I recently met two sisters traveling who were in their late teens and early 20s, respectively. They were very curious about my experiences of solo traveling, particular as a woman. My top advice is to start somewhere – to give it a try. Solo traveling can feel very different from traveling in a group, but … More So you want to travel solo? where to begin?
We booked tickets for a scenic flight that leaves the Kathmandu airport, cruises along the Himilayan range, and turns around for a second pass to see all the biggest mountains. They can only do this flight at 6am and will only do the flight if visibility and weather conditions are ok. It took us three … More Peeking at the big one: Scenic flight(s) to see Everest
Relaxing, eating, and touristing in Pokhara was a great end for the trip. We luxuriated in our roof-top pool, ate tons of food, and bought lots of things (cute dresses! cashmere scarves!). We went to a viewpoint to catch the sunrise. It was not great visibility… We eventually did see some glimpses of the view … More Pokhara: Annapurna Circuit Trek Day 13-14
No actual trekking today, but a very long and adventurous jeep ride.
Last day of trekking for the circuit. We went through desert-like spaces for a very dramatic view of the other side of the pass. 12 years or 500 years – you pick! A wild and bumpy ride We ended the day with a big meal, a dance party with the porters, and the only beer … More Muktinath to Jomsom (2,800m): Annapurna Circuit Day 11
The big day! We were up at 4, packing our bags, and hiking by 5 in the dark, a row of headlamps marching through the darkness. By the time we stopped, the sun was starting to peak out over the mountain range. Up and over! And a long walk down. An incredible day.
A short hike today in preparation for the big day of heading through the pass. A very long suspension bridge and a face in the rocks. Turned out to be a very dramatic day as a rock dislodged by a flock of blue sheep (blue eyes, not blue wool) raced down the mountain, crashing into … More Yak Kharka to Phedi (4,525m): Annapurna Circuit Day 9
Rested and re-fueled, clad in freshly laundered fits, we hit the trail for beautiful day. Learned that the ups and downs feel a lot more extreme at 4,000m. Yaks! We tried to go for an afternoon acclimatization hike, but the yaks must have caught wind of our yak burger shenanigans from the previous day and … More Manang to Yak Kharka (4,050m): Annapurna Circuit Day 8
The promised land – Manang – a paradise flowing with clean laundry and yak burgers. We stayed two nights, doing an acclimatization hike to visit a monastery and soak in some of the most spectacular views.
Still raining when we started out, but it cleared up. We had to take “the low road” due to the rain (a bit shorter and a bit safer, you sacrifice views, but these would be covered in rain and fog, so seemed the sensible choice). Despite the clouds and lower route, it was still spectacularly … More Pisang to Manang (3,540m): Annapurna Circuit Day 6
Lovely Outliers 