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Annapurna trekking holiday, Rhododendron trek

COUNTRY:
Nepal
LOCATION:
Annapurna
HOLIDAY TYPE:
High altitude trekking holidays
DEPARTURES:
2012: 5 Jun, 18 Jun, 15 Jul, 9 Aug, 27 Aug, 13 Sep, 23 Sep, 6 Oct, 11 Oct, 19 Oct, 27 Oct, 4 Nov, 13 Nov, 18 Nov, 28 Nov, 7 Dec, 15 Dec, 23 Dec, 27 Dec
PRICE:
From US $594 (12 days) excluding flights
MORE INFO:
Includes domestic flights only, as per itinerary
VOUCHERS:
Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday
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Annapurna trekking holiday, Rhododendron trek
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Annapurna trekking holiday, Rhododendron trek

Travelling with a local operator
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.

How this holiday makes a difference

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.

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Annapurna trekking holiday, Rhododendron trek

Annapurna trekking holiday, Rhododendron trek

Reviewed 26 Aug 2010 by Gill Craig3 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


I would recommend a visit to Bhaktapur and Changu Narayan which both provide a contrast to Kathmandu, particularly Bhaktapur which is a well preserved ancient city and you can still see the traditional Newari life there. Travelling through the villages you will see the women working in the paddy fields. Drinking masala tea overlooking the Phewa Tal against a backdrop of the mountains was wonderfully relaxing after the 6 day trek.

I really enjoyed the bus trip back to Kathmandu from Pokhara and sighting langur monkeys on the Annurpurna trek was a real treat. The funeral pyres at Pashupatinath will be one of the lasting images.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Travellers may need to manage expectations. I trekked during the Monsoon season and visibility was poor so not much of a view of the mountains (although can be a problem at other times of the year). The upside was that there were very few tourists and I was often the only one staying in the lodges. If you want the company of other trekkers you may need to specify this. Need to take own towel and sleeping sheet. While some lodges have good facilities others are more basic. Be prepared for crawlies!

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Staying in the tea houses does put money into the local villages. There's an obvious issue about buying bottled water when plastics cannot be recycled but this is one way locals can make money and few tea houses have purification facilities. There is a similar debate about the use of wood for cooking rather than kerosene or other sources of fuel and the threat of deforestation. These are difficult choices and need to be discussed with guides and travel agents. Specify in advance although choice may be restricted.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


Very enjoyable. I was lucky that I had good guides.

Reviewed 23 Apr 2009 by Mike Schofield5 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


What wasn't? Superb mountain scenery, a good challenging trek, really interesting culture, very warm and friendly Nepali people (including the guide and porter), the craic in the lodges with other trekkers over the evening meal, the flight over Everest and, sadly, the poverty and the eyesore that is Kathmandhu (though a not uninteresting eyesore).

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Go with an open mind. Make sure you are fit enough to enjoy the demanding trek (Annapurna Sanctuary). Be careful about what you eat and drink. A reputable guide and porter are worth paying for.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Yes - the lodges certainly seem to be prospering, there was work for the guide and porter, the tour operator was a local Kathmandhu company, we used local transport facilities and everyone and his friend wants a tip. The Annapurna Conservation Project has done amazing work to protect the area through footpath construction and rules about environmental protection (eg not selling water in plastic bottles - though this applied only after Chhomrong.)

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


This was an excellent holiday, a great experience.

Reviewed 18 Nov 2008 by Emmanuelle Landais4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


Seeing the Annapurna Mountains from Pokhara and then walking slowly towards them day by day was just amazing. A perfect trekking holiday done at a good pace thanks to our super Sherpa/guide Krishna. The guesthouses were clean and adequate and the people very hospitable. Credit really goes to Krishna who had friends along the way that really made our trip special.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Prepare to spend a lot of money on water. The price of bottled water goes up with the altitude as the people carry each bottle up there. You might want to consider bringing purification tablets as the tap water doesn't look all that bad and you'll avoid consuming all those plastic bottles.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


I think the local people did benefit from our trip. The guest houses are well oiled machines prepared to cope with small groups of tourists, however I'm not convinced it is very sustainable. Unfortunately wrappers and chip packets peppered every step of the way which could be down to local people as well as tourists. There is no offsetting programme for the flight to Pokhara but Yeti Airlines (the carrier) does sponsor a lot of social charities in Nepal.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


Overall it was brilliant. Coming from the Middle East it was a short flight away but a totally different world. Not really off the beaten track but for what is considered peak season (November) the trails were really not overcrowded at all. We were well fed and guided. We had a lot of laughs with the women who work hard in the guesthouses. A breath of fresh air but shame about the litter.

Reviewed 27 Dec 2007 by Lisa Harlow4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


The highlight of our holiday was seeing the Annapurna range up close with perfect visibility under crisp blue skies. During December visitor numbers drop significantly so the trek was extremely peaceful and uncluttered and we had beautiful views and locations to ourselves. Another high point was the long evening discussions with our guide as we learned about the experiences of the Nepali people and the issues and concerns of mountain life.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


This trek is ideal for people looking for a good hike without some of the extremes of high altitude trekking. Top tip is to bring some thermals for the cold December nights and something to keep you entertained in the evenings - there really is nothing to do except have a beer and a chat so Sudoku works well. Another thought might be to upgrade to a higher quality hotel at the end of the trip to add in a little luxury and comfort.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


The travel company representatives were local people who talked with passion about Nepali issues and who cared for the environment and the people. Trekking definitely impacts the environment but also brings huge benefits to the local population and the holiday was designed to maximise that benefit.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


This was an excellent, no frills holiday, an amazing experience and a great way to get to know some real Nepali people and discover the beauty of the mountains without the stresses of high altitude trekking. Anyone looking for luxury should probably look elsewhere but I found the simple approach very refreshing and a real adventure.
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Holiday Reviews

We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!

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Annapurna trekking holiday, Rhododendron trek
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