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 Considered as the
world's best trekking trail by seasoned
trekkers, the Annapurna region is located at the
north of Central Nepal. This fact was further
confirmed according to a recent survey by Modern
Maturity (USA) which recognized the Annapurna
region as one of the best trekking
trails in the world. The main attractions that are found here
are the Annapurna peaks, Mount Dhaulagiri, River
Kali Gandaki and several other famous peaks and
trekkers are usually here around the spring and
autumn seasons. The gateway to the
Annapurna trekking region is through the
prominent city of Pokhara. The most well-known
ethnic groups living in the Annapurna region are
the Gurungs, Thakalis and the Managbas. Plants
ranging from the tropical species to the
temperate forests of oak, beech and rhododendron
can be seen here Photo: Trekking in Nepal together with wildlife such as pika, blue sheep and the Himalayan Tahr.
Jomsom, Annapurna
Circuit and Annapurna Base Camp, Annapurna
foothills, Sikles, Lamjung, Dhaulagiri, Upper
Mustang and around Pokhara are among the
well-known trekking routes found in this region.
As opposed to the other parts in Nepal, it
is ideal to visit the Upper Mustang even the
monsoon months as it is located in the rain shadow
area. It is a welcome news for trekkers to know
that most of the trekking routes in the Annapurna region are well serviced by teahouses
while it is a different story when trekking to
the more remote parts of the region whereby
trekkers have to be extra careful.
While trekking in
the Annapurna region, it is quite possible that
Pokhara would be either the starting or ending
point of your trek regardless of the trek
chosen. Located about two hundred kilometers
west of Kathmandu, Pokhara can be easily reached
by road in about six hours or by air in
half-an-hour from Kathmandu. There are a number
of tourist buses available daily from both
Kathmandu and Chitwan traveling to Pokhara.
Food, accommodation and other tourist facilities
are easily found in and around Pokhara. Trekkers have to pay
entry fees to get into the Annapurna
Conservation Area Project region. The permit
must be bought before starting the trek and can
be obtained in Thamel, Kathmandu or Lakeside,
Pokhara. When trekking in Nepal, trekkers are
usually advised to arrange their trek through a
government recognized trekking agency which are
known for their reliability.
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