Bonjour,
Quelqu’un sait il si le poste de frontière de Banbasa est ouvert le week-end ?
Merci
Maldives, Maurice ou Seychelles pour le voyage de noces?
by Sebcaud35
This discussion is in French, the community’s main language.
Bonjour Seb,
Il faudrait te renseigner auprès de personnes qui y sont allées du prix des activités comme la plongée bouteille , la planche à voile, le ski nautique , la pêche etc..) car si vous ne participez pas à ces activités vous risquez de vous ennuyer... Comment se passe aussi les soirées? Activités dansantes spectacles?
Pour avoir été à plusieurs reprises aux Maldives, les activités ne sont jamais comprises (sauf sans doute dans les hôtels du Club Med). Il faut être un inconditionnel de la plongée ou du snorkeling (ou éventuellement de la chaise longue 😉) car à part passer sa journée la tête sous l'eau, il n'y a rien à faire. Il n'y a pas non plus d'animation le soir (sauf Club Med).
Dans cette optique, un séjour de 9 jours me paraît tout à fait suffisant.
Nous avons également été aux Seychelles et si je devais comparer les deux destinations, je soulignerais que les Seychelles offrent plus de variété, il y a un petit territoire à visiter, à silloner, on peut aussi y faire de jolies randos (surtout à Mahé qui est plus montagneuse). Bref, ce n'est pas que du balnéaire exclusif et là je verrais davantage un minimum de 10/15 j.
Voilà, pour te donner un aperçu des deux endroits, tu peux suivre le lien en signature vers "toutes nos destinations", tu y trouveras notre récit sur les Seychelles et celui alliant Sri Lanka et Maldives.
Bonne réflexion.
Christine
Il faudrait te renseigner auprès de personnes qui y sont allées du prix des activités comme la plongée bouteille , la planche à voile, le ski nautique , la pêche etc..) car si vous ne participez pas à ces activités vous risquez de vous ennuyer... Comment se passe aussi les soirées? Activités dansantes spectacles?
Pour avoir été à plusieurs reprises aux Maldives, les activités ne sont jamais comprises (sauf sans doute dans les hôtels du Club Med). Il faut être un inconditionnel de la plongée ou du snorkeling (ou éventuellement de la chaise longue 😉) car à part passer sa journée la tête sous l'eau, il n'y a rien à faire. Il n'y a pas non plus d'animation le soir (sauf Club Med).
Dans cette optique, un séjour de 9 jours me paraît tout à fait suffisant.
Nous avons également été aux Seychelles et si je devais comparer les deux destinations, je soulignerais que les Seychelles offrent plus de variété, il y a un petit territoire à visiter, à silloner, on peut aussi y faire de jolies randos (surtout à Mahé qui est plus montagneuse). Bref, ce n'est pas que du balnéaire exclusif et là je verrais davantage un minimum de 10/15 j.
Voilà, pour te donner un aperçu des deux endroits, tu peux suivre le lien en signature vers "toutes nos destinations", tu y trouveras notre récit sur les Seychelles et celui alliant Sri Lanka et Maldives.
Bonne réflexion.
Christine
Tous nos fabuleux voyages : http://sites.google.com/site/fabuleuxvoyageskrikrietherve/
Quelques informations qui peuvent s’avérer utiles dans le choix d'un séjour aux Maldives :-)
Les saisons aux Maldives sont dictées par la direction du vent. Nous les appelons les moussons, mais pour beaucoup de gens, la mousson implique avant tout de la pluie et des orages.
Deux principales directions du vent font les saisons aux Maldives. La mousson "Iruvai" qui vient du Nord-Est (essentiellement de la direction du sous-continent Indien) est généralement sèche et constante, car le vent traverse une grande superficie de terre, et une relativement faible superficie d'eau.
Il est dit qu'Iruvai commence le 10 Décembre, et dure environ 4 mois, jusqu’au 7 Avril. A partir de la mi-avril, le vent a tendance à venir du Sud-Ouest, et a ramasser beaucoup d'humidité, du fait qu'il se déplace sur l'océan Indien. Cette mousson a, en fait, commencé en Inde. Comme l'air commence à se réchauffer au dessus du sous-continent Indien (été dans l'hémisphère Nord), la masse d'air s'élève fortement et une autre masse d'air vient la remplacer. Parce qu'elle vient du sud-ouest (chargé d'humidité océanique) - elle apporte la pluie. Les vents aux Maldives sont généralement à leur paroxysme en Mai et la pluie commence à tomber. La mousson Hulahangu est connue pour être la mousson humide pour cette raison. Cette mousson dure environ 6 mois. 4 mois pour Iruvai et 6 pour Hulhangu ? Nous devons prendre en compte la période de transition entre les moussons. Le vent peut changer fréquemment pendant cette période. Tout comme un «été indien» dans d'autres pays, ces conditions météorologiques changent d'année en année, mais sont assez cohérentes sur le long terme.
Ca, c'est pour la theorie. Depuis plus de 3 ans que je vis aux Maldives, Mai et/ou Juin peuvent sujet a quelques pluies. Parfois, on tombe dans la mauvaise semaine... Les mois de "transition" peuvent etre tres humides et venteux.
Cependant, et ca c'est plutot nouveau (depuis une 10aine d'annees selon les Maldiviens) les mois de Septembre et Octobre sont souvent mauvais. L'annee derniere (Laamu atoll) ca a commence vers le 20 septembre, et ca s'est vraiment calme vers la mi-novembre. Vent, pluie, orage, meme inondations dans certains atoll. C'est assez rare cependant.
L'annee d'avant (Ari Nord) mois d'octobre pas terrible. Debut Decembre tres pluvieux.
Et encore l'annee d'avant (Ari Sud) 3 semaines completes de pluie au mois de Septembre.
Il faut se dire que sur de si petites iles, pour les resorts on en fait plus le tours en 20 min a pieds apres un bon repas qu'en une heure, mais meme pour les plus grandes, il faut bien se dire que de si petits bouts de terre perdus au milieu de l'ocean indien se prennent tout se qui passe. Ca peut passer vite, ca peut rester si le vent tombe ou tourne, et ca peut ne pas arriver. Ca n'est aussi pas pour rien que les meilleurs mois (meteorologiquement parlant, a savoir Janvier, Fevrier et Mars) font partie de la haute saison, avec donc des prix plus chers. Mais meme sur ces mois la, et meme si c'est rare, on est jamais a l'abris d'une averse, voire meme d'une averse qui decide de rester.
Pour une autre destination, tout depend de ce que vous avez en tete pour votre voyage de noce, mais partir a l'aventure sans rien reserver, c'est vachement chouette aussi, mais ca n'engage que moi 😉
Les saisons aux Maldives sont dictées par la direction du vent. Nous les appelons les moussons, mais pour beaucoup de gens, la mousson implique avant tout de la pluie et des orages.
Deux principales directions du vent font les saisons aux Maldives. La mousson "Iruvai" qui vient du Nord-Est (essentiellement de la direction du sous-continent Indien) est généralement sèche et constante, car le vent traverse une grande superficie de terre, et une relativement faible superficie d'eau.
Il est dit qu'Iruvai commence le 10 Décembre, et dure environ 4 mois, jusqu’au 7 Avril. A partir de la mi-avril, le vent a tendance à venir du Sud-Ouest, et a ramasser beaucoup d'humidité, du fait qu'il se déplace sur l'océan Indien. Cette mousson a, en fait, commencé en Inde. Comme l'air commence à se réchauffer au dessus du sous-continent Indien (été dans l'hémisphère Nord), la masse d'air s'élève fortement et une autre masse d'air vient la remplacer. Parce qu'elle vient du sud-ouest (chargé d'humidité océanique) - elle apporte la pluie. Les vents aux Maldives sont généralement à leur paroxysme en Mai et la pluie commence à tomber. La mousson Hulahangu est connue pour être la mousson humide pour cette raison. Cette mousson dure environ 6 mois. 4 mois pour Iruvai et 6 pour Hulhangu ? Nous devons prendre en compte la période de transition entre les moussons. Le vent peut changer fréquemment pendant cette période. Tout comme un «été indien» dans d'autres pays, ces conditions météorologiques changent d'année en année, mais sont assez cohérentes sur le long terme.
Ca, c'est pour la theorie. Depuis plus de 3 ans que je vis aux Maldives, Mai et/ou Juin peuvent sujet a quelques pluies. Parfois, on tombe dans la mauvaise semaine... Les mois de "transition" peuvent etre tres humides et venteux.
Cependant, et ca c'est plutot nouveau (depuis une 10aine d'annees selon les Maldiviens) les mois de Septembre et Octobre sont souvent mauvais. L'annee derniere (Laamu atoll) ca a commence vers le 20 septembre, et ca s'est vraiment calme vers la mi-novembre. Vent, pluie, orage, meme inondations dans certains atoll. C'est assez rare cependant.
L'annee d'avant (Ari Nord) mois d'octobre pas terrible. Debut Decembre tres pluvieux.
Et encore l'annee d'avant (Ari Sud) 3 semaines completes de pluie au mois de Septembre.
Il faut se dire que sur de si petites iles, pour les resorts on en fait plus le tours en 20 min a pieds apres un bon repas qu'en une heure, mais meme pour les plus grandes, il faut bien se dire que de si petits bouts de terre perdus au milieu de l'ocean indien se prennent tout se qui passe. Ca peut passer vite, ca peut rester si le vent tombe ou tourne, et ca peut ne pas arriver. Ca n'est aussi pas pour rien que les meilleurs mois (meteorologiquement parlant, a savoir Janvier, Fevrier et Mars) font partie de la haute saison, avec donc des prix plus chers. Mais meme sur ces mois la, et meme si c'est rare, on est jamais a l'abris d'une averse, voire meme d'une averse qui decide de rester.
Pour une autre destination, tout depend de ce que vous avez en tete pour votre voyage de noce, mais partir a l'aventure sans rien reserver, c'est vachement chouette aussi, mais ca n'engage que moi 😉
enfin j'essaie de me projeter , de me mettre à votre place... Comment se passent aussi les soirées?
Ils seront en voyage de noces, Djalma...
Ils seront en voyage de noces, Djalma...
Pour avoir été à plusieurs reprises aux Maldives, les activités ne sont jamais comprises (sauf sans doute dans les hôtels du Club Med). Il faut être un inconditionnel de la plongée ou du snorkeling (ou éventuellement de la chaise longue 😉) car à part passer sa journée la tête sous l'eau, il n'y a rien à faire.
Il n'y a pas non plus d'animation le soir (sauf Club Med).
C'est ce que j'ai tenté de faire passer...Eh oui, à part ceux qui adorent la plongée et/ou le farniente sur la plage ( de plus tjs la même! la plupart des îles sont minuscules) pas grand chose à voir ni à faire ça je l'ai constaté... et pour les animations le soir si en plus rien n'est prévu ( je l'imaginais connaissant le rigorisme aux Maldives) il faut emporter de bons livres! ou passer beaucoup de temps dans sa chambre....surtout pendant la saison des pluies!
C'est ce que j'ai tenté de faire passer...Eh oui, à part ceux qui adorent la plongée et/ou le farniente sur la plage ( de plus tjs la même! la plupart des îles sont minuscules) pas grand chose à voir ni à faire ça je l'ai constaté... et pour les animations le soir si en plus rien n'est prévu ( je l'imaginais connaissant le rigorisme aux Maldives) il faut emporter de bons livres! ou passer beaucoup de temps dans sa chambre....surtout pendant la saison des pluies!
enfin j'essaie de me projeter , de me mettre à votre place... Comment se passent aussi les soirées?
Ils seront en voyage de noces, Djalma...
Veux- tu dire que je ne peux pas me mettre à leur place?! Mes souvenirs seraient trop lointains? ou bien qu'en voyage de noces on préfère passer ses soirées ( la nuit tombe à 18 heures!) dans sa chambre?...
Ils seront en voyage de noces, Djalma...
Veux- tu dire que je ne peux pas me mettre à leur place?! Mes souvenirs seraient trop lointains? ou bien qu'en voyage de noces on préfère passer ses soirées ( la nuit tombe à 18 heures!) dans sa chambre?...
Super idée Laurence, c'est pas le même service mais c'est bien moins cher et c'est vrai qu'avec un vol sec, on trouve de tout là-bas!!!
Il faut absolument que Seb demande au printemps des devis, je pense que d'ici un mois il aura fait le bon choix!histoire de ne pas se faire avoir, mais apparemment il a de la bouteille
Il faut absolument que Seb demande au printemps des devis, je pense que d'ici un mois il aura fait le bon choix!histoire de ne pas se faire avoir, mais apparemment il a de la bouteille
Voyages exotiques est vraiment intéressant en effet.
Je suis allé me renseigner sur les prix des hotels à l'agence "voyageurs du monde" également, ils ont été catégoriques. De même que Printemps voyages, ils me disent de ne surtout pas y aller en Septembre. limite ils refusent de me vendre le voyage lol.
Novembre sans problème par contre.
Allez on valide les Maldives, en Novembre.
On attend les devis mais ça va se jouer entre le Coco Palm, le Medhufushi, le Filitheyo et le Kuramathi (qui a ma préférence), en formule tout inclus (pas de prise de tête, c'est les vacances ! )
Allez on valide les Maldives, en Novembre.
On attend les devis mais ça va se jouer entre le Coco Palm, le Medhufushi, le Filitheyo et le Kuramathi (qui a ma préférence), en formule tout inclus (pas de prise de tête, c'est les vacances ! )
ils me disent de ne surtout pas y aller en Septembre. limite ils refusent de me vendre le voyage lol.
Novembre sans problème par contre.
La meilleure période pour aller aux Maldives va théoriquement de mi-décembre à avril 😛, mais comme la météo n'est pas une science exacte... 🤪
La meilleure période pour aller aux Maldives va théoriquement de mi-décembre à avril 😛, mais comme la météo n'est pas une science exacte... 🤪
Tous nos fabuleux voyages : http://sites.google.com/site/fabuleuxvoyageskrikrietherve/
Bonjour à tous !
Ca y'est notre choix est fait !
Ca sera le Kuramathi aux Maldives, pour 7 nuits, en Septembre !
Reste à choisir l'habitation !
Pour le même prix, on a le choix entre la Deluxe Beach Villa avec Jacuzzi et la Water Villa avec Jacuzzi ! En formule tout inclus de base !
Que me conseillez-vous ?
Ca y'est notre choix est fait !
Ca sera le Kuramathi aux Maldives, pour 7 nuits, en Septembre !
Reste à choisir l'habitation !
Pour le même prix, on a le choix entre la Deluxe Beach Villa avec Jacuzzi et la Water Villa avec Jacuzzi ! En formule tout inclus de base !
Que me conseillez-vous ?
si c'est moi, je conseille mon n'épouse dans une villa et moi dans l'autre, histoire d'etre en paix ! 😏
Bonsoir, sans hésiter, les Seychelles et idéalement Praslin d ou vous pourrez effectuer d autres escapades, le seul bémol sera le budget, mais vous reviendrez avec le sentiment d avoir vu des endroits encore sauvage...ce qui. N'est pas le cas de Maurice, quand aux Maldives, c est beau mais il faut surtout être plongeur...
Bonne recherche a vous.
Olivier
Je ne suis pas du tout d'accord avec vous, entre le snorkeling, les excursions, le spa les spectacles et les excursions les Maldives restent une destination de rêve ou beaucoup de gens aimeraient se rendre, nous y sejournons depuis de nombreuses années avec toujours autant de plaisir.
Nous ne sommes pas plongeurs pour autant, mais amateurs de lieux paradisiaques.
Nous ne sommes pas plongeurs pour autant, mais amateurs de lieux paradisiaques.
Ils ont choisit les Maldives, alors laissons les savourer les préparatifs du voyage et ne les contrarions plus.
quand au choix de la villa, comme l'ecrit Belinda, c'est à eux de le faire, de toute façon ils ne seront pas déçus .... 🙂
quand au choix de la villa, comme l'ecrit Belinda, c'est à eux de le faire, de toute façon ils ne seront pas déçus .... 🙂
On veut le Piloti with Jacuzzi.
Printemps voyage ne peut nous réserver un voyage en Septembre car ils manquent de places à l'hotel. Et quand c'est pas l'hotel, c'est l'avion.
On va donc réserver avec voyages exotiques. Le seul truc qui me chagrine est qu'il faille payer le billet d'avion, et un acompte de 20 % du séjour.
L'avantage avec Printemps c'est qu'il y avait la liste et que l'on était pas obligé d'avancer l'argent.
Mais on partait 1ère semaine d'octobre, en Deluxe Beach Villa with Jacuzzi, et via Etihad, et non la compagnie aérienne Swiss (qui ont de meilleurs horaires).
J'ai tenté ma chance avec Kuoni afin de profiter des même offres commerciales (surclasement du plan repas pour les water villas avec jacuzzi)....Histoire de ne pas avancer d'argent...
Il est préférable de partir avec Swiss => Car on arriverait à Malé à 10H45, ce qui nous laisse une bonne partie de la journée à profiter. Et on partirait à 12H20 de Malé pour le retour. Vu que l'on doit laisser la chambre à 12H apparement, c'est nickel.
Plutot que de voyager avec les compagnies des pays des pétrodollars qui nous fait arriver fin d'aprés midi à Malé et repartir vers 20H de Malé (qu'est ce que l'on fait pendant ce temps sans chambre???).
Printemps voyage ne peut nous réserver un voyage en Septembre car ils manquent de places à l'hotel. Et quand c'est pas l'hotel, c'est l'avion.
On va donc réserver avec voyages exotiques. Le seul truc qui me chagrine est qu'il faille payer le billet d'avion, et un acompte de 20 % du séjour.
L'avantage avec Printemps c'est qu'il y avait la liste et que l'on était pas obligé d'avancer l'argent.
Mais on partait 1ère semaine d'octobre, en Deluxe Beach Villa with Jacuzzi, et via Etihad, et non la compagnie aérienne Swiss (qui ont de meilleurs horaires).
J'ai tenté ma chance avec Kuoni afin de profiter des même offres commerciales (surclasement du plan repas pour les water villas avec jacuzzi)....Histoire de ne pas avancer d'argent...
Il est préférable de partir avec Swiss => Car on arriverait à Malé à 10H45, ce qui nous laisse une bonne partie de la journée à profiter. Et on partirait à 12H20 de Malé pour le retour. Vu que l'on doit laisser la chambre à 12H apparement, c'est nickel.
Plutot que de voyager avec les compagnies des pays des pétrodollars qui nous fait arriver fin d'aprés midi à Malé et repartir vers 20H de Malé (qu'est ce que l'on fait pendant ce temps sans chambre???).
Concernant l'escale, c'est à quel endroit ?
1 seule ou bien 2 (Zurich + ? ) ?
J'aurais une tendance a dire que la 1ere semaine de septembre serait plus sure. L'annee derniere, le mauvais temps a vraiment commence apres le 15 septembre.
Mais rien n'est jamais sur ici avec la meteo ^_^
Nous, quand on part aux Maldives ce n'est ni le mois, ni le jour qui nous importe c'est le bonheur d'y être. A chaque fois, on se sent privilégié. On n' a jamais eu plus d'un jour de pluie, foncez, ne vous poser plus de questions, la vie est trop courte!!! je voulais simplement ajouter, qu'on se pose une seule question en repartant, quand est ce que l'on revient, c'est le pays ou on est le mieux au monde, une fois là-bas, vous comprendrez ce que cela signifie, de toucher les portes du paradis.
Belinda
Bonjour à tous !
Ma fiancée et moi nous marions en Juillet 2013 et souhaiterions partir en voyages de noces courant Octobre 2013. Nous aimerions partir 10-12 jours, avoir du soleil, de la chaleur (minimum 28°), une mer suffisament chaude (minimum 26°), de beaux paysages, et un minimum d'activités à faire (sports, sports nautiques, culture locale) et un hôtel magnifique que l'on peut se payer pour un voyage de noces.
Nous avons en tête 3 destinations, que sont les Maldives, l'île Maurice et les Seychelles. Nous avons un budget de 4000 € au total, tout compris si possible.
L'île Maurice est une destination qui ne m'attire pas plus que cela car courant Octobre, la température de l'air serait de 26° et 23° pour l'eau. Les Seychelles sont un peu chers. Les Maldives sont les Maldives, c'est à dire, magnifique, mais très (trop?) peu d'activités.
Me trompe-je sur une destination ? Avez-vous d'autres destinations abordables et qui correpondent à nos critères de recherches ?
Merci à vous !
Que c'est prise de tête :)
il faut éviter les endroits ou il y a les attaques de requin ! 🙁
Ma fiancée et moi nous marions en Juillet 2013 et souhaiterions partir en voyages de noces courant Octobre 2013. Nous aimerions partir 10-12 jours, avoir du soleil, de la chaleur (minimum 28°), une mer suffisament chaude (minimum 26°), de beaux paysages, et un minimum d'activités à faire (sports, sports nautiques, culture locale) et un hôtel magnifique que l'on peut se payer pour un voyage de noces.
Nous avons en tête 3 destinations, que sont les Maldives, l'île Maurice et les Seychelles. Nous avons un budget de 4000 € au total, tout compris si possible.
L'île Maurice est une destination qui ne m'attire pas plus que cela car courant Octobre, la température de l'air serait de 26° et 23° pour l'eau. Les Seychelles sont un peu chers. Les Maldives sont les Maldives, c'est à dire, magnifique, mais très (trop?) peu d'activités.
Me trompe-je sur une destination ? Avez-vous d'autres destinations abordables et qui correpondent à nos critères de recherches ?
Merci à vous !
Que c'est prise de tête :)
il faut éviter les endroits ou il y a les attaques de requin ! 🙁
Un pauvre sans ambition restera toujours pauvre !
Il est important que l'être humain ait toujours des objectifs à atteindre ! Un esprit passif devient irrationnel et cède facilement à la tromperie. N'espérez pas atteindre vos objectifs pour changer, mais changer dès maintenant pour les atteindre !
Bonjour,
Pour répondre à vos questions objectivement car je voyage beaucoup dans le monde et suis devenue spécialiste principalement des îles. Je vous conseillerai plutôt les SEYCHELLES mais pas du tout dans de supers hêtels étoilés, chers et sans aucune âme, ça reste anionyme et hors de prix, les plages anses y sont vraiment paradisiaques, il y a des sorties en mer à faire en bateau, la plongée sous marine y est exceptionnelle, la vie par exemple sur la DIGUE cool, sauvage monumentalement belle et riche dans la diversité, des restos pour changer souvent, des petites boutiques et en plus vous pourrez faire l'île soeur PRASLIN en partant directement de la DIGUE par un gros cat express. La vie chez l'habitant est géniale, simple, douce et surtout enrichissante au niveau relationnel et convivialité, je voyage ainsi et suis toujours satisfaite de mes choix sans me ruiner, car il n'y a pas mieux que les îliens pour vous faire découvrir leur pays et vous raconter leurs cultures!!! J'ai vécu à l'île MAURICE et sincèrement j'en ai fait le tour en long large à part d'immenses hôtels supers luxueux, une faune et flore déjà bien atteints par le tourisme en masse, la capitale dangereuse par l'insécurité qui y règne et je passe sur d'autes détails bien plus embêtants.
Pour les MALDIVES cela se limite à des atoll hôtels une fois que l'on a fait le tour à pieds de l'île et vu toujours les mêmes personnes tous les jours et faire la même chose c'est cher payé, j'avoue que cette destination est magnifique pour la plongée et le sable blanc mais vous ne pourrez rien visiter à part votre hôtel et la plage juste devant, vu le prix du séjour ça reste frustrant lorsque l'on a envie de découvrir autre chose.
Je vous ai donné mon avis simple mais c'est du vécu par je peux dire que j'ai vécu dans pas mal d'îles dans ma vie et pas en touristes de passage. Je vous souhaite un excellent voyage de noces et tout le bonheur du monde!
Une adresse sur la DIGUE qui vaut le détour, de nombreux avis positifs sont déposés sur des sites officiels dont TRIPADVISOR le routard LONELY et GEO je vous conseille vivement d'aller voir ce sont des SEYCHELLOIS exceptionnels et ils ont beaucoup de nouveaux mariés qui viennent chez eux!
Pour répondre à vos questions objectivement car je voyage beaucoup dans le monde et suis devenue spécialiste principalement des îles. Je vous conseillerai plutôt les SEYCHELLES mais pas du tout dans de supers hêtels étoilés, chers et sans aucune âme, ça reste anionyme et hors de prix, les plages anses y sont vraiment paradisiaques, il y a des sorties en mer à faire en bateau, la plongée sous marine y est exceptionnelle, la vie par exemple sur la DIGUE cool, sauvage monumentalement belle et riche dans la diversité, des restos pour changer souvent, des petites boutiques et en plus vous pourrez faire l'île soeur PRASLIN en partant directement de la DIGUE par un gros cat express. La vie chez l'habitant est géniale, simple, douce et surtout enrichissante au niveau relationnel et convivialité, je voyage ainsi et suis toujours satisfaite de mes choix sans me ruiner, car il n'y a pas mieux que les îliens pour vous faire découvrir leur pays et vous raconter leurs cultures!!! J'ai vécu à l'île MAURICE et sincèrement j'en ai fait le tour en long large à part d'immenses hôtels supers luxueux, une faune et flore déjà bien atteints par le tourisme en masse, la capitale dangereuse par l'insécurité qui y règne et je passe sur d'autes détails bien plus embêtants.
Pour les MALDIVES cela se limite à des atoll hôtels une fois que l'on a fait le tour à pieds de l'île et vu toujours les mêmes personnes tous les jours et faire la même chose c'est cher payé, j'avoue que cette destination est magnifique pour la plongée et le sable blanc mais vous ne pourrez rien visiter à part votre hôtel et la plage juste devant, vu le prix du séjour ça reste frustrant lorsque l'on a envie de découvrir autre chose.
Je vous ai donné mon avis simple mais c'est du vécu par je peux dire que j'ai vécu dans pas mal d'îles dans ma vie et pas en touristes de passage. Je vous souhaite un excellent voyage de noces et tout le bonheur du monde!
Une adresse sur la DIGUE qui vaut le détour, de nombreux avis positifs sont déposés sur des sites officiels dont TRIPADVISOR le routard LONELY et GEO je vous conseille vivement d'aller voir ce sont des SEYCHELLOIS exceptionnels et ils ont beaucoup de nouveaux mariés qui viennent chez eux!
Bonjour Sebcaud,
Des 3 destinations cites, j'irai aux Maldives pour un VDN au kuramathi par exemple. Je suis rentrée des Seychelles il y a 1 mois, en version luxe, ce qui ne m'a absolument empêchée de rencontrer beaucoup de seychellois mais le rapport qualité prix n'est pas bon. Je crois que pour un voyage de noce, l'idéal est de se retrouver seuls au monde dans un cadre de rêve. Ce que vous apportera les Maldives. Je vous souhaite beaucoup de bonheur.
Des 3 destinations cites, j'irai aux Maldives pour un VDN au kuramathi par exemple. Je suis rentrée des Seychelles il y a 1 mois, en version luxe, ce qui ne m'a absolument empêchée de rencontrer beaucoup de seychellois mais le rapport qualité prix n'est pas bon. Je crois que pour un voyage de noce, l'idéal est de se retrouver seuls au monde dans un cadre de rêve. Ce que vous apportera les Maldives. Je vous souhaite beaucoup de bonheur.
IRINA
Nous voilà rentré des Maldives ! Euhhhh que dis-je. Nous voilà rentré du PA-RA-DIS !!!
Merci à toutes les personnes ici nous ayant conseillé les Maldives et le Kuramathi. Je vais vous faire un petit résumé de nos vacances au Kuramathi où nous avons passé à coup sûr 8 jours - 7 nuits qui resteront à jamais gravé dans nos mémoires !
Nous arrivons sur Malé vers 14H, j'ai quasiment pleuré quand nous avons commencé la descente en avion vers Malé et quand nous avons aperçu les différents atolls. Je n'ai JAMAIS rien vu d'aussi beau dans ma vie (et pourtant j'ai déjà pas mal voyagé).
Une fois arrivés à Malé, nous prenons l'hydravion 1 heure et demi après, du fait que notre premier hydravion ait pris du retard à cause d'une panne.
L'hydravion restera un moment magnifique. Nous amérissons sur une berge au large du kuramathi où nous prenons le bateau. Les employés s'occupent des valises que nous retrouverons directement à notre arrivée au piloti. Puis nous arrivons au Kuramathi, très bien reçu par une française qui nous offre un cocktail de bienvenu, et nous présente l'île.
Nous étions en pension All-Inclusive Basic (suffisant, nous avons royalement bien mangé au restaurant Malafay, service au top, très très bonne cuisine). Cocktails à volonté, c'est le top !
L'accueil nous dirige vers le buggy qui nous déposera à notre chambre (263, Piloti avec Jacuzzi). Et là ! On prend encore une claque. Vue sur mer, chambre spacieuse, magnifique salle de bain avec douche ouverte sur l'extérieure.
C'est parti pour une semaine !
Le programme a été => Réveil vers 08H30 le matin, petit-déjeuner et direction la plage principale pour faire du snorkeling et lire jusqu'à 12H. Nous revenions nous doucher vers 12H à notre chambre pour ensuite aller manger. Puis après-midi piloti. Jacuzzi, Transats, lecture, snorkeling (super spot de plongée au niveau des pilotis également), sortie vers 17H30-18H pour faire un tour, boire un cocktail, manger, puis on rentrait à la chambre vers 21H30.
L’endroit le plus beau de l'île est le bout du bout de l'île qui fait face à l'océan. Une lagune de sable magnifique.
j'ai pu me payer une heure de massage au spa (divin) et la sortie coucher de soleil était vraiment pas mal.
Nous avons pu nager avec des requins, raies, aperçu des dauphins de notre piloti. Mais n'avons pu apercevoir de tortues.
Maldives => Je t'aime !
Merci à toutes les personnes ici nous ayant conseillé les Maldives et le Kuramathi. Je vais vous faire un petit résumé de nos vacances au Kuramathi où nous avons passé à coup sûr 8 jours - 7 nuits qui resteront à jamais gravé dans nos mémoires !
Nous arrivons sur Malé vers 14H, j'ai quasiment pleuré quand nous avons commencé la descente en avion vers Malé et quand nous avons aperçu les différents atolls. Je n'ai JAMAIS rien vu d'aussi beau dans ma vie (et pourtant j'ai déjà pas mal voyagé).
Une fois arrivés à Malé, nous prenons l'hydravion 1 heure et demi après, du fait que notre premier hydravion ait pris du retard à cause d'une panne.
L'hydravion restera un moment magnifique. Nous amérissons sur une berge au large du kuramathi où nous prenons le bateau. Les employés s'occupent des valises que nous retrouverons directement à notre arrivée au piloti. Puis nous arrivons au Kuramathi, très bien reçu par une française qui nous offre un cocktail de bienvenu, et nous présente l'île.
Nous étions en pension All-Inclusive Basic (suffisant, nous avons royalement bien mangé au restaurant Malafay, service au top, très très bonne cuisine). Cocktails à volonté, c'est le top !
L'accueil nous dirige vers le buggy qui nous déposera à notre chambre (263, Piloti avec Jacuzzi). Et là ! On prend encore une claque. Vue sur mer, chambre spacieuse, magnifique salle de bain avec douche ouverte sur l'extérieure.
C'est parti pour une semaine !
Le programme a été => Réveil vers 08H30 le matin, petit-déjeuner et direction la plage principale pour faire du snorkeling et lire jusqu'à 12H. Nous revenions nous doucher vers 12H à notre chambre pour ensuite aller manger. Puis après-midi piloti. Jacuzzi, Transats, lecture, snorkeling (super spot de plongée au niveau des pilotis également), sortie vers 17H30-18H pour faire un tour, boire un cocktail, manger, puis on rentrait à la chambre vers 21H30.
L’endroit le plus beau de l'île est le bout du bout de l'île qui fait face à l'océan. Une lagune de sable magnifique.
j'ai pu me payer une heure de massage au spa (divin) et la sortie coucher de soleil était vraiment pas mal.
Nous avons pu nager avec des requins, raies, aperçu des dauphins de notre piloti. Mais n'avons pu apercevoir de tortues.
Maldives => Je t'aime !
Nous voilà rentré des Maldives ! Euhhhh que dis-je. Nous voilà rentré du PA-RA-DIS !!!
Nous étions en pension All-Inclusive Basic (suffisant, nous avons royalement bien mangé au restaurant Malafay, service au top, très très bonne cuisine). Cocktails à volonté, c'est le top !
L'accueil nous dirige vers le buggy qui nous déposera à notre chambre (263, Piloti avec Jacuzzi). Et là ! On prend encore une claque. Vue sur mer, chambre spacieuse, magnifique salle de bain avec douche ouverte sur l'extérieure.
Hello, finalement vous avez choisi voyages exotiques? et vous avez payé combien environ pour tout? Merci d'avance pour votre réponse 😉
Nous étions en pension All-Inclusive Basic (suffisant, nous avons royalement bien mangé au restaurant Malafay, service au top, très très bonne cuisine). Cocktails à volonté, c'est le top !
L'accueil nous dirige vers le buggy qui nous déposera à notre chambre (263, Piloti avec Jacuzzi). Et là ! On prend encore une claque. Vue sur mer, chambre spacieuse, magnifique salle de bain avec douche ouverte sur l'extérieure.
Hello, finalement vous avez choisi voyages exotiques? et vous avez payé combien environ pour tout? Merci d'avance pour votre réponse 😉
Coucou Jezza,
Nous on y a effectivement été avec Voyages Exotiques, en passant par Zurich, mais un détail important tout dépend du type d'hébergement choisi ( 7 categories de bungalows ) au Kuramathi et de la formule ( demi pension, pension complete, All Inclusive simple ou All Inclusive select, d'autre part le prix varie aussi en fonction de la saison de départ.
Nous on y a effectivement été avec Voyages Exotiques, en passant par Zurich, mais un détail important tout dépend du type d'hébergement choisi ( 7 categories de bungalows ) au Kuramathi et de la formule ( demi pension, pension complete, All Inclusive simple ou All Inclusive select, d'autre part le prix varie aussi en fonction de la saison de départ.
Belinda
Sébastien super ta vidéo :)
Bonjour,
à faire absolument
Maison eurêka
Rivière noire
Les grandes falaises de Souillac
Jardin de pamplemousse
Trou aux biches
Cap malheureux
Le morne barbant
Blue bay
Ile aux Cerfs
Ile Plate + Ilot Gabriel
Ile aux aigrettes (vraiment super
Ile d'ambre (pas fait mais sa à l'air bien )
terre des sept couleurs (un peu surfait mais jolie quand même)
Il y à pas mal de cascade aussi.
Conseil: louer vous une voiture est faite les excursions par vous même (on à fait sa et franchement c'est génial des guides, bateaux, ... rien que pour nous deux sinon trop de touriste. )
Vidéo de notre voyage de noce. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DqcoPdOgD0 ps: le guide évasion est top .
Conseil: louer vous une voiture est faite les excursions par vous même (on à fait sa et franchement c'est génial des guides, bateaux, ... rien que pour nous deux sinon trop de touriste. )
Vidéo de notre voyage de noce. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DqcoPdOgD0 ps: le guide évasion est top .
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Hello,
I’m interested in the 10-day/8-night "Discover Nepal" tour offered by Capitales Tours, among others. For Day 4, it lists Kathmandu-Mugling-Pokhara as 200 km and 8/9 hours of travel. Is this duration due to the road conditions? I assume the stop in Mugling for lunch is included in the travel time.
For Pokhara-Chitwan, only the distance is mentioned: 160 km. Should I expect a long bus ride there as well?
The proposed flights would be with AIR-INDIA via DELHI. We had issues with AIR-INDIA before—they denied us boarding for Paris even though we arrived at the airport more than 3 hours early. There was no specific counter for PARIS; the counters were for all destinations, and we waited in line for over 2.5 hours only to be told "too late"... Thanks for your advice: Mum49 Is it still like this?
I’m interested in the 10-day/8-night "Discover Nepal" tour offered by Capitales Tours, among others. For Day 4, it lists Kathmandu-Mugling-Pokhara as 200 km and 8/9 hours of travel. Is this duration due to the road conditions? I assume the stop in Mugling for lunch is included in the travel time.
For Pokhara-Chitwan, only the distance is mentioned: 160 km. Should I expect a long bus ride there as well?
The proposed flights would be with AIR-INDIA via DELHI. We had issues with AIR-INDIA before—they denied us boarding for Paris even though we arrived at the airport more than 3 hours early. There was no specific counter for PARIS; the counters were for all destinations, and we waited in line for over 2.5 hours only to be told "too late"... Thanks for your advice: Mum49 Is it still like this?
Eh oui, VF autrefois si réactif n'a même pas encore de sujet consacré a cette coulée de boue dévastatrice qui a ravagé une région du Népal ou des centaines de personnes sont mortes et des centaines portées disparues (bilan provisoire). Mais vu les images, on sait que le nombre de victimes va être terrifiant.
Pensée a toutes les personnes impactées, dont, selon les premières infos, beaucoup de touristes..
Hi there! 🙂
We’re heading to Sri Lanka for 23 days in January 2027—there are four of us—and we’ll wrap up the trip with 5 days in Mumbai. Our itinerary is coming together, but what do you think? (We can’t change the dates since our flights are already booked.)
We still have one night to slot in, and I’ve tentatively planned it in Tangalle, though it was a bit random. Would it make more sense to place it at a different stop? Or is there an intermediate stop I might be missing?
I’ve got accommodations sorted everywhere except Mumbai—it’s a nightmare (either way too expensive or really dodgy). By default, we’ve spotted the Residency Hotel Fort, but 70 € a night (with a discount) for a hotel that doesn’t offer anything special in India?!
Thanks so much for your help!
We’re heading to Sri Lanka for 23 days in January 2027—there are four of us—and we’ll wrap up the trip with 5 days in Mumbai. Our itinerary is coming together, but what do you think? (We can’t change the dates since our flights are already booked.)
We still have one night to slot in, and I’ve tentatively planned it in Tangalle, though it was a bit random. Would it make more sense to place it at a different stop? Or is there an intermediate stop I might be missing?
I’ve got accommodations sorted everywhere except Mumbai—it’s a nightmare (either way too expensive or really dodgy). By default, we’ve spotted the Residency Hotel Fort, but 70 € a night (with a discount) for a hotel that doesn’t offer anything special in India?!
Thanks so much for your help!
Hello,
We’ve already traveled to India twice before, but only for two-week stretches (2013, a loop from Mumbai including Hampi, and in 2019, Tamil Nadu). This time, we’re leaving at the end of October for nearly three months of travel—something completely new for us! We’ll arrive in Delhi and depart from Bangalore. Our goal is to explore Northern India and then head down to Kerala, taking a maximum of one flight and prioritizing trains.
Traveling for this long should let us plan longer stops to slow down the pace and fully enjoy our trip...
What are the places you’ve loved with this in mind? I’ve already thought of Gokarna... Do you have any other suggestions, especially in Northern India? Thanks in advance for your tips!
Traveling for this long should let us plan longer stops to slow down the pace and fully enjoy our trip...
What are the places you’ve loved with this in mind? I’ve already thought of Gokarna... Do you have any other suggestions, especially in Northern India? Thanks in advance for your tips!
Hi there,
I’m planning a trip to Bangladesh for tourism during All Saints' Day 25. The government website is pretty discouraging! I’d love to hear from people living there or who’ve been recently before I buy my tickets.
How’s the security level and feasibility of a circuit (boat, train, bus around the country)? We’re used to basic conditions :)
Thanks in advance for your tips!
Cécile
I’ll be in central KERALA (4 hours from KOCHI airport by car). For the rest of my stay, I’m planning to do "nothing" except brisk walking, Tai Chi... and swimming. The spot could be Varkala or somewhere else. If the place has nearby tourist sites like monuments, temples, or anything else, I’d be happy to let myself be guided. I’m traveling solo. GOA is a 7-hour drive away, or a flight, so I’d rather skip it (too far from KOCHI airport). This break will last a week, with a return to KOCHI airport. Thanks in advance for your ideas, experiences, and tips!
Hi everyone,
I’ll be landing in Srinagar on October 23rd. I’ve decided to visit this region of India that I haven’t explored yet to discover new landscapes and, especially, their crafts. I don’t have anything planned so far. I’ll be staying for about two weeks before heading back to Pushkar. I’d love any tips you can share—small towns or villages to visit, ideas for affordable and authentic accommodations, workshops to check out, and so on. I’m open to all your suggestions! I might head toward Jammu, where a host has offered to put me up for a few days. Thanks in advance, and take care!
I’ll be landing in Srinagar on October 23rd. I’ve decided to visit this region of India that I haven’t explored yet to discover new landscapes and, especially, their crafts. I don’t have anything planned so far. I’ll be staying for about two weeks before heading back to Pushkar. I’d love any tips you can share—small towns or villages to visit, ideas for affordable and authentic accommodations, workshops to check out, and so on. I’m open to all your suggestions! I might head toward Jammu, where a host has offered to put me up for a few days. Thanks in advance, and take care!
Hello,
We are two couples of friends aged between 65 and 70. Do you have a local agency or a local French-speaking driver-guide to recommend for a trip around Sri Lanka between February 14 and March 14, 2027? We’re open to any tips for our trip. The reviews and advice for agencies found on the forum are several years old. Thanks for your help.
Hi,
I’m looking for an organized tour in Northern India that goes through Agra (of course!) over about twenty days, prioritizing 2-day stops given the long distances or flights.
So far, my search has led me to these tours:
Intimate Rajasthan + Ganges Valley
Intimate Rajasthan and Goa
Confidential Rajasthan + Goa circuit
The number of kilometers is still pretty overwhelming and a bit scary.
Thanks for your feedback!
bcricri14
Practical tips from my 105 days of erratic wandering in India
Day 1 (10/10/2006): arrived in Mumbai around noon. Bus No. 338 5 Rs + 5 Rs (bag) 20' to Andheri station. Train 6 Rs to Dadar. Train 41 Rs to Lonavla 2h30 Hotel Chandralok 500 Rs **
Day 2: bike rental 7 Rs/h (too expensive, normal price 2-3 Rs/h) visit to the caves of Bhaja and Karla.
Day 3: train 28 Rs to Pune 1h20 Hotel National 416 Rs *
Day 4: train 141 Rs (with reservation) to Satara 2h45 Hotel Sagar 364 Rs **
Day 5: bus 110 Rs to Pandharpur 4h Hotel Aishwarya 450 Rs ***
Day 6: bike rental 2 Rs/h
Day 7: bus 125 Rs to Ahmadnagar 4h20 Hotel Parijat 250 Rs *
Day 8: train 151 Rs (!ticket for a mini 600 km trip!) to Jalgaon 5h30 Hotel Plaza 200 Rs **
Day 9: round-trip bus 38 Rs to Ajanta 1h30 + shuttle 6 Rs 5' Site entrance 250 Rs
Day 10: train 47 Rs to Khandwa 3h + bus 40 Rs to Omkareshwar 2h Ganesh G.H. 150 Rs *
Day 11 to 13: Omkareshwar
Day 14: bus 35 Rs to Maheshwar 2h45 Akashdeep Rest House 200 Rs **
Day 15: bus 8 Rs to Dhamnod 20' bus 20 Rs to crossroads 14 km from Mandu 1h40 bus 9 Rs to Mandu 20' Ram Mandir Dharamshala 100 Rs + 5 Rs for hot water *
Day 16: bike rental 3 Rs/h
Day 17: bus 50 Rs to Indore 4h Hotel Neelam 209 Rs
Day 18 to 20: Indore + round-trip bus 30 Rs to Ujjain 1h45
Day 21: train 82 Rs to Bhopal 5h30 Hotel Ranjeet 358 Rs *
Day 22: train 10 Rs to Sanchi 1h20 Jaiswal Lodge 200 Rs + 15 Rs for hot water! *
Day 23 and 24: visit to Sanchi + bike rental to visit the caves of Udayagiri
Day 25: train 69 Rs to Jhansi 5h + tempo 5 Rs to bus station + tempo 10 Rs + 5 Rs (bag) to Orccha 25' Sri Mahant G.H. 200 Rs **
Day 26 and 27: bike rental + train 20 Rs to Datia 30' + bemo 6 Rs to city center. Return bus 15 Rs 1h15
Day 28: bus 100 Rs to Khajuraho 4h Yogi Lodge 150 Rs **
Day 29: bike rental 30 Rs/day to visit the temples
Day 30: bus 70 Rs to Satna 4h + train 56 Rs to Jabalpur 3h Hotel Banjara 350 Rs **
Day 31: bike rental 2 Rs/h and visit to the Marble Rocks (50 km round trip)
Day 32: bus 50 Rs to Mandla 3h Hotel Satyam 250 Rs ** Round-trip bus 15 Rs to Ramnagar 1h15
Day 33: bus 60 Rs to Dindori 4h + bus 45 Rs to Amarkantak 3h (hellish road) Sarvodya Lodge 250 Rs °
Day 34: Amarkantak
Day 35: bus 25 Rs to Pendra Road 1h30 + train 120 Rs + 109 Rs (reservation) to Nagpur 8h Hotel Grand 257 Rs **
Day 36 and 37: bike rental + round-trip 25 Rs to Ramtek 1h40
Day 38: train 141 Rs + 125 Rs to Hyderabad 10h Hotel 3 Castles 200 Rs ° + Hotel Suhail 200 Rs °
Day 39 to 41: stay in Hyderabad
Day 42: train 48 Rs to Warangal 3h30 Hotel Surya 410 Rs **
Day 43: 60 Rs to Vijayawada 4h15 Hotel Sindhuri 275 Rs **
Day 44: round-trip bus 21 Rs to Amaravati 2h
Day 45: train 98 Rs to Visakhapatnam 7h30! (normally 6h) Hotel Sri Sampath Residency 250 Rs **
Day 46: train 111 Rs + 95 Rs to Puri 11h30 Travellers Inn 100 Rs ° + Hotel Z 300 Rs ***
Day 47 to 52: Puri + round-trip to Konarak
Day 53: train 38 Rs to Bhubaneshwar 1h15 Hotel Upasana 275 Rs *
Day 54: train 70 Rs to Balasore 4h bus 26 Rs to Baripada 1h40 Hotel Ambika 225 Rs °
Day 55: bus 25 Rs to Balasore 1h40 train 66 Rs + 68 Rs to Calcutta 6h30 Hotel Paragon 270 Rs * Hotel Crystal 350 Rs **
Day 56 to 62: Calcutta
Day 63: 60 Rs to Bishnupur 5h Hotel Monalisa 200 Rs *
Day 64: stay in Bishnupur no bike rental!
Day 65: bus 20 Rs to Bankura 1h30 bus 20 Rs to Durgapur 1h15 bus 28 Rs to Bolpur 2h15 Hotel Nisa 150 Rs *
Day 66 and 67: visit to Bolpur/Shantiniketan. Refused bike rental at ... 100 Rs/day!!! (Communist state of Bengal!!!)
Day 68: bus 20 Rs to Sainthia bus 35 Rs to Baharampur 4h30 bus 7 Rs to Murshidabad 40' Hotel Manjusha 350 Rs **
Day 69: bike lent by the friendly hotel owner and visit to Murshidabad
Day 70: bus 8 Rs to Baharampur 35' bus 60 Rs to Malda 6h (hellish road) Hotel Pratapaditya 231 Rs **
Day 71: train 66 Rs + 70 Rs to New Jalpaiguri 4h Hotel Holydon 250 Rs °
Day 72: train 52 Rs to Darjeeling 9h30! (normally 7h) Hotel Pineridge 500 Rs **
Day 73 to 75: Darjeeling
Day 76: train to New Jalpaiguri 9h30 + overnight train 271 Rs
Day 77: Patna Hotel President 482 Rs **
Day 78: stay in Patna
Day 79: train 18 Rs to Gaya 3h10 tempo 10 Rs to Bodhgaya 30' Deep G.H. 400 Rs!! °°
Day 80: return to Patna
Day 81: round-trip train 36 Rs to Rajgir 4h! (normally 3h)
Day 82: train 75 Rs to Varanasi 5h! (normally 4h) Yogi Lodge 150 Rs *
Day 83 to 87: Varanasi
Day 88: overnight train 310 Rs to Jaipur Evergreen G.H. 250 Rs **
Day 89: bike rental 30 Rs/day round-trip to Amber
Day 90: bus 59 Rs to Sikar 2h30 bus 23 Rs to Fatehpur 1h30 Rajshri Rest House 300 Rs *
Day 91: round-trip bus 12 Rs to Mandawa 30'
Day 92: round-trip bus 17 Rs to Churu 1h30
Day 93: bus 80 Rs to Jaipur 3h30 Evergreen G.H.
Day 94: bus 105 Rs to Bundi 5h30 Shivam G.H. 200 Rs **
Day 95: bike rental 3 Rs/h
Day 96: auto-rickshaw to station 45 Rs 25' train 44 Rs + 50 Rs to Chittorgarh train 21 Rs to Udaipur (total trip 8h) Badi Haveli 330 Rs **
Day 97 to 99: Udaipur + round-trip bus 45 Rs to Ranakpur 3h30
Day 100: bus 143 Rs to Ahmedabad 5h30 Hotel Manila 300 Rs **
Day 101: Ahmedabad
Day 102: bus 99 Rs to Bhavnagar 4h30 Hotel Vrindavan 200 Rs *
Day 103: round-trip bus 22 Rs to Palitana 1h10
Day 104: bus 85 Rs! to Ahmedabad 5h30 + overnight train ? Rs (feels like the end of the trip!)
Day 105 (January 22, 2007): train 6 Rs from Dadar to Andheri 20' + bus 5 Rs + 5 Rs (bag) to International Airport 20'
More figures British Airways flight price Brussels-London-Mumbai-London-Brussels 576 € Exchange rate from 55 Rs to 58.6 Rs per euro Average room price 272 Rs/night Daily budget 11 € Chai from 1 Rs (Calcutta-Bengal) to 6/7 Rs (Rajasthan) Bottle of water from 6 Rs (Udaipur), 8 Rs (Varanasi) to 12/13 Rs Internet from 8 Rs (Warangal), 10 Rs (Calcutta, Indore, Hyderabad), 20 Rs (often) to 40/60 Rs!! (Rajasthan) Beer in a restaurant from 85/100 Rs (often) to 150/165 Rs (Varanasi/Udaipur) More details on request
More figures British Airways flight price Brussels-London-Mumbai-London-Brussels 576 € Exchange rate from 55 Rs to 58.6 Rs per euro Average room price 272 Rs/night Daily budget 11 € Chai from 1 Rs (Calcutta-Bengal) to 6/7 Rs (Rajasthan) Bottle of water from 6 Rs (Udaipur), 8 Rs (Varanasi) to 12/13 Rs Internet from 8 Rs (Warangal), 10 Rs (Calcutta, Indore, Hyderabad), 20 Rs (often) to 40/60 Rs!! (Rajasthan) Beer in a restaurant from 85/100 Rs (often) to 150/165 Rs (Varanasi/Udaipur) More details on request
Hello everyone,
we got back from our trip to Kashmir and Ladakh three weeks ago.
We spent 4 weeks there, including one in Kashmir.
We’re really happy with our stay in Srinagar and Sonamarg. The Kashmiris gave us a very warm welcome and seemed pleased to see tourists who weren’t Indian. In fact, over the 4 days we spent in Srinagar, we only saw 4 people who looked European... Srinagar is stunning with its lakes and the lively Mughal gardens. No trouble getting around, whether by shikara, rickshaw, taxi, or on foot. The houseboats are gorgeous, unfortunately controlled by consortiums. We took a taxi to Sonamarg (20 €).
Sonamarg (two nights) and its glacier are easy to explore, either on horseback or on foot, but it’s becoming a leisure spot for Indians. To get to Ladakh afterward, we opted for a private taxi (quite expensive at 100 €, but the road is long). Since we’re a couple, it allowed us to stop whenever we wanted... and the route is beautiful all the way to Lamayuru, with our first snow-covered pass under snow when we crossed around May 21st. Then we stopped in Mulbek and Kargil before arriving in Lamayuru (three nights). We took another taxi to Alchi (26 €), spent one night there, and took the local bus at around 8 AM to Leh (3 €, a comfortable one-hour ride). We arrived in Leh around 9:30 AM, and Gyatsel from Tsarap Guesthouse came to pick us up with our backpacks. His guesthouse is located 500 meters from the market square in Leh, in a quiet little alley with no traffic. We highly recommend it because Gyatsel is invaluable for arranging taxis and organizing off-agency circuits...
His accommodation is super comfortable, and he cooks with vegetables from his garden. His wife also helps out... It’s Gyatsel’s mother who tends the garden. Through him, we arranged permits for the Nubra Valley up to Turtuk, then the Pangong and Tso Moriri lakes (we didn’t do the latter due to snow overnight!). We also crossed the Changtang (magnificent) to reach Thiksey, Stakna, Hemis, and returned to Leh. Six days in a private taxi (400 €). Since the roads were clear, we headed to Zanskar for 5 days in a shared taxi (28 € round trip for both of us). The route from Leh to Zangla follows the Zanskar gorges (impressive!).
We discovered Padum, Pibiting, Karsha, and Puktal, which you can reach via a small 7 km road and a 45-minute walk to finish, plus the sacred summit on the way to Manali.
Back in Leh, we extended our permit to visit the Aryan Valley by taxi (round trip, two days, 90 €). We spent our last two days resting in Leh—the altitude is really tiring...
I’m sharing these taxi prices as a guide for a couple. Accommodation ranged from 12 € in Leh to 30 € at Pangong Lake (the most expensive), but averaged around 15-17 € per night.
We’re not trekkers, but we love walks, discovery, and meeting people along the way. It was an amazing trip, and we even discovered a very old monastery a few kilometers before Lamayuru, where a monk took us—timeless...
I’m sharing these details because it’s hard to find precise information about Kashmir.
Sonamarg (two nights) and its glacier are easy to explore, either on horseback or on foot, but it’s becoming a leisure spot for Indians. To get to Ladakh afterward, we opted for a private taxi (quite expensive at 100 €, but the road is long). Since we’re a couple, it allowed us to stop whenever we wanted... and the route is beautiful all the way to Lamayuru, with our first snow-covered pass under snow when we crossed around May 21st. Then we stopped in Mulbek and Kargil before arriving in Lamayuru (three nights). We took another taxi to Alchi (26 €), spent one night there, and took the local bus at around 8 AM to Leh (3 €, a comfortable one-hour ride). We arrived in Leh around 9:30 AM, and Gyatsel from Tsarap Guesthouse came to pick us up with our backpacks. His guesthouse is located 500 meters from the market square in Leh, in a quiet little alley with no traffic. We highly recommend it because Gyatsel is invaluable for arranging taxis and organizing off-agency circuits...
His accommodation is super comfortable, and he cooks with vegetables from his garden. His wife also helps out... It’s Gyatsel’s mother who tends the garden. Through him, we arranged permits for the Nubra Valley up to Turtuk, then the Pangong and Tso Moriri lakes (we didn’t do the latter due to snow overnight!). We also crossed the Changtang (magnificent) to reach Thiksey, Stakna, Hemis, and returned to Leh. Six days in a private taxi (400 €). Since the roads were clear, we headed to Zanskar for 5 days in a shared taxi (28 € round trip for both of us). The route from Leh to Zangla follows the Zanskar gorges (impressive!).
We discovered Padum, Pibiting, Karsha, and Puktal, which you can reach via a small 7 km road and a 45-minute walk to finish, plus the sacred summit on the way to Manali.
Back in Leh, we extended our permit to visit the Aryan Valley by taxi (round trip, two days, 90 €). We spent our last two days resting in Leh—the altitude is really tiring...
I’m sharing these taxi prices as a guide for a couple. Accommodation ranged from 12 € in Leh to 30 € at Pangong Lake (the most expensive), but averaged around 15-17 € per night.
We’re not trekkers, but we love walks, discovery, and meeting people along the way. It was an amazing trip, and we even discovered a very old monastery a few kilometers before Lamayuru, where a monk took us—timeless...
I’m sharing these details because it’s hard to find precise information about Kashmir.
Hi everyone!
I’m planning a short visit to Pokhara around mid-February 2027 (it’ll be my 4th time in Nepal 😊, over 40 years!). I’d like to book a room in advance rather than looking when I arrive. I’ve checked a bit on Bxxking.com and see lots of options. I’m used to scoping out the surroundings of places listed, just to avoid ending up in areas that are either unappealing or far from everything.
So, I see quite a few offers around the lake (Lakeside?), but every time I check what it looks like, the streets seem really uninviting. It’s kind of like a construction site with buildings everywhere… Nothing like Bhaktapur (for example) or even Thamel, where the streets seem way more pleasant.
Could anyone give me some advice?
Also, I don’t really get the impression that Pokhara is worth a visit of several days. The lake, sure, but once you’ve seen it—what else is there?
I’m planning a short visit to Pokhara around mid-February 2027 (it’ll be my 4th time in Nepal 😊, over 40 years!). I’d like to book a room in advance rather than looking when I arrive. I’ve checked a bit on Bxxking.com and see lots of options. I’m used to scoping out the surroundings of places listed, just to avoid ending up in areas that are either unappealing or far from everything.
So, I see quite a few offers around the lake (Lakeside?), but every time I check what it looks like, the streets seem really uninviting. It’s kind of like a construction site with buildings everywhere… Nothing like Bhaktapur (for example) or even Thamel, where the streets seem way more pleasant.
Could anyone give me some advice?
Also, I don’t really get the impression that Pokhara is worth a visit of several days. The lake, sure, but once you’ve seen it—what else is there?
Hi everyone,
I’m heading to Assam and I’d like to know what type of electrical adapter I need—is it M or D, or both?
Thanks
Hello,
I’m heading to Sri Lanka for 3 weeks in July with my two 11-year-old kids, and I’m wondering about how to organize the trip. We’re used to traveling on the go, staying 1 to 2 or 3 nights per place depending on how we feel.
Do you recommend planning the itinerary and booking accommodations in advance to save time once we’re there? Or is it pretty easy to organize everything as we go without any issues?
Same question for activities: Should we book safaris and tours ahead of time, or can we arrange them easily on the spot? Is there a risk of not getting a spot, for example, to visit a park since we’ll be there in July?
We’ll be using local transport (train, VTC via PickMe, tuk-tuk) to get from one place to another.
In short: Are there any must-book things we should reserve now? So far, I only have the flight tickets!
Thanks in advance for your help! 😊
I’m heading to Sri Lanka for 3 weeks in July with my two 11-year-old kids, and I’m wondering about how to organize the trip. We’re used to traveling on the go, staying 1 to 2 or 3 nights per place depending on how we feel.
Do you recommend planning the itinerary and booking accommodations in advance to save time once we’re there? Or is it pretty easy to organize everything as we go without any issues?
Same question for activities: Should we book safaris and tours ahead of time, or can we arrange them easily on the spot? Is there a risk of not getting a spot, for example, to visit a park since we’ll be there in July?
We’ll be using local transport (train, VTC via PickMe, tuk-tuk) to get from one place to another.
In short: Are there any must-book things we should reserve now? So far, I only have the flight tickets!
Thanks in advance for your help! 😊
Hi there, I think you're on the right track—you plan the itinerary and book the rooms in advance, and that’s it.
Not only do you save time, but you also know where you’ll be staying each night. Choosing well on Booking (or elsewhere) is actually a pleasure!
For safaris, given the number of jeeps with drivers available, it’s unlikely you’ll be turned away... the real issue is more about the concentration of jeeps around the animals.
I travel like you do—train, bus, tuk-tuk, and sometimes taxi. Ride-hailing apps like PickMe and other VTCs are mostly in big cities.
For the mountain train, due to severe flooding, service was interrupted on the line between Kandy and Ella. Check ahead, because reservations for this train are very complicated, if not impossible.
For the Colombo/Kandy train, you reserve your seats by buying the ticket before boarding. In the south, no need to book in advance for trains.
In Sri Lanka, there’s always a solution for getting around—just ask your hosts. They have trusted contacts at their fingertips. But still, compare prices—😏 smart move!
I stick to booking my nights and keep pre-planned activities to a minimum.
For reservations you can’t skip, it’s the beach stays you’ll want to secure.
Hi there,
I’m trying to find out if it’s still possible to travel from Mumbai to Goa by ferry or any other sea route. My search results aren’t very clear, and if it *is* possible, I can’t figure out where to book... If anyone has any info, I’d really appreciate it—thanks in advance!
Have a great day,
Virginie
I’m trying to find out if it’s still possible to travel from Mumbai to Goa by ferry or any other sea route. My search results aren’t very clear, and if it *is* possible, I can’t figure out where to book... If anyone has any info, I’d really appreciate it—thanks in advance!
Have a great day,
Virginie
It seems there’s a ferry from Nagapattinam to Jaffna in India. Has anyone here taken this ferry before? My main question is how to get to Nagapattinam—by train, bus? And from which town further south, of course.
Thanks, friends!
Gaston
Gaston
Hi there.
We’re spending a month in Sri Lanka in March, and we’ll have one week left after leaving Polonnaruwa.
We’re torn between spending it in the Jaffna region or on the east coast between Batticaloa and Trincomalee.
We’re divers, so the east coast appeals to us for snorkeling, beaches, and lagoons—but it seems like late March might not be the best time for that coast. What do you think?
As for Jaffna, the culture of the region, its more authentic feel since it’s less touristy, and the offshore islands all appeal to us too—but it seems far from the rest of the country and harder to access.
We have to choose because we won’t be able to visit both sides, and I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks, Marie
Hi there,
We just got back from a 2-week trip to Sri Lanka as a couple, and while planning the trip, we found plenty of info on the itinerary, places to see, and transportation, but much fewer clear reports on the actual budget to expect once there. Yet, that was an important point for us because we like to plan ahead a little before traveling.
So, we took the time to break down our complete budget after the trip. In our case, we spent around **930 € per person** for 2 weeks, being careful without depriving ourselves, mixing guesthouses, more comfortable hotels, quite a few activities, and even a private driver for part of the stay.
What we found interesting when crunching the numbers is that in Sri Lanka, it’s not necessarily meals or short trips that blow the budget, but rather flights, certain accommodations, cultural activities, and all those little expenses we sometimes forget, like tips.
If this can help other travelers get a better idea, we’ve put everything together on our blog with our experience, a detailed breakdown of expenses, and practical info on money while there, withdrawals, and tipping:
https://aventures-sans-mesaventure.com/budget-sri-lanka-pour-un-voyage-de-2-semaines/
Happy travels and enjoy your adventure! !
Happy travels and enjoy your adventure! !
Hi everyone,
We’re a group of 5 heading to the Everest Base Camp trek in early April. We won’t have a porter or guide—we’re used to hiking independently and have already done the Langtang trek and the Annapurna Circuit (back in 2003!).
I’d love to know if it’s necessary to book lodges in advance or if we’ll easily find availability during this busy season. Also, will we find lodges all along the route between the main stopover villages, or only in those villages? I remember there were plenty everywhere on the Annapurna Circuit. We want to stay as flexible as possible.
Thanks for your feedback!
We’re a group of 5 heading to the Everest Base Camp trek in early April. We won’t have a porter or guide—we’re used to hiking independently and have already done the Langtang trek and the Annapurna Circuit (back in 2003!).
I’d love to know if it’s necessary to book lodges in advance or if we’ll easily find availability during this busy season. Also, will we find lodges all along the route between the main stopover villages, or only in those villages? I remember there were plenty everywhere on the Annapurna Circuit. We want to stay as flexible as possible.
Thanks for your feedback!
Hi there,
We’re heading to India in March 2026 and had planned to visit the parts of the Meenakshi Temple that are open to non-Hindus. However, the temple is currently undergoing major renovations—with all the towers covered in scaffolding—which might really take away from the experience and our stop in Madurai.
After some frustrating and vague online searches, and before we reshuffle our itinerary, I’d love to know—if possible—the most accurate expected completion date for the renovation work.
Thanks in advance.
We’re heading to India in March 2026 and had planned to visit the parts of the Meenakshi Temple that are open to non-Hindus. However, the temple is currently undergoing major renovations—with all the towers covered in scaffolding—which might really take away from the experience and our stop in Madurai.
After some frustrating and vague online searches, and before we reshuffle our itinerary, I’d love to know—if possible—the most accurate expected completion date for the renovation work.
Thanks in advance.
Hi there,
We’re planning a trip to Nepal and would love to do a helicopter tour to Everest with Namche Heli Service. Has anyone here used this agency? I can’t seem to find any reviews online. Thanks in advance!
Kloki
We’re planning a trip to Nepal and would love to do a helicopter tour to Everest with Namche Heli Service. Has anyone here used this agency? I can’t seem to find any reviews online. Thanks in advance!
Kloki
Hey fellow travelers,
I’m spending two weeks studying Hindi in the mornings in Delhi, in the Hauz Khas neighborhood. What spots should I check out in this area? Any cafés to chill at? How do I get to other parts of Delhi? By rickshaw? Is it easy to negotiate the price upfront?
Thanks in advance. 😊 Marlène
I’m spending two weeks studying Hindi in the mornings in Delhi, in the Hauz Khas neighborhood. What spots should I check out in this area? Any cafés to chill at? How do I get to other parts of Delhi? By rickshaw? Is it easy to negotiate the price upfront?
Thanks in advance. 😊 Marlène
Hi,
I’m leaving this Saturday for Northern India from 15/02 to 27/02. I’m planning to visit New Delhi, Agra, Chand Baori, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Bundi, Udaipur, and Jodhpur.
What’s the best way to get around? I was thinking of doing everything by train. Maybe taking the bus for some stretches?
As for renting a car with a driver, it seems expensive, so I’ve pretty much ruled that out. Unless someone’s got space for the same dates?
Thanks for your insights!
What’s the best way to get around? I was thinking of doing everything by train. Maybe taking the bus for some stretches?
As for renting a car with a driver, it seems expensive, so I’ve pretty much ruled that out. Unless someone’s got space for the same dates?
Thanks for your insights!
Hi everyone,
We’re heading out in March for this trek. We’re used to hiking and long-distance treks, but this’ll be our first time in Nepal.
QUESTION: People from Nepal are telling us it’s MANDATORY to have guides! Is this true, or is it just agencies trying to get work for their staff?
The Lonely Planet says: "In April 2023, the government announced that every trekker would need to hire the services of a porter or a licensed guide to obtain the TIMS permit. The law isn’t enforced, and by 2025, there were no longer any obligations for teahouse treks."
What do you think? What’s your experience? Thanks for your feedback.
We’re heading out in March for this trek. We’re used to hiking and long-distance treks, but this’ll be our first time in Nepal.
QUESTION: People from Nepal are telling us it’s MANDATORY to have guides! Is this true, or is it just agencies trying to get work for their staff?
The Lonely Planet says: "In April 2023, the government announced that every trekker would need to hire the services of a porter or a licensed guide to obtain the TIMS permit. The law isn’t enforced, and by 2025, there were no longer any obligations for teahouse treks."
What do you think? What’s your experience? Thanks for your feedback.
Hi,
I’d like to arrive in India at New Delhi Airport with some cash. I was wondering if the exchange rates at the airport are any good or if it’s best to avoid them (and exchange in the city instead?).
Thanks for your help.
Thanks for your help.
NAMASTE NEPAL! PRACTICAL INFO AND EXPERIENCE FEEDBACK
Stay from March 25 to April 16, 2025
· Flight tickets Air India (via Delhi) (via Skyscanner) = 1130 € per person · Planned budget (and respected without too many restrictions and while buying a few small gifts) = 2000 € for the stay for two. Buses, taxis, and entrance fees to various sites represent a budget to consider. Meals are cheap. Drinks like beer/Coke, however, are not cheap and cost the equivalent of a meal. · Exchange rate of the rupee during our stay = 0.0064 € (the exchange rate is almost identical everywhere, including at the airport). · At the airport, purchase of two SIM cards (phone) = 1000 NPR x 2 for 28 days. · Kathmandu: we had booked the hotel upon arrival: Kathmandu Boutique Hotel (+977 015 357 446 – email: booking@kathmanduboutiquehotel.com), very well located in a quiet alley off the street, south of Thamel, a 10-minute walk from Durbar Square. A hotel like Nepal knows how to do, where tall people will have to duck. Night + breakfast = 18 € for two. Very warm welcome, great location, excellent value for money. · Bhaktapur: we had also booked a hotel for the end of our stay because the chance of the year 2025 made the Nepali New Year and Bisket Jatra particularly festive in Bhaktapur: Manju Baha Hotel School (+977 976 7234014 – email: manjubahahotel@gmail.com) located in an old monastery. "A social enterprise transforming an old monastery into a charming hotel, offering professional hospitality training to underprivileged Nepali youth." Night + breakfast = 32 € for two. Beautifully decorated room. Very warm welcome. Don’t miss the Changunarayan site (near Bhaktapur), it’s amazing. And if you’re lucky enough to be in Bhaktapur in mid-April for 3 days, there’s the Bisket Jatra festivities (Newari festival), joyful, noisy, fun, and wild… · Pokhara (hotel recommended by the Kathmandu hotel): Hotel Green Tara, Lakeside, 10th street, set back, quiet (Tel. +977 61 462698 – email: greentara_67@hotmail.com) · Trek permit (Lower Mustang, no need for an agency or guide, permits checked at Ghasa and Jomsom) = 2000 NPR per person (2 ID photos) · Bus Kathmandu/Pokhara and return = 2000 NPR per person · Bus Pokhara/Jomsom, 2 one-way tickets = 2800 NPR. · Taxi: negotiation with a driver we recommend, Vicky (+977 984 075 599). You explain what you want, negotiate the price, and he waits for you during the visit. Very charming, we used him several times. For example: departure from our hotel at 10 AM -> Boudhanath/Pashupatinath/Patan return at 5 PM to the hotel = 6500 NPR – Swayambhunath (round trip) = 1200 NPR · Site prices: https://ntb.gov.np/plan-your-trip/before-you-come/heritage-site-entry-fees o Visitor Pass for Kathmandu Durbar Square (for the duration of the stay, show your visa) = 1000 NPR per person (1 ID photo) o Bhaktapur Durbar Square (old town) = 1800 NPR per person o Patan = 1000 NPR per person o Swayambhu Stupa = 200 NPR per person o Boudha Stupa = 200 NPR per person o Pashupatinath Temple = 1000 NPR per person (interesting to take a guide) o Changunarayan Temple (6 km north of Bhaktapur) = 400 NPR per person o Mountain Museum in Pokhara = 750 NPR per person · E-cigarettes: e-cigarettes are banned in India and confiscated whether they’re in carry-on or checked luggage. On the way there, we had kept them in our carry-on, they were confiscated in Delhi. On the way back, learning from our previous experience, we put them in our checked luggage. Someone came to get us to take them out of our bags and confiscate them… You can find e-cigarettes and products in Kathmandu.
* * *
I’m 74 years old. I went to Nepal in 1982, 1983, and the last time in 1986. I wanted to introduce this beautiful and endearing country to my husband, and it was… now or never. So we decided it was now.
I knew the trek starting from Pokhara: Naudanda/Birethanti/Ghorepani/Tatopani/Kalopani. There was no way I was going to do that trek, especially the 1000-meter staircase to reach Ghorepani… You have to stay humble with age.
Back then, the road didn’t exist. I didn’t consider, with the construction of this road (NH48) along the western bank of the Kali Gandaki, doing a trek along a windy and dusty road. Was there an alternative hiking trail on the eastern bank? No one answered my question on VoyageForum, so I did my research online. And I found this site: "Andrées de Ruiter and Prem Rai - Trekking the Annapurna Circuit, including the new NATT trails that avoid the road - A guide to one of the most beautiful trekking regions in Nepal and the world (2011) - NATT = New Annapurna Trekking Trail".
Phew! A solution was emerging. This circuit from 2011 wasn’t fully marked. The idea was to go from Jomsom to Tatopani, so we needed to make sure the path was well-marked all the way, which we did, and the path exists, marked in red and white!
So, with the walking times information, we built our 8-day circuit:
· Jomsom/Thinigaon · Thinigaon/Chimang · Chimang/Saura · Saura/Kokhetanti · Rest day or, if in good shape: loop to Sekong Lake · Kokhetanti/Jhipra Deurali · Jhipra Deurali/Kopchepani · Kopchepani/Tatopani
It’s a senior trek, after all. So the walking times noted on the sites indicated 3 hours or even 4 hours for the two longest stages. That pace suited us fine.
On March 29, we left Kathmandu (1400m), after visiting the must-see sites, by bus to Pokhara: 200 km and 8.5 hours on a chaotic road under construction. I had a memory of Pokhara where it was the first city where you could see the Himalayan range, especially Machhapuchhare. But the pollution is such, the dust raised by traffic and construction, that no horizon is visible except the first hills around Pokhara.
We stayed 24 hours in Pokhara (820m), and on March 31, we left our luggage at the hotel and set off with our lightest backpacks: change of clothes, toiletries, first aid kit, anti-chafing cream, water bottle, sleeping bag liner, and light shoes for the stages.
We took the bus to Jomsom: 160 km/7.5 hours including stops for bathroom breaks, tea, and lunch. The road is nothing but a chaos of potholes, landslides, construction, dust, rebuilding, and mudslides. In Ghasa, the bus stops, and we’re told we’re at a checkpoint and that the two foreigners in the bus, my husband and I, need to have our permits checked, which takes a few minutes. The driving is rock-and-roll, surprising, and courteous. The drivers have their codes, and on these improbable roads, they’re virtuosos.
We could have chosen the plane, but several reasons dissuaded us: if there’s too much wind, the planes don’t take off; personally, I wasn’t reassured about landing in Jomsom, and this transport has a cost.
We arrived around 2 PM in Jomsom (2720m), and despite the early wake-up, the nearly 8 hours on the bus, and the altitude, we decided to head straight to Thinigaon (2840m). At the Jomsom checkpoint, they told us it was a 30-minute walk. Great! Except we took an hour and a half on an uphill road, bent over to fight a strong wind. But the Himalayan range is there! The Dhaulagiri, the Nilgiri, the Annapurnas as a reward.
In Thinigaon, we found a room at the "Nilgiri View Hotel" run by a didi (big sister in Nepali). From the lodge’s roof, she proudly showed us the different peaks surrounding the village and told us, worried, that it hadn’t snowed here for 3 years. She said there are very few tourists, that the season is rather in September/October/November. It seems there’s not a soul in this village, yet mules pass through the narrow street paved with large flat stones, their bells ringing. We dine at 6 PM and go to bed… Room = 1200 NPR and dinner, breakfast, and drinks = 2560 NPR.
On April 1, we set off at 9 AM, not for Chimang as planned but for Marpha! The didi from the Thinigaon lodge had said it was a 3-hour walk. The first part of this stage is attractive, the mountains are magnificent and imposing, the landscape is superb, there’s no one around, a feeling of being "alone in the world." We follow Dhumbra Tal, this small green lake. The path is a rocky track that climbs steeply. Then, around a hill, we start the big descent that joins the Kali Gandaki. We face the wind head-on, and the violent gusts take our breath away, throw us off balance, and envelop us in dust. We see the road on the other side of the Kali Gandaki. We arrive in the village of Chhairo at 2 PM, completely exhausted and with blistered feet, after 5 hours of walking instead of the planned 3.5 hours.
We’re welcomed by the village nurse, who tells us there’s a lodge in the village. Chhairo is a Tibetan village, a 20-minute walk from Marpha (according to the locals, multiply by 2 or even 3 for us…). We’re going to revise our trek plan and, first of all, spend the night in Chhairo.
The lodge is quite pleasant, and Karma, the hostess, is very friendly. She asks about our plans and suggests we stay in Chhairo the next day, from where we can visit Marpha and also Chimang, a 1-hour walk away, in light mode, meaning without backpacks. She invites us to participate in a village ceremony the next evening.
We immediately accept the proposal, as our feet need rest and the welcome is so warm… Dinner and bed!
We reworked our trek plan, which was too ambitious for our untrained bodies and, let’s face it… no longer in our first youth. In the initial plan, we thought there wouldn’t be too much elevation gain following the Kali Gandaki, but checking the map, we realize there might be significant elevation changes between Sauru and Sirkung. So we plan:
· Tomorrow: visit Marpha (2670m) and Chimang (2744m) · April 3: bus from Chhairo (2700m) to Kalopani (2530m) and continue on foot to Ghasa (2010m) · April 4: Ghasa/Pairataplo (1940m) · April 5: Pairatapla/Gadpar (1580m) · April 6: Gadpar/Narchyang (1510m) · April 7: Narchyang/Tatopani (1190m) · April 8: return to Pokhara.
Normally, it’s all downhill…
April 2, a rest day then… We set off in the morning to explore Marpha. We have to take a temporary bridge because the suspension bridge is closed due to road construction. We join the road and arrive in Marpha, a village famous for its apple orchards, brandy, cider, and apple juice production. This village is magnificent with its stone houses and monastery clinging to the hillside. The road construction spared it. There are people, but very few Western tourists.
We have lunch in Marpha and go back through Chhairo to take the path to Chimang. We cross a fragrant pine forest and find the rocky path; the landscape is splendid. We walk quietly, passing peaceful buffaloes and cows, and arrive at the foot of a stone staircase… 275 steps (which we counted on the way back) leading us to the village of Chimang. Chimang is an isolated Newari village that seems a bit desolate. Despite the slopes, there are crops on every little bit of land. Thankfully, we changed our initial program because there’s no lodge in this village, contrary to what we saw on a map… We wander through the village, which seems very deserted, have coffee in a house from another world, and then head back to Chhairo.
A rest day? = 5 hours of walking!!
Dinner and village ceremony. From what we understand, this ceremony is in honor of the Dalai Lama. Men, women, and children in traditional costumes gather twice a month; they dance, make, and offer small sweet cakes with Tibetan tea (made from tea, yak butter—often rancid—water, and salt). Surprising for first-timers…
Around 10 PM, we leave the ceremony; tomorrow morning, we need to be on the roadside by 7 AM to catch the bus to Kalopani…
This village of Chhairo is very pleasant and welcoming, no tourists, just two motorcyclists who arrived in the evening, one of whom participated in the ceremony and discreetly poured his Tibetan tea outside.
Lodge: "Norsang Tibetan Guesthouse and Restaurant". Total bill for 2 nights, 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts, and drinks = 8000 NPR.
April 3: bus from Chhairo to Kalopani, about 1.5 hours for the 20 km (200 NPR per person). We descend on the right bank of the Kali Gandaki. We find the red and white markings to resume the trek toward Ghasa. We’re in a fragrant pine forest, the Dhaulagiri on one side and the Annapurnas on the other, magnificent, and the path is pleasant and easy. We get a bit lost in this forest, always looking for the markings. Near Lete, two trekkers pass us, and we meet them again a little further on with two very young children, to whom we give the 2 hard-boiled eggs I didn’t eat this morning. They accepted them without hesitation.
We arrive in a village and ask for directions to Ghasa. The young girls point the way. But we come across a forest being logged, trees cut in all directions. We turn back and ask for confirmation. They confirm… But the two young girls catch up with us and clear the way. We have to step over, go around, and cross the felled trees, with no indication at all. Through this pick-up sticks of felled trees, the girls lead us to the top of a stone staircase, indicating that was the path. It’s the only place where we saw rhododendrons in bloom.
We descend the staircase. At the bottom, to the left, there’s a bridge to go toward Choyo, and to the right, a path to Ghasa. We take the right path and join the road. We should normally find the red and white markings, but we don’t… So we continue on the western bank road of the Kali Gandaki.
A little before the village of Misi, we see fumaroles on the opposite bank that seem to come from the ground. We don’t understand. We stopped to eat in the village of Misi (noodle soup = 600 NPR), but it’s hard to communicate with the elderly people running the guesthouse.
We continued on the road, not finding the marked path parallel to the road. Landslides, both on the left and right banks, seem to have taken over the marked routes. It’s a place where the Kali Gandaki gorge narrows, and on the opposite bank, the mountain smokes more and more, and we now hear the crackling of fire. Across from us, the mountain is burning… Our initial plan had us passing on that burning bank right now…
We arrive in Ghasa at 3:30 PM, a 6.5-hour stage but with a 1-hour stop at noon. We’re at the "Florida Guesthouse and Restaurant." From our room, we see the mountain smoking on the other side of the river, and at night, we see the flames. In this village, posters show Himalayan eagles and vultures that seem to be protected species. Indeed, we saw (and heard) 3 eagles circling today.
April 4 – Today, heading to Pairothapla or Kopchepani depending on our feet, accommodation options, and simply our desires.
No more smoke on the mountain this morning. It’s chilly, 7:45 AM, the sky is clear, just a smell of smoke outside.
Price of the lodge = 1000 NPR for the night + 3580 NPR for meals.
We cross Ghasa, which stretches over more than a kilometer. We have a drink at the last guesthouse in the village, and the didi, when she learns our destination, tells us to be careful because the villages we’re going to aren’t safe. Should we distribute our rupees in different pockets? Nah, we kept going.
At the exit of Ghasa, we find the red and white markings and take the suspension bridge to cross the boiling waters of the Kali Gandaki. The passage is impressive because the river is tumultuous. Lots of climbs and even more descents. We’re back on the eastern bank. It’s hot! On the narrow path, we meet a group of buffaloes. Who has the right of way? We decide to stick as close as possible to the rock wall and move forward calmly. The buffaloes look at us, chewing placidly, with no intention of jumping on us. Phew!
After a 5-hour stage (including stops), we arrive in Pairothapla, with hot feet and firm thighs, and decide we won’t go any further. It’s a good thing because there’s a lodge, the most basic so far, but with a great welcome. We have a meal and a short nap. The buffaloes we met on the way belong to this house. They come to drink at the fountain by the path.
Our host, very pleasant, doesn’t know what to do to please us and is very attentive. He wants to chat. He has two children, a 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy. Where do they go to school? Do they go? He tells us that the fires in the mountain are caused by people, but for what reason? We won’t find out, but it’s illegal. From here, we can still see smoke rising in the distance. The wife is a bit less friendly. Corn kernels dry on a woven straw mat on the ground, and the mom sorts them.
From where we are, we overlook the valley and see the road under construction winding along the mountainside on the other bank.
Dinner on the terrace of the house overlooking the path, windbreaker and fleece on: dal bhat chicken for me and chicken curry for my husband: "organic" products, at least local production. There are small vegetable gardens everywhere with all sorts of vegetables.
April 5 – While we’re having breakfast on the terrace of our lodge, 5 porters, straps on their foreheads, heavily loaded, pass by on the path. A few minutes later, a group of 9 people appears. It must be said that since the beginning of our journey, we’ve met very few hikers. Two backpackers in Chhairo, the two hikers near Lete, two female hikers passed us before Pairothapla, a solo female hiker passed us…
The lodge in Pairothapla is called "Bimala Lodge & Thakali Kitchen" – Price for night + 4 meals + 2 breakfasts = 3000 NPR.
The descent toward the Kali Gandaki involves climbs whose steps we didn’t count. Clearly, the landslides on the mountain cause changes to the official ACAP trek marked in red and white, and the marking updates can’t keep up with the pace of these landslides. It’s almost always by chance that we find the markings. Fortunately, we can follow the power line that guides us somewhat.
Drink stop in Kopchepani, the legs are fine, but the feet don’t like being tightly enclosed. A group of trekkers with porters passes on the path. We met buffaloes that we kindly let pass; the path was wide enough, but it was a staircase going up, and we didn’t want to take any risks.
Across, a view of the magnificent Rupse Waterfall on the other bank of the Kali Gandaki, at the bottom, lots of vehicles and people.
Arrival in Gadpar after crossing a rather unwelcoming small village and cultivated gardens between dry stone walls, each better built than the last.
First lodge spotted, first lodge adopted to answer the call of our feet, and a very warm welcome from the owner. Since we hadn’t eaten at noon, we had Tibetan bread/jam. 6-hour stage including 1 hour of stops. Night + dinner + breakfast + drinks = 5060 NPR
April 6 – Today, heading to Narchyang.
For several days, we’ve seen banana trees with their bunches of fruit and even a prickly pear with large fruits ripening.
This stage is quite peaceful and pleasant. We take a suspension bridge to cross a tributary of the Kali Gandaki. While we’re resting for a moment before crossing the bridge, a couple of porters, a man and a woman, arrive and start across the bridge with their wood load in a basket held by a strap on their forehead, making them bend. We set off too… lighter than them.
On the other side of the bridge… a stone staircase, and it climbs steeply. The porter couple didn’t take this staircase; they went right on the path.
At the top of the staircase, we arrive in Narchyang after a 4-hour stage. A magnificent waterfall overlooks the village. We get lost in this fairly large village looking for a lodge. After wandering around for a while, we ask for directions, and an 84-year-old man takes us through the whole village and accompanies us to a very nice lodge run by a woman.
We chat with our hostess, who asks where we’re from and where we’re going. We explain that we want to reach Tatopani the next day and then return to Pokhara. She tells us there are 4x4s going directly to Pokhara and that it would probably be easier than taking a bus that might be full in Tatopani. After a quick consultation, we decide to return to Pokhara the next day by 4x4. She finds us a 4x4 with 2 seats left, departure at 8 AM – 5 hours on the road and 1500 NPR per person. A charming didi who does everything to be pleasant and helpful.
Narchyang community lodge = night + snacks + dinner + breakfast = 3000 NPR.
There you go, our trek ends tomorrow. Many necessary changes and adaptations to our initial trek, but no regrets, it was superb and a great experience that, for my part, I won’t be able to repeat. Always this encounter with the endearing, welcoming, curious, and very kind Nepali people. It was now or never, and we did it!
* * *
In conclusion, 3 full weeks in Nepal is a duration that allows visiting Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur, enjoying the various sites, and soaking in the atmosphere and urban Nepali life.
The trek, even revised and corrected, allowed us to get close to the impressive Annapurna and Dhaulagiri peaks. One or two acclimatization days might be necessary to get the body in tune with this magical and extraordinary land.
Stay from March 25 to April 16, 2025
· Flight tickets Air India (via Delhi) (via Skyscanner) = 1130 € per person · Planned budget (and respected without too many restrictions and while buying a few small gifts) = 2000 € for the stay for two. Buses, taxis, and entrance fees to various sites represent a budget to consider. Meals are cheap. Drinks like beer/Coke, however, are not cheap and cost the equivalent of a meal. · Exchange rate of the rupee during our stay = 0.0064 € (the exchange rate is almost identical everywhere, including at the airport). · At the airport, purchase of two SIM cards (phone) = 1000 NPR x 2 for 28 days. · Kathmandu: we had booked the hotel upon arrival: Kathmandu Boutique Hotel (+977 015 357 446 – email: booking@kathmanduboutiquehotel.com), very well located in a quiet alley off the street, south of Thamel, a 10-minute walk from Durbar Square. A hotel like Nepal knows how to do, where tall people will have to duck. Night + breakfast = 18 € for two. Very warm welcome, great location, excellent value for money. · Bhaktapur: we had also booked a hotel for the end of our stay because the chance of the year 2025 made the Nepali New Year and Bisket Jatra particularly festive in Bhaktapur: Manju Baha Hotel School (+977 976 7234014 – email: manjubahahotel@gmail.com) located in an old monastery. "A social enterprise transforming an old monastery into a charming hotel, offering professional hospitality training to underprivileged Nepali youth." Night + breakfast = 32 € for two. Beautifully decorated room. Very warm welcome. Don’t miss the Changunarayan site (near Bhaktapur), it’s amazing. And if you’re lucky enough to be in Bhaktapur in mid-April for 3 days, there’s the Bisket Jatra festivities (Newari festival), joyful, noisy, fun, and wild… · Pokhara (hotel recommended by the Kathmandu hotel): Hotel Green Tara, Lakeside, 10th street, set back, quiet (Tel. +977 61 462698 – email: greentara_67@hotmail.com) · Trek permit (Lower Mustang, no need for an agency or guide, permits checked at Ghasa and Jomsom) = 2000 NPR per person (2 ID photos) · Bus Kathmandu/Pokhara and return = 2000 NPR per person · Bus Pokhara/Jomsom, 2 one-way tickets = 2800 NPR. · Taxi: negotiation with a driver we recommend, Vicky (+977 984 075 599). You explain what you want, negotiate the price, and he waits for you during the visit. Very charming, we used him several times. For example: departure from our hotel at 10 AM -> Boudhanath/Pashupatinath/Patan return at 5 PM to the hotel = 6500 NPR – Swayambhunath (round trip) = 1200 NPR · Site prices: https://ntb.gov.np/plan-your-trip/before-you-come/heritage-site-entry-fees o Visitor Pass for Kathmandu Durbar Square (for the duration of the stay, show your visa) = 1000 NPR per person (1 ID photo) o Bhaktapur Durbar Square (old town) = 1800 NPR per person o Patan = 1000 NPR per person o Swayambhu Stupa = 200 NPR per person o Boudha Stupa = 200 NPR per person o Pashupatinath Temple = 1000 NPR per person (interesting to take a guide) o Changunarayan Temple (6 km north of Bhaktapur) = 400 NPR per person o Mountain Museum in Pokhara = 750 NPR per person · E-cigarettes: e-cigarettes are banned in India and confiscated whether they’re in carry-on or checked luggage. On the way there, we had kept them in our carry-on, they were confiscated in Delhi. On the way back, learning from our previous experience, we put them in our checked luggage. Someone came to get us to take them out of our bags and confiscate them… You can find e-cigarettes and products in Kathmandu.
* * *
I’m 74 years old. I went to Nepal in 1982, 1983, and the last time in 1986. I wanted to introduce this beautiful and endearing country to my husband, and it was… now or never. So we decided it was now.
I knew the trek starting from Pokhara: Naudanda/Birethanti/Ghorepani/Tatopani/Kalopani. There was no way I was going to do that trek, especially the 1000-meter staircase to reach Ghorepani… You have to stay humble with age.
Back then, the road didn’t exist. I didn’t consider, with the construction of this road (NH48) along the western bank of the Kali Gandaki, doing a trek along a windy and dusty road. Was there an alternative hiking trail on the eastern bank? No one answered my question on VoyageForum, so I did my research online. And I found this site: "Andrées de Ruiter and Prem Rai - Trekking the Annapurna Circuit, including the new NATT trails that avoid the road - A guide to one of the most beautiful trekking regions in Nepal and the world (2011) - NATT = New Annapurna Trekking Trail".
Phew! A solution was emerging. This circuit from 2011 wasn’t fully marked. The idea was to go from Jomsom to Tatopani, so we needed to make sure the path was well-marked all the way, which we did, and the path exists, marked in red and white!
So, with the walking times information, we built our 8-day circuit:
· Jomsom/Thinigaon · Thinigaon/Chimang · Chimang/Saura · Saura/Kokhetanti · Rest day or, if in good shape: loop to Sekong Lake · Kokhetanti/Jhipra Deurali · Jhipra Deurali/Kopchepani · Kopchepani/Tatopani
It’s a senior trek, after all. So the walking times noted on the sites indicated 3 hours or even 4 hours for the two longest stages. That pace suited us fine.
On March 29, we left Kathmandu (1400m), after visiting the must-see sites, by bus to Pokhara: 200 km and 8.5 hours on a chaotic road under construction. I had a memory of Pokhara where it was the first city where you could see the Himalayan range, especially Machhapuchhare. But the pollution is such, the dust raised by traffic and construction, that no horizon is visible except the first hills around Pokhara.
We stayed 24 hours in Pokhara (820m), and on March 31, we left our luggage at the hotel and set off with our lightest backpacks: change of clothes, toiletries, first aid kit, anti-chafing cream, water bottle, sleeping bag liner, and light shoes for the stages.
We took the bus to Jomsom: 160 km/7.5 hours including stops for bathroom breaks, tea, and lunch. The road is nothing but a chaos of potholes, landslides, construction, dust, rebuilding, and mudslides. In Ghasa, the bus stops, and we’re told we’re at a checkpoint and that the two foreigners in the bus, my husband and I, need to have our permits checked, which takes a few minutes. The driving is rock-and-roll, surprising, and courteous. The drivers have their codes, and on these improbable roads, they’re virtuosos.
We could have chosen the plane, but several reasons dissuaded us: if there’s too much wind, the planes don’t take off; personally, I wasn’t reassured about landing in Jomsom, and this transport has a cost.
We arrived around 2 PM in Jomsom (2720m), and despite the early wake-up, the nearly 8 hours on the bus, and the altitude, we decided to head straight to Thinigaon (2840m). At the Jomsom checkpoint, they told us it was a 30-minute walk. Great! Except we took an hour and a half on an uphill road, bent over to fight a strong wind. But the Himalayan range is there! The Dhaulagiri, the Nilgiri, the Annapurnas as a reward.
In Thinigaon, we found a room at the "Nilgiri View Hotel" run by a didi (big sister in Nepali). From the lodge’s roof, she proudly showed us the different peaks surrounding the village and told us, worried, that it hadn’t snowed here for 3 years. She said there are very few tourists, that the season is rather in September/October/November. It seems there’s not a soul in this village, yet mules pass through the narrow street paved with large flat stones, their bells ringing. We dine at 6 PM and go to bed… Room = 1200 NPR and dinner, breakfast, and drinks = 2560 NPR.
On April 1, we set off at 9 AM, not for Chimang as planned but for Marpha! The didi from the Thinigaon lodge had said it was a 3-hour walk. The first part of this stage is attractive, the mountains are magnificent and imposing, the landscape is superb, there’s no one around, a feeling of being "alone in the world." We follow Dhumbra Tal, this small green lake. The path is a rocky track that climbs steeply. Then, around a hill, we start the big descent that joins the Kali Gandaki. We face the wind head-on, and the violent gusts take our breath away, throw us off balance, and envelop us in dust. We see the road on the other side of the Kali Gandaki. We arrive in the village of Chhairo at 2 PM, completely exhausted and with blistered feet, after 5 hours of walking instead of the planned 3.5 hours.
We’re welcomed by the village nurse, who tells us there’s a lodge in the village. Chhairo is a Tibetan village, a 20-minute walk from Marpha (according to the locals, multiply by 2 or even 3 for us…). We’re going to revise our trek plan and, first of all, spend the night in Chhairo.
The lodge is quite pleasant, and Karma, the hostess, is very friendly. She asks about our plans and suggests we stay in Chhairo the next day, from where we can visit Marpha and also Chimang, a 1-hour walk away, in light mode, meaning without backpacks. She invites us to participate in a village ceremony the next evening.
We immediately accept the proposal, as our feet need rest and the welcome is so warm… Dinner and bed!
We reworked our trek plan, which was too ambitious for our untrained bodies and, let’s face it… no longer in our first youth. In the initial plan, we thought there wouldn’t be too much elevation gain following the Kali Gandaki, but checking the map, we realize there might be significant elevation changes between Sauru and Sirkung. So we plan:
· Tomorrow: visit Marpha (2670m) and Chimang (2744m) · April 3: bus from Chhairo (2700m) to Kalopani (2530m) and continue on foot to Ghasa (2010m) · April 4: Ghasa/Pairataplo (1940m) · April 5: Pairatapla/Gadpar (1580m) · April 6: Gadpar/Narchyang (1510m) · April 7: Narchyang/Tatopani (1190m) · April 8: return to Pokhara.
Normally, it’s all downhill…
April 2, a rest day then… We set off in the morning to explore Marpha. We have to take a temporary bridge because the suspension bridge is closed due to road construction. We join the road and arrive in Marpha, a village famous for its apple orchards, brandy, cider, and apple juice production. This village is magnificent with its stone houses and monastery clinging to the hillside. The road construction spared it. There are people, but very few Western tourists.
We have lunch in Marpha and go back through Chhairo to take the path to Chimang. We cross a fragrant pine forest and find the rocky path; the landscape is splendid. We walk quietly, passing peaceful buffaloes and cows, and arrive at the foot of a stone staircase… 275 steps (which we counted on the way back) leading us to the village of Chimang. Chimang is an isolated Newari village that seems a bit desolate. Despite the slopes, there are crops on every little bit of land. Thankfully, we changed our initial program because there’s no lodge in this village, contrary to what we saw on a map… We wander through the village, which seems very deserted, have coffee in a house from another world, and then head back to Chhairo.
A rest day? = 5 hours of walking!!
Dinner and village ceremony. From what we understand, this ceremony is in honor of the Dalai Lama. Men, women, and children in traditional costumes gather twice a month; they dance, make, and offer small sweet cakes with Tibetan tea (made from tea, yak butter—often rancid—water, and salt). Surprising for first-timers…
Around 10 PM, we leave the ceremony; tomorrow morning, we need to be on the roadside by 7 AM to catch the bus to Kalopani…
This village of Chhairo is very pleasant and welcoming, no tourists, just two motorcyclists who arrived in the evening, one of whom participated in the ceremony and discreetly poured his Tibetan tea outside.
Lodge: "Norsang Tibetan Guesthouse and Restaurant". Total bill for 2 nights, 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts, and drinks = 8000 NPR.
April 3: bus from Chhairo to Kalopani, about 1.5 hours for the 20 km (200 NPR per person). We descend on the right bank of the Kali Gandaki. We find the red and white markings to resume the trek toward Ghasa. We’re in a fragrant pine forest, the Dhaulagiri on one side and the Annapurnas on the other, magnificent, and the path is pleasant and easy. We get a bit lost in this forest, always looking for the markings. Near Lete, two trekkers pass us, and we meet them again a little further on with two very young children, to whom we give the 2 hard-boiled eggs I didn’t eat this morning. They accepted them without hesitation.
We arrive in a village and ask for directions to Ghasa. The young girls point the way. But we come across a forest being logged, trees cut in all directions. We turn back and ask for confirmation. They confirm… But the two young girls catch up with us and clear the way. We have to step over, go around, and cross the felled trees, with no indication at all. Through this pick-up sticks of felled trees, the girls lead us to the top of a stone staircase, indicating that was the path. It’s the only place where we saw rhododendrons in bloom.
We descend the staircase. At the bottom, to the left, there’s a bridge to go toward Choyo, and to the right, a path to Ghasa. We take the right path and join the road. We should normally find the red and white markings, but we don’t… So we continue on the western bank road of the Kali Gandaki.
A little before the village of Misi, we see fumaroles on the opposite bank that seem to come from the ground. We don’t understand. We stopped to eat in the village of Misi (noodle soup = 600 NPR), but it’s hard to communicate with the elderly people running the guesthouse.
We continued on the road, not finding the marked path parallel to the road. Landslides, both on the left and right banks, seem to have taken over the marked routes. It’s a place where the Kali Gandaki gorge narrows, and on the opposite bank, the mountain smokes more and more, and we now hear the crackling of fire. Across from us, the mountain is burning… Our initial plan had us passing on that burning bank right now…
We arrive in Ghasa at 3:30 PM, a 6.5-hour stage but with a 1-hour stop at noon. We’re at the "Florida Guesthouse and Restaurant." From our room, we see the mountain smoking on the other side of the river, and at night, we see the flames. In this village, posters show Himalayan eagles and vultures that seem to be protected species. Indeed, we saw (and heard) 3 eagles circling today.
April 4 – Today, heading to Pairothapla or Kopchepani depending on our feet, accommodation options, and simply our desires.
No more smoke on the mountain this morning. It’s chilly, 7:45 AM, the sky is clear, just a smell of smoke outside.
Price of the lodge = 1000 NPR for the night + 3580 NPR for meals.
We cross Ghasa, which stretches over more than a kilometer. We have a drink at the last guesthouse in the village, and the didi, when she learns our destination, tells us to be careful because the villages we’re going to aren’t safe. Should we distribute our rupees in different pockets? Nah, we kept going.
At the exit of Ghasa, we find the red and white markings and take the suspension bridge to cross the boiling waters of the Kali Gandaki. The passage is impressive because the river is tumultuous. Lots of climbs and even more descents. We’re back on the eastern bank. It’s hot! On the narrow path, we meet a group of buffaloes. Who has the right of way? We decide to stick as close as possible to the rock wall and move forward calmly. The buffaloes look at us, chewing placidly, with no intention of jumping on us. Phew!
After a 5-hour stage (including stops), we arrive in Pairothapla, with hot feet and firm thighs, and decide we won’t go any further. It’s a good thing because there’s a lodge, the most basic so far, but with a great welcome. We have a meal and a short nap. The buffaloes we met on the way belong to this house. They come to drink at the fountain by the path.
Our host, very pleasant, doesn’t know what to do to please us and is very attentive. He wants to chat. He has two children, a 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy. Where do they go to school? Do they go? He tells us that the fires in the mountain are caused by people, but for what reason? We won’t find out, but it’s illegal. From here, we can still see smoke rising in the distance. The wife is a bit less friendly. Corn kernels dry on a woven straw mat on the ground, and the mom sorts them.
From where we are, we overlook the valley and see the road under construction winding along the mountainside on the other bank.
Dinner on the terrace of the house overlooking the path, windbreaker and fleece on: dal bhat chicken for me and chicken curry for my husband: "organic" products, at least local production. There are small vegetable gardens everywhere with all sorts of vegetables.
April 5 – While we’re having breakfast on the terrace of our lodge, 5 porters, straps on their foreheads, heavily loaded, pass by on the path. A few minutes later, a group of 9 people appears. It must be said that since the beginning of our journey, we’ve met very few hikers. Two backpackers in Chhairo, the two hikers near Lete, two female hikers passed us before Pairothapla, a solo female hiker passed us…
The lodge in Pairothapla is called "Bimala Lodge & Thakali Kitchen" – Price for night + 4 meals + 2 breakfasts = 3000 NPR.
The descent toward the Kali Gandaki involves climbs whose steps we didn’t count. Clearly, the landslides on the mountain cause changes to the official ACAP trek marked in red and white, and the marking updates can’t keep up with the pace of these landslides. It’s almost always by chance that we find the markings. Fortunately, we can follow the power line that guides us somewhat.
Drink stop in Kopchepani, the legs are fine, but the feet don’t like being tightly enclosed. A group of trekkers with porters passes on the path. We met buffaloes that we kindly let pass; the path was wide enough, but it was a staircase going up, and we didn’t want to take any risks.
Across, a view of the magnificent Rupse Waterfall on the other bank of the Kali Gandaki, at the bottom, lots of vehicles and people.
Arrival in Gadpar after crossing a rather unwelcoming small village and cultivated gardens between dry stone walls, each better built than the last.
First lodge spotted, first lodge adopted to answer the call of our feet, and a very warm welcome from the owner. Since we hadn’t eaten at noon, we had Tibetan bread/jam. 6-hour stage including 1 hour of stops. Night + dinner + breakfast + drinks = 5060 NPR
April 6 – Today, heading to Narchyang.
For several days, we’ve seen banana trees with their bunches of fruit and even a prickly pear with large fruits ripening.
This stage is quite peaceful and pleasant. We take a suspension bridge to cross a tributary of the Kali Gandaki. While we’re resting for a moment before crossing the bridge, a couple of porters, a man and a woman, arrive and start across the bridge with their wood load in a basket held by a strap on their forehead, making them bend. We set off too… lighter than them.
On the other side of the bridge… a stone staircase, and it climbs steeply. The porter couple didn’t take this staircase; they went right on the path.
At the top of the staircase, we arrive in Narchyang after a 4-hour stage. A magnificent waterfall overlooks the village. We get lost in this fairly large village looking for a lodge. After wandering around for a while, we ask for directions, and an 84-year-old man takes us through the whole village and accompanies us to a very nice lodge run by a woman.
We chat with our hostess, who asks where we’re from and where we’re going. We explain that we want to reach Tatopani the next day and then return to Pokhara. She tells us there are 4x4s going directly to Pokhara and that it would probably be easier than taking a bus that might be full in Tatopani. After a quick consultation, we decide to return to Pokhara the next day by 4x4. She finds us a 4x4 with 2 seats left, departure at 8 AM – 5 hours on the road and 1500 NPR per person. A charming didi who does everything to be pleasant and helpful.
Narchyang community lodge = night + snacks + dinner + breakfast = 3000 NPR.
There you go, our trek ends tomorrow. Many necessary changes and adaptations to our initial trek, but no regrets, it was superb and a great experience that, for my part, I won’t be able to repeat. Always this encounter with the endearing, welcoming, curious, and very kind Nepali people. It was now or never, and we did it!
* * *
In conclusion, 3 full weeks in Nepal is a duration that allows visiting Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur, enjoying the various sites, and soaking in the atmosphere and urban Nepali life.
The trek, even revised and corrected, allowed us to get close to the impressive Annapurna and Dhaulagiri peaks. One or two acclimatization days might be necessary to get the body in tune with this magical and extraordinary land.
Hi there,
My partner and I are heading to Nepal for 15 days in March—she’s a schoolteacher. We’ll be trekking to Everest Base Camp and then doing the loop via the Gokyo Lakes.
We’d love to set up a fundraiser to donate to a school in Namche, along with visiting the school. It’s something that really matters to us. But it’s been tough to get in touch with a school—any ideas on how to go about this? Thanks!
My partner and I are heading to Nepal for 15 days in March—she’s a schoolteacher. We’ll be trekking to Everest Base Camp and then doing the loop via the Gokyo Lakes.
We’d love to set up a fundraiser to donate to a school in Namche, along with visiting the school. It’s something that really matters to us. But it’s been tough to get in touch with a school—any ideas on how to go about this? Thanks!
Hello my fellow globetrotters, could anyone tell me how to find the French colonial cemetery in Pondicherry? It seems tricky to locate.
Thanks so much for your help! Take care, pace yourselves, and travel far.
Cheers, Régine
Thanks so much for your help! Take care, pace yourselves, and travel far.
Cheers, Régine