Discover Pokhara

Pokhara and Annapurna Base Camp – My Great Adventure in the Himalayas

After Lumbini, the journey continued towards Pokhara. It was a stop I had really been looking forward to because Pokhara would become the starting point for one of the biggest experiences of the trip – the trek to Annapurna Base Camp, also known as ABC.

Already when we arrived in Pokhara, it was clear that the city had a completely different atmosphere compared to Kathmandu. Pokhara is much quieter and is beautifully located by Phewa Lake with the Himalayas in the background. The city is also full of restaurants, cafés, trekking shops and small travel agencies aimed at everyone who comes here for trekking.

Before the trek, we took the opportunity to explore Pokhara. One of the nicest things was simply walking around the lake and taking it easy. After all the previous stops on the journey, it was nice to have a few quieter days before heading up into the mountains.

Pokhara is truly a city where you notice how important trekking and the mountains are to the whole area. Almost everywhere you see people with large backpacks, hiking clothes and equipment. This only made the anticipation for Annapurna Base Camp even greater.

When it was finally time to start the trek, the feeling was completely different. We left Pokhara behind and began making our way up towards the Himalayas. The landscape changed constantly. In the beginning there was lots of greenery, small villages, terraced fields and forests.

What made the trek special was how the landscape changed almost every day. The higher we went, the more the vegetation and temperature changed. It became obvious that we were truly heading into the mountains.

The trek was also much more demanding than I had expected. It is not only the altitude that makes Annapurna Base Camp challenging. You walk long distances every day, often both uphill and downhill, and many of the stairs really take their toll on your legs after several hours.

It was also interesting how quickly the weather could change. One moment the sun could be shining and the next moment clouds could move in over the mountains. As you get higher, the temperature also becomes significantly lower, especially in the morning and evening.

One of the biggest differences compared to other hikes was that you always had a goal ahead of you. Annapurna Base Camp is located high up in the mountains, and the feeling of slowly getting closer to the destination made each day's trek feel meaningful.

The higher we went, the more impressive the views became. The green valleys gradually disappeared and were replaced by enormous mountain slopes and snow-covered peaks. It was difficult to understand the size of the mountains before actually standing there yourself.

Another thing I appreciated during the trek was all the small teahouses along the route. They were simple places where you could eat, have something warm to drink and rest after the day's trek. After several hours on the trail, a warm meal and a cup of tea could feel like one of the best things in the world.

The closer we got to Annapurna Base Camp, the more special the atmosphere became. The landscape became more dramatic and the mountains felt enormous all around us. You could really feel how far away from everyday life you had come.

When we finally reached Annapurna Base Camp, it was an incredible feeling. After several days of trekking, we were standing there surrounded by the enormous mountains of the Himalayas. It was difficult to understand that we had actually walked all the way there.

What I remember most about ABC is the feeling of being completely surrounded by mountains. You can see how impressive the Himalayas are in pictures, but it cannot really compare to standing there yourself. The mountains feel much larger when you are actually surrounded by them.

The morning at Base Camp was also one of the best moments of the trip. Waking up high in the mountains and seeing how the light changed across the peaks was an experience I will never forget.

At the same time, it was a relief to know that we had completed the trek up. But the journey was not over just because we had reached Base Camp. We still had to make our way back down, and although the descent sounds easier on paper, our legs felt quite exhausted after several days of trekking.

On the way back, we once again experienced how quickly the landscape changed. The high and rugged mountains gradually gave way to forests, green valleys and smaller villages. It was almost like walking through several different climate zones during the same trek.

When we finally returned to Pokhara, the city felt almost unbelievably comfortable. Being able to take a proper shower, eat good food and sleep in a real bed after the trek was something I really appreciated.

Pokhara therefore became much more than just another stop on the journey. The city was both the beginning and the end of our great Himalayan adventure. This was where we prepared for the trek and where we returned after experiencing Annapurna Base Camp.

For me, Annapurna Base Camp was without a doubt one of the biggest experiences of the entire trip. It was physically demanding, but at the same time incredibly rewarding. The combination of the trek, villages, nature and enormous mountains made every day feel special.

After Pokhara and Annapurna Base Camp, it was time to leave Nepal. The next part of the journey would take us back to Southeast Asia and onwards to Laos. The next stop was therefore Vientiane.