About The Retreat
Join us for this wonderful 8 day trek up to Mardi Himal Base Camp, 4500m through the Annapurna Sanctuary past Poon Hill 3210m. Enjoy the awe inspiring beauty of natures best scenes. Feel physically challenged. The difficulty of this trip is 'strenuous' and would be suitable for anyone with some trekking experience and a good level of fitness. Highlights include: - Sunrise at Poon Hill - Varied scenery of natural beauty and charming mountain villages - Hot Springs at Jinudanda - Beautiful panoramic views of ‘Fishtail’ Mountain and Annapurna South - Relaxing in Pokhara post trek There will also be optional yoga on the mountain as we go through our adventure.
Itinerary
1Day 1
8:00AM - 9:00PM
Airport pick up to bring you to your comfortable accommodation, then all meet each other at a delish restaurant.
2Day 2
7:00AM - 9:00PM
7am bus to Pokhara 6/7hrs, kit check, then buy any last minute stuff and last supper before our expedition. (Domestic flight arrangeable at additional cost)
3Day 3
8:00AM - 9:00PM
Taxi to the start of the trek (1525m) then walk through charming villages before a steep ascent up steps to Ulleri (1940m). 5hrs (Yoga on the garden lawn)
4Day 4
7:00AM - 9:00PM
7am morning yoga on lawn. From Ulleri we trek up through the beautiful Rhododendron forest to Ghorepani (2750m). 4hrs
5Day 5
5:15AM - 9:00PM
Sunrise walk to Poon Hill (3210m) 1hr 15mins where you’ll get a panorama view on the Annapurnas then down for breakfast before setting off through majestic root embedded paths and past a waterfall descending down finishing with a climb of stairs up to Tadapani the down to Chile. 7hrs (Yoga on the garden lawn)
6Day 6
7:00AM - 9:00PM
7am morning yoga. From Chile we trek down and up the valley through farms stopping at the infamous Chhromong Cottage for lunch along the way to Jhinu danda (1780m) 6hrs where you’ll relax in natures hot springs next to a river 20mins walk down the valley.
7Day 7
7:00AM - 9:00PM
Up the valley form Jhinu to Landruck where we get a pack lunch and begin our steep ascent to Forest Camp (2500m) (Yoga on the garden lawn)
8Day 8
7:00AM - 9:00PM
7am yoga on lawn. From Forest Camp we trek to High Camp (3550m) along the route you’ll enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the mountains as we get closer to the dramatic mountains.
9Day 9
4:00AM - 9:00PM
Sunrise walk to the Upper View Point (4200m) then on to Mardi Himal Base Camp (4500m) to see Fishtail up close and get jaw droppingly beautiful panoramic views.
10Day 10
7:00AM - 9:00PM
High Camp to Siding (1700m) before we get our jeep back to Pokhara and enjoy a celebratory meal together
11Day 11
10:00AM - 9:00PM
Free day in Pokhara with lots of activates to choose from – paddle-boarding on the lake, paragliding, zip-liner (although I predict you will want to be doing a relaxing whole lot of nothing to repair – a lovely massage may be just what you need)
12Day 12
7:00AM - 9:00PM
7am bus back to Kathmandu. (Domestic flight arrangeable at additional cost) For our last evening we have dinner in Boudhanath which has one of the largest unique structure’s stupas in the world. Tibetan merchants have rested and offered prayers here for many centuries. When refugees entered Nepal from Tibet in the 1950s, many decided to live around Boudhanath. The Stupa is said to entomb the remains of Kassapa Buddha. We enjoy a cocktail and our final celebratory dinner together.
13Day 13
7:00AM - 12:15PM
Breakfast in the hotel then adios on your flight home
What’s Included
Qualified trekking guide
Porter to carry a big bag of 15kg - shared between two people
Yoga Teacher - optional yoga in the mountains
Permits for trekking
All accommodation
Transfers within Nepal
Not Included
Flights to Nepal
Visa fees – (15 days: $30)
Travel insurance up to 6000m with helicopter evacuation – Travel Insurance – Trailfinders
Lunch and dinners in the cities
Tips for local guide and porter
Vitamin supplements
Additional activities in Pokhara
Kit
Personal expenses, including but not limited to: phone calls; laundry; costs of alcohol; recharging batteries; additional porters; bottled or boiled water; and showers; among others
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of bags/suitcases should we bring? Shall we have a smaller backpack for the day hikes, assuming the rest of our things (incl. sleeping bags/stuff we need overnight) will be carried by the porters (and those can be in the suitcases or duffel bags)?
You will need a day back pack (ideally with waist straps) to carry what you need for the days walk – a warm layer, water, sun cream, sun hat, gloves, warm hat. For the porter to carry, if you have a large travelling backpack, that would be ideal. Otherwise, you can have suitcase and they will arrange a duffle bag for you for the porter to carry your things you need for overnight. You will have 7.5kg each to be carried with a porter. Ref sleeping bags, you can borrow from the company we work with on the ground if you do not have one, but they are not sanitized in between usages, so maybe a sleeping bag liner (cotton or silk) would be preferable.
What is the toilet situation along the trek and is there anything we should know? Is it worth investing in a urinal device for ladies, or not really required?
All guesthouses have toilets – roughly every hour or two there is a Guest House in lower altitudes – as we get into the higher altitudes – toilets are squatting toilets in Guest Houses, and Guest Houses become less frequent – on the pass day there will be places to find privacy but no guest houses until close to the end. Best to be prepared for all hygiene conditions. The urinal device not needed.
How often will there be hot showers on the way?
Hot showers are in every Guest House until higher up where a hot water bucket can be arranged – additional fees for showers / hot water buckets are not included in the price – generally fees only apply in higher altitude Guest Houses. ($1-5 per hot shower / water bucket)
What is the drinking water situation? Shall we bring a reusable water bottle, not to use the plastic ones? What about the water purification tablets – would those be useful/necessary?
Best to have a bottle with a purifier/ filter incorporated. You can get some tablets in Kathmandu if you want, but chorine tablets are not good for our microbiome so I generally try and avoid taking them were possible. You can also buy safe drinking water / boiled water along the way or water bottles – but this contributes the the plastic problem in Nepal so I would advise against it.
Any recommendations on which high altitude trekking insurance to buy – that would include everything we need (heli evac + covid cover etc.)? (brand/company)
I recommend using Trailfinders or another travel insurance covering helicopter evacuation in Nepal up to 6000m. Last I checked, with Trailfinders, it was £102 for 15days with a £500 excess if you were to need to use the insurance.
Reviews
Antonia
April 2021
I went on the Mardi Himal trek in March 2022. Going on the trip with Bella meant everything was expertly organised and you benefit from all her experience of the mountains. We stayed in the best tea houses and had an amazing guide and team of porters who I doubt we would have met if we tried to organise it ourselves. I really couldn’t recommend the trip more highly and will hopefully be back, so thank you Bella and team!
Dhruv
November 2022
Trip of a lifetime . I made such great friends and walked more than i have ever done uphill - we hit 4500m on Mardi Himal. Perfect introduction to Nepal and it’s awesome mountains! Go do this trek and combined with Bella’s organisation which is stellar. She always brings incredible people together
Rebecca
November 2022
I have just come back from the Mardi Himal Trek and it was honestly one of the best experiences of my life. I got to experience the magic of Nepal with Bella and other wonderful people. Challenging for both body and mind but so worth it. I would highly recommend.
George
April 2022
Just came back from doing the Mardi Himal trek and could not recommend it more. Absolutely stunning views from start to finish and meeting such amazing, friendly people along the way. All expertly organised by Bella and her wonderful guide Raman, a real asset. It is honestly the best way to completely switch off from every day life. I will definitely be going back.
