INTRODUCTION

We did not walk the full Annapurna circuit. We flew to Jomsom and walked to Marpha- Jomson and Kagbeni. Jeeped to Muktinath. Walked Muktinath via Lupra to Jomsom. Never carried our backpacks.  We traveled in the low season month of June and did expect rainy days.
I have red a lot about this area in advance, but whilst there I discovered some details which could be of use for future travelers.
Most hotels/guesthouses mentioned in this blog have reviews and additional info on Tripadvisor where I write under the name flybirdy. This includes Kathmandu, Pokhara, Bhaktapur and Dhulikel.

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A SHORT TRAVEL STORY

June 16:   Perth – Kathmandu
On an impulse I booked a cheap air asia flight Perth to Kathmandu to explore a small part of the Annapurna circuit. My daughter joined me.  I am not really trained for heavy hiking so we decided to do a few short trips to explore this beautiful and raw landscape.
Luckily our budget allowed us to also book flights from Kathmandu to Pokhara and back to avoid long nerve wrecking hours on hot and busy bus.

We stayed 2 nights in the Shambaling hotel in Bouddha close by the famous stupa to adjust to the time difference and climate.

I can recommend a stroll close by the hotel, downhill, to discover how the local people try to make a living.

 

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June 19 :  Kathmandu – Pokhara
The domestic airport in Kathmandu was an adventure on itself. No audible announcements were made so several trips to the airline desk were necessary.
We were only with a few foreigners, so the crew kept their eye on us and when the time came they winked us through the gate doors. We flew with Simrik air, at least that name was easy to pick up through the dodgy speakers. We walked to a small airplane which was handled by a formular one driver at least that was how it felt when he raced his plane around several corners. Within a few minutes of boarding we were flying.

We arrived in Pokhara and took a city taxi to a terrible hotel: the Dream hotel. Pokhara is a touristy place a bit like Seminyak in Bali, but without scantily clad australians who are roaming the streets in a drunken stupor. Here the streets are clean, the shopkeepers are friendly and not pushy at all. There are many pubs, but we did not see a single drunken person when we returned to the Dream (Nightmare) hotel at 22 hrs. AC yes, generator no. So during the night there was the well known power cut and we were very hot, opened the windows and were then attacked by a million mosquitoos. My solution was to take a cold shower and lay under a damp towel. This proved to work well in Marocco and worked here again.

We arrived in Pokhara and took a city taxi to a terrible hotel: the Dream hotel. Pokhara is a touristy place a bit like Seminyak in Bali, but without scantily clad australians who are roaming the streets in a drunken stupor. Here the streets are clean, the shopkeepers are friendly and not pushy at all. There are many pubs, but we did not see a single drunken person when we returned to the Dream (Nightmare) hotel at 22 hrs. AC yes, generator no. So during the night there was the well known power cut and we were very hot, opened the windows and were then attacked by a million mosquitoos. My solution was to take a cold shower and lay under a damp towel. This proved to work well in Marocco and worked here again.

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June 20: Pokhara to Jomson.

At 5 in the morning we drove to the airport, arriving 1 hr before take-off. The airport is very simple with several airline desks and large old fashioned weighing scales. Luggage and person are being weighed. Then one continues to a  luggage scanner of sorts, and then you disappear in a curtained area, females and men separated for a touch down with a friendly smile. The waiting room quickly filled up with pilgrims heading towards Muktinath. Not devote looking people, but a happy and colourful mob of Indians. To keep things simple we booked all flights with the same company Simrik. We were supposed to fly at 6 but when it turned 7 we got restless and tried to reach the airlines office. We failed to do so as we were locked in and there was only one security man. He told us “clouds”. Aha, so what does that mean? Well the flight was not cancelled so patience was required.
Soon after the gate doors opened and Simrik was announced. We saw this tiny plane, with barby doll type of drop-down stairs. We could enter one at the time and chose seats at the very back. The stewardess offered sweets and cotton wool to put in your ears.  Again a formular one driver was at the steering wheel and we did sharp turns left and right and then we were airborne.
It was quite spectacular and we felt like a bird. We flew very low and could see walking tracks, villages and fields.

We landed in Jomsom with many sharp turns, it felt more like you are in a car then in an airplane.
There was a porter who was looking for clients, we liked him and took him on to carry two backpacks, total weight 20 kilo to our next destination Marpha. Because this is a very short hike we paid 1200 Rs (12 US) which is  probably too much, but at that stage I did not know the prices and we did not care.  A few dollars means nothing to us in comparison to what that means to the local people.
He took us to the check points in Jomsom where our permits were stamped. He showed us a place to buy clean drink water for 040 US cents per liter and a shop to buy sunscreen. Yes, the sun was shining! I bought those expensive water purifier tablets, but I could have left them at home.
After a breakfast at the German bakery (which is not a bakery anymore), we started to walk to Marpha.

This is an easy walk along the river in a dominantly grey landscape where at times glimpses from snow capped mountains can be spotted. All very impressive.
We arrived as the only guests in Neeru guesthouse, well know for its very good food served by Kamalia.
We took a very simple room where we could sit outside on the roof of another ground floor room and had a spendid view of the mountains. When we scanned our environment we discovered wild marijuana plants, but we decided to stick to the hard drug of alcohol instead.
We asked Tom the porter to come back in 2 days time to start walking further up the track/trek.
All meals during our 2 day stay were of top quality, fresh, nicely presented and very cheaply priced. Everything in the mountains is more expensive than in Kathmandu due to logistics, but also way more tasty. Neeru guesthouse has one room with toilet and shower, but the views were not that interesting.
Around 11 o’clock the infamous wind started to blow and indeed it felt like a hurricane. It is a good idea to protect your face with a sarong or lightweight shawl of sorts. Your hat will be blown away!
We were lazy the rest of the day, explored the village, tried some apple cider and bought liters of fresh apple juice.

 

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June 21: Seight seeing around Marpha

Today there were no planes due to the weather. Also the next 2 days no planes did arrive. So it is tricky to plan a  flight from or to Jomsom and one should always have at least 3 days as a safety margin before catching an international flight.  We were extremely lucky. Many visitors arrive by public bus which takes around 11 hours, with an overnight stop somewhere along the way. Some visitors had also traveled from Kathmandu to Pokhara to Jomsom by bus and they arrived pretty nackered. For us that was no option, we took the risk and were lucky.
Today we wanted to visit Old Marpha, not that there is anything interesting to see there, but just for the sake of a serious work-out. After more then 40 minutes steeply walking we encountered a landslide and had to retrace our steps to follow a mule trail.
It was hot, we had to use lip balm and sunscreen and a hat. We only had factor 20 and I burned my arms. To find the beginning of this trek one has to walk to almost the last guesthouse on your left, going towards Jomsom. That guesthouse also offers camping.  On it,s right side starts a track on which also jeeps could drive if there would not have been a landslide. Follow this track for around 30 minutes then hopefully you will notice a well used donkey track leading to Old Marpha.

Note: See where the donkey track starts veering of the jeep road (just above the blue bag)

The walk took us 2 hours and we ascended 300 meters. Walking back took us less then 1 hour. The wind started to blow again and it was time for another delicious meal. Of course we did some pilates stretches to prevent muscle aches. This routine we followed every day and never had any aches. The rest of the day we were lazy and enjoyed more food and more drinks, all 100% pure nature :))

In Marpha the one and only street which is about 2 meters wide is paved with large blocks of rock. In front of every house one will notice a “tile” which is easy to remove. Under the pavement there is an irrigation channel from which the inhabitants get their water.
We spend 80 US  in this guesthouse for two days indulging of all sorts of food and drinks and booze. It can be a lot cheaper if you do not indulge as we did.

 

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June 22: Marpha – Kagbeni
Tom the porter arrived exactly on time. He had proposed to be able to keep us entertained for 3 days. We would pay him 2500 Rs per day.
We asked for a take away lunch from Kamalia so we would not be hungry. In Jomsom we passed by the south bound Jeep station.

When we walked through Jomson the wind started to pick up and by the time we were walking along the river towards Kagbeni the wind blew very hard in our backs, always coming from the valley, from the south.

What to see in Kagbeni.

 

We spotted 2 other travelers who we had met before,  Ginny and Tom, american teachers. They walked with a guide (non english speaking) who was very courteous and when Ginny had to take off her shoes to cross a water stream, he carried her on his back. He was a very devoted guide who worked via Oms home guesthouse in Jomsom.
Our newly made friends stayed in Nilgiri guesthouse, which scored the highest on Tripadvisor. We decided on a room in the newly added extension, looking like a motel.
The room was very dirty and we had to ask twice to have it cleaned. I was very happy that we had dragged all our own bedding with us as the others had noticed flees in their blankets. We were overlooking a holding pen for goats. Looked interesting at the time, but later we had to close the window because of the smell.

We had already heard from our friends that the meals were bad and took ages to be served. So we headed into the village where we found the Jak Donalds. This is a very romantic and comfortable restaurant; they could very well relocate to Perth and start a blooming business. The meal would take 40 minutes, no problems. Of course there was a power cut, and the tables were quickly candle lit. We were gazing out of the window to spy on local passers by with their baskets loaded with goods. After 40 minutes we were brought a hot and very tasty meal. Jak Donalds has also rooms and a very attractive common sitting area. The owner speak fluent English, but no website yet.

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23 June:  Kagbeni – Tiri – Muktinath
Tom had promised us several sight seeing options for today. We left the luggage in our room and started walking. The things he had proposed were not possible, we knew that already, but he spoke so convincingly that we had just wanted to believe him. If leaving Kagbene to the north passing a check point one has to pay 500US and then you can hike unto Upper Mustang for 1 week. Any subsequent days will cost antoher 50$ per day. So he had cheated a bit on us with false ideas.  We could walk to Tiri on the left (west) side of the river. This was a pleasant walk of 30 min go and  30 min return during which we could admire the rocky mountain walls on the Upper Mustang side.

This walk can be done without guide and we were finished with his services.

Kagbeni could not keep us busy for a whole day. So back in the guesthouse we packed our bags again and walked some 400 meters up a very steep path in order to reach the gravel “road” to Muktinath.We waited almost 55 minutes and then a jeep appeared and there was space for 2 more travelers. This is probably not possibly in the high season. We had the impression that jeeps pass by every full hour up to 14 hrs in the afternoon. Then traffic gets a bit slower going up.
We were in the jeep for 55 minutes.
There were beautiful views and the camera did overtime.
In Muktinath the bus stops 0.5 km out of the village at the jeep station.
Soon we saw Bob Marley guesthouse and because we were the only guests we could choose the best room. Street facing and overlooking the outside eating terrace with an almost private balcony we were set for a rest of 2 days. We enjoyed watching the Indian pilgrim ladies in their colourful dress, and other religeous people, walking  to a temple for a purification ritual.

We  spotted our American friends and we shared a good lunch, indulged in a nice pick-me-up drink, as usual. Soon they had to leave in order to get to Jomsom in the afternoon; they were a bit worried about getting a flight back from to Pokhara. For 3 days there had been no air traffic and they did not want to be in a bus for 11 hours. This got us a bit nervous as well.
At night we had a terrific dinner, I took their pizza, yes! and it was very nice.

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24 June: exploring villages around Muktinath.
After an sumptuous breakfast we wanted to visit some villages on the other side of the river. We set out for Yong. The path was difficult to find and many of the local people also did not know how to get there other then by following the jeep road.
Lucky for us there was an old lay who stood on the roof of her house, as many people do and she saw us looking around for clues. She pointed us in the right direction and we scrambled through meadows with wild flowers and along irrigation channels, and crossing a stream (shoes off), and steep up and down towards Yong.

This is a beautiful small village where you can see the colourful local ladies doing their daily work. I brought a small camera with a 30x optical zoom lens so I did not need to stand right in front of somebody with an impressive lens.

We walked back this time using the jeep dirt road and visited another village where walls had orange stripes.

Jharkot should be interesting as well, but the sky turned very grey and we wanted to get to our comfort zone of the Bob Marley restaurant. In the afternoon it started to drizzle and we could see nothing of the snow capped peaks.

Note: one can also walk to Kagbeni via Yong via a jeep path. One arrives in Kagbeni on the north side of the check point which means that theoretically you are in the Upper Mustang 500 US$ area. I am sure that if you show them your entrance pass which is stamped in Jomsom with your explanation that you are returning from Muktinath will cause no troubles.
While we walked the next day back to Jomsom via Lupra, we noticed on our right hand quite a few villages deeper down in the valley.

It should be possible to walk back to Kagbeni going from one village to the next. In this case because this is off the beaten track, it could be useful to bring a porter who understands your intentions.
Any readers who have done this trip, please inform me so I can give more accurate info.

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25 June: Muktinath – Jomsom
The guesthouse had organized a porter for us; there are not that many men available here.  The weather had cleared. We settled the bill, again it came to around 80 US for 2 days, 2 people eating  and drinking as much as we could.
I had hoped to visit Jharkot, but our trail led us to Jomson via Lupra. This path is signposted once you are on the right track :)) It started with a very steep incline and I was so happy we had a strong porter. I had to stop several times to catch my breath. My daughter who is training for Triathlons is a lot fitter and had no problems.
After we reached the summit, we descended for a few hours. This path is rocky and therefor slippery.

Note: Can anybody explain these designer rocks. Large waves.

A walking stick would have been welcome. The nature is very impressive. There are small settlements surrounded by green fields, with a grey backdrop of sheer rock faced mountains. We had to cross a furious stream and we had to take our shoes off, which was a welcome break for me.
Lupra looked nice, but  no shop for a break or refreshment, so we ate our packed lunch of chocolate and apple pancakes. Then we continued through a riverbed with big  sharp boulders.This proved difficult to walk as there was no path whatsoever. At this stage we were getting closer by the main river and the infamous wind started to pick-up. The last hour was a battle against the wind.
The total trip was 5 hours walking descending close to 1000 meters.

In Jomsom we checked into Oms home guesthouse, this was fully booked mainly with Indians and there was only one small twin bedroom available. This is a courtyard hotel (with rooms along corridors built around a ground floor courtyard or general sitting room) which can prove to be noisy. This is the most expensive hotel of Jomsom and we paid 2500 Rs. There are more small guesthouses but everything was fully booked by the pilgrim people.
The first thing we did was visit the Simrik office to enquire if there were any flights and we could fly one day earlier to Pokhara. All planes were fully booked, but because some tourists did not reconfirm their flight, they had us booked on the next day 10.30 flight.

While in Muktinath there was no chicken on the menu, but in Jomsom we noticed that the chicken suppliers were on their way.

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26 June: Jomsom – Pokhara
The flight was a dream, beautiful sights to behold for ever.
In Pokhara we took a sightseeing trip with a taxi driver to see what other hotels  offer AC, a generator and a balcony to chill-out. He overcharged us seriously, but what can you do, it was our own fault.  Pokhara’s tourist centre is so small one does not need a taxi  to find a hotel, once in the centre everything is walking distance.

We found Lakefront hotel, where again we scored the last available room which ticked all our boxes. Even the bed was so soft we did not need our inflatable mattress.
We walked along the foreshore of the lake towards the east and had a delicious arab platter at the last restaurant on the right hand side. Home made humous, bread, salads, sauces and more accompanied by a yogurt drink called lassie and a view to match.

Back in the hotel we had a nap and around 16 hrs we set out to start a very long succession of happy hours.
Although this was not the end of our holiday, this was the best part. We could have stayed another night in Pokhara, it was so nice.

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27 June:  Pokhara – Kathmandu – Bhaktapur

We flew back to Kathmandu and took a taxi to Bhaktapur. This is a very interesting Unesco village, but also very busy with non-stop honking motorbikes and cars. After 2 nights the noise and the amount of traffic in the narrow streets drove us insane, 1 night would have been enough.
This pict shows Shiva guesthouse where we had a very good dinner in their restaurant. We had Chicken Gordon Blue, enough for 2 persons.

 

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29 June: Bhaktapur to Dhulikel
We continued to Dhulikel by taxi to walk some more. Dhulikel is nothing more then a busy and dusty road on which a few hotels are located. There is nothing to offer a tourist other then views to the snow capped mountains if the weather permits that. We continued another 8 km to a small settlement where we found a guesthouse.
The hills are beautifully terraced with strings of houses. We did a walk of 2 hrs,  climbing 100’s of steps to see a temple of sorts.

This lady has many facial piercings and made a joke about the only piercing my daughter has in her eye brow, she offered to add more piercing with a safety pin.

 

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30 June: Dhulikel – Kathmandu
The next day it drizzled and we decided to go back to Kathmandu to spend two days in Manaslu hotel in a quiet location just outside Thamel for some last minute shopping.

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Note: Although we could almost nickname our short trip a walking/culinaire discovery trip, I am sure that this area only a few years ago would have offered  only the authentic nepalese kitchen. The fact that there is now a jeep road which makes supplies easy,  and the fact that this is one of the most busiest treks in Nepal has the advantage that the inventive cooks can offer  an  international menu.

 

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SOME FACTS

CLIMATE: End of June in Jomsom: 24 Celcius day time and 18 night time.  Muktinath 18 Celcius.
There can be cloudy days and at times it can rain for a few hours. During our stay it rained on 2 days in the late afternoon.
The weather in the western part of Nepal was considerably better then in Kathmandu and worse further eastwards. Not sure if this was accidental.

AIRPORTS: many blogs warned us about the chaos in Kathmandu. Nothing of that proved to be true in June.
The luggage arrived smoothly, there are porters around if you want them, but they were not pushy. You pay what you want, we paid 50 Rs  (050 US) for a porter and his trolley. You can also grab a trolley yourself.  The taxi drivers outside ask if you want their car, but not pushy at all. We paid 700 Rs (7 US)  on our return Thamel to airport.
On arrival we had a hotel car waiting for us which was expensive , but it gave us peace of mind and no need to change money jet lagged at the airport. You always need to show your luggage ticket before you can exit, even if your bag is the only one on a domestic flight.
Domestic airports are a bit primitive (sorry Nepal) but everything runs smoothly. There can be power cuts. Just smile and nod and everything will work out just fine.
The Nepalese people are very friendly, patient and honest.

TRAVEL AGENT: we used  Hard Rock trekking  in Kathmandu Thamel, http://www.hardrocktreks.com/   to arrange flight tickets and permits. No money was asked upfront we paid with a credit card + 4% upon pick-up.
In Pokhara we used Adam Tours and Travel, Lakeside, Phone: 977-61-461806, 463158. We booked one flight via the hotel but it is better to use a travel company in case something goes wrong and a refund is needed.

AIRLINES: there are regular scheduled flights between Pokhara and Jomsom, (120 US) only in the morning and depending on the weather (wind and clouds). If flights are cancelled one needs a stamp on the ticket and a refund can be picked up at the place where the ticket was bought. We loved Simrik air because they fly with a tiny airplane. Their contact number in Jomsom 069-440167 or 9845180695. Bouddha air and Tara also fly Pokhara – Jomsom.
Kathmandu to Pokhara 80 US with Simrik. Bouddha is more expensive.

TRANSFERS : in Jomsom are a few possibilities to travel down to Pokhara. There is a public bus which takes 11 hrs with a change of bus and an overnight stop. Some guesthouses  in Jomsom like Oms home and the German bakery offer transfers in a Toyota Landcruiser if you can gather a group of 6 people together. The trip takes 6 – 8 hours.
In Jomsom there are 2 jeep stations. 1 station is in Jomsom south which is the arrival/departing point to go down hill, and the other jeep station is in Jomsom north from where jeeps depart uphill to Kagbeni and Muktinath. No car traffic is possible between these two, there is only a footbridge over the river which splits Jomsom in two parts.

MONEY: in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Jomsom are plenty of ATMs. A withdrawel  can be 10,000.00 RS (100 US $)  or 20,000.00 as a maximum. If one does not accept your card, then go to the next one. In the mountains (Mustang area) it is only cash payments for your lodging.
I had a small pouch in my bra to keep my credit cards safe. Some people hide money in their bra. We never felt unsafe but a precaution is better then regrets.
The Nepalese women wear a panty/slip with an integrated pocket with a zip. (just a small intimate detail). Available in Kathmandu at the street stalls outside Thamel which caters mainly for tourists.

PORTERS and guides:  pay can vary between around 10 US to 25 US per day depending on the availability. In Jomson there are more porters and guides so one can negotiate the price. However in Muktinath there are less porters available and the price was fixed.   Guides do not have to carry anything. We met a family who traveled with a guide all the way from Kathmandu (by bus), he stayed with them, slept in the same hotel and shared their dining table. I have been told by the local people that this is not the norm, unless the tourist chooses this option and enjoys his company. Their salary includes their sleeping arrangements and food; they will sleep at a friends or relative’s home and do not eat the same food as we do.
A guide is not necessary in this particular area; you can not get lost as there are only a few paths either to visit some smaller villages or to follow the main Annapurna circuit trail. Most of the local people speak a few words english to point out the correct direction. In Muktinath there are even international walking signs, the blue and white stripes to help you on your way if you want to visit a few of the surrounding villages.
I would recommend to employ a local person as porter, that way you support the  community, you get more respect from the locals and they know the condition of the walking paths and rivers best.
This info only applies for the region Marpha to Muktinath.
If any of you readers has accurate info about the trek towards the east from Muktinath, then I would love to add that to mu facts chapter.

GUEST HOUSES: are free of charge or only a few bucks as long as you take your meals in their restaurant. So the best thing to do is to find a nice restaurant with a large menu and take their room.
Toilet and showers are shared and have no toilet paper. Paper is available in many shops.
If you decide to eat somewhere else you will be charged 10 US for the room.

MEDICINES and PRECAUTIONS: we took a whole bunch of medicines but used nothing. We ascended slowly from Marpha so no altitude sickness struck us. We had been advised to drink ginger tea (added honey is softening for the throat)  and garlic soup, both  to built up a resistance. The first few days I applied a muscle relaxer burning type of cream on my neck muscles.
We and some people complained about nightmares. Once we started sleeping with opened windows and fresh air we had a peaceful sleep.
The wind in the valley along the river from Kagbeni going southwards downhill is gale force. Lip balm, a shawl, a hat with skin strap and sunglasses are crucial
The sun is hot and it is easy to get sun burned. Sunblock factor 50 is good, factor 20 proved to be to weak. Available in Jomsom. Check the expiry date.

WATER: safe drinking water is available in every village from Marpha to Muktinath. There are filling stations where you pay 40 Rs per liter.

SLEEPING GEAR: We brought a goose feather lightweight sleeping bag, an inflatable lightweight mattress Exped Synmat which we bought in Europe, a raincoat which we never used and a feather filled jacket. This jacket we never used in 23 Celcius, but it doubled up as a clean and soft pillow (I brought a pillowcase) also during our international flight. We bought a Tibetan blanket, which is basically a wrap/sjawl.
I would replace this with a lightweight cotton sarong to use as bottom or top sheet, face protector in the wind or a quick cover to run in and out of the shared shower. We used these items every night as the bedding in the guest houses is not that clean or sufficient.
If you are comfortable with rock hard mattresses then the inflatable is not necessary.

CLOTHING: we were comfortable in a tight legging with a long shirt with long sleeves with a tank top under it. Long shirt as to not reveal to much of a body contour, long sleeves and collar to protect arms and neck from wind and sunburn. The wind can comfortably blow through the shirt to keep you cool. The Nepalese people dress conservative and very colourful and we did the same, just to look good in the pictures.
Two pairs of comfy walking socks as one pair will not dry overnight if washed.

SHOES: my daughter walked in a good quality pair of sneakers. I loved my Adidas Hydro-Pro, (available in France, Switserland and USA)  and used them every day of the holiday incl. our Kathmandu stay. They gave me support around the ankles. Our shoe soles were flexible so we could get a good grip walking on big rocks. My soles are sticky so I would never slip on a wet rock or a gravelly underfoot.
Next time I would bring 1 foldable “walking/hiking stick” to support me during steep and gravelly descends.

Everything did fit in a 55 ltr backpack with frame. We had a tiny daypack for water, food and lip balm and stuff.

WIFI: Marpha, Kagbeni and Muktinath, available but slow.

ALCOHOL: available everywhere in shops  (especially in Pokhara) and guesthouses.

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I would love to come back and explore another region,  again outside the main season maybe in May.  I would stay a minimum time in Kathmandu and a little longer in Pokhara. Everybody we spoke to did admit that it is better to have a rainy day or two then to walk in a non-stop stream of people and encouter fully booked guesthouses.
I hope I could give some useful info in the facts chapter.

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