Everything you need to know to visit Mardi Himal

Everything you need to know to visit Mardi Himal

Mardi Himal Trek is known for the short moderate trekking route located in the Annapurna region. This trek offers majestic Machhapuchhre and Annapurna (south) views from a very close peak point. Within 5-7 days, you would be able to have a very close view of Mount Machhapuchhre and Annapurna, passing through the beautiful villages and lush rhododendron forests. This trek would be the best for you to experience the annapurna region but have a limited time to explore.

The Mardi Himal trekking trail is located within the premises of Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP) in Annapurna region. Pokhara would be your preferred city and the starting hub. However, the trekking would start from Kande which is around one hour drive. Now, if we are travelling to Pokhara from Kathmandu, it would take us around 6-7 hours drive or 25 to 30 minutes by flight. Once you have reached Pokhara, you will be staying for the night. The next morning, we would travel to Kande and hike for 3-4 hours to reach our next destination - Pritam Deurali. From here, we need to pass through several points like Forest Camp, Low Camp, High Camp, Upper View point and finally to Mardi Himal Base Camp at an altitude of 4500m above sea level. From here, and along the journey we would be able to view incredible Machhapuchhre and Annapurna ranges.

Annapurna region is quite renowned for the majestic mountain views along with the Rhododendron forests. Normally, it's ideal to visit Mardi Himal trek during Autumn and Spring as these are the best time of the year to explore mountains. However, March till May is undoubtedly the best for Mardi Himal.  The blooming of Rhododendron forest adds another attraction during the Spring season. The whole trail feels vibrant with lush forest views.

If this month of the year does not sync with your calendar, no need to worry about. September till November is another great time to visit Mardi Himal. During the autumn, the whole village feels vibrant as it syncs with lots of festive occasions. Autumn would be best for someone who likes to explore and understand diverse cultures.

Most of the local tour operators and tourism consultants do not recommend the monsoon and winter season as they have a reason for it. The monsoon is affected by potential road blocks and landslides - not only in the trekking routes but also on the multiple sections of the highways. Winter is extremely cold on the higher altitudes but this season can be manageable if you have proper equipment. The accommodation facilities around Annapurna region is quite good; hence, winter becomes manageable with proper trekking gears. But it is always the best approach to consult your travel advisor before visiting Nepal especially for trekking and expedition activities.

Mardi Himal Base Camp demands many essential items to carry during the trek. We need to realize that due to higher elevation, there might be a significant drop on the oxygen density level. As we elevate to the maximum altitude of 4500m above sea level, the reduced oxygen might be experienced and can cause altitude sickness. Due to these scenarios, we sincerely suggest the visitors to acclimatize properly while staying in the higher altitude above 2500 metres.

We suggest our fellow trekkers to bring highly essential items no matter whichever season you are travelling. The items can range from clothing accessories to trekking gears that you need to take with you. We advise you to equip yourself with good hiking boots, multiple warm layers of clothing, a pair of down jacket, thermals, sun protection cream, polarized glasses and hats to cover your forehead especially during mid-afternoon hike. We also sincerely suggest bringing crampons for your hiking boots when you are travelling Mardi Himal during winter.

Our Trekking Advisor also suggests our clients to carry cash while travelling in these regions because of the less connectivity of ATMs and mobile devices. The cash would specifically be required only for your personal expenses around the trail or any additional services not covered by your Mardi Himal trekking package. For our guest convenience, we suggest they take their own hot water bottle which would be quite handy during the trail.

Mardi Himal Base Camp offers one of the most well-accommodated and luxurious stays as it also lies in Annapurna region. This trek would offer better accommodation compared to other remote regions. Hence, it can also lead to high variability in the cost estimates depending upon the services and facilities you choose.

For transportation, it can range from as low as $15 to $130. If you are travelling from Kathmandu to Pokhara by tourist bus, it would range anything between $15-$25. If you intend to travel via flight, it would be somewhere between $100-$130. Now, when we take an estimate for accommodation stays along the Mardi Himal Base Camp, it would cost somewhere around $5 to $10 per night in the lower altitude. The cost can range somewhere between $15 to $25 as you elevate higher. Regarding the food we eat during the trail, it can cost somewhere between $15 to $30 per person on a daily basis. However, the cost might range from $25 to $35 as we elevate to the higher altitude. The increase in the cost might be due to various reasons, one being logistics issues. The additional $35 is also required for Annapurna Conservation Area Permit to travel around the Mardi Himal region.

Mardi Himal Base Camp trek is quite a fruitful trekking destination to explore the incredible himalayas with lush diverse forest in such a short time from Pokhara in less than a week. For a diverse rhododendron blooming experience, we suggest you travel during spring from March till May. However, autumn would also be better to visit for cultural and festive experience. With good accommodation along the way, this can be your ideal visit for trekking in Nepal. We wish you to have the best trekking experience here in Nepal.

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