Best and Worst of the Annapurna Circuit

April 20, 2010 27 Comments »

Prayer Flag

Tiger Balm Tales Vol. 22

Best and the Worst of the Annapurna Circuit

Near the end of hiking the circuit, my father and I reminisced on some of our best and worst experiences over the past 21 days. We compiled a list of the best / worst of our Annapurna Circuit experience. Remember…this is only our opinion!

 My DadMe
Best FoodOnion Tomato Lasagna in Marpha (so good he had it for lunch and dinner!)Dharapani’s Mushroom noodle soup and Momos
Best Guest HouseIt was unanimous…our Gunsang guest house had the best hospitality there was and a great view that you would never tire of. Not to mention our ensuite toilet!
Worst Guest HouseAlso unanimous – the first guesthouse we stayed in with the bucket shower in the smelly outhouse was the worst. The people were super nice, but the rooms left something to be desired. Since we experienced the ‘worst’ on the first night – we had nowhere to go be up from there!
Best VillageMarpha – the apple capital!agree with Marpha for its clean and colorful décor, but the little village of Shikha came in a close 2nd!
Worst VillageUnanimous again…Ghorepani. Maybe this was due to the fact that we had to work so hard to get up there, and then realized it was just an over-touristed village with no character…and crappy cinnamon rolls!
Most surprising thing about Nepalthe people were so friendly, courteous, and welcoming.the country gets better on the 2nd trip…I never thought it was possible to get any better!
One thing you wish you would’ve brought with youMore Tiger Balm!Clothes pins
The one thing you should’ve left at home.Waterproof pants and a pocket knifeBug Spray
Most difficult thing to adapt toThe altitude of course!Wearing the same clothes for 5 days+ in a row.
Scariest MomentRunning from the rock slide and navigating the snow on the other side of the pass.The narrow trails with big drop-offs, the bus ride to Tatopani, and of course the mouse in my bed!
Lasting Memorythe experience in Puma was on top of his list, followed by the Thorung La PassMy return to the village of Puma was also special – but it was a lasting memory because I was able to bring my dad with me and introduce him to Puma this time.
Why should people come to Nepal?A lot of people shouldn’t; this type of ‘roughing it’ isn’t for everyone. However, for the people that enjoy a simpler way of travel, you should come to see how hard people work to make a little living. How appreciative they are about little things we take for granted.You should come to see the mountains, and meet some of the nicest people living in the hardest environments.

Also in alignment with the ‘Best of’ theme – I’ve also put together a photography album – The Best of Annapurna Circuit Photography – check out my Global Photography Website!

Have you hiked the Annapurna Circuit?  Share some of your best/worst experiences in the comments!


Back to Blog

27 Responses to "Best and Worst of the Annapurna Circuit"

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


*



Back to Blog