Annapurna trekking holiday, Rhododendron trek

Our trekking company is wholly committed to responsible tourism. On our treks & tours, tourism helps improve the standard of living for the local people by generating income for the local community through purchasing of local products such as fresh fruits, handloom products, meat, drinks, and fresh vegetables and providing job opportunities.

We employ well-trained & experienced local guides and hire local porters whose load limit is 20-25kg. Our guides will give a briefing about responsible tourism e.g. rubbish disposal, giving food scraps to domestic animals, paying the porters to carry out trash, using a fire pit when camping, not picking flowers, using kerosene instead of firewood, avoiding bathing/washing clothes in streams, using local tea houses or camping sites. In addition the small group size of 4-10 people help to minimise the impact on the environment.

On this trek, we stay at local lodges/tea-houses operated by local people such as Annapurna lodge, Snow-land lodge, Panorama view lodge and Himalayan lodge. These lodges manage garbage properly, use gas for cooking (not firewood) and most have and solar energy facilities.

Our trekking company provides financial donations for the local school (US $2 per visitor) & health post (US $3 per visitor). We provide educational materials for students such as copies, pencils, ball pens and sports equipment (foot balls, basket balls), and provide equipment & medicines for the health post such as tablets, eye drops, high-altitude tablets, plasters and bandages. We also support the Kvresthali Women society with financial donations (US $5 per visitor) which provides education for impoverished adult women and provides funds for goat and vegetables farming and road repair.

On this trip, our guests will have the opportunity to give donations to these causes, and visit the Annapurna conservation project which plays a vital role in environmental protection and community development in the region. The project is involved in forest & wildlife conservation (e.g. advice not not light campfires, cook with kerosene, don’t touch/remove flora or fauna, don’t buy items made from animals), fixes the prices for lodges in the region, provides community training (in conservation, culture, lodge management) and builds/repairs trekking steps. Visitors will have the opportunity to observe & learn about the project and make financial contributions. In addition, travellers can visit Ghandruk School to see the activities of Gurung students and offer support by contributing educational materials such as art books, pencils, sports equipment etc.