Country number 31 on my trip was Nepal. A country of pure natural beauty in the Himalayas with eight of the world's ten highest peaks. Back then when I started my trip in 2019 I knew one thing for sure: That I want to hike in Nepal and explore some of the highest mountains in the world.
We needed around 24 hours to travel to Nepal by land, pass the Sunauli land border (the Indian part was horrible again, even though it was just for the purpose of leaving India) and catch a bus to Pokhara. After spending a day in the border town of Butwal we got our first glimpse of what it means to change places in Nepal: Terrible roads, giddy heights, scary cliffs and local busses in let's say humble conditions. Mostly you need at least a half or even a full day to go to the next place. And when you see a bunch of local people puking in the bus, yes then its time to not be excited about the transit days :D
We obtained a 30-day visa at the land border and that was the exact time we spend in Nepal. It felt a little short since we would have liked to see more of the West and South of the country but that will be for the future. More than half of those 30 days we spent hiking.
But before we were able to start our first big hike we had to base ourselves in Pokhara to buy equipment (we only had summer clothes and needed basically everything), stock on food, organize our hiking permits and wait until the heavy rainfalls stopped. Pokhara is a very pleasant city on a lake with plenty of great food options.
We actually planned to hike the Annapurna Circuit but due to the terrible weather conditions plenty of landslides occurred there and we were in touch with some people who were stuck on the hike for days. A handful of people even died due to the tragic events.
So we changed our entire plan of hiking the Annapurna Circuit and combined two other hikes instead: Poon Hill Trek and Annapurna Base Camp trek with some side treks. We left Pokhara and came back two weeks later. This 2-week trek had it all: A great challenge that regularly pushed us to our limits (weather and muscle ache-wise), one of the most beautiful nature I have seen in my life with plenty of biodiversities and a lot of fun with local villagers and other hikers from all around the world. Every day we started our hike around 7:30 am and mostly arrived around the afternoon at the next village or settlement. We slept in lodges, tea houses and even shops when we couldn't find any other beds.
We carried our backpacks with only the most crucial equipment to have the smallest weight possible. We didn't even have sleeping bags which freaked out nearly every other hiker we met :D Besides of one or two nights, we did well without them and in general, most people tend to overplan and overthink.
The landscapes we experienced during that hike were easily among the most beautiful impressions I got in my life. Bamboo forests, the amazing Annapurna and Machhapuchhre Base Camp, open fields, beautiful waterfalls, rivers, steppes and head-spinning bridges over breathtaking valleys. We met amazing locals in the villages, got in touch with interesting nomads with their sheep & goats and saw plenty of wildlife such as langurs, eagles &pikas. Trekking in the Annapurna Region would be easily in my top 5 experiences of my entire world trip so far (one day I have to write a top list). The highest point we reached was 4,150 metes at Annapurna Base Camp.
After the hike, we spoiled ourselves with 3 days of resting and great food in Pokhara and started to explore other parts of Nepal. That included some day hikes since we were in great shape finally :D We also had to sell all of our warm clothes and equipment again.
We visited Bandipur, which was a super pleasant town with interesting architecture and stunning views on several peaks. The capital Kathmandu was another highlight and became my favorite South Asian capital (which is not that hard to be brutally honest). Kathmandu is super interesting, has enough sights to wander around for a few days and thanks to our Couchsurfing hosts Abin & Anish we also had the chance to experience life in the outskirts of the city.
If you ever have the chance or think about traveling to Nepal for hiking, please just stop thinking and do that. It was absolutely amazing and has some of the best landscapes our planet can offer! Hiking in the Annapurna region is absolutely fascinating and was one of the highlights of several world travelers I met over the last few years. For the best experience don't hire a guide or porter. I know it supports the local economy but honestly, it takes the full adventure out of that. I saw plenty of healthy under-30-year-old hikers (sorry but nearly all of them were Americans :D) who are not able to carry their own bags or navigate themselves through the landscapes. Sometimes it was quite humorous to see how 60-year-old local uncles carry the bag of Jonathan, 24 from California. A little suffering and finding ways by yourself are one of the main parts of going to nature and hiking.
After 30 days it was time to return to India, take a flight to Mumbai and explore the South of that crazy country.
3 Highlights:
- Hiking in the Annapurna Conversation Area for 2 weeks (!!!)
- Exploring the sights of Kathmandu
- Charming Bandipur with day hikes around
 |
| Visited places in Nepal |
 |
| Nepali Rupee |
 |
| First Momos in Nepal |
 |
| Phewa Lake, Pokhara |
 |
| Slowly equipping ourselves |
 |
| Only rain the first days |
 |
| Sophie! |
 |
| Getting our Trekking permits |
 |
| No rain = Start! |
 |
| Some eggs and Samosas before the trek |
 |
| Starting point |
 |
| Our fist of many amazing hanging bridges to cross valleys and rivers |
 |
| Day 1 and already tired |
 |
| Hiking in the rain is not fun but the cloudy views are beautiful |
 |
| Probably the best beds we had on the entire trek |
 |
| Dal Bhat, the staple dish in Nepali mountains |
 |
| One of the few places to do a number 2 ;) |
 |
| Every village always has plenty of animals |
 |
| Wood ovens are the biggest comfort in the evenings. Unfortunately, they were forbidden at higher altitudes |
 |
| Poon Hill at 5:30 am in the morning |
 |
| A stunning panorama, even better with the uprising sunrise later |
 |
| Machhapuchchre, also known as Fishtail |
 |
| Bouncers in rural Nepal |
 |
| Always the best: Fluffy mountain dogs who sometimes follow you for kilometers! |
 |
| Gurung bread, good calories for the day |
 |
| The last 7 days of the hike had perfect weather! |
 |
| What a place to live |
 |
| Machapuchchre |
 |
| Sleeping in a shop after unsuccessfully finding a sleeping place |
 |
| (Undigital) Nomads |
 |
| Closer and closer to the Base Camp! |
 |
| Kings of the valley |
 |
| I loved those 2 days of the hikes though steppe with amazing views on glaciers |
 |
| Made it to the base camp, great reward: |
 |
| Plenty of memorials of people who died in those unmerciful mountains |
 |
| Nepal is just amazing |
 |
| Made it! |
 |
| My backpack, a loyal companion for nearly 4 years now |
 |
| Wildlife of Annapurna |
 |
| Sometimes we fell asleep at 7 pm |
 |
| Hot springs! |
 |
| Waiting for their turn in the hot springs |
 |
| There is nothing better than laying in a hot spring after 10 days of hiking |
 |
| The longest bridge we crossed |
 |
| That's how bus rides look in Nepal, next to cliffs |
 |
| Mini Van to Bandipur |
 |
| Charming Bandipur |
 |
| Newari Cuisine in Bandipur |
 |
| Two wild Bulbasaurs |
 |
| Local bus to Kathmandu |
 |
| View from our hostel in Kathmandu |
 |
| On the outskirts of Kathmandu with rare glimpses on Mount Everest |
 |
| Harvest time |
 |
| On the rooftop of the house of Anish and Abin |
