Annapurna IV see from Pokhara

Nepal Trekking Guide Plan your perfect Nepal trek

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Nepal is the one destination that Kandoo’s team go back to again and again. There is so much great trekking to do and we love the friendly people. First-time trekkers in Nepal are always wowed by the trek to Everest base camp, and once you have got the taste for the Himalaya, there is so much more you can do. There are 10 mountain regions in Nepal but many of these are very remote and almost nobody visits them, so trekking in Nepal really focuses on two regions. The Everest region, often referred to as the Khumbu, after the main valley coming down from Everest, and the Annapurna region. There is more information about each region and the great treks you can do below.


If  you look up at the peaks when you are trekking and fancy trying to summit one, then there are also some great climbs like Island Peak or Mera Peak. These are perfect for a first climbing adventure, and with our experienced guides you know you are in really safe hands.

How to get to Nepal


There are several ways to get to Nepal from Europe and the USA all of which involve an international flight to Tribhuvan International Airport which is the main airport in Kathmandu. There are a lot of flights that fly to Kathmandu through the Middle East. Qatar, Gulf and Air Emirates offer daily flights from Europe and the US to Kathmandu, with a stopover at their central hubs. You must be careful though, as some of these layovers are very long indeed. Check the schedules carefully, and consider using Qatar. They seem to have the shortest layovers (at Doha) by a substantial margin. The other alternative is to fly via Delhi, with BA, Air India or Jet and then catch a shorter flight up to Kathmandu. Again be careful of long layovers and be warned - some of the reviews for Air India are less than glowing!

If you are changing airlines or re-checking your luggage at an airport on route to Kathmandu, please ensure you leave a minimum of 3 hours between flights. This will account for any delays on arrival, travel time across airports (this can take longer than you think) and time taken to re-check baggage.

Everest region treks


The Sagarmatha National Park covers an area of 1,148km2 , rising from 2,845m to the highest point on earth, the summit of Mt Everest at 8848m. Sagarmatha is the local name for Mt Everest and the Sagarmatha National park was first established in 1976.  Other famous peaks in the region include Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Pumori and Cho Oyu. We operate five world class adventures around Mt Everest:

EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK | Trekking to Everest Base Camp is the adventure of a lifetime and, if time is short, this Everest base camp trek is the best option. From the exhilarating flight into Lukla, to standing on top of Kala Pattar to view Everest itself, this is a trek that you will always remember.


GOKYO LAKES TREK | A great Everest trek for the more adventurous hiker. This route leaves the classic trail at Namche and gets to Everest base camp via the Gokyo valley. It is a much quieter approach and makes for a circular route that avoids backtracking by heading up the Dudh Koshi valley, before crossing into the Khumbu to visit base camp.


THREE PASSES TREK | The ultimate trek in the Everest region, covering all the four main valleys in the Khumbu. It crosses three immense passes and hikes up three peaks for sensational views of all the tallest peaks from Cho Oyu in the West to Lhotse in the East.


ULTIMATE NEPAL | This trip combines a mind blowing adventure with cultural immersion and exotic wildlife to create the Ultimate Nepalese experience. On this trip you will embark on the popular Everest Base Camp Trek, explore the cultural heritage of Kathmandu and delve into the jungle on an elephant safari. 

ISLAND PEAK CLIMB | This is a real mountain expedition. It combines the Everest Base Camp trek with the chance to climb Island Peak for one of the best close up views of Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse. The climb itself is tough, but you do not need any technical skills as you will be led by one of our fantastic Everest Summiteer guides, ensuring you are in safe hands.


MERA PEAK CLIMB | At 6476m, Mera Peak is the highest trekking peak in Nepal. It does not take you to base camp, but it does have the best views of Everest in the whole region. Mera Peak is approached via the quiet Arun Valley, before ascending onto the long Mera glacier. As with the Island Peak climb, no previous technical experience is required.


Annapurna region treks


The Annapurna region covers the huge Annapurna massif, encompassing one 8000m peak, 13 peaks over 7000m and a further 16 peaks over 6000m. This whole area is now in the Annapurna Conservation Area. Within this vast area there are a huge range of outstanding treks - we operate four of the very best. 

ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT | The full Annapurna Circuit is rightly considered one of the World’s greatest treks, and even in Nepal it stands out for the incredible variety of scenery it offers. Starting in sub-tropical meadows near Besi Sahar, it rises through ever more impressive alpine peaks before reaching the famous Thorung La pass.


POON HILL TREK | The Poon Hill Trek is the perfect choice if you are a novice trekker, or if you are really short on time. After a short flight into Pokhara, you trek up to Ghorepani, from there onto the view point at Poon Hill where there are breathtaking views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurnas and Machhapuchchre (Fishtail). You return to Pokhara by a circular route, avoiding the need to backtrack.


ANNAPURNA SANCTUARY  TREK | One of the best shorter treks we operate, this trail starts by taking in one of the greatest view points in the Himalaya, Poon Hill above Ghorepani. From here the dawn view across the Annapurnas is breathtaking. Following this, the trek takes you into the heart of the Annapurna range where huge mountains tower above you on all sides, forming the amphitheatre of the Sanctuary.


MANASLU CIRCUIT |  Manaslu sits immediately next to the Annapurna range within a closely managed conservation area, and the Manaslu Circuit shares the great views and panoramas that you see trekking around Annapurna. The big difference is that while the Annapurna Circuit is in nearly every collection of great treks, Manaslu is relatively unknown, so it is a lot quieter than its famous next door neighbour.


When to trek


You can find detailed advice on when to trek in our Nepal Travel Guide.


This a brief summary. Weather should be the first thing you think about when you decide when to trek. Nepal has a bad monsoon season during the summer when the rain is torrential nearly every day. In the winter, the temperatures can be very, very low particularly at night. This means that, as a general rule, the best weather for trekking is in Spring and Autumn.

There is though a lot of variation in the weather between the Everest and Annapurna regions, as the Annapurnas are much drier and cooler, even during the summer monsoon period. While you should definitely avoid the Everest region from June to August you can still trek in parts of the Annapurna region during this period.

In winter, it is normally quite dry everywhere in Nepal, but it will be very, very cold. This means that trekking is possible on most routes, but you will need extra warm sleeping bag and plenty of suitable warm winter clothes. Trekking peaks and routes like the Annapurna Circuit, which involve crossing high passes, are closed during the winter.

Training for your trek in Nepal


Generally the trekking in Nepal is not too difficult. Apart from on trekking peaks, there is nothing that compares with summit night on Kilimanjaro. What makes trekking in Nepal challenging is the altitude - you will be at a high altitude for the majority of the trek. The lack of oxygen in the air has a range of effects on the human body, but the most obvious is breathlessness. At Everest base camp there is half the oxygen content in the air that there is at sea level. This makes any exertion a lot harder, so the most important thing you can do is go slowly.  Exerting yourself too hard is a great way to bring on altitude sickness.


In order to avoid getting altitude sickness you also have to limit the altitude gain in any day to 500m. This sometimes results in days when you can only work for 4-5 hours before you have to stop. So in terms of distance walked and the altitude climbed, a day's trekking in Nepal will be no more difficult than a typical day's hiking at home. Doing this for upwards of 12 days consecutively and at altitude do combine though to make any trek a tough challenge and you will need to be really fit when you arrive.


AVOIDING ALTITUDE SICKNESS IN NEPAL

HIMALAYA TRAINING GUIDE

HOW TO LOOK AFTER YOURSELF IN NEPAL

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT

Flight delays in Nepal


Airports in the Himalaya are vulnerable to closure due to adverse weather conditions, and this can cause you to miss your scheduled trek. For example, Lukla airport in Nepal has been closed by fog, for several days running, several times in the last year. Jomsom airport, used by trekkers on the Annapurna Circuit, is also occasionally shut down due to high winds. Kandoo’s trek itineraries do take acclimatisation days into account, but we do not allow for flight delays or cancellations. As a result, we strongly advise you to include as much flexibility as possible into your travel plans, and try to arrive early (and be prepared to leave late) so that delays won’t spoil your trek. The extra time can easily be spent sight-seeing in Kathmandu, which is something most travellers would want to do in any case. 


DOMESTIC FLIGHTS IN NEPAL

Lodges and food in Nepal


The standard of accommodation still varies hugely but on the most popular routes there is generally plenty of clean, well kept accommodation. Lodges nearly all have inside toilets and for a modest fee you can even get a warm(ish) shower. Rooms are normally twin shares with two pretty hard wooden beds and a thin foam mattress. They may even provide blankets but we would certainly recommend bringing your own good quality 4 season sleeping bag unless you are used to sleeping rough in freezing conditions.


Dining in the lodges will be in a large open room with tables round the outside. Our guides try to make sure we secure you a spot away from the door and nearer to the fire but can't always guarantee this.

All of these comments on lodges relate to "standard lodges" but there are now a small but increasing number of "luxury lodges" - these are not on a par with a normal 3 star hotel but they will have heating, en-suite bathrooms and other home comforts. Upgraded accommodation can be provided on request and subject to availability on private treks only. 


You may have noticed that our prices for Nepal are generally much lower than other companies. This is because we have chosen not to include food and drinks in the teahouses within our trek cost. Our reasoning for doing this is as follows - as the quality of lodges has improved, so has the food. It used to be the case that the only meal available was Dahl Bhat - boiled rice with a very thin lentil dahl. This is what the porters will eat almost exclusively and you will often hear them joke "Dhal bhat - 24 hour power". It might be 24 hour power for a Nepali who has lived on it all his life but for anyone else it is pretty unappetising fair on a regular basis. Fortunately, all but the most remote lodges now offer an extensive menu of food including local delicacies such as Yak Steak with blue cheese sauce and more western alternatives such as calzone and chips as well as the standard Dhal Bhat. 



We have found over the years that our guests require different intakes of food to suffice their energy needs and where some are content with Dhal Bhat everyday, others wish to sample the menu. We therefore decided that rather than restrict the options available to our guests with a set menu, we have handed over the choice to you; you can choose what you want to eat at the lodges, and settle your own bill in the morning. While you can eat heartily for very little money at any lodge, we do recommend that you budget £30-35 ($40-45) per day for meals and drinks. This will ensure that you not only have plenty of food, but that you enjoy your trek a lot more. Please note that we prefer some of the more expensive lodges, so the prices are higher than they might be at more spartan facilities.


One word of advice, place your meal order as soon as you can upon arriving at the lodge as it is strictly ‘first ordered, first served’, and the best lodges are quite busy at meal times.
The room prices at the teahouses are based on you taking your meals within the teahouse - they offer discounted room pricing on the expectation that they will receive income from food. This is standard policy at all teahouses. You therefore cannot eat outside the teahouse, and you definitely cannot bring your own food into the teahouse.




Toilets


The toilet situation is something a lot of our guests want to know about! In Nepal, the hotel we use has western flushing toilets. On the trek itself, the teahouses will have squat toilets or "posh squats". This will most likely be a tiled squat toilet with somewhere to wash your hands. We recommend bringing toilet roll with you as you won't find any in the toilets, however you will find it is available to buy at most teahouses. If you need to use the toilet whilst trekking then this will be a case of finding somewhere hidden, off the path and going wild. We can guarantee it will be the most scenic toilet break you've ever had! You will also pass through villages where you will be able to use teahouse toilets, particularly in the lower sections of the main valley. 

Budget


The Nepali Rupee is a closed currency so you will not be able to buy this before you arrive. If travelling from the UK or the US, it is advisable to travel with your home currency and exchange this in Kathmandu. It is very important that bills be new (less than 10 years old), crisp and untorn. We recommend changing currency in Kathmandu rather than at the airport as you will get a much better exchange rate. There are exchange kiosks less than a 5 minute walk from the hotel and your guide will be happy to assist you in finding these should you need them to.  Alternatively all the hotels in Kathmandu will change small amounts of money for you.

We recommend that you take local currency on the actual trek with you, as the teahouses prefer local currency. You will also get a more favourable exchange rate in Kathmandu than in the mountains. If you are relying on a credit or debit card for emergency funds, make sure you tell your card issuer that you will be using it abroad, or you may find that it won't work when you really need it.


In Kathmandu a meal for two at a mid range restaurant will cost ~$20. A taxi will generally start on a base rate of $0.45 and then charge $0.4 for every km. Or you can ride the bus which will be around $0.15 for a 5km journey. Souvenirs in Kathmandu are generally on the cheaper side too. Whilst on the trek, we recommend that you budget £30 - £35 ($40 to $45) per day for meals and drinks. 

If you are on a route with domestic flights involved, you may also want to be prepared to pay for the cost of a helicopter which can fly in bad weather (around US$300-500 per person), in the case of your flight being postponed due to bad weather conditions.  

Our recommended guidance for spending budget in Nepal would be between $500-800 (depending on the length of the trip and your meal preferences) on top of your tips, to give you ample money for souvenirs and treats. 

Tips


We realise that tipping may not be a common practice in all countries but for Nepal it is a standard practice that all operators support. The decision on how much to tip should be determined by how well the team served you while you were on the trek. Tips are always discretionary and if you are not happy with the service you have received you do not have to pay tips. Tips can be made in US dollars or Nepali Rupees. It is very important that US bills be new (less than 10 years old), crisp and untorn.

We are members of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal and the Nepal Mountaineering Association, and follow their guidelines when recommending tip levels for guides and porters. The group tip can be given to your porters and guides during your celebratory meal on the final night of your trek. You will then say goodbye to your porters the following morning. 


Other things to do in Nepal


Besides trekking, Nepal has some fantastic activities and a lots of spectacular festivals. White water rafting is extremely popular, and this is particularly good in the later Spring months when the glacier melt swells the rivers.  For animal lovers, a visit to Chitwan on safari is an excellent option. This is best between October and February when the days are cooler and less humid. You can view rhinos and occassionally tigers as well as countless bird species, elephants, clouded leopard and wild boar. Whatever you see though, the jungle at Chitwan is a great destination and well worth a visit.


Cultural tours in Kathmandu are possible all year round, but the summer months are, again, best avoided. The main sites in Kathmandu including Boudhanath, Swayambhunath and Durbar Square can easily be visited in a day. If you have time, a day trip to Bhaktapur is also worthwhile If you can, try to fit in a Nepali festival.  Nepalis are generally either Buddhists or Hindus , with a large number being both! The great advantage of this is that they celebrate all the important dates in both the Buddhist and Hindu calendar, as well as a number of other holidays. If you add up all the days of festivals, it comes to more than two months worth! Festivals specifically celebrated in the Everest region are the Mani Rimdu festival, in October/November, and the Dumji Festival, celebrated in May/June. Both are big colourful festivals and are worth adding into your trekking schedule if you have time.


If you are in the region and want to make the most of your time in the worlds highest mountain range, why not consider visiting Bhutan. Tourism is strictly controlled in this isolated Buddhist kingdom so you will need to book well in advance. Send us a message if you would like more information.