1. SEASON
September – January/February
Started in Kanchenjunga in the end of September, we still hit the last of monsoon season. A lot of rain during the first three weeks on the Milky Danda and in Makalu. Everest was very busy as we hit it in the middle of peak season (mid-October), so at times it was hard to find accommodation in the higher teahouses. I would advise to take a tent if you go in main season. For the vast majority of trails we were spot on as far as the season is concerned. Only in the far west of Nepal our timing was off, as often the season there is March – May. We adjusted for this by by making several route options and then seeing what was feasible according to the weather/how we feel.
Mostly our days were warm, and nights cold. Even in October and November it could be very cold at night above 4000m. The best period for hiking we found to be the first three weeks of December: days are still warm, skies are clear so the views are amazing and most people have left Nepal already. The nights become very cold at that time. Until the end of December teahouses on major hiking routes are still open. Storms are possible from mid December and frequently hit during the second half of January, closing many passes. January was much colder and at this time hiking became tough. On higher altitudes it became hard to find water as many creeks and small rivers were frozen.
Much of the higher regions are deserted from the end of December and many teahouses close. The entirety of Dolpa is empty in winter, even further south in Dhorpatan we came by few people in the higher areas. All along the western trails the towns were quiet since many people go to the terai/Kathmandu during January and February
2. DURATION
5 months in Nepal with four months on the trail for a high/low route combo. In these four months we spent about a month chasing permits, being injured/sick, taking transport etc. We walked for 96 days from Taplejung to Simikot.
You can find our itinerary here. If you would like to get our GPX file, please contact us.
3. VISA
There is a max visa for 90 days upon arrival but this can be extended. The maximum amount per calendar year is 150 days. A visum can be extended at the immigration office in Kathmandu or in Pokhara. You need to fill in the form online at www.online.nepalimmigration.gov.np/tourist-visa. You need a receipt of the form, passport copies, passport photos and money.
4. HEALTH AND VACCINATIONS
No vaccination was specifically required for Nepal, although Hepatitis A and Typhoid are recommended.
Also
- Japanese Encephalitis (only lowlands)
- Malaria (only lowlands)
- Rabies
- Polio
- Hepatitis B
- Measles, Mumbs, Rubella
- Tetanus/Diphteria
are recommended for long stay and outdoors activities
General health issues
- Aerobic exercise/fitness will make acclimatisation easier for your body
- Health posts are found in some villages along the route – this is not a medical centre! Do not expect extensive care here, in case of an emergency evacuation is needed to Kathmandu or Pokhara
- Malaria is rare, but mosquitos, bed bugs, small spiders, leeches in the wetter months, horse flies and ticks are common
- Use wrap – around, UVA and UVB lens protection sunglasses
5. PERMITS
On the high route you need permits for every region, and even on the low route permits are regularly required. There are two types of permits:
Some sources also mention Rolwaling, though some other people told us this is not a restricted area. We were never checked so we don’t know the truth of it. As you don’t need a TIMS for Rolwaling I assume it might be.
- Shawn Forry has an agent he recommends on his website: Urja Tamang from Alliance Adventure, phone: 9841555702/ 9813319143, email: pakhrinurjalama@gmail.com
- Robin Boustead’s agent: Pema Sherpa (pema_te@yahoo.com)
- Pikes on Bikes: For permits that can only be obtained through an agency, we employed the help of Bijay Rai from Beauty Nepal Adventure in Pokhara, and were very happy with the service he provided.
6. SECURITY
Never carry anything around town or on trail you cannot afford to lose the guidebook says – keep valuables in a money belt underneath clothes or buried deep in packs. Always keep an eye out for anything put down on the ground / solar chargers, clothes left to dry in the sun etc as this is often considered to have been left behind. Bags left unattended, even those on bus roof tops and checked in luggage on domestic flights should be locked (though this is not really possible with a backpack)
It was not often that we felt unsafe, and generally people have a lot of respect for someone else’s belongings. Teahouses always have locks on the door so you can lock the room when you leave it. You are more like to get robbed by another backpacker than by a Nepali. Only in Helambu and in the west did we take more care. It is better to camp out of sight of villages as this may attract a lot of attention, though usually it’s only a bit awkward and not a security issue. Just follow your gut feeling about the place and the situation.
Mountain safety:
- Beware of altitude sickness
- Carry an extensive first-aid kit
- Be self-reliant, do not assume you will receive help
- Remain hydrated by drinking 2-4 litres of water every day
- Dont rush!
- Beware of yaks and donkeys – if any pack animals are spotted on the trail you should scramble up the hillside and wait until they have passed
- Common courtesy – give way to people walking uphill or obviously are struggling
7. GEAR
We have encountered a wide range of temperature, terrain, and vegetation. The trail runs from the jungle up to glaciers and temperatures can vary from tropically warm to Lapland cold. We tried and keep the base weight as low as possible (around 12kg). Work as much as possible in the principle of layering: taking multiple layers will cut on weight and allow for more versatility to the temperature changes than taking one heavy jacket.
See Gear List
The most useful website I found was the one from Shawn Forry (http://www.shawnforry.com/Margin_Walker…A_Hikers_Chronicles/Planning/Planning.html). Those two had a base weight of 9.6kg including a 2kg rope and a fair amount of climbing gear (!!!). They are ultralightweight hikers and pretty professional about it. Also, they went spring/summer and we are going fall/winter which will make our kit heavier. Nevertheless, they have a lot of good tips and most of our gear list is based on their recommendations.
If we do not need extra warm items/climbing gear etc. anymore we left them in a duffel bag in Kathmandu, this is a widely accepted practice. This also means we could take spare equipment in case anything would break. The hotel will expect you to stay there again if you leave a duffel, otherwise they can charge you a fee.
If you intend to do high passes, you can choose to bring your own gear or rent/buy some in Kathmandu.
From Shawn Forry: “You can buy/rent almost anything in Kathmandu. Most things are generic rip offs, especially clothing. I would seek out a reputable shop and avoid some of the street vendors. If you already have the equipment I would just bring it with you. We did not carry the tech equipment with us the entire time. We used Kathmandu as a ‘basecamp’ and came back several times throughout the trip to resupply and reshuffle gear. If you stick to the route we took, you would only need mountaineering equipment for the 3 high passes and some crampons to get out of the Everest region. You could pick things up in Num and ditch them before leaving the Everest region.”
Barking dogs are common so bring earplugs.
We carried this inside our first aid kit:
- plasters of all sizes and shapes (including butterfly)
- sports tape (white)
- brown tape (extra strong sports tape)
- dressings
- compresses (non-woven)
- compresses (woven)
- disinfection (maybe some of those isobetadine strips)
- elastic bandages
- Pain killers: paracet 500mg
- Ibuprofen (against inflammation)
- Immodium
- Motilium
- Rehydration salts
- Hand disinfection
- Needle
- Bandages with burn cream impregnated
- Support bandage for hurt arm etc (triangle bandage)
- Motion sickness pills
- Thermometer
- SAM Splint?
- Emergency blanket
- cream for burn wounds
- cream against insect bites (Fenigel)
- Voltaren
- Cold cream
- Vaseline
- Sunscreen
- aftersun/bodylotion
- tiger balm
Medicine:
- Tinidazole 500mg (giardhia)
- Diamox (Acetamolazide) (altitude sickness)
- Nifedipine (HAPE)
- Dexamethazone (HACE)
- antibioticum (diarrhea with and without fever)
- Norfloxozin (chest, skin, urinary infections)
8. NAVIGATION
For GPS there are waypoints available on Greathimalayatraverse.org and on the Great Himalaya Trail homepage. Remember to bring spare lithium batteries for the GPS, these are not available in Nepal. Lithium will last much longer in the cold than normal batteries.
It is very easy to find maps on the SPOT. They are not expensive and pretty accurate. The most reliable are the Himalayan Maphouse ones that Robin Boustead produces for the GHT. They are waterproof and updated every 2 years. These are widely available in book shops throughout Thamel. The only problem with the maps is that the geographic grid system they use does not match with more recent WGS84 GPS systems. On some GPSes the grid system can be changed, but not all. This can be very confusing while navigating on the trail.
9. HIGH PASSES/HIGH ROUTE VS LOW ROUTE
There are five technical passes that require climbing skills (three of them are tackled in a single stretch): West Col, Sherpani Col, Amphu Labsta, Tashi Labsta, and Tilman Pass. Though some of the other passes are remote, they do not require climbing gear or technical knowledge, and can be tackled if the weather is right.
For the high passes we fixed our guides through Deepak (a good friend of Robin) of Mountain Adventure Club. We had two brothers called Pemba and Mingma, they were very good.
We combined the low and the high route: the GHT is not a straightforward trail, but more of a trail network so everyone can make their own route adjusted to their skills and preferences. In between the standard high and low route run many other trails so one can crisscross to avoid passes or avoid bad weather. We followed the low route from Taplejung to Num, and then stuck to the high route until Jomsom. From there we followed a myriad of routes to reach Simikot.
10. FOOD/DIARRHEA
Noodles and simple chocolate bars/cookies can be found in most places. Along popular hiking routes there have been bakeries established and sometimes often there is also a choice of western meals. We still ate a lot of dal that even when there were other choices because it is often the most freshly prepared and comes with a second serving. Staying in lodges rather than camping meant better food and saving on gas/kerosene. It is possible to find enough food in the villages, if you are not too fussy and don’t mind a lot of cheap noodles, rice and potatoes.
Since we have to return to Kathmandu a few times to extend our visa and get more permits, we can leave a duffel there that can hold both food and spare gear. You can use this to resupply on some freeze-dried food, since it’s easy, fast, more nutritious than what is available in Nepal and requires little of the precious gas because all we need to do is get the water to boil. You need to take things like energy bars, chocolate bars, chocolate, snickers etc from Kathmandu because this is hard to find along the trail.
Take with us from home:
- electrolytes
- whey protein
- drink supplements that contain carbohydrate
- antioxidants (vitamin C and E)
- Probiotics
It is commom to experience diarrhoea several times, often already picked up in Kathmandu so watch what you eat before heading out trekking: dal bhat is recommended as it is properly prepared. Tea houses are often guilty of preparing food hours or even days in advance but dal bat is usually fresh. To prevent stomach issues avoid heavily oily food and stick to regular eating times. Eat vegetables as much as possible, almost avoid meat while in the mountains. Only consume raw vegetables/fruit if properly treated – be very careful of any roadside restaurant, even if they look busy. Drink plenty of water, always filtered or treated.
We all suffered from giardiasis several times during the hike and had bad stomachs all through Nepal. There were very few days when all of our digestive systems were completely healthy. We also all got food poisoning once or twice while on the trail, in various places (and not always sketchy ones).
11. FUEL
Gas fuel is widely available in Pokhara and Kathmandu, and infrequently you can buy canisters in teahouses. We saw gas canisters for sale in Makalu, Everest and Annapurna areas. Usually we took enough canisters from the main cities (and then traveled by bus) to last us through an entire stretch.
From Shawn Forry: “I would not use gasoline again. I think you would be fine carry canisters and finding them along the way. I don’t have a pulse on which teahouses will be closed due the winter, but my guess is that some would be staying open through the popular regions. I would think you wouldn’t have any trouble finding them in the Everest, Anapurna or Manaslu regions. Just carry a few extra canisters during the more remote sections. ”
There is no gas available in Taplejung so for the start of the hike we used kerosene. Kerosene quality is very low in Nepal and you should try and filter it before using it. The kerosene nearly clogged up our stove and made it malfunction on Sherpani Col/West Col. I needed to clean it with a lot of care several times before it would function properly again. If you are using kerosene, take a field-repair and cleaning kit for your stove.
12. INSURANCE
Finding insurance has been one of the most challenging parts of preparing this trip. When looking for insurance for trekking in Nepal it is extremely important to read the wording in the policy very carefully and to ask companies about their definitions of sports such as trekking, hiking or mountaineering. This is important to know exactly what is included in the coverage and when the policy becomes invalid. Unknowingly breaching the insurance contract can lead to the insurer refusing to cover any search and rescue, evacuation or medical expenses, the cost of which can reach up to tens of thousands of euros. At the moment, fares for helicopter evacuation are around 2000 – 2500$ per hour the helicopter is in flight.
Several insurance companies will say that they cover extreme sports including mountaineering but not alpinism. In practice this means that as soon as crampons or ice axes are used, there will be no coverage in case of an emergency. Examples of this are World Nomads and Global Allianz. This would make it impossible to cross even the less technical high passes, as some of them do not require ropes or climbing skills but due to icy conditions crampons may have to be used. Most insurance companies also have an altitude limitation, which usually varies between 4000 and 5000 meters. For mountain-sport specific insurances, the absolute limit is often at 6000 meters (except for the British Mountaineering Club, who have their limit at 6500 meters). More concrete, this means that if you are hiking on any route or are on your way to the peak of a mountain with its highest point above the limit of the insurance, the policy will become invalid, even if the altitude limit is at 6000 meters and the accident occurs at 5500.
After many hours of reading insurance policies and comparing we found that we were left with only two options: Axa insurance in France or Alpenverein Östenreich (the Austrian Mountain Federation). The major problem we encountered was to find an insurance that can cover both trekking above 6000 meters (in case we cross the 3 cols in the Makalu area) and a trip of this duration. Insurances bought through various mountain clubs have options where you can buy extra coverage to go higher in altitude, but this shortens the time the insurance can be taken out. We chose to take our insurance through Alpenverein, which we found to have the most extensive coverage. They also have a clausule where it is possible to trek above 6000 meters without having to pay for the extra coverage, given that there is no night spent above this altitude and the ascent/descent is done in a single day from a base camp (not a high camp).
Membership in Alpenverein automatically comes with a coverage for trips up to 8 weeks. For longer trips, the insured time can be extended online.
NOTE: there are several good insurance companies for extreme sports in the U.K. but they only offer insurance to U.K. residents. The most obvious of these is the British Mountaineering Club (BMC).
13. RESCUE AND EMERGENCY
- In Kathmandu: go by KEEP for trekker information and for them to register us at our embassies (or register directly at embassy) and Himalayan Rescue Association: for info on altitude sickness and registration
- Confirm phone number/contact details before starting the trek
- Have a clear idea of the costs of rescue before starting (this will often amount to 10.000$ or more)
- May need to organize a method of payment in Kathmandu and obtain permission from the insurance company prior to rescue – check with insurance company if they are willing to pay prior to rescue as many helicopter companies will only fly once payment guarantee has been provided in writing or paid in cash in Kathmandu!!
The following information must be given when making an emergency call:
- Degree of urgency – most immediate = death within 24 hours or As soon as possible = used in all other cases
- Patients position, will he or she be moved, where to and how quickly, latitude/longitude if possible or a map reference with publishers name and title
- Name, age, sex, nationality, passport number, visa and permit details, trekking company/details, family/embassy info
- Medical information – sickness/injury details, any special requirements for rescua such as supplementary oxygen or neck brace needed…
- Is a doctor present or must one come along
- Names, sex, age, nationality of all party memebers in need of evacuation
- Name and organisation which will pay and the method of payment!!
In case of death order cremation with at least one senior local as a witness, perhaps a village chairman, policeman or teacher (should not be associated with anybody in the group) as domestic airlines will refuse transport of the body.
Record all personal possessions and details if known and have at least one witness sign to the effects.
Contact embassy for transportation of body out of the mountains to Kathmandu then onwards to home country.
14. COMMUNICATION AND ATM
Calls are best made early in the morning when the mobile network is less congested. Expect calls to be cut off regularly and text messages can disappear. If the person you are trying to reach is not replying, keep trying since they might not know you are trying to reach them.
Roaming and calling charges for foreign cards are very expensive (up to 5$/MB) so it is better to buy a local SIM card for our phones. We can buy these upon arrival at the airport from NCell or Nepal Telecom (this one has better coverage in the mountains). To buy a SIM card it is required to show photo ID and it costs around 12$ (though usually comes with 8$ worth of credit)
Towns that have known ATM machines:
- Jomsom
- Syabru Besi – but count your notes as sometimes they get stuck in the machine and you have to reach up and fish them out.
- Dunche
- Namche (often broken)
- Lukla (bank where you can withdraw with your credit card)
From Pikes on Bikes: “Beware when using ATMs in Nepal – it’s the only country we’ve ever travelled in where we’ve had trouble with machines a) not giving us the correct amount of cash or b) not giving us any cash at all, but debiting our accounts nonetheless. Ex-pats in Nepal have told us this is a well-known problem. The only advice we can give is to try and use ATMs which are attached to a bank, so you can go in and tell them if there’s a problem; always count your notes when they’re dispensed; and check your bank statements to see you haven’t been wrongly debited. A number of people have told us Nabil Bank and Standard Chartered are two of the more reliable banks. We would recommend withdrawing all the cash you need for a trek in Kathmandu or Pokhara – relying on the ATMs in the mountains is risky. We’d expected to find a few more ATMs during the trek – note there are none (as far as we know) in Jumla, Juphal, Manang, Lukla, Tumlingtar or Taplejung.“ Marylene had one occasion where the machine took back the notes, so she had to withdraw again and was debited twice (the money was returned after contacting her bank a couple of times).
15. GENERAL CUSTOMS
Greeting
- Namaste
- General rule is to avoid touching people, especially the opposite sex
- When shaking hands have sleeves unrolled to show respect
Eating
- No use of left hand to eat or pass food
- Avoid touching the lip of a vessel to your mouth when drinking, simply pour drink in mouth
Clothing
- No tight or revealing clothing – it is considered offensive to show knees, shoulders, chest at all times
16. INFORMATION ON KATHMANDU AND POKHARA
KATHMANDU
- Airport
Try and find an accommodation that offers pick ups from the airport – like that we won’t be bothered by the hassle of negotiating a taxi price/taking the bus (the bus does not go to Thamel but to a bus stop a while out of the city center)
At the airport there are people who will try and load our luggage into the taxi/car and ask fpr a tip of about 10 euros or more. This is unnecessary and giving about 50 cents to 1 euro is enough.
If we book domestic flights we always need to reconfirm them 24 hours before departure – waiting lists can be long.
- Where to stay:
Thamel – largely a tourist ghetto, but most travellers find it most convenient.
Over 100 guesthouses and hotels, many good restaurants, souvenir shops, book shops, communication centres.
Nepal country code is +977
Kathmandu phone code is 01
Recommended budget accommodation:
Holyland GH, 443 3161, www.jodgenepal.com, 3,80 – 18$
Holy Lodge, 470 1763, www.holylodge.com, 8 – 50$
Karma Travellers Lodge, 441 7897, www.karmatravellershome.com, 14 – 25$
Acme GH, 479 0236, www.acmeguesthouse.com, 8 – 45$
King’s Land Hotel, 442 1060, www.kinglandhotel.com, 10 – 12$
Hotel Silver, 426 2986, www.hotelsilver.com, 3,50 – 18$
Just north of Thamel for peace and quiet:
Tibet Peace House, 438 1026, www.tibetpeace.com, 12 – 28$
Hotel Cosmic, 479 0415, www.hotelcosmic.com, 15 – 30$
Hotel Visit Nepal, 470 1384, www.hitelvisitnepal.com, 8 – 16$
Hotel Lily, 470 1264, www.hotelthamellily.com 10 – 25$
Moderately priced recommended accommodation:
Nirvana Garden Hotel, 4256200, www.nirvanagarden.com/new, 40-80$
Hotel Courtyard, 4700476, www.hotelcourtyard.com, 40-95$
Shree Tibet Family GH, 4700902, www.hotelshreetibet.com, 4-26$
Hotel Encounter Nepal, 4440534, www.encounternepal.com. 30-75$
Hotel The Great Wall, www.hotelgreatwallnepal.com, 20-40$
Happy Home, 4216807, www.hotelhappyhomenepal.com, 30-75$
Hotel Utse, 4228952, www.utsehotel.com, 25-45$
Hotel Vajra, 4271545, www.hotelvajra.com, (4)33-90$
International Guest House: have locked storage room where we can leave extra items
3-star hotels:
Ambassador Garden Home, 4700724, www.aghhotel.com, 51-105$
Hotel Manang, 4700993, www.hotelmanang.com, 80-150$
Samsara Resort, 4416466, www.samsararesort.com, 70-95$
Hotel Harati, 4257907, www.hotelharati.com.np, 50-100$
- Where to eat
Breakfast:
- Mike’s Breakfast – authentic American and Mexican
- Rosemary Kitchen and Coffee shop
- Northfield Cafe
- New Orleans
- Helena’s – www.helenasrestaurant.com
- Recommended from Peter Watson: best breakfast at Rickshaw Cafe
Lunch and dinner:
- Utse – pingtsey soup (meat soup with wontons) is highly recommended, momos (vegetable mutton, buffalo or pork)
- Tangling Tibetan – the momos are good
- Fire and Ice Pizzeria and Ice Cream Parlour – www.fireandicepizzeria.com
- La Dolce Vita – great salads, pesto and desserts
- Third Eye – very good Indian food
- Rosemary Kitchen and Coffee shop
- Kaiser Cafe
- Chez Caroline – authentic French cuisine
- Hole in the Wall – great bar
- Plus many more, check guidebook page 84-86 for more
Good bars to meet people who have been in the country for a while: Sam’s bar, Celtic Manang, New Orleans, Tom & Jerry’s bar, Upstairs Jazz Bar
- Services
Banks:
Can exchange money at receptions at large hotels
Authorized money – changers can be found around every corner in Thamel
Most convenient ATM’s in Thamel is in the courtyard of Kathmandu Guest House, next to it’s main gate
Numerous ATM’s in Kathmandu
ATM next to La Dolce Vita and on the road down from Fire and Ice in a tiny brightly lot cubicle
Himalayan Bank, Global Bank andNabil Bank are the most convenient for money exchange in banks
- Luggage storage
All hotels/GH are happy to store our luggage while we are out trekking, but in return they expect we will be staying with them on our return
- Medical Clinics
CIWEC Travel Medicine Center, 4424111, http://www.ciwec-clinic.com
Open Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm for consultations, 24h for emergencies
Highly competent and accepts credit cards
Nepal International Clinic, 4435357, http://www.nepalinternationalclinic.com
Open Sun – Fri 9am – 5pm, appointments only on Sat, excellent as well
Healthy Smiles, 4420800, www.healthysmiles.com.np in Lazimpat
Experienced and competent overseas trained dentists
Dashain festival will close down all public offices and public transport will be fully booked: 27/09 – 2/10/2017
POKHARA
Travel from Thamel with tourist buses is the easiest way to get there
- Greenline Tours, 4257544, www.greenline.com.np
- Daily buses at 7.30, cost 23$ and takes 7 hours, lunch is included
- Where to stay:
Pokhara area code is 061
Lakeside has the greatest choice of places to stay and has almost all the shops and restaurants
Damside is quieter and has better views of the mountains
Budget accommodation:
Peace Eye GH, 461699, www.peaceeye-guesthouse.com
Pushpa GH, 984-6465974, pushpapokhara@hotmail.com, 15-15$
Sacred Valley Inn, 461792, www.sacredvalleyinn.com, 6-30$
The Mountain House, 465015, www.pokhara-guesthouse.com, 15-25$
Hotel Noble Inn, 464926, www.nobleinn.com, 12-32$
Nanohana Lodge, 464478, www.nanohanalodge.com, 15-35$
New Solitary Lodge, 461804, www.newsolitarylodge.com, 8-50$
Moderately priced accommodation:
Chose a hotel with a big garden to avoid the crowds
Hotel ABC, 461934, www.hotelabc.com, 22-28$
Hotel Yokohama, 466651, www.yokohamapokhara.com, 18-30$
Hotel Tibet Home, 463101, www.hoteltibethome.com, 20-41$
The Silver Oaks Inn, 462147, www.hotelpokhara.com, 25-50$
The North Face Inn, 464987, www.northfaceinn.com, 25-30$ – has cabins which sleeps 3ppl
Vardan Resort, 985-602-0241, www.vardanresort.com, 24-99$ – self-catering rooms/apartments, 10% of profit goes to school in Lalitpur
Hotel Family Home, 463024/463005, www.familyhomepokhara.com, 40-55$
New Annapurna GH, 465011, www.newannapurna.com, 14-44$
New Pokhara Lodge, 462493, www.pokharalodge.com, 20-60$
Higher mid-range priced accommodation:
Located at the southern end of Lakeside
Trek-O-Tel, 464996, www.acehotelsnepal.com/trekotel, 50-70$
Hotel Grand Holiday, 462967/984-505048, www.hotelgrandholiday.com, 40-80$
Lake View Resort, 461477, www.pokharahotels.com, 45-50$ – has huts which sleeps 3ppl
Mum¨s Garden Resort, 463468, www.mumsgardenresort.com, 55-65$
- Where to eat
Breakfast:
- Mike¨s Restaurant
- Pumpernickel Bakery
- AM/PM Coffee House
- Moondance
- Check with top hotels as they have all-you-can-eat breakfasts
Lunch and dinner:
- Once Upon A Time – a favorite amongst westerners
- Moondance
- Lemon Tree
- Teatime Bamboostan
- Maya Pub and Restaurant – beautiful view from 2nd floor
- Boomerang – www.boomerangrestaurantpokhara.com
- Bistro Caroline
- New Everest Steak House
- Pokhara Steak House
- Chilly Bar and Restaurant – http://www.chillybar.com.np
- Italian – Caffe Concerto, La Bella Napoli
- Nepali/Tibetan – Rice Bowl Tibetan, Newari Kitchen
- Chinese – Lan Hua
- Japanese – Tabemonoya, www.tabemonoya-nepal.com
- Indian – The Hungry Eye at Hotel Landmark
- Vegetarian – all restaurants have veggie dishes
- Services
Banks:
Standard Chartered Bank on Lakeside with ATM does cash advances on VISA/Mastercard
Nepal Rastra Bank near main post office
Exchange counters are found all over the main hub – top tip is to exchange early in the morning to possibly get a better exchange rate
- Luggage storage
All hotels/GH are happy to store our luggage while we are out trekking, but in return they expect we will be staying with them on our return
- Medical Clinics
- Gandaki Medical College Hospital, 538595, http://www.gmc.edu.np
A teaching hospital near the main post office
Nursing is minimal so friends might need to come with food and to help
- Celestial Health Care, http://www.celestialhealthcare.com
30$ consultation covers medicines and any further consultations
60$ for medical call outs which require medicines
Overnight stays should be covered by insurance
- CIWEC, 463082, http://www.ciwec-clinic.com/ciwec-pokhara
Situated behind Hotel Meera and is open 24/7
- Himalaya Eye Hospital, heh.org.np
Staffed by one Dutch and two Nepali opthalmologists and is located south of the airport
Here’s a list of the website we’ve been browsing:
http://www.greathimalayatrail.com/
http://www.greathimalayatrails.com/
http://greathimalayatraverse.org/
http://pikesonbikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/GHT-Info.pdf (saved as pdf)
http://www.shawnforry.com/Margin_Walker…A_Hikers_Chronicles/Planning/Entries/2011/11/5_Great_Himalaya_Trail.html (logistics and campsites saved as pfd/excel)
http://thenextchallenge.org/expedition-travel-insurance/
Earthquake affected areas:
Lost in the Hills 