Nepal: Women's Expedition

Namaste! Welcome to Nepal. Your women’s-only expedition will begin in Kathmandu with a welcome meeting at 2 pm at your hotel. After, join your trip leader and group members for an included dinner at a local restaurant, where you can dig into local delicacies like momos and dal bhat and enjoy a traditional dance performance to end the evening.

This morning, head to Kapan’s Khachoe Ghakyil Ling – a Buddhist nunnery located on the outskirts of Kathmandu. The nunnery's mission is to provide women who want to dedicate their lives to the Buddha's teachings with a safe haven for their study and practice. This unique Exclusive Experience will teach you about their daily lives and how they challenge patriarchal Buddhist traditions. After, take a cooking class at Seven Women – an organisation supported by The Intrepid Foundation that socially and economically empowers marginalised women in Nepal through various education programs, skills training and income generation. While the initiative started with just seven participants, now over 5000 women have been educated, trained and employed here. Learn how to make delicious Nepali dishes and swap stories with these women who have overcome discrimination to turn their lives around. Tuck into your freshly made creations for lunch before spending the afternoon at your leisure.

Late morning we head to the Kathmandu airport and fly west to Pokhara. The 25-minute flight offers views of the Himalaya range to the north (on a clear day). Be sure to have your camera ready to snap the glory of the surrounding Himalayan peaks in the morning light. Pokhara is set in a beautiful valley overlooked by the Annapurnas and the fishtail-shaped Machhapuchhare, one of the most distinctive of the Himalayan peaks. Arriving in Pokhara take a short orientation walk before heading to a Tibetan Refugee Camp for a special MoMo cooking class. Your class will be hosted by a woman who was born and raised in this very refugee camp – her parents fled Tibet during the China invasion and raised her alongside her four siblings. Now, she makes a living running her MoMo cooking class and making jewellery in the low season. You’ll get a chance to swap stories with her and be inspired by how she overcame her adversities. If you have time in the afternoon, you might like to visit ‘Yes Helping Hands Handicrafts’ manufacturing site, where people living with disabilities are given skills training in traditional handloom weaving, dyeing and knitting. Today you’ll stay at 3 Sisters Guesthouse – owned by three sisters who work to promote and empower socially disadvantaged women through adventure tourism. They provide skills-based training programs and employment opportunities to encourage other women to become self-supportive and independent.

Transfer by private vehicle to Birethanti, where you’ll meet your all-female hiking crew of assistant guides and porters. In the afternoon, they’ll lead you into a world of friendly villagers, terraced fields, alpine meadows and rhododendron forest set before a backdrop of snow-clad peaks. You can expect the first part of this trek to be relatively flat and easy-going, however, after you reach Tikhedhunga, be prepared to get your blood pumping by climbing hundreds of stone steps to Ulleri. Don’t worry, you’ll have beautiful views of the villages, forests and mountains to keep you distracted while on the journey.

Ghorepani sits at a cool 2860 m above sea level, so you can expect to get your heart rate pumping on today’s exciting uphill climb. You’ll pass traditional homes and tea houses along a path that winds up and down hills before rewarding you with views of Annapurna South halfway along the trek. Meander through thicker wooded areas filled with towering bamboo plants and blooming trees. Then, venture beyond Banthanti (2300 m) through a moss-coated jungle before reaching Nangathanti (2520 m) where you’ll continue your journey to Ghorepani and enjoy some well-deserved rest in the evening.

Sunrise enthusiasts rejoice – today, you’ll rise early for a pre-dawn hike up Poon Hill to enjoy the sunrise over Dhaulagiri and the Annapurna Range. You'll then head back and tuck into breakfast at your tea house accommodation before lacing up your boots for today’s trek to Tadapani. Expect more magnificent views to frame your walking trail today as you continue north along the ridgeline with the Annapurna Ranges stretching along the east and west. You’ll follow a forested ridge that serves up views of the ranges in both directions. Descend along a muddy slope before reaching a small settlement and beautiful forested gorge. From here, head toward the mountain village of Tadapani where you’ll get a chance to relax, wander the local township and put your feet up for the evening.

Wake up with relief, knowing that today's trail is shorter and easier than you’ve become accustomed to over the last few days. You’ll take in the sunrise from Tadapani and then hike to Ghandruk village. The route from Tadapani to Ghandruk is tranquil and bursting with colourful wildflowers in spring. After reaching Ghandruk, you’ll explore this fascinating mountain village, take in the mesmerizing views and get acquainted with the ethnic Gurung culture here.

After a leisurely breakfast this morning, embark on a short trek down to Shyauli bazaar, where you’ll be transferred to Pokhara by a private vehicle. Take a boat ride across Phewa Lake to visit Tal Barahi temple in the lake's centre. After lunch, visit International Mountain Museum. This evening is all yours to relax and admire the lakeside scenery.

After breakfast, head to Chitwan National Park – considered one of Asia's best national parks. UNESCO declared this park a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984, and it offers some of the best wildlife viewing in Asia. You’ll be introduced to the camp staff and resident naturalists at your jungle lodge and home for the next two nights. Built in traditional Tharu village style, you’ll be surrounded by nature and the exotic sounds of the jungle. Relax or swim before visiting Tharu Village, where you’ll learn about the lifestyles of the Tharu women. Later, head to a special location on the banks of river’s edge to watch the sunset over the horizon. Enjoy local Nepali snacks and drinks and keep your eyes peeled for groups of deer and different species of birds which can often be seen on the other side of the riverbank. Head back to the lodge for dinner and a demonstration of Tharu cultural dance by local women.

Today is all about exploring Chitwan National Park and discovering the wildlife that lies within. After breakfast, hop in a jeep for a 4-hour safari drive through the park – if you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of one of the Shere Khan-Royal Bengal tigers that call the park home. After your safari, you’ll float down the Rapti River in a dugout canoe, keeping an eye out for the great Indian rhino as well as deer, exotic bird life and the marsh mugger crocodiles that inhabit the riverbanks.

If you’re an avid wildlife lover, an optional early-morning birdwatching safari is available today – a worthwhile addition to your trip. After breakfast, you’ll take a private transfer back to the bustling capital of Kathmandu. In the afternoon, you’ll visit a local NGO called Days for Girls Nepal. Here, learn from a team of local women about their work to provide menstrual care and education and their mission to eliminate the Chhaupadi practice in Nepal. To shatter the stigma associated with women’s health, they campaign against Chhaupadi, a tradition in western Nepal, which prohibits Hindu women and girls from participating in normal family activities while menstruating, as they are considered impure. Tonight, you’re free to relax and recharge.

After breakfast, explore Kathmandu Durbar Square, where you’ll stop at a brick building known as Kumari Ghar. Visitors and worshippers congregate daily in the courtyard beneath the balcony to catch a glimpse of Nepal’s most prominent living Hindu goddess – Kumari. A fascinating Hindu ritual, there are several Kumari in Nepal who are chosen early in childhood and remain goddesses until they begin menstruating or lose blood from an injury (when they revert back to mortal status and re-enter society). Then, drive to Kirtipur – visited by only a handful of tourists, this is a gem of history and culture. Visit Chilancho Temple, Bagh Bhairav Temple and Uma Maheshwar Temple. Walk down the old alleys and observe the local way of life as the locals chat, spin wool or knit. As this is the penultimate day of your adventure, maybe treat yourself to a traditional Nau manicure or pedicure performed by local Newari women – Napits. The role these women play, to clean and purify the body, is a respected part of the local culture, and to receive treatment is an opportunity not just to gain an insight into this tradition but also to connect. Tonight, head to Village Café for your final group dinner. The Village Café allows women who would otherwise be based at home to earn a living cooking traditional Newari cuisine, using ingredients they’ve grown in their own fields.

Today your women’s expedition comes to an end. No included activities are planned, so you’re welcome to check out of the hotel any time before midday. If you’re not quite ready for your adventure to finish, just speak to your booking agent to organise extra accommodation.