Go beyond a city and hike in Nepal

Author: Rabindra Adhikari

If you are planning to visit Nepal, we recommend you to go beyond the most popular cities and explore nature. There are treks and hikes for people with all fitness levels and age groups. Availability of comfortable lodges and mountain resorts along many routes make it even more appealing. Many Himalayan villages are now connected by dirt roads, making it possible to drive deeper into the valley and just hike its most beautiful sections.

Comfortable lodge treks for beginners

If you enjoy walking in a park, you can do short, easy treks in Nepal. Don’t worry about the accommodation and there are many mountain resorts and luxury lodges in the foothills of the Himalayas. This makes it possible to do a trek without compromising with the comfort you desire. Comfortable mountain lodges are designed to blend with the local art and architecture but incorporate amenities of room heating, hot shower and commode toilet. Local organic meals with international standard hygiene and tastes are served with Nepalese hospitality. These lodges and resorts themselves are highlights of the hiking. Enjoy the serenity of nature and phantasmagoria of lights over the snow peaks, the entire time you are at the lodge.

Treks for experienced trekkers

The Nepalese Himalayas have trekking of all grades from easy hiking to strenuous camping treks. The most popular treks for experienced trekkers are the base camps of Annapurna and Everest. Everest, Annapurna and Langtang national parks have several routes with established teahouses providing food and accommodation. While well defined trails and established accommodation make it easy to trek in these popular regions, conservation and sustainable tourism have preserved the Himalayan ecological specimen intact. Tea house treks of moderate to difficult in grade are available ranging from 3,500 m to 5000 m are available in these regions.

The more strenuous treks go to the remote areas like Dhaulagiri, Rolwalling, Makalu and Kanchanjunga. Veteran trekkers equipped with climbing equipment even go over high passes to cross from one region to another. These treks need to be organized and special permits are required.

Why should you hike in Nepal?

  • Hiking allows you to go beyond the city and enjoy the pristine countryside of the Himalayas.
  • With extension of dirt road, airstrips and luxury lodge, it is possible to visit remote corners of the Himalayas without strenuous trekking.
  • Hiking is the best way to immerse into local culture and enjoy the vibrant nature and wildlife.
  • The Himalayan range makes the backdrop of most of the hikes, providing ample photo opportunities.
  • One of the unique features of Nepal is its conserved area which is about 23.39 % of the total area. The only way to observe the untouched Himalayan ecology is by walking.
  • Hiking is healthy and it is referred to as the best exercise for both mental and physical health. This is best also to overcome the stress in life and reconnect with yourself. The primitiveness of the Himalayan foothills makes Nepal the best place to walk away from civilization and find happiness. The self-sufficient, simple life in the mountains has put Nepalese people as the happiest people in South Asia by the United Nation in their 2022 census.