Domestic Trekkers Flow High in Annapurna Circuit

The world famous Annapurna Circuit trekking route has been a big draw for foreign adventurers for decades, but now the scenic walking trail in the Annapurna mountains of central Nepal has been pulling domestic thrill seekers in droves too.

According to the police office in Mustang, around 1,800 Nepali trekkers have been arriving daily since the start of the Dashain festival. The Jomsom and Muktinath trekking trails are part of the Annapurna Circuit.

Upper Mustang, Thorung La Pass, Tilicho Lake in Manang and a number of places in the Annapurna foothills are major attractions for domestic tourists. “More than a dozen reserved vehicles enter Mustang daily,” said Yogendra Yadav, sub-inspector of the Ghasa Police Office in Mustang. “This year, domestic visitor numbers have been encouraging.”

All hotels on the route from Jomsom to Mustang are packed. “This year has been really surprising. We have not seen such a big number of domestic visitors,” said Mohan Kumari Serchan, the proprietor of Hotel Muktinath in Jomsom.

Bel Bahadur Pun, an official at the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (Acap) Jomsom, said that they didn’t keep records of Nepali vacationers visiting the area, but that their numbers were exceptional this year.

Tourism entrepreneurs said that the number of domestic tourists had been increasing by the day. They added that a rise in disposable incomes was one of the major reasons behind the motivation to see one’s country.

“I have been mesmerized by the beauty of Muktinath,” said Pabitra Thapa, a local of Lamachaur, Pokhara.

“It was the experience of a lifetime. We enjoyed a lot,” she said. “I would like to visit this place again.”

Likewise, the number of sightseers travelling from Beni to Jomsom by motorcycle has risen sharply after the construction of the road.

The September-November period is considered to be the best time for trekking in Nepal due to the excellent weather and tantalizing mountain views.

According to a report entitled Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2016 published by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the total contribution of travel and tourism to Nepal’s gross domestic product (GDP) was Rs173.7 billion (8.1 percent of GDP) in 2015, and is forecast to rise 6.5 percent in 2016.

Domestic travel spending generated 57.5 percent of direct travel and tourism GDP in 2015 compared to 42.5 percent for foreign visitor spending or international tourism receipts. Acap statistics show that foreign trekker numbers have also been rising. In August, there were 1,857 foreigners which is more than double the figure for the same period last year.

Likewise, 3,620 foreigners received trekking permits in September, up 89 percent compared to the same period last year.

Nepal on the Top 10 Best Value Destinations list for 2017

Nepal is a naturally beautiful country in the world and most popular destination for all kinds of adventure holidays and city guide sightseeing tour. Every year about 1 million tourist around the world visit Nepal for trekking, peak climbing, adventure holidays and cultural sightseeing tour. No doubt Nepal offers the best holiday activities according to the interest of tourist. This beautiful country has been listed on the top 10 best value destinations for 2017 by Lonely Planet.

According to the biggest travel guide books, The Lonely Planet says: “Even natural disasters can’t keep Nepal down for long. The 2015 earthquakes caused devastation, but what is most striking from a traveler's perspective is not how much was lost but how much remains. Landmark temples crumbled, but others came through with just the odd tile out of place, and whole swathes of the country escaped serious damage, including most of the popular trekking trails. Nepal has all the skills required to repair monuments and infrastructure, but what it does need is income. By visiting Nepal now and supporting local culture and people, you could help a nation rebuild and bounce back even stronger.”

Along with the Nepal, Canada, Colombia, Finland and Dominica complete the top five destinations for 2017. Similarly Nepal has also named as the best value for money destination for travelers in 2017.

The Lonely Planet website says “Nepal is bouncing back from earthquakes and a fuel strike that made getting round the country tough. It remains a fabulous choice for budget-conscious travelers, who can access the best of its world-famous trekking routes and underrated wildlife for well south of US$50 a day. Visitor numbers are slowly recovering and the time is ripe to get back to Nepal’s mighty mountains; wherever you go, you’ll receive a warm welcome, as your visit brings much-needed income to communities getting back on their feet.”

Solo trekker missing for a week in Annapurna Range

Israeli national Amit Mosche Reichman, 42, has gone missing while trekking along the Annapurna trekking circuit. Reichman had last contacted friends and families a week ago and was reported to have been trekking along the Mardi Himal trekking route. Since then his whereabouts remain unknown.

"Reichman contacted his family on 17 October. Since then, he has not come in contact with anyone," said police inspector Jayram Wanta, who is a part of the search team. "Our investigation so far has revealed that he had stayed at the Fishtail Guesthouse. From where he had headed out for Mardi Himal telling the lodge staff that he would return in two hours," Wanta added.

He informed that the search team has been searching for Riechman intensely in all the possible areas and trails of Mardi Himal area that is around 5553 meters above the sea level.

"His personal belongings, which include clothes and other stuffs, are at the hotel. Though he had told the hotel staffs that he would return back in around two hours for lunch, he never showed up."

The search team has been camping in higher altitude of Mardi Himal for conducting the search. Along with them, Israeli embassy has also sent out additional members with a helicopter for assisting, he informed.

"A joint search team which includes Nepal Police, search professionals sent by the Israeli embassy, locals and tourist guides has been making every effort possible to search Riechman. But so far we have not been able to get any positive sign," said Wanta. He informed that the search operation is getting affected from time to time due to bad weather. "We have been conducting aerial and ground search, despite challenging weather. But so far we have been not successful."


Apart from the lodge staff, Riechman was spotted by another team of trekkers just few kilometers away from the lodge. But he is reported to have separated from them after a while. Since then, he was not spotted by anyone, the search team informed.

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) records state that Riechman, who is an engineer by profession, arrived in Nepal on October 2 and has a visa valid until the end of the month. He had taken permission from the NTB, Pokhara, for trekking to Annapurna Base Camp after Mardi Himal.

Tourism entrepreneurs informed that it takes an additional day of trek from Mardi Himal to reach the high camp. As the trek above the high camp is very tough, only few tourists go for it.

"It is very tough to trek above the high camp. So many trekkers give up the quest from there. It is not possible to climb it without using expedition gear," said Milan Tiwari, a trekking guide.

Missing tourists: A challenge in Annapurna range

Just three months ago, Adina Monica Popescu of Romania who had gone missing, was found dead. Her body was found lying on the bank of Suikhola River in Ghandruk-1. Similarly, not all of the Japanese and Malaysians tourists, who were reported missing in the area in the last few months, have been found. Dead bodies of only a few of them have been recovered so far.

According to tourism entrepreneurs, around 5 to 6 tourists go missing in the Annapurna range annually. And few of them come out alive.

Call for banning solo treks
"Safety of trekkers call for trekking with professional team or guide instead of solo treks. When someone goes on to trek solo along a dangerous trail, they are prone to go missing," said Deepak Raj Adhikari, president of Western Chapter of Trekking Agency Association of Nepal (TAAN). "Therefore we have long lobbied for banning solo treks."


"When we allow solo trekkers, we not only allow them to risk their life but also put our safety measures on the stake. When a trekker goes missing, along with the suffering their family and loved ones have to go through, our trekking industry earns a bad name," Adhikari said, adding that those who go for trekking in group are far safer and at ease. He called on government agencies to introduce proper guidelines and make provisions for strictly monitoring their implementation to make trekking safer.

Wanta who has been involved in other search operations previously said that foreigners opt to visit alone in the trekking route in search for adventure but it becomes a grave problem when they go missing. "Tourists should not be over confident when in unknown terrain as it can push them and those associated with them into trouble" said Wanta while stressing on restricting solo treks.

Junko Tabei, first woman to scale Mt Everest, dies at 77

Junko Tabei, the first woman to scale Mount Everest in 1975 has died of cancer at the age of 77.

He had been victim of cancer for the past four years and died at the course of treatment in Japan.

Born on september 22, 1939, Tabei became the first lady to summit Mount Everest in 1975.

Even after reaching the world's highest 8,848-meter peak at age 35, the Fukushima native actively climbed mountains abroad.

In 1992, she became the first woman to complete the "Seven Summits," the highest point on each of the seven continents.

She visited Nepal on April 30 this year to observe the golden jubilee of the first ascend of Mount Manaslu and Mount Lhotse.