Annapurna Circuit Trek (5416m/17469ft)

A: When people travel to Nepal they will encounter very different cultures, attitudes and ways of doing things that are different from their native culture. Please keep in mind that Nepal is a developing country so you should not always expect streamlined travel arrangements. Many of the expedition operators and tourist related business people can speak English, but very few native people and a lot of elderly people speak very little English. The general hygiene of most people and the handling of food might also be a surprise to most people. We advise a deliberate transition for your dietary needs that includes not eating at small unhygienic food stands and staying away from meat for the first few days. Toilets may also be at a lower standard than what you may be used to. You can expect in most villages that a toilet is just a hole in the ground. If you have a flexible attitude, a good sense of humor, can go with the flow this will maximize your enjoyment and your adventure experience in Nepal. It can be very encouraging to your tour leader and guide if your express to them that you are accepting that things might not be going to plan because of the unpredictability of Nepalese logistics.

A: Satori Adventures offers a variety of cultural activities and outdoor excursions. If you love being busy and seeing new things then our tours are ideal for you. There is free time on all tours but some traveling days will be long and there will be some early morning flights in order to maximize your sightseeing time. Satori Adventure always takes into consideration our clients physical fitness, age and previous experience. The ensure’s that we prepare the right adventure for you. We allow our clients to askany questions throughout the planning process, modify their itinerary, choose their hotel accommodation, mode of transportation and level of involvement of our services. With Satori Adventures you do not need to have any doubt in your mind about whether this will be a safe and appropriate holiday for you, your team or family. Collectively our organization is a team of experienced, professional operators with decades of operating experience.

A: Nepal is a new democratic republic country in the world. Here there are many political parties, ideologies and leaders. As such, there might be some disturbances in parts of the country. It does not and will not affect the daily life of the residents in the other parts of the country. Life moves on as usual, unperturbed. So, in a nutshell politics are not currently affecting the tourism industries in Nepal. Even in a critical situation tourists can travel in Nepal without having problems.

To enter Nepal you must hold a 6 month valid passport and obtain a Nepalese visa. Most visitors can obtain a visa at immigration  in the KTM airport. You will need to summit an online visa form and keep a copy of the print.  You will also need your travel insurance, which may need to cover medical evacuation including helicopter service. You should also always print a copy of the flight ticket and have to ready to show. However, Indian residents can travel in Nepal with just an election card or government approved Id card except a license.

A:Visa requirements are always dependant on the countries you will be visiting and the country you came from. Countries like those in the European Union, Australia, America, Canada, Japan, Britain and particular countries in Asia are able to get their permit upon arrival in Nepal. The best thing that any visiting tourist can do is to contact each country’s embassy for the latest information. The nationalities of Chinese, Pakistani, Nigerian, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine and Afghan people require that they collect  their visas ahead of time from their local from embassy.  

A: The answer is up to you. Depending on how prepared you are, your trip can be a vacation or a challenge, a revelation or an ordeal. The majority of Satori Adventure hikers are here for the first time, and although many are avid trekkers, they find that trekking in Nepal is very different from most other countries. There are hundreds of trekking trails in Nepal. Each 8000m mountain has a base camp and panoramic view trekking options. The trekking experience always depends on age, physical fitness, duration that you can spend in the mountains, amount of preparation and experience. Mental attitude, adequate food and water consumption are essential to the success of any hike, particularly in the spring and autumn seasons. Trekking in the Himalaya trails can be so demanding that even people in excellent condition can struglle. Although we have seen in the past that when we apply the appropriate package for our clients we see that even small children, senior citizens, and people with physical disabilities have successfully hiked in the Himalaya and have a pleasurable experience.

A: There is a grading system that classifies the difficulty of trekking trails. There are four categories: Easy, moderate, difficult and strenuous-. The challenge both technicality and geographically increases as you move higher through the scale. Easy trekking could be suitable for all people while strenuous and difficult treks are meant only for those who have previous experience. The reason we have categories is to help our client’s choose a trek or climb in the Himalaya that is suitable for their level.

Easy
This is for the trekkers who do not have previous experience, or are not looking for a difficult physical challenge. These treks usually vary from 2-5 days and can reach up to an altitude of 3000m. These treks are usually on well maintained paths and passes. They typically involve walking up to 5 hours a day. Easy trekking is always located around 2000m (6500ft) to 4000m (13000ft). These trek’s allow for very scenic vista points including excellent locations to view sunrise’s over the himalayan range. Recommend trekking at this grade includes: Ghorepani Poonhill, Nagarkot Dhulikhel, Dampush sarangkot, Shivapuri.

Moderate
Moderate grade trekking is suitable for those trekkers who have time and want to spend between 1-2 weeks in mountain areas. Clients are encouraged to have a good level of physical fitness and adequate physical training ahead of time is necessary. This grade is recommended for any trekker looking for something a little more challenging than just a simple walk. These trekking areas are mostly base camp treks, which will include panoramic views of the Himalaya. Some trekking trails at this grade include: Annapurna Base Camp trekking, Gokyo Lake trekking, Langtang Helambu trekking, Tamang Heritage trekking, Panchase trekking are the selected trekking trails at this grade.

Difficult Treks

We recommend to our clients that you have previous easy and moderate trekking experience. We also encourage clients to have a high level of physical fitness and knowledge about trekking systems that includes proper clothing systems, proper body care etc. Difficult treks include walking through rough trails for 6-7 hours each day and crossing high passes. There are difficult treks that include trekking to  advanced base camps as high as 5200m/17000ft. In the difficult trekking grade you may also experience glacier crossings on snow/ice. You will be facing high altitude air and continuous walking over huge stretches of Himalayan valleys. Annapurna Circuit, Chola pass, Three Pass trekking, Manaslu circuit trekking, Kanchanjungha Base camp trek, and Makalu base camp are all in the difficult grade of trekking.

Challenging trekking

Above 5500m-6200m peaks, high passes are included in this grade. The biggest difference between difficult and challenging is that the terrain is greater in height and length. There is often greater exposure with some technical sections requiring a 'steady head' and occasional use of rope for safeguarding. There is also a greater feeling of remoteness, isolation and lack of rescue assisstance. These are genuine expeditions where climbing skills, experience and fitness are necessary. Dhaulagiri Circuit trekking, Three Pass trekking, Sherpani Col Pass trekking, Amphu Lapcha pass, and some great Himalayan trail are all in the difficult grade of trekking.

A:There are number of airlines flying directly to Kathmandu from Bangkok, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Singapore, Bombay, New Delhi, Doha and Bahrain, Sharja, Lhasa, Chendu and a number of other cities. The most convenient flights are with Thai Airways, Qatar airlines, Singapore, Dragon, Korean airlines. Often times if flying form America you should expect to have a connecting flight in the middle east. To find competitive airfare try different on-line portals such as expedia.com or travelocity.com.  Satori Adventure will help you to book a ticket if you require our assistance.

A:Satori Adventure offers packages and operates in every season throughout the year. In Nepali tourism we have a slogan: Nepal is for all seasons.  However, in the monsoon period Nepal experiences heavy rain and in the winter the temperatures become arctic in the mountain areas.  There are 2 trekking seasons in Nepal for high elevation trekking: Spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November).  Autumn season starts after the monsoon (June-August). In the spring the temperature increases day by day and it becomes warmer in higher elevations. This is the reason that most trekker’s choose spring and autumn for their trekking trips. However, in the lower parts of the mountains, sub 3000m you can trek any time of the year.

A:Most trekkers book their trip 3-6 months before arriving in Nepal. Our advice is that once you clear your schedule from your job and you book your plane tickets you conform your participation with us so that we will have enough time to make all of the necessary arrangements for domestic flight tickets, hotel reservations and book the best available trekking guide. However, we accept your booking even one week before as per situation. It is almost impossible for us to arrange a trip in Bhutan and Tibet less than 15 days time.

A:You can book your trip using our booking form on our website or by E-mail. Please visit our Web site for more information or contact us.

Q: What equipment does Satori provide? What should I bring myself for trekking?

A: Satori Adventure provides sleeping bags, down jackets and duffel bags for tea house trekking. we also provide tents, mattresses, kitchen equipment and kitchenware during the camping treks. Personal climbing equipment is not included in our packages. See our equipment list or email us for a list of specific equipment that your custom trip will require.

A:A Satori Adventure representative will be waiting for you at the international airport with a Satori Adventure sign and your name card. We will then escort you to one of our company vehicles which will take you directly to your hotel. You are required to provide us with your flight arrival details 2 days before your departure from home.

A:Teahouse trekking style is the most popular form of trekking in Nepal, these trails run along many established trails in the Himalaya and its foothills. Teahouses or lodges are owned by local people and provide accommodation and all meal facilities. They are great places to meet and interact with locals and experience local hospitality and culture. Teahouse trekking is a relatively cheap and comfortable form of trekking with meals and accommodation provided by the Teahouse. These types of treks are found in famous trekking areas like: Annapurna, Everest and Langtang regions.

A: Camping trekking is a type of trekking where trekkers bring all the trekking gear, equipment and necessary food during their trekking period. They cook in the kitchen tent, eating in the dinning tent, and sleep in their client tents. Camping treks are organized in the same style as exploratory or mountaineering expeditions. This trek is also known as a fully organized supported trek. In a camping trek we provide a team including: A guide, chef, Sherpa, Sirdar and porters. Our porters carry all the trekking equipment, food, fuel, and personal belongings. We provide chef’s and assistant’s that prepare hygienic and tasty meals. At the end of the day the staff sets up a dining tent, sleeping tent, and toilet tents. These types of treks are available wherever tea house lodges are not available. This includes Dhaulagiri circuit, Manaslu Circuit, Upper Dolpo and Kanchanjungha are all the trails that we advice and operate for camping trekking.