Annapurna 1, Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre.

Nepal on Foot (Video)

January 2, 2016 • 1163 views

[vimeo 150352131 w=768 h=150]

Overview: 8 days in Nepal

Our flights, itineraries, and hikes were all D-I-Y and based mostly on first-hand experience, online research, and inquiries. As a way of giving back and adding to the resource pool, here are itemized per-day blog posts that I’m hoping future Nepal hikers will find helpful.

Currently reading: Summary
Day 1: From Tribhuvan Airport to Bhaktapur
Day 2: From Bhaktapur to Nagarkot
Day 3: From Nagarkot to Thamel, and the Nagarkot Panoramic Hike
Day 4: From Thamel to Pokhara, from Pokhara to Deurali Himalayan Resort (coming soon)
Day 5: The Annapurnas: Phedi – Dhampus Village – Australian Camp Hike (coming soon)
Day 6: The Annapurnas: Australian Camp – Kande Hike, From Kande to Pokhara Lakeside (coming soon)
Day 7: From Pokhara to Patan, Kathmandu (coming soon)
Day 8: Patan, Kathmandu to Bangkok, Thailand (coming soon)

Justin and I managed to squeeze in several hikes during our week-long stay in Nepal in December of 2015.

DCIM101GOPROG0441085. — Annapurna Conservation Area covers Dhampus Village and Australian Camp

Despite the winter season being in full swing (and we are folks from a tropical country who never experience this kind of weather back at home!) we still spent majority of our time outdoors.

Nagarkot Panoramic Hike with the Langtang Range in the background

The Nagarkot Panoramic Hike (2 hours) took us in and out of villages surrounding Nagarkot, a 2000 MASL hilltown 1-1/2 hours away from Kathmandu. As the activity suggests, the hike was a leisurely walk along the Nagarkot ridge with open views of the Langtang Range, Manaslu, Dorje Lhakpa and the Central Nepal / Himalayan Range. We got info on this hike from Kyarol Dhoju of Peaceful Cottage & Café du Mont, who also helped secure our hike guide. Temperature lowest at 1º.

Prayer flags line the Australian Camp gate

Australian Camp with views of Annapurna 1 & Annapurna South

A day after, we headed westward by bus to Pokhara City पोखरा where we started our 2-day hike that concluded in Australian Camp, Dhampus Village. The first day was a 5-hour hike. We spent 1 night in a teahouse. The second day was a more relaxed 3-hour downhill walk back to Naudanda. The Annapurna I Main and Machhapuchhre could be seen from camp, or from anywhere during the hike for that matter. This 2-day hike is, as we later on learned, the trailhead to Annapurna Base Camp. We got info and everything we needed for this hike from the helpful staff of Himalayan Deurali Resort where we spent 1 night prior the 2-day hike. Temperature in camp: High 7º, low 0º.

Dhampus Village, en route Australian Camp

Before you go: I would note that in light of an ongoing fuel crisis, transportation costs continue to go up, food choices are slim due to lack of cooking gas, and a country-wide electricity load balancing is in effect leaving everyone out of power 99% of the time we were there. That meant for a tourist: no power in your hostel, no hot shower, hard to bargain. You would be lucky if your hostel had a generator. We saw fewer tourists in the Kathmandu capital than in Pokhara. Hikers and trekkers were still aplenty.

Gathered around a bonfire in Nagarkot with fellow Hotel at the End of the Universe guests

Despite all this, the Nepalis that I returned to and the ones that we met were still the same warm, soft-spoken, passionate people that I knew. They are going through a lot. Tourism WILL help them.