Hello,
I am wanting to go to either of these over Christmas/New Year this year and wonder if anyone can pass comment on the following:
- Which trek do you think superior for scenery changes, full village experience etc. Also what fitness level do you really require? I am fit, but not super mountain fit [whatever that is] and thus wouldn%26#39;t want to be holding anyone back.
- Has anyone used Sherpa Expeditions before? Are they any good - or can you recommend a better company? I am a single female traveling solo so need someone reputable.
- Has anyone done the rafting and Chitwan park- any good or am I as well just touring round Nepal instead?
-And FINALLY, typical British question - are the tents/teahouses REALLY clatty?
Think that%26#39;s it!
CHEERS!
NEPAL Everest Panorama OR Annapurna Panorama??
dEPENDS WHAT sHERPA MEAN BY %26#39;eVEREST pANORAMA%26#39; AND %26#39;aNNAPURNA pANORAMA%26#39;. (sorry, CAPS LOCK syndrome !)
If the Annapurna trip is the Annapurna Sanctuary, that%26#39;s a 10 - 12 day trek starting (by road) from Pokhara. Great on scenery, and a feeling of %26#39;rubbing your nose against the mountains%26#39;, particularly at Macchepuchare Baqse Campand beyond - and some interesting villages. Granted that December - January can get pretty cold the fact that %26#39;Annapurna Base Camp%26#39;, the turning point of the Sanctuary trek, is 4500 metres high means that it will be fairly cold. I did the trip at New Year a few years ago and there was moderate snowfall above Macchepuchare Base Camp by mid-January. Not too desperate a trip in terms of long ascents, should be ok for anyone moderately fit.
If it%26#39;s Pokhara to Ghorepani it%26#39;s a four - five day trip. Again magic scenery, and interesting culture. Day 2 (?) from Tirkedungha to Ghorepani is a l o n g ascent, but the views at the end make it worthwhile.
If the Everest trip is fly to Lukhla, trek via Namche to Tengpoche Monastery, trek back, fly back out to kathmandu, that should take about 6 days. Again great scenery,including great views of Ama Dablam and the Everest group and some interesting cultural bits. A bit strenuous, particularly the ascent to Namche (though not desperate - take it slowly), and made more so by the fact that this will be day 2 of the trek, and takes you directly to 3400 metres and so altitude/lack of acclimatisation may be a slight problem.
I%26#39;ve enjoyed rafting both the Trisuli (a.m. drive from KTM to the river, pm. raft, overnight by the river, a.m. raft., p.m. drive back to KTM or to Pokhara) or the 1 day longer trip on the Kali Gandaki (starting by driving from Pokhara).
Both are fun !
Chitwan - %26#39;The Other Nepal%26#39; - is a great antidote to the rigours of trekking. We used the Machan Resort, and enjoyed the luxury of beds (with hot water bottles) and the totally different environment.
Camping treks - very comfortable - normally a fairly large 2 person ridge tent (though on my last visit we asked for, and got, smaller 1 person tents). Nepali trekking crew give great, cheerful service. Food variable (depends on the cook, some are excellent). Probably a mess tent (with table and chairs) though it%26#39;s quite possible that you will be served by the camping team who bring the food they%26#39;ve cooked into the dining room of a lodge if you are camped outside: last year I think we used the mess tent on 3 occasions during a 21 day trek.
Lodges vary - some are excellent, none are likely to cause life-threatening conditions ! Obviously we aren%26#39;t talking 3 star Western Hotels here, but you%26#39;ll get a small bedroom, and a big welcome. Take it as it comes - it%26#39;s Nepal - and enjoy !
Alan
NEPAL Everest Panorama OR Annapurna Panorama??
Hi,
just two small things in addition to Alan%26#39;s excellent survey:
a) I%26#39;ve read a lot of good recommendations on ';Three sisters'; all-women agency for female travellers; I%26#39;ve seen some of them also on my trek, very nice company
b) after consulting a Wictionary (English is my third language) I%26#39;m pretty sure that ';clatty'; is a wrong word for trek lodges: Nepalese people are very cleanness-loving people and do their best for trekkers ; but I would suggest to take your own sleeping bag anyway :).
Have a great trek.
Hi Susan,
You really need to do some research - for example if you go at the wrong time you can experience a lot of fog and bad weather which would spoil your trip - from memory November is really about as late as you want to leave it before the monsoon influence starts to arrive. I did a strenous 28 day trek in the Everest region with side trips including to Goyko Lakes -absolutely spectacular scenery. It sure was a tough trip though - I suffered some severe altitude sickness and it is no fun having no shower for a week at a time. Physical fitness can help - I walked and ran for months before I went -but it usually comes down to whether a persons blood adapts quickly or not - and you wont know till you try. For this sort of length trip, the danger is that people try to push on and keep up with the rest of their group when suffering - they dont want to spend an extra day or two they should acclimatising at a given altitude when their group is moving on - but it can kill you. Professional companys build in such rest days - if you go alone you need to be aware of these issues to take it slow and recognise the warning signs. I did a lot of research and went to slide nights at a couple of touring companies to know what to expect. Personally, I didn%26#39;t want to go all the way to Nepal and just walk in the foothills - wanted to go right up close to Everest - and all the planning was worthwhile because I had an amazing life-changing experience that I will never forget. However, the shorter treks are much more feasible if you want to enjoy the holiday and get some great photographs of the Himilayas without putting your body to a test of endurance. The market at Namchee Bazzar is amazing to see - all the Tibetans who have walked over the top with their yaks carrying goods and salt for sale - what a colourful site it is. The Annapurna region is quite different with more vegetation and villages at the start of treks - the amazing flight from Kathmandu into the sherpa village of Lukla bypasses the old 2 week walk in! there are various photos and descriptions if you just type in an area on the internet - if you see any photos of Goykyo Lakes you will understand what attracted me to that trek. Don%26#39;t be discouraged by anything I have written - just do your research before you decide - and good luck!!! Wayne
Susan - just clarifying my previous ramblings that Lukla is in the Everest region - the way I wrote it looks otherwise. loss of focus late at night!!
Also, I have just added photos and info to my profile for you - so have a look - hope it helps. Wayne
Wayne makes some interesting points, but his weather seasons are a bit mixed up.
The monsoon season, June - September is characterised by cloud, rain, poor visibility,(and this year horrific floods)
Post monsoon, October - Christmas tends to be much clearer and drier,good trekking conditions. Obviously the cold increases, particularly at altitude, as the season progresses. By January - February the cold, snd often heavy snow-falls, make high level trekking very difficult (!) and indeed many of the lodges are closed as well.
March - May see gradually lengthening days, increasing temperatures, and constitute the other main trekking season.
As Susanspoon is already committed to the Christmas period I suggest that if you intend to go high at all you take plenty of warm gear !
Thank you so much for all the advice, it is invaluable, - this Tripadvisor contraption is amazing isn%26#39;t it!
I think in lieu of the unfortunate troubles in Kathmandu just now, I may sadly have to postpone my visit to a less risky time. Hopefully things will calm down, but the Foreign Office are advising travelers not to go, especially solo female travelers.
What a shame - after all the advice I was raring to go - had settled on the Everest region incidentally!
Thank you very much again, it is appreciated.
Susan
Hi Susanspoon
I%26#39;m sorry to hear that you have postponed your trip. The Foreign %26amp; Commonwealth Office advice on Nepal suggests that you should not trek alone, but trekking with a group, or with a Nepalese guide and porter, particularly in the Khumbu, poses no problems.
I was in Kathmandu, Langtang, Pokhara and the Kali Gandaki last November/December and felt no sense of threat (nor indeed have I done so on seven previous visits to Nepal). Provided that you stay away from political gatherings the risks are minimal. The new government, Marxist led, has declared itself totally in favour of encouraging tourism - it is after all a mainstay of the Nepalese economy.
I am looking forward immensely to making another trip in November this year, and don%26#39;t feel any apprehension about the situation.
If you look on the F%26amp;C Office website at the details of the incidents that have occured you can get a reasonable picture of what has gone on
It%26#39;s a magic country, and overwhelmingly the people are welcoming and helpful.
Cheers
Alan
Hi Susan,
Alan is spot on with everthing he wrote - I looked up the seasons after writing - knew there were two good climbing windows but got the monsoon and ';winter'; wrong way around!.
In regards to potential unrest in Kathmandu, I know I went with a comapany called Pergrine Adventures, and in Kathmandu they put you up at the ';Hotel Shanker'; for a couple of days before the trip. It is literally an old walled palace with guards at the gate which you dont even have to leave if you dont want to. So I would check with the tour company about the time spent in Kathmandu - will they pick you up at the airport, where do you stay and for how long. If you just steer clear of potential problems like large gatherings of protesters, you should be fine. The potential issue is clashes between protestors and police/army - not against tourists. Once you are out of Kathmandu you would have no problems anyway as the peole up in the mountains are so friendly would have nothing to do with anything discouraging tourists - it is their livleyhood.
Your call - but I would still go. Wayne
welcome to Nepal
Hello everyone
I am sanjib adhikari , a professional trekking mountain guide based in Kathmandu. I have been a guiding here since more than seven years. I offers trekking, sightseeing and climbing experiences including the highest peaks of the World, (such as Mt.Everst base camp, Annapurna, Langtang and many more).I have officially recognised government training and a Professional Trekking Guide License obtained in 2001. my other capabilities include; Geographical knowledge, fluent English and Chinse and recognised First Aid qualifications.
So if you need any help with anything for your trip to Nepal please do not hesitate to contact me. I will provide all the necessary information related to your journey to Nepal from your home country. It could be my best pleasure to arrange your trip as your time, intrest and of course your budget.
contact here.
sanjibac@gmail.com
Not frequented by many tourists and it situated in central Nepal, northwest of Kathmandu The terraced hillsides seem to climb to the sky. Many interesting ethnic groups a mixed of lifestyle offer you a glimpse into real Nepali life and this gives visitors an opportunity to observe the rich Nepalese cultural tradition from the closest quarter and intermingle with locals, hence giving the visitor a sense of satisfaction.
Gorkha is situated on a hill overlooking the snowy peaks of the Himalaya is a beautiful old ancient place. There are two attractive temples of Gorakhanath and Kali inside the place precinct. Besides its, the area also offer you, an excellent habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals; 526 species of plants (including 40 species of orchids), and 300 species of birds. Other interesting wild animals are the Himalayan thar, gaur, many kinds of monkeys and musk deer.
There are interesting panoramic views destination points are called Singala pass, Dharka, Jasail Kunda, Jyamrung, Kasigaun,Khanchok and Gorkha offer you more than 35 mountains over 6000meters(19%26#39;680ft) above sea level
Itinerary of Ganesh Himal Trekking
Day 1 : Drive Kathmandu (1350 m) to Betrawati (800 m), trek to Chapdanda (1220 m).
Day 2 : Trek to Bhalche (2020m).
Day 3 : Trek to Gonga (2800m).
Day 4 : Kharka to Rupchet (3720m).
Day 5 : Acclimatization day, and hiking around the valley.
Day 6 : Crossing the Singla Bhanjyang (4750m) and camp at Phedi (3545m).
Day 7 : Trek to Pansang Bhanjyang (4000m).
Day 8 : Rest and hiking around the valley.
Day 9 : Trek to Tipling (2500m).
Day 10 : Trek to Sertung(2050m).
Day 11 : Trek to Sapchet (1500m).
Day 12 : Trek to Darkha (1250m).
Day 13 : Trek to Lapang( 1000m).
Day 14 : Trek to Khahare (900m).
Day 15 : Trek to Arughat (700m).
Day 16 : Trek to Khanchok (1448m).
Day 17 : Trek to Gorkha Durbar (1143m).
Day 18 : Drive Gorkha to Kathmandu.
sanjibac@gmail.com
