I had been wanting to go on an active holiday for awhile, and was tossing up between Bhutan and Nepal. After much research and pricing up the two, I thought before we committed to the minimum US$200 per person daily tariff (imposed by the Bhutan government), I'd try out Nepal first to ensure I enjoyed the trekking-style holiday.
With only the short Chinese New Year dates off work, we only had time to really scratch the surface of what this country has to offer as far as trekking. Our guide had over 20 years experience, starting as a porter, then he became a cook for camping groups and now a fully-fledged guide with multiple everest climbs under his belt. He suggested you need a minimum of 12 days to really achieve any decent altitude. Contact Mountain Adventure Trekking (mtnatrek@gmail.com) and request Kumar (and his cousin as a porter, below) and you'll be in great hands!
Nepal being a landlocked country (between India and Tibet) does not have many natural resources, so relies a lot on India for importing goods and has an open-border policy. This has resulted in a lot of Indians migrating to Nepal's capital Kathmandu and throughout the main cities, influencing the cuisine, culture and religion with the majority of Nepali being Hindu.
In the cities and further down south on the border, the people look quite Indian compared to the northern villagers in the mountains who look more Tibetan and practice Buddhism. Beautifully, both religions live side-by-side peacefully, celebrating religious holidays and festivals all together.
Now to the trekking part…
I'm the first to admit I'm a bit of a princess when it comes to hygiene and cleanliness. After a long day of trekking and sweating, not having access to a hot shower isn't ideal, especially when I naively didn't bring a towel (n.b. towels are not an amenity of guesthouses).
My trekking essentials: travel soap leaves, kiehl's face wash, wet wipes, small denominations of Nepalese rupee and a good book
Trekking fuel: every meal was a combination of dahl bat, momo's, popcorn, thukpa soup and guring /corn/tibetan bread for breakfast lunch and dinner. Carb overload!!
I think a great way to finish a trek, however long or short, is in a bit of luxury.
Temple Tree Resort & Spa, (http://www.templetreenepal.com) in Pokhara, is a new property that is walking distance from Fewa Lake and provides not only a steaming hot shower and soft towels in their luxurious apartment-style accommodation but also a swimming pool and fantastic service.
If you only have 48 hours in Kathmandu and Pokhara, like I did, don't miss:
1) Basantapur Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is part of the complex where the old royal palace of the Kathmandu Kingdom is
My tip: there's a small local restaurant hidden above the market stalls overlooking the square, which gives a great view so you can secretly watch the goings on in the square
2) "Shanti Stupa" meaning World Peace Pagoda is situated 1100m on the Ananda hill, this is the place where a Japanese Buddhist monk laid the foundation stone and the relics of Buddha
My tip: don't travel there in a big group coach as only small cars or motorbikes can go up the unfinished dirt road and only half way up…but the view of Pokhara is well worth the rest of the walk up on foot
3) when visiting a developing country, I try to be a Responsible Traveler and give something back to the community. We volunteered for the day at the Navakiran Children Home; an orphanage where 1 lady looks after 47 orphan boys and girls from ages 2-18 yrs old. Surviving on donations and volunteers from the local community there was a severe sanitation problem with insufficient drainage for the sewerage and limited running water. For donations or to arrange a visit please contact navakiranorphanage@gmail.com (http://navakiranorphanage.org)
I've seen a lot of sunsets over various beaches, oceans, cities and desserts around the world, but there really is something so spiritual about the sun rising over a mountain range. From almost complete blackness, to the silhouette of the mountains forming, a few minutes later the peak top is revealed jutting out from the darkness, and finally the valleys and streams. It feels like the world is waking up with you.
The Nepali are so proud of the Himalayas, their national treasure and they certainly have every right to be.
