Nepal 360°

Nepal 360°

Lorenzo De Marchis
This guide aims to illustrate a 10-day itinerary in Nepal, from the Kathmandu Valley to Pokhara, with 3 days of trekking at the base of Annapurna. The itinerary includes both an adventure part and a part dedicated to discovering local culture, without ever forgetting good food and healthy companionship. The whole trip was arranged so that a van would bring us from one point to the other, no public transportation was used
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Day 1 - Kathmandu

Upon arriving in Kathmandu, I stayed in the Thamel district, more precisely at the Manang Hotel.

Hotel Manang
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I arrived in the late afternoon, so I was only able to take a stroll around the neighborhood in the evening. The Thamel area is very crowded, filled with souvenir shops and trekking gear stores where you can find anything you might need for the following days. There's plenty of choice for restaurants, whether you want to eat traditional food or try something more "Western." A place I recommend is the pizzeria "Fire and Ice," where I went on my last night back in Kathmandu.

Fire And Ice Pizzeria
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Day 2 - Pokhara

The journey from Kathmandu to Pokhara is very long; I recommend stopping at the Manakamana Temple along the way.

Manakamana Temple
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Upon arriving in Pokhara, for dinner, I highly recommend Himalayan Cuisine if you want to taste the true flavor of Nepalese Momos.

Himalayan Cuisine
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This is the best momo restaurant in Pokhara. You will go there and feel like you're at home. They will serve you fresh cooked momo, with a unique flavour and unique kindness
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If you prefer a less traditional and more relaxing place, you can go to the Moondance restaurant by the lakeside.

Moondance Restaurant & Bar
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Day 3 - Hiking towards Ghandruk

On the third day, we set off to reach our starting point for the upcoming three days of trekking. We left from Birethanti, heading towards Ghandruk.

Birethanti
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Along the way, we fully immersed ourselves in Nepalese culture. We met children going to school, adults busy working their land, and much more...

We stopped for lunch halfway, at one of the many guest houses along the path. In the early afternoon, we finally arrived in Ghandruk, where we could admire, from very close, the peak of the southern side of Annapurna.

Ghandruk
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We stayed and dined at one of the many guest houses in the village. It was a very exciting experience, fully immersed in the everyday Nepalese life.

We woke up admiring the sunrise that stood out against the peak of Annapurna.

Day 4 - Hiking towards Chommrong

In the morning, we continued our trek towards Chommrong. Along the way, we crossed the suspension bridge over Kimrong Khola.

Kimrong Khola
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We stopped for lunch along the way, at one of the many guest houses on the path. In the late afternoon, we arrived in the peaceful Chommrong, where we stayed at the Mountain View Lodge.

Chhomrong
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Mountain View Lodge
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Chommrong is a village with very few people. We spent the evening admiring the Annapurna range from very close. It was a breathtaking experience to see the majesty of the mountain with an almost deafening silence.

Day 5 - Back to Pokhara

In the morning, we woke up early to begin descending the valley and return to the starting point of our trek. After many, many, many, a great many steps downhill, we finally arrived at one of the most picturesque Tibetan bridges in all of Nepal: the Samrong Khola Footbridge.

Jhinu Danda suspension bridge
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Stretching over 280m, this suspension bridge was built in 2018 to improve the pedestrian connection to the Annapurna Base Camp tourist area.

On the other end, jeeps were waiting to take us down to the valley and then on to the city of Pokhara. Arriving here in time for lunch, we had the opportunity to explore many of the things the city has to offer.

Phewa Lake
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First, we took a boat ride on the waters of Phewa Lake, a body of water around which the entire city of Pokhara is situated. Looking around while on one of these colorful boats is truly impressive because the very high Himalayan peaks stand out all around.

After our aquatic tour, we headed (again by van) towards the World Peace Pagoda, one of the most mystical and impressive places we visited during this trip.

World Peace Pagoda
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This Buddhist religious monument is Nepal's first World Peace Pagoda and adds the finishing touch to the already wonderful valley surrounding Pokhara. From the hill that hosts the construction (where absolute silence must be maintained), it's possible to admire a wonderful panorama that includes the previously mentioned Phewa Lake, the city of Pokhara, and the Himalayan range.

In the evening (just like the first), we stayed at the Hotel White Pearl, located just a few meters from the lakeshore.

White Pearl Pokhara
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For dinner, we opted for the Moondance Restaurant, as previously mentioned.

Day 6 - Chitwan National Park

On day 6 we went to Chitwan National Park and stayed at the Safari Adventure Lodge

Safari Adventure Lodge
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Then, we went on a safari at sunset in the park, where we spotted some rhinos and elephants.

Chitwan National Park
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We then went to visit the nearby village of Sauraha and had dinner there with some street food

Sauraha
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Day 7 - Returning to Kathmandu

In the morning of day 7 we went on a boat safari in Chitwan National Park and spotted some crocodiles!

After that we stopped by Tharu Village, a nearby village populated by farmers and village workers

The whole day was then spent for travelling back to Kathmandu, where we had dinner in an unnamed Momo house in Thamel.

For the night, I highly recommend the Purple Haze Rock Bar, a huge pub with live rock music every night. Whether you're a lover of the genre (or even if you're not a die-hard fan), you'll love this place.

Purple Haze Rock Bar
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Day 8 - Exploring Kathmandu

Kathmandu Durbar Square
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Swayambhunath
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Boudhha
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Pashupatinath Temple
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We then had a cooking class organized by the hotel staff, where we crafted and cooked nepales Momos by ourselves!

This was the last  night of our adventure; overall, Nepal was a deep experience, a whole new world to explore, and a life-changing country.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lorenzo De Marchis
Hi, my name is Lorenzo! Born and raised in Italy, I’m a travel addict and a tour guid myself. I'm here to share my adventures through Italy, Jordan, Nepal, Thailand.... About me: - based in Rome, Italy🌃 - IT Specialist by day 👨🏻‍💻 - avid traveler (3 continentrs and 20+ countries!) 🌎 - strong supporter of group travel 🔍 Here on Thatch to find someone who understands that the journey matters just as much as the destination. If you're ready for endless adventures and stories to tell, let's embark on this journey together. 🚀 ______________________________________ My guides focus on: - Restaurants and Rooftops to eat and drink - Places to stay - Thrilling experiences and where to find them - Itineraries ranging from 3 to 10+ days Find me on Instagram 📸 @lodemarc
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