How our trip starts?
Our trip starts in Pokhara, since Kathmandu is more like a gateway to Nepal rather than a starting point. From Kathmandu, you will travel to Pokhara via a 25-min flight instead of a 6 hours bus ride which most other travel agencies provide. After you land at Pokhara airport, our staff will pick you up from the airport and escort you to Kande, the starting point of your trek.
We will travel from Kande to Pitam Deurali which will be our first stop of the trek. From there the trail will take us to Low Camp, High Camp, and finally to the Mardi Himal Base Camp, the ultimate destination of our trek. Our trek starts slow and steady and throughout the trek, we will make sure that we keep a safe trekking pace.
Difficulty
Comparing the Mardi Trek to other nearby hiking sites, it is quite straightforward. This walk is ideal for both novice and expert hikers because of its max elevation of 4500 meters, plenty of accommodation, and easy path. Having said that, the trek gets tiring after passing Low Camp. Once you pass through Low Camp, the rocky trails become steep and narrow. From there, the route to High Camp is rough and requires cautious navigation.
Additionally, the 4500-meter ascent from High Camp to Mardi Base Camp is an area that is susceptible to altitude sickness. This portion gets a lot of snow in the winter, which makes it challenging to navigate.
Best seasons
If you’ve always wanted to take this journey, the ideal time to go is in September, right after the monsoon ends. The monsoon clears the air, and the weather is still gorgeous, with lowlands covered with greenery and stunning blue mountains, and it’s not too chilly. The second-best month is April when the route’s rhododendrons are in full flower.
Trekking is most enjoyable in the fall, when Nepal reaches its highest point. The second-best trekking season of the year is from March to May.
Altitude Sickness
The maximum altitude during this trek is 4500 meters at the base camp of Mardi Himal. Altitude sickness at this level of elevation is common but we are not staying there for a extended period of time. This will help us avoid an altitude related issues.
In case you get altitude sick, our guide will escort you down to a safe height and give you some pills to reverse the effects. You will continue the trek after you feel good enough.
Accommodation, Food, and Drink
Since the Mardi Himal Trek is one of the most popular trekking destionations in Nepal, it has developed in recent year and houses adequate nubmer of lodges to accommodate hundreds on travlers during the peak season. You will be staying in lodges that provide all the basic facilities and more.
Trekkers can choose from a wide variety of food selections served at local lodges and tea houses. Meals served on the Mardi Himal Trek include the well-known Nepalese delicacy “Daal Bhaat” in addition to a variety of other cuisines. Most hikers like the full-course lunch called daal bhaat. Rice, lentils, soup, vegetable curry, and pickles are among the foods that provide enough nutrition and energy for days of hiking.
As a second option, you might opt to enjoy different foods such as dumplings called momo, pasta, different potato-based dishes, desserts, and noodles. Along the walk, there are tea rooms that provide a variety of drinks, including fruit juices, authentic coffee, milk, and others.
If you let us know in advance about any unique food preferences, we can make arrangements. Three meals are included in our journey packages: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Our package also covers all your accommodations but you have to pay yourself for any kind of drink you get, including water.
Transportation
Your transportation for this trek includes, picking up from the airport and dropping off later on, travel to the starting point of the trek, flight to Pokhara from Kathmandu, travel from the ending point of the trek to Pokhara, and finally a tourist bus ride from Pokhara to Kathmandu. All of these transportation costs will be covered by our trek package.
Permit
For Mardi Himal Trekking, in addition to the ACAP permission, a TIMS card is required. Trekkers Information Management System is referred to as TIMS. To find the trekkers while they are traveling, this card is essential. Related authorities will obtain details about your identification and whereabouts via TIMS cards. You may get these permissions in Pokhara or Kathmandu. You may secure these permits with the assistance of our trek guide.
The ACAP (Annapurna Consservation Area Permit) costs $30 while the TIMS card is prived at $20. This trek package covers all your permit expenses.
Trip preparation and fitness
This trip is not among the difficult ones but you should still prepare for it as you will be ascending and trekking for hours everyday. If you are not physically fit enough to walk hours everyday, this trek will not be very enjoyable for you. So, we recommend you hit the gym for 2 to 3 weeks before the start of this trek and make sure that you do cardio exercises more than lifting weights.
If you are more than fit enough for this trek, you can focus on the scenes rather than trying to make it to the destination.
Gadgets charging & Internet
Charging gadgets and internet are available at most lodges during this trek. Since it is one of the most developed trekking trails of Nepal, you can expect to have modern amenities all the way. However, charging gadgets can cost you a couple of dollars extra and so does the internet. If you do not want to pay extra for the internet, you can instead get a sim card and use your smartphone to access cellular internet connection.
Your Extra expenses
Your extra expenses include your visa fees upon arrival at the Kathmandu airport, extra accommodations (in case the trip delays), travel insurance, medical insurance, any kind of drinks, hot shower, internet, and device charging fees at lodges, emergency services, and anything that is not mentioned to be a part of the package.
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