My story when I went to Manaslu Circuit trek in Nepal

Back when I went traveling to Nepal

A few years back I was going through a tough time mentally and I wanted something to take off my mind for a while and give a new perspective to life. That’s when I started to do some research on traveling to Asia. A lot of people seemed to be recommending trekking in Nepal. After some research, the mountains and landscape of Nepal fascinated me. I was so eager to travel into this so-called land of peace.

And when I decided that I was definitely going to Nepal, I started to do some research on the trekking routes of Nepal. I had around 15 days and a bank balance of about $5000. I looked at some of the popular trekking packages like the Everest base camp trek and or Annapurna circuit trek at first. While these treks were offering packages that fit my budget and time, I have been informed that these places remain quite crowded in the peak season. This is when I came across the quiet and remote land of the Manaslu Circuit trek. I looked at some of the photos and absolutely fell in love with them.

I found a travel company in Nepal called Himalayan Masters they had the most affordable Manaslu Circuit Trek packages for nine $950. This was a 13-day all-inclusive package and the reviews seem to be awesome. I instantly emailed Sandip, the owner of this travel agency and he immediately replied. We communicated for a while and he sent me a full Manaslu Circuit trek Itinerary that fits my schedule. The major problem for me was, that Manaslu being a restricted region must be in a group of at least two people to get the permit. I had known that this rule had been implemented for the safety of trekkers themselves but I was planning a solo trip. I was so grateful when Himalayan Masters arranged the permits for me. They promised me a personal portal and guide so that I wouldn't be disturbed throughout the trek.

After I booked the package everything moved on quickly. Being an American citizen I didn't need to apply for my visa in advance, tourist visa on arrival was available. So, I booked my flight from New York to Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu. After landing a Kathmandu, I took an extra day for some shopping and also visited Pashupatinath Temple in the evening. There was a worship ceremony in the evening and that was a beautiful beginning of my journey. Another day we drive west of Kathmandu to a place Called Maccha Khola. The next day, we start the trek but due to the recent road construction in Manaslu, we walk in a slightly different route than previously mentioned. However, this didn’t have much impact on the tour and I reached Sama Gaun on the fifth day.

Although I haven't done many high altitude treks before, I found this trek quite possible and exciting. The porter didn’t let me carry anything else than my small handbag with my phone, camera, and some chocolate bars. The diet was very helpful and I could stop whenever I feel difficult to walk. On the 3rd day, I found it so difficult to walk it took me eight hours to finish the hike that I could have normally completed in five hours, even then they were so patient with me. Yeah, the accommodation way not very luxurious but I have already been informed that there are no fancy hotels in this region and I will only have basic rooms. I did pay extra for a hot shower but some places charged my phone for free. The good part is everything I ate during the trip was included in the package and I didn't have to pay extra. And since I was already informed to carry a purifying tablet I didn't even buy a Water bottle.

This was a short article about how I planned my journey and how I started the trek. I will be writing more about the actual trip in another article. But I must tell you that I needed to take a helicopter to Everest Base camp on the last day of my tour.