Overview
Vertical Expedition has been a leader in establishing new and different treks and tours in Nepal. We don’t copy what everyone else is doing; instead we pioneer new trekking places for our enjoyment. One of our newest treks is the Indigenous People’s Trail Home Stay Trek.
This trek focuses on the uniqueness of the many indigenous people of Nepal. This trek offers great scenery while staying below 3000 meters. It is bordered on the north by Thulo Sailung Peak; the other boundaries of this triangle include the golden waters of the Sun Koshi River and the Tama Koshi River in the east. There are a variety of ethnic groups to see and visit along the way, as well as beautiful scenery.
There are forests of rhododendron, pine and oak. There are numerous scenic vistas where you can see the various ranges of the Himalayas from Mt. Dhaulagiri (7th highest peak in the world) to Mt. Kanchenjunga (3rd highest peak) in the east.
The trek is home stay, where you will have the opportunity to stay in homes of the local people. While they have fixed up a guest room for you to stay, there are very few amenities. However, you are able to really get a feel for the culture and the people of the mountains who extend to you incredible hospitality. This trip will give you an opportunity to discover “the real Nepal” that is outside of the typical tourist areas. This is an ideal trek for beginners, older trekkers and those with families. It is also a good budget trek as the cost of this trip is low as you will be staying in private homes. When you do stay in private homes, the money you spend at each home will help families to send children to school as well as to afford many things in life that subsistence farming would not allow for. These trips help the local economy while offering you a chance to truly meet the mountain people.
Itinerary
Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport where you will be met by your representative of Vertical Expedition. You will be escorted to your hotel where there are complimentary welcome drinks and a short briefing with plenty of time to relax from your flight.
Your day will be spent visiting several of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This is a great day to get a feel of the culture, spirituality and the beauty of the famed Kathmandu Valley. The Valley is larger than the country of Singapore and is known for its temples, shopping and great hospitality.
It is a five hour journey by local bus to the village of Dhunge, locate east of Kathmandu. The road most of the way is gravel and typical of the bumpy mountains roads. At Dhunge, we begin the walk southward to the village of Sailing which is the highest point of the trek. From along the trail, we will have great views of the snowcapped peaks. Most prominent will be Mt. Thulo Sailung to the north. We can see with Mt. Kanchenjunga, the 3rd highest peak to the east. We can see a great deal of snowcapped peaks and on clear days, see Mt. Manaslu (8th highest peak), Mt. Annapurna I (10th highest peak) and Mt. Dhaulagiri (7th highest peak) Several of the 10 tallest peaks in the world are visible from the village of Sailung. We will spend the night in a local home. Trekking time is 2 hours.
Today is a short hike to Raj Veer Environs where there are incredible views of the snowcapped peaks. We are south of the great Himalaya Mountains before returning to your home stay in Sailung.
Sailung Village is the highest point of the trek. From this point on, we are descending, making for an easy trek. Surke village is directly south as we descend into forests and past fast flowing mountain streams. We will pass one beautiful waterfall along the way. We will spend the night in Surke village. Trekking time is 5 hours.
Doramba is a major village that we are heading for. We work our way past valleys and mountain streams with overlooks of the mountains along the way. Trekking time is 4 hours.
We trek again toward the south where we will pass through rhododendron forests and see wildflowers and waterfalls. We will stay in Khandadevi Village in a home stay. Trekking time is 5 hours.
We will be trekking on a westward course to Dongme which has a Buddhist monastery. We will stay at a home stay in the village. Trekking time is 4 hours.
This is the final day of our trekking as we now descend to the village of Lubughat. This is where we will pick up the bus back to Kathmandu. Lubughat is located on the Sun Koshi River with its golden waters. We will spend the night at a homestay. Trekking time is 4 hours.
Our journey is a five hour bus ride by way of Dhulikhel. Dhulikhel is noted for its incredible mountain views and great temples. We arrive in Kathmandu and check into our hotel.
We continue our tour of the Kathmandu Valley, visiting a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In the evening, enjoy a Farewell Dinner with Nepali food and culture show.
All good things must come to an end, and your trip to Nepal is no exception. Before leaving, why not talk to your representative at Vertical Expedition about returning to Nepal for your next holiday. The vast majority of people make a return trip to Nepal because they are impressed by not only the beauty, but also the local people. Vertical Expedition offers trips into neighboring Tibet, Bhutan and India. Be sure to discuss your interests and plans with them today.
Trip Information
- All airport/hotel transfers
- 4 nights in 3-Star Hotel in Kathmandu
- During the trek, double occupancy in local home stay is all that is available.
- All accommodations and meals during the trek.
- One day of guided sightseeing in Kathmandu Valley, along with tour guide and entrance fees.
- An experienced, English speaking trekking leader/guide. All guides, porters and Sherpas are government licensed and experienced. There will be one porter provided for two trekkers to carry luggage. Your fees cover their salaries, insurance, equipment, flight, food and lodging. We take good care of our trekking guides, Sherpas and porters, as well as giving them additional training that is not required by the Government of Nepal.
- Vertical Expedition will provide free of charge a sleeping bag, duffle bag, t-shirt and trekking map (sleeping bags & duffle bags are to be returned after trip completion.)
- Farewell Dinner along with one cultural show.
- A comprehensive medical kit
- All government and local taxes
- Nepal Visa (bring US currency along with four passport size photographs. You can buy visa upon arrival at airport.)
- International airline ticket to and from Nepal.
- Excess luggage charge
- Personal clothing and gear
- Lunch and evening meals in Kathmandu.
- Extra night accommodation in Kathmandu because of early arrival, late departure, and early return from the mountains (due to any reason) than the scheduled itinerary.
- Travel and rescue insurance
- Personal expenses (phone calls, laundry, bar bills, battery recharge, extra porters, bottle or boiled water, hot shower in mountains, etc.)
- Cost raised by cancellation, landslide, weather, political unrest and illness will not be our responsibility as these are factors out of our control.
- Tips for driver, guide and porters.
Extras
FAQS
What will be the crew and group size during this trip?
For this trek there will be one team leader/guide. We also provide an assistant leader (1 assistant per six trekkers), and Sherpa porters for carrying luggage (usual compliment is one porter for two trekkers). This arrangement ensures that anybody in the group gets sick; the trip can still go ahead as planned. Vertical Expedition can run this trek for any size group, but the maximum size is 12 people in order to make it a pleasant and enjoyable trip. However, if you would like to have a larger group, Vertical Expedition can make the appropriate arrangements as well.
Where will you be staying during this trip?
All accommodations for the Indigenous People’s Trail Home Stay Trek are on twin-sharing basis with inclusive costs and are chosen based on standard hygiene and standard of local food, services, locations, etc. There will be two styles of accommodations during this trek. We will spend four nights at a Three-Star Hotel in Kathmandu. During the trek, we will spend seven nights at local home stay with unheated rooms with wooden beds and foam mattresses. We share a room with someone else of the same sex of our group if you are a solo traveler. If you prefer a single room, you may indicate your preferences and obtain a single room for an additional fee. Please understand that single rooms are not always possible at local houses. We will do our best to try and make the appropriate arrangements.
What will be the meals arrangements during this trip?
During this trek, you can enjoy the typical Nepali local food along with different ethnic cuisines. You can even enjoy a variety of local breads, local drinks and local chicken snacks. Breakfast of a day will be served from the local home where we spend the night. Lunch will be served on the way to our destination with dinner served where we are spending the night. During your stay in Kathmandu, a farewell dinner along with breakfasts will be served.
