Nepal family holiday
| country: | Nepal |
| location: | Annapurna |
| departures: | 2008: 21 Dec 2009: 12 Apr, 4 Oct, 20 Dec |
| price: | From £830 (13 days) per adult and from £750 per child (up to 12 years old) including domestic flights only, as per itinerary. The minimum age for children is 6yrs. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Family trekking holiday in Nepal
This low altitude trek in the Annapurna foothills is specifically devised for families. We include time in the traditional Hindu villages where children regard the Himalaya as their playground. Each campsite we join our crew and the villagers in dancing, singing and games of volleyball and cricket. There is also time to visit the local schools and markets where cultural horizons are so different from our own.
During the trek we appreciate the magnificent oak and rhododendron forests as we ascend to alpine meadows that afford spectacular views of the Annapurna Range. After completing our trek we travel to the Chitwan National Park and ride atop elephants in search of rhino and the Bengal tiger.
This low altitude trek in the Annapurna foothills is specifically devised for families. We include time in the traditional Hindu villages where children regard the Himalaya as their playground. Each campsite we join our crew and the villagers in dancing, singing and games of volleyball and cricket. There is also time to visit the local schools and markets where cultural horizons are so different from our own.
During the trek we appreciate the magnificent oak and rhododendron forests as we ascend to alpine meadows that afford spectacular views of the Annapurna Range. After completing our trek we travel to the Chitwan National Park and ride atop elephants in search of rhino and the Bengal tiger.
what's included on our Nepal family holiday
12 breakfasts, 9 lunches and 9 dinners, flight Kathmandu/Pokhara, airport transfers, expert bilingual guide, group medical kit, good quality accommodation in Kathmandu, 2 nights accommodation at Chitwan Jungle Lodge, trek pack including sleeping bag, down or fibre filled jacket and insulated mat, souvenir kit bag, private transportation, all park entrance fees and trekking permits, porters to carry all personal and group equipment, porter's insurance, sightseeing in Kathmandu, site entry fees. day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Join Kathmandu |
| Day 2: | In Kathmandu, sightseeing Kathmandu Valley |
| Day 3: | Fly to Pokhara |
| Day 4-6: | Ascend trails through Gurung villages and temperate forest to gain uninterrupted views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Ranges |
| Day 7-9: | Continue through terraced fields and remote villages with views of Annapurna South before returning to Pokhara |
| Day 10-11: | Transfer to Chitwan National Park for jungle walks and elephant safari to view wildlife and birdlife |
| Day 12: | Fly to Kathmandu |
| Day 13: | Trip concludes in Kathmandu |
highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2006 First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society. Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
|
We stay in tents, not lodges and teahouses. Why does that make a difference? We want to support the fragile ecosystem of the Himalayas. Many lodges and teahouses burn wood to heat their water for cooking and hot showers. This in turn contributes to deforestation, associated erosion and loss of biodiversity. That is why twenty five years ago, we pioneered the use of only kerosene above and below the tree-line – to ensure that we are loyal to our policies of making a minimal impact on the environment. Also, we want to stay off the beaten track. We believe that you will get a greater understanding and appreciation of the natural beauty of your surroundings if you are away from the hordes which follow the ‘tea-house trails.’
Our pioneering Porter Policy Porters are an integral part of your trip, and we have a close association with the IPPG, IMEC and Porters Progress to improve the conditions for porters. As well as paying our guides out of season, and an above-average take-home wage, our porter welfare supplement includes insurance, all meals on trek, appropriate clothing and accommodation for ALL our porters on all our treks. Their safety and comfort is as important to us as our customers. We have committed US $3000 to sponsor the Porter Rescue Post at Machermo which has been set up by the IPPG. This facility is for the benefit of sick or injured porters in the Everest region and building has already started. Our Responsible Travel Guidebook Our philosophy since 1975 has been to leave only footprints and take only photographs. To reiterate this, every customer who travels with us receives a copy of our award-winning Responsible Travel guidebook. This detailed book outlines our environmentally sustainable principles, and outlines how each customer can minimize their impact while travelling. Global Warming and Carbon Balancing The root cause of Global Warming is society's dependence on emission creating fossil fuel. Planting trees is not going to reverse this trend or cancel our carbon emissions very quickly or effectively. We believe the way to reduce these dependencies is to create clean energy production. Therefore, we support renewable energy projects like wind and solar power, and we are aligned with Climate Friendly, the gold standard setter in effective, meaningful action addressing climate change. So, while we believe that tree planting can play a small role in greenhouse gas abatement, we have gone the extra mile in promoting a longer term solution. Is this cheap? No. Is it responsible? Absolutely. By joining this trek you can be assured that you will not be contributing to deforestation or the associated soil erosion and loss of biodiversity but rather you'll be making a significant contribution by supporting our efforts to set the standards for a sustainable trekking service. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |