ANNAPURNA SANCTUARY

16 days from GBP1,669 to GBP2,099 including flights
Tripcode: TNS

Countries Visited: Nepal

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Our Clients’ Reviews

Average Review Rating: from 39 reviews.

Kim Wood

ANNAPURNA SANCTUARY

Written January 2012
Very well organised and paced trek. Great guides. Some thought perhaps into evening entertainment. Disappointed that Exodus had withdrawn their allowance to provide some Christmas day celeberation and came from the guides pockets , given an increased supplement is levied at this time of year.Would like Exodus to justify reducing guides / porters wages by 20% when any cost cutting can be acheived in its brochures, the small amount this would have saved is a large amount to this personnel which is totally unfair on then. TUI you should be ashamed ! Pre ordering meals worked very well .
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Sunset views at Poon Hill and reaching Base Camp at Annapurna , views incredible. Friendleness of the locals.
What did you think of your group leader?
Passang had a lovely sensitive personality , excellent sense of humour , always happy to help and very patient especially at meal times when clients forgot their orders.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Make sure you are well equipped for a variety of conditions in one day. Have plenty of snacks , go with the flow of the group ,
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Look at flying upto Pokhara rather than the 8 hour drive . This time could have been used exploring the town , rather than be cramped on a bus. Surely the additional cost could have be borne by the clients.
WILLIAM KEARSLEY

ANNAPURNA SANCTUARY

Written December 2011
The trip was both challenging and exilerating. It exceeded my expectations.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Entering Annapurna Sanctuary after a 7 day walk.
What did you think of your group leader?
Kind, considerate.....incomparable.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Get fit!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
No
Lorna Bruce

ANNAPURNA SANCTUARY

Written November 2011
Excellent trip. Delivered beyond my expectations. The scenery was amazing and the staff all very helpful and made trip really enjoyable. Definitely recommend this trip.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Amazing views of Annapurna from Poon Hill in the evening as well as sunrise. Plus sunrise at Annapurna base camp definitely leave you in awe.
What did you think of your group leader?
Dawa was a great group leader. He ensured everyone was having a good time. When travel plans needed to change due to bad weather he organised alternative transport straight away so all went smoothly and we didn't miss a thing.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Only take what you need. Ideally the porters should carry no more than 12kg for each traveller. I did not know this before I went.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Brilliant trip. Also check out the apple crumble at Ghorepani brilliant.
Helen Bissell

ANNAPURNA SANCTUARY

Written November 2011
The whole holiday was a sensory overload. The contrasts between city life (Kathmandu/Pokhara), village life and mountain life were fantastic to experience.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Poon Hill - simply breath taking views - we managed to get up there for both sunset and sunrise. Even more rewarding was the apple crumble and custard at the lodge on the way down!!!
What did you think of your group leader?
All of the Exodus team were fantastic on the holiday - never failing to stop and offer help - even to hold my walking poles everytime I wanted to stop and take a photo!!!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Expect to be wow'ed by every morning view - some afternoons we'd reach the lodges in the clouds to then wake up in the morning with the most overwhelming views of mountains all around us.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
An amazing trip which covers so many aspects of nepal's fantastic country - not only was it a treat to spend so much time walking through small villages/mountain passes but it was great to have the bonus of a couple of days to explore Kathmandu.
Jenny Hemming

ANNAPURNA SANCTUARY

Written November 2011
The scenery was awesome and the trek challenging but within the range of anyone of normal fitness who's done a bit of hill walking. The tour leader and guides were friendly and supportive.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
First sight of Himalaya; Feeling euphoria at the end of the first day when we realised we'd be able to do it!; Arriving at Annapurna Base Camp. Being at Annapurna Base Camp. Annapurna.
What did you think of your group leader?
Group leader was excellent. Very kind, very aware of how we all were managing, and gave us just the right amount of information at the right time. I felt very confident in him. He always managed to appear just when we might need extra help - in fact I always knew a dodgy bridge was coming up as Prem appeared out of nowhere! Being supported by guides meant that everyone was able to do the pace they felt happy with.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Don't worry about the plumbing! You'll get used to it quickly. Personally, I'd say just don't eat meat at all - it's just not worth the risk of spoiling your trip with an upset tummy, and it's no hardship to go without - there is plenty of choice. Once we got past the mineral water area we got boiled water from the lodges. Taking no chances I always added a chlorine tablet, and a top tip from a friend before I left was to add a Berocca - flavour and additional vitamin C! I experienced no illness whatsoever. Another top idea - if you have a metal water bottle, get it filled with boiling water in the evening, clothe it in your walking socks and bingo: a lovely hot water bottle. Then you drink the water the next day. How's that for multipurpose? If you have a tendency to weak knees, it might be worth packing some support bandages; there are a lot of steps! They're very well graded though, and the group leader sets a very sensible pace and gives you plenty of time. Trekking poles also help in this respect. It's a lovely trip and I'd definitely do it again.
Timothy Salter

ANNAPURNA SANCTUARY

Written October 2011
A very professionally organised & lead trip with a great group of participants.A great introduction to a country of wonderful people.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Waking at ABC to find the cloud clearing to reveal what must be one of the most stunning mountain panoramas in the world.
What did you think of your group leader?
Dawa was an excellent leader - keeping the team together and progressing at a pace that meant we achieved our goals while still having bags of fun.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you can walk up & down Snowdon and not be exhausted, then you're probably fit enough to do this trip.
If you need mobile phone reception, then Nepal Telecom (check your mobile company's roaming agreement) has decent coverage in the mountain villages.
Mains power is available in most tea houses for camera/phone battery charging, though mains power is mostly limited to light fittings in the bedrooms.
The variety of tea-house food was much greater than we expected. Not just Dahl Baht!
9pm bed time is considered late in the hills.
If you've time, get away from the main tourist trail in Kathmandu to see how the real city lives.
Roads are being driven slowly towards the villages in the Annapurna area. In 10 year's time, when the mule trains have been displaced, the character of the place will be very different. Go soon!

Is there anything else you would like to add?
We really appreciated the background work done by Exodus to ensure that the tea houses standards of kitchen food hygiene were up to scratch. 11 people over 15 days & not one case of Delhi belly! We met several independant travellers and people from other groups who'd succumbed after visting other tea houses. When time is limited, it is important to stay fit & healthy.
We were all impressed how the team leaders got stuck in in the kitchens to help prepare some superb meals.
George Shanks

ANNAPURNA SANCTUARY

Written October 2011
Great trip. Excellent local leaders and good group made it all the more enjoyable. What can I say about Nepal; it's beautiful. Stunning scenery and great trekking. Oh, and the rice is good too! Kathmandhu is busy, noisy and chaotic, but still a place to savour. Pokhara, where we stayed a night after completing the trek, is set in a beautiful location. Lovely lake, surrounded by mountains, felt Alpine in character.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Too many inspirational moments to list them all but I guess Reaching Annapurna Base Camp at 4100m and not feeling out of breath would be up there at the top of the list. Seeing the snow covered mountains at sunrise at ABC with no cloud to obscure the view, simply magnificent.
What did you think of your group leader?
Dawa our group leader was excellent. He was patient, calm, approachable, cheery, positive, organised things efficiently and his English was well nigh perfect.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
You'll be able to get mineral water ie bottled water on the first few days and the last day of the trek. In between you'll need to drink local water that has been filtered and/or boiled. It tastes ok but I'd recommend you use water filtration tablets with it to be safe. As you progress up the trail towards ABC be aware that food, showers and drink (soft drink and beer) prices increase. Budget for the trek should be about 2500 to 3000 Nepalese Rupees per day.
If you're looking for somewhere to chill after the trek then the Busy Bee Bar in Pokhara is recommended and in Kathmandhu check out The Tom and Jerry Bar in Thamel.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Great trip, highly recommend. If you're reasonably fit you'll manage it no problem.
Might be helpful to those who book this trip if you could add a PDF to the trip notes showing the typical menu choices and prices along the trail. Most tea houses offered very similar menus, although as mentioned above prices increased as you progress up the trail.