"My Love Affair with Nepal" Top 5 Page for this destination Nepal by into-thin-air

Nepal Travel Guide: 3,920 reviews and 10,572 photos

Rob on 2013 Mardi Himal Trek

Overview

My Love Affair with Nepal started back in 1994 when I bought an old Landrover, put together a small group and drove from Cumbria (UK) to Kathmandu, since then I have returned a further eight times and am Hoping to return next spring for trip number Ten :-)

Since my first visit I have fallen in love with both the country and its people, Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, but as little as the people there have, they are nearly always willing to share it with you. So in 2004 I started my own little enterprise, Pro-Tector to try, in my own small way to help.

In the following Pages, Tips and Travelogues below I will attempt to pass on my own experiences in Nepal to try to also encourage and help future visitors to the Beautiful yet sometimes troubled country.

For those interested, my individual trips and top recommendations are written up in the travelogues, In the Nepal Travel Tips Sections I have tried to explain procedures for arriving in Nepal, Ideas for Trekking along with permit requirements and reviews of the different styles available, Rafting on some of Nepal’s Awesome rivers, What to try to see when you are visiting Nepal including the world heritage sites as well as the national Parks, Transportation ideas and options and reviews of hotels and restaurants that I have used plus many other bits and pieces that I think might well be of use to visitors to Nepal.
Nepal is a wonderful country to visit and overall is a very safe destination, the people are some of the nicest that I have met anywhere in the world and the scenery is to die for – However there are some pitfalls and I have also tried to mention these but if there is something that I have missed or extra information that you require then Please feel free to drop me a line and I will do my very best to answer you.

The path above Chele, Upper Mustang

My Good Friends Helga & Nirmal at H.M.A. Office

Pros and Cons

Pros:Nepal is my Favourite Country -- So anything I could say here would be a bit biased !!!
Cons:It is True that Nepal does have it's fair share of political problems now - " But It IS still Safe for the Tourist in My Opinion " !!
In a nutshell:The Diversity of this country will always amaze me, Mountains, National Parks, Rivers to Raft and Wonderful Ancient Cities to visit !!

Last visit to Nepal: Apr 2010
Intro Updated May 8, 2013
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Reviews (323)

The new jeep road to Chane (Near... Transportation (38)

Particularly useful at the end of a Poon Hill or AMC Trek, There is now a the new jeep road to Chane (Near Ghandruk) (To... more travel advice

6 day itinerary with short trek Things to Do (30)

Day 1 – Arrive Kathmandu, settle into hotel, Pop into your agents. Meet your guide / porter/guide and get him to take... more travel advice

Two-day trek without the need of permits Sports & Outdoors (53)

For a two-day trek without the need of permits, take a bus or car from Pokhara to Kande and walk up to Australian Camp.... more travel advice

SIM Cards in Nepal Local Customs (20)

Not exactly a Local Customs Tip, But I couldn’t think where else to put it ;-) I have just returned from Nepal and for... more travel advice

Hotels (84)
See All Mardi Himal Loop Night 8
Warnings and Dangers (18)
See All Check your Guides Licence
Off The Beaten Path (16)
See All Alternative route to ABC
Shopping (21)
See All Paintings by local artists
Favorites (3)
See All Why I now take a Porter/Guide on trek

What to Pack (12)
See All Thermorest / Cary-Mat while Teahouse...
Nightlife (5)
See All Great Ambiance ;-)
Restaurants (20)
See All Pokhara, 3 restaurants more or less in a...
Tourist Traps (3)
See All Warning for Film Processing in Kathmandu
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Travelogues (17)

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Comments (179)

Updated Comment
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PierreZA Nov 10, 2008 at 11:17 PM

Hi Rob, what a fantastic page! Thank you for all the very practical and helpful tips

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giampiero6 May 2, 2013 at 5:36 PM

Superb!
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  into-thin-air May 3, 2013 at 12:30 AM
  
  Thanks G :-)
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afternoonz Apr 18, 2013 at 6:44 AM

Hi Rob! How are you ? It's Ning from Thailand who met in Nirmal shop. I am back to BKK now. The AC trek was great, Everything went great I made it in time as plan. It's really good experience for me. The day we cross the pass was snowing all the way down to Muktinath, It was a bit scary for me to walk on some part of slippery snow.. it's my first time :) but I made it and enjoyed a lot! Thanks again for your advises and was nice meeting you there!
Cheers! Ning
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  into-thin-air Apr 18, 2013 at 6:51 AM
  
  Hey Ning
  Great to hear from you – Really pleased to hear that you had a wonderful trek and I look forwards to seeing some pics – Drop me a PM on hear and you can let me know more details about your trek
  Looking forwards to hearing from you
  Rob
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hunterV Mar 28, 2013 at 1:05 AM

Rob! You are a great traveller indeed! Thanks for your priceless efforts in creating this thorough page and sharing your experiences with us!
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kailuagirl Dec 28, 2012 at 1:47 PM

Rob, I'm planning to trek to ABC this Spring. Unfortunately, I will be on the trail for only 7 days. Do you have any suggestions on how best to allocate my time?
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tslobodian Dec 4, 2012 at 5:28 PM

Hi Rob,

My boyfriend & I are planning a trip to Nepal April 3-25 2013 and want to trek Langtang Helambu for 2 weeks. In 2004 we did the Annapurna Circuit with a guide and porter. We are wondering if you have a good recommendation for a guide and approx. how much we should be paying.
Thank you Teresa
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AlexanderF Nov 22, 2012 at 1:44 AM

Hi Rob,

We are 5 relatively fit guys that are soon going to Nepal (beginning of
December) for a week.

We want to go on a short trek from Pokhara during our time and I have seen that
you recommend the Naya Pul ? Ghandruk ? Tadopani ? Ghoropani (Poon Hill) - Naya
Pul trek (bus back/forth Pokhara). Do we REALLY need four days for this one or
can it be done in three? We are a little bit short on time...

Thanks!
/Alex
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  into-thin-air Nov 22, 2012 at 5:23 AM
  
  Hi Alex
  Good Question, but difficult to answer, If I had to, then yes, I could trek the Ghandruk – Tadapani – Ghoropani (Poon Hill) Naya Pul route in 3 days – Whether I would want to would be a different matter as, although doable (And I expect many locals regularly trek the sections fast enough to easily complete the route in 3 days) it would mean very long days
  I have heard that there is now a jeep road from Naya Pul to Syauli Bazaar – So, If you got the earliest bus from Pokhara to Naya Pul, then snagged a lift to Syauli Bazaar, you could get as far as Bhaisikharka where there is a simple lodge on the first day – Then day 2 to Ghoropani, day 3 Up before dawn to see the sunrise at Poon Hill, then down to Naya Pul for the late evening bus back to Pokhara.
  This map gives the route
  howadoor.umbra.cz/img/map/An...
  Good Luck
  Rob
  PS – Please drop me a line and let me know how you get on
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rob1_85 Nov 21, 2012 at 2:56 PM

Rob, all being well I hope to be in Nepal in April/May 2013. I am hoping to trek the Annapurna Circuit and round to Poon Hill in what will be my first visit to the country. I can't wait!

I'm afraid I'm asking advice on footwear (probably heard this a lot). I trek/hike a lot and feel comfortable in the hills in Scotland, the Lakes and Northumberland, but have normally worn boots. To give you my conundrum however; I will be travelling to Nepal after 4 months in hot sticky SE Asia, and carrying my big Zamberlan boots (the same I think you have had in the past) is not going to be particularly fun nor practical. I won't have any use for them before I get to Nepal!

So, do you think I'd be better off just taking a pair of trail shoes I am comfortable with such as Merrell Refuge or otherwise? Your advice is much appreciated, as is your brilliant site!

Thanks!
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  into-thin-air Nov 21, 2012 at 4:33 PM
  
  No Problem – And I do see your conundrum
  These days I now trek in lightweight “Gortex” type boots and these might well suit your trip – Trekking AC in April shouldn’t cause a huge problem in trail runners, but if you did happen to get a late dump of snow then a lightweight boot would cope better.
  Footwear tends to be a personal choice, where I prefer my lightweight boots, other trekkers swear by trail runners.
  Good Luck
  Rob
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ines2003 Nov 16, 2012 at 8:43 AM

Congratulations on your Barney award!
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  into-thin-air Nov 16, 2012 at 9:07 AM
  
  Thanks for your kind words Carla :-)
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diyana186 Nov 12, 2012 at 1:07 AM

Dear Rob,

May I know how the weather would be like for Poon hill trek in early February? Would I be needing really warm clothing and down jacket or fleece sweater would be sufficient? Also, is it possible to trek in sneakers (running shoes) instead of high cut hiking boots? Thanks!
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  diyana186 Nov 13, 2012 at 7:01 AM
  
  Thanks for the tips Rob. would it still be snowing early february?
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  into-thin-air Nov 13, 2012 at 7:22 AM
  
  Difficult to say, but if I were you I would go prepared for snow as there is at least a fair chance of getting some in early February
  Good Luck
  Rob