One might say that a week in Nepal is not nearly enough time to enjoy all the country has to offer. I completely agree, but due to my husband’s demanding work schedule that’s all the time we had so we made the most of it!
We were invited to Kathmandu to attend a friend’s wedding but we wanted to experience other parts of the country as well. I spoke to my best friend who had recently gone trekking in Nepal to get some tips and also did a lot of online research to find out which treks were feasible with the limited time we had. We were originally planning on doing a trek without a guide but once I started looking into all of the permits and logistics we would have to plan in advance, I decided that paying a little extra for a guide who would sort all of that out before we arrived was the way to go. Here are the main things you should know if you’re thinking about going on a trek in Nepal:
- You don’t necessarily need a guide but if you are on a tight schedule, it is in your best interest. If you decide to go it alone, make sure you give yourself enough time to get your TIMS card and research the route you want to go beforehand.
- Buy most of your gear in Nepal. It is a lot cheaper and saves space in your suitcase, which most hotels will let you store for free while you’re off trekking.
- Bring your own hiking shoes, wool socks and long underwear. Sweat-wicking materials are best because they will dry quickly and keep you cool or warm. Break your hiking shoes in at least a week in advance so you don’t get blisters.
- Pack as little clothing as you can and pack in layers. You will be going from 80 degree temps to below freezing so make sure you bring clothing that you can easily pull on or take off.
- Dress to be comfortable and don’t worry about being smelly. No one cares if you wear the same thing three days in a row or if you are wearing makeup because once you’ve been hiking for 8 hours, I can guarantee that no one will give a shit.
- It is not necessary to book hotels (tea houses) in advance – there’s almost always a room available. Just be prepared for basic accommodations, squat toilets, and cold showers.
- Prepare yourself physically. I don’t consider myself out of shape but I also don’t exercise regularly and trekking for three days was no cakewalk. The altitude will make you feel tired quickly so make sure you are ready for hours upon hours of a seemingly never-ending stairmaster.
- Guides typically cost $15-30 a day. This includes food and accommodations. If you want a sherpa to carry your stuff for you that is extra.
- Plan to spend around $25 a day yourself on food, accommodations, etc (not including your guide’s fee).
- Pack a reusable water bottle because after a certain point, no plastic bottles are allowed.
- Make sure you bring enough cash to pay for anything you might need while trekking because ATMs in Pokhara are incredibly unreliable.
We decided to do the Poon Hill trek because it was short enough to complete in less than three days and offers some amazing views of the Himalayas. The downside was that it was not a circuit trek so we weren’t able to see as much because our return route was the same way we came. We met our guide in Pokhara and he showed us where to get our gear and gave us recommendations on what we actually needed to bring along (I bought a sherpa hat and sun hat and rented a sleeping bag). We then took a taxi from the city to the official start of the trail where our guide signed us in and we began our trek! This was in November when daylight was limited and it was already afternoon by the time we started walking. We walked for about 3.5 hours on a relatively flat path before stopping at a tea house for the night. The next morning we woke up around 6am and hiked for almost 10 hours, with a 45 minute break for lunch, before arriving at our next tea house at the foot of Poon Hill in Ghorepani for the night. We got up super early the next morning so that we would make it to the top of Poon Hill (a 40 min hike) to see the sunrise. We spent about an hour at the top sipping hot tea and taking photos before beginning our descent. We were able to make it the entire way back in less than a day (though we heard some Spaniards saying we “cheated” because we took a Jeep for the final hour of the trek in order to get back to Pokhara before dark).
Once we arrived back to Pokhara, we checked into our hotel and crashed for about 4 hours before grabbing some excellent chicken tandoori for dinner. I also took advantage of the hotel’s spa and got my first deep tissue massage (at an incredibly reasonable price) to help ease some of my muscle soreness.
I guess you could say we did the “light version” of trekking but I am glad we did because I don’t think I was physically prepared for anything more. We were able to experience some amazing views and get enough of a taste of trekking to make it worth our trip to Nepal.