Relevant

RHODODENDRON TREK IN NEPAL

Cultural Diversity of Nepal and Spectacular Himalayan Wilderness – Off the Beaten Path
Explore A Rarely-Visited, Dramatic High-Altitude Holy Area!!!

14  days (March 2007) with 10 days of inspiring, sustainable community eco-trekking!

Itinerary (can be combined with our 9-day Tropical Thai Retreat)

Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu and set-up in our Thamel hotel. A short discussion about Kathmandu Valley.

Day 2: Hike to the valley’s edge to see the Himalayas & visit the valley’s oldest temple. Welcome Dinner at the hotel.

Day 3: Explore Bakhtapur Durbar Square and important Kathmandu Temples, with a professional guide.

Day 4: Drive to Gorkha (5 hours). Ascend to the famous Gorkha Palace. Afterwards, explore Gorkha Bazaar and Visit Gorkha Ayurved Company (Ayurvedic herbal medicines), and camp for the night.

Day 5: descend to Chhebetar, follow the trail along the Daraundi River and ascend to Chitre (1300 m). Upon reaching the top, you may be rewarded by a breathtaking view of the Himalayas! (6 hours trekking, approximately).

Day 6: Enjoy the close-up views of Himalayan Peaks (weather-permitting) during the entire day, as you walk along an easy but long path atop a mountain ridge to Sirandada (2200 m) (approx. 7 hours trekking).

Day 7: Visit the Buddhist gompa (temple) at Sirandada, then continue uphill through unspoiled Rhodo­dendron forest to Nage Pokhari, a small, holy mountain lake (3200 m) (6 hours trekking).

Day 8: Descend a few hundred meters, crossing Rhododendron forests, and climb again to Murkhaghari (3400 m) where CCODER has established a nursery for high-altitude medicinal herbs. Learn about the use of Ayurvedic herbs and CCODER's approach to preserving these plants by promoting their domestication (6 hours trekking).

Day 9: Climb up to a holy lake - Dudh Pokhari (4600 m). Set a high-altitude camp, plus (optional) explore the terrain around the lake (6 hours plus 2 hours optional high-altitude exploration for the strongest trekkers only).

Day 10: Descend back to Murkhaghari, then through the Rhododendron forest to a Tamang village, Khimpu (1700 m). Visit another herbal nursery on the way. You may have the chance to meet a tradi­tional healer and learn more about the beliefs and ancient traditions of the Tamang people (8-9 hours).

Day 11: Descend to Lamidanda (1500 m). Visit the Community School and the Community Bank, both managed by the community members themselves. From Lamidanda our trail leads through green terraced fields to Batase and continues to Bhirsing (1100 m), a beautiful Gurung village (6-7 hours).

Day 12: Steep descent to the Chepe River. It is an easy but hot day walk (alleviated by a quick swim) in the Chepe valley along the river’s path. Enjoy river-side camping close to Sailitar (7-8 hours).

Day 13: Continue walking in the valley. Refresh in a great swimming hole in the river! We cross a plateau, and hit the road at Baisejangar after a short uphill climb (4-5 hrs). We arrive at our Kathmandu hotel in the evening.

Day 14: Last-minute shopping and Departure.

NOTE: Accommodations during the trek are in tents, with mattresses, clean sleeping bags, and liners that are all provided and set up by our trekking agency. Occasionally, we may sleep in village guestrooms. All food (satisfying vegan cuisine) and drinks during the trek are expertly prepared and served by our friendly mobile kitchen. Our luggage (except small day-packs and water bottles) is carried by local porters who are happy to receive the extra income to support their village families. This is a true eco-trek, benefiting the local villagers and their sustainable organizations.

This itinerary is subject to changes by the organizer (CCODER), if deemed necessary and to our benefit.

For More Information About The Yoga Trek In Nepal

• Visit www.ccoder.org to learn about CCODER, and www.ecopolitan.com for a list of what to bring and how to prepare, also contact Dr. Tel Oren by email or at 612-870-2974 .

• Meet the other trekkers and discuss eco-tourism concepts and preventive health issues pertaining to the trek, First Sunday of March, 2007, 7 pm, at Ecopolitan Restaurant (upstairs’ meeting room), 2409 Lyndale Ave South, Minneapolis.  Bring your questions, and try some excellent vegan cuisine!

To join the tour, fill the nepal trek registration form.

You should make roundtrip airline reservations to Kathmandu (Arriving at the right date) as soon as possible. Contact Joycee at Melrose Travel (toll-free 1-866-722-6440 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and say you are joining the Nepal Trek with Dr. T. She can help you combine this trek with the Tropical Thai Retreat (maximizing your travel value), and assist with overseas health / travel insurance.