Annapurna Sanctuary

Annapurna Base Camp
13 Days trip
TripCode: ANC03
Country: Nepal

Highlights

• This is one of the best adventure treks in Nepal
• Breathtaking mountain scenery
• Poon Hill for one of the best view of the Himalayan sunrise in Nepal
• Natural gorge and water falls
• Good food
• Magnificent mountain views

The Annapurna Himal is a vast massif of several peaks above 7,000m and a part of the range forms a natural amphitheater known as the Annapurna Sanctuary. It is surrounded by giants such as Annapurna I, Glacier Dome, Gangapurna, Fang and the sacred Machhapuchhare, which is popularly known as Fish Tail. We visit the marvelous viewpoint of Poon Hill before descending to Modi Khola Valley and inside the gates of the Sanctuary. Passing directly below the Machhapuchhare, we have a couple of days to explore the amphitheater before returning to Pokhara via a different route. This is a fairly strenuous alpine trek that gives the fit walker a close-up Mountain View.

Trip Fact sheet
Trip name:	Annapurna Sanctuary
Trip Code:	ANC01
Trip Duration:	13 Days trip
Trek days:	11 days
Area:	Annapurna Conservation Area
Activities:	Trekking/hiking
Trip grade:	Moderately strenuous adventure
Highest point:	4100m (ABC)
Mountains:	Annapurna (10th highest), Dhaulagiri (6th highest in the world) and Machhapuchhare.
Accommodation:	Lodges on the trail and standard tourist hotel in Kathmandu and Pokhara
Meals on trek:	Included (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Transportation:	Tourist Coach and private van or bus
Minimum pax:	2 pax
Maximum pax:	16 pax
Season:	September to November and March to May

Trip itinerary

Day01: Meet in Kathmandu airport, transfer to hotel. Evening: trip briefing and welcome dinner at a Nepali restaurant.
Day02: Heritage sightseeing -Swoyambunath, Bouddhanath Stupa and Pashupatinath.
Day03: Drive to Pokhara (200km) in 7 hours from Kathmandu. Overnight hotel.
Day04: Drive to Nayapool and begin trek to Banthanti via Birethanti. Overnight lodge.
Day05: Trek to Ghorepani and overnight in a lodge with stunning mountain views.
Day06: Trek to Tadapani after early morning visit to the famous Poon Hill to watch the sunrise and the fantastic mountain views, one the highlights of the trek.
Day07: Trek down to Chhomrong, the gateway to Annapurna Base Camp and lodge.
Day08: Trek to Dovan, which is situated in the gorge, overlooking the majestic sacred mountain Machhapuchhare in the north.
Day09: Trek into the sanctuary area and overnight at Machhapuchhare base camp located well over the tree lines.
Day10: A short hike up to Annapurna Base Camp (ABC), which is situated in the middle of the sanctuary of the mountains and is formed by Annapurna I, the tenth highest mountain in the world, and many other snow-capped peaks.
Day11: Retrace steps back to Bamboo via Deurali and Dovan. Overnight lodge.
Day12 Retrace steps to Chhomrong and drop down to Jhinu Danda. The hot spring is located near this place.
Day13: Trek to Dhampus en route Tolka, Deurali and Pothana. Dhampus offers great panoramic views of the mountains.
Day14: Return from trek and drive to Pokhara. Overnight hotel.
Day15: Drive back to Kathmandu and transfer to your hotel.
Day16: Day of leisure in Kathmandu.
Day17: The trip ends in Kathmandu.

Tour extension: After this trip, if you have time, you can also join the short adventure activities that we offer such as the 2-3 days Seti or Kali Gandaki River rafting and kayaking trips or take an adventure wildlife safari tour at the Chitwan National Park

Best season/time for this trip

It entirely depends on what you are looking for! Nepal is ever pleasant throughout the year. Spring and summer are great months (March and April, May) with lots of flowers blooming everywhere, however, the sky might not be as crystal clear as during the autumn months. The national flower of Nepal, the Rhododendrons blooming in the mountains and the hills are a wonderful sight. This is the second busiest season for the tourists who come for mountaineering and trekking. The fact that the tourist places are generally crowded during this season might be considered as a down side.
June, July and August are wet but the mountains and hills are covered with lush and lively green forest or vegetation. The season might not be too good for the mountain views but it is a great time for studying and exploring the varied types of plants that grow during this season. Very few people travel during this period and thus, it is perfect for a person who has interest in exploring the quieter path and nature at its best.
October and November are the best months in terms of settled weather and crystal clear sky which provides clear mountain views. This means that the popular trails are almost saturated with trekkers, which sometimes creates a problem in terms of finding a place to stay and eat especially if one is traveling with a small group.
Winter months from December to February are also good for low altitude treks and mountain views and less people trek during this time. The weather starts to get a bit hazy but the mountains are usually visible from most of our trekking trails and even from the Kathmandu valley.

Safety/Acclimatization

Everything we do has some code of conduct that we should care about. Understanding the nature of time, situation and place will always be beneficial in some way or the other. Safety is our foremost priority and our staffs will look into the details of the logistic and assess the situation to make sure that you are very safe and enjoy the trip.
Altitude problem or AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) can be life threatening if you ignore it. For most of people, the altitude can be felt if one goes over 4000m but some people might feel the altitude at lower elevation as well. Our trip itinerary has been designed in a way that allows more time to help you acclimatize in high altitude. Our guides are experienced and can act according to the gravity of the mountain sickness that people might fall victim to. But remember that the best medicine for AMS is to reduce the altitude by going to a lower elevation because no matter what drugs we use, it will only assist in buying time. So, never ignore the symptoms of AMS and please talk to your guide or tour leader ASAP. There is always a way out!

Trip Cost US$ 1030 to 1250 per pax
Note: The above cost is based on a twin sharing basis and there should be a minimum of 2 people. Also the cost will be revised if the group size exceeds 4 people. Please enquire with us…

Cost inclusion

• Kathmandu/Pokhara/Kathmandu tourist coach
• 2 night Pokhara hotel accommodation w/breakfast
• An English-speaking guide service from Kathmandu/Kathmandu
• Service of one porter for two clients
• Three meals and accommodation along the trekking trail in local Inns/Lodges
• Cost of conservation and TIMS
• Staff’s insurance
• Staff’s wages and food

Fall and winter 2009
14 Sept – 26 Sept 21 Sept – 03 Oct 29 Sept – 11 Oct 05 Oct – 17 Oct 12 Oct – 24 Oct	19 Oct – 26 Oct 26 Oct – 07 Nov 02 Nov – 14 Nov 09 Nov – 13 Nov 09 Nov – 21 Nov	16 Nov – 28 Nov 29 Nov – 11 Dec 04 Dec – 16 Dec 07 Dec – 19 Dec 14 Dec – 26 Dec
Spring and Summer 2010
27 Feb- 11 March 03 March – 15 March 10 March – 22 March 17 March – 29 March 24 March – 05 April 31 March – 12 April	02 April – 14 March 07 April – 19 April 14 April – 26 April 21 April – 03 May 28 April – 10 May 04 May – 16 May	12 May – 24 May 19 May – 01 June 02 June – 14 June

Our Responsible approach

During our treks, we use designated routes and campsites to avoid negative impact on our fragile environment while respecting the local culture and tradition. During these trips we use Home-stay as much as possible to support the local economy. Instead of using firewood, we use gasoline or gas for cooking and encourage solar heating to avoid further deforestation. To avoid littering, we educate and aware our clients, staffs and porters to use the right place to dispose garbage and to bring back the non-bio-degradable ones. We do not put mobile toilets near the water or near any other places that are culturally or locally important or sacred. We also try to use the service of local porters and guides if possible. We understand that nature conservation is a big issue and we should support it in whatever way we can.

Take nothing but Photographs and Leave nothing but Footprints!

For further information please mail us at: info@nature-treks.com