Langtang Valley trekking vacation

Planet

The Tamang hinterlands are a much less visited part of this iconic mountain rage, while the Annapurnas and Everest Base Camp routes carry a large number of tourists each day. This often results in overcrowded hiking trails, with wildlife and plant life suffering from the crowds and what they leave behind. Opting for a quieter route can help limit the negative impact of increased tourist numbers. On day 8, the group spends the evening at a comfortable, newly built guesthouse. Here the group can refill their water bottles using a newly installed water purifier, installed as part of a joint project funded by us and the World Wildlife Fund. The accommodation we use on day 13 is set on an organic farm and almost all food is harvested locally.

People

This trip passes through many small Tamang villages who don’t see large numbers of tourists. We often pass through at mealtimes, so our travelers will eat at small locally owned cafes and restaurants, supporting the economies of these out of the way communities. All the accommodation used is locally owned wherever possible but night 6 is a particular highlight. Our travelers get to experience a teahouse owned by a local family, sleeping overnight in their comfortable wooden rooms. Our travelers develop a richer understanding of the culture here plus the chance to share stories with their host. The accommodation we use on day 13 is set on an organic farm with almost all food harvested locally, and our group get the chance to interact with a local chef and support this low impact business. In line with our child protection policy, we stand against orphanage tourism. We directly support Forget Me Not, an organisation in Nepal that strives to reunite young people with their families while educating travelers about the dangers of orphanage tourism. In addition to this, we work alongside Seven Women, a social enterprise that teaches women how to become independent and self-sufficient in a country where only 47% of women can read and write. Women learn basic reading and writing skills, money management and self-care, as well as how to make goods that can be sold for income such as clothing, felt products, knitting and embroidery.