The northern part of
this trek generally features Sarangkot, Australian Camp and Dhampus which are
major views points around the valley. It
offers gorgeous views over the valleys and stunning views of the entire Annapurna
rages like Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Machhapuchhre and
many other snow-capped mountains. The viewpoints
are also famous for its magnificent views of sunrise and sunset whereas entire
Pokhara valley can be seen from the Sarangkot. Australian Camp sets on the
beautiful hilltop and is famous for the striking and stunning views of the
Annapurna range and Fishtail mountain. During early days of trekking many
people including majority of Australian trekkers would set up a cam on this
high grassland which eventually got named as Australian Camp. Dhampus is another beautiful village with
number of slate roofed house heavily settled with Gurung communities where we
can explore their traditional way of living and rich culture wonders. The trail
takes us through the dense forests, along the hillsides ridge with the
beautiful view of Fewa Lake. The crippling sound of the birds and crickets will
blend with our footsteps to create a smooth natural music in some of the trail.
Being the highest point of the trek at Australian Camp (2060m), this trek is
eventually easier with minor ascend and descend for couple of hours which makes
this trekking suitable for all age group.
Arrive at Kathmandu Airport with the
beautiful views of the valley, Himalaya and the terraced fields below. Meet
& be greeted by Donkeys Adventures’ (DA) airport
representative in the arrival section who will be holding the name card of the
group leader. He / She will guide you through the initial cultural shock of
Kathmandu narrow streets, cultures, people around and transfer to hotel. Then
DA will organize to meet in a
traditional Nepalese restaurant for a welcome dinner where we will have introduction
to DA staffs who will be directly involve during your stay in Nepal. For the
late night arrivals, we will either meet in the hotel lobby or during lunch the
next day. Overnight in the hotel.
Meals: D
After breakfast, drive to the golden spire of
the 5th-century Swayambhunath Stupa which is adorned
with a colorful fluttering of prayer flags; it crowns a hill overlooking the
Kathmandu Valley and offers fantastic views over the city of Kathmandu. The
stupa consists of a dome at the base which represent the entire world, above
which is a cubical structure painted with eyes of Buddha looking in all four
directions and between them, the number one in Nepali is painted in the fashion
of a nose which meant to be unity. Swayambhunath is also known commonly as the Monkey
Temple as there are holy monkeys living in the north-west parts of the
temple. The
Swayambhunath Stupa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of
the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal.
Then, drive to Patan Durbar Square one of the three royal cities in the
Kathmandu Valley which has a rich cultural heritage known for its fine crafts,
evident in the elaborate architecture, stone carvings, and metal statues found
all over the city. A center of both Buddhist and Hindu culture, Patan is home
to more than 1,200 monuments. One of the most stunning is the Krishna Mandir, a
stone temple with magnificent friezes built in the 16th century. Patan Durbar
Square is also a good place to see beautiful examples of palaces, temples and
shrines, and the stunning stone carvings in the Sundari Courtyards. Nearby is the Patan
Museum which displays the traditional sacred arts of Nepal in an
illustrious architectural setting. Its home is an old residential court of
Patan Durbar, one of the royal palaces of former Malla Kings of the Kathmandu
Valley. Its gilded door and window face one of the most beautiful squares in
the world. The Museum’s exhibits cover
along span of Nepal’s cultural history and some rare objects are among its
treasures. Their meaning and context within the living traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism are explained. The entire city of Patan was designated a UNESCO
World Heritage Site in 1979.
After lunch, drive to Pashupatinath which is one of
the most significant Hindu Temple of Lord Shiva in the world, located on the
banks of the Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu. Pashupatinath
Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu its existence dates back to 400
B.C. One of the major Festivals of the
temple is Maha Shivaratri on which day over 800,000 devotees
visit here. Open air cremation is
done in the holy Bagmati River at Pashupatinath area. The temple is
listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. Drive back to hotel.
Overnight in the hotel.
Meals: B
After breakfast drive for almost 6 - 7 hours to reach
Paradise city called Pokhara. We will stop on the way at Charaudi after 85 km
where a crowd of friendly local people will be eagerly waiting to watch the
proceedings. The Crew Prepares the rafts, after which all head towards the
brief river safety talk and lessons on how to use paddles. Trishuli River (Grade
III) includes the scenery of small gorges and numerous rapids as the
name of Snail’s nose, Teendevi, Malekhu rapid, Monkey rapid, Upset, Surprise,
Monsoon, Cotton Pony, Ladies Delight, S-Bend, Highway, Monsoon and Pinball
Rapid. After
the glimpse of the cable car leading to the famous Hindu Temple of Manakamana
in Kuringhat, we will end our raft to have lunch and continue our drive to Pokhara. Check-in in hotel. Overnight in the
hotel.
Meals: B
After breakfast, we will take a wooden
boat and visit island temple Barahi Temple
which is island itself in the middle of Fewa Lake.
This temple is the most important religious monuments in Pokhara. The Barahi
Devi is considered as the protector Goddess representing the female force. The
peaceful surrounding or typical structure of the temple does attract everyone
towards the temple. The temple is worth visiting for both spiritualist and
materialist. One can observe the Nepali culture, art and architecture and
spiritualist can satisfy their inner feeling and belief praying to Devi.
From there we will cross the
lake and hike for an hour and half to World Peace Pagoda which is also locally
know as Shanti Stupa. It was built by Nipponzan-Myōhōji
monk Morioka Sonin with local supporters under the guidance of Nichidatsu Fujii,
a Buddhist monk and the founder of Nipponzan-Myōhōji. Shanti is a Sanskrit word
meaning peace, also widely used in Nepali and Hindi language, and Shanti Stupa
means Peace Pagoda. Shanti Stupa is the shrine build as symbol of peace. The
spot situated at the height of 1100 meters on the Ananda Hill was chosen by Nichidatsu
Fujii and he laid the foundation stone as well with the relics of Buddha on the
hilltop on 12 September 1973. Nepal has two of the eighty peace pagodas in the
world: Shanti Stupa in Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha and Shanti Stupa in Pokhara.
Shanti Stupa in Pokhara has also become a tourist attraction. It provides a
panoramic view of the Annapurna range, Pokhara city and the Fewa Lake.
After Lunch, we will drive to David’s Fall also known as Patale
Chango in Nepali. Patale Chango (Hell's fall), more commonly called
"Devi's or David's Falls" for the tourist with some melodramatic
story behind it. The water from this falls comes from the Fewa Lake flowing to
the Seti. The water plunges into a hole and disappears! In monsoon this sight
is most spectacular. The scenic and natural beauty near the falls is extremely
impressive.
Nearby, across the street of Davi’s fall is a
cave called Gupteshwor Cave. This
venerated cave contains a huge stalagmite worshipped as a Shiva lingam. It allows
you to clamber through a tunnel behind the shrine, emerging in a damp cavern
adjacent to the thundering waters of Devi’s fall. It has some big hall-size rooms and some
passages where you have to crawl on all fours. This cave holds special value
for Hindus since a phallic symbol of Lord Shiva is preserved here in the
condition it was discovered.
Than we will drive to International
Mountain Museum which was established to record document
and chronicle, past and present development of mountaineering activities in the
world in general and to preserve the saga of the momentous feats in the history
of mountaineering in the Himalayan peaks in particular. The foundation stone of
IMM was laid on 1 Dec, 1995. The soft opening of IMM took place on 29 May, 2002
where it was officially opened on 5 Feb, 2004. Drive back to hotel and
overnight in the hotel.
Meals: B
Wake up early in the morning around 4:00 am and get ready to drive 5 km away and hike for half an hour to Sarangkot Hill(1592m). Within a short walk we will have great view of Pokhara Valley. Sarangkot is the small hilltop which is famous for its breath taking view of sunrise and Annapurna range with Fishtail (Virgin Mountain). From here, we can see a panoramic sweep of Himalayan peaks, from Dhaulagiri (8167m) in the west to the perfect pyramid that is Machhapuchhare (6997m) and the rounded peak of Annapurna II (7937m) in the east. Most people come here at dawn, when the sun picks out the peaks in brilliant colors. We will have our breakfast here and then begin our trek towards Naudanda (1430m) on the off road trail passing through the Shah Kings historical fort of Kaskikot, and other small villages of Kotmaulo and Deurali. After lunch we will cross the Highway and trek towards Kande (1710m) through the village of Dhikur Pokhari. We will than proceed towards Australian Camp (2060m) with couple of hours ascending trail through the hill of Phokedanda and Goldanda. On the top we will be rewarded with dramatic mountain view. Overnight in the lodge.
Meals: B / L / D
We will wake up before the sunrise and wait for the burning
sun coming up behind the magnificent mountain ranges. We will take our
breakfast and then begin our second day of the trek descending through the
perfect jungle trail with birds chirping sounds until we reach Deurali and then
to the beautiful Gurung village of Dhampus (1650m). Dhampus again
offers the majestic views of the Annapurna Himalayas range, natural Gurung
culture and warm hospitality from the local community. Beautiful mountain
scenery with the rich ethnic culture within a short time will be mesmerizing.
We will take our lunch there and then continue to climb down through the stone
steps all the way down to Phedi (1130m). The trail passes
through rhododendron and oak forests along with beautiful landscape and
terraced rice farmlands. From Phedi we will drive 18 km south to reach Pokhara
(827m). Overnight in the hotel.
Meals: B / L
Early morning after breakfast, check-out from the hotel and
drive towards Sauraha, Chitwan
National Park. Upon arrival our representative will
meet and transfer you to resort. On reaching resort, our guest relations
officer will brief the guest to give some information about jungle activities
and then Check-in at hotel. We will get ready for one of the following jungle
activities either Elephant Back Safari or Nature
Walk through jungle to observation tower or Dugout
Canoe Ride in Rapti River or 2 hours Jeep Safari. 70%
of the vegetation is sal tree where more than 700 species wildlife is
accommodated, 19 species of snakes, 113 species of fishes and crocodile, 543
species of birds, 68 species of mammals including Bengal Tiger, clouded
leopard, sloth bears, golden jackals, leopard cats, one horn rhinoceros, wild
elephant, sambar deer, hog deer, four horned antelopes and langurs can be
encountered at any time We will return passing through the Tharu
Village also famous as Tharu Cultural Tour,
along the River Side Sunset View and finally
enjoy Tharu Stick Dance Show followed by dinner.
Overnight in the hotel.
Meals: B / L / D
We will enjoy our breakfast with beautiful birds crippling
in the surrounding then check out from the hotel, we will still have some time
if we have missed the jungle activities previous day or if we want to add some
more Jungle activities as we will be driving further east to Kathmandu. Check
in in the hotel get fresh and hang around the narrow bending streets of Thamel
for shopping, night life and spend some leisure time in dining around the
touristic place near by your hotel.
Meals: B
After
breakfast, we will drive to Boudhanath
Stupa, which is the largest stupa in Nepal and the holiest Tibetan
Buddhist temple outside Tibet. The stupa is located in the town of Boudha, located about 11 km from the center and
northeastern outskirts of Boudhanath is a stupa. Boudhanath was probably built in the 14th
century after the Mughal invasions; various interesting legends are told
regarding the reasons for its construction. After the arrival of thousands of
Tibetans following the 1959 Chinese invasion, the temple has become one of the
most important centers of Tibetan Buddhism. It was declared World Heritage
Site by UNESCO since 1979. The Stupa is said to entomb the remains of Kassapa
Buddha.
From above, Bodnath Stupa looks
like a giant mandala, or diagram of the Buddhist cosmos. There
are other symbolic numbers here as well: the nine levels of Boudhanath Stupa
represent the mythical Mt. Meru, center of the cosmos; and the 13
rings from the base to the pinnacle symbolize the path to enlightenment,
or "Bodhi" — hence the stupa's name. At the bottom, the stupa is
surrounded by an irregular 16-sided wall, with frescoes in the niches. The
mantra of Avalokiteshvara - Om Mani Padme Hum - is carved on the prayer
wheels beside the images of Avalokiteshvara around the base of
the stupa. The base of the stupa consists of three large platforms, decreasing
in size. As at Swayambhunath, Bodnath is topped with a square tower bearing the
omnipresent Buddha eyes on all four sides. Instead of a
nose is a question-mark-type symbol that is actually the Nepali character for
the number 1, symbolizing unity and the one way to reach
enlightenment—through the Buddha's teachings. Above this is the third eye,
symbolizing the wisdom of the Buddha. The square tower is topped by a pyramid
with 13 steps, representing the ladder to enlightenment.
Than we will drive 14 km east of Kathmandu and explore the Bhaktapur
Valley. The valley is said to be
founded by King Ananda Deva in 889 AD. It is an inhabited museum of medieval
charm as it retains past glories and structures of the Malla rulers. Throughout
the city there are glorious examples of temples and pagodas dedicated to gods
and goddesses plus palaces, monuments, woodcarvings, sculptures and pottery.
The central area and main attraction is Bhaktapur Durbar
Square featuring The Lion Gate (1696 A.D.) guarded by two enormous stone lions.
Then, visit to The Golden Gate, also said to be the most beautiful and richly
crafted specimen of its kind in the entire world; some have said it's the
loveliest work of art in the whole Kingdom. The Palace of Fifty-five Windows built
in 1427 of brick displays a balcony containing fifty-five windows, each a
masterpiece of woodcarving. An amazing five-storied pagoda, Nyatapola
Temple built in 1702, 108 ft., dominates the Square. It is the tallest temple
in Kathmandu Valley and stands on a series of five terraces. Likewise, visit
another two temples in Durbar Square:
the three-storied Bhairab Nath Temple and the Temple
of Dattatraya. Dattatraya temple is believed, originally was carved out of the
trunk of a tree and subsequently renovated in 1458. Many temples, bahals
(monastery courtyards), and residences, the city is still a living proof of the
highest craft standards in this part of the world. As the visitor wanders
through narrow brick paved streets, many alleys will show hidden shrines and
statues. Clay craftsmanship as well as cloth weaving is still practiced here
very much as in the past. Fourteen kilometers east of Kathmandu, this peaceful,
conservative town stands in sharp contrast to the bustle of its two adjacent
cities.
After lunch, we will drive back to Kathmandu Durbar Square,
while browse around Kathmandu
Durbar Square you will visit Hanuman Dhoka, the old and historic
palace of Kathmandu named after monkey God, Hanuman, a historic seat of
royalty. The Kings of Nepal are crowned and their coronations also held inside
the court yard here. There is a statue of King Pratap Mall sitting on the stone
pillar in the front and temple of Jagannath from mediaeval period. Within the
walking distance you will find the tall temple of Taleju from 1549 AD, the
large stone statue of Kal Bhairav, the God of destruction. The Big Bell
and Big Drum and Hindu Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati peeping from window.
Visit the temple of Kumari, the residence of Living Goddess
within the vicinity. Kumari means the virgin girl. The girl is selected from
Newar Buddhist family. The building has profusely carved wooden balconies and
window screen.
Meals: B
Today will be the last day of
our Nepal visit and we will spend today packing
and maybe catching up on some last-minute souvenir shopping for your family,
relatives and friends back home. Check out from the hotel. Meet DA airport representative for farewell
and then drop to Airport for onward journey, with the last minute mountain
views from the sky.
Meals: B
Package Types | 1 PAX | 2-3 PAX | 4-6 PAX | 7-12 PAX | 13-20 PAX | 21-35 PAX |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Diamond | $ 3,833.91 | $ 2,316.70 | $ 1,914.12 | $ 1,719.94 | $ 1,586.93 | $ 1,504.79 |
Gold | $ 2,895.04 | $ 1,765.70 | $ 1,377.62 | $ 1,197.94 | $ 1,079.43 | $ 1,011.79 |
Silver | $ 2,409.41 | $ 1,480.70 | $ 1,100.12 | $ 927.94 | $ 816.93 | $ 756.79 |
Note:
Above prices are valid to book your holiday package until one year from the date of booking only.
Full board complementary for one Group Leader for 16 and above group.
The prices are net and all the applicable taxes are included in the above price (local taxes in Nepal).
All the above prices are subjected to change with prior notice.
Package Types:
Diamond 5 star hotels in cities like - Kathmandu / Pokhara / Chitwan / Lumbini
Gold 3 star hotels in cities like - Kathmandu / Pokhara / Chitwan / Lumbini
Silver Budget tourist standard hotels in cities like - Kathmandu / Pokhara / Chitwan / Lumbini
Pashupatinath / Swayambhunath / Boudhanath / Bhaktapur Durbar Square / Patan Durbar Square / Sarangkot / Fewa Lake / International Mountain Museum / David's Fall / World Peace Pagoda / Australian Camp / Dhampus / Kathmandu Durbar Square /