Community projects and Nepal discovery
| country: | Nepal |
| location: | Annapurna, Chitwan |
| departures: | 2008: 8 Nov |
| price: | From £815 (19 days) excluding flights. Price includes carbon balancing, guided sightseeing, all transport in Nepal, internal flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu, national park entrance fees and charity donation. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
If you want to do something different, want to make a difference or want to really get to know the country you visit, then this is the trip for you. This imaginative itinerary combines adventure and compassion providing you lasting memories of the Himalaya and allowing you to make a difference to a community in Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world.
The first part of your holiday allows you the opportunity to experience a family stay & community project. What better way to get to know Nepal than stay with a family and work with the local community? Our community program allows you to get the most from your visit to Nepal by becoming part of a community.
The second part takes you on a journey through time travelling across this mystical Himalayan Kingdom. The holiday is based from 4 centres: Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan National Park, Bandipur medieval town and finally the foothills of the Annapurna range at Pokhara. In Kathmandu you will have a chance to see the finest Newari architecture, experience the hustle and bustle of the medieval capital city, explore the cobbled streets and temple complexes; and experience a Himalaya sunrise and sunset at a hilltop resort. In Chitwan you will enjoy elephant back safari’s and canoe rides in search of Rhino and crocodile, in Bandipur we take a glimpse at traditional rural village life and finally in Pokhara we take a two day walk into the foothills of the Annapurnas.
We hope you will take away from this not only a deep understanding of the culture and way of life, but also a great feeling of satisfaction and an experience to treasure.
The first part of your holiday allows you the opportunity to experience a family stay & community project. What better way to get to know Nepal than stay with a family and work with the local community? Our community program allows you to get the most from your visit to Nepal by becoming part of a community.
The second part takes you on a journey through time travelling across this mystical Himalayan Kingdom. The holiday is based from 4 centres: Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan National Park, Bandipur medieval town and finally the foothills of the Annapurna range at Pokhara. In Kathmandu you will have a chance to see the finest Newari architecture, experience the hustle and bustle of the medieval capital city, explore the cobbled streets and temple complexes; and experience a Himalaya sunrise and sunset at a hilltop resort. In Chitwan you will enjoy elephant back safari’s and canoe rides in search of Rhino and crocodile, in Bandipur we take a glimpse at traditional rural village life and finally in Pokhara we take a two day walk into the foothills of the Annapurnas.
We hope you will take away from this not only a deep understanding of the culture and way of life, but also a great feeling of satisfaction and an experience to treasure.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive in Kathmandu. Transfer to the hotel from the airport. Evening will be spent settling in and relaxing in the hotel, group dinner will be arranged in a restaurant in the evening. |
| Day 2-6: | Family homestay & community project. While working with local residents and youth groups on community development projects, you are placed in a home stay to encourage integration and cultural exchange. You will gain an insight into the typical daily life of the Nepali people, whilst gaining and understanding for the environmental and social issues faced in a developing country. This program allows you to collaborate with locals on projects that develop the community and improve the overall way of life. Typical projects include awareness campaigns for hygiene and sanitation, renovation of school buildings, and establishing and improving potable water sources. |
| Day 7: | Today is an opportunity to relax after your community work. You may enjoy a lie in and the comforts of your hotel. The afternoon is free, which could be spent shopping or for those eager to venture out additional sightseeing to Swayambhu or the “Monkey Temple. |
| Day 8: | Kathmandu Valley. Today there is a guided sightseeing tour to two of Kathmandu’s major sights. Our first destination is the country’s most important Hindu temple- Pashupatinath. Our second visit takes us to Boudha, a Buddhist monument and the largest of its kind. Renowned to be the best mountain viewing point in the Kathmandu valley, we drive up to the hill resort at Nagarkot, in time to watch the sunset. |
| Day 9: | Kathmandu Valley. We get up early for sunrise as the skies are normally clearer at this time and provide a better opportunity to see the mountains. From here we should get to see a spectacular view with a wide range of the Himalayas. After breakfast we have a beautiful walk through villages and terraced fields down to Changu Narayan, the oldest temple of the valley. Here our transport will meet us and take us to the medieval city of Bhaktapur – a world heritage site. The visit will include the Durbar Square – studded with Shrines and temples, Potters Square where you can see the potters at work on the wheel, Taumadhi Tole – the old centre of the town. We then drive to our hotel in Kathmandu. |
| Day 10-12: | Chitwan National Park. Today we drive to our Safari lodge in Chitwan National Park. Leaving Kathmandu, we drive westward over a small pass from where there is amazing view of the Ganesh Himals, the Manaslu Range and even the Annapurnas on a clear day. We now drive south towards Chitwan National Park. The park is home to the one horned rhino, the Bengal tiger, elephant and crocodile. The most popular way of wildlife viewing is on elephant back. The activities during our stay will include elephant safaris, dugout canoe ride down the river allowing plenty of opportunity to see Garial and Mugger Crocodiles that are indigenous to this part of the world, a nature walk in the park observing many bird species and a visit to the elephant breeding centre. |
| Day 13-14: | Bandipur village stay. We depart from Chitwan after breakfast and drive to our next destination. We follow the Marshangdi River alongside the terraced fields and climb up to Bandipur. Dramatically perched on a ridge, this medieval village offers amazing views of the central Himalayan Mountains. This is a beautiful Newari hilltop village that was once on the trading route between Tibet and India. We spend two nights and a whole day here to explore the surroundings, visit the bazaar, and gain an insight into the traditional way of life in a Newari village. |
| Day 15: | Pokhara. We drive down to the Tribhuvan Highway and continue on to Pokhara, the second city of Nepal. Situated only about 25 km south of the Annapurna, Pokhara is at a mere 800m above sea level and offers an unobstructed view up to 8000m peaks from very close proximity. With a lakeside location and mountain views Pokhara is popular due it it’s natural beauty. We stay in a hotel by the Phewa Lake from where you can enjoy a constant view of the mountains. The afternoon is free and can be spent relaxing by the lakeside, shopping or taking a boat ride. |
| Day 16-17: | Dampus two day trek. We drive about 45 minutes westward out of Pokhara to Khare from where we start our walk for the day. This will take us through lush forest of conifer and rhododendron up to a clearing with good view of the lake before we delve into the forest once again to finally emerge at Dhampus village set amongst terraced fields. We stay the night in a small local lodge, providing a taste of the mountain life with basic facilities. After a beautiful sunrise and breakfast, we walk down from Dhampus past the lower villages to Phedi and are transferred back to Pokhara. The afternoon is free to shop and relax at the lakeside. |
| Day 18: | Internal flight to Kathmandu. This morning we fly back to Kathmandu. Weather permitting this flight offers a fantastic opportunity to see a broad sweep of the Himalaya as we traverse from the Annapurna range, the Ganesh Himal and Manaslu to the Langtang. Upon arrival in Kathmandu the rest of the day will be free for shopping or further sightseeing before dinner. |
| Day 19: | Kathmandu Valley. Today is kept free. Those wishing to take up the option of booking an Everest View flight may do so for today. Suggested alternatives to this are: shopping, further sightseeing in Kathmandu, a day mountain biking or making charity visits. |
| Day 20: | Depart for the UK. |
a taste of volunteering trip - what's it all about?
This type of trip is ideal for people who are unable to take very long periods off work but who are interested in volunteering to work with communities in need, or in wildlife conservation. These shorter trips combine volunteering with an opportunity to see the main sights in destinations. Find out more about 'taste of volunteering'how this holiday makes a difference
 We are a non commercial organisation specialising in travel within the Himalaya. The company’s primary objective is to generate income for charitable projects in Nepal which support environmental and educational development. We can therefore offer you a rare and unique opportunity to visit this spectacular Himalayan Kingdom knowing that all profits generated will be invested in local charitable projects. We take great pride in the fact that we are doing the right thing by you our customers, by our staff, and by the people, country and environment in which we operate.
|
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. |