General Information About Trekking in Nepal By Sudin Shrestha

In a country like Nepal where there is a rich variation of culture and customs closely assimilated and related with the geographical location of the people, trekkers are in for the rare occasion of exploring the nature's finest places on the earth and at the same time observing unique traditions of the natives.
With Mount Everest/ Khumbu Langtang and Mount Annapurna standing stoically in the Himalayan range, Nepal has to offer what adventure lovers would call the dream destination for trekking. Abundant with hills and mountains, trekkers have plenty of options while trekking in this part of the world. Mansalu Circuit Trek, Lo Manthag in Upper Mustang, Island Peak Trek, Mera Peak Climbing are some of the best known trekking spots in Nepal.
Available only from Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN), a trekking permit, also known as Trekking Information Management System (TIMS) is a must for any trekkers trekking in Nepal. While trekking in restricted areas as Dolpo, Mustang, Kanchenjunga, Makalu Barun, Humla, trekkers needs special permit obtainable through organizing trekking agents.
Besides that trekkers have to be equipped with all the necessary trekking gears that will be quintessential in the journey. Trekkers' bag-packs are easily available in the trekking hub of Thamel.
Trekkers can choose from either having Tea House (Lodge Trek) or Camping (Organized Trek) as their trekking expeditions. While the former is relatively affordable option of trekking where trekkers do not have to worry about lodging and food as they are offered by the local Tea House stations, the latter is the classical and elegant way of trekking in Nepal. It is a well organized entourage of cooks, porters, guides, shrepas who would let trekkers enjoy about the trekking only and the rest of the trouble is undertaken by the group. From cooking to carrying all the bag-packs and other travel items, from arranging mattresses, tables and sleeping bags to setting up the tents for the night, the team is well prepared and professional.
Trekkers should be wary about the time when they want to come to Nepal for trekking. The ideal months for trekking in the country are March-June and September-November during which time the weather is if usually fine with clear blue skies and green pasture. Trekking in off season such as during the monsoon would be difficult to avoid the leeches and the rain, but nevertheless gives trekkers the chance to be out in the wild and live the rustic life for some time. However, trekkers in their exploration upward would need some time to acclimatization due to high altitude and low pressure. Every now and then, depending upon the height of the ground, trekkers should take a break of day or two to get used to the surrounding environment.

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Responsible Trekking in Nepal By Bryony Holland

If you're heading on holiday to Nepal, and you plan to trek the Annapurnas or visit Everest Base Camp, you need to know about responsible and safe trekking in Nepal. Here's a handy guide about responsible trekking during your Nepal trip.
Water - Nepal is trying to minimise the number of plastic water bottles that are littering and polluting the countryside and the cities too. To not add to this problem you can take your own water bottle with you and purification tablets during your Nepal trek. If you need to do some laundry then don't soap up and rinse your clothes in a stream or river as it is very likely to be a drinking supply for villagers and animals too. Use a bucket or bowl and then dispose of the dirty water away from the fresh water source. There is a government scheme set up in the Annapurna region that supplies purified water to trekkers at some of the stops on the popular Annapurna circuit trek. Take advantage of this scheme during your Nepal holiday.
You can also treat water with iodine to purify it without having to boil it.
Litter and waste - Take some matches with you to burn any toilet paper or tissues that you may use rather than litter the trail while you're trekking in Nepal. Or, even better, learn to wash with a little water as local people do instead of wipe! Some people undertaking longer Nepal treks carry a small, light-weight trowel to bury their 'doings' and away from any water sources. Carry your litter with you until you have somewhere suitable to dispose of it during your Nepal trek. Do keep in mind that to the Nepalese the hearth is the heart of the home and so the fireplace is sacred. Therefore it is very bad manners for you to throw your rubbish onto the family fire.
Trekking safely - Muggings, attacks and theft do happen, but mostly in the city areas. Or course, they can occur from time to time in rural regions. It is good to be aware of the most up to date advice on the region you are heading to during your Nepal trip. You can check on the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) website for country specific warnings and general advice. The golden rule is to never trek alone as you are putting yourself unnecessarily in a vulnerable position. If you have a reliable guide and porter accompanying you then you have someone to watch your pack if you need to nip into the bushes, you have someone to go for help if you are injured or sick and a distance away from the next trek stop. Someone who knows the terrain will also prevent you from taking a wrong turn and getting lost.
Porters and guides - When you hire a guide or porter locally and privately, you have effectively become their employer for the duration of your Nepal trek. Porters can carry extraordinary loads, but it is irresponsible to overload them with unnecessary luggage when you can travel light and carry a few of your essentials in your own day pack. If your porter or guide becomes unwell or gets injured then you are responsible, as their employer, and need to help them and make sure they are taken to safety. You do hear terrible stories of travellers in Nepal leaving porters behind to fend for themselves and even die alone. Equally, if your guide turns out to be a heavy drinker and a liability (as was my sister's experience) then you may sack him and have to leave him behind (at a safe point) if he is too drunk to continue! So, perhaps it is safer to go through an agency or guesthouse to find a good porter or guide and not just some guy off the street.
I set off from Pokhara with a group of friends, carrying our own packs to do a few days trekking in Nepal, on a tight budget, in the Annapurna region. Our first days trekking was very stressful as we did not appreciate how hard it is to bear heavy packs for hours on end and we could not find the start of the trek for some time. I was wearing the wrong kind of boots and consequently lost a toe nail by day four! We had to cut our 7 day Nepal trek effort short and take a bus back to Pokhara. In retrospect it would have been nice to have guidance and do it properly!
It is always best and much safer to be prepared with the right assistance, gear and planning and to offer employment to the guides and porters who depend on tourism to earn a living.
Register with your Embassy or Consulate in Nepal - This is a good idea so that someone knows where you are and when you are trekking in Nepal and remember to let them know that you are back safely!
Insurance - Make sure that your insurance policy covers you fully for personal accident, medical and evacuation insurance for your Nepal trekking holiday. It needs to cover you for the possibility that you may need a helicopter rescue from a remote spot back to Pokhara or Kathmandu where you can get medical attention. You can also take out insurance specifically for trekking when in Nepal prior to setting out.
Altitude - If your Nepal trek involves steep ascents and descents and you are heading to the higher altitudes then you need to make sure you take time to acclimatise during your Nepal trekking holiday. You should try to sleep at a lower altitude than the highest point you reached by day and this is often factored in to the trek route on the longer high altitude Nepal treks such as the Everest Base Camp trek.
Medical kit and useful tips - Make sure you have well-worn comfortable walking boots with you and are in good health with a good level of fitness before you set off on your Nepal trekking holiday. Take a good sunscreen as the sun is more powerful at altitude and you can be exposed to strong sunlight for hours at a time, so good sunglasses (mountaineering glasses if you are heading for the snow-line) and a hat are advisable too. Plasters, antiseptic and anti-histamine cream and elastic support bandages are also a good idea during your Nepal trip. Some people take trekking-poles (light-weight and collapsible) for extra stability and they generally come in handy. A Swiss army knife has many useful functions too; with the knife, tweezers and scissor options.
Basic pain-killers are a good thing to take with you for headaches and pains and the anti-inflammatory ones to help with swollen sore joints, water-purification tablets/or iodine and medication to stop Diarrhoea for emergencies and perhaps and some anti-biotics for emergencies too. I took a light-weight umbrella to use as a parasol to keep the sun off me as my hat did not have a very wide brim. Rehydration sachets are very useful if you are exerting yourself in a hot climate and if you get sick they can aid recovery. If you have a pre-existing medical condition that may hinder your Nepal trekking capabilities then be sure you are covered by your insurance.
Have a look in one of the reputable travel guides for a more comprehensive list of what to consider packing for your Nepal trip. Finally always consult a medical professional such as your GP or a travel clinic regarding the recommended vaccinations and sterile medical kits.

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Trekking Holidays - Tips for Choosing The Right One By Liam Alexander

Trekking holidays have always been popular. In the past they were the domain of either the professional trekker who scaled the heights of K2 or Everest, or people who enjoyed walking as a hobby and walked locally in places such as Ben Nevis or Snowdon. Today the idea of trekking holidays and guided trekking holidays has become popular with many different types of people, from the very young to the very old, and there are lots of different types of holidays to be enjoyed by all.
But what if it's your first time how do you go about choosing the right trekking holiday for you? Here are a few tips which will hopefully put your on the right track (no pun intended).
- Where would you like to go, do you want to stay in your home country, or would you like to travel to somewhere different?
If you stay at home there are no passport or flight expenses, you may be able to drive or take public transport to your starting point, and most things will be familiar to you. On the other hand, if you travel abroad you will experience different scenery, customs, food, and maybe better weather!
- When you've decided where you might like to go, or at least narrowed it down, decide whether you want to trek alone, with friends or perhaps a group of people that you don't know.
There are benefits to all these and it depends on what sort of person you are. If you are travelling alone for the first time it's probably best to join a group with a guide.
It's easy to get lost, and with a guide you will no doubt see things which you may miss if you travel alone, on the other hand a group may restrict you if you have a particular interest such as photography or ornithology. If this is the case choose more specialist company who deal with these kinds of more tailored trekking holidays.
- Do you have fixed holidays for your job, or are you flexible?
If you are travelling abroad on your trekking holiday some regions have optimum times for visiting, for example you wouldn't want to be trekking in the Alps in December, unless you were skiing of course!
Many European destinations are excellent in May and June because the weather is warm, its not too hot for walking, and the flora and fauna is also at its best. If you are in the UK then July and August can be good because until then the weather can be unpredictable and very wet and windy.
- Lastly choose your travel company or type of accommodation.
If you've decided to join a group trekking holiday then ask around for recommendations and check out reviews on the internet. There are lots of companies out there if you're not sure then contact them direct, they will tell you what sort of people your fellow travelling companions are likely to be, give you an idea of how much walking and how many rest days there are, and what sort of nationalities your companions will be.
They will also be able to give recommendations as to which trips to choose. If you have decided to go it alone or with a friend independently, check out what sort of accommodation is available locally along your route, if there isn't much choice you could always take a tent!
Theses are just a few considerations for choosing your first trekking holiday, and although they are by no means a definitive list of questions to ask yourself, it's a good place to start.

To learn more about where to find the best adventure travel companies visit http://www.trekkinglife.com.
Liam Alexander

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Mount Kilimanjaro Trekking and Tours - Your Guide to Climbing Kilimanjaro By Rakesh Ramubhai Patel

Your Tanzania safari tour will be incomplete without climbing Kilimanjaro. If you love adventures and excitements, here are some of the guidelines and tips you should consider. Without proper planning and preparation for your Mount Kilimanjaro trekking, it would be almost difficult to do Kilimanjaro climb safely and successfully.
As you go through the grass land of Tanzania, you'll catch the sight of beautiful Mount Kilimanjaro (5,892 m). It is considered to be the highest mountain in Africa, and one of the 'Seven Summits' that elite mountaineers often seek to climb. The Kilimanjaro climb can be done by trekking alone if you're fit to do it.
Kilimanjaro climb is not something that one cannot trek, if you're physically fit, confident, and some experience of hiking, then you can make your way to the summit. Before climbing it, consult an efficient tour company or trekking guide.
Choose the Best Time:
Weather plays an important role when it comes to climbing Kilimanjaro. Your chances for reaching the summit safely increase when the weather is fine. If the climate is unfair, then you may have to face the troubles involving the effects of rain, mud, snow, and cold. And therefore, the best time for your climb is the warmest and the driest months like January, February, and September.
Choose the Convenient Route:
Each route has its own specialties and characteristic and you have to consider the one which is safe and secure. Lemosho and Shira are the recommended, followed by Machame and Rongai. You should consider the longer route because it can give you a better chance of reaching the summit due to altitude acclimatization.
Things You May Carry With You:
You should make your gear list sensibly and take those ones which are really unavoidable because stuffing unnecessary gears into your backpack can make your climbing difficult. Take with you the right clothes like shorts and t-shirts for walking in the blazing sunshine besides the other clothing items to protect you from the climatic conditions. Good quality boots are necessary to have safeguard against odd paths. Bring the essential gears with you which will be useful to you.
Get Yourself Ready Physically and Mentally!
It requires confidence, physical and mental readiness for climbing Kilimanjaro. If you've some training of hiking or trekking, then it will give you some confidence. You can also have one or two month training prior to climbing it. Strong determination along with some trekking tips and guidance will surely help you.
Get to Know About Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS):
Most climbers get some form of mild AMS while trekking the mountain. Altitude sickness can be very fatal if you ignore it. Once you feel some symptoms of mild AMS, then you must inform your guide immediately.
So, it is crucial to learn about some trekking tips and guidelines to make your Kilimanjaro climb safer and successful.

If you really wish to make your Mount Kilimanjaro trekking safe, and successful, then consult the safari tour operator or visit DotComSafaris.com

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