Have you ever tried finding the perfect place to explore and even after a great deal of research on popular websites such as Lonely Planet, you still have no idea where you should go for your vacation?
If yes, then this article is best described for the wanderlust like you to know about the paradise, Nepal, a country well-known as the kingdom of God because of the giant Himalayas addressed here. No doubt, the spectacular views of this country will leave you wonderstruck.
For those of you, who are adventurous, the absolute way to explore this country is on your own feet, i.e. trekking. Trekking is multi-day hiking or walking in challenging environments which are likely to be hilly or mountainous.
Trekking in Nepal
No wonder Nepal is a country that has been blessed with natural exquisiteness, age-old sculptures from 400 AD, monuments, temples, monasteries, and whatnot. Apart from these extrinsic features, the country is quite rich in culture, traditions, and history. Annually, millions of tourists enter Nepal for the sake of detoxification, meditation, and predominantly, trekking.
When the pandemic was at its pinnacle, Over 230000 tourists’ arrival was recorded in 2020 which was a huge drop of 81 percent compared to 2019. In 2021, the number further dropped by 34.4 percent which accounted for over 150000. But with the reduction of the Covid-19 epidemic, tourist arrivals have increased and in 2022, a total of 546216 tourists visited Nepal from January to November.
Yes, you might have heard how awesome it is to trek in Nepal. One of my friends, Marcus Melacarne from Las Vegas routinely visits Nepal to “recharge his battery”. Sounds cool, right? And, he brings up new friends every time so that they too can feel the ambiance of generosity and positivity.
Trekking in Nepal is not only popular in the states or Europe; we can find people from all the continents. Included, but not limited to, the country is rich in every natural dimension, you name it. You will not even necessarily require a map while traveling in Nepal as most of the people understand and speak good English and even the locals in the remote and suburban areas do comprehend colloquial English.
The capital city has everything to offer, from pins and needles to supercars. The weather is extremely pleasant (maximum 29 degrees C. during summer) and during winter, wear a jacket and you are good to go. The ambiance and atmosphere of the city will make you inhale the fresh smell and for this, you can rent anything for easy commutation; can have a bicycle if you want to roam around the city ($8), have a dirt motorbike if you want to explore the hills (15$), or just hire a vehicle with a driver, uber. You can even rent a Lexus, Mercedes, or Tesla!
You must have been familiar with the birthplace of Gautama Buddha and his principles. There are people who check in just to meditate on Buddha principles and check out as soon as they are done. However, you don’t have to visit Lumbini, there are several meditation centers in Kathmandu where you can spend 10 days and introspect yourself. The 10 days Vipassana Meditation Retreat is guided by the Buddhist Acharya who will navigate through your meditation modus operandi for the 10 days. You do not have to worry about the accommodation, food, lodge, and other essentials; you will get it for free. You can donate later if you want.
Apart from the amenities in the Capital, an hour’s drive to Dhulikhel you can explore several trekking trails that exhibit majestic mountain ranges. Zipline is another fun thing that you can do there. Not only this, you can rent an entire bungalow for $600/day that comes with royal amenities in Dwarka 5-Star Hotel, if your pockets are slightly deep. Just half an hour from Dhulikhel, Sukute Beach is the best place to stay if you are in search of a bonfire, river, and some live music.
A 3 hours drive to Chitwan will lead you to traverse the forests through Jungle Safari and the Rhinoceros are like pedestrians in this city. As far as wildlife is concerned, Chitwan is the place to be. If you are fed up with the land, you can go air as well. Yes, you can paraglide, skydive, and even rent a helicopter. Renting a helicopter is not that costly as well; you can get it for $250, hover around the mountains, make the point to Gosaikunda Lake (4,350 meters), sip a warm tea, and return.
You really don’t need to search the trekking trails, once you enter; it’s on your platter. As soon as you jump off the plane at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Kathmandu, you can find a bunch of trekking trails within a radius of 4 km. Yes, you heard it right. Just a couple of minutes in an uber, and you reach the Bhaktapur Durbar Square which itself carries a protracted history concerning the Kingdom of Nepal, wars, massacres, and such.
A 10 minutes walk from the Bhaktapur Durbar Square will lead you to Suryabinayak through which you can explore the temples like Doleshwor Mahadev (Head of Kedarnath, one of the Chardham). And, you are done with the sacred solemnity of visiting the Chardham. Now, you can climb toward the hills that lead you to Anantalingeshwor. Roughly after 5 km of an uphill trek, you will find the temple of Pilot Baba who is miraculously famous for saving a sure-shot aircraft crash.
After climbing uphill, it’s barely 20 minutes to return to Suryabinayak. You can find exponential amounts of resorts, hotels, and motels there to spare some time. Thamel is another popular locality in Kathmandu where the majority of the international tourists reside and 50% of them check in just to trek. You can befriend anyone there and Nepalese are the kindest people you’ll ever find.
Another trekking trail is Kirtipur which is around 3 km from Thamel. Kirtipur is the oldest city and carries a legacy of the overall history of Kathmandu and Prithvi Narayan Shah. Famous for food, you can devour some local booze, diversified meat times, and high-quality Newari cuisine.
Another amusing place to trek is through the ways of Shivapuri National Park where you can find anything, just name it. Apart from the capital, you can trek in Pokhara, Langtang, Annapurna, Everest Base Camp, Makalu, and the list goes on. Just check in, you’ll never run out of the trekking trails.
Now let’s talk about trekking seasons in Nepal. No particular season resists trekking in Nepal. The data on tourists’ arrivals in Nepal in 2022 each month depicts that over 88,500 tourists entered Nepal in October. Similarly, it crossed 61,500 in April. The number was over 41,300 and 44,400 in August and July respectively. Above 46,900 tourists visited Nepal in June and above 42,000 in March. Although January and February are not considerable months for tourists, the record shows the arrivals of tourists still exceeded 16,900 in January and 19,700 in February.
However, if you are planning to visit Nepal, I would strongly recommend you come up in two main seasons: the spring which starts from late March to April, at the time of which the flowers like rhododendrons are in full bloom and the days are little longer and warmer (cities in mid hills such as Kathmandu and Pokhara have a temperature of about 23 to 32 degree Celsius).
The autumn or the fall; starts in late September to early November. The days are colder and shorter but you can get a much better experience while trekking due to the weather which is usually stable, temperatures are moderate, and skies tend to be clear. Since the weather conditions are at their best, the peaks are ready to be climbed and conquered. Similarly, the lap of the Himalayas (base camps) is waiting for you to spend your ultimate captivating time there.
Do I really need a guide for trekking in Nepal?
You must be thinking that you need to manage a guide for trekking in Nepal and wondering if it might be time-consuming and also expensive. But believe me! You don’t really need one if you are planning to trek on popular routes like Annapurna base camp, Langtang valley, Jomsom, Muktinath, Everest base camp, and many more because the tea houses and lodges are found all along the trails.
Nevertheless, you have to trek at your own risk. You might have heard a 21- year-old Taiwanese trekker with his girlfriend went missing in the Himalayas, however, he was rescued alive in 47 days but unfortunately, his companion was found dead. Therefore, I would recommend trekking without a guide only for people who have extensive outdoor experience and who have trekked before in the Himalayas. If you are new and unsure about handling an emergency situation in the mountains, then you must hire a guide.
Guides can be either male trekking guides or female trekking guides. You can hire according to your convenience but the number of female guides is almost negligible as compared to male guides And it’s up to you to choose a guide either from a travel agency ($18-30 per day) or an Independent ($25 per day) Agencies generally claims that their guides are covered with insurance so it can be a bit safe to travel with them. The better idea for hiring a guide for a cheaper amount is you can share the cost of a guide with others (2 or 5 people). You can tip your guide according to your wish. It’s not mandatory.
What to carry for trekking?
Imagine, you are out for the journey and suddenly you realize that you didn’t carry the essential equipment with you because that tool was not on your packing list. Isn’t it annoying?
Undeniably, it is troublesome. Take it easy! You don’t have to go through the guide books which consists of hundreds of pages with thousands of dull and dreary words. Here, you will easily find all the information you need before starting your trekking journey.
You cannot haul around your storing luggage on your trek but you need something to store your necessary equipment. So, let’s start with the backpack. Your backpack is not only just a backpack, it is a small encampment containing all your travel kits. Consequently, it is quite difficult to carry a load on your back and walk. That is why while buying your backpack make sure that it’s comfortable and the volume capacity is according to the duration of your trekking.
Now, I would like you to imagine one more scenario where you are standing just in front of a heavenly view and you took out your camera to capture that moment but unfortunately, the device has no battery. Neither does your smartphone I don’t have to tell you how frustrating the situation is! Therefore, backup is the most important. There are many solar battery chargers available in the market. Pick the one which is lightweight and whose durability is high.
The next is your outfit. Select your outfit according to the weather. In summer, light clothes usually, shorts and half sleeves are preferable and in winter, wear base layers with a warm jacket. Stretching pants, woolen T-shirts, fleece jackets, comfortable underwear, winter hats, gloves, and socks are to be considered before packing your bag.
Similarly, the most important thing is your shoes. The way you experience your trekking journey is determined by the fact that how long you can walk without any difficulty. For this, wearing cozy shoes, especially ones made for trekking, is the best idea. Trekking shoes are easily available in different brands and at different costs therefore, buy one that fits you and your budget.
If you are also planning camping trips, along with the tent, a sleeping bag is what you need to make yourself warm and relaxed.
Likewise, there are many essential things you should not forget while packing your bags such as a water bottle, medicines (if you are a regular medicine consumer), a first aid kit, a trekking pole, sunglasses, and a smartwatch.
Not to skip: Especially if you are an easy victim of intestinal parasites: Clean drinking water is a significant consideration for any trip. But not everywhere on your trails you can find clean water to drink. So it is a good idea to carry chlorine dioxide drops since it is an ultra-light method of water purification.
Lastly, sometimes you feel disconnected from nature even if you are close to it. At that time, when you start feeling something is missing; then remember you need soft music that soothes your soul. You can download better music from apps like Spotify and store in your drive. You can carry headphones or earphones for a superior experience.