Trekking in Mt. Annapurna Region, Nepal
Saturday, 6 - Sunday, 14 November 2010
Leader: Mr. Peter Laverick, Council Member of the Siam Society
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The Siam Society will organise a trekking trip to the Mt. Annapurna region of Nepal. Members will depart from Bangkok on TG319 on Saturday, 6 November at 10:35 a.m. and return on Sunday 14 November on flight TG320 at 06:35 p.m. The trip is limited to 15 participants, so please register your interest as soon as possible.
We will be treking for five days, staying at camp sites eating basic local food prepared by our guides. The walking will be hilly but not difficult. Each day we will be walking for up to five hours along trails rather than roads, so there is no option to take motorised transport. Our maximum elevation will be about 3,200 metres (at Punhill above Ghorepani village) so altitude sickness is unlikely to be a problem. There will be porters to carry all our luggage, so on the trek we will just need to carry a small backpack with water, camera, passport etc.
Trekking in Nepal is often regarded as a 'pilgrimage' whereby one takes leave of the human civilization to enter remote lands, traveling on foot over arduous high mountain-paths, crossing deep valleys, sleeping in camp sites thus coming in close contact with the elements of nature. Trekking is also perhaps the best way to experience and know the simple mountain-folk, see their culture and lifestyle and enjoy the scenic grandeur of this paradisiacal country. The landscape of countless green hills, vast and deep valleys, great gushing, turbulent rivers, placid lakes and beautiful terraced fields against the backdrop of towering snow-capped high mountains are enough to compel the avid trekkers to take up the challenge again and again.
You don’t need to be a mountaineer with rippling muscles to enjoy trekking. If you are reasonably fit, have a sprit of adventure and are not afraid of walking, you qualify. All you have to do on the trail is concentrate on putting one foot before the other.
Our guides will provide equipment like sleeping bags, foam mattresses and tents.
The tentative programme will be as follows:
Day 1: Sat. 6 Nov. Bangkok to Kathmandu (elevation 1350m): |
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| 08.40 a.m. | Meet at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport check-in counter for Thai Airways International, Row H, J. |
| 10:35 a.m. | Depart Suvarnabhumi Airport for Kathmandu by Thai Airways Intl. flight TG319. |
| 12:50 p.m. | Arrive at Kathmandu Airport, transfer to local restaurant for lunch and check-in at Hotel Radisson Kathmandu. |
| - | Briefing on the trip. Evening, an introductory sightseeing trip to downtown Kathmandu covering Kathmandu Durbar (old Palace) Square and Kumari (living goddess) Temple. |
| Evening: | Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. |
Day 2: Sun. 7 Nov. Kathmandu to Pokhara (915m): |
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| - | Breakfast at the hotel. |
| - | After breakfast, transfer to Kathmandu airport for flight (35 minutes) to Pokhara. Check-in Fishtail Lodge Pokhara for lunch and overnight accommodation. After lunch, visit International Mountain Museum, then sightseeing around Lakeside Pokhara. Return to Fishtail Lodge for dinner. |
Day 3: Mon. 8 Nov. Pokhara to Ghandruk (1941m) via Saulebatti Bazar: |
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| - | Breakfast at the hotel. |
| - | After breakfast, drive (2 hours) to Nayapul, then trek (1 hour) to Saulebatti for lunch break. After lunch, trek (3 to 4 hours) to Ghandruk village. Overnight accommodation and dinner at the trekking camp site. |
Day 4: Tue. 9 Nov. Ghandruk to Banthanti (2145m): |
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| - | Breakfast at the camp. |
| - | After breakfast, trek (4 to 5 hours) enjoying the panoramic view of northern snowcapped high mountain including Mt. Annapurna South. Overnight camp and dinner at the trekking camp site. |
Day 5: Wed. 10 Nov. Banthanti to Ghorepani (2843m): |
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| - | Breakfast at the camp. |
| - | After breakfast, trek (3 to 4 hours) to Ghorepani, the best point to view Mt. Dhaulagiri range and Kaligandaki valley the worlds deepest gorge (between Mt. Dhaulagri and Mt. Annapurna). Lunch will be served at Ghorepani. Afternoon at leisure exploring the camp site enjoying the sunset view over the high mountains. Overnight accommodation and dinner at the trekking camp site. |
Day 6: Thur. 11 Nov. Ghodepani to Tirkedunga Bazar (1577m): |
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| - | An early morning tea as a wakeup call. |
| - | After an early morning tea as a wakeup call, an excursion (2 hours) to and from Pun Hill View Tower(3200m) above Ghodepani Village for sunrise view. The viewing tower is specially designed for the panoramic view covering from Mt. Dhaulagri range to Mt. Annapurna. Return to camp for breakfast and rest. After lunch trek (4 to 5 hours gradual downhill) to the camp at Tirkedunga Bazar for overnight accommodation and dinner. |
Day 7: Fri. 12 Nov. Trikedunga to Pokhara (915m) via Nayapul (1037m): |
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| - | Breakfast at the camp. |
| - | After breakfast, trek (3 to 4 hours) to Nayapul. Lunch will be served at Nayapul riverside, then drive (2 hours) to Pokhara. Check-in at Fishtail Lodge for dinner and overnight accommodation. Evening at leisure or sightseeing and shopping around lakeside. |
Day 8: Sat. 13 Nov. Pokhara to Kathmandu (1350m): |
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| - | Breakfast at the hotel. |
| - | After breakfast, sightseeing trip to Devis Fall, Tibetan Refugee Camp, Gupteshor Mahadev Temple and International Mountain Museum. Return to Fishtail Lodge for lunch and rest. Afternoon, transfer to Pokhara Airport and fly out from Pokhara. Return to Kathmandu. Check-in at Hotel Radisson Kathmandu for overnight accommodation. Evening, sightseeing and shopping in Thamel Street. Dinner will be served in local restaurant in Thamel. Return to hotel. |
Day 9: Sun. 14 Nov. Kathmandu to Bangkok: |
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| - | Breakfast at the hotel. |
| - | After breakfast, at leisure or sightseeing near the hotel. |
| 11:30 a.m. | Transfer to Kathmandu Airport. |
| 01:50 p.m. | Fly out from Kathmandu to Bangkok by Thai Airways Intl. flight TG320. |
| 06:35 p.m. | Arrive at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. |
Essential-personal items (at minimum):
| 1. A thick jacket (for morning and evening). | 9. Pocket light with extra batteries and bulbs |
| 2. Normal cotton shirts and T-shirts. | 10. Sunglasses and suncream |
| 3. Normal trousers. | 11. A hat or cap to protect yourself from sunburn |
| 4. A pair of tracksuit pants | 12. Personal medicine |
| 5. A pair of sports shoes (for trekking). | 13. Toiletries |
| 6. A pair of slippers (for camping). | 14. A small backpack (to carry your passport and other valuable documents) |
| 7. 3 to 4 pairs of socks | 15. Rain coat or umbrella. |
| 8. Water bottle (for drinking water. capacity: 1 liter). | 16. A kit bag (in order to pack your essential-personal items) |
Booking
Bt. 79,500 or Bt. 84,500 for non-members. Please add Bt. 7,500 for single room (at hotels only). There is a 4% surcharge for credit/debit card payment to cover bank charges. A non-refundable deposit of Bt. 35,000, 2 current passport size color photos and photocopy of passport must accompany the booking. Payment in full is required 15 days before the start of the trip (i.e. by Friday, 22 October). Please pay by cash or cheque payable to ‘The Siam Society’. Alternatively you can deposit/transfer the money to the Siam Society travel account at the Thai Military Bank, Asoke Branch saving account no. 053-2-18000-7. Please fax or e-mail the deposit or transfer docket to us.
Includes/Excludes:
The contribution includes airfares, airport transfers, 8 breakfasts, 9 lunches, and 8 dinners, accommodation for two persons per room (at hotels only), all entrance fees to the sightseeing points and other costs incurred to make this trip possible. It excludes personal expenses, tips to local guides and driver, etc. Visa fee to Nepal not included in the price.
Cancellation charge:
Cancellation after booking: Deposit forfeited
14 days before the start of the trip: 30% of the tour cost
13-10 days before the start of the trip: 50% of the tour cost
Less than 10 days or cancellation without notice: No refund
The Siam Society reserves the right to change the programme as necessary. Seats are limited. Please book your place as soon as possible.
For further information and bookings please contact Khun Prasert (ext. 504) or Khun Ekkarin (ext. 506) on 0 2661 6470-7, fax 0 2258 3491 or e-mail: ekkarin@siam-society.org. Office hours: 9:00am.–5:00pm. Tuesday–Saturday (except holidays).