Nepal is a fantastic country for trekking. Popular tracks such as Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Circuit Trek have the greatest appeal to the large number of trekkers that visit the country every year. If you find all of this just too busy and Base Camp Everest is not at the top of your bucket list, there are plenty of other gems to be found. One of these is the Manaslu Circuit Trek around Mount Manaslu, which, at 8,156 meters, is one of the highest peaks of Nepal.
Your journey to the Manaslu trail
From the Netherlands you fly to the capital Kathmandu. From Kathmandu you travel on to Sotikholaals where the big adventure will start. Keep in mind that the airports are still very busy. Delays and long queues are still common. Should your flight be delayed or canceled, you are entitled to compensation. This is also the case if, for example, your United Airlines flight is canceled.
Multi-day hike
The trek around Manaslu is a trek that you can do in about 15 days. Accompanied by experienced guides, you will trek through the beautiful landscape along idyllic mountain villages, rivers and forests.
Until 30 years ago, the area of the Manaslu trail, also called the Japanese mountain, was off limits to tourists. To make the trek, you still need a permit nowadays.
It is not a very hard hike. It is for every trained hiker with a good condition perfectly doable. You must take into account the thin air. Prepare well and make sure you have good equipment.
The highest point of the trek is the Larkya pass at 5100 meters. The views from here of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna are truly phenomenal. After this, the descent follows and a fantastic trek comes to an end.
The rugged alternative
The trek around the Dhaulagiri is another beautiful route through the western part of Nepal. It is a trek for experienced trekkers though. It is one of the most difficult routes you can find in Nepal. You are also at an altitude between 4,000 and 5,300 meters for a long time. The thin air also plays its part here.
The landscape is, like in the entire Himalayas, extremely beautiful. Huge rice terraces are interspersed with forests. You walk on narrow paths along very deep abysses. Everywhere you can hear the splashing of the waterfalls. Again you pass authentic villages where you are always received with a smile. You climb higher and higher and cross spectacular mountain passes. You constantly have that amazing view of the mighty giants of the Himalayas. It doesn’t get more beautiful than this.