Catalonian Trails
Explore truly wild countryside with beautiful natural scenery in the Garrotxa Natural Park.
The world's more beautiful on foot...
Call us on 01707 331133
Or, email us at info@ramblersholidays.co.uk
Call us on 01707 331133
Or, email us at info@ramblersholidays.co.uk
The Himalayas are some of Mother Natures' finest work, rising like fangs from the earth below. Nepal is a wonderful feast of mountain walking, cultural delights, and incredible views.
Nepal
Wildlife
Oct
Nov
What does this mean?
Tour codes: 42300
This is a Grade 3 leisurely holiday which includes countryside walking with plenty of breaks, normally taking up the whole day, and is likely to include an element of sightseeing. You are unlikely to walk more than 8 miles and the cumulative ascents and descents will be gradual and range from minimal to up to about 300m. See the 'Proposed Itinerary' section for more information.
Overview
Nepal is a small country. By area it is about half the size of the UK. Yet in that small area it packs as much splendour and variety in as any country in the world. From the highest mountain range and 8 of the 10 highest peaks to lowland jungle plains, covering a huge array of climatic and ecological zones, it is astonishing what can be seen of the natural world in Nepal. And then there is the cultural dimension. This is country where cultural and religious tradition are enmeshed in everyday life. The Nepalis are proud of there traditions and will be delighted to educate visitors in local ways. Our Himalayan Vistas holiday allows anyone to get a flavour of everything the country has to offer.
We fly into Kathmandu and drive up to Bhaktapur, the quiet and relaxing former capital city. Astonishing restoration following on from the 2015 earthquake has almost returned the city to its former glories. We spend a day walking around the city and another in the hills above for hopefully our first views of the Himalayas.
Next we head down to the lowlands and Chitwan National Park. Home to rhino, leopard, crocs and a huge array of bird life it a superb place to see wildlife, whether from a jeep, on foot or from a canoe.
We continue to the village of Bandipur where the Annapurna range comes into view. From our hotel it is a very short walk to the best viewpoint in the village. Make sure you are there at dawn to enjoy the best views. This is impressive in itself but we assure you, the views will only improve. We will walk to the surrounding countryside, hopefully enjoying mountain views to the north along the way. Because there is so little light pollution in Nepal the view of the night sky is often magnificent.
We continue to Pokhara for a day of guided sightseeing, walking, a relaxed boat trip across Fewa lake and enjoying a momo making class in a local Tibetan Camp. Along the way back towards Kathmandu, we will stop at Kurintar, beautifully situated above the Trisuli River. Our time in Kathmandu will be spent sightseeing with a local guide, discovering the various pockets which make this one of the most fascinating cities in Asia. Unsurprisingly, this is a great place to shop from camping gear, fleece jackets, Tibetan hats or books; everything can be found and haggled over.
As the trip comes to an end, we enjoy a final dinner in Thamel, the centre of tourist Kathmandu and full of life before boarding the plane with a bag full of experiences and memories. The world certainly is more beautiful on foot!
Click the button below for a detailed Holiday Information Sheet containing all the particulars about this trip.
NOTE: Itineraries and Holiday Information Sheets can vary by a specific date chosen
Itinerary & Travel
Whilst every effort will be made to adhere to the outlined itinerary and advertised programme, local conditions can change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. This may mean that routes and timings need to be amended or the order of days may change, sometimes at short notice.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we may unfortunately need to withdraw a tour that is currently confirmed to operate and we therefore reserve the right to cancel your booking. We would always do our utmost to give you plenty of notice should we have to do this. Selected elements of this tour, including local attractions and restaurants, may change at late notice. Please ensure you have valid insurance cover before you travel.
Accommodation
Below is the accommodation featured on this holiday across all departure dates. Please refer to the Itinerary for more detail about each night's accommodation for each departure date.
A short walk from Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Hotel Bhadgaon offers comfortable accommodation with free Wi-Fi, restaurant, outdoor swimming pool and a fitness centre. All guest rooms come with air conditioning, flat-screen TV with satellite channels, kettle, bidet, hairdryer and desk. Continental and buffet breakfast options are available every morning.
The Sapana Lodge is beautifully situated close by Sapana village with views out across grassy plains. It is built in traditional style with chalet type accommodation in cottages around the grounds. There is plenty of outdoor seating areas. The restaurant overlooks the local river. Look out for kingfishers fishing from the footbridge. The rooms are beautifully appointed with individual murals on the walls, each room has a personal touch. Please read through the inspirational story owner Dhurba Giri on the hotel website. When you meet him ask about his elephants! It makes a good story.
The Durbar Himalaya is a lovely hotel recently built in traditional Nepali style with plenty of wood carving. Rooms are spacious and come with fridges, TV, air conditioning and ceiling fans. The viewpoint on the far side of the football pitch at the front of the hotel is a great place to watch the sun rise across the Himalaya.
The Barahi Hotel is situated in the Lakeside area of Pokhara. All rooms feature balconies and offer free Wi-Fi, cable TV, minibars, safe and tea & coffeemaking facilities. A breakfast buffet is served in the restaurant or outdoor terrace. Other amenities include a cafe and an outdoor pool with a poolside bar.
Nestled within nature's greenery, River Fun Beach Resort offers comfortable accommodation in cottage style rooms. It is located on the banks of the Trishuli River across from the main road. To reach the hotel we walk across a sturdy suspension bridge across the river. The hotel is a base for white water rafting on the Trishuli as well as our walking groups.
Experience Nepal's historic capital city from the elevated comfort of Fairfield by Marriott Kathmandu. Impeccably located in Thamel, Kathmandu's most vibrant and buzz-worthy area, the hotel offers everything travellers need for a relaxing stay. Free Wi-Fi is available through out. The coffee bar in the lobby serves an excellent cup of coffee.
Trip Information
This is a Grade 3 leisurely holiday which includes countryside walking with plenty of breaks, normally taking up the whole day, and is likely to include an element of sightseeing. You are unlikely to walk more than 8 miles and the cumulative ascents and descents will be gradual and range from minimal to up to about 300m. See the 'Proposed Itinerary' section for more information.
Local Transport Costs
All local transport costs in conjunction with the advertised activity programme are included in the holiday cost. There may be occasions where additional visits or excursions are added to enrich your experience, these will be paid for locally by you if you choose to participate. Local transport can be a mix of private hire coaches, taxis, local buses and ferries depending on the itinerary.
Optional Excursions
A range of local excursions and activities may be available to book at your destination through a local operator. We have no involvement in such activities or excursions which are not run, supervised or controlled in any way by us. Your contract will be with the local activity supplier and we accept no responsibility for their actions or omissions.
Holiday Budgeting
When budgeting for your holiday, you will need to consider drinks, any meals not included in the holiday price, non-included entrance fees, optional excursions you may choose to participate in locally and any souvenirs or additional services such as laundry. A general guideline for snacks and drinks is £5-£10 per person per day. This is a full board tour so no need to account for lunches.
Currency in Nepal
Nepalese Rupee.
It is probably most convenient to chnage money in the hotel on arrival in Kathmandu. The rates will not be the best but perhaps the convenience outweighs the cost. There is also a money-changing booth at the airport before immigration which offers reasonable rates. Money can also be changed on the first day's sightseeing.
Sterling cash is freely exchangeable, as are US dollars and euro. It is now becoming possible to change money whilst on the trek, please discuss with your RWH Travel leader. Change is in short supply in the mountains so bring rupees in small denomination notes from the cities. Many hotels accept credit cards, check locally. There are ATM machines in towns and cities.
Nepalese Rupees can only be purchased once in Nepal and the export of Nepalese currency is illegal. You should remember to keep all exchange receipts as if you have any rupees left over when you get to Kathmandu Airport, you can change back up to 15% of the total amount you have changed during the holiday.
Tipping
Although entirely at your own discretion, tipping is an important aspect of tourism and hospitality life and expectations are fairly high. In order to simplify tipping, we strongly recommend that you allow your leader to take care of making sure tips are given to hotel and restaurant staff and to local guides and drivers. This will be done using some funds provided by us together with, if you wish, a contribution from you, which he/she will collect during the holiday. A suggested amount given is £25 - £30 per person.
Tour Leaders
Your tour leader makes the world of difference to your holiday and ours are as passionate about discovering the world on foot as you are. They're resourceful, organised and widely travelled. They will handle all the local administration and other needs that might arise to ensure that you don't have to worry about planning your days and you can enjoy your holiday. Although leading group holidays, they won't forget that every group is made up of individuals. Each tour leader has their own individual style, talents and professional backgrounds and all are trained, qualified, experienced and dedicated to making your holiday as enjoyable, interesting and inspiring as possible.
Leader's Evening Briefing
Each evening, your tour leader will discuss with you the programme for the following day. This will be your opportunity to discuss the details and ensure the planned activities suit your walking ability. If you have concerns on clothing or equipment, this can be discussed then also. If you do not wish to join the organised group programme, please let the leader know.
Local Guides
To enhance your experience, as well as your tour leader, each holiday will be accompanied by a well qualified and knowledgeable English-speaking local guide.
We fly from London Heathrow to Kathmandu and vice versa by Turkish Airlines with a stop en route at Istanbul. The transfer from the airport to our Kathmandu hotel is by road and takes approx. 30 mins.
Booking Your Own Travel Arrangements?
If you wish to organise your own flights from a non-UK or provincial airport or travel by rail or car to your holiday destination, 'land only' reductions are often available. Please contact us for details.
Before finalising any independent travel arrangements, please check with us first - especially if doing so 12 weeks or more before your intended date of travel. If you do intend to join your holiday locally please do tell us at least 14 weeks in advance.
If you are joining and leaving your holiday overseas we assume, unless you advise us otherwise, that you will join and leave the holiday at your hotel.
Although airport transfers are not included for those making their own independent travel arrangements, if you wish to join the group at the overseas airport, depending on your flight arrival time, you may be able to be included on the group's transfer. Please contact us at least 5 weeks before departure for more details.
Please note that your flight must arrive within 30 minutes of the group flight to be able to join the group transfer. We also need your flight number, arrival time and departure point so that the group leader is able to meet up with you.
Luggage Allowance & Travel Documents
For all those booking a flight or rail inclusive holiday, details of your travel arrangements and baggage allowance will be confirmed in your travel documents, sent to you approximately 10 days prior to departure.
Personal Details Check
To ensure that we can accurately administer your holiday arrangements, please confirm that the personal details we hold for you are up to date and that you have provided the information we need to secure your holiday travel and accommodation arrangements. Please check your passport details, date of birth and any other important details necessary for us to properly manage your holiday booking. You can view and update information already provided, and add details not yet asked for, by using the Manage My Booking facility on our website www.ramblersholidays.co.uk, or by calling our Sales and Reservations team on +44 (0)1707 331133. When you receive your booking confirmation please check the details as soon as possible.
You may be required to provide proof that you have been fully vaccinated when travelling or in your destination. Proof of vaccination can either be digital via the NHS app or a printed copy via NHS Hard Copy. We recommend allowing seven working days for your printed copy to arrive. Please note both the NHS app and printed copy are only valid for 30 days.
We anticipate that all travellers will need to be fully vaccinated including the booster jab and to carry proof of this with them at all times. Some indoor venues require, and may ask for proof of vaccination, as well as masks becoming mandatory for indoor public spaces, and we ask you to be prepared for this.
Local Guidance & Travel Restrictions
Use our handy tool here to check Nepal's current local guidance and entry requirements.
General Passport Advice
It is a good idea to carry photocopies of the personal details pages of your passport. Should you lose your passport, this may assist with the issue of replacement documents and your return to your home country.
Passport and visa requirements can change at any time. It is your own responsibility to ensure that you inform yourself from a professionally qualified source on, and comply with, such requirements.
General passport advice for UK nationals on the UK Government website.
You must ensure you check all entry requirements in good time by reviewing the official FCDO advice for your destination. Please take time to read and regularly check this website for changes to the entry requirements and any local restrictions.
All meals are provided throughout the holiday starting with dinner on Day 2 and ending with breakfast on Day 14. Vegetarians are easily catered for in hotels and tea huts. In hotels breakfasts will be buffet style with plenty of choice. Dinners are commonly buffet as well with choices of meat and vegetable dishes to suit every taste.
In the mountains the food has a lot in common with Tibetan cuisine whilst in the foothills Indian influence is stronger. The staple of Nepali food is is dahl bhaat, a lentil stew served with rice. It is typically served up on a plate with green veg, relish and a meat dish (if required) possibly goat or buffalo but never beef. You will be offered it everywhere in large quantities. Momos will also appear on menus as starters, again in various flavours. Coffee is becoming common in Nepal with flat whites and the like available to those who feel they can't do without. Foreign wines are available at western prices but the local beers are generally good and reasonably priced. Perhaps they taste at their best after hiking up a mountain.
Footwear
Good quality waterproof walking shoes or trail shoes with a thick, moulded sole with a good tread and a low heel are likely to be all that is required for these holidays. If you are a frequent walker and are comfortable in good quality hiking sandals, these may be adequate for some walks. You can wear lightweight walking boots if you prefer.
General Kit List
The following items of kit should be considered essential:
Country Specific Kit
Wildlife and scenery viewing experiences are always improved with binoculars. For seeing a bird in the treetops or picking out some detail on the horizon they are invaluable. If you have a pair, please bring them with you on your holiday. On some holidays it will be appropriate to have them with you all the time. Sometimes you might prefer to avoid carrying the extra weight. Your tour leader will always be happy to advise which days it will be particularly useful to take them.
Travel Documents Checklist
Documents and Information to take with you:
Free Water to Go Bottle
An alternative to bottled water from single-use sealed water bottles is filtered water from a refillable bottle containing its own water filter such as a Water-to-go bottle available from www.watertogo.eu. Just fill up from any water source and save the environment from disposable plastic bottles. We have included a bottle for everyone who books on this trip to avoid the use of single use plastic bottles. Normally these bottles will be handed out on arrival in country. Please use this water bottle any time you drink un-bottled water. This will go a long way to help avoiding any issues with sickness.
The Map Shop
If you cannot find the maps or books locally we recommend:
The Map Shop
5 High Street
Upton upon Severn, Worcs
WR8 0HJ
England
Tel: 01684 593 146
Website: www.themapshop.co.uk
E-mail: themapshop@btinternet.com
If you key many of the local places mentioned in this holiday fact sheet into YouTube, you will find a vast array of spectacular footage of the area.
Weather
Visit the following websites for an idea of the climate in your destination:
Health requirements can change at any time. It is your own responsibility to ensure that you inform yourself from a professionally qualified source on, and comply with, such requirements at least 6 to 8 weeks before departure. Advice on vaccinations is available from your GP.
Health Advice for Nepal
No compulsory immunisations are required for visits to Nepal. You should be up to date with the usual immunisations recommended in the UK.
Hepatitis A, Tetanus, Diphtheria and Typhoid immunisation is recommended. You might also like to consider immunisation against Cholera, Japanese Encephalitis and Hepatitis B. Dengue fever exists in Nepal; please take normal precautions against mosquito bites.
Holiday Specific Health Advice
You should be in a reasonably fit state of health for this holiday. The itinerary involves much travelling, early mornings and the walking will be up to Grade 6 standard. Travel days on the holiday can take a long time given Nepal's infrastructure. All journeys over 2 hours will include stops for refreshment.
Air Pollution
Cities may at times experience periods of poor air quality. If you suffer from a respiratory condition you may wish to seek advice from your doctor prior to travel.
High Altitude
Altitude sickness can affect travellers whose itineraries take them above about 2,500m although some individuals can experience a milder form above about 1,900m.
Early symptoms include a headache, nausea, shortness of breath, loss of appetite and insomnia.
Further Travel Advice
For further advice please visit:
You might wish to take a small bottle of antibacterial hand gel with you for times when you're unable to wash your hands.
It is a condition of booking with Ramblers Walking Holidays that you have adequate valid travel insurance. It is your responsibility to arrange appropriate travel insurance and ensure you have read and understood the full terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy to ensure that you are covered for all activities you intend to undertake whilst on the trip, including all optional activities.
Your travel insurance policy must fully cover you for medical expenses and emergency repatriation. Please ensure your policy covers the entire duration of your holiday. If you are walking at altitude please ensure that there is no upper altitude limit which may limit or exclude cover for your trip. Medical and repatriation insurance cover are not mandatory for UK residents who are travelling on trips within the United Kingdom.
Whoever you insure with, please ensure that you take full details, and ideally the policy itself, with you on holiday and provide our tour leader with your insurer's name, the policy number and emergency assistance contact numbers.
Please note that it is very difficult to obtain travel insurance once your holiday arrangements have started.
Covid-19 Cover
If you should have symptoms and test positive for Covid-19 whilst abroad, you may need to stay where you are until you test negative and you may have to seek treatment. We strongly recommend that you take out an insurance policy that covers you for this eventuality.
Looking for travel insurance?
If you have not already arranged cover, please visit SunWorld who offer travel insurance.
SunWorld policies include cover for COVID-19, subject to applicable terms and conditions.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office provides up to date information on security and local laws for travellers, together with current passport and visa information, at www.gov.uk/travelaware. Please take a few minutes to look at the current advice on your planned destination.
Please be aware of what's going on around you, take sensible precautions with your credit cards and passport and avoid displays of wealth such as wearing expensive jewellery or watches. Do not carry more cash on you than you will need for each day, and we recommend that a money belt is used.
Responsible Travel
We're committed to ethical tourism in all our destinations. Our holidays are designed for you to discover the essence of the country you are visiting. Travelling in small groups not only gives you an up close and personal experience of your destination, but minimises your impact on the immediate environment. We feel that the most important starting point to protect the environment is to be out in it. For more details visit our website.
The Ramblers Holidays Charitable Trust
Unlike many tour operators we have our own trust through which RWH Travel’s profits are channelled back into a variety of outdoor, walking-related or environmental conservation projects in the UK. The focus of the Trust’s financial support is Britain’s leading walking charity, The Ramblers, and their role in promoting the benefits and importance of walking to the British public. In addition the Trust welcomes applications for small grants from local organisations in the UK who need support for walking-orientated activities. This includes the establishment of footpaths and bridleways, funding for rebuilding bridges and renovating huts, as well as bursary funding for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for children who could not otherwise afford to do it. Please visit the ‘About Us’ section of our website and click on the Charitable Trust link for more details.
Heart and Sole
We appreciate that we are in a fortunate position to be able to use our profits to help make a difference to people's lives. Heart & Sole is a venture managed by our office staff, whose aim is to reach the heart of the communities in the countries we visit. Through Heart & Sole, we hope to make more of a long term, direct impact to these communities, particularly in less developed countries where even a small amount goes a long way. See our website for more information and details of some of the projects we support.
Mobile Phones
Please do provide us with a mobile phone contact number. We will only use this to contact you with important information relating to your holiday arrangements.
Do keep your mobile phones switched on and readily available when travelling to the airport or if delayed in transit so that we can contact you with any last minute information relating to your travel arrangements.
As a matter of courtesy, please switch off your mobile phone during walks, or endeavour to minimise its use. Please also try to minimise the use of mobile devices during group meals.
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Useful Information
Capital
Currency
Language
Time Difference
Flight duration
Visas and Passports
January
Avg. Rain: 19mm
February
Avg. Rain: 24mm
March
Avg. Rain: 31mm
April
Avg. Rain: 49mm
May
Avg. Rain: 106mm
June
Avg. Rain: 244mm
July
Avg. Rain: 424mm
August
Avg. Rain: 337mm
September
Avg. Rain: 238mm
October
Avg. Rain: 69mm
November
Avg. Rain: 8mm
December
Avg. Rain: 14mm
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