Populations and encounters in Nepal - 13 days

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Arrival in Kathmandu

  Scheduled flight with stopover to Kathmandu. Check-in at your guest house in old Patan. Accommodation: Heritage guest house: Newa Chen or Inn Patan.

• day 2

  Discovery of Patan and Swayambhunath

  Visit of Patan, one of the three ancient imperial cities of the valley, mainly Buddhist, known for its statue-casting artisans. Visit in the afternoon of the Swayambhunath stupa, or "Monkey Temple", which overlooks Kathmandu. Accommodation: Guest house heritage: Newa Chen or Inn Patan.

• day 3

  From Kathmandu to Chitwan Park, the Terai region.

  We leave the Kathmandu valley and take the road to Chitwan National Park, in the Terai region. Arrival at the community lodge near the Tharu village. The lodge is located next to the river where the Tharu come to fish. Possibility to share this activity or to participate in a cooking workshop, dances, etc. Travel time: 5 hours. Accommodation: Tharu Community Homestay in Sauraha with full board.

• day 4

  Canoeing, elephant-back ride and hiking in Chitwan Park.

  A day entirely devoted to discovering the jungle. Canoeing on the river to observe birds at sunrise. Elephant-back ride or jeep safari in search of rhinos; walk in the jungle à la Kipling: deer, does, bears... and sometimes even tigers. In the evening, Tharu warrior dances. Accommodation: Tharu community homestay in Sauraha with full board.

• day 5

  From Chitwan to Bandipur

  Route to Bandipur, a sumptuous village of Newar merchants. Superb view of the Himalayan range. We will be accommodated in a guesthouse, simple rooms arranged near our host's residence. Travel time: 3 and a half hours. Accommodation: homestay.

• day 6

  Hike from Bandipur to Chirkini - Pokhara

  Easy walk between Bandipur and Chirkini via the authentic Magar village of Ramkot, then transfer to Pokhara where we will spend the night in a hotel on the shore of Lake Phewa. Walk: 3 h Accommodation: Lake View Resort

• day 7

  Pokhara – Koramukh – Luwang

  In the morning, transfer (45 min) to Khoramukh (1000 m). From the bridge, a short country walk with a somewhat steep ascent via flights of steps leads to the beautiful Gurung village of Luwang (1460 m), specialized in tea cultivation. Beautiful view of the valley and surrounding villages. Panoramic view due north of the Mardi Himal, Macchapuchare, and Annapurna III. Welcome in the afternoon and overnight stay with a local family. Elevation gain: +460 m Walk: 1h30 Accommodation: Homestay

• day 8

  Luwang – Dhampus – Phedi

  After enjoying the sunrise over the Mardi Himal and Lamjung Himal, a half-day trek through the rhododendron forest along the hillside awaits you until the Gurung village of Dhampus. Lunch, then a steep descent down flights of steps to Phedi, where we meet our vehicle to return to Pokhara. Free afternoon at Lake Side. Elevation gain: +200 m / -520 m Walking: 3h Accommodation: Lake View Resort

• day 9

  Visit of Bhaktapur

  Morning mountain flight between Pokhara and Kathmandu, an opportunity to discover the Himalayan range seen from the sky. We then leave for the sumptuous pedestrian city of Bhaktapur, 15 km from Kathmandu, the most beautiful of the three imperial cities of the valley. Visit and overnight stay in a guest house in Bhaktapur to enjoy the city when all the visitors have left. Accommodation: Shiva Guest House with half board.

• day 10

  Discovery of Changunarayan, Panauti

  In the morning, stroll through the alleys of Bhaktapur, then transfer to Changunarayan, the oldest temple in the valley, dedicated to Vishnu and located on a promontory. Next, transfer to the Newar town of Panauti, situated at the confluence of 2 rivers and home to a rich cultural heritage, as it was once the capital of an independent kingdom and hosts a major "Mela", a twelve-yearly fair that attracts crowds of pilgrims. Overnight stay with a Newar host family, who can introduce us, during a cooking workshop, to the typical dishes of this ethnic group. Accommodation: Homestay

• day 11

  Hiking on Namo Buddha, then Balthali, and return to Panauti.

  Loop hiking day starting from Panauti: through a rural landscape, you reach the monastery, the Buddhist pilgrimage site of Namo Buddha, which houses a small stupa commemorating the sacrifice of Buddha, who gave his body there to a hungry tigress and her cubs. Visit of the Namo Buddha monastery, then, through the forest, you descend and cross a suspension bridge to climb back up to the village of Balthali, a beautiful viewpoint over the Himalayas and the surrounding countryside, and finish the loop at Khopasi. Return to Panauti. Accommodation: Homestay

• day 12

  Pashupatinath, great stupa of Bodhnath

  Return to Kathmandu. Day of discovery of the jewels of the Kathmandu valley: Pashupatinath, a Hindu site dating from the 12th century, a cremation place dedicated to Shiva where pilgrims come to bathe in the sacred Bagmati river. Then, a short transfer to the great stupa of Bodhnath, a symbol of Kathmandu surrounded by many Buddhist monasteries. Visit to the Sechen monastery, to which Mathieu Ricard is affiliated. Night at the guest house attached to the Tek Chok Ling nunnery. Accommodation: Dundrup Guest House of the Tek Chok Ling nunnery.

• day 13

  Back

  Free time and return flight. End of Base Camp services.