The Gardens of Nepalese Tea

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Transfer and check-in at the hotel.

  

  Transfer and installation at the hotel. Rest and free time. Depending on your arrival, you will discover the old alleys of Kathmandu and get a first glimpse of the life of the Nepalese. Accommodation: Hotel Meals not included

• day 2

  Domestic flight: Kathmandu - Biratnagar, drive to Hile (1,950 m)

  

  Early in the morning, you take a domestic flight to eastern Nepal. It is in Biratnagar, a lowland region of Nepal and a city on the India-Nepal border, that you take a shared transport to Dharan. Between Itahari and Dharan, in a small local tea shop, you have a tea or tchya before continuing the road to Dharan, a city at the foot of the middle mountains. You continue along the mountain road and cross the Tamor river bridge. A few photo stops: villages, people, rice fields, landscapes. Continue along the mountain road to Hile. Flight: 30 minutes Journey: 4h Accommodation: Mountain hotel with full board

• day 3

  Hile - Gufa Pokhari (2860 m)

  

  After breakfast, you head towards the heights of Gufa Pokhari. The road passes through a rhododendron forest and, at Basantapur, the most important town and typical commercial center of the region, you have tea with locals and share a moment with the Limbu people, the Brahmins, etc. You continue along the road still among the rhododendrons and have lunch at Chowki at a school teacher's house. Enjoy beautiful views of the Himalayas, including Mt. Makalu (8463 m). Transfer by vehicle to Gufa Pokhari, a small town inhabited by various ethnic groups, on the edge of a peaceful small lake. From the village, the view is splendid of Kanchenjunga (8586 m) and Janu (7710 m), but also of Baruntse (7129 m), Chamlang (7319 m), and Makalu (8481 m), which is reflected in the sacred lake of Gufa Pokhari. Route: 3h Accommodation: Lodge run by a Sherpa family (yak breeders)

• day 4

  Discovery: Gufa Pokhari and the surroundings

  

  Splendid sunrise to enjoy the view of the high peaks of the eastern Himalayas, which are majestically reflected in the sacred lake of Gufa Pokhari. It is a magical place, with a strange and silent beauty. This is the region where you find the greatest variety of rhododendrons, the national and emblematic flower of Nepal. We can also see herds of beautiful yaks here. The round trip to Milke Danda is easy to enjoy the views of the Himalayan massifs, the rhododendron forest, and to share tea and some smiles with the local people: Sherpas, Limbus, Brahmins... Accommodation: Same Lodge

• day 5

  Gufa Pokhari - Samthang (2300 m)

  

  This is the most demanding day of the trek, with alternating ascents and descents. You cross a region covered with dense forests of rhododendrons, magnolias, and chestnut trees, then follow the ridge overlooking several valleys, forests, and peaks. Taking your time, you walk to the village of Samthang. Accommodation: Homestay Walking hours: 6h Elevation gain/loss: +500m / -1150m

• day 6

  Samthang: discovery of the region

  

  At Samthang, we spend days 6 and 7. Splendid sunrise over Mount Janu (7710 m), undoubtedly one of the most beautiful mountains in the Himalayas, as well as over Kanchanjungha (8586 m), the third highest mountain in the world. Day 6 and Day 7: During these two days, hiking: you can walk as much as you wish, talking with your guide: 2 hours per day, or 3, or 4... You can go to different villages, meet the locals, visit schools... or help in the fields if you wish: bring herbs for the goats or milk a cow... It would be a total immersion in a remote village of authentic Nepal. On this day: sunrise, breakfast and walk to Bhagawati without significant elevation gain. Lunch at Sakranti Bazaar, a small commercial center of the region. Accommodation: homestay 3 to 4 hours of walking

• day 7

  Samthang: discovery of the region

  

  After breakfast, round trip to Mr. Devi Kafle's house, which is located 1500 m away. Lunch at Mr. Kafle's. Crossing beautiful landscapes, villages, crops, people... Or spend the whole day in the area: local school, fields, etc. Accommodation: homestay 4 hours of walking Elevation gain: +800 m / -800 m

• day 8

  Samthang (2300 m) - Chhatedhunga (1500 m)

  

  After breakfast, you descend through giant rhododendrons. It is a gradual descent via the villages of Hwaku and Iwa, until we arrive at the small village of Chhatedhunga. Accommodation: homestay Walking hours: 5 Elevation gain: +750m

• day 9

  Chhatedhunga (1500 m) - on the banks of the Tamor river at Majhitar

  

  Regular descent to the bank of the Tamor River, through a subtropical forest, which has its source at the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga. Relaxation by the riverside. Accommodation: bivouac under a tent by the river 3 hours of walking Elevation change: -600 m

• day 10

  Majhitar - Ilam, land of Nepalese tea

  After breakfast, drive to Ilam. We sleep in the heart of Ilam's green tea fields. Walk upon arrival in the region. Accommodation: homestay 5 hours of driving 1 hour of walking

• day 11

  Ilam: discovery of the Kanyam region

  

  Ilam, capital of Nepalese tea for 150 years. Discover the tea plantations on foot and visit a factory to learn about the different stages of tea production. Accommodation: homestay 3 hours of walking

• day 12

  Route: Kanyam - Jhapa

  

  A pretty road leads us to the Eastern Terai, located at the border with India, not far from Darjeeling. We take the time to discover the small typical villages scattered among the rice fields. We stroll from village to village and enjoy the typical atmosphere of the Terai: rice fields, palm trees, and banana trees make up the authentic scenery of this region. It is a radical change compared to what you will have seen during the previous days. Accommodation: homestay 2 hours by road

• day 13

  Domestic flight: Biratnagar - Kathmandu

  

  Morning in the Terai, then you take a short domestic flight to Kathmandu. Flight: 45 minutes Accommodation: Hotel

• day 14

  End of stay

  End of stay