Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The Annapurna Sanctuary surrounded by snow capped mountains provides for me the highlight of the trip.  The sunrise provides the icing on the cake.  In addition the farmland and the tropical rainforests provide a real insight into some of the wide variety of ecosystems in this wonderful country.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group was brilliantly led by Prasant who provided excellent leadership.  He is very knowledgable about the area and showed a very caring attitude to all members of the party.  In addition his sense of fun and humour ensured we had a great time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get fit!  With one stretch of 3,700 stone steps and many thousand more you need to be certain that you can cope with these demands and also the altitude so slowly slowly is the answer.

Suggestions

This is a great trip whether you have been to the Himalayas before or not.  We had been to Everest Base Camp already and although Annapurna is not so high it is very varied and very beautiful.

Most Inspirational Moment

We were lucky enough to have clear skies and a full moon at Annapurna Base Camp - a truly magical sight. From day 1 the scenery was spectacular. I hadn't appreciated how fertile the region was before going so was amazed by the forest, rivers, waterfalls, and of course the expected magnificent peaks. Sunrises and sunsets along the way with clouds and mist made for some dramatic views. Sunrise at Poon Hill was stunning. I'm glad we were right at the beginning of the season for this as it felt busy enough but I understand gets about 10 times busier at peak times.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had 2 guides - Hari and Indra. They were both excellent, couldn't do enough to make sure we were all looked after and OK, and had a great sense of humour too. They paced the trek perfectly meaning none of the group had any problems physically or with altitude. And I loved being woken up with a cup of tea every morning!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book it now! Take twice as much memory for your camera as you think you'll need. I guess I'm at the extreme end but I took 1600 photos... Sigg water bottles make for great hot water bottles at night when it gets a bit chilly. The trek itself has quite a few steep ups and downs (most of which are stone steps) as you make your way across valleys. There's not really any such thing as flat on this walk so if that's not your thing then perhaps not the best trip. But the guides pace it really steadily so plenty of time to catch your breathe and enjoy the scenery. 

Suggestions

I like to travel to new and different places, but if someone told me I could only go back to one place every year from now on and that place had to be Nepal I'd be really happy. I'm already thinking about seeing the Annapurna region in spring when all the flowers are out... 

Most Inspirational Moment

Undoubtedly 4.30am annapurna sanctuary ,a moonlight night, the surounding peaks a pearly whitebacked by thousand of stars with a silence you could almost here ,I felt like the only  person onthe planet .in a phrase (MAJESTICAL SERENITY.) 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Indra Sunuwar Top Man always on hand to help or inform .a real guides guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes, dont um and ar book.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the sunrise at Poon Hill was the highlight (as we didn't make it to MBC or ABC).

Thoughts on Group Leader

Prem our group leader was brilliant, supported by a team of three guides.  The whole team was very knowledgeable and friendly, and the trip was very well organised.  Safety of the group was also viewed as a priority, with the difficult decision of changing the route and not making MBC or ABC being taken due to the high avalanche risk. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

I've never used trekking poles before, but found these very helpful on the many stone steps (both up and down) this route follows.

Most Inspirational Moment

The total kindness, generosity and respect that the guides and people we met showed to us and to each other.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic, best ever, capable in an emergency and totally trustworthy.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Prepare properly for the trip and keep luggage to a minimum, its unfair for the porters to be weighed down with unnecessary stuff.

Suggestions

I`d do it all again tomorrow if I could afford to!

Most Inspirational Moment

 Being on Poon Hill at sunrise (since we didn’t get to MBC or ABC).  Taking the time to stop and soak up the atmosphere of the mountains – all you have to do is find a gap in the walking group, or take a moment in the afternoon away from the lodge to sit, watch and feel the presence of the mountains. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Prem was outstanding!  Probably the best group leader I’ve had.  Always thinking ahead so that everything ran smoothly for the group, from organising rooms, porters, and food to our change of plans following the decision not to attempt to reach ABC.  Very knowledgeable and easy to talk to, he always has a smile and a desire to help.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take your time, enjoy, stop to look and listen.  There is no rush at all; it’s a sensible itinerary with ample time to look for wildlife en-route or get to know your fellow travellers.  Be prepared for all weathers in one day, and take sensible boots to help give good grip on snow and ice on steep trails.

Suggestions

  We didn’t get to ABC or even MBC.  This was disappointing, but the whole group understood that our safety was more important than trying to reach the objective.  Bad weather had caused a lot of new snow and resulted in many avalanches – we saw several in a few minutes and had to cross one debris fan.  It was obviously too risky to continue.  It’s a shame but as Prem said ‘that’s nature’.  He arranged a slower exit from the mountains that took us to some pretty and interesting villages.  Having been to the Everest area a couple of times, there are some distinct differences between the Annapurna area and the Khumbu region.  There are more terraced hillsides, more wildlife, and fewer monasteries and prayer flags in Annapurna, and the area is more geared for tourism – the lodges are all great, but for me a little too comfortable with standardised menus and some with plastic chairs and even umbrellas.  I think it is a more popular trekking area and as a result has more home comforts on offer.  Maybe that’s a good thing for some, but personally I prefer the charm and relative remoteness of the Khumbu where life is slightly more authentic and you have to fit in to the environment, rather than the environment being tamed for your convenience. 

Most Inspirational Moment

The evening thunder and lightening storm at ABC was PINK! The mountains were lit by icredible pink lightening - I never knew existed! ...One of our trekkers was scared of the storm, so we sang songs from 'The Sound of Music' to comfort her.... 'raindrops on roses...'!! This was also a highlight as everyone a the Tea house joined in and we had a jolly good sing song! I slept outside - took my mattress outside at ABC and viewed the mountains by moonlight from my sleeping bag... an awesome experience!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dawa Lama was a brilliant leader, very knowledgeable, good leadership skills, good fun, and had a caring attitude, jollying people along and ensuring everyone was included and had a good time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yeah, please take everything on the kit list - including waterproofs! I made the mistake thinking that it wasn't monsoon yet so waterproofs would not be needed - given my previous treks to Everest Base Camp where they were not. Nepal has different climatic regions - prepare for all eventualities. In addition, take ear plugs and a head torch so that you are not so disturbed by snorers and can share rooms without waking people when you need to use the loo in the night.. It gets cramped at Base Camp and rooms are shared, but with so little space to put your kit.

Suggestions

I have done both Annurpurna Sanctuary and Everest BC treks, if you are trying to decide between the two - Everest offers more history and scenery on-route, whereas Annurpurna is probably a slightly easier trek, yet the scenery on route is not as profound, yet the rewards at Annurpurna Base Camp are phenomemal. Serious advice would be to do them both!

Most Inspirational Moment

We were unfortunate in that it was cloudy when we reached ABC but the following morning the sunrise was stunning and made it difficult leave the views and start the long trek home. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Prasant Subedi was a superb leader in that he quietly got on with his job of keeping everybody informed as to what we were seeing and what lay ahead which together with his knowledge and enthusiasm for the area made the trip. His support staff were again well organised and very attentive whilst we were on the trail looking after our safety and welfare. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

There are a few long days especially especially when the weather turns damp and windy as it did on our trip at the end of October. The good thing was that by then we were well aclimatised and arrived at our nightly destination tired and damp but contented. Follow the pre-trip instructions and you won't go far wrong. Whilst you can charge your batteries (Camera and mobile) at the lodges it is recommended that you carry spares as the cold can drain them quite quickly. 

Most Inspirational Moment

First sight of Himalaya; Feeling euphoria at the end of the first day when we realised we'd be able to do it!; Arriving at Annapurna Base Camp.  Being at Annapurna Base Camp.  Annapurna.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Group leader was excellent.  Very kind, very aware of how we all were managing, and gave us just the right amount of information at the right time.  I felt very confident in him.  He always managed to appear just when we might need extra help - in fact I always knew a dodgy bridge was coming up as Prem appeared out of nowhere!  Being supported by guides meant that everyone was able to do the pace they felt happy with.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't worry about the plumbing!  You'll get used to it quickly.  Personally, I'd say just don't eat meat at all - it's just not worth the risk of spoiling your trip with an upset tummy, and it's no hardship to go without - there is plenty of choice.  Once we got past the mineral water area we got boiled water from the lodges.  Taking no chances I always added a chlorine tablet, and a top tip from a friend before I left was to add a Berocca - flavour and additional vitamin C!  I experienced no illness whatsoever.  Another top idea - if you have a metal water bottle, get it filled with boiling water in the evening, clothe it in your walking socks and bingo: a lovely hot water bottle.  Then you drink the water the next day.  How's that for multipurpose?  If you have a tendency to weak knees, it might be worth packing some support bandages; there are a lot of steps!  They're very well graded though, and the group leader sets a very sensible pace and gives you plenty of time.  Trekking poles also help in this respect.  It's a lovely trip and I'd definitely do it again.

Most Inspirational Moment

Sunset views at Poon Hill and reaching Base Camp at Annapurna , views incredible. Friendleness of the locals.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Passang had a lovely sensitive personality , excellent sense of humour , always happy to help and very patient especially at meal times when clients forgot their orders.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are well equipped for a variety of conditions in one day. Have plenty of snacks , go with the flow of the group ,

Suggestions

Look at flying upto Pokhara rather than the 8 hour drive . This time could have been used exploring the town , rather than be cramped on a bus. Surely the additional cost could have be borne by the clients.