Nepal 2023 (video coming soon…)

Nepal has always been a destination we’ve been keen visit! In Winter 2023 we made this dream come true. On our flight from China to Nepal, we were directly greeted by stunning views a few of the most prominent Eight-Thousanders: Mt. Kangchendzönga (8586 m), Mt. Makalu (8485 m), Lhotse (8516 m) & Mt. Everest (8848 m; first picture of this gallery). With these impressions, we wandered around Kathmandu, organised the permits and everything else we needed, for our 9 day hike to Annapurna Basecamp. In Nepals capital we enjoyed temples, busy streets and that unique mix of buddhism and hinduism, that I’ve been longing to get back to since my trip to India and Sri Lanka.

After a short flight to Pokhara, the second largest city of Nepal, we started our trek to Annapurna Basecamp, located in the midst of the Annapurna mountain range, with its highest peak Annapurna I standing at 8091 meters and the holy mountain Machapucharé (also called Fishtail, because of its prominent shaped peak). The first section of the trek brought us to Poon Hill, with an elevation of 3300 meters above sea level that is perfectly suited for acclimatisation. From there we also got these amazing views of the first rays of sun hitting the peak of Mt. Dhaulagiri at 8167 m. Further on, we slowly made our way into the valley, passing wonderful teahouses, amazing landscapes and even more amazing people, both nepalis and other travellers sharing our destination. After 6 days into the trek, on Christmas day, we reached Annapurna Basecamp and stayed the freezing and starry night.

After reaching our goal, we set foot downhill passing dense bamboo forests and hot springs, before getting back to Pokhara lakeside. Back in civilisation we enjoyed the nostalgic views on those peaks we were closely surrounded by before. For new years eve we headed back to Kathmandu to end our trip and the year 2023 in its streets full of art, amazing food and rich culture.

Thanks for reading and thanks to those involved in that experience!