I am planning on a trip coming march and i have a few questions. Hope to get some answers from those who had went there before. It is my first time there and will be a relatively 10 days short trip. I will be trekking to mainly Ghorepani and Poon hill.
1) What can i expect to see along this trail? Anything interesting?
2) What sort of weather can i expect at this time of the year? Will there be snow?
3) Related to 2. What sort of clothing should i pack? Also, is a sleeping bag necessary?
4) We will have a guide and a porter. How much should i tip individually? A rough figure will do.
5) I saw that we should change s$ to their currency at Nepal itself. Any good reputable money exchange to recommend? Also, should i change some us$ before going over? What is there average expenditure per day if excluding lodging and transport? Is it better to use us$ or nepali rupee for daily transaction?
6) Is it easy to buy bottled water along the trek?
TIA
Just completed a trek in Annapurna region - Poon Hill Trek in December. March should be a little warmer...but never can tell due to the weird weather patterns these days.
Qn1: You'll be trekking through small villages,ridges, valleys, and forests. Expect to take in sights of the beautiful Annapurna Range as the back drop, flowing streams, mossy forests, water falls, colourful village life, farm animals, flowers, plantations etc. At the villages, possibly you'll get to take nice portraits of children (ask before you take a shot) as some may want some tips. Ghandruk is a beautiful village and do spend a day to explore. At Ghorephani, we hiked up to Poon Hill twice - at dawn and dusk. It offers the full view of the Annapurna range and we were told we were lucky. On some days, it is covered in clouds and mist.
Qn2: March should be warmer as it's near spring. Do expect cold spells at the higher altitude. Best it's to check weather via the web. In Dec, the temp at Ghorephani was around 0-2C at night and the day around 5-9C. Unlikely there will be snow but then again, never can tell at the deep valleys where they get little sunshine.
Qn3: Thermals, Good wind/waterproof jackets, hiking boots, fleece, headwear, sunglasses...check the packing list a few threads back. IMHO, sleeping bag is a must. Some lodges offers thick blankets but March is a peak season, they may run out of blankets.
Qn4: Really is up to you. Just a gauge, for a 7 Day Trek, we gave 100USD for 4 porters, 150USD to 3 asst guides, 100USD for chief guide. There are 11 of us (adults and young teens). They really worked very hard to keep us safe, sound and happy.
Qn5: We brought USD and SingDollars. There are many moneyexchangers in Kathmandu and I guess, any will do. Nepalis are honest people, no worries.
Qn6: We used Nepali rupee for daily transaction. If you are trekking, there's hardly any expenditure unless you want to buy souvenirs at the villages. Main expenditure for us was the tips and some shopping. Everything else was covered by the package we paid to the agency.
Q7: We were advised against buying bottled drinks (not cheap, not eco-friendly) along the trek. All of us brought a bottle of Nalgene 1.5L bottle (BPA free). There's hotwater (tatopani) replenishment along the way. The guide will know what to do. There's a small price to pay for a flask of hotwater. It's safe to drink, none of us got into trouble...
Just sharing....if you want more info, just PM me.
