MY THREE FAVOURITE NEPAL TREKS

There are so many treks in Nepal, it’s almost impossible to name just one as a favourite. There are 3 I really enjoyed, and recommend, depending on your available time and ability.
 
The first is the Tamang Heritage Trail, just a 7 hour drive north of Kathmandu, in the Ganesh Himal, bordering Tibet. The people are mostly Buddhist, and you will find tiny little gompas  (often with fantastic folk tales involving Buddhist saints of long ago), farming communities and relatively unspoilt forests – with the chance of spotting some wildlife if you are lucky. It’s got great views, and friendly party loving people. It’s great for first timers, or seasoned trekkers who want something a bit different away from the crowds on main trails. There’s even a famous hot spring to soak in!
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​The Annapurna Circuit has been one of Nepal’s most popular treks for decades, and although it has changed a lot over time with the introduction of the road to Manang, it is still a beautiful and challenging trek. It’s the first trek I ever did in Nepal, and still has a special place in my heart for introducing me to the mountains. I’ll admit right now I bailed on the pass as my trekking partner had AMS, and I told him “We started together, we’ll finish together” and we turned around and went back the way we came. And we still enjoyed it – apart from his very bad headache and nausea. Since then I have been to the other side, again to the bottom of the pass – this time it was weather that stopped me. The mix of lowland Hindu and alpine Buddhist communities, the mountains all around you, and the spectacular flight from Jomsom to Pokhara past Mt Dhaulagiri are memories to last a lifetime. Spending a few days in Pokhara at the end is a great way to relax and reflect on this epic Himalayan trek.

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If you aren’t sure about tackling a trek for more than a few days, but you want some real Nepali adventure, the 11 day Nepal Explorer trip is perfect. There’s rafting, bungy, a short trek in the lower Himalaya, a visit to Chitwan National Park, temples, and even a Vespa tour of Kathmandu which ends up at the famous Jazz Upstairs (Wednesday and Saturday only) for some home grown Nepali live music and great food.  In Pokhara you can fly in an ultra light, paraglide, zipline, go boating on Phewa Tal, cycle round the lake, trek to the Peace Stupa or just enjoy sitting by the lake gazing at the mountains. It’s a super trip for all ages.

JUDY SMITH

Judy grew up in Sydney and her first adventure was digging a hole under the fence at home at the ripe old age of 4. Since then she has spent over 25 years adventuring in Asia and she adores and lives in India.

When once asked "If you were a destination what would you be and why?" Her answer was, Nepal, because she's easy to get to know, friendly, a little eccentric, and sometimes surprising. 

Judy has trekked extensively in Nepal for over 15 years and has completed most of the Great Himalaya Trail Nepal in exploratory treks.