Nepali girl in her kitchen
You may wondering how accommodation could be in the middle
in nowhere at 3000 meters high in the Annapurna?
Trekking is nothing new in Nepal: in 1953, Sir Edmond
Hillary was the first to reach the summit of Everest and since then, many many
people have visited Nepal for climbing, mountaineering and more recently
trekking in the Himalaya.
Accommodation alternatives during trekking, are limited and you should
not expect the comfort of a four star hotel! We will eat and sleep in
relatively simple family run homestay with an average of 10 to 15 rooms
available for 2 to 4 people. You will have dinner with other trekkers in a
large dining room with a wood fire (in the colder, higher areas).
Unless you have chosen to be on our own, you will share your room with
another member of our group. You don’t nee to bring your own sleeping bag as
every lodge has good and clean blankets to keep you warm.
Most of the guesthouses have shared bathroom facilities but sometimes
you might have you own bathroom but you will always have access to a hot shower
(mostly solar system).
Food is quite good and menus full of surprising dishes like pizzas
(Nepali style but good), apple pies or Tibetan tea. The main food still is the
“Dahl Baht” a full plate with rice, lentils, curried vegetables, pickles and
various additions depending on the cook. For meat eater, chicken, goat meat or
buffalo meat is what you will get. Personally I like few days of vegetarianism,
it felt lighter walking up and down the trail…
The price of food varies according to the distance of the next market!
The higher you are and the higher the prices. You may start with a dish that
will cost 250 rupees (3 US$) in the
first village and the same dish at 4200 m at the Annapurna Base Camp will be
double that price, still quite reasonable according to western standards.
In every lodge you will find properly boiled or filtered water and you
will be able to fill up your bottles for free or sometimes for a small fee.
We use water purifier pills or drops but you can also bring a portable
backpacking filter as there is now some good option on the market. See http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpacking-Water-Filter-Reviews/buying-advice.
When I started to trek in Nepal, some thirty years ago, the quantity and
the quality of the lodges was often a problem compensated by the very low
number of trekkers and the amazing landscapes. There is definitely more people
on the trails now but the lodges are quite comfortable, the food good and the
people really nice and English speaking (it helps!)… And the landscapes are
still amazing!
More details on our next photography and trekking workshop here: http://www.photography-trekking.asia/
See you there
Bruno L’Hoste
Guesthouse in Muktinath, 3800 m high in the Annapurna
