¸ 1 Guide in the group and one porter, between every two WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE? members, for the entire trek ¸ 1-night/two days’ camping service at the Everest Basecamp on It is a condition of joining the trek that you have insurance in a full board basis. place which will cover you for the costs of medical treatment, ¸ A Trekking Map in group cancellations, emergency rescue and repatriation to your home ¸ A good sleeping bag to each member country. You must ensure that it provides cover for trekking to ¸ A pair of a trekking pole to each member altitudes above 4000 metres and includes helicopter rescue. We ¸ A satellite mobile phone for communication in an emergency do not sell insurance scheme so requires to manage on your own. (Personal usage available with 4$ per minute call) ¸ A small Medial kit box for fi rst add medical purpose. ¸ Insurance and all expenses of local staff DO I NEED A VISA? ¸ Everest National Park and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu entry Yes, you do. Everyone needs to get a visa for Nepal, but you can permits obtain it on arrival at Kathmandu airport. You will need to bring ¸ Guided tour of Kathmandu valley as per itinerary two passport photos and the appropriate visa fee, which is the US ¸ Entrance fees to the monument sites and cities $30 for 15 days, US $50 for up to 30 days, and the US $125 for 90 ¸ All taxes and agency service charge days. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry to Nepal. Hotels Cities 3-Star hotels 4-Star hotels 5-Star hotels HOW FIT DO I NEED TO BE? Kathmandu Marshyangdi or Shanker or Del’ similar Malla Annapurna Anyone who is in reasonable shape and good health can accomplish this trek. Some days will be harder than others, but Treking Lodge Lodge Lodge none require much more than 5 or 6 hours of walking each day, with a leisurely lunch stop to break up the day. There is no rush or need to ‘keep up’, and you are free to walk at your own pace. WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED? We would recommend that you undertake some form of simple training in advance of the trek, such as a 30-minute walk each ¸ Travel insurance, International air tickets, Nepal entry visa evening for a few weeks before the start of the trek. Another ¸ Lunch & dinner in Kathmandu and Pokhara exercise, such as swimming, bicycling and playing tennis, is also ¸ Alcoholic and mineral beverages during the trek ideal. ¸ Tips and those, not mentioned in above price include section.

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 7 How do I sign up? All bookings need to be made through Annapurna Treks & Expeditions Pvt. Ltd. and to secure your place we will require a non-refundable deposit of US $200 and the rest of the payment will require as indicated in the booking and payment conditions section.

Each participant should also complete and sign the attached Booking Form, which should be mailed or preferably emailed back to us at [email protected].

Signature……………….………………. Date……………….………………. Booking and payment conditions

¸ Cancellation aft er the confi rmation - loss of the deposit ¸ Cancellation 45-days before the trip commences - 20% of the total cost ¸ Cancellation 25-days before the trip commences - 50% of the total cost ¸ Cancellation less than 21-days before the trip commences - 70% of the total cost ¸ Cancellation aft er arrival or during the trip - 100% of the total cost Responsibility We, Annapurna Trekss & ExpeditiExpeditionsons PvPvt.t. LtdLtd.,., accept respresponsibility for ensuring that the services booked with us are as close as possible to the itineraryneraryy ooututtfi ttedtttedd inin ourouour mutual understanding.under You agree and understand that it may be necessary to adjust the program ddueue ttoo unu unforeseennfof reseen factfactors.o In such a case, the group leader and sirdar/guide, in the team, will make the fi nal decision.ecisionn.

AnnapurnaAn Treks & Expeditions Pvt. Ltd. P.O.Box: 9965, Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +977-1-4423656, 4428768 8 | www.annapurnatreks.comomm E-mail: [email protected] | [email protected] Call at +977 9851127771 or Email at [email protected] or for more information www.annapurnatreks.com

www.annapurnatreks.com TREK HIGHLIGHT

¸ Walk on the ancient lifeline route lso known as the Kingdom that do discover a traditional way of ¸ Visit the places visited by very of Lo, Mustang existed as an life, landscape, architecture and art so few tourists due to its permit Aindependent state as early as enthralling that it cannot forget. cost. the 5th century but later absorbed ¸ Enjoy walking within into Tibet in the 7th century. Later it To the south of Mustang live the picturesque and dramatic achieved a degree of independence Thakalis, which provide a cultural landscapes and became an important centre of and geographical bridge between ¸ A broken moon land the Sakyapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Mustang and the middle hill tribes of renowned as a photogenic Ame Pal (1380-1450) founded a dynasty Gurungs and Magars. A famous place of country that has survived until the present day, pilgrimage in this area for both Hindus ¸ Walk into weather washed even if the country got integrated into and Buddhists is Muktinath, also beautiful canyon Nepal in the 18th century. The recently known as Chumig Gyatsa (One Hundred ¸ Explore impressive abolished king, Jigme Palbar Bista, the Springs), located 18 km northeast of interwoven ancient villages 25th aft er Gyalpo Ame Pal, was born in Jomsom. ¸ Visit the innermost ancient 1930 and is still regarded as the king villages of Mustang. by the Mustangi population, which If you extend the trek from Jomsom ¸ See and learn on Bon and consists of about 6,000 people. to Beni, you’ll end up back in Gurkha Buddhism culture country a midst typical Nepalese ¸ Experience the anciently The inhabitants of Mustang are scenery. The fauna and fl ora become preserved Tibetan culture in culturally a Tibetan people, speaking more prosperous as you descend from its purest form the Tibetan language and following alpine to temperate and fi nally into ¸ Visit a forbidden walled Tibetan Buddhism. subtropical forests. The views and the kingdom of Lo-Manthang backdrop of the Himalayas are stunning ¸ Visit the most ancient caves Until 1992 Mustang was closed except throughout. ¸ Visit the Muktinath, the site of for to a few royal guests. The fi rst legal salvation trekkers were allowed in only in March If you are Trekking to Mustang, then you ¸ Experience classical cultural 1992, upon payment of a high royalty, must coincide Tiji Mask dance Festival dots and undisturbed natural minimum $700 for ten days, which in Lomanthang scenery is changed now ($500 for a ten days The beating of drums and singing fi ll ¸ Admire and enjoy seeing the permit). the air as the ancient thangka (religious grandeur of the Himalaya painting) of Padmasambhava (Guru ¸ Visit the medieval towns, For these reasons, trekking to Upper Rinpoche, Tibetan Buddhism’s Lotus- stupas, temple, and Mustang/Lo is a rare privilege. Not born Saint) is brought from the Palace monasteries many foreigners go there, but those of Lo Manthang into the square. The

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 1 people of Lo (Upper Mustang) eagerly may fi nd under winter mist until late await its arrival through clouds of morning (11 a.m.). TREK PROFILE incense, and with great clamor and anticipation, the monks place the The end of February to mid-may is the The total length of the trip: thangka on display by rolling it down best time for fauna and fl ora both in the 19 days from arrival to a massive wall. The festival commonly mountains and in Terai. During this time the day of departure celebrated by the people of Lo Tso one may fi nd a lot of rhododendron Dhun (the seven provinces of Upper fl ower, magnolia, wild orchids, and Number of the night in Mustang). birdlife. The weather mostly remains Kathmandu: fi ne in all parts of Nepal. 4-nights / visit UNESCO SEASONS sites Nepal has four primary seasons: January February is winter, and from Winter: December–February the end of January to February, the Trek starting point: Spring: March–May high passes in the mountain valley will Jomsom Summer: June–August be in the snow. During this time, the Autumn: September–November temperature around the Everest Base Trek ending point: camp will be -17 degrees (aft er sunset Jomsom GENERAL WEATHER and before sunrise). During day time The best time is from mid-September will be around 5 to 11 degree and more A domestic fl ight in: to the end of January or from mid- if sunny. Nepal is a sunny country, Pokhara-Jomsom- February to the end of May. July and so the temperature, even full winter, Pokhara-Kathmandu August are rainy months for Nepal, is much better than some European but each season has its richness. The countries and in American and in Highest elevation jungles will be lush to the rain forest, Canada. Many of them from those achievement: and the rivers will swell, the lowlands or countries travel to Nepal to escape their 5,220 metres Jeng-La the fi elds of the hills will be full of rice cold weather and to enjoy the sunny and other crops. Himalaya Panorama. Accommodation: The best teahouse lodges During these month Japanese tourists Note: in each village and from other countries, loving the The best months to take this itinerary is high Himalaya fl ower, comes to sight from the fi rst week of May to the mid of Meals: fl owers. And most of the tourist willing November An open menu to choose to travel to Tibet comes from May to by client. mid-October. And we also have a lot of ITINERARY IN SHORT Spanish tourists touring and trekking in Trip grade: Nepal in these months. Day 01 Arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal Easy to Moderate. Day 02 In Kathmandu / visit UNESCO During rainy months the parts of Terai sites Best season to trek: may see with fl ood and travelling during these months is hot and Day 03 Drive to Pokhara. A 6 hours’ From the fi rst week drive of May to the mid of temperature may reach around 38 November degrees, but during this time the Indian Day 04 Pokhara to Jomsom 2,750m. tourists visit Nepal to escape the heat (by air) & trek to Kagbeni in their lowlands. During winter months 2,847m. A 22-minutes fl ight the part of Terai will be misty and and 2 hours trek. Day 05 Trek to Chhusang. A 4-hour trek Day 06 Trek to Samar. A 4 hours trek. Day 07 Trek to Geling 3,500m. & Gami 3,520m. A 6 hours trek. Day 08 Trek to Charang 3,620m. A 4 hours trek. Day 09 Trek to Lo-Manthang 3,810m. A 4 hours trek. Day 10 Visit Lomanthang Day 11 Trek to Logekar Gonpa and Drakmar 3,820m. A 6 hours trek. Day 12 Trek to Shyangbochen 3,850m. A 5 hours trek.

2 | www.annapurnatreks.com Day 13 Trek to Tetang 3,850m. A 7 Well known as ‘Monkey Temple’ the you. Located beneath the Himalayas, hours trek. golden spire crowning, Soyambhunath the lush natural beauty of Pokhara is Day 14 Trek to Ngyu La Pass 4,135m. is the most ancient and vital of a place of “Dream Holiday”. The site is and Muktinath 3,800m. A 7 Buddhist shrine in Kathmandu valley. famous for its tranquil lakes, natural hours trek beauty, and superb scenery. We stop Aft er visiting all these places, return at Pokhara for lunch and walk around Day 15 Trek to Lupra, Thini and to Patan city. Believed to have been the lake. Then we continue further Jomsom. A 5 houra trek. founded in the third century B.C., and 30-minutes’ drive to Yoga Meditation Day 16 Fly to Pokhara 820m. 22- later expanded in the sixth century, centre. Get checked into the rooms – minutes panoramic fl ight. the ancient town of Patan renowned dinner and overnight in the hotel. Day 17 Guided tour and fl y to for its rich Buddhist heritage, was one of the signifi cant Buddhist cities in DAY Kathmandu. 40-minutes fl ight 04 and 45 minutes’ drive. Asia by the 7th century as Buddhist pilgrims, scholars, and monks from Pokhara to Jomsom 2,750m. Day 18 Kathmandu India, Tibet and China visited the city. (by air) & trek to Kagbeni Day 19 Departure In its one period, the entire population 2,847m. of Patan City was comprised only A 22-minutes fl ight and 2 hours trek. with monks and artisans. We will visit Early in the morning, a fl ight leaves Costs Per Person Number in major Buddhist temples of Patan such for the region north-west of Pokhara, Group 3-Star 4-Star as the Golden temple founded in the towards the great chasm between the Hotels hotels 12th century, Mahaboudha (Temple of snow-covered peaks of Annapurna and 2-3 Persons 2300$ 2482$ thousand Buddhas) of the 17th century Dhaulagiri. You’ll enjoy splendid views and other important Buddhist sites. of the towering massifs, each more 4-5 Persons 2222$ 2400$ than 8,000 meters and the river below, 6-7 Persons 2170$ 2350$ At around the end of the tour, we’ll also which has created the deepest gorge on 8-10 Persons 2130$ 2310$ visit the Museum of Patan. Located this planet. Single Room 300$ 480$ inside the medieval palace, the Patan Supl. Museum is a must for anyone interested Jomsom is the district headquarters of in Asian Art, history of Nepal, curatorial Mustang. On arrival there, you’ll meet ITINERARY IN SHORT science, or religion. It is a world-class the rest of the trekking staff (the guide DETAIL museum that displays the traditional will be with you from Kathmandu) and sacred art of Nepal in an illustrious start the trek to Kagbeni, the main DAY architectural setting. Its home is an gateway to Upper Mustang, there you’ll 01 old residential part of Patan Darbar, camp overnight. Arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal one of the royal palaces of the former Our personnel will be waiting at the Malla Kings of the Kathmandu Valley. Its Kagbeni has been one of Nepal’s Kathmandu international airport to gilded door and window face one of the important trading centres for centuries. receive you with a traditional welcome. most beautiful squares in the world. The village was formed around the Aft er checking into the hotel and 14th century as a check post for traders refreshment, your guide of the circuit The museum also exhibits a long between Nepal and Tibet, and there will inform you about the necessary span of Nepal’s cultural history and is still a checkpoint to control all formalities and the upcoming program. some rare objects. Their meaning and groups departing toward Muktinath Depending on arrival time, you will context within the living traditions of and Mustang. There are a monastery, have the choice of visiting nearby Buddhism and Hinduism are explained a police check post and an ACAP shrines or resting. in extensive labels. Finalize the trip and (Annapurna Conservation Area Project) drive to the hotel. off ice in this village, which is well If you arrive in the morning fl ight worthy of visiting. then we take a late aft ernoon visit; In the aft ernoon, visit another UNESCO site of Boudhanath - the vast dome- DAY we’ll visit Boudhanath, possibly the 05 world’s largest Buddhist stupa and a shaped monument representing the site of great veneration and Tibetan Mind of the Buddha. Boudhanath is Trek to Chhusang. Buddhism. If you arrive in the late the primary pilgrimage destination for A 4-hour trek aft ernoon or evening fl ight, then we will Buddhists of the Himalayas and a major The trail leads up north over several include this visit on day two. draw for Tibetan Buddhists from all ridges toward the east bank of the Kali over the planet. Gandaki River and Tangbe village. The DAY town is a labyrinth of narrow alleys 02 DAY amongst white-washed houses, fi elds 03 In Kathmandu / visit UNESCO of buckwheat, barley and wheat, sites Drive to Pokhara. and apple orchards. Nilgiri peak, The rich tapestry of the Buddhist A 6 hours’ drive dominating Kagbeni’s southern skyline, heritage of Nepal is synthesized in A scenic drive passing through several can be enjoyed in its diff erent shapes. Kathmandu Valley. Aft er breakfast visit small towns and farmlands will take From here it is another one and a UNESCO site Soyambhunath stupa on a you to Lake City Pokhara where eye- half hours to reach Chhusang. Stay hillock overlooking Kathmandu valley. opening views of Himalayas welcome overnight in a teahouse lodge. Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 3 DAY 06 Trek to Samar. A 4 hours trek. We cross the river and continue north up to a huge red boulder of conglomerate that has fallen from the cliff above, forming a tunnel through which the Kali Gandaki fl ows. The trek now leaves the Kali Gandaki Valley and climbs steeply up a rocky gully to Chaile, which marks the cultural divide between the Manangis and the Tibetans of Lo.

The climb continues over steep, treeless, dry terrain, along the side of a spectacular canyon to a pass and cairn of rock at 3,540m. Then the trail makes a gradual descent to some chortens on a ridge, and on further along a pleasant stretch to Samar village, where we will camp and visits its villages and chortens. The Annapurna, still dominated by Nilgiri, is visible far to the south.

DAY 07 Trek to Geling 3,500m. & Gami 3,520m A 6 hours trek. We climb above Samar to a ridge and then descend into a large gorge, where the trail emerges out into a broad ﬁ eld, crosses a stream and climbs up to a ridge at 3,800m. The route goes over yet another pass, follows a ridge and then descends to Shyangmochen. From there we gently climb to a pass at 3,770m and descend to Gelling village. From Geling the trail climbs gently up to an exciting pass, Nyi La, and then descends beneath blue, grey and red cliﬀ s at Gami.

DAY 08 10th and 11th centuries consisted of three kingdoms (in the Trek to Charang 3,620m. north-west corner of present-day Nepal). A 4 hours trek. Aft er crossing a steel bridge over the Tagmar Chu (river), There was a chain of strongholds (all now in ruins) the whole we arrive at a Mani wall, perhaps the longest and most length of the Kali Gandaki Valley from Kagbeni to Mustang. spectacular such wall in Nepal. Aft er negotiated another The lords of these castles seem to have ruled as absolute pass, at 3,600m, the route makes a gentle descent to Charang masters, and each in his small domain. At the end of the 18th village. A huge fi ve-story white dzong and red gonpa are century, the Gurkhas took control of the whole Kali Gandaki the main attractions there, featuring statues and thangkas Valley. (many of them large paintings of seated Buddhas). Though Tibetan in culture and language, Lo supported DAY Nepal in its war with Tibet in 1860, thus aff irming its right 09 to its ancient feudal system of rajas and serfs. Serfdom got Trek to Lo-Manthang 3,810m. abolished in 1956. The title “Raja of Mustang” was borne A 4 hours trek. until 28 May 2008. Finally, on 28 May 2008, the kingdom was From Charang we will descend about 25 minutes and cross off icially abolished by the 1st Constituent Assembly, and the bridge and continue with a gentle climb. While on the the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal was declared. The trek we’ll view some ancient stupas and the monasteries of sub-national monarchies in Mustang, Bajhang, Salyan, and Charnag and its Valley. Jajarkot got also abolished in October 2008.

Finally, there is a view from a hill ridge of the walled city of DAY Lo, Nambyal, and Chhosar villages. Aft er a short descent, 10 we cross a stream and then climb up onto the plateau of Lo Visit Lomanthang Manthang. Chhoser is an exciting cave town where you can see all its neighbouring villages, where they recently discovered Up to the end of the 18th century, Mustang (Tibetan sMon- ancient wall paintings. On the way to Chhoser we visit the thang) was the main town of a provincial district known as villages of Nyaphu and the Nyaphu monastery on the cliﬀ , Lo, which extended down the valley of the Kali Gandaki River Gharphu and Nedar, and also the Thubten Monastery. The as far south as Kagbeni. villages in such an isolated landscape are incredible and the monasteries, erected inside caves, dating from before the Lo was a dependency of Nga-ri (Western Tibet), which in the thirteenth century are incredible. The main building of the

4 | www.annapurnatreks.com DAY 13 Trek to Tetang 3,850m. A 7 hours trek. In the morning we’ll pay a visit to a cave below the Shyangmochen village. This is a Cave of the Self-Emanating Buddha (Rangjyung cave), a not to miss place.

We then retrace the trail to Samar and continue, mostly downhill, to Chhuksang village, where we will cross the River Kaligandaki and continue with minor climbing to the village of Tetang. The trail provides some ﬁ ne views of wind-carved hills and the village of Tetang. Tetang village is formed between 2 hills; they should have found it a safe place to avoid the strong wind that hits the entire Kaligandaki valley. Tetang is the upper village of the Chuksang, which we visit on the ﬁ rst day entering to Mustang from Kagbeni. From Tetang village it takes one day to go to Jomsom and a day to arrive at Muktinath.

DAY 14 Trek to Ngyu La Pass 4,135m. and Muktinath 3,800m. A 14 hours trek. From Tetang village the trail climbs till the Gnyu Pass, which takes around 3:30 hours. The entire route provides a beautiful panorama of the Himalayan range and green Valley with many kinds of Himalayan ﬂ owers (Aug-Sept). From Ngyu-La Pass, you can see the whole Muktinath area at a distance of 2 hours’ gentle walk.

You’ll arrive in Muktinath, tired but with a sense of accomplishment. Muktinath, the Lord of Salvation, is a holy Thubten Monastery, located under a cliff , rests on an interior place both for Buddhist and Hindu, which attracts thousands wall, while the prayer rooms are located far inside the cave. of devotees from Nepal, India, and Tibet every year. The End the excursion and return to Lo Manthang. Muktinath region, facing Mt. Nilgiri and Mt. Tilicho to the south-east, Dhaulagiri to the south-west and Thorang Peak DAY and Yak Kawa Kang to the north, is a living museum of old 11 villages, such as Dzar, Dzong, Khingga and Purang. Trek to Logekar Gonpa and Drakmar 3,820m. A 6 hours trek. Muktinath, also known by Chumig Gyatsa (One Hundred We leave the mud-city of the forbidden Kingdome and treks Springs) is situated some 18 kilometres north-east of Jomsom. back toward the Gami via Logekar Monastery. The trail The Muktinath temple was constructed in 1815 A.D. by Queen climbs steadily up till a small hill ridge, from where we can Subarna Prabha, the wife of Rana Bahadur Saha, king of Nepal view the Lo Gekar Monastery, Charang and Mornag villages. aft er she had a dream. The main temple is built in a Tibetan Then the trail continuously descends until Lo Gekar (Ghar pagoda style containing a huge brass image of Vishnu or Gompa). We visit the Lo Gekar gonpa which is older than Chenrezig (in Buddhist) as Tibetan Buddhists call him. Samye gonpa in Tibet, and one of the oldest gonpas of Nepal. Nearby is another temple, where gushes out of rock Finalize the visit and our lunch at Logekar Monastery. Aft er considered very holy. There is also a Buddhist monastery lunch, we’ll continue our trek with a steady climb up to a (Salamebar Dolamebar monastery) in the eastern corner of small pass. Aft er this pass, we descend of about 500 meters the Muktinath precinct; dedicated to Jwala Mai, the goddess of with a view of Dagmar village, one of the most interesting fi re, shielded by curtains, are burning eternal fl ames. Hindus villages with ancient caves in its red sand cliff . believe the fl ame, to be Agni, the god of fi re.

DAY There are two other sites of worship within a single structure 12 nearby; the Shiva-Parvati temple and a Narsingha gonpa Trek to Shyangbochen 3,850m. (Monastery). The lower story is the gompa, while the upper A 5 hours trek. ﬂ oor is the temple. At the back of the temple are 108- In one and half hours further trek will bring us to Gami. The waterspouts, Chu-Mig-Gya-Tsa, fashioned in the shape trail requires only some minor descending and climbing to of boars’ heads, the boar is one of the ten incarnations reach Gami. From Gami we retrace the trail, which we walk of Chenrezig (Buddhist) / Vishnu (in Hindu). This water is while climbing up. channelled from a spring above the temple.

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 5 For Hindus, the importance of Muktinath, besides its holy DAY water, lies in the belief that Lord Vishnu takes the form of 17 saligrams. Saligrams are fossils found in the Kali Gandaki Guided tour and fly to Kathmandu. River, just a few hours’ walking down from Muktinath. The 40-minutes fl ight and 45 minutes drive. traditional caretakers of Muktinath are Tibetan Buddhist Early in the morning, a short excursion to the Sharangkot nuns. viewpoint to enjoy sunrise views and the incredible mountain panorama. Return to your hotel and breakfast. DAY 15 Aft er breakfast, we will go to visit the International Mountain Trek to Lupra, Thini and Jomsom. Museum in Pokhara, where we will see and understand the A 15 hours trek. history of the mountain and mountaineering in the highest Today is the last day of the trek. We trek to Lupra Gonpa peaks in the world. We will understand the importance of the with some of the fi nest views of Dhaulagiri, Tukche, Nilgiri Nepal Himalayas and the benefi ts given by the Himalayas and Tilicho mountain and the Kaligandaki valley. At Lupra to billions of people and natural habitat where we will also is a small but beautiful and authentic village visited by very know a bit of the diff erent ethnicities of Nepal. few people. There we probably pay a visit to its monastery. The next village on the trail is Thini a big village opposite Aft er lunch, we take a short drive to Pokhara airport to board the Jomsom airport. We then shortly descend tp the out domestic fl ight Kathmandu, a short and beautiful fl ight Kaligandaki river to cross the bridge to Jomsom. Aft er seeing of 40 minutes put you back to Kathmandu. We are back in extraordinary human eff ort in this corner of the World with the colourful city of Kathmandu. Arrive at your hotel and get such an isolation and solitude, we arrive at Jomsom, where checked into your rooms – dinner and overnight in the hotel. we get a round trip of our trekking into Upper Mustang! DAY DAY 18 16 Kathmandu Fly to Pokhara 820m. A free day / or optionally take a guided city tour. 22-minutes panoramic fl ight. In the morning, we board in a small aircraft (Twin Otter / DAY Dornier or similar types). The fl ight off ers fantastic views of 19 Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri and Annapurna range of mountains on Departure both sides of the plane. Breakfast and free time till the time limit. In the indicated time, our off ice representative and vehicle arrive at your hotel A great mountain scenery lasts till it touches at beautiful to serve you till the airport. Drive to Kathmandu international Pokhara city airport. Once we get out of the plane, the airport to see off formalities and departure. panorama to the northeast of Pokhara, fi lled with high mountain rows, greet you back. Transfer to Pokhara Lakeside and get distributed your room. The rest of the day is free for rest and refreshment. In the evening, we stroll around the lake of Pokhara while choosing one of its best restaurants for a hearty dinner.

6 | www.annapurnatreks.com FAQ WHERE DO WE SLEEP? DO I HAVE TO CARRY MY PACK? In Kathmandu, we stay in comfortable 3-5 star hotels with We use porters to carry the majority of our equipment so daily private en-suite bathrooms. While on trek we stay at Nepalese you need only take a very light day pack which should contain no lodges which off ers simple but welcoming accommodation and more than the camera, water-bottle, a selection of snacks and wonderful traditional hospitality. Lodges typically have one large a warm or waterproof jacket. Everything else needs to pack into communal room where you can sit and take meals, and there is a large duff le bag which will be given to a porter each morning. an adjoining kitchen where you can order your food and drinks. The kitbag will be carried by the porter each day and delivered to Bedrooms are twin bedded with or without private bathrooms, your lodge room each aft ernoon. You need to make sure you have and dormitories with shared bathrooms. At Everest Basecamp, everything you need for the day before giving your bag to the we sleep in a comfortable camping tent (Ozark/Mountain porter as it can be diff icult to access while trekking. hardware) with a hard and soft mattress for each. WILL I BE AFFECTED BY ALTITUDE? WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED? Most of the trek takes place at lower altitudes where you are You will need to bring appropriate warm outdoor clothing and unlikely to notice anything other than mild shortness of breath a good pair of walking boots. A complete equipment list gets at the beginning of the trek. As the days go by, you will gain supplied when you sign up. Many of the necessary items can acclimatisation and feel more adjusted to the higher altitudes. be purchased or rented in Kathmandu so don’t worry if you At a height above 4300 metres, one may experience a headache can’t buy everything where you live. The guides will check your caused by the thin air and lack of oxygen, but these symptoms equipment and clothing before departing from Kathmandu, usually pass quickly. If you experience symptoms of altitude that so if anything is missing, there will be time to obtain anything does not go away, you will be accompanied by one of our Sherpas necessary. to a lower elevation, where you should quickly recover.

CAN I ARRIVE EARLY OR EXTEND MY STAY? DO I NEED VACCINATIONS TO TRAVEL TO NEPAL? Yes, you can! All you need to do is to tell us what your fl ight No vaccination is required to travel to Nepal, but we suggest details are and how many extra nights you need and we will book to consult with your doctor before travelling. You can get a your hotel accordingly. Additionally, if you would like to arrange a vaccination in Kathmandu/Pokhara, but it is more comfortable if program of activities either before or perhaps aft er the trek, there you get them before you travel. are a range of options to choose from including the jungle safari at Chitwan national park, or perhaps white water raft ing on one of Nepal’s spectacular rivers such as the Sun Kosi. Kathmandu WHAT IS INCLUDED? has several not to miss UNESCO World heritage sites and to visit all of them with time requires at least 3-5 days. ¸ Airport pick-up and departure services as per itinerary ¸ 4-nights of hotel accommodation at Kathmandu on twin sharing basis, breakfast included CAN I HAVE A SINGLE ROOM? ¸ 1 Guide in the group and one porter, between every two Yes, you can! There is a single room occupancy supplement members, for entire trekking period indicated in the price list. Please, indicate on the booking ¸ Insurance and all expenses of local staff form for requiring a single room. ¸ A Trekking Map in group ¸ A good sleeping bag to each member ¸ A pair of a trekking pole to each member WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE? ¸ A duff el bag to each member ¸ A satellite mobile phone for communication in an emergency It is a condition of joining the trek that you have insurance in (Personal usage available with 4$ per minute call) place which will cover you for the costs of medical treatment, ¸ A small Medial kit box for fi rst add medical purpose. cancellations, emergency rescue and repatriation to your home ¸ Kathmandu to Pokhara transportation in a comfortable private country. You must ensure that it provides cover for trekking to vehicle altitudes above 4000 metres and includes helicopter rescue. We ¸ Annapurna Conservation Area Entry Permit and TIMS permit do not sell insurance scheme so requires to manage on your own. ¸ Special trekking permit for Upper Mustang ¸ Trek with all meals and accommodations in teahouse lodges ¸ Airfare Pokhara to Jomsom and Jomsom to Pokhara (tax and DO I NEED A VISA? airport transfer included) Yes, you do. Everyone needs to get a visa for Nepal, but you can ¸ Sightseeing tour of Sarangkot and International Mountain obtain it on arrival at Kathmandu airport. You will need to bring Museum in Pokhara with transport and monument entry fee two passport photos and the appropriate visa fee, which is the US ¸ 2-night hotel accommodation in Pokhara on twin sharing $30 for 15 days, US $50 for up to 30 days, and the US $125 for 90 basis, breakfast included days. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the ¸ Airfare Pokhara / Kathmandu (tax and airport transfer date of entry to Nepal. included) Hotels Cities HOW FIT DO I NEED TO BE? 3-Star hotels 4-Star hotels 5-Star hotels Kathmandu Marshyangdi Shanker/Malla Del’ Annapurna Anyone who is in reasonable shape and good health can accomplish this trek. Some days will be harder than others, but Pokhara Lakeside Resort Temple Tree Temple Tree none require much more than 5 or 6 hours of walking each day, Treking Lodge Lodge Lodge with a leisurely lunch stop to break up the day. There is no rush or need to ‘keep up’, and you are free to walk at your own pace. We would recommend that you undertake some form of simple WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED? training in advance of the trek, such as a 30-minute walk each evening for a few weeks before the start of the trek. Another ¸ exercise, such as swimming, bicycling and playing tennis, is also Travel insurance, International air tickets, Nepal entry visa ¸ ideal. Lunch & dinner in Kathmandu and Pokhara ¸ Alcoholic and mineral beverages during the trek ¸ Tips and those, not mentioned in above price include section. Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 7 How do I sign up? All bookings need to be made through Annapurna Treks & Expeditions Pvt. Ltd. and to secure your place we will require a non-refundable deposit of US $200 and the rest of the payment will require as indicated in the booking and payment conditions section.

Each participant should also complete and sign the attached Booking Form, which should be mailed or preferably emailed back to us at [email protected].

Signature……………….………………. Date……………….………………. Booking and payment conditions

¸ Cancellation aft er the confi rmation - loss of the deposit ¸ Cancellation 45-days before the trip commences - 20% of the total cost ¸ Cancellation 25-days before the trip commences - 50% of the total cost ¸ Cancellation less than 21-days before the trip commences - 70% of the total cost ¸ Cancellation aft er arrival or during the trip - 100% of the total cost Responsibility We, Annapurna Trekss & Expeditions PvtPvt.. LtdLtd.,., accept respresponsibility for ensuring that the services booked with us are as close as possible to the itineraryneraryy ooututtfi ttedttttedd inin ourouo r mutual understanding.under You agree and understand that it may be necessary to adjust the program ddueue ttoo uun unforeseennforeseen factfactors.o In such a case, the group leader and sirdar/guide, in the team, will make the fi nal decision.ecisionn.

AnnapurnaAn Treks & Expeditions Pvt. Ltd. P.O.Box: 9965, Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +977-1-4423656, 4428768 8 | www.annapurnatreks.com E-mail: [email protected] | [email protected] Call at +977 9851127771 or Email at [email protected] or for more information www.annapurnatreks.com

TREK HIGHLIGHT

¸ Cross one of the signifi cant www.annapurnatreks.com Himalayan range to Kaligandaki gorge, the deepest canyon in the world ¸ Travelled by very few tourists due to its duration and permit reks in the west of Nepal is quite winter and comes out as a plant in cost a diff erent proposition to treks in summer. In Nepal, it is known as “Yar- ¸ Walking into two of the best Tother parts of the country. This Cha Gun-Bu” which is an insect having known national parks of part of Nepal is far less developed with high commercial demand as a tonic. Nepal, the She-Phoksundo fewer facilities available for visitors. It is found in subalpine pasturelands and Annapurna. Access is also far harder, especially to of Nepal including Jumla, Dolpa, ¸ Visit and experience the areas such as Humla, Jumla and Dolpa. Langtang, Manaslu, Kanchanjunga villages and life of Kham and Solukhumbu area. Yar-cha gun- Magar, Tibetans and Thakalis All of this makes trekking here much bu, which means plant in summer and ¸ Walk on the ancient lifeline more of an exploration, and intending insect in winter is found mainly on the route trekkers must prepare for some high hills of Dolpo and collected during ¸ Experience classical cultural delays and other hardships. It is also the spring, and early summer when the dots and undisturbed natural considerably more expensive to trek in snowmelt and sprout out on the hills. scenery the remote parts of the west. The west ¸ Wander through vast high of Nepal is impossible to describe in a The history and anthropology of elevation meadows and enjoy few lines. western Nepal are complex and camping nights fascinating. Much of the geographic ¸ Visit the centuries aged This part of Nepal is rich in the range territory, now recognized as Nepal, monasteries and stupas of fl ora and fauna the most particular formerly consisted of several small ¸ See the Kanjiroba, Dhaulagiri, interest and value are the medicinal hill states and petty kingdoms and Annapurna mountain herbs and plants that are found in the (minimum 46). The Jumla was one of range in their full majesty higher regions, representing a valuable the powerful, petty Hill States of that ¸ Visits the innermost source of income for the locals. Western time. Since centuries the western part ancient villages of Tsharka, Nepal, especially Upper & Lower Dolpo of Nepal including Jumla has played Nangkhong, and Tarap valley region, is also known as medicine a signifi cant role in the political and ¸ Experience the anciently hills. In the summer many people from cultural chapters of Nepal, notably preserved Tibetan culture in the surrounding villages and district while the Malla empires declined and its purest form and even from Kathmandu and Tibet split into numerous petty hill states. ¸ Enjoy the complete view of arrive here to collect this strange insect To develop their domain as a trading the Shey Phoksundo lake known as even “Himalayan Viagra”. centre and to obtain Tibetan goods, the ¸ See the most precious range rulers of Jumla turned their attention of fl ora and fauna including This medicine is a combination of eastward. They assumed control over various medicinal herbs insect and plant remains inactive in Lo (Upper Mustang), from which they

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 1 extracted as annual tribute. Soon aft er, The west of Nepal also reserves when Jumla assumed control over Lo, two famous and beautiful National the Army of Bahadur Shaha attacked Parks. Those National Parks are SHEY TREK PROFILE Jumla and annexed both of the petty PHOKSUNDO and RARA. Hill State (Jumla & Lo) into Nepal in The total length of the trip: around 1800. UPPER DOLPO TO 29 days from arrival to JOMSOM the day of departure In our day, the entire Jumla and Dolpo The Upper Dolpo border, the region has become one of the major Phokdundo Lake, can be reached in 2 Number of the night in travel destinations. The cultural route days by horse or three days Trekking Kathmandu: of Jumla extends north into Tibet from Juphal airport. The upper Dolpo 4-nights / visit UNESCO and west to Kumao in India. We get to region is historically divided into four sites cross four diff erent atmospheres: the valleys: Tsharka (good growing-place), medium mountain with forests and Tarap (auspiciously excellent), Panzang Trek starting point: pastures, the trans-Himalayan vertical (abode of monks), and Nangkhong Juphal desert with the oases of the villages, the (innermost place) and among which high quota with tundra and cliff s and the Tarap valley falls into Lower Dolpo Trek ending point: the microclimate of the Phokosundo. trekking region. Jomsom The entire upper Himalayan range of Dolpo, Jumla and Humla are The Upper Dolpo parts are fi lled with A domestic fl ight in: dominated by Tibetan and keeps a numerous centuries-old monasteries Kathmandu–Nepalgunj– signifi cant infl uence on the areas by many of them are Bon, a religion whose Juphal trading. Most of the villages are packed origins predate Buddhism but whose closely together, one atop another with modern form is off icially accepted as A domestic fl ight out: fl at roofs. The main ethnic groups of a fi ft h school of Tibetan Buddhism. Jomsom–Pokhara– this area are Thakuris, Chhetris, Matwali The remote region has preserved Kathmandu Chhetris (many of them are Tibetan) its Tibetan culture relatively in pure and of course the Tibetans. form, making it attractive, not only Highest elevation to westerners but also to the modern achievement: The most prominent group of people generation of Tibetan family. Despite 5,220 metres Jeng-La seen in the northernmost parts of the its high royalty for trekkers, as a try to area, particularly in Dolpa and in Mugu, restrictions to tourism, Upper Dolpa is Accommodation: are of Tibetan origin. They pasture a popular destination for Trekkers, and Hotel with breakfast in supplementing with the trade both to many of the trekkers take this area as a Kathmandu and tented the north and the south. Their religion pilgrimage or spiritual trip. camps on full board basis is a mixture of Tibetan Buddhism and on the trek the ancient, pre-Buddhist, Bon religion, Among the many monasteries in Dolpo, a largely animistic faith. Their language the Shey Gonpa is considered the musts Meals: is based on the Tibetan dialect spoken to visit, and the mountain above it is Each day a wide variety in Kham, a province of old Tibet located known as the Crystal Mountain or their of complete meals will many hundreds of kilometres to the Mount Kailash. be prepared and served east. Lower down the people are a by our mobile cook and mixture of ethnic groups, such as the The largest gathering, here, takes kitchen staff . Magar, Gurung, and hill people of Hindu place in July when villagers from all caste origin (although all Mongolian over Dolpo come to Shey. They meet Trip grade: origin). Of particular interest are the here for a pilgrimage around ‘their Moderate to strenuous Thakuri, the royal family’s caste. Again Mount Kailash’ - Crystal Mountain. they are quite diff erent in culture and The festival lasts for several days, and Best season to trek: language to their cousins further east this is also time for sharing news and from the end of May to and similar to Mongolian origin. doing business, drinking, dancing and the mid of November singing. Western Nepal is remote and unknown because of its relative inaccessibility The mythology speaks the vastness from the Capital, Kathmandu, or other of Shey Gonpa and Crystal Mountain, Aft er the parts of Saldang, the journey major commercial cities of Nepal. The including where to fi nd the milky lake passes through the main villages Tarap life here is complicated, and poverty is in the interior of the Crystal Mountain Valley, one of the principal valleys of unforgettable in every way. These days kora. It describes; even the greatest lower Dolpo. The area of Tarap can be various NGOs are currently working of celestial feats cannot equal once reached by various means accordingly with the local people in the west to try rounding on foot this Crystal Mountain. in a diff erent number of days. The to establish a certain level of tourism The Crystal Mountain Kora allows the lower Dolpo part is bordered with infrastructure. At present this is limited pilgrim to see Mount Kailash, the most Dorpatan hunting reserve, which can to community camping sites, porters sacred place for all religion, more than be accessed by few days trekking and hotel training. a dozen times from the passes, in the further southeast of Tarap valley. far distance. This itinerary, from Juphal to Upper

2 | www.annapurnatreks.com Dolpo to Tarap Valley and then to Day 08 Rest day ITINERARY IN SHORT Mustang, mostly follow the ancient Day 09 Trek to Phoksundo Khola DETAIL lifeline and route, which enables us (3,510m.), A 5 to 6 hours’ trek to experience classical cultural dots DAY Day 10 Trek to Phoksundo La or and undisturbed natural scenery while 01 Snowfi elds Camp (4,400m.), A wandering through vast high elevation Arrival in Kathmandu 7 to 8 hours’ trekking meadows. All the high passes are Our personnel will be waiting at the adorned with prayer fl ags and carved Day 11 Cross Kang La (5,150m.) and Kathmandu international airport to mani stones (Buddhist Pyayes: Om- trek to Shey Gonpa (4,125m.), receive you with a traditional welcome. mani-Padme-hum), and the cliff are A 5 to 6 hours’ trek Aft er checking into the hotel and sacred mountains to circumambulate Day 12 Rest day at Shey Gompa refreshment, your guide of the circuit in their routine religious and cultural will inform you about the necessary Day 13 Cross Sela La (5,095m.) and dates, the centuries aged monasteries formalities and the upcoming program. trek to Namgung (4,360m.), A and stupas are still the refuge centres Depending on arrival time, you will 6 to 7 hours’ trek for all age group and faiths, and have the choice of visiting nearby the lifestyle and cycle continues Day 14 Trek to Saldang (3,770m.), A 3 shrines or resting. without giving way to pain and with hours’ trek DAY full contentment. Once we enter the Day 15 Rest day Kaligandaki valley, the atmosphere 02 Day 16 Trek to Sibu (3,940m.), A 6 gets charged with a motor road that Sightseeing and resting day in hours’ trek links to Pokhara and Kathmandu, an Kathmandu airport which provides 25 minutes fl ight Day 17 Trek to Jeng La BC (4,700m.), Today we take a round of Kathmandu to Pokhara and regular movement A 4 to 5 hours’ trek and Patan cities where one gets to see of tourist and numerous lodges in Day 18 Cross Jeng La (5,220m.) and and experience fascinating aspects of each small village. The Kaligandaki trek to Tok-Kyu (4,240m.), A 6 Buddhism and Hinduism and many valley is the ancient trail to and from to 7 hours’ trek other charms. Those not willing on Tibet with histories dating back to a rest while we fi nalize trekking area Day 19 Trek to Do (3,944m.). A 3 4th century or further. In our time it is permits. O/N in Kathmandu. hours’ trek the main entrance to Mustang and a major cultural and geographical part Day 20 Trek to the base of Chharka DAY of classic Annapurna circuit trek. This La, A 6 to 7 hrs walking 03 trek could be very challenging for Day 21 Trek to Keheng Khola Camp, Fly to Nepalgunj many, but by accomplishing, it will back A 6 to 7 hrs walking We take the fl ight to Nepalgunj in a sensual accomplishment of life by the far west of Nepal. This one hour’s Day 22 Trek to Norbulung (4,575m), A understanding the diff erence. fl ight is quite remarkable since it 6 to 7 hrs walking traverses the entire length of the Nepal ITINERARY IN SHORT Day 23 Trek to Sangda Phedi Himalayan west of Kathmandu, with (5,100m), A 6 to 7 hrs walking superb views of Langtang, Manaslu, Day 01 Arrival in Kathmandu Day 24 Trek to Sangda (3,700m), A 6 and Annapurnas and Dhaulagiri and Day 02 Sightseeing and resting day to 7 hrs walking fi nally to Nepalgunj. Nepalgunj is close to the Indian border and quite warm in in Kathmandu Day 25 Trek to Dhagarjun (3,280m), A comparison with Kathmandu. We check Day 03 Fly to Nepalgunj 6 to 7 hrs walking into the Hotel and the rest of the time Day 04 Fly to Juphal (2475m) and Day 26 Trek to Jomsom, A 6 to 7 hrs is free. trek to Roop Ghar (2,100m.), A walking DAY 3 hours’ trek Day 27 Fly to Pokhara & Kathmandu. 04 Day 05 Trek to Chepka (2,720m.), A 5 Day 28 A free day / optionally take a Fly to Juphal 2475m. & trek to to 6 hours’ trek guided city tour Roop Ghar 2,100m. Day 06 Trek to Renje (2,840m.), A Day 29 Fly back home A 3 hours’ trek 4-hours’ trek Aft er an early start we take the fl ight to Day 07 Trek to Phoksundo Lake Juphal, this takes about 45 minutes, (3,640m.), A 5-hours’ trek and from the plane, there are superb mountain views of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. At Juphal, we meet our trek Costs Per Person crew, get introduced and stop for an Number in Group early lunch. Aft er lunch we continue 3-Star Hotels 4-Star hotels the day, the trail descends to the Bheri 2-3 Persons 5700$ 5880$ River through terraced fi elds and then 4-5 Persons 5076$ 5256$ follows the gorge to Dunai. We camp 6-7 Persons 4782$ 4962$ at Roop Ghar, before Dunai, at the southern bank of Bheri River. 8-10 Persons 4500$ 4680$ Single room/tent supplement 480$ 660$

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 3 DAY 05 Trek to Chepka 2,720m. A 5 to 6 hours’ trek The usual start of the day is with bed tea at 6.00 am and away by 7 to 7.30 am. We cross the suspension bridge to the other side of the river until the conﬂ uence with the Suli Gaad that comes from Phoksundo Lake. The trail follows a steep valley with the raging river below with hillside covered with lush vegetation. Further up we reach the entrance to the Phoksundo National Park at the village of Hanke. Continuing another hour of walk, we cross the west bank past horse pastures to the village of Celas. We then trek upstream to another bridge and arrive at Ankhe Khola. Continue the trek, which climbs to a ridge at 2,700m and then descends to Chepka 2,670m where there are some shops.

DAY 06 Trek to Renje 2,840m. A 4-hours’ trek We trek by staying nearby river and arrive at a collection of stones at a riverside bank. In summer if the water is high, then this part can be treacherous. The trail makes several ups and down and arrive at a bridge which leads to Renje village 3,020m, a small village of metres with impressive views of the Once we have walked around the around 11 houses, where we camp for lake and entire surrounding. lake, the trail descends into a wide the overnight rest. valley, and we set up camp near the DAY Phoksundo River. DAY 08 07 Rest day DAY Trek to Phoksundo Lake A rest day in Ringmo camped by the 10 3,640m. beautiful clear waters of Ringmo Lake. Trek to Phoksundo La or A 5-hours’ trek The nearby monastery is worth a visit. Snowfields Camp 4,400m. The Suli Gaad valley turns eastwards Visit the Pal Sentan Thasoon Chholing 7 to 8 hours’ trekking and becomes narrower. The trail Gonpa; a Bon-Po Gonpa said to have d From Camp, we head northwards in a continues with its ups and downs and 60 generations ago. There are several narrow valley crossing several streams, reaches to its confl uence of the Suli various Gonpa owned by monastic so it is a good idea to bring sandals for Gaad with Pungmo Khola. From here, communities and may be permitted to in case you have to wade through some the Suli Gaad is known as Phoksundo visit on request. of them. We are following the same Khola. We cross a wooden bridge and route as taken by Peter Mathieson in arrive at Shey Phoksundo National DAY his Snow Leopard book and tonight we Park Headquarter, at Sum-Dowa, now 09 camp at the place he called “Snowfi elds abandoned. We then follow the west Trek to Phoksundo Khola Camp” located below the pass heading bank and climb through big cedar trees 3,510m. to Inner Dolpo. and come to Palam, a winter settlement A 5 to 6 hours’ trek of people from Ringmo. The aft ernoon’s The trail follows the western side DAY walk up to Ringmo is delightful. A of Phoksundo Lake and is rather 11 sheer cliff wall guards the upper valley precarious with several sections Cross Kang La 5,150m. and which hides the lake until we reach supported by wooden stakes and trek to Shey Gonpa 4,125m. some prayer fl ags at 3800m. Equally rocks. This path, along with views of A 5 to 6 hours’ trek impressive is the huge waterfall, 330m.- the stunningly blue lake was featured The trail up to the Kang La pass is quite high, down from the Phuksumdo Lake. in the fi lm by Eric Valli. It is not possible steep on a slope of loose slate scree. The village of Ringmo and camp is on to proceed north of Phoksumdo Lake There is a steep descent to the valley the opposite side of the village at 3,700 without the special Inner Dolpo permit. fl oor, and they follow the banks of a

4 | www.annapurnatreks.com of a cliff on the north wall of a gorge. DAY The red and white colours of the Gonpa 17 and its Stupas are the only colour in Trek to Jeng La BC 4,700m. this stark landscape. The village itself A 4 to 5 hours’ trek consists of only six stone houses and Morning trail follows the Nam Khong has terraced fi elds on both sides of the river and passes by the caravans of tributary. laden yaks that are on the way towards Tibet. Continuing a long walk, we get DAY to part turning east till we arrive at the 14 confl uence of two small tributaries. The Trek to Saldang 3,770m. trail from here steepens up to the Jeng A 3 hours’ trek La Phedi. We camp at near a yak grazing Today is a shorter day. The day starts area known as Langmo Che. with a traverse high above Namgung Khola, before descending to Saldang DAY village. Looking down into the valley 18 bottom you will see the fertile valley Cross Jeng La 5,220m. and with a lot of terraced fi elds. This trek to Tok-Kyu 4,240m. settlement is the largest in the inner A 6 to 7 hours’ trek Diplo and is situated on the salt trading It takes around 2 hours to reach the route from Tibet to the southern Jeng La pass at 4,845m where there lowlands. The village stretches for are superb views of Dhaulagiri. Going about two kilometres on an open slope. down from the pass we enter the Tarap Valley and continue to the village of DAY Tokyu Gaon. Tarap is a valley with vast 15 plains in high mountains extending Rest day about 18kms along the river Tarap A 15 hours trek. Chu. It is composed of ten villages and One may use the day as a chance to accordingly many monasteries and explore the area or have a total relaxing Chörtens of both sects. in the camp or extend a day excursion to Khoma village. DAY 19 DAY Trek to Do 3,944m. river to Shey Gompa, the entrance has 16 A 3 hours’ trek a red Chörten and mani-stones. The Trek to Sibu 3,940m. Due to the opens of the Tarap, the sun famous Buddhist monastery is located A 6 hours’ trek hits the tent early, giving a spring feel beneath Crystal mountain, as Shey On leaving Saldang, we head south to the morning. The mornings’ walk means crystal in the local dialect. following the Namgung Khola passing passes through the villages off Clumaga through terraced fi elds, Chörtens and and Kagar, both extremely interesting DAY mani walls. Namdo is the next village, with many Chörten, again both Bun- 12 and we carry on to Sibu village where Po monasteries (the ancient pre- Rest day at Shey Gompa we camp for the night. Buddhist religion) and Choba (orthodox One may use the day as a chance to Buddhist). There are six Gonpas in Dho, explore the area or have a total relaxing but we visit only the Kagar and Champa in the camp. Gonpa.

DAY 13 Cross Sela La 5,095m. and trek to Namgung 4,360m. A 6 to 7 hours’ trek Coming out of Sela, we start to head east up a narrow valley followed by a steep climb to Sela La (Saldang La). There are views from the pass north into Tibet and east towards Mustang. Turning northwards we make the long descent from the pass to and ﬁ nally arrive at the pasture of Yaks and Sheep with nomad tents which is a signal that we are near to Namgung village. The Namgung monastery is of the Karma- pa sect. It is built against the backdrop

Annapurna Treks & Expeditions | 5 DAY DAY DAY 20 23 27 Trek to base of Chharka La Trek to Sangda Phedi 5,100m. Fly to Pokhara & Kathmandu. A 6 to 7 hrs walking A to 7 hrs walking A 20 minutes fl ight to Pokhara and 40 This day is the beginning of the Aft er Norbulung Camp we pass through minutes fl ight to Kathmandu adventurous trek eastwards towards high yak pastures of Molum Sumdo A short panoramic fl ight of 20 minutes Jomsom with most other groups at this and then continue to a crest just over takes you to Pokhara. As the plane point heading south back to the airstrip 5,000m. We keep on past several river takes off , there are exceptional views Juphal. This section passes through a junctions and then start the approach of Dhaulagiri massif and Nilgiri and remote wilderness that very few people up to the Sangda La. We descend on Annapurna until you reach Pokhara. have the privilege of visiting. As we walk a gravel trail to Sangda Phedi. Stay The city of Pokhara is renowned for from Tokyu Gaon to Dho Tarap, we will overnight in a tented camp. its setting rather than its historical see the typical village, as we approach or cultural endowments. It has many the Chharka La the valley narrows DAY beautiful lakes and on the far horizon a where we camp for the night. 24 panorama featuring Annapurna, Fishtail Trek to Sangda 3,700m. and Lamjung. DAY A 6 to 7 hrs walking 21 Today we cross another pass with We take a short drive to Pokhara and Trek to Keheng Khola Camp a descent of loose shale before enjoy strolling around the lake and take A 6 to 7 hrs walking arriving at the settlement of Sangda a hearty and relaxing lunch in its one Today we start walking along the Tarap at the intersection of Bheri Khola and of the best restaurants of our choice. At Khola and then begin the approach Kyalunpa Khola. It is a further couple around 14:00 hour we drive back to the to the Chharka La. The descent from of hours to the village of Sangda. Stay airport to board our fl ight Kathmandu. the pass is on a gravel path, and soon overnight in a tented camp. Arrive at Kathmandu and transfer to the valley widens down to the Keheng your hotel. The rest of the evening is Khola where we camp for the night. DAY free for rest and refreshments — dinner Stay overnight in a tented camp. 25 and overnight in the hotel. Trek to Dhagarjun 3,280m. DAY A 6 to 7 hrs walking DAY 22 From Sangda we start climbing crossing 28 Trek to Norbulung 4,575m several ridges until the fi nal pass at Kathmandu A 6 to 7 hrs walking around 4,200 metres where we have A free day or optionally take a guided The trail continues heading eastwards, views of Thorong La, Nilgiri, Dhaulagiri city tour and aft er a short time, we get to cross and also the villages of Kali Gandaki the Bharbung Khola on a small bridge below. Stay overnight in a tented camp. DAY then head north along the Chharka 29 Tulsi Khola. Aft er an hour or so we will DAY Departure get to the tiny hamlet of Chharka and 26 Breakfast and free time till the time we continue onto the Thansan Khola Trek to Jomsom. limit. In the indicated time, our off ice where we cross on a small bridge to our A 6 to 7 hrs walking representative and vehicle arrive at campsite at Norbulung. Stay overnight We climb up one further pass before your hotel to serve you till the airport. in a tented camp. heading to Jomsom located on the Drive to Kathmandu international ever-popular Annapurna Circuit. Stay airport to see off formalities and overnight in a tented camp. departure.

6 | www.annapurnatreks.com FAQ WHERE DO WE SLEEP? DO I HAVE TO CARRY MY PACK? In Kathmandu and Pokhara we stay in comfortable 3-5 star We use porters to carry the majority of our equipment so daily hotels with private en-suite bathrooms, category selectable, and you need only take a very light day pack which should contain no in Nepalgunj we stay in comfortable 3-star hotels with private more than the camera, water-bottle, a selection of snacks and en-suite bathrooms. While on the trek, we sleep in a comfortable a warm or waterproof jacket. Everything else needs to pack into camping tent (Ozark/Mountain hardware) with a hard and soft a large duff le bag which will be given to a porter each morning. mattress for each. While in camping treks there will be a dining The kitbag will be carried by the porter each day and delivered to tent with tables and chairs where you can sit and take meals. A your lodge room each aft ernoon. You need to make sure you have kitchen tent will get set in every camp to prepare food. everything you need for the day before giving your bag to the porter as it can be diff icult to access while trekking. WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED? WILL I BE AFFECTED BY ALTITUDE? You will need to bring appropriate warm outdoor clothing and Most of the trek takes place at lower altitudes where you are a good pair of walking boots. A complete equipment list gets unlikely to notice anything other than mild shortness of breath supplied when you sign up. Many of the necessary items can at the beginning of the trek. As the days go by, you will gain be purchased or rented in Kathmandu so don’t worry if you acclimatisation and feel more adjusted to the higher altitudes. can’t buy everything where you live. The guides will check your At a height above 4300 metres, one may experience a headache equipment and clothing before departing from Kathmandu, caused by the thin air and lack of oxygen, but these symptoms so if anything is missing, there will be time to obtain anything usually pass quickly. If you experience symptoms of altitude that necessary. does not go away, you will be accompanied by one of our Sherpas to a lower elevation, where you should quickly recover. CAN I ARRIVE EARLY OR EXTEND MY STAY? DO I NEED VACCINATIONS TO TRAVEL TO NEPAL? Yes, you can! All you need to do is to tell us what your fl ight details are and how many extra nights you need and we will book No vaccination is required to travel to Nepal, but we suggest your hotel accordingly. Additionally, if you would like to arrange a to consult with your doctor before travelling. You can get a program of activities either before or perhaps aft er the trek, there vaccination in Kathmandu/Pokhara, but it is more comfortable if are a range of options to choose from including the jungle safari you get them before you travel. at Chitwan national park, or perhaps white water raft ing on one of Nepal’s spectacular rivers such as the Sun Kosi. Kathmandu WHAT IS INCLUDED? has several not to miss UNESCO World heritage sites and to visit all of them with time requires at least 3-5 days. ¸ Airport pick up and departure services as per itinerary ¸ 4-nights of hotel accommodation in Kathmandu on twin sharing basis, breakfast included CAN I HAVE A SINGLE ROOM? ¸ 1 Full day guided tour of Kathmandu valley (transport, guide, and entrance included) Yes, you can! There is a single room occupancy supplement ¸ Hotel accommodation in Nepalgunj on full board basis indicated in the price list. Please, indicate on the booking ¸ Kathmandu to Nepalgunj and Nepalgunj to Juphal airfare, all form for requiring a single room. tax included ¸ Kathmandu to Kathmandu full board service (all meals prepared by our cook) a fully tented camp service WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE? ¸ Lower Dolpo and Upper Dolpo special permits ¸ She-Phoksundo National park and Annapurna conservation It is a condition of joining the trek that you have insurance in area permits. place which will cover you for the costs of medical treatment, ¸ All trekking staff : 1 guide, one cook, three kitchen boys, mules, cancellations, emergency rescue and repatriation to your home and mule drive and their expenses and insurance country. You must ensure that it provides cover for trekking to ¸ All camping material such as two men dome tent, dining tent, altitudes above 4000 metres and includes helicopter rescue. We kitchen tent, toilet tent, shower tent, dining table and chair do not sell insurance scheme so requires to manage on your own. and required kitchen equipment. ¸ All necessary food and beverages for the trekking period ¸ A good sleeping bag to each member DO I NEED A VISA? ¸ A pair of a trekking pole to each member Yes, you do. Everyone needs to get a visa for Nepal, but you can ¸ A trekking map and duff el bag obtain it on arrival at Kathmandu airport. You will need to bring ¸ A satellite mobile phone for communication in an emergency two passport photos and the appropriate visa fee, which is the US (Personal usage available with 4$ per minute call) $30 for 15 days, US $50 for up to 30 days, and the US $125 for 90 ¸ Small medical kit box for fi rst add medical purpose. days. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the ¸ Insurance and expenses of all local staff date of entry to Nepal. Hotels Cities 3-Star hotels 4-Star hotels 5-Star hotels HOW FIT DO I NEED TO BE? Kathmandu Marshyangdi Shanker / Malla Del’ Annapurna Anyone who is in reasonable shape and good health can Nepalgunj Siddhartha Siddhartha Siddhartha accomplish this trek. Some days will be harder than others, but Treking Tented Camp Tented Camp Tented Camp none require much more than 5 or 6 hours of walking each day, Pokhara Lakeside Resort Temple Tree Temple Tree with a leisurely lunch stop to break up the day. There is no rush or need to ‘keep up’, and you are free to walk at your own pace. We would recommend that you undertake some form of simple WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED? training in advance of the trek, such as a 30-minute walk each evening for a few weeks before the start of the trek. Another ¸ exercise, such as swimming, bicycling and playing tennis, is also Travel insurance, International air tickets, Nepal entry visa ¸ ideal. Lunch & dinner in Kathmandu and Pokhara ¸ Alcoholic and mineral beverages during the trek ¸ Tips and those, not mentioned in above price include section.

Each participant should also complete and sign the attached Booking Form, which should be mailed or preferably emailed back to us at [email protected].

Signature……………….………………. Date……………….………………. Booking and payment conditions

¸ Cancellation aft er the confi rmation - loss of the deposit ¸ Cancellation 45-days before the trip commences - 20% of the total cost ¸ Cancellation 25-days before the trip commences - 50% of the total cost ¸ Cancellation less than 21-days before the trip commences - 70% of the total cost ¸ Cancellation aft er arrival or during the trip - 100% of the total cost Responsibility We, Annapurna Trekss & ExpeditiExpeditionsons PvPvt.t. LtdLtd.,., accept respresponsibility for ensuring that the services booked with us are as close as possible to the itineraryneraryy ooututtfi ttedtttedd inin ourouour mutual understanding.under You agree and understand that it may be necessary to adjust the program ddueue ttoo unu unforeseennfof reseen factfactors.o In such a case, the group leader and sirdar/guide, in the team, will make the fi nal decision.ecisionn.

AnnapurnaAn Treks & Expeditions Pvt. Ltd. P.O.Box: 9965, Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +977-1-4423656, 4428768 8 | www.annapurnatreks.com E-mail: [email protected] | [email protected]