17 minute read
Beauty of Annapurna Circuit Trek
Beauty of Annapurna Circuit Trek
First opened for foreigners in 1977, Annapurna Circuit Trek has been one of the most eyecatching and attractive trekking route in Nepal. Around 50,000 travelers from around the world come for hiking the Annapurna circuit. Annapurna Circuit Trek lies in Province No. 4 of Nepal and has many snowcapped mountains between 6,000 meters and 8,000 meters high. The total length of the trail is 128 miles around the circuit.
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The Annapurna Circuit is located in the trans-Himalayan region of Mt. Annapurna and Mt. Dhaulagiri both of which are above 8,000 meters high. The trekking route covers two river valleys Marshyangdi and Kali Gandaki and extends up to the Tibetan Plateau. The highest point of this trekking is Thorung La Pass with an elevation of 5,416 m (17,769 ft). Similarly, you will go across Tilicho Lake at 4,919 meters (16,138 ft) which is the lake situated at the highest altitude of the world in Manang district. Next notable site in the Annapurna Circuit Trekking is Muktinath Temple, a famous Hindu pilgrimage site in Mustang district. You can also experience the desert-like climate in Manang and Mustang in the trans-Himalayan region. The rocky trails surrounded by the hills and clustered houses are also matter of interest for you. You can also have a familiar view about the people and their lifestyle, culture and tradition of the Himalayas of Nepal. The major peaks that come into your sight during the Annapurna Circuit Trek are Annapurna Massif (Annapurna I-IV), Machhapuchhre, Manaslu, Gangapurna, Tilicho Peak, Pisang Peak and Paungda Danda around the journey.
Trekking to the Annapurna Circuit enriches you with the familiarity with the mountains view and a variety of flora and fauna and diverse types of human settlement areas in the Himalayas. During the trekking through the Annapurna Circuit, you come into contact with the climatic variation from subtropical of alpine. And of course, distinction in vegetation, wildlife and sociocultural aspects of the region. Annapurna Circuit Trek is one amongst the many worldwidely appreciated trekking routes and in Nepal, it comes second just after the Everest Base Camp Trek. The trek begins from Beshisahar of Lamjung district and ends at Nayapul, Pokhara, Kaski.
Daywise Itinerary
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu (1,350m/4,429ft) When your plan is landed at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, the mediator of the travel agency which has organized your trip, will receive you there. Then, he/she will lead you up to the hotel or lodge for your accommodation for the night. You can taste the food items and take rest as much as you require because you may have travel sickness.
Day 02: Valley Sightseeing and Preparing for the Trek Today, you can spend your day by travelling around the Kathmandu Valley which is known as the ‘city of temples’ as well. Here you can find some of the historical, cultural and religious sites enlisted into the UNESCO World Heritage Site on different dates. Some of them are Hanuman Dhoka Durbbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Pahupatinath Temple, Changunarayan temple, Swayambhunath Stupa and Bouddhanath Stupa. After you
return to the hotel, your facilitator will give you specific briefing about the trekking like sites to go across, important landscapes, gear, climate and so on.
Today, you will leave Kathmanu Valley for reaching the starting point of the action packed trekking package to the Annapurna Circuit. It takes almost 7 hours drive to reach Khundi from Kathamandu. From Nagdhunga height, you can enjoy the enchanting scrutiny of the landscapes full of trees and houses while driving downwards Naubise, Dhading. As soon as you reach Galchhi, you will be driven along with the flow of the water in the Trishuli River until you reach Motel Du Mugling of Chitwan. By crossing the first Arch Bridge in the country inaugurated by this year, you reach Tanahun which is famous for Siddha Gufa (Siddha Cave) which is said to the largest in Asia. Then, your road diverts towards right side from Dumre by leaving Prithvi Highway. Now, you will be going
along the bank of the Marshyangdi River that has originated from a place under Annapurna Circuit Trek route. From Khundi, you catch glimpse of the Manaslu range.
Day 04: Trek to Jagat (1,300m/4,265ft) This is the first day of your Annapurna Circuit Trekking. Feel a little high morally and commited to complete the task and gather the most invaluable experience handy in life! While walking towards Jagat from Khundi, you will be going along the bank of the Marshyangdi River as if to find its origin! The natural settings and inhabited areas with typical Nepalese style houses around the rocky trail are the major attraction for the travelers towards Annapurna Circuit. You spend the night here at a teahouse for the rest and proceed the journey the following morning.
Day 05: Trek to Dharapani (1,860m/6,102ft)
You start your journey early in the morning so that you feel little comfortable to walk along the undulating path sometimes ups and the other times down. You have to walk across the grassy land, rocky trail by crossing some suspension bridges on the way. After a while, you will enter into the magnificent valley of Manang district. On the way, you can see the agricultural practices of the people living in the Himalayan highland. Though the soil there lacks a good deal of productivity, we find barley, potatoes, corns and sheds for cattle suitable in the high altitude. You can also enjoy the gorgeous sight of rhododendrons and bamboo forests around the place.
Day 06: Trek to Chame (2,670m/8,759ft) On this day, you will trek from Dharapani to Chame, the administrative headquarters of Manang district, for the night stay. The trail passes along the steep ridges where we can see a number of landslides due to geographical complexities and development of roadway to Manang Mustang. On the way, you can see a very clear and close view of Lamjung Himal, Annapurna II and Annapurna IV. Several natural and charming waterfalls around the Dudh Khola and the Marshyangdi River help you forget the difficulties faced during the journey. You have to walk past Bagarchhap Village with Bhotiya residents dwelling in there. The most striking aspect of this village is the sight of the Buddhist prayer flags on top of the traditional houses in the Himalayan region.
Day 07: Trek to Upper Pisang (3,300m/10,826ft) Next day, you set off for reaching Upper Pisang (before Lower Pisang used to be the station for night stay) for spending that night. On the way, you go past Bhartang located in the steep and narrow valley. The way further leads you through dense pine and oak forests on both the sides. In Pisang, you can find good hotels and lodges are available serving you with typical Nepali and continental cuisines of your choice and appetite.
Day 08: Trek to Manang (3,540m/11,614ft)
On this day, you trek to Manang, one of the major villages in the district. There are two gateways to reach Manang. If you follow the southern side, you catch sight of the Annapurna Massif whereas if you go through the northern part, you can have the picturesque outlook of mysterious Mustang district. The choice is yours after all! You can visit Barge Monastery which is the largest of this kind in the district. In Manang village, you can find an airstrip, many lodges and a checkpoint for security purpose. You can spend the night at the lodge of your booking or choice if any. The climate of Manang is colder and drier than that of the stations you sheltered before.
Day 9: Acclimatization in Manang As the climate of Manang is quite colder and drier due to high altitude, you need to be acclimatized by spending a day here for your better health. For the purpose, you can go across the Marshyandi River to reach Gangapurna Lake by walking for about half an hour.
From hereyou can have a 360-degree panoramic vision of the Annapurna Massif and neighbouring mountains dressed in white snow. The nearby meadow just like Yak Kharka is another focal point of the site. If you are strong enough, in best of your health and eager to walk a short distance for about 2.5 hours, Ice Lake can be the best destination. The Ice Lake Trail to the east of Manang leads you to Chulu East or Far East. There at an elevation of 4,650m (15,256ft) you can find a group of lakes named Kicho Tal (‘Tal’ means ‘lake’ in Nepali language). The lakes are formed by the snow coming down from various ridges of Chulu East peak that separate Chulu Khola in the east and Ghatte Khola to the west.
Day 10: Trek to Yak Kharka (4,050m/13,287ft)
‘Kharka’ in Nepali means ‘meadow for cattle like yak, sheep, etc. grazing’. Today, you are going to reach Yak Kharka to rest for the night. Today you will enter into the Jarsang Khola Valley crossing the Marshyangdi River Valley and Manang. On the way upwards, you pass a village Tengi which is typical in appearance, styles of houses, culture and tradition. Since this region lies in the Alpine altitude, the vegetation and wildlife found in here are quite distinct. The major vegetations found here are juniper and alpine grasses which can grow in this height. Your journey although hard will be more remarkable with the majestic prospect of Gangapurna and Annapurna II peaks. By completing the rocky trail, now you reach Yak Kharka where many hotels and lodges are waiting for your services of night stay and food items.
Day 11: Trek to Thorang Phedi (4,525m/14,845ft) Today, you are trekking up to Thorang Phedi for the night station so that you can easily reach the highest point of the Annapurna Circuit Trek, Thorang La. You will go a little upwards following the banks of the Jarsang Khola which hurriedly runs to find its destination. You reach Thorang Phedi (‘Phedi’ means the plain land at the bottom of a foot hill) by crossing a village named Letdar. You can find the lodges and hotels at Thorang Phedi which are almost occupied with various groups of trekkers from various countries and local travel companies in Nepal. You can enjoy the meal and good rest here for further ascent the following day.
Day 12: Trek to Thorang La (5,416m/ 17,769ft) to Muktinath (3,760m/12,335ft)
This day is the most memorable and important because you will be at the highest altitude point of the Annapurna Circuit Trek, Thorang La at the elevation of 17,769 ft. ‘La’ in local dialect
means the ‘Pass’ to enter or exit into or from a landscape to the other. You are advised to ascend slowly and steadily by reminding ‘Slow and steady wins the race!’ because you are going on top of the circuit trail. You will see the pass bejeweled by the prayer flags to mark the importance and following of Buddhism. After resting for a while to feel the captivating scenery of the Annapurna Massif and the snowcapped mountains around it. From this top, you come to see the eyecatching Kali Gandaki Valley in front of you.
Then, you start descending towards Muktinath region. Muktinath is famous for Muktinath Temple at the height of 3,800m and is supposed to be a sacred shrine for Hindus and Buddhists pilgrims. On the way, you can have a wonderful sight of Mt. Dhaulagiri and Tukuche Peak. You forget all the tiredness and troubles felt and faced during the trekking when you remind the view of the Himalayan giants on the way to Muktinath. There you can find a lot of hotels and lodges with good facilities of your choice. You can relish the food items found here and have a good rest here.
Day 13: Trek to Marpha (2,670m/8,759ft) On this day, you are climbing down to Marpha Village which is famous for apple production. The experiment of the apple production was done here in the initial days and extended to other Himalyan regions in the northen part of Nepal. To reach Marpha, you will walk across Jomsom, the administrative headquarters of Mustang district. For your information, Jomsom is the windiest valley in the trail and rainshadowed part of the region. Jomsom has a domestic airport from where you can fly to Pokhara or Kathmandu. Since it has road link to Pokhara through Beni, Myagdi, you can travel by bus if you want to shorten your trekking. To reach Jomsom, you will go across two villages named Jharkot and Khingar which are built in Tibetan architectural style.
You begin your journey through the mystic Kali Gandaki valley by passing the parched countryside of the alpine climatic region. You will be walking through the region where the world’s deepest gorge the Kali Gandaki Gorge is located. You will walk following the banks of the Kali Gandaki River by enjoying the blissful scene of Nilgiri peaks.
Marpha is a beautiful Thakali village located in Mustang. ‘Thakali’ is the derivative word from ‘Thak Khola’ lying in the upper part of the Kali Gandaki River in the Mustang Valley. Later on the people dwelling around the Thak Khola (‘Khola’ means a stream in Nepali language) started to be called ‘Thakali’. Thakali Kitchen serving the typical Nepali food items is popular and set up in almost all parts of Nepal.
The design of Marpha village is very fantastic that it has a complete modern drainage and sewage system with the stone paved streets that adds to the beauty of the village. Marpha is famous for apple orchards and apple products like apple cider, peach, apricot and apple liquor called ‘Marpha’. The brandy liquor made up of apples is transported throughout the country and even out of the country. You can taste the apple products found in the village and take a complete relaxation that night.
Day 14: Trek to Kalopani (2,530m/8,300ft) Your destination for the day is Kalopani of Mustang district. The trekking this day is also quite challenging but full of fun and happiness as you have to pass some suspension bridges set up above the Kali Gandaki River. You can also sight the wonderful mountains, trees, villages and meadows as if they were welcoming you for a glimpse of themselves! You will see the welcoming view of the mountain peaks like Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri, three Nilgiris and Fang.
On the way, you go past some villages like Tukuche, Kobang, Lartjung, Kokhethanti and Dhampu which provide you a golden opportunity to experience the architect, socio-cultural aspects and lifestyle of the people living in the High Himalayas. They are really unique and appealing to the travelers from around the world! You have to climb up and down the river beds to reach the destination. There are some fine lodges in the station where you can eat up your food and take rest at night for further descent the following day.
Day 15: Trek to Tatopani (1,190m/3,904ft) Today you are scheduled to cross the distance between Kalopani and Tatopani. You will descend through the Rukse Chhahara (‘Chhahara’ means ‘spring’) situated between Annapurna I and Dhaulagiri I opposite to each other. After that, you will pass through various human settlement areas with scant houses and population. To reach Tatopani, you will trek through Ghasa village which is the last Thakali village in the Annapurna Circuit Trek. The Tibetan architectural design reflecting Buddhist religious aspect is used to make the houses and other construction materials for human settlement. Ghasa is popular for bird watching and marijuana for the lovers of those things.
Tatopani is the Nepalese term given to the natural hot waterfall made out of the Kali Gandaki River. The folks believe that if you take a bath with natural hot water, you can get your skin diseases of any kind cured. You can take a holy bath in the waterfall and recover from some skin diseases if any! And most importantly, you can feel relaxed for rest of the time there after the bath.
Day 16: Trek to Ghorepani (2,880m/9,448ft) Today, you will reach up to Ghorepani for the night hang out. Initially, the way goes down through the slope until for an hour. The villages like Shikha and Ghara are really beautiful places to feel the invaluable taste of Mother Nature. Then, you will walk past some villages like Phalate and Chitre in which people of different castes and creeds with their own type of socio-cultural aspects and lifestyle. And next interesting fact about these villages is that most of the men here are involved in British and Indian Army for employment purpose! On the way, you can feel the appealing charm of Mt. Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges.
On the way, a small foot hill, you will walk across the rhododendron forests where you can even watch various species of monkeys and birds. Although it is quite earlier of the day and you can measure more length of the path, you had better stay here for a specific reason. The reason is that next morning you can make a short walk to Poon Hill, another well-known touristic center in the region.
Day 17: Trek to Tadapani (2,630m/8,628) You will start the day with a short trip to Poon Hill early in the morning so that you can enjoy the sun rising and the heart-touching outlook of the snowcapped mountains in the region. Poon Hill is a short walk from Ghorepani for the breathtaking view of the Dhaulagiri I-IV, Tukuche Peak, Dhampus Peak, Nulgiri range, Annapurna and Barha Shikhar (group of twelve peaks also known as French Fang), Annapurna south, Fishtail, Mardi and Himchuli. The scene you experience from this foot hill top is the best view in your life. So, don’t miss it!
After having breakfast here, you will move forward to Tadapani, another station for the night settlement. On the way to Tadapani, you will come to contact with the dense forests of rhododendron, bamboo and oak trees. Similarly, in the course of trekking, you will regularly come to see waterfalls, hard rocks, distinct species of native animals and birds sheltered in the green terrain. You now are in Tadapani, a small but beautiful village that offers you a really magnificent appearance of Annapurna south, Himchuli, Fishtail and Annapurna II. You will spend the night at a tea house by tasting the food items available here and sleep well for the next day’s challenge.
Day 18: Trek to Ghandruk (1,940m/6,364ft) to Pokhara (820m/2,690ft)\ Today is the last day of your Annapurna Circuit Trekking. Your destination is Pokhara, ‘the city of lakes’ and the most important and famous touristic destination of Nepal. Early in the morning you will head towards Ghandruk by walking across forests of a variety of species of rhododendron where you can observe local species of birds and other Himalayan wildlife. On the way, you can see some river gorges, too. Different species of rhododendrons make your trekking colourful while varieties of species of the wildlife make your trip quite live and memorable. Ghandruk is a typical Gurung (one of the major ethnic community of Nepal) village where you can experience the typical culture, social setting, food items of the Gurung people who serve mostly in British or Indian Army for livelihood. From here, you can have a lifetime achievement by looking into the picturesque vision of the mountains under the Annapurna Range. Other sites to visit in Ghandruk are Gurung Museum and old Ghandruk town itself.
From Ghandruk, you can take a vehicle directly to reach Pokhara if you are fed up of walking. In case, you still have the courage and strength in you, you can walk down to Nayapul through Birethanti. You have to walk across many villages on the way to Nayapul. From here, you can go either by a public means of transportation or you can hire a vehicle for your comfort. You can choose any hotel, lodge or resort for your night rest. You can visit this city of lakes with all amenities of global standard. Today, you have accomplished the most challenging and fascinating the Annapurna Circuit trekking package. And, you can celebrate this achievement with your mates for making it more lifelong memorable!
Day 19: Drive back to Kathmandu Today, you can visit Pokhara city for more fun and major sites of the city. Or, you can drive to Kathmandu. You take a complete rest for the remaining time or you can even make it a time for fête for the triumph! The choice is yours after all!
Day 20: Departure or Plan Further Today, the mediator of the travel agency will follow you until Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for the final see off. As welcoming and farewell is a wonderfully respectful sense of hospitality in Nepalese culture. Or, in case you desire to extend your visa or stay, we would love to help with all required arrangements here in the Himalayan country!
Location: Thamel Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal
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