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Map of Madeira Contents 1. Introduction 2. When to Visit Madeira 3. Madeira's Main Sights and Activities 4. Funchal and Surrounding Area Funchal Town Centre Monte Palace Tropical Gardens Madeira Botanical Gardens Palheiro Gardens Refuge of the Nuns (Curral das Freiras) Eira do Serrado Viewpoint Cabo Girao 5. South East Madeira Santa Cruz Machico Pico do Facho Viewpoint Canical 6. North East Madeira Santana Calhau de São Jorge, Madeira Miradouro da Quinta do Furao in Arco de Sao Jorge Miradouro de Sao Cristovao 7. North West Madeira Sao Vicente Seixal Ribeira da Janela Porto Moniz Fanal Miradouro da Encumeada 8. South West Madeira Ribeira Brava Paul do Mar Calheta Lighthouse at Ponta do Pargo 9. Hikes in Madeira 10. Transportation - Buses, Taxis & Rental Cars 11. Madeira Guide Books 1. Introduction We had been wanting to visit Madeira for some time as we had heard good reports about the island and in particular the great hikes. We would have liked to have visited Madeira during the winter months so we could escape some of the UK's bad weather. Unfortunately in winter Madeira is often wet and is more mild than hot. We therefore visited Madeira in the second half of April 2025 and stayed in a very nice 2 bedroom apartment in Funchal's hotel zone. We found Madeira to be very beautiful and the people friendly. It helped that most people spoke fluent English. We really enjoyed our 2 week stay in Madeira but that was long enough. I don't think we would go to Madeira again for the following reasons: The hiking trails aren't the sort of trails that I enjoy. Most of the trails in Madeira are through forest and have limited views. I don't mind the odd forest hike but prefer expansive views for my efforts. See the Hiking Section for further information. The few hikes in Madeira that appealed to me were too busy and parking was difficult. The weather was usually fine on Madeira's south coast but overcast and cool on the north coast and in the mountainous interior of the island. Madeira's weather isn't warm or dry enough in winter to make it a worthwhile escape from the UK's winter. We have seen the main sights in Madeira and don't need to see them again. We rented a car for our entire stay - see the section Transportation - Buses, Taxis & Rental Cars . Some of Madeira's smaller mountainous roads were initially a bit challenging and sometimes I had to use first gear on the steep slopes. However, I soon got used to Madeira's roads and driving on the right hand side of the road. Parking in Madeira's towns was usually very straight forward as there were good multi storey car parks with very reasonable rates. However, parking in mountainous areas was often very limited and congested. 2. When to Visit Madeira We visited Madeira from 16 April to 29 April 2025 and had enough time to do everything that we wanted to. We could have made our trip a few days shorter but time wasn't of the essence. We chose the second half of April as the rainfall in Madeira is usually less from mid April to the end of September. We were fortunate as March and early April 2025 was exceptionally wet in Madeira. May, June and September would have been a warmer time to visit Madeira but we had other travels planned for those months. Funchal's Weather by Month Another factor to consider when determining the timing of your visit to Madeira is cruise ships. Massive cruise ships blight many coastal cities around the world and unfortunately Funchal is no exception. It is strange that the main cruise ship season for Madeira is from October to April and cruise ships aren't a problem during the summer months. During Madeira's peak winter cruise season up to 4 cruise ships a day berth at Funchal and there can be as many as 9,000 passengers. New year's eve seems to be the very worst day with 12 cruise ships and 22,000 passengers scheduled for 31st December 2025! Funchal is only a small city and just one large cruise ship can crowd out the main tourist sites in Funchal. Cruise ships have the most negative impact on Funchal. Therefore do all you can to visit Funchal when there aren't any cruise ships in town. There are several websites that show the cruise ships docking at Funchal. Cruisetimetables.com show both the vessels docking and the number of passengers. 3. Madeira's Main Sights and Activities I felt that the main sights and activities for Madeira were: Funchal city centre Monte Palace Tropical Gardens, the cable car ride up and the toboggan ride down Funchal's Botanical Gardens The sea pools at Porto Moniz The seafront promenade between Funchal and Camara de Lobos The hike along the Sao Lourenco peninsular The circular hike along the Levada Nova and Levada do Moinho The Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike (Still closed at May 2025 due to land slips) Watching the spectacular surfing at Paul do Mar 4.1. Funchal Town Centre Map of Funchal, Madeira Funchal is a very pleasant small city when it isn't inundated with cruise ship passengers. Most visitors stay on the western side of Funchal in the hotel zone and walk into Funchal's city centre on the Avenida do Infante. The first place to visit is the Parque Santa Catarina which is on the south side of the Avenida do Infante. The Avenida do Infante ends at a roundabout on the eastern edge of Parque Santa Carina. From the roundabout continue walking eastwards through the centre of Funchal along the main streets of Avenida Arriago and the Rua do Aljube. From these 2 main city streets you can wander around Funchal and see several historical sights which are detailed below. Some of the side streets worth walking around are: Rua da Carreira, a bustling street full of shops and restaurants. Rua do Bispo and Rua Queimada for their shops, cafes and historic buildings. After wandering around the western part of Funchal's city centre cross over the Levada and walk eastwards along Rua Fernao Ornelas to the market. After the market stroll along the lively, but touristy, parallel streets of Rua de Santa Maria and Rua Dom Carlos 1. Both these streets lead to the Fortress which is at the far eastern edge of Funchal's city centre. The specific sights to see in Funchal's city centre are: Funchal's Gardens There are 2 attractive and free gardens in Funchal. The Santa Catarina Park is between the centre of Funchal and the hotel zone. It is situated on the hillside and has some beautiful plants and trees plus a good view over Funchal. There are pay toilets in the park (Eur 0.50). The Jardim Sao Francisco is much smaller and is just north east of Santa Catarina Park. It is is packed with interesting plants and trees. There are several benches in this garden and it is a pleasant place to relax. Palacio de Sao Lourenco in Funchal The Palacio de Sao Lourenco was Funchal’s first fortress and was built in the 16th century. Cannons were placed only on the sea side so French pirates attacking from the land easily occupied it in 1566. The fortress was later extended into today's form. From the 18th to 19th centuries it was the palace of the governor of the island. The palace can be visited for free on specific days and times (Mon 12.30, Tues & Wed 10.00, Thur 10.00 & 12.20, Fri 15.00). There is a limit of about 20 people who can enter. Only a few rooms are available to the public, so the whole visit would take around 30 minutes. Inside the fortress there is also a military museum where weapons and old uniforms are exhibited. Even if you don't visit the palace or museum it is worth walking around the exterior. Palacio de Sao Lourenco in Funchal, Madeira Palacio do Governo Regional in Funchal It is possible to freely enter the courtyard of the Palacio de Governo Regional and walk around to the front of the building where the cannons stand. It was built at the end of the 17th century. Palacio do Governo Regional in Funchal Funchal's Cathedral There is free entry to Funchal's Cathedral which dates back to 1517. It is open: Monday to Friday - 07.15 to 18.30 Saturday - 09.00 to 12.00 & 16.00 to 19.00 Sunday - 07.30 to 12.00 & 16.00 to 19.00 The Cathedral in Funchal The Cathedral in Funchal Santa Clara Convent in Funchal The Santa Clara Convent was constructed in the late 15th century and expanded over the following 2 centuries. It was reopened in 2023 after a 5 year refurbishment by the government. The entry fee is quite high at Eur 10 although over 65's receive a 50% reduction. We didn't think that it was worth the Eur 10 entry fee but the Tripadvisor reviews are good. The convent can be quite noisy as the nuns are running a nursery for young children. There are a lot of notices in English providing detailed information about the convent. We found that there was far too much detail and we couldn't absorb it. The Santa Clara Convent is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10.00 - 12.30 and 14.00 to 17.00. It takes about an hour to tour the convent. Funchal's Main Square Funchal's main square is known as the Praca do Municipio. I thought it was the nicest part of central Funchal. The square itself is very spacious and its surface consists of a striking mosaic of black and white stones. The main square is surrounded by impressive historic buildings. On the northern side is the 17th century Igreja de Sao Joao Evangelista do Colegio (Collegiate Church) to which entry is free. On the eastern side of the main square is the Camara Municipal (Town Hall) which occupies an 18th century palace. There are some guided tours. On the south side of the main square is the Museum of Religious Art which is housed in a former 17th century palace for the bishop of Funchal. There are apparently some outstanding paintings on view. It's open 10.00 to 17.00 Monday to Friday and 10.00 to 13.00 on Saturday. The Market in Funchal The best time to visit Funchal's market is on Friday or Saturday when fishermen, farmers and traders from all over Madeira come to sell their wares. We didn't visit on these days and the market was very quiet and uninteresting. There have been warnings about high prices charged for fruit by some of the shops and stalls in the market. Mercado dos Lavradores, Funchal The Fortress in Funchal When we first visited the fortress we didn't think it was possible to enter the interior as it appeared to be occupied by a restaurant. However, on a subsequent visit we noticed people on the ramparts. We therefore walked past the restaurant sign and gained free access to the interior and ramparts. It is worth entering the fortress and wandering around. Fortaleza de Sao Tiago, Funchal Fortaleza de Sao Tiago, Funchal Bela 5 Snack Bar in Funchal We ate at this restaurant twice and had very good meals there. The portions are generous, the quality is good and the prices are reasonable. It is a popular restaurant and sometimes you may to have to wait a short while for a table. All the staff were very friendly. The restaurant receives very good reviews on Google and Tripadvisor . Bela 5 Snack Bar in Funchal 4.2. Monte Palace Tropical Gardens, Madeira The most popular way of getting to the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens is by cable car. The Madeira Cable Car starts from an area west of Funchal's Fortress and terminates at the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens. The cable car operates from 08.45 to 17.45 and it costs Eur 14.50 one way and Eur 20 return. We only had to queue about 10 minutes for a cable car as there were no cruise ships docked at Funchal. I have read that when cruise ships are in port the wait can be over an hour! The Monte Palace Tropical Gardens can also be accessed by car, taxi and bus. Bus numbers 20, 21, 22 and 48 travel between Funchal and Monte. See my section Transportation - Buses, Taxis & Rental Cars for a map showing the location of the bus stops in Funchal. The Monte Palace Tropical Gardens are open from 09.00 to 18.00 every day and the entrance fee is Eur 15. We really enjoyed the gardens. However, I think they would be crowded when there are cruise ships docked in Funchal and that could spoil the experience. The map of the gardens (see below) is displayed in several locations in the gardens. However, it is useful to have the map with you. A map can be downloaded onto a cell phone from the official website for the gardens. From the far western side of the gardens the famous toboggans can be seen sliding down the road to Funchal. After visiting the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens there are a number of choices: Take a toboggan back to Funchal but be aware it doesn't take you all the way to the centre of Funchal. It costs Eur 35 for 2 people. It looked fun but it's a bit expensive. We were going to do it but they closed early as it was a holiday the following day. Return by cable car to Funchal. If you do that it is cheaper to buy a return cable car ticket. Take the bus back to Funchal for Eur 1.90 which is what we did. To locate the bus stop walk down to the toboggan ride office and then take the path to the right. You soon reach the road and the bus stop is on the corner. I think there are buses at least every half an hour. There are numerous taxis queuing at the garden exit but the taxi driver quoted a very high fixed rate. There is another cable car near Monte Palace Tropical Gardens that goes to the Madeira Botanical Gardens. It costs Eur 13.50 for the round trip. We decided to visit the Botanical Gardens on a different day and drove there. The Madeira Botanical Gardens are worth visiting but seeing 2 gardens in one day could be too much. Map of Monte Tropical Gardens in Madeira Toboggan ride from Monte to Funchal 4.3. Madeira Botanical Gardens Entrance to the Madeira Botanical Gardens costs Eur 10.00 and they are open from 09.00 to 18.00 every day. You can get to the Madeira Botanical Gardens by car, taxi, bus or cable car: There is a free parking area on the other side of the road from the Botanical Gardens. About 20 cars can be parked there. When we arrived the parking lot was full but cars soon left. It is a short walk up the road to the Botanical Gardens' entrance. Bus numbers 29, 31 and 31A travel between Funchal and the Madeira Botanical Gardens. Bus number 31A seems to be the best as it stops at the Gardens' entrance gate. There is a cable car from the Monte Palace Gardens to the Madeira Botanical Gardens. It costs Eur 10 one way and Eur 15 return. We really enjoyed the Madeira Botanical Gardens. They aren't quite as expansive as the Monte Palace Gardens but the gardens are of a very high standard. 4.4. Palheiro Gardens near Funchal The Mini Rough Guide book says " Spend the day exploring the Palheiro Gardens, the most magnificent of Madeira's splendid gardens ". There are also some excellent reviews on Tripadvisor. We therefore visited the Palheiro Gardens but were very disappointed by them. The Palheiro Gardens aren't very extensive and we only spent 45 minutes looking around. There is a large area of Camellias which would have improved our experience if they had been flowering. The Monte Palace Gardens and Madeira Botanical Gardens are far superior to the Palheiro Gardens. That's probably why there were very few other visitors during our visit to the Palheiro Gardens! The entry price is a very steep Eur 11 and the Palheiro Gardens are open from 09.00 to 17.00. We drove there and it took 15 minutes from Funchal's hotel zone. There is limited parking outside the entrance but there is a very large free parking area past the entrance gate. 4.5. Curral das Freiras (Refuge of the Nuns), Madeira It's a 30 minute drive from Funchal to Curral das Freiras. We parked on the main street but parking was limited. There isn't much to see at Curral das Freiras except the church and the very pleasant mountainous scenery. We were fortunate that during our visit there was an interesting Easter parade through the village. About 30 minutes should be sufficient for wandering around the compact Curral das Freiras. A lot of tours stop here and it would probably be better to visit either early morning or from mid afternoon. 4.6. Eira do Serrado Viewpoint, Madeira The Eira do Serrado viewpoint is near Curral das Freiras and it can therefore be visited on the same trip. There is a large free car park that had plenty of space when we visited in the late afternoon. It is probably a lot busier in the morning. There are some shops near the car park and one shop has pay toilets. It is a 10 minute walk on a good path from the car park to the viewpoint overlooking Curral das Freiras. 4.7. Cabo Girao, Madeira Cano Girao is the only viewpoint in Madeira that has an entrance fee and the views aren't any better than most of the other viewpoints on Madeira. The big attraction at Cabo Girao is the glass floor of the platform but you can't see much below and there are usually far too many people on the platform! It is a steep drive up to Cabo Girao and there isn't a car park there. You have to park on one of 2 roads and they both become very congested. The entrance fee to Cabo Girao is Eur 3 and it is payable at one of 2 machines before the entrance gate. There are paid toilets (Eur 0.50) and tourist shops. In my opinion Cabo Girao is a tourist trap and best avoided. There are plenty of other free viewpoints with similar views, better parking and fewer tourists. Cabao Girao in Madeira 5.1. Santa Cruz, Madeira The pleasant town of Santa Cruz is only a 20 minute drive east from Funchal. Santa Cruz has a 16th century church and the main square is surrounded by restaurants. We had a good meal at the popular Taberno do Petisco . There is a promenade along the seafront that ends near the airport runway on the north eastern edge of Santa Cruz. It is interesting to watch the planes come into land. 5.2. Machico, Madeira Machico is a 25 minute drive east of Funchal. There is a very good, and reasonably priced, underground car park in the centre of Machico called Parking Forum Machico . There is a large supermarket above the car park and discounted parking if you shop there. Machico is Madeira's first settlement and it's where Goncalves Zarco came ashore in 1419. Zarco ruled the south west of Madeira while Tristao Teixeira, his fellow captain, governed the north eastern half of Madeira. The Igreja Matriz is Machico's 15th century church and a statue of Teixera stands in front of the church. From the church it's a short walk to a small fortress on the seafront. It was built in 1706 and there is free entrance to the interior. There are are only a few cannons and a sea view to see. Machico's main beach is stony. However, on the eastern side of Machico there is the sandy Banda Alem beach which had its sand imported from Morocco. 5.3. Pico do Facho Viewpoint, Madeira It's a 30 minute drive east from Funchal to the 280 metre high Pico do Facho viewpoint . There is free parking for about 8 vehicles. It's probably best to avoid going at weekends and holidays as locals like to picnic at the viewpoint. Pico do Facho looks down over Machico and has excellent views of the Sao Lourenco peninsular, the Desertas islands and the planes landing and taking off at the nearby airport. Pico do Facho, Madeira View of Sao Lourenco Peninsular from Pico do Facho, Madeira View of Machico from Pico do Facho, Madeira 5.4. Canical, Madeira Canical isn't a very attractive town and the main reason people visit is to see the Madeira Whale Museum. The Madeira Whale Museum is in a very impressive and spacious new building. There is free parking at the Museum which is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 to 18.00. Tickets cost Eur 10 and over 65's pay Eur 8.50. There are 2 main halls. The first hall depicts Madeira's whaling industry until whaling was banned. Automated audio guides are used in the first hall. The audio guides can be frustrating as you have to stand in the right spot for the audio to work and it isn't always apparent where to stand. The second hall is about whale evolution, biology and survival and some life size models. 3D glasses are handed out for the videos. We didn't find this hall very interesting but many Tripadvisor reviewers liked it. The videos displayed in the first hall are too gruesome for young children and the audio too long. Children prefer the second hall. I personally wouldn't take children to this museum. At least 1.5 hours is required for visiting the whale museum and some visitors stay for up to 2.5 hours. We had a good meal at Restaurante Bar Amarelo in Canical. 6.1. Santana, Madeira The Mini Rough Guide to Madeira says that " Santana is home to an enchantingly picture book style of housing - A-framed structures known as palheiros ". Unfortunately the few palheiros in Santana have been built for the tourists and have shops inside them. Lots of guided tours visit Santana and bemused tourists mill around these tourist structures. Santana is not an attractive town and there is nothing worth visiting. The few restaurants there don't receive good reviews and are probably frequented by tour groups. Santana is an awful tourist trap. Don't bother visiting it! A Palheiro at Santana 6.2. Calhau de São Jorge, Madeira Calhau de Sao Jorge is a 47 minute drive north of Funchal. There is a large free car park near the beach and restaurant. Calhau de Sao Jorge is in the middle of the Rother Walking Guide's walk number 24. The sections of the walk before and after Calhau are steep! There is a pleasant very short walk northwards along the abandoned coastal road. However, it soon becomes blocked by rockfall. Restaurante Calhau is very good but it is frequented by groups at lunch time. It also has a swimming pool that can be used for Eur 3. Calhau de Sao Jorge near Santana, Madeira Restaurante Calhau de Sao Jorge near Santana, Madeira. Restaurante Calhau de Sao Jorge near Santana, Madeira. 6.3. Miradouro da Quinta do Furao at Arco de Sao Jorge Arco de Sao Jorge is west of Santana. To reach the Miradouru da Quinta do Furao drive to the Hotel Quinta du Furao . There are parking places just outside the hotel and also a large car park in the hotel grounds. Walk to the Pizzeria il Furetto at the hotel. The viewpoint is signposted from there. From the viewpoint there is short walk westwards along the cliffs. Miradouro da Quinta do Furao in Madeira 6.4. Miradouro de Sao Cristovao Restaurante Sao Cristovao owns the Miradouro de Sao Cristavo. There is parking for restaurant guests in front of restaurant and at a car park on the far side of the restaurant. Non restaurant guests can park along the road down to the restaurant. It does become congested and it would be better to avoid weekends and holidays. The restaurant serves excellent food and the portions are very generous. We each had the fish platter for Eur 25 and it was fantastic We had intended to do walk 26 in the Rother Guide but we were both too stuffed after the meal to contemplate climbing up the hill in the picture below. Instead we just enjoyed the fantastic view. View from Miradouro de Sao Cristovao in Madeira Restaurante Sao Cristovao in Madeira Restaurante Sao Cristovao in Madeira 7.1. Sao Vicente, Madeira The Mini Rough Guide says Sao Vicente is " perhaps the prettiest village on the island ". We didn't think Sao Vicente was very special and there is very little to see. There is parking in the main square and also in an underground car park on the other side of the main road. The underground car park is cheap but most of the parking places are reserved for residents. There are toilets above this car park. Church in Sao Vicente, Madeira 7.2. Seixal, Madeira There is only street parking in Seixal. In terms of the actual village there is very little to see. However, it is pleasant walking westwards from Seixal along the coast. There are a few basic restaurants in Seixal but it is better to drive 2 kilometres west to Restaurante Las Caraibas where there is plenty of parking on the road. It's a popular restaurant. The food was good but perhaps a bit pricey. 7.3. Ribeira da Janela, Madeira There is a spectacular rock formation off the beach at Ribeira da Janela. There is a large car park nearby. Many people park on the road leading to the car park and this can give the false impression that the car park is full. There is a viewpoint with parking in the upper part of Ribeira da Janela that has nice coastal views. View from upper Ribeira da Janela in Madeira 7.4. Porto Moniz, Madeira Porto Moniz is in the far north western corner of Madeira and is a 50 minute drive from Funchal. There are several car parks in Porto Moniz but most of them were full when we arrived. We finally found parking at Porto Moniz Public Parking . It is a large car park and I thought there was an hourly charge. However, the Google reviews say it costs Eur 5 for the day. Porto Moniz is known for its natural sea pools. They were formed by the sea eroding areas of a volcanic lava flow. We didn't swim in the pools but they were very interesting to see. It would be a good place to relax in sunny weather and I think it would become crowded at weekends and holidays. The old natural pools on the eastern side of Porto Moniz are free whereas there is an entrance fee for the new pools on the western side. The entrance fee is Eur 3 and sun umbrellas (Eur 5) and sun loungers (Eur 8) can be hired. There are numerous restaurants along Porto Moniz's sea front. 7.5. Fanal, Madeira Fanal is in the north west corner of Madeira. We drove to Fanal to do a short walk which is number 57 in the Rother Walking Guide. The Rother Walking Guide says that " on most days of the year dense fog provides for a primordial atmosphere ". Fanal was certainly like that when we got there! To make matters worse the temperature was only 8 degrees centigrade and there was a biting wind. When we had started driving to Fanal from nearby Ribeira da Janela the temperature was 21 centigrade! We decided not to bother doing the hike! I hadn't realised that Fanal was a popular destination due to the ancient laurel trees. There are 2 large car parks on either side of the road to accommodate visitors. We therefore parked and walked a couple of hundred metres in the fog to see Fanal's laurel trees. It was a bit muddy in places due to the climate and number of visitors. It seems most visitors just have a quick stop at Fanal to take photos like we did. Fanal, Madeira 7.6. Miradouro da Encumeada, Madeira The Miradouro da Encumeada  is 35 minute drive north of Funchal on the road to Sao Vicente. There are 2 small viewing platforms, a shop and toilets at Encumeada. The views aren't that good. The viewpoints on the way from Funchal to Encumeada are better. The first viewpoint is on the on the right side of the road and is signposted. There is parking there. Further up the road there is a layby on the right hand side with space for 2 or 3 cars. Shortly afterwards on the left hand side there is a small building with a small parking are a in front but there isn't a sign.  There  ar e steep steps leading to a viewpoint with good mountain views. 8.1. Ribeira Brava, Madeira Ribeira Brava is a 20 minute drive west from Funchal. The ornate Sao Bento church is adorned with gilded and carved woodwork. Otherwise there isn't much else to see in Ribeira Brava apart from the seafront and the promenade. Waterfront of Ribeira Brava, Madeira Promenade & Beach at Ribeira Brava, Madeira 8.2. Paul do Mar, Madeira Paul do Mar is a 45 minute drive west of Funchal. It is a very spread out town with the centre in the east and the surfing beach to the west. The surfing and waves were very impressive when we visited Paul do Mar and lots of people were watching. Sometimes the surfers were going through tunnels in the waves. The main things to do at Paul do Mar are watching the surfers, walking along the seafront promenade and having a good meal. We had a very good meal at the Sabor aMar Fish Factory on the west side of Paul do Mar and from the restaurant we could watch the surfers. There is parking at the restaurant and also plenty of free parking along the seafront road. View of Paul do Mar, Madeira Surfing at Paul do Mar, Madeira Centre of Paul do Mar, Madeira Sabor aMar Fish Factory Restaurant in Paul do Mar, Madeira The outside seating area of the Sabor aMar Fish Factory Restaurant in Paul do Mar, Madeira View from the Sabor aMar Fish Factory Restaurant in Paul do Mar, Madeira 8.3. Calheta, Madeira Calheta is a 35 minute drive west of Funchal and the main attractions are the 2 sandy beaches. Calheta is a tourist resort but it's well laid out and it's very pleasant walking along the seafront. There is a large underground car park on the eastern edge of Calheta and the cost was very reasonable. There are free toilets along the seafront. Calheta, Madeira Eastern beach at Calheta, Madeira Western beach at Calheta, Madeira 8.4. Lighthouse at Ponta do Pargo, Madeira The lighthouse at Ponta do Parga is on the most westerly point of Madeira and has excellent views. There is a small parking area by the lighthouse and free parking on the road. It is a 50 minute drive from Funchal. View northwards from the Lighthouse at Ponta do Pargo, Madeira View southwards from the Lighthouse at Ponta do Pargo, Madeira 9. Hiking in Madeira As I stated in the introduction we were disappointed with the hiking in Madeira. The best hikes are far too busy and the parking inadequate. In addition the majority of hikes are through forest with poor views and the weather in the interior of Madeira is very unpredictable. Unfortunately the very popular hike from Pico do Areiro to Pico Ruivo has been closed since the fires in August 2024. The fires have destabilised slopes and created a risk of rockfall. The fires have also affected other trails going to Pico Ruivo. This means that there will be more hikers than usual on Madeira's other top trails. We did 4 hikes in Madeira and details are provided below. We didn't do the very popular Levada of the 25 Springs hike as it far too busy and there aren't good views. I used the Rother Walking Guide book and the website Walkmeguide.com to plan our hikes in Madeira. Walkmeguide.com is a Madeiran website detailing over 50 hikes in Madeira and it is free to use. However, if you want to use the GPS facility you have to subscribe. One of the most useful aspects of Walkmeguide.com is the numerous user comments for each trail. This enables one to determine other hikers' opinions of the trails and obtain up to date information on the state of the trails, parking, crowds, trail closures etc. Porto da Cruz to Machico (Verada do Larano) The Verado do Larano hike is walk number 16 in Rother's Madeira Walking Guide. The hike is rated difficult as it states " A cable fence provides security for the exceptionally vertiginous sections but still, you have to be extremely careful here ". I am surprised by the comment as this section isn't at all dangerous or difficult. The reviewers on the Walkmeguide.com really liked the middle section of this hike. They weren't so keen on the section near Machico nor the walk on the road near Porto da Cruz. We therefore decided to drive up the road from Porto da Cruz and park where the road ended. We entered Miradouro de Cabo de Larano in Google Maps for directions. We parked on the road and a lot of other hikers had done the same. We walked to the viewpoint at Boca do Risco and then back again. This meant that we cut out both sections that the reviewers didn't like. The walk took 3 hours. We enjoyed the walk and there were excellent coastal views at several places. Most people turned round at the first viewpoint at Ponta de Espigao Amarelo. I would recommend doing this as the trail from there to Boca do Risco is through forest and there are few views until Boca do Risco. This would reduce the walking time by an hour. Sao Lourenco Peninsular Hike The Sao Lourenco Peninsular Hike is number 14 in Rother's Madeira Walking Guide. This is probably the most popular hike in Madeira as there are spectacular coastal views the entire way and the weather is more reliable than for the hikes in the interior of Madeira. However, wind can be a problem. Unfortunately this means that there are masses of people hiking the Sao Lourenco peninsular and it doesn't help that the trail isn't circular. In addition parking becomes difficult and it is only possible to park a long way from the trail head. Most people advise starting the hike early as otherwise the sheer number of tourists spoils the hike. The trouble is that too many people follow this advice! Also unless you start the Sao Lourenco hike very early you will meet masses of trekkers when hiking back. If you do start early then I would recommend starting at 08.00 at the very latest but 07.30 would be better. We didn't fancy a very early start and had read that the number of hikers, and availability of parking, wasn't bad from around 16.30. We therefore arrived at the Sao Lourenco peninsular trail head at 17.00. We found plenty of free parking places near the trail head. I had read that you had to pay an Eur 3 entrance fee for the Sao Lourenco peninsular hike and that fines of Eur 50 were issued to hikers who hadn't paid. I therefore tried to pay at the trail head but there wasn't a ticket office nor any notices about an entrance fee. It could be that the officials collecting the entrance fee had finished work for the day. For the first half hour of the Sao Lourenco Peninsular hike we passed quite a few other people finishing the hike. After that there were always a few other hikers in sight but it wasn't at all bad. The Sao Lourenco Peninsular hike took us 2.25 hours but we didn't do the final climb up the hill as there was a sign stating access was prohibited. Quite a few other hikers ignored this sign but my wife didn't want to. A few reviewers on the Walkmeguide.com website had complained about the upkeep of this closed part of the Sao Lourenco trail! The metal rope is in poor condition and can cut your hand. Another hiker had to go to hospital as he injured his foot on the steep descent. The slope didn't look difficult to me if hiking poles were used for the descent. We really enjoyed the Sao Lourenco hike and the scenery was excellent. However, I think that you have to start early or late or the sheer numbers of hikers will spoil the experience. The Sao Lourenco Peninsular Levada do Moinho - Levada Nova Circular Hike The Levada do Moinho - Levada Nova hike is number 12 in the Rother Walking Guide and is rated as difficult. It really isn't a difficult hike and it's mostly flat. However, Levada Nova doesn't have barriers along all the sections with steep drop offs. Most of the reviewers on the Walkmeguide.com don't have a problem with the lack of railings on the Levada Nova and neither did we. We thought is was a very good hike and we particularly liked the section of the trail behind the waterfalls. The hike took about 2.25 hours. To get to the trail head enter Igreja da Lombada in Google Maps. There is parking on the street by this church although in peak times it could be difficult to find a spot. As with many of Madeira's hikes it is best to start early or late to obtain parking and avoid crowds. We started at 15.15 and easily found parking and there weren't many other trekkers. We started hiking on the closer Levada do Moinho but the hike can be done either way. Bring a torch for the tunnel. Pico do Facho to Canical Hike Walk 15 in the Rother Walking Guide is a hike from Machico to Canical via the Pico do Facho viewpoint . This involves a steep climb up from Machico to the Pico do Facho viewpoint and then a descent to Canical. We decided to be lazy and drove to Pico do Facho viewpoint where there are about 8 parking spots. Most vehicles don't stay long there except at weekends and holidays when locals like to picnic there. We walked down from Pico do Facho to Canical and it took us an hour. It is all through open terrain and there are good views of the Sao Lourenco peninsular and Desertas islands. We had lunch in Canical and then took a taxi back to Pico do Facho for Eur 8. Very few taxis wait in Canical and we had to ask the restaurant to call one for us. Funchal to Camara de Lobos Walk There is a paved sea front promenade from the hotel zone in Funchal to Camara de Lobos. Unfortunately the final section near Camara de Lobos was closed in April 2025. It is a very pleasant walk with excellent sea views. One section goes through a tunnel in the cliffs but there is lighting. There are free toilets at the beach after the tunnel. It seems to be popular with locals so it would be best to avoid weekends and holidays. 10. Madeira Transportation - Buses, Taxis & Rental Cars We paid Eur 24 for a taxi with Madeira Island Tours for our journey from Funchal airport to our apartment in the hotel zone. Madeira Island Tours were recommended on the Tripadvisor Forum and we booked on their website. A driver met us at the airport and we were pleased with their service. We then rented a car from Driving Madeira for 11 days for Eur 242. They had very good reviews and had offices near the airport and at 2 locations in Funchal. We obtained a good rate as we booked 3 months in advance. We obtained maps (see below) showing the bus routes and the location of bus stops from Funchal's tourist office. The cost was Eur 1.90 for local journeys. We only used the bus to get from Monte to Funchal and from Funchal to the hotel zone. Bus numbers 1 and 2 run between the centre of Funchal and the hotel zone. Madeira Bus Map Funchal's Bus Stops 11. Madeira Guide Books For planning our trip to Madeira we used the Mini Rough Guide to Madeira, the Rother Walking Guide and the Sunflower Madeira Walks & Drives Guide. Unfortunately the May 2025 Rough Guide to Madeira & the Azores was only available after we returned from Madeira. I preferred the Rother Guide to the Sunflower Guide for walks. I thought that Sunflower's information on drives would be useful but it wasn't. There aren't maps for the drives and it was therefore difficult to determine the routes. The drives were also far too long if you did some of the recommended stop offs and walks. The Mini Rough Guide was quite good but I was annoyed that they sung the praises of Santana, Sao Vicente and Palheiro Gardens. Santana is a horrible tourist trap, Sao Vicente isn't the prettiest village and the Palheiro Gardens are certainly not the best gardens in Madeira. There is a Lonely Planet Pocket Guide for Madeira. I used to like Lonely Planet Guide books but a few years ago they were bought by a private equity company. They reduced costs by researching on the internet rather than visiting countries. The quality of Lonely Planet Guide books deteriorated and the number of pages was reduced. However, Lonely Planet's Pocket Guide for Madeira might be alright as there were good reviews on Amazon. Mini Rough Guide for Madeira Rother Walking Guide for Madeira Sunflower Guide for Madeira New Rough Guide for Madeira & the Azores Lonely Planet Madeira

Techa Gompa near Umlung Contents Introduction When to do the Markha Valley Trek What to bring for the Markha Valley Trek Internet Connectivity on the Markha Valley Trek Transport to and from the Markha Valley Trek Permits for the Markha Valley Trek Cost of the Markha Valley Trek Map of the Markha Valley Trek Navigation on the Markha Valley Trek Homestays & Tented Camps on the Markha Valley Trek River Crossings on the Markha Valley Trek Itinerary for the Markha Valley Trek Links to my other blogs on Ladakh 1. Introduction I did the Markha Valley trek by myself in mid August 2024. Before doing this trek I spent 3 nights acclimatising in Leh (see my blog Leh, Ladakh Travel Guide - 2024 ). I then trekked in the Sham Valley for 3 days to further improve my acclimatisation (see my blog 2024 Guide for the Sham Valley Trek ) . At the end of the third day of trekking in Sham Valley I took an unofficial taxi to Skiu. I stayed in a homestay for the night (12th August) at Skiu before trekking through Markha Valley for 4 days. I spent the nights in Skiu, Markha, Thachungtse and Nyimaling. I was concerned that the trails and accommodation could be very busy as I was hiking in peak season. I was pleasantly surprised, and probably fortunate, that neither the Sham Valley trek nor the Markha Valley trek were busy except at Nyimaling. I wanted to have my own room or tent and fortunately this was possible. At Skiu I had the homestay to myself. In Markha I had a triple bed room to myself. It was fortunate that I decided not to stay in Hankar as I later heard it was overflowing with trekkers. I had continued on from Hankar to the Thachungtse tented camp and had a tent to myself. I was one of the first trekkers to arrive at Nyimaling and was only allowed to have a tent to myself as the outer zip was broken. I really enjoyed the Markha Valley trek. The scenery was fantastic and there was great camaraderie with other trekkers. I usually don't like trekking on roads but the rough road from Skiu to Markha didn't spoil my trek. There was very little traffic and it made navigation very easy! The Markha Valley trek isn't difficult but the section between Skiu and Hankar can be very hot. There are now bridges over the river in many places. However, in years when the water level is high river crossings could be difficult on the descent from the Gongmaru La to Chokdo. I was fortunate that there was little snow last winter so the river levels were low. Update An Indian trekking group's Facebook posting on 28 August 2025 stated: Markha Valley We could not complete the trek - it rained and snowed continuously for 72 hours since Sunday - we reached Markha on Monday in the steady downpour having to do 5 river crossings taking off our boots and wearing sandals - a log bridge broke after we crossed and a pony fell into the river but miraculously survived by swimming to the shore - the next day we were supposed to trek up to Hanker but heavy snowfall started in the morning and continued through the day - the upper reaches of the Markha river could not be forded and there was large scaled damage due to landslides and rockfall- realising that we would not be able to cross the Kongmaru la and descend in safety we decided to head down the valley the same way we came up - we left Markha at 6 am yesterday and walked 22 km through rain and river crossings down to Skiu - it took about 8.5 hours and we camped in Skiu - this morning we started from Skiu and again walked 20 km down below chilling where the car could pick us up / the main jeep road between Sumdo below chilling all way up to Skiu and sera has been totally devastated by rockfall and landslides - we walked 42 km in two days and just reached Leh - the team is well and survived the ordeal - will post the videos later. 2. When to do the Markha Valley Trek The Markha Valley trek can usually be done from late May to mid October. There is more risk of snow on the pass in May and October. In late June and July the river levels are often higher. As discussed in the section on River Crossings the river level is mainly a concern when descending the Gongmaru La as there are now bridges over most of the rivers until Nyimaling. Another consideration is the number of trekkers. July and August are the busiest months for the Markha Valley trek but by the end of August the number of trekkers should decrease. The section of the Markha Valley trek from Skiu to Hankar can also be very hot in July and August as it is in a valley. I trekked in mid August and the temperature on this section felt like it was in the mid 30's centigrade. In my opinion late August to mid September would be a very good time to do the Markha Valley trek. There should be less trekkers and the temperature would be less extreme. 3. What to bring for the Markha Valley Trek 3.1. Blankets, Duvets & Pillow Cases Unless you are bringing your own tent you don't need to bring a sleeping bag for the Markha Valley trek. I brought a silk liner bag for hygiene reasons and used the blankets and duvets provided. For temperatures in mid August there were sufficient blankets and duvets at all the places I stayed at, including the tented camps at Thachungtse and Nyimaling. It would be colder in September and October but as there are less trekkers there should be more blankets and duvets available. I always take a pillow case for lodge/homestay treks and either put it over the pillow provided or stuff my down jacket in the pillow case if there isn't one. You can be sure that the pillow cases provided are rarely washed. 3.2. Drinking Water All the homestays and tented camps on the Markha Valley trek provided filtered water and a lot of trekkers drink it. However, I took a Steripen to sterilise the filtered water. Some trekkers use LifeStraw water bottles or water purification tablets. I did a 35 day trek through Zanskar after the Markha Valley trek and relied on filtered water at our campsites. Three out of seven of us got very sick from the water as most filters don't remove viruses or parasites. As a result two of us had to end our trek after 26 days and it took me 7 weeks to completely recover. It is better to be safe than sorry when drinking water! 3.3 Footwear I wore boots but the terrain isn't difficult on the Markha Valley trek and hiking shoes should be fine. Just make sure they are shoes or boots that you have worn before and that they are comfortable. I met some trekkers who had bought new footwear in Leh and were really suffering with blisters. To make matters worse they hadn't brought any plasters or Compeed. I also took water shoes as I had brought them for the Zanskar trek. I didn't use them as the river levels were low in 2024. However, when the river level is higher it would be good to at least have a cheap pair of plastic crocs for river crossings and they can be bought in Leh. 3.4. Food I didn't take any food as the meals provided by the homestays in the Markha Valley were sufficient. However, some people might want to take some snacks. 3.5. Power banks I brought a power bank and solar panel but never used them. There was mains electricity in my room at Skiu and at Markha the homestay charged my cell phone from their solar powered batteries. My phone battery then lasted on airplane mode until I finished the trek. 3.6. Medications I hadn't taken Diamox for 20 years before this trek. However, I decided to take half a tablet on my arrival at Delhi at midnight and also the next morning and evening in Leh (3,500m). I didn't have any problems with altitude acclimatisation in Leh as a result. I decided to take half a tablet of Diamox when I arrived at Nyimaling and half a tablet early the next morning. I didn't have any problems with altitude acclimatisation but I usually acclimatise well anyway. Therefore I would suggest taking some Diamox on the Markha Valley trek in case you need it unless you have already spent a week or so at altitude. I would also take plasters for blisters and some basic medication like Panadol and Ibuprofen. 3.7. Other Items Other items worth considering: A head torch even though there is electricity at some locations. A waterproof jacket. One change of clothes in case you get wet. Warm clothes for Nyimaling and the amount depends on the season. It got close to 0 centigrade during the night in mid August. I had a thin down jacket and long johns. I took a pee bottle which I had bought for my Zanskar trek. Hat Sun glasses Walking poles for the descent. Water bottles Cellphone with a local SIM card ( see the next section ). Toilet paper, toothbrush & toothpaste Sun block. Hand sanitiser. Reading material. I took a Kindle but never used it. Headphones for music. Earplugs. I never take them and all 3 nights were quiet. 4.8. What not to bring! Don't bring any satellite communication devices, like a phone or Garmin Inreach, to India. It is illegal and in Ladakh they track satellite communications due to the border disputes with China and Pakistan. I personally know 2 people who got into serious trouble using satellite communication devices. The Indian authorities treat it as a very serious matter. 4. Internet Connectivity on the Markha Valley Trek There was connectivity with the Jio network at Skiu according to the lady running the homestay I stayed at. However, I didn't have a Jio SIM card. Outside Markha's monastery there is free internet and it worked well. The password at the time was 1234567890. However, check the password with your homestay before walking up! The Jio and Airtel networks can be accessed at the top of the Gongmaru La. Many trekkers phone from there to arrange for a taxi to meet them at Chokdo. I don't think there is any connectivity to the BSNL network on the Markha Valley trek. I had BSNL and Airtel SIM cards and the BSNL SIM card was of no use to me during my 6 weeks in Ladakh. Jio seems to be the best and then Airtel. 5. Transport to and from the Markha Valley Trek If you are on a really tight budget you can hitchhike or perhaps take an infrequent local bus. I didn't consider these options as cost wasn't an issue. For taxis it's best to go to the taxi stand in central Leh where lots of taxis are parked. They have set rates to all locations and to Skiu it costs INR 4,175 (USD 50). These rates are usually non negotiable but once you have used a taxi driver they are often willing to offer a discounted fare for the next trip. I took a taxi to Likir to start the Sham Valley trek and then at the end of the Sham Valley trek I tried to find transport from Temisgam to Skiu for the Markha Valley trek. I asked about taxis at a local store in Temisgam and the owner shut his store and drove me there for INR 4,000! For the return journey from Chokdo to Leh you have several options: Arrange a taxi to meet you at Chokdo before you start the Markha Valley trek. The official rate is about INR 4,500. The problem would be estimating your arrival time in Chokdo. I left Nyimaling at 07.15, immediately after breakfast, and got to Chokdo at 12.00. However, the numerous river crossings were very easy in 2024. Phone a taxi driver once you reach the Gongmaru La using a Jio or Airtel SIM card. It took me about 3 hours to descend to Chokdo. Hope that there is a taxi waiting at Chokdo. There were several when I got there but they may have all been prearranged by other trekkers. Try and share a prearranged taxi at Chokdo. That's what I did and the other trekker wouldn't accept any payment from me. Phone for a taxi from Chokdo and probably wait 1.5 hours for it to come from Leh. The Ladakh Taxi Union lists the official taxi fares to numerous locations on its website . 6. Permits for the Markha Valley Trek I had read a number of travel blogs about the Markha Valley trek and none of them mentioned permits. However, on my arrival in Leh the hotel manager said I would need one to get through a check point on the road to Chilling. I didn't believe him and when I googled it the results were very confusing. I then checked with a few travel agents and they all said I needed a permit costing INR 600 (about USD 7) if I was travelling to Chilling. However, if I was doing the longer and more difficult trek starting in Zhingchan it wasn't necessary as the road didn't go past the check point. All travel agents can obtain this permit for INR 600. However, the permits can only be granted to a group and not to individuals. Therefore travel agents apply for several people at a time even though they won't be travelling together. At the bottom of my permit there are 4 other people named who I never met! These permits can be arranged very quickly by travel agents who arrange a lot of tours and treks. My hotel recommended using a travel agent called Ancient Tracks which is in the centre of Leh. They can often arrange permits in 2 to 3 hours and give you a receipt for your passport. However, the permit office may not be open at weekends. I was very impressed with them and they are a popular and legitimate agency. When I went my taxi wasn't stopped at the checkpoint and I didn't have to produce the permit. However, I met other trekkers who were stopped and were asked for it. I don't know what happens if you don't have it but the risk is you would have to return to Leh and obtain a permit. It isn't worth the risk when the permit only costs INR 600. If you can't obtain the permit because it's the weekend there are 2 options. Start the Markha Valley trek from Zingchan or leave Leh by about 06.30 so you can get through the check point before it starts operating. INR 600 Permit for the Markha Valley Trek The Ancient Tracks Travel Agency in Leh 7. Cost of the Markha Valley Trek It costs very little to do the Markha Valley trek if you are doing it by yourself. The costs of my 4 day trek were: INR USD Taxi fare from Leh to Skiu (Estimate) 4175 50 Homestay - Skiu 1600 19 Homestay - Markha 1600 19 Thachungtse tented camp 1600 19 Nyimaling tented camp 2000 24 Permit 600 7 Taxi fare from Chokdo to Leh (Estimate) 4500 54 TOTAL 16075 192 Regarding taxi fares I actually took an unofficial taxi from the end of the Sham Valley trek to Skiu for INR 4,000 and a kind trekker gave me a lift in his prearranged taxi from Chokdo to Leh. 8. Map of the Markha Valley Trek 9. Navigation on the Markha Valley Trek Before travelling to Leh I read several blogs about the Markha Valley trek and also the Cicerone Trekking in Ladakh guide book. I brought photocopies on the trek as they kept warning about wrong turns and difficulties navigating the trail. I also downloaded maps on Maps.Me and Mapy.cz . The reality is that the trail for the Markha Valley trek is very easy to navigate and it would be very hard to go wrong except in very poor visibility for the section after Hankar. I never had to look at the photocopies or the downloaded maps. There is now a road all the way from Chilling to Markha so it is virtually impossible to go wrong on this section of the Markha Valley trek. From Markha to Lower Hankar there seems to be a jeep track although no vehicles were using it as they couldn't cross the river just before Markha. The trail was a bit confusing after the restaurant in Lower Umlung and after leaving Upper Hankar. After Upper Hankar you go through a gate and then walk along the left bank of the river. After a while there is a steep trail on the left up the hillside. It looked a bit hairy but it was actually okay. You don't cross the river at all until you get to the bridge just before Thachungtse. The only other time I was a bit uncertain of the trail was at the Tsigu lakes, between Thachungtse and Nyimaling. Two other trekkers in front of me were uncertain whether to take the left or right path but we all correctly guessed to the left. Other blogs suggest following the horse droppings on the trail and it is a good indicator of the right path, particularly on the descent from the Gongmaru La. On this descent there are a couple of sections where the trail briefly ascends in order to avoid going through narrow and difficult canyons. The locals can often get through the canyons when the river level is low but it is safer to take the trails up. 10. Homestays & Tented Camps on the Markha Valley Trek The homestays on the Markha Valley trek run on a rotation system with each homestay in the village taking turns to take in trekkers. If the designated homestay is full they will send you to the next designated one, if there is more than one in the village! The rotation system sounds very fair but in reality it isn't. The rotation system means that poor quality homestays receive the same income as good quality homestays and they have no incentive to improve. In Skiu the lady running the homestay didn't like me taking photos as some areas were very untidy. She should have tidied up instead! In Markha I had a great homestay in the new section of the village but some trekkers in the old section of Markha were complaining about their accommodation. All the homestays charge INR 1,600 (USD 19) per night for food and lodging. Nyimaling tented camp charges INR 2,000 (USD 24). This cost includes dinner, breakfast, a packed lunch and cups of tea. Breakfast usually consisted of freshly cooked chapatis or Tibetan bread with jam. At Skiu I was also served eggs. Dinner was usually Chhutagi or a rice dish. Chhutagi is flattened pasta cut into circular shapes and cooked with vegetables. It is a very filling soup. The packed lunches consisted of a sandwich or large pastry with a filling. Cold boiled potatoes were sometimes added. There was also a small juice box and chocolate bar. If the homestays are busy you might have to share rooms or sleep in the dining room. I was lucky and always had a room to myself. The toilets were long drops. They had a good system where you put soil down the hole after going to the toilet. I didn't find the toilets bad and they were clean. I was a bit perturbed at Markha when I saw the neighbour's dog lying underneath the long drop! The homestays provide filtered water but I recommend sterilising it. 10.1. Homestays in Skiu A couple of years ago travel blogs for the Markha Valley trek reported that there were no homestays in Skiu. I don't understand this as there are several. The taxi dropped me off at the far end of Skiu. The first homestay I enquired at informed me it wasn't their turn and directed me to the next homestay about 5 minutes away. There are also homestays at the start of Skiu which operate on a separate rotation system. My homestay was fine. I had my own room, the food was good, it was quiet and the toilet was clean. I had mains electricity in my room and I could charge electrical devices. There was limited Jio cellphone connectivity and the owner only seemed to be able to make calls from 1 room. There is probably better phone and internet connectivity in the first part of Skiu. 10.2. Homestays between Skiu and Markha When I arrived at Skiu in the late afternoon I had considered walking on as the heat had subsided. However, I wasn't sure about the accommodation after Skiu. I met some other trekkers who were continuing on but they had their own tents. The Skiu Women's Eco Cafe is a 50 minute walk from Skiu and the trekkers I had met camped there. The cafe was closed when they got there and it was closed when I passed it early the next morning. The sign doesn't mention that there is camping or homestay accommodation and the fancy flush toilet was locked. There is a camping site and restaurant at Hamurja which is a 1 hour 40 minute walk from Skiu. The sign mentions that beds are available and it looked like there were at least two fixed 2 man tents. I have never seen any mention of a settlement called Hamurja before and it is probably near Pentse. Sara is 2.5 hours from Skiu and there is a homestay and camping site. 10.3. Markha's Homestays There is at least one homestay and two campsites before you cross the river and enter Markha. They were probably used more when there weren't bridges over the 2 river crossings before Markha. Trekkers often had to wait until the next morning to cross the rivers. There are about 10 homestays in Markha. There are about 7 homestays in the old section of Markha at the foot of the hill below the monastery. There are another 3 homestays about 5 minutes further on and they are just off the trail to Umlung. I stayed in the new section of Markha and my homestay was very good. I was given a triple room and I checked that they wouldn't put other trekkers in before accepting it. The homestay was very clean and tidy, the food was good and the hosts were very pleasant. 10.4. Homestays between Markha and Thachungtse I had a drink at the restaurant at Lower Umlung. The restaurant looked good and the lady running it was very pleasant. I can't remember the homestay in detail but I think it should be a reasonable place to stay. Lower Umlung is a 90 minute walk from Markha. The homestay & campsite in Lower Umlung The homestay and camping site at Upper Umlung is about 15 minutes from Lower Umlung. I didn't take any photos of the homestays at Lower Hankar or Upper Hankar. There are several homestays in Lower Hankar and two in Upper Hankar. Upper Hankar is the nicer location but it seems to fill up. I visited one of the homestays and the dining room looked nice but there might have only been one bedroom with triple beds. Trekkers at Nyimaling told me that the homestays in Upper Hankar had been packed the previous night and trekkers were sleeping in the dining room. 10.5. Thachungtse Tented Camp I intended to stay in Hankar rather than Thachungtse as I wasn't sure if they had fixed tents for trekkers at Thachungtse. I was also concerned about the river crossing just before Thachungtse as a YouTube video mentioned there wasn't a bridge in 2023 and that the river crossing in the afternoon was very difficult. I reached Lower Hankar very early at 10.50. It was so early that I didn't register that I was in Lower Hankar! I soon got up to Upper Hankar and had problems locating the homestays. I was finally shown the homestay and was given a triple room. I decided not to stay as I wasn't keen on the room and I wasn't sure if I would have it to myself. I tried without success to find another homestay. Luckily I met a small group of trekkers and their guide said they were going to Thachungtse. He said there were fixed tents there and that there was a bridge across the river before Thachungtse. I therefore decided to go there. There is a lower and upper part to the Thachungtse campsite and I was directed to the upper area where there were 4 two man tents and a large dining tent. There were only 3 other trekkers there and I was given my own tent with a sleeping mattress and duvets/blankets. The man running the upper campsite told us that early the next morning he was going to Hankar for 2 days and his campsite would then be closed. We therefore had to have breakfast at 06.00 but we could leave after him. I asked him if trekkers would be allowed to stay in the tents whilst he was away but he said not. The cost was INR 1,200 like the homestays and that included tea, dinner, breakfast and a packed lunch. The campsite was good but it concerned me that they were closing for 2 days in peak season. If I had arrived a day later accommodation may have been a problem. I did pass another campsite between Hankar and Thachungtse so it may be possible to stay there if Thachungtse was full. The lower campsite had some larger fixed tents and a stone dining room. It was full as a group was staying in most of the larger fixed tents. I met 2 trekkers who were staying in a 4 man tent and they said the owner had tried to charge them for 4 persons. They did negotiate the rate down a bit. 10.6. Nyimaling Tented Camp I arrived at Nyimaling at 11.15 which was very early. I asked the owner for a single tent but it wasn't possible as he didn't know how many people were coming. As he took me over to the 2 man tents he showed me one with a broken zip on the fly sheet and said I could have that tent to myself. I was delighted. The camp filled up with trekkers and by mid afternoon it was full. The last couple given a tent were told that if any one else came a third person would be squeezed in! Officially it was a 3 man tent but in reality it was tight for even 2 people. Later in the afternoon it started to rain and the campsite became muddy. One trekker who had intended to sleep outside asked for a tent and the owner told me that he would have to sleep in my tent. I refused as the vestibule of my tent couldn't be used for luggage. I would have been sharing the worst tent even though I was the first person to arrive at the campsite. In the end they found a tent for him but the owner wasn't happy with me. I read a blog that said they have plenty of spare tents at Nyimaling which they can erect if necessary. That isn't correct and the only tents are the ones erected. Most of the tents are 2 man tents but they also have a couple of 8 man tents. In total 50 to 60 people can be accommodated. Groups with their own tents tend to camp a few hundred metres away. As it often rains or snows at Nyimaling the campsite can be muddy. When it is sunny it is pleasant and you can sit outside and drink tea. When it rained everyone stayed in their tents until dinner time and then went into the very rudimentary and dark dining tent. The owner said that it was very difficult planning for meals as the number of trekkers staying varied so much and he didn't know the number until the actual day. Apparently the day before the camp was only a third full. Supper consisted of 2 huge pots of food and rice and it was self serve. It's best to line up as quickly as you can and not sit in the seats by the walls as it is difficult to get out. The food was good and plentiful. It was very sociable in the basic surroundings. Breakfast was served at 07.00 and it was again self serve. I think there was porridge and chapatis. Whilst we were eating breakfast they were preparing our packed lunches in the kitchen. I went to the kitchen after breakfast to pay the INR 2,000 for the night and collect my lunch. I didn't eat it until I got back to Leh! When I left two Israelis were trying to pay for their share of an 8 man tent. The owner was insisting they pay for all 8 people even though they weren't all hiking together. Apparently 2 of the others had already paid and left but the owner couldn't remember this. I don't know how it was resolved but the owner wouldn't back down and started being rude about Israelis. It was all a bit unpleasant. It is best to arrive at Nyimaling early so you can get reasonable accommodation. Otherwise you could end up in a 8 man tent, share a 2 man tent with 2 other people or sleep in the dining room. None of those options appeal to me! They don't make single trekkers share a tent with the opposite sex. As a result one woman had a tent to herself. 11. River Crossings on the Markha Valley Trek The river crossings on the Markha Valley trek were my main concern as I was doing the trek by myself. All the travel blogs said that river crossings could be a problem just before Markha, between Markha and Umlung, before Thachungtse and on the descent from the Gongmaru La. The first river crossing before Markha village now has a bridge for pedestrians but not for vehicles. In mid August 2024 most vehicles couldn't cross this river. The final river crossing before Markha has a bridge suitable for vehicles. There are now bridges where the river crosses the trail between Markha and Umlung and also before Thachungtse. I crossed the bridge near Thachungtse in the early afternoon and it was a raging torrent. I wouldn't have attempted to wade through that river by myself. It was worse than any of the rivers I crossed on the Zanskar trek. I had to cross a small stream about 15 minutes after leaving Thachungtse early in the morning. It was very easy to jump across as the water level was low. A trekker reported in July 2018 that this stream was a raging torrent at 14.00. The time of day, snow fall the previous winter, rain, temperature etc can make such a big difference. At Nyimaling you have to cross the river to take the trail ascending to the Gongmaru La. When I arrived in the afternoon it looked like I would have to wade through it the next morning. However, the next morning the river level had dropped and it was possible to hop across on the rocks. After the initial descent from the Gongmaru La the river has to be crossed numerous times, perhaps around 30 times. Fortunately the river level was very low in 2024 and it was easy to cross each time without removing my boots. In some years this river on the descent can be a raging torrent and difficult to cross. One blog recommended trying to get to Chokdo by 10.30 to avoid difficulties in crossing. The bridges were well made but there is always a risk that a bridge can be swept away in floods and not replaced immediately. The first steel road bridge at Chilling, built in 2015, was washed away in flood water later that year! Therefore you cannot rely on the bridges I mention being in place. You should enquire about them when trekking. 12. Itinerary for the Markha Valley Trek The Markha Valley trek traditionally used to be started from either Zhingchan or Chilling. The Zhingchan route takes about 7 days and requires crossing the 4,973 metre high Kanda La at the start of the trek. Most trekkers don't take this route due to the risk of altitude sickness and the extra time required. If you acclimatise properly, and have the time, the Zhingchan route is the superior option. I did the Chilling route as time was a constraint and I wasn't adequately acclimatised. I actually started the trek in Skiu as there is now a road from Chilling to Markha. Very few trekkers now start the Markha Valley trek from Chilling and I don't recommend doing so for reasons detailed in the next section. Many trekkers take a taxi to Markha in the morning and either stay there or hike to Hankar the same day. This reduces the trek to 3 days and 2 nights. I think that it is a shame to drive from Skiu to Markha as the scenery is excellent and there is very little traffic on the road. 12.1. Chilling to Skiu I was driven along this section of the Markha Valley trek and most trekkers do the same. I don't recommend hiking this section as: The first part of the road is tarred and the traffic is fast. The scenery isn't as good as during the rest of the Markha Velley trek. In July and August it is likely to be very hot. 12.2. Skiu (3430m) to Markha (3806m) As I mentioned earlier many trekkers skip this section of the Markha Valley trek as they drive from Leh to Markha. I think that is a mistake as the scenery is excellent and can't be appreciated from a vehicle. The dirt road doesn't spoil the hike as there is very little traffic and it makes route finding very straight forward! I arrived in Skiu late in the afternoon and stayed the night there. That meant I could leave Skiu early and walk in the cooler early morning temperatures. It would have been even better if I had walked for 1 hour 40 minutes the previous afternoon from Skiu to the tented camp at Hamurja . I left Skiu at 07.30 and reached Markha at 13.00. The temperature was very pleasant for the first couple of hours but then it became very hot as the trail is in the Markha valley. Markha is an attractive village with a crumbling old fort and a monastery on the hillsides. I didn't see any other trekkers until I reached Markha and then I met plenty. 12.3. Markha (3806m) to Hankar (3990m) or Thachungtse (4250m) It only took 3 hours to walk to Lower Hankar (3,990m) and from there it was another 20 minutes to Upper Hankar (4,048m). It was too early to stop for the day and I walked another 2 hours to the tented camp at Thachungtse. Most trekkers spend the night at Lower Hankar or Upper Hankar. Upper Hankar is in a very attractive location with an old fort perched on a rocky outcrop. Apparently it is possible to scramble up to visit it. The altitude at Thachungtse would be too high for most trekkers who drive from Leh (3,500m) to Markha the same day. I saw very few other trekkers on the trail as I left Markha at 07.30, which was earlier than most trekkers. 12.4. Hankar (3990m) or Thachungtse (4250m) to Nyimaling (4848m) The weather was overcast for the first time during the Markha Valley trek. The sun makes such a difference to the the scenery and it seemed a bit bleak at times. However, there were good views of the snow covered Kang Yatse which is 6,400 metres high. It was an uphill walk to Tsigu lake. After that the terrain flattened out and the last section to Nyimaling was across a plateau. It took 3.5 hours to walk from Thachungtse to Nyimaling and the previous day it had taken 2 hours to walk from Upper Hankar to Thachungtse. As I had left Thachungtse early at 07.30 I only saw 2 other trekkers on the trail. Nyimaling is in a bit of a bleak setting. Some trekkers climbed up the hillside to the south west of the campsite to get better views of Kang Yatse. There are apparently some very nice walks around the Nyimaling area but you have to know where to go. It wasn't advisable for me to explore by myself and I wouldn't fancy spending a second night at Nyimaling's muddy tented camp. 12.5. Nyimaling (4848m) to Chokdo (3660m) I wanted to set off very early from Nyimaling but breakfast was only served at 07.00. I left at 07.15 which was before many trekkers but I still had about 10 trekkers ahead of me. There were 2 groups camped near us and I was pleased that I was about 20 minutes ahead of them. It is a steep 440 metre ascent from Nyimaling to the Gongmaru La (5,287 metres) but it wasn't difficult and it took 1 hour 40 minutes. It wasn't cold or windy at the top and I spent 15 minutes enjoying the views before starting the descent to Chokdo. The very first part was steep but there was a good path that snaked down. I was pleased that no one was ahead of me or behind me and it stayed that way until I had almost reached Chokdo. The trail to Chokdo was very clear. It crossed the river about 30 times but since the river level was so low the crossings were easy. The only time I had any doubts about the trail were when it ascended a couple of times to avoid difficult sections through the canyon. It took about 3 hours to descend 1,600 metres from the Gongmaru La to Chokdo. I didn't find the descent difficult or tiring and the scenery was very good. It is an enjoyable section of the Markha Valley trek when the river level is low. I was fortunate that another trekker overtook me before Chokdo. At Chokdo I asked if I could share his taxi and he very kindly agreed and wouldn't accept payment. I was back in Leh by about 13.30 and ate my packed lunch at my hotel! 13. L inks to my other blogs on Ladakh 2024 Guide to the Sham Valley Trek 2024 Zanskar trek - Part 1 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 2 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 3 Travel Guide for Leh and Vicinity - 2024

Lake Bled, Slovenia Contents Introduction to Slovenia Piran Koper Izola Ljubljana Skofja Loka Radovljica Lake Bled Lake Bohinj Vrsic Pass Road Trip My Other Blogs on Slovenia 1. Introduction to Slovenia We visited Slovenia for one week at the end of April 2023 while driving from the UK to the Greek islands. We were on a 3 month road trip visiting interesting places on route to and from Greece. The aim wasn't to cover everything in the countries that we visited. See my blog Venice to Serbia - Week 2  for the daily trip report of our week in Slovenia. It would have been preferable to visit Slovenia towards the end of our trip in late June. The weather would then have then been warm enough to swim in the sea and in the lakes. By then the snow would have melted on the Julian Alps and we could have hiked in the higher alpine areas that I enjoy. Unfortunately Slovenia is too busy and expensive in summer. So we decided to visit Slovenia at the start of our road trip and to enjoy the coasts of Albania, Montenegro and Croatia on the way back. We were lucky with the weather as it was warm and sunny when we were on the coast. It was cloudy, but dry, in Ljubljana. The weather forecast for our 3 nights at Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj was abysmal, but it was dry until the day we left Slovenia. Then it poured! We were very impressed with Slovenia and it was a very easy country to travel in. The roads weren't busy and driving was very straightforward, even for someone used to driving on the wrong side of the road! Most Slovenians spoke English and were very courteous and friendly. The accommodation in Slovenia wasn't particularly cheap and we found cheaper accommodation in all the countries we visited south of Slovenia. Petrol though was about 20% cheaper in Slovenia than in the UK, France, Switzerland Italy and even Greece. Map of Slovenia 2. Piran, Slovenia 2.1. Accommodation in Piran Piran is similar to the many historic towns further south in Croatia. However, the accommodation is more expensive than Croatia, even in the off peak season. This might be because Slovenia has a very small coastline for Slovenians to visit. Piran is absolutely packed in July and August. We rented a compact apartment in the nearby small village of Pobegi for 1 night at a cost of Euro 75 through Booking.com . Pobegi is 4 kilometres from Koper and a 25 minute drive to Piran. The apartment was very well equipped and in pristine condition. I have reviewed the accommodation on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1 " (number 6). 2.2. Parking in Piran Parking in Piran is very expensive and it cost Euro 2.60 per hour. We parked in the Fornace parking lot and there is a free shuttle for the short distance into Piran. 2.3. What to see in Piran Half a day in Piran is ample for wandering around the old town. Piran is an unspoiled historical town with Venetian architecture. The main square in Piran is Tartinijev Trg and it is surrounded by attractive historic buildings. It is very near the sea front as it was originally the inner harbour of Piran. In 1894 the harbour was filled in to create the main square. The tourist office is in this square. We climbed up the road to the Cathedral of St George and its Bell Tower. We continued up the hill to the old Walls of Piran. It costs Euro 3 to enter a small section of the walls and 3 of the towers on the walls. There are very good views of Piran from the towers. The walls were open until 20.00. We wandered around the streets in Piran's lower town and there were hardly any other visitors. Most of the restaurants and cafes are along the seafront. It was warm enough in late April for us to sit outside on the waterfront for our evening meal of calamari and sardines. From the parking lot below the entrance to the walls there are steps that descend steeply back to the Piran's old town centre. It makes a good circular walk around Piran. The Harbour at Piran, Slovenia The Seafront Promenade at Piran, Slovenia View of Tartinijev Trg in Piran, Slovenia Tartinijev Trg in Piran, Slovenia The Cathedral of St George in Piran, Slovenia The Interior of the Cathedral of St George The City Walls of Piran, Slovenia The City Walls of Piran, Slovenia A View of Piran from the City Walls 3. Koper, Slovenia We visited the coastal towns of Koper and Izola on the drive to Ljubljana and we had most of the day to explore them. 3.1. Parking in Koper We stopped off at Koper first and there were plenty of parking spaces, unlike at Piran. It would usually cost Eur 1 per hour but a kind local told us that parking was free as it was a public holiday in Slovenia. We had all our luggage in our car. It seems that Slovenia has less theft than many other European countries. 3.2. What to see in Koper We walked into the centre of Koper along the seafront promenade and then to the main square called Titov Trg. It is an attractive square surrounded by historic buildings. The tourist office is also located there. Surprisingly there were very few other tourists in Koper, just like at Piran. We paid Euro 4 each to climb up the 36 metre high City Tower and there were good views of Koper from the top. Every town in Slovenia seems to have a tower to climb and we decided not to go up towers in future as the cost soon mounts up. Koper's historic centre is very interesting, but not that extensive, so it took less than 2 hours to see. 3.3. Restaurants in Koper It was lunch time when we finished sightseeing and we went to a cheap seafood eatery outside Koper's market called Fritolin . Fritolin is recommended in the Lonely Planet guide to Slovenia and it was busy with locals. We ordered 2 portions of grilled calamari and french fries for a total cost of Euro 21 and ate it at an outside table. It was very tasty and the portions were good! There are many other cheap eating spots and cafes in Koper's market area. The Cathedral of the Assumption & the City Tower in Titov Trg A View of Koper from the City Tower A View of Koper's Port from the City Tower View of Titov Trg from the top of the Bell Tower at Koper, Slovenia The Praetorian Palace in Titov Trg, Koper Venetian Gothic Loggia in Titov Trg, Koper The Fontico at Koper, Slovenia The Promenade at Koper, Slovenia The Cathedral of Assumption at Koper, Slovenia The Da Ponte fountain in Prešernov Trg in Kroper, Slovenia The Barbabianca Palace in Koper, Slovenia 4. Izola, Slovenia Koper's helpful tourist office had told us that it was a 6 km walk from Koper to Izola along the seafront promenade and that we could then take a bus back to Koper. We decided to do this as we needed the exercise and didn't fancy trying to find parking in Izola. The walk to Izola took 1 hour and 15 minutes. It was a very pleasant walk and was popular with the locals who were cycling, roller blading and walking. There were several free toilets along the way. We had a quick walk around Izola and then took the short bus ride back to Koper. Izola is a pleasant town but there aren't many historic sights to see. The bus runs regularly between Izola and Koper. Even on a holiday the bus ran every half an hour most of the day. The tourist office at Koper provided us with a sheet detailing the departure times and told us where the bus stops were. Our bus ride from Izola to Koper cost Euro 1.30 per person. Besenghi degli Ughi Palace at Izola, Slovenia The Parish Church of St Maurus at Izola, Slovenia The Church of St Mary at Izola, Slovenia 5. Ljubljana, Slovenia Map of Ljubljana, Slovenia 5.1. Introduction to Ljubljana Slovenia is such a compact country that it only takes an hour drive from Ljubljana to the coast, 40 minutes to Lake Bled and 30 minutes to Skofja Loka. The roads in Ljubljana weren't congested at all. Ljubljana would be a convenient base to visit places like Lake Bled and Skofja Loka. I wondered if there would be enough to do in Ljubljana as I had read that there wasn't much to see apart from Ljubljana Castle. Ljubljana is a picturesque city and we enjoyed wandering around for a couple of hours. Half a day is adequate for sightseeing in Ljubljana unless you want to visit the museums. 5.2. Ljubljana Castle Ljubljana Castle is the main site. It is a steep 15 minute walk from the city centre. There is also a funicular railway from the centre of Ljubljana to Ljubljana Castle and it costs Eur 3.30 one way or Eur 6 return. Entrance to the central courtyard of Ljubljana Castle, and a small section of the castle's wall, is free. To see a bit more of the castle is expensive and, in my opinion, not worth it. Much of the castle's interior has been renovated and doesn't look ancient. The entrance ticket for Ljubljana Castle costs Eur 15 and it includes the viewing tower and the Puppetry and Slovenian History museums. To appreciate the History Museum you need to pay an additional Eur 4 for an audio guide as there aren't sufficient signs in English. It is worthwhile seeing the Ljubljana Castle from the outside and the free interior sections. I wouldn't buy a ticket unless you want to take a photo from the tower or are interested in puppetry. Details of the current ticket prices are on the Ljubljana Castle website . Ljubljana Castle Viewed from Congress Square (Kongresni Trg), Ljubljana, Slovenia A View of the Julian Alps from Ljubljana Castle 5.3. The Bridges in Ljubljana The Ljubljanica river bisects Ljubljana and there are 3 well known bridges crossing it. They are not very old, nor particularly beautiful, but most travel books refer to them. You would probably have to cross them while looking around the Ljubljana. The Dragon Bridge was built in 1888 and has a dragon on each corner. It is northeast of the Ljubljana's old town. There are public toilets on the southwest side of the bridge. The Triple Bridge is south of Presernov Trg. The central section was built in 1842 and in the 1930's two pedestrian side bridges were added. The Cobbler's Bridge was rebuilt in 1931 and is south of Ljubljana's other 2 bridges. It is a pedestrian bridge and in medieval times shoemakers lived and worked on the bridge. The Dragon Bridge at Ljubljana, Slovenia One of the Dragons on the Dragon Bridge, Ljubljana The Triple Bridge in Ljubljana, Slovenia The Ljubljanica River 5.4. A Circular Sightseeing Walk in Ljubljana A good way of seeing Ljubljana is to do a circular walk. You could start anywhere. We began at St James Bridge in the south and walked northwards to Dragon Bridge along the west bank of the river. We then crossed Dragon Bridge and walked back to St James Bridge on the east bank of the river. Some of the main areas of Ljubljana that we saw were: Novi Trg, an old area of Ljubljana. Kongresni Trg, which has an excellent view of Ljubljana Castle. There are some attractive buildings in the square like the University of Ljubljana and the Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity. Presernov Trg, Ljubljana's main square and is surrounded by some beautiful buildings like Hauptman House and the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation. The Triple Bridge. Miklosiceva Cesta, which runs from the railway station to the river. This street has some of the finest a rt nouveau buildings in Ljubljana. Trubarjeva Cesta, a bustling street lined with shops, restaurants and cafes. Dragon Bridge. Ljubljana Castle. The Central Market in Vodnikov Trg, which has a large open air food market. Pogacarjev Trg, which has a covered market and a fish market. On Fridays there is a weekly food fair known as the Open Kitchen. Ljubljana's Old Town, which runs along the east side of the river from Triple Bridge in the north to Hercules Fountain (near St James Bridge) in the south. Hauptmann House in Presernov Trg, Ljubljana Franciscan Church of the Annunciation in Presernov Trg, Ljubljana The University of Ljubljana in Kongresni Trg, Ljubljana Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity in Kongresni Trg, Ljubljana The Fruit and Vegetable Market in Vodnikov Trg, Ljubljana Open Kitchen in Pogacarjev Trg, Ljubljana Hercules Fountain in the Old Town of Ljubljana 6. Skofja Loka, Slovenia 6.1. Driving to Skofja Loka It was surprisingly easy to drive out of Ljubljana. Once we had got off the highway we drove on pretty, rural roads with the snow covered Julian Alps in the background. We reached the historic town of Skofja Loka after about 30 minutes. Parking was easy to find in Skofja Loka and free. Scenery on the Drive from Ljubljana to Skofja Loka 6.2. What to see at Skofja Loka Skofja Loka has quite a large historic core and we spent about 2 hours wandering around. If you visit the castle museum you will need longer. The main site in Skofja Loka is the 13th century Loka Castle and it is a steep 10 minute walk up to it. There are good views from Loka castle and it is pleasant wandering around the grounds. Otherwise there isn't much to see unless you visit the museum and the entrance fee is Eur 5. Loka Castle at Skofja Loka, Slovenia The other main place of interest in Skofja Loka is Mestni Trg. It is surrounded by colourful 16th century houses. The most famous of these is Homan House which was built in 1511. Other things to see in Skofja Loka are: Jakoba Church dating back to the 13th century. It is free to enter. Capuchin Bridge dating back to the 14th century. Spodnji Trg with a 16th century granary. Mestni Trg in Skofja Loka, Slovenia Mestni Trg in Skofja Loka, Slovenia Homan House in Skofja Loka, Slovenia A Street in Skofja Loka, Slovenia Jakoba Church in Skofja Loka, Slovenia The Interior of Jacoba Church in Skofja Loka, Slovenia 7. Radovljica, Slovenia The Lonely Planet guide book says that " The town of Radovljica is filled with impossibly cute, historic buildings ". That is very misleading as the historic part of Radovljica is limited to Linhartov Trg. Trg means Square but in reality Linhartov is a street. Linhartov Trg is lined with 16th and 17th buildings. It doesn't take long to see them. We spent half an hour wandering around Radovljica. There is nothing else of interest to see in Radovljica. Vidic House at Radovljica, Slovenia Linhartov Trg in Radovljica, Slovenia Linhartov Trg in Radovljica, Slovenia Church of St Peter in Radovljica, Slovenia 8. Lake Bled, Slovenia 8.1. Driving to Lake Bled It is only a 45 minute drive from Ljubljana to Lake Bled as Slovenia is a compact country. We visited Lake Bled during a warm and sunny weekend in late April and it was very busy. I dread to think what Lake Bled would be like in summer! We turned off at the first parking sign we saw near Lake Bled and the charge was Euro 15 for 4 hours or Euro 25 for the whole day! That's as expensive as it was in Venice. We decided to pay Eur 15 for 4 hours rather than drive around Bled's congested streets to find somewhere cheaper. 8.2. Walking around Lake Bled There is a 6 kilometre paved path going all the way around Lake Bled. It was congested near the town of Bled but not bad otherwise. Apart from the number of people it is a very beautiful and easy walk with great views all the way around Lake Bled. It should only take about 90 minutes but we took 3 hours with a lot of stops for photos. Lake Bled is very photogenic with the island, the castle perched above the lake and the snow covered Julian alps in the distance. Some people were swimming in Lake Bled and the water didn't feel too cold, even though it was the end of April. 8.3. Bled Island You can take a boat over to Bled Island. Only row boats and electric boats are allowed to prevent noise pollution. We didn't bother as it is expensive and Bled Island appears to be a tourist trap. A Pletna boat, which looks like a large gondola row boat, costs Eur 15 per person. An electric boat from Bled town costs Eur 14 per person. You can also rent your own rowing boat but it doesn't work out much cheaper. On Bled Island you have to fork out another Eur 12 to enter the church and bell tower. So for the 2 of us it would have cost Eur 54 for a 1 hour to 1.5 hour experience at a tourist trap! 8.4. Bled Castle It is a steep 15 to 20 minute walk up to Bled Castle, but that is not as steep as the Eur 15 entrance fee! You can also drive up and there is paid parking at Bled Castle. The main reasons to visit Bled Castle are for the views and the museum. Bled Island, Slovenia Bled Castle, Slovenia Bled Island, Slovenia A Church on the Shore of Lake Bled, Slovenia 9. Lake Bohinj, Slovenia 9.1. Towns and Accommodation at Lake Bohinj There isn't a town called Bohinj. The only settlement on Lake Bohinj is Ribcev Laz on the south eastern corner. It's the main hub for Lake Bohinj. We stayed in nearby Stara Fuzina, an unspoiled village a 10 minute walk from Lake Bohinj. Ukanc, the only other settlement near the lake shore, is a very small village on the western shore of Lake Bohinj. We booked a 1 bedroom apartment through Airbnb for Eur 98 per night. I have reviewed it in my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1 " (number 8). Stara Fuzina on Lake Bohinj, Slovenia A View from Stara Fuzina on Lake Bohinj, Slovenia A Church in Stara Fuzina, Lake Bohinj, Slovenia 9.2. Hiking around Lake Bohinj The Lonely Planet guide says that Lake Bohinj is more beautiful than Lake Bled. I don't agree with that but Lake Bohinj is certainly less crowded and less touristy. We hiked from our apartment in Stara Fuzina clockwise around the Lake Bohinj. The hike is 12 kilometres long and it took us 3 hours. Unfortunately the trail on the south bank of Lake Bohinj follows the road and the views are often blocked by trees. At the western end of Lake Bohinj it was more open and there were good views of the lake and mountains. The north side of Lake Bohinj is more popular for walking. There isn't a road nearby but unfortunately trees often obscure the views. This is the more popular side of Lake Bohinj for walking and I can understand why. In my opinion it is better to hike there and back on the north side of Lake Bohinj. The disadvantage is that the north side of Lake Bohinj is busier but you could probably avoid most hikers by starting early in the morning or late in the afternoon. View on the Walk from Stara Fuzina to Lake Bohinj The Church of St John the Baptist at Ribcev Lab on Lake Bohinj Lake Bohinj from the South East Shore near Ribcev Laz The Holy Spirit Church between Ukanc and Rivcev Laz on Lake Bohinj Lake Bohinj from the Western End near Ukanc Lake Bohinj from the North West Shore 10. Vrsic Pass Road Trip 10.1. About Vrsic Pass The Vrsic Pass is in north western Slovenia near the border with Italy. It was built during the first world war and there are 50 hair pin bends up and down the 1,611 metre high Vrsic pass. Vrsic Pass is closed in winter which means it is closed from November to April, depending on the snow. You can check whether it is open on the AMZS website . The road to Vrsic pass goes from Kranjska Gora on the eastern side to Bovec on the western side. The drive to Kranjska Gora takes 45 minutes from Lake Bled and 1 hour 15 minutes from Lake Bohinj. 10.2. Driving up the Eastern Side of the Vrsic Pass The road up Vrsic Pass was a bit narrow going around some of the hair pin bends, but otherwise it wasn't a difficult drive. There are several parking spots on the road from where you can enjoy spectacular views of the Julian Alps. When you reach the top of Vrsic pass you could turn around and drive back down. The longer alternative is to drive down the western side of Vrsic pass and complete a circular route back to Lake Bohinj or Lake Bled. It would make the drive even longer if you started at Lake Bled. 10.3. Driving down the Western Side of the Vrsic Pass We did the circular drive and continued over Vrsic pass down 24 hair pin bends to Bovec. The hair pin bends weren't as tight, and the scenery wasn't as dramatic, as on the way up. We looked out for the Russian Chapel built as a memorial in 1916 by the Russian prisoners of war who constructed the road. Unfortunately we missed it and decided not to drive back up Vrsic Pass to find it. From Bovec we drove south on road numbers 203 and 102. We then turned east on the narrow and mountainous road number 403 to return to Lake Bohinj. It took us 3 hours 45 minutes to drive back from the top of Vrsic pass to Lake Bohinj. In comparison it only took us 2 hours to drive from Lake Bohinj to the top of Vrsic pass. On the way up Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View On the way up Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View On the way up Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View On the way up Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View On the way up Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View at the top of Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View at the top of Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View at the top of Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View on the way down Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View on the way down Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View on the Drive back to Lake Bohinj, Slovenia Church of the Virgin Mary in Pri Cerkvi-Struge, Slovenia View on the drive back from Vrsic pass to Lake Bohinj 11. My Other Blogs about Slovenia Venice to Serbia - Week 2 UK to Greek Island Accommodation - Part 1

View of Kotor on the way up to St. John's Fortress Contents 1. Introduction 2. Kotor Old Town 3. Walking up the Walls to St. John's Fortress About the Walls Entrance to the Upper Walls When to Go The Walk 4. Solila Beach 5. The New Part of Kotor 6. Places to Eat & Supermarkets 7. Accommodation 8. Driving to and from Budva from Croatia and Albania 9. Links to My Other Montenegro Travel Blogs 1. Introduction 1.1. Kotor as a Base We stayed in Kotor for 6 nights as it was a good base for visiting: Budva to the south. See my blog Budva, Montenegro: Travel Guide . Perast & Herceg Novi to the north. See my blog Perast & Herceg Novi: Travel Guide . Lovcen National Park & Lipa Cave to the east. See my blog The Kotor Serpentine Road to Lipa Cave . I had thought about splitting our time between Budva and Kotor. I am pleased we didn't as I found Budva to be too developed and the roads were congested. 1.2. Cruise Ships at Kotor In summer, on average 2 or 3 cruise ships dock at Kotor most days. Some of the ships have as many as 5,000 passengers! Unfortunately the influx of so many passengers and tour groups can overwhelm the Old Town of Kotor. It is therefore necessary to plan your visit according to the cruise ship schedule. Luckily there is a good website called Cruisedig.com that lists which cruise ships are visiting each day, the number of passengers and the arrival/departure times. This information enables you to determine when Kotor Old Town will be inundated with cruise ship passengers. 1.3. Traffic & Parking in Kotor The traffic going through Kotor can be very congested. The traffic island to the south of Kotor's Old Town can sometimes be totally blocked. There are several parking lots in Kotor and they are all busy. We used a parking lot on the seafront just opposite the main entrance (Sea Gate) and it cost Eur 1 per hour (payable on exit). If it is full you can queue at the entrance and places soon become available. We only had to do that once. You can locate it by entering " Kotorska luka Parking " on Google maps. 1.4. Tourist Tax Officially all tourists staying in Montenegro must pay a tourist tax and for Kotor the tax is Eur 1 per day. Hotels and a lot of other accommodation include it in their rate. Our accommodation didn't pay for it and we were tempted not to either. However, I had read that you could be asked for proof of payment when leaving the country. We therefore went and paid the tax at the office in the Old Town. I wish we hadn't as we weren't asked about it at the border with Croatia. From what I have read on the Tripadvisor forum it is extremely unlikely that border officials will ask about payment of the tourist tax. 2. Kotor Old Town Kotor's Old Town was destroyed in the 1979 earthquake and then totally rebuilt. Kotor is a historic Venetian town like so many coastal towns in both Montenegro and Croatia. It is very pleasant wandering around Kotor when it isn't swamped with cruise ship passengers. Kotor's tourist office is just outside the Sea Gate and they can provide free maps of Kotor's old town. The map isn't very easy to follow and we preferred just wandering around. An hour and a half to two hours is sufficient for wandering around Kotor's old town. Near the South Gate to Kotor St. Tryphon's Cathedral in Kotor Flour Square in Kotor Town Square in Kotor Rear of St. Nicholas Church in Kotor Church of St Nicholas in Kotor Square of Arms in Kotor Saint Luke’s Church in Kotor St Mary's Church in Kotor Kotor Clock Tower Typical Alley in Kotor 3. Walking up the Walls to St John's Fortress 3.1. About Kotor's Walls The old and impressive defensive walls, surrounding the Old Town of Kotor, date back to the 15th century. On the eastern side of Kotor the walls go up the hillside to the Church of Our Lady of Health and then onto St. John's Fortress. It now costs a whopping Eur 15 to walk up to St. John's Fortress. The entrance fee was only Eur 8 in 2022! It is free to walk along most of the lower town walls that back onto the Bay of Kotor and the Skurda river. You can climb up to the walls near the South Gate and walk all the way to the North Gate, or vice versa. It is definitely worth doing this, but choose a time when it's not too hot or busy. 3.2. Entrance to Kotor's Upper Walls There are 2 entrances: At the end of an alley near Kotor's North Gate. It is signposted. Near Pjaca Skaljarska Square and south of St Tryphon's Cathedral. Although the entrances to Kotor's upper walls have gates I don't think they are ever closed. There is a sign on the gate stating it is forbidden to stay on the ramparts after 22.00. I don't believe the attendant at the entrance stays that late. Some people on the internet have posted ways of avoiding the Eur 15 entrance fee: It used to be possible to hike part of the way up the Ladder of Kotor and then gain free access to the fortress walls through a small hole near St John's Fortress. I have posted a photo below showing that this has now been blocked. It's a shame as this hole in the wall enabled people to do a circular hike rather than hike up and down the same way. You might be able to enter for free before the ticket office opens at 07.00. However, when we arrived at the ticket office at 08.30 the attendant asked some people who were leaving to show their tickets. The only way that you may be able to enter without paying is by going in the evening after the ticket office closes. I don't know when it closes but it might be at 19.00. 3.3. When to Walk to St John's Fortress The evening is probably a very good time to walk up to St John's fortress even if you have to pay. It may be more crowded in the morning unless you start very early as: A lot of people, like ourselves, follow advice to go in the morning. We started at 08.30 and found it busy. Quite a few of the people were from the cruise ships. Even if we had started earlier we would have met them on our way down. Also the cruise ships usually depart Kotor in the late afternoon and early evening and therefore passengers can't do this walk in the evening. You may think I am making a lot of fuss about the number of people. The problem with the walk to St John's fortress is that the path is narrow and you have to go up and down the same path. Usually there are only steps on one side of the path and most people want to use the steps! You therefore have to stand aside for people coming the other way. I would be wary of doing the walk if it is wet as I think the path would be very slippery. 3.4. The Walk to St Johns's Fortress It took us 45 minutes to walk up to St John's fortress, but we frequently stopped to enjoy the views of Kotor Bay and take photos. It is a steep 260 metre climb up to St John's Fortress and there are about 1,350 steps to aid the ascent. I didn't count them! About halfway up you reach the Church of Our Lady of Health, but it is nothing special. St John's Fortress is at the top and it is possible to walk around it, but it is very derelict. We spent 15 minutes at St John's fortress and took another 45 minutes to walk back down to Kotor. It shouldn't have taken that long but we weren't rushing. The main reason to do the walk is for the fantastic views of Kotor and the bay. The walls, Church and Fortress aren't that special. Entrance near Kotor's North Gate View of Kotor on the Way Up View of Kotor on the Way Up View of Kotor on the Way Up View from St John's Fortress St John's Fortress Blocked Path through the Fortress Wall Path to the Church of Our Lady of Health 4. Solila Beach Most of the time we swam near our apartment at Muo, which was a 20 minute walk from Kotor. Usually we just needed a quick dip to cool off and the estuary was just a couple of minutes from our apartment. It wasn't the best place to swim as the road was close by, there was algae in the water and there wasn't a beach. One hot day we fancied going to a better beach for a bit of a beach day. After reviewing beaches on the internet I found Solila beach which had good reviews and was only a 12 minute drive from Kotor. The only negative was that the beach access road is at a very tight angle off the main road. We really enjoyed our afternoon at Solila beach. There was plenty of parking space and the pebble beach and the sea were very nice. It cost Eur 20 for an umbrella and 2 sun loungers. There was a restaurant, free changing booths and free toilets. Solila Beach Solila Beach 5. The New Part of Kotor There is a 2 storey shopping centre near Kotor's North Gate. The shops in it are of little interest to tourists, except for the good supermarket on the lower floor. There are free public toilets on the upper level and a restaurant that sells ice cream cheaper than in the Old Town. North of the Skurda river there is a seafront promenade. It is very pleasant to walk along, except for the boat tour salesmen! Boat tours lasting 3 hours go around the Bay of Kotor to the Blue Cave, Perast and Herceg Novi and cost around Eur 35 to Eur 40. We didn't go on a boat tour so I can't comment on them. Kotor's Seafront Promenade Kotor's Seafront Promenade 6. Places to Eat & Supermarkets in Kotor 6.1. Restaurants in Kotor Most of the restaurants are in the Kotor's Old Town and aren't particularly cheap. We found a very small and basic restaurant called BBQ Tanjga which is located just before the roundabout in the southern part of Kotor. It is cheap and has excellent reviews on Tripadvisor and Google . We bought a really tasty whole barbequed chicken there for Eur 10 and enjoyed it in our apartment. 6.2. Supermarkets in Kotor There are 3 main supermarkets in the centre of Kotor: We liked the supermarket in the new shopping mall just north of the Old Town . There is a Voli supermarket very near the shopping mal but we didn't use it. Idea have a supermarket near the roundabout in the south of Kotor. There is parking next to the store and it costs Eur 1.70. We never had a problem finding a parking place. 6.3. Fruit & Vegetable Market in Kotor There is a fruit and vegetable market just south of the Sea Gate entrance to Kotor's Old Town. Saturday is the main day for the market, but there are stalls there every day. Watch the prices as they may not be competitive on days other than Saturday. 7. Accommodation in Kotor We stayed in a nice 1 bedroom apartment called Fortress View 2 in Muo, which is a 20 minute walk to Kotor. It can be booked through Booking.com for Eur 77 per night. My review is on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 " (number 10). They also have another apartment called Fortress View 1, which can also be booked through Booking.com . 8. Driving to and from Budva from Croatia and Albania We drove to Kotor from Albania. See my blog Albania to Montenegro - Week 9  for details. Afterwards we drove from Montenegro to Croatia. See my blog Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10  for details. 9. Links to My Other Montenegro Travel Blogs Budva, Montenegro: Travel Guide Day Trip to Perast & Herceg Novi The Kotor Serpentine Road to Lipa Cave Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10

The Desert at Merzouga Contents 1 May 2024 - Todra Gorge to Merzouga 2 May 2024 - Merzouga to Midelt 3 May 2024 - Midelt to Fes 4 May 2024 - Fes 5 May 2024 - Fes 6 May 2024 - Fes 7 May 2024 - Fes to Chefchaouen Links to other blogs about our Road Trip 1 May 2024 - Drive from Todra Gorge to Merzouga We drove south from Todra Gorge to the small town of Ainif and then turned east towards Rissani and Merzouga. The road was in good condition, with interesting scenery and little traffic. When we got closer to Merzouga the wind picked up and sand was blowing across the road. By the time we reached Merzouga the temperature was 31 centigrade. Our hotel was on the outskirts of Merzouga and just across the road from the Erg Chebbi desert. At 18.00 we walked up the nearby sand dunes. Unfortunately the wind had really picked up and we had to protect our eyes. It wasn't possible to sit down for long to admire the desert scenery. Many people spend 1 night in a hotel in Merzouga and then 1 or more nights in the desert. It didn't appeal to us as it is very touristy and most tours follow the same route and stay in the same locations. We also didn't fancy an uncomfortable camel ride. After experiencing the blowing sand I was sure we had made the right decision. The hotel manager told us that the wind had been very strong for the previous 2 weeks. 2 May 2024 - Drive from Merzouga to Midelt Early this morning we noticed large groups of cyclists heading into the desert. They were part of the Titan Desert Bike Race that starts in the Atlas mountains and ends in the dunes of Merzouga. It covers 600 kilometres with 7.5 kilometres of ascent. Usually about 600 cyclists take part. We left Merzouga via a different route from yesterday as we were heading north to Fes, but stopping at Midelt on the way. The road today was busy with 4 wheel drive tour vehicles and several large groups of motor bikers. We didn't enjoy the route or scenery until after we passed Erfoud. After Erfoud the scenery improved and there was a large oasis that was still very green. Then after Er-Rachida the road was much quieter and we lost the desert tourists. The road went past the Hassan Addakhil Reservoir and through the beautiful Gorges du Ziz. We had been coping well with all the police roadblocks and had never been questioned by the police. At a road block close to Midelt a policeman waved us through. Another policeman then pulled us over and wanted to know why we hadn't stopped! Fortunately the first policeman admitted that he had allowed us through! I had booked a 2 bedroom apartment at Midelt through Booking.com for Euro 80. One of its attractions was a washing machine as we needed to do 6 days of laundry. The apartment was new and exceptionally well furnished and equipped. Unfortunately the sound proofing wasn't good and 2 noisy families in the apartments below disturbed us. 3 May 2024 - Drive from Midelt to Fes The drive from Midelt to Fes was very scenic and rural. We were stopped twice at police roadblocks even though we complied exactly with all requirements. As soon as they realised we were foreigners they waved us on. In 2004 we stayed in the Palais Jamais which was a fantastic Sofitel hotel on the edge of Fes's medina. Unfortunately it closed in 2014 and it is now being rebuilt. There are now many Riads in Fes's medina that have been converted into hotels. However, I find that Riads are dark and gloomy with windows facing into a courtyard. After a lot of research I booked a room at the Fes Heritage Boutique Luxury Hotel . It was expensive at Euro 160 per night but it was only a 5 minute walk away from the main gate of Fes's medina and had the best reviews for a hotel. We were delighted when we arrived to find that they had upgraded us to a suite. In the late afternoon we had a wander through the medina. We were in Fes 20 years ago and we could certainly see some changes. It doesn't feel as medieval because: There are lots more tourists and even large groups go into the medina. Tourists can find their way around Fes's medina using Google Maps whereas before you would become disoriented once you left the 2 main alleys. There are very few donkeys transporting goods. The cry of balak, balak used to warn pedestrians of passing donkeys There is very little skilled craft work being done as most items can be manufactured more cheaply. Despite that Fes has the best medina in Morocco and probably the world. Fortunately it is still pedestrianised and one doesn't have to contend with motor bikes like in Kathmandu. 4 May 2024 - Fes In 2004 we could only find our way around the medina of Fes by using a Tourist Board guide book and signs that had been put up in the medina. Unfortunately the signs no longer exist but we used the guide book, and Google Maps, to do five of the sight seeing circuits in the book. We set off while it was still fairly cool to do the Fes Jdid circuit. Fes Jdid translates as New Fes but it actually dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries. At the time Fes Jdid was new as the medina of Fes el Bali dates back to the 11th century! We took a taxi to the Royal Palace Gate in Fes Jdid which was built in the 1960's. We were surprised and disappointed to find 2 tour buses already there. In 2004 we were the only tourists. I had unfortunately forgotten my map and notes and was struggling to find the synagogue and cemetery. We were soon approached by a man who gave us a quick tour around the Jewish quarter of Fes Jdid. He wasn't happy with the Eur 1 that I gave him! We walked back to our hotel via Moulay Hassan square, Bab Shaa and the beautiful Jnan Sbil Garden. The garden covers an area of 7 hectares. It was an imperial park and opened to the public at the beginning of the 20th century. We stopped for lunch near Bab Boujloud, which is the main gate of Fes's medina. The outside of this gate is blue and the inner side is green. We ate at a restaurant on the rooftop terrace, which was the same location where we had several meals 20 years ago. We then followed part of Fes's Monuments and Souks Circuit and visited the following places: The Fountain at the Nejjarine complex. Foundouk el Nejjarine. A Foundouk is a building designed as a rest stop for merchants and visitors. This one was built in 1711 and the woodwork is beautiful. It is now a museum with many exhibits of the carpenters' handiwork. Souk Henna which surrounds an old tree. Qaraouyine mosque. Non moslems cannot enter. We took a photo from the rooftop of an adjacent building as the narrow lanes prevent a good view from street level. It was built in 859. Medersa Attarine built in the 14th century. It has a beautiful courtyard that leads into a square prayer hall. The student accommodation was above. Moulay Idriss Mausoleum which contains the tomb of Idris II who ruled Morocco from 807 to 828. Non moslems aren't allowed to enter. It was extremely busy both inside and outside the mausoleum. 5 May 2024 - Fes We set out on the Palaces and Andalusian Gardens Circuit which is on the eastern side of Fes's medina. It is mainly a residential area of Fes and the alleys are quiet. Sadly a lot of the palaces are not open to the public, either falling into ruin or in private hands. We had a peek into the beautiful Palais des etoiles (Palace of Stars) owned by the Italian consul. It was an oasis of tranquility. The Palais Abdeslam Moqri was in disrepair but there is a bit of restoration happening. Some children showed us around. We then visited a few things we missed from yesterday's Monuments and Souks Circuit. The first was the Medersa (Islamic school) Bouinania built in the 14th century. We chatted to an interesting family, an 80 year old father who had lived at the Medersa in the 1970s and his 3 children. The Dar al Magana (House of the Clock) was across the alley . It was built in 14th century and houses an unique water clock. The clock consists of 12 doors and platforms carrying brass bowls. Every hour, one door opens and a metal ball drops into one of 12 brass bowls. A rope with a weight attached is also involved. The final sight was Place Seffarine which is known for its coppersmiths. We had Moroccan tea on the rooftop terrace overlooking the square. It was fascinating to watch a craftsman heat up a copper object, then add a powder which then turned the inside silver! It was probably a chemical reaction. There are plenty of shops in Place Seffarine selling metal objects and there was an alley off the square where they were dying wool and hanging it in the alley to dry. 6 May 2024 - Fes It was our last day in Fes. We first walked down Talaa Kebira, which is the slightly quieter of the 2 main alleys in the medina. It was quieter than at the weekend, although later on we encountered large tour groups near the main tannery. An unofficial guide then showed us around a small tannery on the western side of Talaa Kebira . Fes has 3 tanneries and very few people visit this one. There weren't any other visitors when we were there and the guide showed us how: The hides are soaked in stone vats in a mixture of pigeon faeces and chalk to clean and soften them. After this they are able to soak up the dyes more readily. Only natural pigments are used: poppy for red, henna for orange, indigo for blue etc. The hides are scraped to clean and soften them. A huge wheel is used, like a spinning drum of a washing machine, to rinse the hides. The hides are dried in the sun. It is dirty and very smelly work. I wouldn't want to do it to make a living. We then visited the other small tannery on the eastern side Talaa Kebira. There were other visitors there and some shops overlooked the tannery. The Chouara tannery is the largest and oldest in Fes. It dates from the 9th century! To reach the terraces overlooking the tannery you have to walk through shops selling leather goods! You are given a sprig of mint to neutralise the smells and invited up to the viewing terrace overlooking the vats. I didn't find the smell as bad as I did 20 years ago. 7 May 2024 - Drive from Fes to Chefchaouen I didn't sleep well as I had caught a cold. We were very sad to leave Fes this morning after a very enjoyable 4 days there. However, we probably won't go back again as Fes has changed too much since we were last there 20 years ago. Mass tourism spoils places. The 4.5 hour drive from Fes to Chefchaouen was very scenic with rolling hills and fields of wheat, spinach and poppies. We passed quite a few herds of goats and sheep. Sadly the road soon disintegrated with eroded edges and deep potholes. It didn't improve until we joined the N13 that goes from Meknes to Chefchaouen. Chefchaouen was founded in 1471, just before the Spanish Reconquest of Granada, when its population quickly grew with Muslim and Jewish refugees fleeing Spain. The descendants of the Jewish refugees painted their houses blue in the 1930's and now Chefchaouen is known as the Blue Town. The old medina of Chefchaouen is a very beautiful with all the blue buildings. Unfortunately most of the streets are lined with tourist shops. There aren't any shops for the locals and they are all outside the medina. We were tired of Moroccan food so we went to Mr Bin Chinese Restaurant that had been recommended on the Tripadvisor Travel Forum. The food was very good and it was a nice change from Tagines! Links to other blogs about our Road Trip from England to Morocco Week 1 - Salamanca, Toledo, Cordoba & Granada Week 2 - Spain to Morocco Week 3 - Southern Morocco Week 4 - Marrakesh to Todra Gorge Week 6 - Morocco to Cadiz & Seville Week 7 - Seville to Portugal Week 8 - Porto to Pontevedra, Spain Week 9 - Muxia & the Lighthouse Way Week 10 - Muxia, Spain to Plymouth, UK

Map of the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek I did the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek in November 2023 with a porter/guide. This blog provides information to help plan your trek. I have also published blogs on the Tea Houses on the Kanchenjunga Trek , Day Hikes on the Kanchenjunga Trek and Kanchenjunga Trek - 2023 Trip Report . Contents When to do the Kanchenjunga Trek Getting to the Trailhead Clockwise or Anti-Clockwise on the Kanchenjunga Trek Itinerary up to Ghunsa when trekking clockwise Itinerary - Ghunsa to North and South Base Camp s Itinerary - South Base Camp down to Taplejung Permits and Guides for the Kanchenjunga Trek Cost of the Kanchenjunga Trek Hiking Times on the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek Vlogs about the Kanchenjunga Trek Links to My Other Blogs on the Kanchenjunga Trek 1. When to do the Kanchenjunga Trek The 2 main factors to take into account when doing the Kanchenjunga trek are the weather and the number of trekkers. 1.1 The Number of Trekkers on the Kanchenjunga Trek The official statistics show that less than one thousand foreigners do the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek every year. In addition to this there will be Nepalese trekkers, guides, porters and mountaineers. This would probably increase the number of people on the Kanchenjunga trek to about 2,000 a year. This number is low compared to most of the other trekking areas in Nepal. However, there are far fewer tea houses on the Kanchenjunga trek than in the more popular trekking areas. The trekking season for Kanchenjunga is shorter as some of the tea houses at higher altitudes are likely to be closed from the end of November, or even earlier, to the end of February. A trekker reported on the Tripadvisor forum that in early December 2024 the tea houses at Selele and Ramche were closed. Only one tea house was open at Kambachen, Lhonak and Tseram The number of trekkers per month in 2018 for the Kanchenjunga trek were: January 9 February 13 March 72 April 153 May 17 June 2 July 4 August 5 September 143 October 442 November 101 December 9 These figures reflect when trekkers start the Kanchenjunga trek. Many of the 442 trekkers for October would still be on the Kanchenjunga trek in November. 1.2 The Weather The monsoon season is slightly longer in the Kanchenjunga region as the monsoon enters Nepal from the east. When the monsoon ends it withdraws west to east. This means that in the Kanchenjunga region the monsoon can commence about 5 days earlier than in Kathmandu and last 5 days longer. My blog on the Everest Base Camp trek details the monsoon start and finish dates from 2002 to 2023. Over the last couple of decades the monsoon has been starting around the 12th June and ending around the 15th October. I don't recommend trekking in the monsoon as you wouldn't have good mountain views. Every 2 or 3 years cyclones originate in the Bay of Bengal and impact Nepal. When this happens it can spoil a trek and be dangerous for trekkers. The cyclones mainly occur in May and October. In October there is very little risk of cyclones after October 20th. Until last year I mainly trekked during May and early June in Nepal. This was because I wanted to avoid the crowds and Lani didn't want to trek in very cold temperatures. The weather in May and early June isn't as dependable as in April, late October and November but it can be a good time to trek. In 2022 and 2023 I trekked in October, November and early December as Lani didn't join me. The sky is certainly much clearer at this time of year and the cold didn't bother me too much. The worst time for feeling the cold is in the early morning but it wasn't an issue the rest of the time. 1.3 Conclusion on the Best Time to do the Kanchenjunga Trek In my opinion the best time to start the Kanchenjunga trek is in very late October or early November. If you start before the 25th October you risk encountering large groups and the tea houses may be full or very busy. If you start the Kanchenjunga trek too late in November you may find that some, or all, of the tea houses above Ghunsa and Tseram are closed. I recommend timing your trek so you aren't staying above these villages after 20th November. If you are doing the Kanchenjunga trek in November plan your trek so it doesn't coincide with The Mountain Company's annual camping trek around the Kanchenjunga Circuit. I read a blog where the porters were a problem as they were constantly going in and out of the dining rooms. They were also sleeping in some of the rooms and were very noisy. The Mountain Company's trek usually starts in early November and consists of 10 to 12 trekkers and about 30 Nepali support staff. Late March, April and May could be another good time to trek. There are fewer trekkers than in October but the weather isn't as dependable as in November 2. Getting to the Trailhead for the Kanchenjunga Trek The quickest way to reach the trailhead for the Kanchenjunga trek is to fly from Kathmandu to Suketar airport. There are 3 flights a week. This flight route has a reputation for being unreliable so I didn't use this route. I met 2 trekkers who flew into Suketar so it is possible. It's probably a good option during late October and November when the weather is fairly reliable. I flew from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur airport and I was on the first flight of the day. I could have booked the flight online but Enjoy Nepal Treks  booked the flight for me. It didn't cost any extra. It helped having the trekking agency book my flight as when I wanted to return a day earlier they arranged it for me. It was easy to obtain a taxi at Bhadrapur airport and the fixed price to Taplejung was R20,000 ($150). It was a long 8 to 9 hour drive over a paved mountain road to Taplejung, although that included stops for breakfast and lunch. A cheaper option would be to take a 25 minute tuk tuk ride from Bhadrapur airport to Charali. From Charali there are shared jeeps that make a 9 hour journey to Taplejung for about USD 10. I started walking from Taplejung the following day. However, most trekkers take a 4 hour jeep ride to Ranipul and start the Kanchenjunga trek from there. 3. Clockwise or Anti-Clockwise on the Kanchenjunga Trek Most trekkers do the Kanchenjunga Circuit trek clockwise as it is better for acclimatising to the altitude. This entails going to the North Base Camp of Kanchenjunga first and then crossing over the Selele to visit the Oktang viewpoint near Kanchenjunga's South Base Camp. That's what I did. Some trekkers do the Kanchenjunga Circuit trek anti-clockwise. The only slight advantage of doing this is for trekkers who intend to hike up Drohmo Ri East (5,965 metres) from Kanchenjunga's North Base Camp. It means that when you reach Kanchenjunga's North Base Camp you have been at high altitude for longer. Some of the disadvantages of doing the Kanchenjunga trek anti-clockwise are: There is a huge and dangerous increase in altitude between Tortong (2,980 metres) and Tseram (3,868 metres). There is a very steep ascent from Tseram on the way to the Selele High Camp. You will be passing more trekkers coming the other way. The busy period on the east side of the Kanchenjunga circuit is a week later. I met 2 Australians going anti-clockwise and they said the lodges at Tortong had been full on the 7th November. When I stayed at Tortong at the end of my trek there were only 2 other trekkers there. 4. Itinerary up to Ghunsa when trekking clockwise The itineraries for the Kanchenjunga Circuit trek usually only vary at the beginning and end of the trek. For the middle section of the Kanchenjunga trek, from Ghunsa to Tortong, most trekkers follow the same route and stop at the same villages. At the start of the Kanchenjunga trek there are 2 rough roads from Taplejung to Chirwa. Most vehicles take the eastern road which goes via Lingkhim. The western road goes via Mitlung and there is very little traffic. From Chirwa there is a rough road to Ranipul and the road ends there at the moment. Some trekkers take private or shared jeeps from Taplejung to Ranipul. The jeep ride takes approximately 4 hours and it saves about 2 days of walking. A private jeep to Ranipul would cost R15,000 to R17,000. There are very crowded shared jeeps to Ranipul and they cost about USD 10. If you are starting the Kanchenjunga trek from Taplejung possible itineraries would be: Recommended Itinerary Taplejung to Sinwa (5 hour walk) Sinwa to Sekathum (6.75 hour walk) Sekathum to Thangyam (6.25 hour walk) Thangyam to Ghunsa (7 hour walk) Fast Itinerary Taplejung to Chirwa (7.75 hour walk) Chirwa to Amjilosa (8.25 hour walk) Amjilosa to Ghunsa (9 hour walk) 5. Itinerary - Ghunsa to Ramche via Kanchenjunga's North & South Base Camps My blogs on the Tea Houses on the Kanchenjunga Trek and Day Hikes on the Kanchenjunga Trek will help you plan your trek. 5.1 Ghunsa (2 nights) In autumn it is a very beautiful 1 to 1.5 hour hike from Phale to Ghunsa as the larch trees along the Ghunsa Khola should have turned golden and there are snow covered peaks in the distance. Ghunsa is at an altitude of 3,415 metres and everyone stays 2 nights unless they are already acclimatised. Ghunsa has the best accommodation on the Kanchenjunga trek and it is a good place to stay. However, it is often cold as the sun doesn't reach Ghunsa until mid morning. There are 3 day hikes that can be done from Ghunsa during the acclimatisation day. See my blog on Day Hikes on the Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek . Trail between Phale and Ghunsa 5.2 Khambachen (2 nights) It is a 6 hour walk from Ghunsa to Khambachen (4,145 metres) and there is a tea shop on the way where you can have lunch. Trekkers should stay 2 nights at Khambachen to acclimatise to the 730 metre altitude gain. Khambachen is a beautiful location and there are 2 good tea houses. There are 2 good day hikes from Khambachen and if you have time it is worth staying a third night. Many Nepalese trekking agencies only have a 1 night stay at Khambachen for the Kanchenjunga trek. This is dangerous and also means missing out on the excellent day hike to the Jannu viewpoint. Jannu Viewpoint near Khambachen 5.3 Lhonak (2 nights) It's a 5.5 hour hike up to Lhonak (4,792 metres) and there is a tea shop on the way where you can have lunch. Lhonak is in a very pleasant setting and there are some reasonable tea houses. Most trekkers stay 2 nights and do a day hike to North Base Camp at Pangpema. Some trekkers spend the night at the small and basic tea house at Pangpema and hike up Drohmo Ri East (5,965 metres) the next day. However, you cannot rely on the tea house being open as I have explained in my blog Tea Houses on the Kanchenjunga Trek . It is possible to hike back to Lhonak after going up Drohmo Ri East but it would be a very tiring day. Another reason for spending the night at Pangpema is for photography. The sun isn't in a good position for photography at midday when day hikers are there. View from Kanchenjunga's North Base Camp 5.4 Ghunsa (1 night) It's a tiring 7 hour hike back down to Ghunsa via Khambachen and it entails a descent of 1,400 metres. Khambachen is a good place to stop for lunch. 5.5 Selele High Camp (1 night) It's a 4.75 hour hike from Ghunsa to Selele High Camp (4,200 metres). The trail climbs steeply from Ghunsa. It is mainly through forest until the View Point Tea shop is reached after a 3 hour and 600 metre ascent. The tea shop serves dal baht at a very reasonable price. From the tea shop it is a 1.75 hour hike, and a 200 metre ascent, over open terrain to Selele High Camp. There are 2 reasonable tea houses in a good setting A view of the valley between Ghunsa & Khambachen when hiking from Ghunsa to Selele 5.6 Tseram (1 night) It is a long and tiring 7 hour hike from Selele High Camp to Tseram (3,868 metres). At the end of the hike there is an 800 metre descent to Tseram. Take a packed lunch with you as the only tea shop on the route is too far from Selele High Camp. Also you can't rely on the tea shop being open. Tseram has 3 tea houses and 2 of them are reasonable. View of Jannu from the Mirgin La 5.7 Ramche (1 night) The walk from Tseram to Ramche is extremely scenic and is one of the best sections of the Kanchenjunga Circuit trek. It takes 3.5 hours to reach Ramche (4,610 metres) and there is an ascent of 750 metres. I would advise setting out as early as possible for 2 reasons: It is possible to walk to the Oktang viewpoint the same day but often the clouds obscure the views from midday. I was very fortunate and the sky was clear all afternoon. There are only 2 tea houses at Ramche and they can become full. One of the tea houses is very basic and it is preferable to have a room in the newer tea house. It takes 1 hour 20 minutes to hike from Ramche to the Oktang viewpoint and from there you can walk a bit further along the lateral moraine. After that a landslide makes access to Kanchenjunga South Base Camp very difficult and dangerous. Trekkers rarely go there. View of Kabru when hiking between Tserang and Ramche 6. Itinerary - Kanchenjunga South Base Camp to Taplejung If you visit the Oktang viewpoint for Kanchenjunga South Base Camp on the day you arrive at Ramche it is possible to hike down to Tortong the next day. If the weather clouds over when you arrive at Ramche it is certainly worth waiting until the next morning to walk to the Oktang viewpoint. If you do that there would only be time to hike down to Tseram that day. The traditional end to the Kanchenjunga trek was to hike south down to Yamphudin and then walk for several days back to Taplejung. There is now a road at Yamphudin that goes southwards to Phidim. This road joins the main Taplejung to Bhadrapur road. It is therefore possible to take a jeep from Yamphudin to Phidim. Some trekkers still hike back to Taplejung from Yamphudin. The trail goes via Mamangkhe, Phumphe Danda, Kande Bhanjyanga and Lali Kharka. It is usually a 4 day hike but it could be done in 3 days. There is a little used road between Taplejung and Phumphe Danda. It would be possible to take a jeep to Taplejung from Phumphe Danda. There is a new trail from Tortong that follows the Simbuwa Khola westwards to Hellok and Ranipul. This new route avoids the large landslide between Tortong and Yamphudin. I took this trail. It is a very hard 5 hour hike from Tortong to Kengsra. There are 2 new tea houses at Kengsra. It is then an easy 2.5 to 3 hour hike to Hellok and Ranipul. From there it is a 3.5 to 4 hour jeep ride to Taplejung. Alternatively it takes 2 days to walk to Taplejung from Hellok or Ranipul. 7. Permits & Guides for the Kanchenjunga Trek Permits for the Kanchenjunga Trek The Kanchenjunga trek is in a restricted area and a trekking agency must obtain a permit on your behalf from the Department of Immigration. The permit costs $20 per week and trekkers would normally need a 3 week permit for the Kanchenjunga Circuit trek. Trekking Permit for the Kanchenjunga Trek The Department of Immigration is closed from 15.00 on Fridays to 10.00 on Sundays. So you must be in Kathmandu during one of the days that they are open before you head out on your trek. Sometimes the office is only open for 2 hours during public holidays. There are many public holidays during the October and November trekking season! Permits for the Kanchenjunga trek will only be issued if there are 2 foreigners trekking together. Some agencies can get around this by obtaining a ghost permit for a non-existent trekker. This is usually done with the help of an Immigration official. I obtained a ghost permit for an Indian woman who I never met and I had to pay $60 for her 3 week permit. I also paid $35 to Enjoy Nepal Treks for arranging the ghost permit. There aren't any checkpoints on the Kanchenjunga trek but if there had been I would have stated that she had become sick and had gone back down. A fee of R3,000 ($23) is payable for the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project. It used to be payable at Tapethok but the office there has been closed and it is now payable at Ghunsa. Guides You have to trek with a guide in the Kanchenjunga restricted area. I had a porter/guide from Enjoy Nepal Treks at a cost of $25 per day. The daily cost has now been increased to $30. 8. Cost of the Kanchenjunga Trek I paid $1,119 to Nepal Enjoy Treks for the following services for the Kanchenjunga trek: Porter/Guide (21 days @ $25 per day) $525 Insurance for the Guide $35 Restricted Area Permit ($120 for 2 people for 3 weeks) $120 Admin fee for the ghost permit $35 My flight to and from Bhadrapur $254 Guide's flight to and from Bhadrapur $150 TOTAL $1,119 The expenses that I paid myself are shown in the table below: Overnight Stop Total Cost Room Food Drink Transport Other Notes Taxi to airport 900 900 Taxi from Bhadrapur to Taplejung 20000 20000 Taplejung 1680 1000 500 180 Chirwa 1570 500 750 320 Itahari 2900 700 1500 700 Thangyam 1470 600 650 220 150 1 Phale 2030 500 1100 430 Ghunsa (2 nights) 8000 1600 2580 820 3000 2 Khambachen (2 nights) 6150 1400 3500 1250 Lhonak (3 nights) 10965 2400 5375 1940 1250 3 Ghunsa 2700 800 1250 500 150 1 Selele 4400 1000 1700 900 800 3 Tseram 2850 700 1350 500 300 1 & 3 Ramche 3500 500 2400 600 Tortong 2560 500 1700 360 Kengsra 3140 500 1500 440 700 4 Hellok & Ranipul 700 500 200 Jeep from Ranipul to Taplejung 15000 15000 Taplejung 1490 1000 350 140 Jeep from Taplejung to Bhadrapur 20000 20000 Bhadrapur 2500 1500 700 300 Taxi in Kathmandu 900 900 TOTAL NPR 115105 15200 27405 9350 56800 6350 TOTAL USD 880 116 210 71 434 49 Notes for the other expenses: 1 Toilet Paper 2 Kanchenjunga Conservation Project fee 3 Boiled water for my water bottles 4 Beer I have summarised the expenses under each overnight stop. The expenses include drinks and meals while at other locations that day. The total cost of my Kanchenjunga trek was $2,000 compared to a cost of around $3,000 for a group trek. Other advantages of doing the Kanchenjunga trek by myself meant that I could determine my itinerary, choose the tea houses, have a room to myself and have plenty of space in vehicles. Most nights I had the company of other trekkers and wasn't restricted to being with the other members of a group. I have been on 2 camping group treks in Nepal but I would never do a lodge trek with a group. I could have reduced my costs by not having so many hot drinks and not ordering boiled water for the cold mornings. I didn't bother as the cost wasn't that material and it improved my enjoyment of the Kanchenjunga trek. The biggest expense was for transport. I had wanted to take a shared taxi from Ranipul to Taplejung but couldn't as it was a public holiday. I would have saved a lot if I had used public transport between Kathmandu to Taplejung but I didn't fancy doing that. It is always difficult to determine how many Nepalese rupees should be taken on a trek. My chart above gives an idea of how much is needed. If necessary I use some of the Nepalese rupees that I have brought for the guide's tip and give the guide USD instead. 9. Hiking Times on the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek These hiking times for the Kanchenjunga trek exclude stops at tea houses for drinks and lunch. The Australians' times were quite fast even though they were in their mid 60's. The Indians consisted of a small group. They were slower but I know the leader was a keen photographer. I have recorded these times mainly to assist trekkers with the planning of their Kanchenjunga trek. I certainly found information on trekking times very useful when planning my trek. It also helps when deciding whether to hike a bit further at the end of the day. Trekking isn't a race although I kept on meeting one French trekker who seemed to think so. He was always asking how long everyone had taken and was proud of his speed. Quite often you can only hike so far in the day on the Kanchenjunga trek due to altitude acclimatisation and the distance to the next tea house. By walking fast you just reach your destination quicker and end up spending more time at a tea house. I am not a particularly fast trekker but I could have walked faster than the times shown for me. I wasn't very fit due to spraining my ankle prior to the trek. I also followed my guide and sometimes he walked slower than I needed to. I wasn't in a rush and was happy to enjoy the fantastic scenery on the Kanchenjunga Circuit trek. If you want to do the Kanchenjunga trek quickly it is possible to do it in 8 days from Taplejung! A trekker posted details of this on the Tripadvisor forum . DAY FROM TO MY TIME AUSSIES' TIME INDIANS' TIME AVG TIME 1 Taplejung Mitlung 3 h 15 m 3 h 15 m 1 Mitlung Sinwa 1 h 45 m 1 h 45 m 1 h 45 m 1 Sinwa Chirwa 2 h 45 m 3 h 15 3 h 2 Chirwa Tapletok 1 h 15 m 1 h 15 m 2 Tapletok Ranipur 2 h 1 h 50 m 1 h 55 m 2 Ranipur Sukethum 1 h 55 m 1 h 2 Sukethum Itahari 30 m 35 m 30 m 3 Itahari Lama Tar 1 h 30 m 2 h 5 m 1 h 45 m 3 Lamar Tar Amjilosa 2 h 20 m 2 h 30 m 2 h 25 3 Amjilosa Thangyam 2 h 2 h 30 m 2 h 15 m 4 Thangyam Gyabla 1 h 50 m 2 h 20 m 2 h 5 m 4 Gyabla Phale 3 h 45 m 2 h 50 m 3 h 45 m 3 h 30 m 5 Phale Ghunsa 1 h 15 m 1 h 1 h 30 m 1 h 15 m 7 Ghunsa Khambachen 6 h 5 h 6 h 5 h 40 m 9 Khambachen Ramtang 3 h 3 h 30 m 3 h 15 m 9 Ramtang Lhonak 1 h 40 m 2 h 1 h 50 m  11 Lhonak Tea Shop 2 h 50 m 2 h 50 m  11 Tea Shop Pangpema 1 h 40 m 1 h 40 m  11 Pangpema Lhonak 3 h 15 m 2 h 40 m 3 h 30 m 3 h 10 m  12 Lhonak Ramtang 1 h 10 m 1 h 8 m 1 h 10 m  12 Ramtang Khambachen 2 h 15 m 2 h 15 m 2 h 15 m  12 Khambachen Ghunsa 3 h 30 m 3 h 30 m 3 h 30 m 3 h 30 m  13 Ghunsa Viewpoint Tea Shop 3 h 3 h  13 Viewpoint Tea Shop Selele High Camp 1 h 45 m 1 h 45 m  14 Selele High Camp Tseram 7 h 5 h 15m 6 h 10 m  15 Tseram Ramche 3 h 30 m 3 h 3 h 15 m  15 Ramche Oktang Viewpoint 1 h 20 m 1 h 30 m 1 h 25 m  15 Oktang Viewpoint Ramche 1 hr 1 h  16 Ramche Tseram 2 h 20 m 2 h 20 m  16 Tseram Tortong 3 h 30 m 3 h 3 h 15 m  17 Tortong Kengsra 4 h 50 m 4 h 50 m  18 Kengsra Hellok 2 h 35 m 2 h 35 m  18 Hellok Ranipur 30 m 30 m 10. Vlogs about the Kanchenjunga Trek When I did the Kanchenjunga trek in November 2023 there was a group of 8 trekkers with Project Himalaya 2 days behind me. One of these trekkers posted 3 videos of the trek: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 In late March/April 2024 a German trekker, who posts a lot on the Tripadvisor forum, did the Kanchenjunga trek. The weather was terrible and his videos give a different perspective to the trek. It shows that the weather in late October and November is more reliable. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 11. Links to My Other Blogs on the Kanchenjunga Trek Kanchenjunga Trek - Trip Report Tea Houses on the Kanchenjunga Trek Day Hikes on the Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek

Map of Syros Island Contents Introduction to Syros Ermoupolis Ano Syros Syros's Western Villages: Finikas, Galissas, Kini & Delphini Komito Lighthouse Hike Cape Dhiapori Hike Car Ferries to and from Syros Accommodation in Syros Links to My Other Blogs on Greece 1. Introduction to Syros 1.1. Our Itinerary for the Cyclades We wanted to visit 4 of the Cyclades islands during our 3 month European road trip. However, I found out that it was expensive to take cars on the ferries. I therefore looked into leaving our car in Athens and renting cars on each island. Unfortunately this worked out to be even more expensive so I reverted back to using our own car. By using our own car we were more restricted in our choice of islands as there aren't car ferries between all the islands. I used the Ferryhopper website to determine which islands had car ferries running between them. We didn't want to visit touristy islands like Mykonos and Santorini. I eventually devised a circular route to 4 Cyclades islands with only Naxos being touristy. Our itinerary was Athens (Piraeus) - Syros - Naxos - Tinos - Andros - Athens (Rafina). We stayed 4 or 5 nights on each island. I have done blogs on the other 3 islands that we visited: Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide , Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide and Andros, Greece: Travel Guide . 1.2. Why we chose to visit Syros The Rough Guide says " Syros is a living, working island with only a fleeting history of tourism, rendering it the most Greek of the Cyclades ". Ermoupolis and Ano Syros seemed to be very attractive and interesting Greek towns. There were convenient car ferries going to and from Syros. The Tripadvisor forum mentioned that the hiking trails on Syros were excellent. 1.3. Is Syros worth visiting? The Rough Guide states that "the villages on Syros don't sprawl widely with new developments". However, we found that there was a lot of sporadic development along many of the roads in the southern part of Syros. It spoiled the scenery and it was a bit scruffy. Ermoupolis was an interesting town and wasn't touristy. We didn't find Ano Syros very interesting but like Ermoupolis it looks very spectacular when viewed from a distance. There weren't any other interesting towns and villages apart from Ermoupolis. There were several nice beaches on Syros but it wasn't beach weather while we were there. There are some good hikes with clear signposting. Like on other Cyclades islands the trails on Syros aren't always well maintained and can be overgrown. The Alltrails website and App show many of the trails and reviews by hikers will indicate if there are problems. We found our 4 night stay on Syros to be long enough. 2. Ermoupolis 2.1. Parking Parking can be difficult in Ermoupolis. The owner of our apartment recommended parking at the port and we had no problem finding a parking spot there. You take a ticket when entering and pay at a machine when leaving. It cost us Eur 2 for about 3 hours. You can locate the parking by entering " Ermoupolis Port Parking " in Google Maps. 2.2. What to See We spent 2 to 3 hours looking around Ermoupolis. It is a large and interesting town so you could spend more time exploring. Most of the shops and restaurants cater to locals rather than tourists. Unfortunately all the churches were closed. The Town Hall is the most impressive building on the main square Platia Miaouli. The main shopping area is between the waterfront and the square. The street running along the waterfront is packed with restaurants. From the square we walked north east up to the Appollon Theatre and then onto the Church of Ayos Nikolaos. Both were built in the mid 1800's. We continued walking up to the north east and entered the Vaporia district, which is where the wealthy used to live in Ermoupolis. We then walked to the top of the hill to see Anastasi Church which was built in 1870. It was closed but there are good views from it. Ano Syros and Ermoupolis from the Ferry Ano Syros on the Island of Syros The Town Hall of Ermoupolis in Platia Miaoulu Platia Miaouli in Ermoupolis The Apollon Theater in Ermoupolis Church of Agios Nikolaos in Ermoupolis An Alley in Ermoupolis Anastasi Church in Ermoupolis View of Ermoupolis' Port from the Anastasi Church 3. Ano Syros The main road northwards from Ermoupolis climbs up the hill, passing near the top of Ano Syros before continuing. We parked in a small free parking lot at the top. There is also parking along the road on the way up. It was a short walk to the Anastasi Church at the top of Ano Syros. The church was open but the terrace was closed. This was disappointing as there would have been good views from the church. There wasn't much to see at the top of Ano Syros. We met a couple who had walked up. From the photos they showed us I am not sure if it is worth the walk up. It wasn't even worth driving up. A View of Ano Syros from the Anastasi Church The Catholic Church of Agios Georgios in Ano Syros The Interior of the Catholic Cathedral of Saint George in Ano Syros 4. The Western Villages: Finikas, Galissas, Kini & Delfini 4.1. Kini Kini is a pretty village with a harbour, several beachside tavernas and a free parking lot off the waterfront. There is a scenic walk along the coast from Kini to 1 kilometre north of the nudist beach at Delfini. After that the path ends and the terrain becomes rough. The walk there and back took us 1 hour and 15 minutes. Most of the route is shown on the AllTrails website . 4.2. Galissas The village is a bit scruffy. It is in a flat and not very scenic area but has a good sandy beach in a very sheltered bay. There is plenty of free parking. 4.3. Finikas We stayed near Finikas and liked it. It is a pretty village with beaches, several restaurants and a large free parking lot next to the supermarket. There is a pleasant walk southwards along the seafront. The Harbour at Kini The Seafront at Kini A Walk from Kini to Delfini 5. Komito Lighthouse Hike 5.1. About the Komito Lighthouse Hike We did a 1 hour 15 minute circular hike from Komito beach to Komito lighthouse which is on the most southerly point of Syros. It is a very scenic hike with open sea views all the way. If you wanted to extend the hike you could start from Finikas but this section is developed. There is parking at Komito Beach which is a pretty beach. There are umbrellas, which were free in May but there may be a charge in the main summer season. Komito beach would be a good place for a swim after the walk. 5.2. Route Details From Komito beach you can see 2 trails going up the hill: The first path starts at the south end of the beach and goes left up the hill. It is the most direct path to the lighthouse. We came back on this path. The AllTrails website and App shows this path and you can follow it on your phone. The 2nd path is a bit further on and it is the route we used to walk to Komito lighthouse. Walk 100 to 200 metres along the jeep track that follows the coast and then follow the trail to the left that climbs steeply up the hill. The jeep track ends shortly afterwards at a house so you will know if you have gone too far. The trail goes above and around this house. The trail is fairly high above the sea and follows the coast until you reach Komito lighthouse. After Komito lighthouse walk back a couple of hundred metres until you reach the left turn to the path you came up on. You can either turn left, and return the way you came, or continue straight on. Before doing either of these climb up the hill to the right for a good view. If you continue straight on at the junction you will eventually see the house at the end of the jeep track near Komito beach below. At this point look for a clear path to the left with red markings and follow it. It descends to Komito beach. Looking back to Komito Beach A View on the Walk to Komito Lighthouse Looking towards Komito Lighthouse Looking back to Finikas A View of the Southern Shore of Syros Almost back to Komito Beach 6. Cape Dhiapori Hike 6.1. About the Cape Dhiapori Hike The southern half of Syros is developed, whereas the northern barren and mountainous part of Syros has very few settlements. Cape Dhiapori is the most northerly part of Syros. There is a scenic circular 3 hour 15 minutes circular walk to the Cape from the end of the northern road. This walk is on the AllTrails website and app. It is useful to download the route onto your phone as there are a couple of places where the trail isn't clear. 6.2. Route Details You can park on the side of the road where it ends at the village of Kambos. There is a very clear trail continuing on from the end of the road. After 5 to 10 minutes there is a signpost in Greek. The path to the left leads to a couple of beaches. Continue straight on for Cape Dhiapori. You walk high above the east coast of Syros and have great coastal views. It takes about 1 hour 40 minutes to reach Cape Dhiapori. The trail is relatively easy to follow except in a couple of places. The path is marked by stones with red spots. The final section of the path became very rocky. There was no clear path around so we didn't do the circular traverse of Cape Dhiapori. On the way back we took the trail above the west coast. At one point the trail was not clear and we relied on the AllTrails app. We would have eventually found our way without the app but it made it easier. The 2nd half of the trail was also very scenic. There are 3 inviting beaches off the trail. We didn't descend to the beaches but they would be good for a swim at the end of the walk. At least one of them had umbrellas. Eventually there is a steep climb back up to the signpost at the start of the trail. The First Sign - Left to the beaches and right to Cape Dhiapori A View to the Beaches in the Northwest of Syros A View along the Northeast Coast of Syros to Cape Dhiapori Cape Dhiapori on Syros Island A View from Cape Dhiapori of the Western Side of Syros View down to Grammata Beach A View of the northwest of Syros The Path to the Southwest of Cape Dhiapori A View down to Marmari Beach 7. Car Ferries to and from Syros 7.1. From Athens to Syros At Piraeus we got to the port an hour and a half before departure. It was very confusing. The large Blue Star car ferry was already at the dock but there was no one around to tell us where to wait. Lani went to ask someone and they directed us to a small waiting area by the ferry. We waited there for an hour watching trailers being driven onto the ferry. Lots of cars arrived after us and many of them were directed to drive straight on to the ferry. We were wondering if they had forgotten about us. Finally we were told to drive onto the ferry. It was not a roll on roll off ferry. They wanted me to do a lot of manoeuvring and it was stressful as they didn't communicate clearly. When reversing they wanted me to only look at their hand signals and not where I was going. It is important to arrive at the stipulated time when boarding the large ferries at Piraeus. The ferries can be packed with vehicles. Vehicles going to the furthest islands will probably board first. I doubt that these vehicles would be allowed to board late as they would block vehicles getting off earlier islands. 7.2. From Syros The ferry tickets state you should arrive at the port at least one hour before departure. When we were departing from the islands very few cars arrived more than 30 minutes beforehand. It was often even less than that! At Syros there was a ferry official at the dock when we arrived an hour ahead of the departure time. On the other islands the officials would arrive much closer to the departure time. It was always worrying as we weren't sure if we were in the right area. 8. Accommodation in Syros We booked a 2 bedroom apartment through Booking.com for Eur 79 per night and we really enjoyed our 4 night stay. We took advantage of an off-season free upgrade to a 2 bedroom apartment. My review of this accommodation is on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 ". 9. Links to My Other Blogs on Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

I did the Makalu Base Camp trek in mid November 2022 with a porter/guide. This blog provides the necessary information to enable you to plan this trek. The topics covered include when to go, how to get there, itineraries, permits, day hikes, tea houses etc. I have also done blogs on several other treks in Nepal. Click here to see them. Contents The Weather in the Makalu Region When to do the Makalu Base Camp Trek Reaching the Trail Head for the Makalu Base Camp Trek Itinerary for the Makalu Base Camp Trek Day Hikes from Makalu Base Camp Trek Other Hikes on the Makalu Base Camp Trek Permits Guides & Trekking Agencies Tea Houses on the Makalu Base Camp Trek Things to Consider Taking on the Trek Link to my other treks in Nepal 1. The Weather in the Makalu Region I normally trek in May and early June as I don't like busy trails and Lani (my wife) doesn't like the cold. However, I started the Makalu Base Camp trek on 12 November 2022, when clear skies are more or less guaranteed. Lani didn't join me on the trek. I was therefore dismayed when I had bad weather for 3 days between Khongma and Langmale Kharka. It wasn't pleasant as the tea houses on the Makalu Base Camp trek are very basic, cold and uncomfortable. The weather was better on the way back but there was still a day of low cloud. Fortunately the weather between Langmale Kharka and Makalu Base Camp was excellent. When I returned to Kathmandu I met up with someone I knew and told him about the weather. He was surprised as he had excellent weather doing the Everest 3 passes trek during the same period. The Khumbu area isn't that far from the Makalu Base Camp. On my return to the U.K. I did more research on the Makalu Base Camp trek. I discovered that the area between Tashigaon and Yangle Kharka has a micro climate with more moisture than most other areas in the Himalayas. Warm and humid air rises from the Arun Valley and condenses on the mountains in the form of rain or snow. Other trekkers' blogs confirmed that there is often bad weather in the middle section of the Makalu Base Camp trek. Fortunately the area around Langmale Kharka and Makalu Base Camp isn't affected by this micro climate and has a normal Himalayan climate. 2. When to do the Makalu Base Camp Trek The 3 main factors to take into account when doing the Makalu Base Camp trek are the weather, the number of trekkers and whether the tea houses higher up are open. 2.1 Number of Trekkers The official tourism statistics for 2022 show that the numbers of foreign visitors starting the Makalu Base Camp trek by month were: January 2 February 15 March 393 April 837 May 73 June 11 July 5 August 18 September 262 October 339 November 102 December 0 These figures don't include porters, guides and Nepali trekkers. March and April are the busiest months on the trail to Makalu Base Camp as it is the start of the climbing season for Mount Makalu. May would also be busy with the climbers descending. October is the busiest month for trekking in Nepal but there are far fewer climbers. Many of the trekkers reflected in October's figures would have still been on the Makalu Base Camp trail in early November. A trekker who started the Makalu Base Camp trek on 21st October 2024 reported that there were a lot of other trekkers on the trail. Her itinerary coincided with 2 other groups and there were at least 21 trekkers and their staff at each overnight stop. The tea houses on the Makalu Base Camp trek cannot properly accommodate such numbers. I would hate to stay in such crowded conditions. Many Nepalese trek during the festivals of Dashain and Diwali (Tihar). The timing of these festivals is governed by the lunar calendar but they take place in October and November. The Nepalese often seem to take a holiday after Tihar and there could still be many Nepali trekkers on the trail 7 to 10 days after the end of Tihar. 2.2 The Weather The monsoon season is slightly longer in the Makalu region as the monsoon enters Nepal from the east and withdraws from the west to east. This means that in the Makalu region the monsoon can commence about 5 days earlier than in Kathmandu and last 5 days longer. My blog on the Everest Base Camp trek details the monsoon start and finish dates from 2002 to 2023. Over the last couple of decades the monsoon has been starting around the 12th June and ending around the 15th October. I don't recommend trekking in the monsoon as you wouldn't have good mountain views and there would be leeches. Every 2 or 3 years Nepal is impacted by cyclones originating in the Bay of Bengal. This can spoil a trek and be dangerous for trekkers. The cyclones mainly occur in May and October. In October there is little risk of cyclones after October 20th. Until last year I mainly trekked during May and early June in Nepal. The weather in May and early June isn't as dependable as in April, late October and November but it is warmer. In 2022 and 2023 I trekked in October, November and early December. The sky is certainly much clearer at this time of year and the cold didn't bother me too much. For me the worst time for feeling the cold is in the early morning but it wasn't an issue the rest of the time. 2.3 Tea House Closure Dates The tea houses at Makalu Base Camp close before the end of November. In 2022 the owner of the tea house at Langmale Karkha said that he would reopen his tea house at Makalu Base Camp for any trekkers wanting to go there in late November. He intended to shut his tea house at Langmale Kharka on 1st December. These dates aren't fixed. When I flew back to Kathmandu on 27th November 30 Spaniards arrived at Tumlingtar airport. They were going to trek up to Makalu Base Camp with 80 support staff (see Alex Tixikon's website ). I am sure all the tea houses stayed open for them. I pity any trekker who was there at the same time and expected to have the trail to themselves! 2.4 Conclusion on the Best Time to do the Makalu Base Camp Trek In my opinion the best time to start the Makalu Base Camp trek is in mid November. Normally it isn't busy and it wasn't when I trekked at that time of the year. The weather should be clear but cold at night. However, it would be best to return to Tashigaon by 30th November as the tea houses higher up might close after that. 3. Reaching the Trail Head for the Makalu Base Camp Trek The Road from Tumlingtar Airport to the Trail Head at Num 3.1 Kathmandu to Khandbari Most trekkers fly from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar in eastern Nepal. Buddha Air has one flight a day that leaves Kathmandu at 09.20 and it returns from Tumlingtar at 10.20. The flight costs $153 each way. The flights are often delayed by 1 or 2 hours due to morning mist and cloud. The best seats for mountain views are at the front and on the left hand side when flying to Tumlingtar. It is approximately a 40 minute journey from Tumlingtar to Khandbari on a steep tarred road. The agency I used arranged a Tuk Tuk for this journey and it is probably the cheapest option. It is possible to take a very long 22 hour bus ride from Kathmandu to Khandbari and the fare was R2,700 ($20) in November 2022. View on the flight from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar 3.2 Khandbari to Num The road from Khandbari to Num is in reasonable condition for about the first 30 minutes. After that it is a very rough and uncomfortable 3 to 4 hour journey, even if you are in a private jeep. There isn't any advantage in going onto Num the day you fly to Tumlingtar. Most trekkers usually spend the second night in Seduwa regardless of whether the first night is in Khandbari or Num. I recommend spending the first night in Khandbari. The accommodation is better in Khandbari than Num but still not great. Another factor to take into account is that if you stay at Khandbari the jeep can take you the next day about a half hour drive past Num to where the road intersects the Makalu Base Camp trail. This reduces the hiking time to Seduwa by a couple of hours and avoids 475 metres of descent. There are shared jeeps between Khandabari and Num. My trekking agency arranged a private jeep and it cost $100. 4. Itinerary for the Makalu Base Camp Trek 4.1 Map Showing the Route of the Makalu Base CampTrek Route of the Makalu Base Camp Trek 4.2 The Ascent to Makalu Base Camp The itinerary for the ascent to Makalu Base Camp trek depends on how well you acclimatise to the altitude. All the trekkers I met hiked to Makalu Base Camp without having to spend more than 1 night at each location. However, some trekkers may need to spend extra nights at Khongma and Langmale Kharka. I wouldn't relish an extra night at Khongma as the 2 tea houses there are very basic. Also the weather is often bad at Khongma and there aren't any good day hikes. There is more to do at Langmale Kharka if the weather is fine. It is a cold place to stay in bad weather as they don't light the fire until the late afternoon. I was acclimatised before starting the trek but met up with a German trekker who wasn't. He didn't have a problem with the altitude until he reached Makalu Base Camp. He had a headache soon after arriving there. The next day we hiked up to a 5,738 metre high viewpoint and he got a bad headache during the descent. The trail to Langmale Kharka has stone steps and paths most of the way. An experienced trekker described it as relentless and taxing on the knees. This trail is also used for the descent! 4.3 The Descent from Makalu Base Camp The descent from Makalu Base Camp can be done faster than my proposed itinerary as there are no altitude restraints. There are a few very basic tea houses between the main stops on the Makalu Base Camp trek that support a quicker descent. These tea houses are at: Pematang which is between Yangle Kharka and Dobato. The tea house is just before the large landslide. Shipton La between Dobato and Khongma. Danda Kharka between Khongma and Tashigaon. 4.4 Proposed Itinerary Day 1 - Kathmandu to Khandbari See section 2 of this blog for details. Day 2 - Khandbari to Seduwa (1,530 metres) See section 2 of this blog for details of how to get to the trail head. It takes approximately 3 hours to hike from the trail head below Num to Seduwa. The first section is a steep 350 metre descent to a suspension bridge crossing the River Arun. After that there is a steep 900 metre ascent to Seduwa! It would take another 2 hours to descend from Num to where the trail head intersects the road. My Hotel in Khandbari A Street in Khandbari My Porter/Guide The Jeep and Driver The Bad Road Trucks stuck on the road The Start of the Makalu Base Camp Trek Suspension Bridge crossing the Arun Nadi River The Ascent to Seduwa View near Seduwa Day 3 - Seduwa to Tashigaon (2,167 metres) or Danda Kharka (2,962 metres) The trail ascends 630 metres to Tashigaon, passing through farm land, small villages and cardamom plantations. There are 2 basic tea houses at Tashigaon and they both have good campsites. A good option, if you are fit, would be to hike a further 3 hours to the tea house at Danda Kharka (2,962 metres). The tea house there is at least the same standard as the ones at Tashigaon and the bedrooms may be better. Danda Kharka is at a higher altitude and would be better for acclimatisation than Tashigaon. You should check at Tashigaon that the tea house at Danda Kharka is open. The first section of the trail from Seduwa to Tashigaon A traditional house with bee hives The trail up to Tashigaon A Mani Wall Day 4 - Tashigaon to Khongma (3,602 metres) The trail ascends 1,430 metres steeply through forest and it takes 5.5 hours. On the way there is a tea house at Danda Kharka which serves food and drinks. There are 2 basic tea houses at Khongma and the second one is better. The Trail after Tashigaon The Steep Ascent up to Kongma Close to Kongma - The Weather Changed Day 5 - Khongma to Dobato (3,860 metres) If you are feeling the effects from the altitude you should spend another night at Khongma before proceeding. The hike is strenuous as it crosses 4 passes and Shipton La is at an altitude of 4,216 metres. There is a tea house with rooms at Shipton La. The weather can be bad on this section of the Makalu Base Camp trek and as a result there is often snow and ice on the ground. The hike takes about 5 hours. Many websites incorrectly state that the altitude of Dobato is between 3,300 and 3,400 metres. My Garmin Inreach showed that the tea house is at an altitude of 3,860 metres. The Trail over the Shipton La Imo and I briefly meet on the trail Day 6 - Dobato to Yangle Kharka (3,634 metres) The weather tends to be bad on this part of the Makalu Base Camp trek as well. There is often snow and ice on the first section of the trail and it descends 400 metres steeply to the River Barun. When the trail is icy it takes about 1.5 hours to reach the river. The trail follows the River Barun and soon reaches a large landslide area. It is an easy traverse that takes about half an hour. There is a risk of falling stones from the overhanging cliffs and I was almost hit by some. After the landslide there is a basic tea house at Pematang. The trail then crosses the River Barun and continues to Yangle Kharka. The Landslide Zone between Dobato & Pemathang The Landslide Zone between Dobato & Pemathang The Landslide Zone between Dobato & Pemathang The Tea House at Pemathang Scenery between Pemathang and Yangle Kharka Day 7 - Yangle Kharka to Langmale Kharka (4,452 metres) If you are going to do the day hike to the Shiva Dhara it is best to do it on the way up to Makalu Base Camp to aid acclimatisation. It is a scenic 3.5 hour walk from Yangle Kharka to Langmale Kharka. There is apparently a tea house on the way at Tadosa but I can't remember seeing it. Some trekkers spend the night there for acclimatisation as Tadosa is at an altitude of 3,964 metres. There is only 1 tea house at Yangle Kharkha. The Temple at Yangle Kharka Day 8 - Langmale Kharka to Makalu Base Camp (4,860 metres) Some trekkers may need to spend 2 nights at Langmale Kharka due to the altitude. If so there is a viewpoint above Langmale Kharka but there isn't a trail. You could also visit Lower Barun Lake from Langmale Kharka. The mountain scenery on this section of the trail to Makalu Base Camp is fantastic. I took 5.5 hours to reach Makalu Base Camp but I spent quite a bit of time at both ends of the beautiful Lower Barun Lake. As I have mentioned in section 6 the lake could be visited instead on the descent if you are suffering from the altitude. It doesn't take long to reach both ends of the lake and it shouldn't be missed. I stayed at the Yak Hotel and Lodge at Makalu Base Camp as I thought it was the only tea house there. I have since read that there are 3 other tea houses but the one I stayed at was the best. Sunrise at Langmale Kharka Scenery near Langmale Kharka Day 9 & 10 - Makalu Base Camp Day Hikes Some trekkers rush back down from Makalu Base Camp the next day. It is a shame to do that after all the effort of getting there without fully enjoying the incredible mountain scenery. I recommend that a minimum of 2 nights should be spent at Makalu Base Camp and 3 nights would be better. Although the bedrooms at the Yak Hotel & Lodge are basic the dining room is quite pleasant. There are comfortable plastic chairs and the dining room is very light because of all the windows. The hike to the viewpoint to the north east of Makalu Base Camp shouldn't be missed. See the day hike section for further details on the hike to the 5,300 metre lower viewpoint and the 5,735 metre higher viewpoint . Trekkers are likely to suffer from the altitude if they ascend to the upper viewpoint on the day after arriving at Makalu Base Camp. It would therefore be better to hike to Swiss Base Camp on the first full day at Makalu Base Camp and to the upper viewpoint the next day. If you don't have enough time at Makalu Base Camp I would recommend at least doing the following: Hike to the lower viewpoint at 5,300 metres. Visit Barun Nadi (lake) which is only a 10 minute walk from Makalu Base Camp. Hike the first easy section of the trail to Swiss Base Camp until it degenerates into a field of rocks and boulders. Day 11 - Makalu Base Camp to Yangle Kharka I took 5 hours and 45 minutes to hike from Makalu Base Camp to Yangle Kharka. That excluded the time for lunch at Langmale Kharka. It would be possible to hike further. There is a small tea at Pematang and it probably would take another 1.5 hours to reach there. Day 12 - Yangle Kharka to Dobato This is about a 5.5 hour hike and the last section up to Dobato is very steep. It would be another 2 to 2.5 hours to the tea house at Shipton La. Approaching the Landslide View on the Final Steep Climb to Dobato Day 13 - Dobato to Khongma This is about a 5 hour hike. A View from the lookout tower on the Khongma La A View from the lookout tower on the Khongma La Day 14 - Khongma to Seduwa The section from Khongma to Tashigaon descends 1,430 metres steeply through forest and it is tough on the knees. The next section from Tashigaon to Seduwa is easier and more scenic. It is approximately a 6.5 hour hike in total excluding stops. The Descent from Khongma to Tashigaon The Descent from Khongma to Tashigaon Tashigaon Tashigaon Ploughing a Field Cardamom Scenery between Tashigaon and Seduwa Day 15 - Seduwa to Khandbari It is a 2.5 hour hike from Seduwa to where the Makalu Base Camp trail intersects the road to Num. You should arrange to have a jeep meet you there. If you are taking a shared jeep from Num you would have to walk another 2 to 3 hours uphill to Num in hot weather. If you are taking the bus back to Kathmandu you can buy the ticket in Khandbari Scenery between Seduwa and Num A View on the Drive between Num & Khandbari Day 16 - Khandbari to Kathmandu Take a tuk tuk or taxi to Tumlingtar airport to await the arrival of the morning flight from Kathmandu. 5. Day Hikes from Makalu Base Camp Many trekkers don't spend long enough at Makalu Base Camp to properly enjoy the incredible mountain scenery. I recommend spending 3 nights there and the minimum should be 2 nights. There is enough to do at Makalu Base Camp to keep even the fittest and most active trekkers occupied during a 2 night stay. If you weren't acclimatised before starting the Makalu Base Camp trek it would be best to leave the hike to the upper 5,735 viewpoint to the last day. Routes of Day Hikes from Makalu Base Camp 5.1 Lower View Point East of Makalu Base Camp It takes about 1.5 hours to reach the plateau viewpoint which is at an altitude of around 5,300 metres. It is a steep climb up the hillside and we didn't follow a trail. There may be a trail but I just followed my guide. There are fantastic mountain views and it is worth walking around to the other side of the plateau. View from the 5,300 Metre Viewpoint above Makalu Base Camp View from the 5,300 Metre Viewpoint above Makalu Base Camp View from the 5,300 Metre Viewpoint above Makalu Base Camp 5.2 Upper View Point East of Makalu Base Camp I hiked up from the lower view point. It was a difficult 400 metre hike over rocks and boulders which took around 2 hours. It is a short scramble up to the viewpoint at the very top which is at an altitude of 5,738 metres. There was no snow or ice when I was there. It was cold and windy at the top but the views were superb. It is possible in the right conditions to continue up a ridge to a higher viewpoint which is probably at an altitude of around 5,900 metres. It was too dangerous when I was there due to the wind and ice. I went back down to Makalu Base Camp on the normal route and there was sort of a trail. There were not many rocks and boulders to cross and it was far more enjoyable and straight forward than the ascent. The 900 metre descent took about 2 hours. It would be far easier to ascend to the upper view point on the trail I descended on rather than going via the lower view point. The Climb to the Upper Viewpoint On Top of the 5,738 Metre Viewpoint A View from the 5,738 Metre Viewpoint above Makalu Base Camp A View from the 5,738 Metre Viewpoint above Makalu Base Camp A View from the 5,738 Metre Viewpoint above Makalu Base Camp A View from the 5,738 Metre Viewpoint above Makalu Base Camp 5.3 Swiss Base Camp Swiss Base Camp is to the west of Makalu Base Camp. I didn't believe my guide when he said there were 2 Swiss Base Camps but apparently there are. The first one is at an altitude of 5,150 metres and the next one is at an altitude of 5,183 metres. Initially it is a pleasant hike on a good trail along the Barun Glacier. Then there is just a mass of rocks and boulders. There are cairns but there isn't a defined trail. It isn't easy or pleasant hiking. I got to within 10 minutes of the first Swiss Base Camp and turned back at 5,130 metres. My guide was sick, my hip was hurting, the terrain was difficult and the views wouldn't have improved. It takes about 3 hours to go from Makalu Base Camp to the second Swiss Base Camp and then 2 hours to return. It is worth doing at least the first section of the hike to Swiss Base Camp. After that the views don't alter much and it is more about achieving the objective of reaching Swiss Base Camp. The trail continues from Swiss Base Camp to Sherpani Col High Camp but it is too far for a day hike and the terrain is difficult. The initial easy trail to Swiss Base Camp The later more difficult terrain to Swiss Base Camp The Mountain Scenery near Swiss Base Camp Mount Makalu 5.4 Barun Nadi Barun Nadi is a lake only 10 minutes from Makalu Base Camp. It is a good place to while away any spare time. Barun Nadi (lake) in front of Mount Makalu 6. Other Hikes on the Makalu Base Camp Trek 6.1 View Point above Langmale Kharka I didn't go to this viewpoint as the weather was bad. There is no defined trail and it is a matter of walking up the steep slope behind the lodge. It takes 2 hours to reach the summit which is at an altitude of 5,000 metres. There are excellent views of the mountains and Lower Barun Lake. The descent takes an hour. 6.2 Lower Barun Lake This stunning lake is just off the main Makalu Base Camp trail between Yangle Kharka and Langmale Kharka. There is a bridge on the left about 1.5 hours from Yangle Kharka. After crossing the bridge you climb up the lateral moraine and then down to the southern end of the lake. The View from the Southern End of Lower Barun Lake Me at the Southern End of Lower Barun Lake There is another bridge further along the Makalu Base Camp trail. You can climb to the top of the lateral moraine from there and get fantastic views at the northern end of Lower Barun Lake. Suk at the Northern End of Lower Barun Lake Looking southwards down the Lower Barun Lake It is worth seeing the views from both ends of Lower Barun Lake. It might be better to see Lower Barun Lake on the return from Makalu Base Camp if you aren't yet acclimatised to the altitude. Definitely don't skip it. 6.3 Shiva Dhara Shiva Dhara is a well known pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists. It consists of 2 caves at an altitude of 4,310 metres and a waterfall passes through one of them. The caves are reached from Yangle Kharka which is at an altitude of 3,600 metres. The round trip takes about 6 hours. The Nepalese government has spent money improving the paths leading to the mountain. Unfortunately nothing has been done to improve the dangerous sections up the mountainside. There are metal stakes and cables to aid the climb up the rock face although they aren't in good repair. Like most foreigners I didn't do this hike due to safety concerns, particularly since it was icy when I was there. Although it looks dangerous I have seen videos of Nepalese families with young children doing the hike. My guide took an overweight Indian pilgrim up to Shiva Dhara and saved him from falling to his death. 7. Permits for the Makalu Base Camp Trek 2 permits are required for the Makalu Base Camp trek: Makalu Rural Municipality Permit - R2,000 ($15) Makalu Barun National Park - R3,000 ($23) They can be purchased at the National Park's office in Seduwa. I met a trekker who inadvertently didn't buy the permits and was fined. 8. Guides & Trekking Agencies You don't have to hire a guide, or use a trekking agency, to do the Makalu Base Camp trek. When the weather is good it is easy to follow the trail to Makalu Base Camp. It could be difficult, however, when there is a lot of fresh snow. There is often snow and ice in the middle section of the trek from Khongma to Dobato. There are thousands of trekking agencies in Kathmandu. I can recommend 2 agencies for this trek. The first agency is the only one based in the Makalu region. The second one is based in Kathmandu. 8.1 Makalu Arun Social Treks I used Makalu Arun Social Treks which is run by Tejanath Pokharel, a retired English teacher living in Khandbari. The agency is mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide book on Trekking in the Himalayas. They also have good Tripadvisor reviews . They use local guides and porters who know the Makalu Base Camp trek and the people running the tea houses extremely well. It also means that you don't have to pay to fly a guide from Kathmandu. I had a porter/guide who carried about 18 kilograms for me as I took a tent. I was very happy with the service that Tejanath provided and the trek went very well. I booked my own flights online with Buddha Air and Tejanath met me at Tumlington airport. He arranged a hotel in Khandbari and the jeep to and from the trail head for the Makalu Base Camp trek. The porter/guide paid for his own food and accommodation and I paid for mine. They do offer all inclusive packages. However, it is cheaper and better to pay for one's own food and accommodation. Tejanath & his wife who run Makalu Arun Social Treks 8.2 Enjoy Nepal Treks I used Enjoy Nepal Treks in late 2023 to do the Kanchenjunga, Langtang, Gosainkunda and Helambu treks. They have excellent Tripadvisor reviews and I was very satisfied with their service. They are a larger agency and can provide porter/guides who will carry up to 15 kilograms. They will carry a bit more if necessary. The owner of the agency is well organized, punctual and speaks English and German. They will obtain your airline tickets and provide a porter/guide for $30 a day. There is also a one off fee of $35 for his insurance. The guide will meet you at your hotel and fly with you to Tumlingtar. The client and guide have to organize the transport to the trail head and the client pays for it. 9. Tea Houses on the Makalu Base Camp Trek 9.1 Tea House Quality I have done many tea house treks in Nepal and I found that the tea houses on the Makalu Base Camp trek were the most basic and uncomfortable. This might be because the main tea houses are run by the same family so there is little competition. A person who did the Makalu Base Camp trek in October 2024 reported that the accommodation hadn't improved. Most of the dining rooms don't have comfortable seating and fires are only lit in the late afternoon. The seating is often just benches and without back support. The best dining room was at Makalu Base Camp as the dining room was large, bright and had plastic chairs. The worst dining room was at Yangle Yarkha as the benches were fixed along the wall and were too far from the fire. I sat on a table so I could be close to the fire which became very uncomfortable after a few hours. Unfortunately a lot of time is spent in the tea houses' dining rooms on the ascent to Makalu Base Camp. That's because the time spent trekking each day is quite short due to the issue of altitude acclimatisation. Also the weather in the middle section of the trek can be poor and not conducive to being outside. 9.2 Food at the Tea Houses I didn't see any menus at any of the tea houses although a 2019 blog mentioned there were menus at Langmale Kharka and Makalu Base Camp. It was therefore difficult to know what food was on offer. It seems that only basic rice, noodle and pasta dishes are available. That wasn't a problem for me as I usually only eat local rice and noodle dishes when trekking. At Langmale Kharka they had potatoes which made a nice change. I usually had oat porridge for breakfast but Tsampa porridge was also available. I tried the pancakes but they were like rubber. Someone said that they miss out one essential ingredient when making pancakes on the Makalu Base Camp trek. It's strange as the pancakes on the Kanchenjunga trek were great. It was frustrating that breakfast would often not be served at the agreed time. For example at Khongma it was meant to be served at 06.30 but it came at 07.15. When I stopped for lunch I had vegetable noodle soup. On other treks I have had more for lunch but for some reason I didn't on the Makalu Base Camp trek. 9.3 Location of Tea Houses There are Tea Houses at the following locations on the Makalu Base Camp trek: Seduwa (1,530 metres) Tashigaon (2,167 metres) Danda Kharka (2,962 metres) Khongma (3,602 metres) Shipton La (4,247 metres) Dobato (3,860 metres) Pematang (3,494 metres) Yangle Kharka (3,634 metres) Tadosa (3,964 metres) - I can't remember this tea house but it is mentioned in a blog. Langmale Kharka (4,452 metres) Makalu Base Camp (4,860 metres) 9.4 Pictures & Details of the Tea Houses I stayed at Tashigaon's Tea Houses There are 2 basic tea houses at Tashigaon. I am not sure of the name of the lower one where I stayed on the ascent. The building I slept in had a sign stating it was the Tashigaon Sherpa Buffer Zone Community Homestay. The dining room building had a sign saying it was the Makalu Barun Hotel and Lodge. This first tea house is in the centre of Tashigaon and has a large grassy camping area around it. It would be a pleasant place to sit in good weather. The bedrooms were small, old and basic. There were mice scratching around in the ceiling above me. The dining room is small and gloomy. The food was good and the lady running the tea house was very pleasant. The second tea house is a bit higher up and also has a large grassy campground. There are 3 large bedrooms with several beds in each. The dining room is large and quite nice. If I did the trek again, and wasn't acclimatised, I would hike on to Danda Kharka (2,962 metres) as it's at a better altitude for acclimatisation. A person who did the trek in October 2024 said that this was one of the better tea houses on the Makalu Base Camp trek. My bill at Tashigaon on the way up to Makalu Base Camp came to R2,150 ($16.50). Dal Bhat cost R450 ($3.50). On the way down from Makalu Base Camp I stayed at the upper tea house and I paid R1,850 ($14). Makalu Barun Hotel and Lodge The lady running the lodge The Upper Tea House at Tashigaon My Bedroom at the Upper Tea House at Tashigaon on my return from Makalu Base Camp. My tent at the Upper Tea House at Tashigaon Khongma's Tea Houses There are 2 basic tea houses at Khongma. The Hotel View Point & Lodge is the first tea house when coming from Tashigaon. It is the more basic of the 2 houses. There is a building with a dining room, kitchen and some bedrooms. There is another building with about 8 bedrooms. The dining room is cold as the fire is in a small room off the main dining room. Noise travels easily in the bedrooms as the walls don't go all the way up to the ceiling. A mouse visited my room during the night. The next tea house is the Shiva View Hotel & Lodge. It is better but still far from being good! The dining room isn't comfortable or warm. There is a new building with several bedrooms and I slept there. It can be treacherous going down to the toilet when there is snow. I read a blog which said there were mice in the bedrooms of the old building. I paid R2,550 ($20) on the way up to Makalu Base Camp for my stay at the Shiva View Hotel. On the way to Kongma I stopped for lunch at Danda Kharka and had noodle soup R400 ($3) and coffee R200 ($1.50). On the way down from Makalu Base Camp I paid R1,600 ($12) at the Hotel View Point & Lodge. The room cost R400 ($3), dal Bhat cost R500 ($4) and noodle soup cost R200 ($1.50). Shiva View Hotel & Lodge in Khongma The Dining Room of the Shiva View Hotel & Lodge in Khongma My Bedroom at the Shiva View Hotel & Lodge in Khongma The Hotel View Point & Lodge at Khongma The Building with the Bedrooms at Hotel View Point & Lodge at Khongma Dobato's Tea House There is 1 basic tea house at Dobato. There is a building with the kitchen, dining room and 5 bedrooms. There is only a sheet of corrugated iron separating the dining room from the bedroom area. As porters and guides often sleep in the dining room their noise can be heard clearly in the 2 bedrooms next to the dining room wall. The other 3 bedrooms would be quieter but they are smaller. There are also some bedrooms in a stone building which would probably be quieter. On my way down from Makalu Base Camp I stayed at this tea house for the second time. The snow on the steps to the dining room hadn't been cleared and had turned to ice. I fell badly and it took a month for my arm to fully recover. Be very careful when it is icy. On the way up my stay at Dobato cost R2,600 ($20). On the way to Dobato I had noodles and coffee at Shipton La for R600 ($4.50) and paid R2,300 ($17.50) for my stay at Dobato. The Dining Room of the Tea House in Dobato My bedroom at the Tea House in Dobato. Yangle Kharka's Tea House This basic tea house is in a very pleasant and scenic setting. I slept in a separate building with 3 bedrooms when I stayed there on the way up to Makalu Base Camp. This building is on the right in the photo. The main building has the kitchen, dining room and about 8 other bedrooms. They were "renovating" those bedrooms on my way up and I slept in 1 of them on the way down from Makalu Base Camp. I preferred the bedrooms in the separate building as they were quieter. The dining room isn't laid out well as the benches are too far from the fire and can't be moved closer. There is a television in the dining room and on the way down a lot of construction workers had their meals in the dining room and watched the television. I don't like television when trekking. My bill on the way up at Yangle Kharha was R2,000 ($15). Dal Bhat cost R500 ($4) and the room was also R500. I also paid R350 ($3) the previous day for a large bowl of vegetable noodles and a cup of hot tea at Pematang. My bill on the way down from Makalu Base Camp was R1,500 ($11.50). The Tea House at Yangle Kharka My bedroom in Yangle Kharka The Temple at Yangle Kharka Langmale Kharka's Tea House There are 6 bedrooms in a separate building which is on the left in the photo. There is another building with the kitchen and an unheated dining area. A third building has a dining room with a fire and perhaps some additional bedrooms. Be very wary of sitting in the very smoky kitchen. I sat for several hours in the freezing dining room to avoid the smoke. It was a good decision as my porter/guide sat in the kitchen and developed a terrible cough. The owner and his daughter were running the tea house. The owner also has the best tea house at Makalu Base Camp. In the latter part of November the people running the Makalu Base Camp tea house go back down. If trekkers want to stay at Makalu Base Camp the owner will go and open it up. I paid R3,400 ($26) for my stay. The room cost R600 ($4.50) and the dal Bhat also cost R600. I had a lot of hot drinks and lunch there. The Tea House in Langmale Kharka My bedroom at the Tea House in Langmale Kharka The Heated Dining Room at the Tea House in Langmale Kharka The Unheated Dining Room at the Tea House in Langmale Kharka Makalu Base Camp's Tea Houses I stayed 3 nights at the Yak Hotel and Lodge at Makalu Base Camp. Apparently there are 3 other tea houses but the one I stayed in is the largest and best. The main building has a dining room, a kitchen and a few bedrooms. The dining room is very pleasant as it is spacious and there are a lot of windows letting in the light and warmth from the sun. There are comfortable plastic chairs. There is another building with about 5 bedrooms (on the left in the photo). I stayed in one of these bedrooms and it was fine. There were plenty of duvets and they are needed as it is cold at night. The water in the dining room was frozen in the mornings and I paid for hot water. The trekker I met on the trek filled his bottle from a nearby river. The outside toilet also froze at night which wasn't so pleasant. I paid R10,200 ($78) for my 3 night stay. This included filling my 2 bottles with hot water each morning. The Yak Hotel & Lodge at Makalu Base Camp The Dining Room at Makalu Base Camp My Bedroom at Makalu Base Camp 10. Things to Consider Taking 10.1 Microspikes I took Kahtoola microspikes and used them several times on the icy middle section of the trek. Unfortunately the surface of the trail constantly alternated between ice and bare rock. It was a hassle putting them on and taking them off. Kahtoola micospikes are of a very good quality and I didn't always remove them when walking on short sections of rock. Much cheaper microspikes can be purchased in Kathmandu but they are less durable. I recommend taking microspikes but the locals and some trekkers manage without them. The German trekker I met didn't use microspikes or trekking poles. I needed both! 10.2 Steripen or Water Filter You can't buy bottled water after the initial section of the trek and hot water can be expensive. You therefore need to have some method of purifying the water. I always use a Steripen and it takes a minute to sterilise one litre of water. Other options are: A Life Straw Bottle Sterilising Tablets Water Filters. I don't recommend the popular Sawyer water filter as its seal must not freeze. 10.3 Power Bank and Solar Charger Above Tashigaon I believe you cannot charge electrical devices at any of the tea houses. I took a 3 panel solar charger and a couple of power banks. 10.4 Tent I took a tent in case the tea houses on the Makalu Base Camp trek were full or there was a problem with rodents in the rooms. I also didn't want to share a room if the tea houses were busy. My agency was in favour of me taking a tent as one of their clients had been unable to obtain a room at Khongma and had to hike on to the tea house at Shipton La. As it turned out the tea houses weren't busy when I did the Makalu Base Camp trek in mid November. However, I passed more trekkers coming down the trail and had only just missed the peak season. Mice weren't much of a problem. There were only mice in the ceiling of my room at Tashigaon and I had one mouse in my room at Khongma I slept in my tent at Tashigaon as there was a good camping area and I was concerned about mice in the tea house. There were no mice but it was a good decision as my porter/guide was sick and disturbed the trekker I had met at the start of the trek. This other trekker had also brought his own tent but unlike me he was carrying it! When he reached Yangle Kharka he left it there until the return journey as it was too heavy and he wasn't using it. Apparently a lot of independent trekkers end up doing this. There is often snow on the ground a Khongma and Dobato. I met some people who were doing a camping trek but stayed in the tea houses there because of the snow. Despite what I have said above I think it is advisable to take a tent if you are trekking in the peak season of October and early November. There are less trekkers in Spring but there are a lot of climbers. The climbers might camp rather than stay in the tea houses but taking a tent might be advisable. 10.5 Warm Sleeping Bag There are blankets and duvets at all the tea houses on the Makalu Base Camp trek and you could have more than one if they aren't busy. In winter it is still advisable to bring a warm sleeping room as it gets very cold at night and the walls of the rooms are constructed from sheets of corrugated iron. I was lent a North Face -40 centigrade sleeping bag that had been used on an Everest expedition. That was over the top but in winter it would be best to bring a sleeping bag with a rating of around -20 C. That might sound excessive but sleeping bag temperature ratings are often misleading. Just before the Makalu Base Camp trek I was trekking in Lower Dolpo. My Rab -13 centigrade sleeping bag was insufficient for temperatures of - 7 centigrade despite wearing numerous layers of clothing. 10.6 Tea Bags & Coffee If you are on a tight budget bring some tea bags, coffee and a spoon. Hot water is much cheaper than cups of tea and coffee. I had a lot of hot drinks due to the cold and miserable weather in the middle section of the Makalu Base Camp trek. 10.7 Boots It is very likely that there will be snow on the ground during the middle section of the Makalu Base Camp trek. Therefore boots are much better than trainers. 10.8 Snacks & Toilet Paper The food on the Makalu Base Camp trek is as basic as the tea houses! You can buy biscuits, chocolate bars and toilet paper at the tea houses but they are expensive higher up the trail. If weight isn't an issue it is best to bring a supply from Kathmandu or Khandbari.

The View from Renjo La Contents Tripadvisor Posts Vlogs Webcam Nepal Live (Lukla, Namche, Khumjung & Pheriche) Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs 1. Tripadvisor Posts for the Everest Base Camp Trek My blogs on trekking in the Everest Region are based on my trek to Everest Base Camp in May 2014 and the Everest 3 Passes trek in May 2022. See my blog Trip Report for the Everest 3 Passes Trek . I am also an active participant on the Tripadvisor forum for Nepal. I follow this forum every day and obtain a lot of useful and up to date information. I have included some of this information in my blogs. It can be difficult to find relevant and useful trip reports on the Tripadvisor forum later on. I have therefore listed below some of the best trip reports regarding the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks. For easy reference the headings are linked to the posts on Tripadvisor. Some of the posts have over 300 threads and in such instances I have provided a summary of the most relevant and helpful postings. 1.1 Warning: Heavy Smoke Across Nepal This 2024 post highlights the problem from wild fires and pollution in Nepal during Spring. This wasn't the first year that it has happened but Spring of 2024 was particularly bad. Internal flights in Nepal were cancelled and this included flights to Lukla for trekkers doing the Everest Base Camp trek. Views on the Everest Base Camp trek were affected by the pollution particularly at lower altitude. The wild fires were put out by rain on 6th May 2024. In the past the pollution from wild fires hasn't been a problem from about this date. See my blog When to do the Everest Base Camp Trek . 1.2 How My Guide Almost Killed Me on the Everest 3 Passes Trek This Thorntree trip report about the Everest 3 Passes trek was written by a Canadian lady in 2014. She had a bad guide and they got lost in poor weather when crossing the Ngozumpa glacier near Gokyo. They spent the night on the Ngozumpa glacier and she suffered frost bite as a result. It is a fascinating trip report and highlights the risk in crossing the 2 glaciers on the Everest 3 Passes trek. In May 2022 I met several trekkers who had got lost on the Khumbu glacier after crossing the Kongma La. Luckily the weather was clear and warm. See my blog Guides, Porters & Trekking Agencies in Nepal . 1.3 Trekking in Nepal after April 1st 2023 - Live Reports The Nepal Tourist Board unsuccessfully tried to ban independent trekking in Nepal from April 2023. This post provides up to date information on this matter. 1.4 A Walk in the Khumbu in October/November 2021 This is a very interesting, and informative, trip report for the Everest 3 Passes trek from a German trekker (aka Dharma Bum) who travels very lightly. He walks to Everest Base Camp from Dhap and does the Everest 3 passes trek. His backpack weighed 4.26 kgs ! He didn't take a sleeping bag even though he did the Everest 3 Passes trek in November. He used the lodges' not so clean blankets and duvets. He is a fast trekker so take that into account when he mentions trekking times. Before the trek he asked Tripadvisor forum members to critique his proposed itinerary for his Everest 3 Passes trek. After the trek he posted trip reports for his 29 day trek. It ends up being a very long thread with 192 posts from himself and other trekkers, many of whom know the Everest 3 Passes and Base Camp treks very well. If you just want to read his trips reports these are the relevant links: Post 114 - Day 1 (Dhap) to Day 3 (Junbesi) Post 118 - Day 4 (Junbesi) to Day 8 (Namche Bazaar) Post 125 - Day 9 (Namche Bazaar) to Day 12 (Pangboche) Post 136 - Day 13 (Dingboche) to Day 16 (Lobuche) Post 140 - Day 17 (Pangboche) to Day 21 (Gokyo) Post 144 - Day 22 (Gokyo) to Day 27 (Namche Bazaar) Post 153 - Day 28 (Namche Bazaar) to Day 29 (Lukla) 1.5 Live report: Everest Base Camp Three Passes Trek in Spring 2022 An entertaining, informative and well written live trip report on the Everest 3 Passes trek from an American (Ling) based in Thailand. He has done the Everest 3 passes trek numerous times but until now always in the winter months. His Everest 3 Passes trek started on 30th March 2022 when the number of trekkers was fairly low due to Covid. There are 302 posts in this thread due to all the feedback from Tripadvisor forum members! Post 1 - Day 1: Flight to Lukla & trek to Namche Bazaar Post 21 - Day 2: "Rest day" in Namche and his day hike to Mong and Khumjung. Post 29 - Day 3: Namche Bazaar to Phortse Post 117 - Day 4: Phortse to Dingboche Post 148 - Day 5: Dingboche to Chukhung Post 170 - Day 6: "Rest day" in Chukhung Post 175 - Day 7: Chukhung to Lobuche via Kongma La Pass Post 180 - Day 8: Lobuche to Dzonglha Post 198 - Day 9: Dzonglha to Gokyo via the Cho La Pass Post 211 - Days 10 & 11: "Rest days" in Gokyo Post 232 - Day 12: Day hike from Gokyo to Renjo La Pass Post 256 - Day 13: Rest day in Gokyo Post 272 - Day 14: Gokyo to Namche Bazaar via Renjo La Pass Post 292 - Days 15–18: 3 Rest days in Namche Bazaar & the walk back to Lukla 1.6 Liveish Report: EBC Three Passes Trek December 2022 Another Everest 3 Passes trip report by Ling! Post 7 - Day 1: Kathmandu to Namche Bazaar Post 9 - Day 2: Rest day around Namche Bazaar Post 24 - Day 3: Namche Bazaar to Phortse Post 41 - Day 4: Phortse to Dingboche Post 53 - Day 5: Dingboche to Chukhung Post 58 - Day 6: "Rest day" in Chukhung with a stroll up Chukhung Ri Post 69 - Day 7: Chukhung to Lobuche via the Kongma La Pass Post 77 - Day 8: Lobuche to Dzonglha Post 81 - Day 9: Dzongla – Cho La Pass - Dragnag Post 96 - Day 10: Dragnag to Gokyo & Climb up Gokyo Ri Post 111 - Day 11: Hike to Gokyo Fifth Lake & Scoundrel's Viewpoint Post 132 - Day 12: Gokyo to Thame via the Renjo La Pass 1.7 Another Khumbu Report, off the beaten paths - October 2022 A trip report for an extremely exploratory trek in the Everest/Khumbu region. A lot of what he did is beyond the capability of the average trekker. That definitely includes me! The posts of interest to the ordinary trekker, looking to do side trips during the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks, are: Post 13 - The trail southwards of Thame that climbs up to Kongde and then descends to Toktok. Post 17 - Sunder Peak (5,368 metres) north west of Thame Post 33 - Lodges at Thyangbo (4,320 metres) on the way from Thame to Tashi Lasbsta 1.8 A Side Trail with Great Views between Lobuche and Gorak Shep Post 142 provides details of a very scenic route that runs from the Pyramid Lodge (north of Lobuche) towards Gorak Shep. It runs above, and parallel to the main Everest Base Camp trail. The trail is very scenic and not difficult. It is also possible to walk westwards from this path up a grassy slope to about 5,300 metres. 1.9 Daily Meal & Beverage Costs for the EBC 3 Passes Trek & trek in from Jiri Post 4 is by Ling again and he details all the daily meal and beverage costs he incurred during his December 2021 Everest 3 passes trek. Costs will have increased since then! 1.10 Pikey Peak on the way to the EBC Trek - where to sleep & eat? This Tripadvisor forum post provides pre Covid information on the trek from Dhap to Namche Bazaar. It is a thread of 20 posts with contributions from some trekkers who have hiked a lot in Nepal. 1.11 Dhap to Pikey Peak Trek Questions Another more recent Tripadvisor forum post on the Pikey Peak trek from early 2022. It is a thread of 59 posts. 1.12 Dharma Bum’s Recipe for Happiness: Boudhanath This post provides a lot of information on accommodation, restaurants and what to see at Boudhanath. 1.13 Back for more cake: Everest Three Passes Trek deep thoughts A trip report for Ling's Everest 3 passes trek in December 2023. In post 138 (written on 4 January 2024) he recounts his near fatal fall while crossing the Ngozumpa glacier near Gokyo! 1.14 Dharma Bum's Guide to Paths Less Travelled: Khumbu Edition   Information about alternative trails and day hikes when doing the Everest 3 passes and Everest Base Camp treks. 1.15 First Half of November Crowds on the Everest Base Camp Trek This post provides information about the number of trekkers doing the Everest Base Camp trek in the first half of November 2024. Surprisingly it didn't appear too busy as usually it is a very popular and busy period. See my blog When to do the Everest Base Camp Trek . 2. Vlogs There are quite a few interesting vlogs covering the Everest 3 passes and Everest Base Camp treks. Watching one or two will give you a feel for the scenery and what to expect. I find that they usually provide little factual information and are not that useful for planning the Everest Base Camp trek. I have provided links to a few of the better English speaking ones. 2.1 Everest Three Passes Trek This is a vlog by an Australian couple who were driving from Australia to Europe. They drove from Kathmandu to Salleri in their vehicle and then did the Everest 3 Passes trek in 21 days. They were later arrested and imprisoned for almost 3 months in Iran for flying a drone! 2.2 Motor Bike to Bupsa & then the Everest Base Camp Trek This is a video by a Nepalese couple who ride a motorbike from Kathmandu to Tham Danda, which is north of Bupsa. It gives a good idea of the road if you want to drive in rather than fly to Lukla. The road appears better than I thought it would be, but after rain it would probably be a mess. After walking to Namche Bazaar they take the standard route to Everest Base Camp. The only thing I didn't like was that they took a helicopter back from Gorak Shep. 2.3 Gokyo Trek (Part 1) - Lukla to Ama Dablam Base Camp The trekker is German so there is also a German version of this vlog. It covers the first part of his trek to Gokyo. He first hiked to Ama Dablam Base Camp to acclimatize. 2.4 Gokyo Trek (Part 2) - Pangboche to Gokyo This video is of his trek up the Gokyo Valley to Gokyo and then back to Namche via the Renjo La and Thame. 3. Webcam Live Nepal This YouTube site has links to several webcams set up along the trail for the Everest Base Camp trek. There are webcams at Lukla airport, Namche Bazaar, the Everest View Hotel above Namche Bazaar, Khumjung and Pheriche. This is very useful when you are sitting at Kathmandu or Ramechhap airport wondering if the weather will improve in Lukla so your flight can take off! 4. Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek Day Hikes on the Everest Base Camp Trek Lodges and Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek When to trek to Everest Base Camp What to take for the Everest Base Camp Trek Kathmandu to Lukla and Back Guides, Porters and Trekking Agencies

A View of the Danube and Novi Sad from the Petrovaradin Fortress Contents Introduction Novi Sad Sremski Karlovci Accommodation in Novi Sad My Other Blogs on Serbia 1. Introduction We drove from England to Greece and we stopped for 3 nights in Novi Sad on the way down. We had a bad introduction to Serbia at the border! There was a long queue and it took an hour to get through passport control. We then had to buy third party car insurance. This took 45 minutes as the insurance agent was uncertain of the procedure. He had to phone for advice several times. He became agitated and it didn't help that he couldn't speak English. When he finally finished he informed us that the cost was Eur 215! We queried it but the amount in Serbian Dinar was on the car insurance document. There was nothing we could do but pay. The maximum we paid for car insurance in any of the other non EU countries, like Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia, was Eur 50. We were puzzled that no one else was buying 3rd party car insurance at the border. I later discovered that the EU, Norway, Switzerland and even Iceland have an agreement with Serbia. Drivers from those countries don't need to buy car insurance. We weren't that impressed with Serbia and there doesn't seem to be many interesting sights to see. We had intended to drive from Novi Sad to Subotica for a day trip but we changed our mind. Parking is apparently difficult and apart from a few nice buildings it didn't seem worth the effort. Unfortunately some travel guides and books rave about places that aren't special. They promote them with a couple of pictures of the only things worth seeing. In the end we spent our 2 full days in Serbia looking around Novi Sad and Sremski Karlovci. One full day would have been more than sufficient. See my blogs Venice to Serbia - Week 2 and Serbia to North Macedonia - Week 3 for an account of our drive to and from Novi Sad in Serbia. 2. Novi Sad 2.1. Novi Sad's Promenade along the Danube Novi Sad is Serbia's 2nd largest city. It sits on the west bank of the Danube and has a very pleasant promenade running from the Reljkoviceva bridge in the north to the Strand in the south. The Strand has beaches and grassy parkland on the bank of the Danube. It is a very popular area in summer but it was deserted at the beginning of May. The Strand at Novi Sad 2.2. The Petrovaradin Fortress The main attraction when visiting Novi Sad is Petrovaradin Fortress. As its name suggests it isn't actually in Novi Sad but in Petrovaradin. Petrovaradin is on the opposite bank of the Danube and faces towards Novi Sad. To reach Petrovaradin Fortress from Novi Sad cross the Danube on the Varadin bridge and then walk towards the right, up to the Petrovaradin fortress. Entrance is free but there is a charge for the museum. We tried to visit the tunnels below the castle but you have to join a tour. Unfortunately there weren't any tours when we were there. The main thing to do is to walk around Petrovaradin Fortress's walls and enjoy the views. Once you have reached the fortress you need about half an hour to see it. There are toilets for a small fee. Petrovaradin Fortress Petrovaradin Fortress 2.3. Novi Sad's City Centre The historic buildings in the Novi Sad's centre can be seen in a couple of hours. The buildings aren't that old as most of Novi Sad was destroyed in 1848 by Hungarian troops. Novi Sad is a pleasant city but it really only warrants a 1 night stopover, unless you use Novi Sad as a base to see Belgrade and Subotica. I doubt whether either of those places are really worth visiting. The City Hall in Novi Sad The Backa Bishop's Palace in Novi Sad The Interior of the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Novi Sad The Roman Catholic Cathedral in Novi Sad The Name of Mary Catholic Church in Novi Sad A Street in Novi Sad 3. Sremski Karlovci 3.1. How to Get There Bus numbers 61 and 62 regularly run between Novi Sad and Sremski Karlovci. The journey takes about 20 minutes and only costs the equivalent of Eur 1 each way. We took the bus from the main street in Novi Sad named Bulevar Mihajla Pupina near the Varadin bridge. It can also be boarded at Novi Sad's bus station. 3.2. What to See The Bradt Guide says that Sremski Karlovci is a small historic town and one of the most attractive in all of Serbia thanks to its unspoiled character and wealth of handsome Hasburg-period architecture. The centre of Sremski Karlovci has some attractive buildings but it is a small area and it doesn't take long to see. There are 3 small museums . My photos show most of the sights. You can see everything, excluding the museums, in about half an hour. Sremski Karlovci is a quiet town with very few restaurants and cafes. It certainly isn't touristy and there were no other visitors. Most of the historic buildings are around the main square (Trg Branka Radicevica) and date back to the 18th and early 19th century. The Stefaneum in Sremski Karlovci The Bishop's Palace in Sremski Karlovci The Gymnasium of Karlovci in Sremski Karlovci St. Nicholas Cathedral in Sremski Karlovci 4. Accommodation in Novi Sad We booked a very spacious 2 bedroom apartment in Novi Sad through Booking.com for only Euro 45 per night. It was very central and on the bank of the Danube. It was excellent value but it needed repainting and felt neglected. It was in communist era apartment block which didn't give a good first impression. A review of this apartment is on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1 " (number 9). 5 . My Other Blogs on Serbia Venice to Serbia - Week 2 Serbia to North Macedonia - Week 3

A map showing the day hikes on the Langtang trek I did the Langtang trek in late November with a porter/guide. The best part of the trek for me were the excellent day hikes from Kyanjin Gompa. Click here to read my other blogs about the Langtang trek. Contents Introduction Langtang Lirung Base Camp Lirung Glacier Viewpoint Kyanjin Ri Yala Peak Base Camp Tserko Ri Numthang & Langshisha Ganja La Pass Other Langtang, Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek Blogs 1. Introduction to Day Hikes on the Langtang Trek The Langtang trek is very short. The first half of the trek is through forest at the bottom of a steep valley. Good mountain views are only to be found on the upper section of the hike between Thangsyap and Kyanjin Gompa. The trail is very popular with foreign and Nepali trekkers. As the Langtang trek isn't a circuit the same trail is used for ascent and descent thus effectively doubling the number of trekkers on the trail. You can probably gather that I am not that enthusiastic about the hike from Syabrubesi to Kyanjin Gompa! What I did like were the fantastic day hikes from Kyanjin Gompa. Many trekkers arrive in Kyanjin Gompa poorly acclimatised and struggle up Kyanjin Ri or Tserko Ri the following day. They then quickly hike back to Syabrubesi or onto Gosaikunda. As a result they miss out on most of the best parts of the Langtang trek. I recommend spending 4 full days at Kyanjin Gompa doing day hikes and enjoying the incredible scenery. Staying at Kyanjin Gompa isn't a hardship as there are good hotels with attached bathrooms. There are also several bakeries and a cheesery. I recommend the following at Kyanjin Gompa: Day of arrival - The short hike to the Lirung glacier viewpoint (4,161 metres). 1st day - The "flat" hike to Numthang (3,940 metres). If you are fit continue to Langshisha Kharka (4,125 metres). 2nd day - The hike to Langtang Lirung Base Camp (4,407 metres). 3rd day - Kyanjin Ri (4,596 metres). 4th day - Yala Peak Base Camp and/or Tserko Ri (4,984 metres). If you only go to Tserko Ri on the final day you could start the descent back down to Syabrubesi the same day. 2. Langtang Lirung Base Camp The hike to Lantang Lirung Base Camp is very scenic. The Langtang Lirung base camp is at an altitude of 4,407 metres which is almost 600 metres higher than Kyanjin Gompa. However, the ascent is gradual and the terrain is fairly easy. There is a sign in Kyanjin Gompa pointing the way to Langtang Lirung Base Camp. The trail is easy to follow but the actual location of the base camp isn't clear. You follow the lateral moraine as far as you can easily go and the last flat and grassy area is the base camp. The entire hike took 5.5 hours which included a stop for lunch and time spent enjoying the views at both the shrine and the base camp. Few trekkers doing the Langtang trek go to the Langtang Lirung base camp. They miss out on a fantastic hike. First section of the trek to Langtang Lirung Base Camp First section of the trek to Langtang Lirung Base Camp First section of the trek to Langtang Lirung Base Camp First section of the trek to Langtang Lirung Base Camp First section of the trek to Langtang Lirung Base Camp Shrine in the middle section of the trek View of the Langtang Lirung Glacier from above the Shrine View of the Langtang Lirung Glacier from above the Shrine. View from the Langtang Lirung Base Camp View from the Langtang Lirung Base Camp View of Kyanjin Gompa at the end of the trek 3. Lirung Glacier Viewpoint This is a short hike that I did on the day I arrived at Kyanjin Gompa. It took 1 hour to reach the viewpoint which is at an altitude of 4,161 metres, a 330 metre ascent from Kyanjin Gompa. I enjoyed the hike even though the scenery wasn't as spectacular as on the 3 other day hikes that I did during my Langtang trek ( see my trip report ). View of the Langtang Lirung glacier while walking to viewpoint Glacier Viewpoint View when walking back to Kyanjin Gompa 4. Kyanjin Ri The main summit of Kyanjin Ri is at an altitude of 4,596 metres but there is also a lower summit at an altitude of 4,324 metres. There are several posts on the internet incorrectly stating that the higher summit is at an altitude of 4,770 metres. My map identified the lower peak as Kyanjin Ri and the upper peak as Menchhyasma Ri. I haven't seen the name Menchhyasma Ri mentioned anywhere else. I was already acclimatised, having done the Kanchenjunga trek, which made a big difference. I passed all the other young, but unacclimatised, trekkers and reached the lower summit of Kyanjin Ri in about 1 hour. It took less than an hour to hike to the main summit. The views from the lower summit were fantastic, those from the upper summit were slightly better. Jiwan and I had both peaks to ourselves and I enjoyed the views and the tranquility. I wasn't looking forward to the descent as I thought we had to return the way that we had come up. It had been fine walking up but it looked steep and slippery for descending. I was therefore pleased when Jiwan told me that we could descend along a different route. It involved continuing along the summit ridge for a short while before gradually descending. It was an easy path and it took 1.5 hours to return to Kyanjin Gompa. View of Kyanjin Gompa on the way up View from the Lower Summit of Kyanjin Ri View from the Lower Summit of Kyanjin Ri View from the Lower Summit of Kyanjin Ri The Lower Summit of Kyanjin Ri View from the Lower Summit of Kyanjin Ri Upper Summit of Kyanjin Ri The start of the downward path from the upper summit of Kyanjin Ri 5. Yala Peak Base Camp Very few trekkers do this hike so my guide and I had the trail to ourselves. Usually only those intending to climb Yala Peak (5,500 metres) would go to Yala Peak Base Camp. Initially the route from Kyanjin Gompa follows the path to Tserko Ri. The path crosses a river and then steeply ascends towards Tserko Ri. After half an hour there is a fork in the path and the route to Yala Peak Base Camp goes to the right. There is a sign at the junction pointing to Yala Kharka which is on the way to the base camp. From the junction the trail traverses eastwards along the mountain side. It gradually ascends following the northern mountain side of the Langtang Khola. The path traverses open countryside and there are very good views all the way. It took us 2 hours 45 minutes to reach Yala Kharka where there are several stone shelters for yak herders. We had our packed lunches there as it was sheltered from the wind. There were excellent mountain views. From Yala Kharka it was another 45 minutes to Yala Peak Base Camp. We wouldn't have known it was the base camp but for 2 Thai climbers camping there. We could see Tserko Ri from the base camp and the climbers' guide said it would take about 40 minutes to walk there. My map shows that there is a path from the base camp to Tserko Ri but I cannot remember if there was actually a proper trail. However, the grassy terrain between the base camp and Tserko Ri looked very easy to traverse. We decided to walk a bit further up towards the north to enjoy the views. We slowly walked for another half an hour until we reached an altitude of 4,914 metres. There wasn't a path but the terrain was grassy and easy to cross. The scenery and solitude was fantastic. We then walked for 45 minutes over the grassy terrain to Tserko Ri. My Garmin Inreach Mini registered an altitude of 4,984 metres at the summit. The views were even better but there were about 20 other people. Photos of the summit views are in the next section on Tserko Ri . We reached the summit at 12.45 and were fortunate that there was little wind and the sky was clear. We stayed about an hour at the summit and by the time we left we were the last people there. There are 2 ways to descend. The route most people use for the ascent is on the western side of Tserko Ri. This is a steep route and can be slippery going down. There is a longer and less steep route on the southern side and a lot of trekkers descend that way. We took the longer southern route back to Kyanjin Gompa. After a while it joined the path that we had taken in the morning. It took 2 hours and 20 minutes to walk back. In hindsight I wish we had taken the more direct western path back to Kyanjin Gompa. It would have been quicker and the scenery would have been different. It was a long 8.5 hour day but an excellent hike. It is a more interesting way of getting to the top of Tserko Ri and the ascent is more gradual. It is also likely that there will be no other trekkers on this route whereas the usual route up Tserko Ri is popular. First section of the hike to Yala Kharka and Yala Base Camp First section of the hike to Yala Kharka and Yala Base Camp The first section of the hike to Yala Kharka and Yala Base Camp The middle section of the hike to Yala Kharka and Yala Base Camp The middle section of the hike to Yala Kharka and Yala Base Camp. Yala Kharka View from Yala Kharka View from Yala Kharka View from Yala Kharka Getting close to Yala Peak Base Camp Yala Peak Base Camp Views from the plateau above Yala Peak Base Camp Views from the plateau above Yala Peak Base Camp Views from the plateau above Yala Peak Base Camp Views from the plateau above Yala Peak Base Camp 6. Tserko Ri The summit of Tserko Ri (4,984 metres) is often the main objective of the Langtang trek. Unfortunately many trekkers aren't properly acclimatised and attempt it after only 1 night at Kyanjin Gompa. As a result trekkers often struggle with the altitude and the 1,150 metre ascent from Kyanjin Gompa. The internet states that the hike can take up to 8 hours. Most trekkers should be able to do it much faster than that unless there is snow on the ground. As mentioned in section 6 I hiked up the eastern side of Tserko Ri from Yala Base Camp. I haven't hiked on the normal route up which is on the western side of Tserko Ri. I hiked back down from Tserko Ri to Kyanjin Gompa on the easier, and longer, southern route. It wasn't shown on my map for the Langtang trek but was used for the descent by most of the trekkers when I was there. It took 2 hours and 20 minutes to descend on this southern route. It would be quicker to descend back down the western side but it would be steep and possibly slippery. It is definitely worth the effort to hike up Tserko Ri as the views are amazing. The views are different and more extensive than those from Kyanjin Ri. It is therefore worth hiking up both peaks. View from the top of Tserko Ri View from the top of Tserko Ri View from the top of Tserko Ri View from the top of Tserko Ri View from the top of Tserko Ri View from the top of Tserko Ri 7. Numthang & Langshisha Kharka The trail from Kyanjin Gompa to Langshisha Kharka (4,125 metres) follows the Langtang Khola eastwards. It is an easy trail as it only ascends 110 metres to Numthang and then ascends another 185 metres to Langshisha Kharka. Not many trekkers do this hike and those that do often turn back at Numthang (3,940 metres). Langisha Kharka is at least another hour further on and you have to cross a moraine. I believe the hike would take around 8 hours. It would be a very good acclimatisation hike for the first day at Kyanjin Gompa. When I hiked to Yala Peak Base Camp the trail was high above the trail to Namthang. It gave me the impression that the trail to Numthang wouldn't have good views as it was at the bottom of a steep valley. As I only had one day left in Kyanjin I hiked to Langtang Lirung Base Camp instead. I have since seen photos of the hike to Numthang and there are excellent mountain views. The valley may not receive much sun though. I now wish I had had an extra day for the Langtang trek so I could have done this hike. 8. Ganja La Pass This pass is to the south of Kyanjin Gompa and crosses over to Helambu. The pass is rarely used by trekkers as it can be dangerous and involves camping. It would be safe to walk towards the pass as a day trip. My guide had crossed the Ganja La and pointed out the route to me. The route went through forested areas and it appeared there wouldn't be good views for much of the route. The route can be difficult to follow and you would need a guide who knows the route. I didn't do this day hike as I only had 3 full days in Kyanjin Gompa and the other day hikes are much better in my opinion. 9. Other Langtang, Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek Blogs Planning the Langtang Trek Langtang Trek - Trip Report Planning the Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek Gosainkunda & Helambu Trip Report

A map showing the route of my Langtang trek I did the Langtang trek in late November 2023 with a porter/guide and this is my daily trip report. Click here to read my other blogs about the Langtang trek. Contents Introduction 21 November 2023 - Kathmandu to Sherpagaon 22 November 2023 - Sherpagaon to Gumba Danda 23 November 2023 - Gumba Danda to Kyanjin Gompa 24 November 2023 - Hike up Kyanjin Gompa 25 November 2023 - Yala Peak Base Camp & Tserko Ri 26 November 2023 - Langtang Lirung Base Camp & down to Mundu 27 November 2023 - Mundu to Pairo 28 November 2023 - Start of the Gosainkunda & Helambu Treks Links to my other Blogs on the Langtang, Gosainkundu & Helambu Trek s Introduction I flew from the UK to Kathmandu on 25 October 2023 and did the excellent Kanchenjunga trek  from 29 October to 18 November with a porter/guide from Enjoy Nepal Treks . I then had 3 nights in Kathmandu to wash clothes and relax before starting the Langtang, Gosainkunda and Helambu treks  on 21 November. I continued trekking with the same porter/guide but he hurt his leg on the second day and Enjoy Nepal Treks sent a replacement porter/guide. I had excellent weather on the Kanchenjunga trek and this continued for the Langtang trek. In Gosainkunda there were a couple of days when the weather wasn't as good and we had half an inch of snow one afternoon. After that the weather was perfect again. Even though it wasn't peak season I found the trail on the Langtang trek too busy for my liking. The first section of the trek was too forested thus obscuring the views but after that it was scenic. What I really enjoyed were the excellent day hikes around Kyanjin Gompa . There are at least 4 excellent day hikes so it is worth staying 4 or 5 nights at Kyanjin Gompa. In my opinion the Langtang trek is only worthwhile if you do several of these day hikes. I spent 7 days doing the Langtang trek and then another 7 days on the Gosainkunda and Helambu treks. The Langtang trek is so short that it makes sense to continue trekking to Gosainkunda and Helambu while you are in the region. 21 November 2023 - Kathmandu to Sherpagaon I paid $180 for a private jeep to take Jiwan (my porter/guide) and myself from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi. We left at 05.00 to avoid the traffic congestion in the Kathmandu valley and arrived at Syabrubesi at 10.30. It isn't an attractive town and I am glad I didn't stay there. I took the upper trail of the Langtang trek to Sherpagaon. This meant I could avoid the busier and dilapidated tea houses on the first section of the lower main trail. The trail to Sherpagaon is steep and ascends 1,050 metres. The views weren’t as good as I had expected as the initial section was through forest. The scenery improved as we got closer to Sherpagaon. It took 5.5 hours to reach Sherpagaon and it was a tiring walk. There are a number of tea houses and I chose the Namaste Guest House where a very friendly Canadian couple were staying. It was a new guest house and I had a large room with a thick mattress and an attached bathroom for R500 ($4). A view on the way up to Sherpagaon View of Syabrubesi The high trail from Syabrubesi to Sherpagaon A view from the trail up to Sherpagaon Sign on the trail to Sherpagaon View from the village of Bhanjyang View from Sherpagaon 22 November 2023 - Sherpagaon to Gumba Danda Jiwan pulled a muscle in his leg when stepping up to get into his room after breakfast. Initially he could hardly move but he recovered enough to walk, although he was in pain. I normally followed him at a distance, but after a while I went ahead and waited for him when I reached a village.  It was a longer hike today but much easier than yesterday's 1,050 metre ascent. Initially we descended down to Rimche and then followed the river through the rain forest. We stopped for a quick lunch of dal bhat at the settlement of River Side.  Soon after leaving River Side we came across a troop of Langur monkeys in the forest. After a while the scenery opened up and there were good views of Langtang mountain. There were a lot of trekkers coming down the trail and most of them were Nepali. I hoped that it wouldn't be too busy when we reached Kyanjin Gompa tomorrow since not so many trekkers were going up. The Canadians at Sherpagaon had recommended the Langtang View Guest House in Gumba Danda, which is just before Langtang village. It took us 7.5 hours to get there including our lunch break. I had a good room, with a clean bathroom for once, for R1,000 ($7.50). It was very peaceful until 4 very noisy Nepali trekkers arrived. I moved out of the comfortable and very warm dining room to the less comfortable kitchen. Luckily they slept in a different building to me so it didn’t affect my sleep. View between Sherpagaon and Rimche View between Lama Hotel and River Side View between Lama Hotel and River Side View between River Side and Ghoratabela View between River Side and Ghoratabela View between Thyangsyap and Gumba Danda 23 November 2023 - Gumba Danda to Kyanjin Gompa It was quiet during the night and I slept well. The tea house is at an altitude of 3,400 metres and the temperature dropped to 4 degrees centigrade. Jiwan's leg seemed to have recovered but Enjoy Nepal Treks informed me last night that they would send another guide to replace him. The new guide would reach us in 2 days’ time. I felt very sorry for Jiwan. We set off at 07.45 and shortly after reached a landslide, triggered by the massive 2015 earthquake, that had wiped out Langtang Village. There is a memorial to all those killed but someone has painted over all the names and they are no longer legible. Trees on the other side of the valley were flattened by the blast of air from the landslide. A new trekking village has been built a few hundred metres away. Hopefully it is out of the path of any future landslides! The landscape was now open and the mountain scenery was impressive. Unfortunately there were more trekkers than I have ever encountered on previous treks in Nepal. The Langtang trek must be exceedingly busy in the high season. It took us 3.25 hours to reach Kyanjin Gompa (3,830 metres). Kyanjin Gompa was unlike any other trekking village I have seen as there are numerous modern 4 to 5 storey hotels. I looked at 3 hotels and decided to stay at the Buddha Inn. I had a room with an attached bathroom for R500 ($4). The official rate was R1,500 ($12) but it was off-season. There were only 4 other trekkers staying there but a Swiss group was due to arrive the next day. I was told that they were only staying 1 night so it wasn't a problem.. After lunch we hiked for an hour up to a 4,160 metre viewpoint that overlooks the Langtang Lirung glacier. When I returned I went to the well known Dorje’s bakery and had apple pie and a coffee. The coffee was good but the apple pie was disappointing. The 2015 landslide over Lantang Village The memorial to the people who died in the 2015 landslide at Langtang village The new Langtang village Scenery between Langtang village and Kyanjin Gompa Scenery between Langtang village and Kyanjin Gompa Scenery on the Langtang trek between Langtang village and Kyanjin Gompa Scenery between Langtang village and Kyanjin Gompa Scenery between Langtang village and Kyanjin Gompa Kyanjin Gompa 24 November 2023 - Hike up Kyanjin Gompa Jiwan and I started hiking at 07.45 and reached the lower summit of Kyanjin Ri (4,324 metres) an hour later. There were great views of Langtang Lirung (7,227 metres), Langtang 11 (6,596 metres) and many other mountains. ‌We continued hiking up and reached the upper summit of Kyanjin Ri (4,596 metres} 45 minutes later. As we hiked up the descent back down looked tricky. However, it turned out that there was an easier circular route back to Kyanjin Gompa. ‌The entire hike took 4 hours and I got back in time for a lunch of dal bhat. It was a relaxing afternoon and I had a hot shower in my bathroom. On the Kanchenjunga trek I didn't shower for 17 days and I didn't want a repeat of that! I went to Dorje’s bakery again and had another cake. It wasn’t any better than yesterday’s disappointing apple pie. The owner also annoyed me by playing an Indian movie with the volume on. I didn’t go back there again. A group of 7 Swiss female trekkers arrived in the afternoon. I found out they were staying 3 nights rather than the 1 night the lodge owner had told me. They were very noisy in the dining room but I decided not to go to the hassle of changing tea houses. My new guide (Niru) arrived in the late afternoon and I got on very well with him. I had met him very briefly on the Kanchenjunga trek that I had done just before this Langtang trek. He spoke English better than Jiwan and we had a good conversation about the Kanchenjunga trek. He was only 31 years old and is getting into mountaineering. View of Kyanjin Gompa on the way up View from the Lower Summit of Kyanjin Ri View from the Lower Summit of Kyanjin Ri View from the Lower Summit of Kyanjin Ri The Lower Summit of Kyanjin Ri View from the Lower Summit of Kyanjin Ri Upper Summit of Kyanjin Ri The start of the downward path from the upper summit of Kyanjin Ri 25 November 2023 - Yala Peak Base Camp & Tserko Ri The group of 7 Swiss women were getting up early to hike up Tserko Ri (4,984 metres) and were setting off at 06.00. I knew they would disturb me so I had an early night and then had breakfast at 06.30. I had planned to do an 8 hour hike to Numthang and Langshisha Kharka. It is a long hike along the Langtang Khola with only a little gain in altitude. The following day I intended to do the more difficult hike up Tserko Ri. Niru and I set out at 07.30 and after crossing a river, ascended the first section of the path up Tserko Ri. I could see a number of trekkers in front of us who were struggling up Tserko Ri due to the altitude. I had thought that the path to Numthang would be fairly level so I queried this steep ascent with Niru. He said that we would soon branch off from the path to Tserko Ri and the terrain would level off.  Thirty minutes after leaving the hotel we turned off the path to Tserko Ri. However, the path continued to slowly ascend along the mountainside which was very puzzling. I had little choice but to continue and see where the path would lead. The terrain was very open and there were excellent views along the valley and down to the Langtang Khola. We were following the Langtang Khola eastwards as planned but it certainly wasn’t a level path! We stopped at 10.30 by some derelict buildings and my Garmin Inreach showed that the elevation was about 4,700 metres. An ascent of 900 metres was not a flat path even by Nepali standards! We ate our packed lunches there as it was sheltered and there were excellent views. It was now a very scenic trail and eventually we reached the top of a ridge and I could see 2 tents. We assumed it was Numthang which was our destination for the day.  We reached the tents at 11.30 and there were 2 Thai climbers and 3 Nepali camping there. They informed us that we had reached Yala Peak Base Camp and that Numthang was 900 metres below by the river! The derelict buildings where we had eaten our lunch was Yala Kharka. The good news was that we could see the summit of Tserko Ri and the climbers’ guide told us it would only take 40 minutes to get there. As the weather was still clear I opted to go to Tserko Ri as I didn't fancy another 1,100 metre ascent tomorrow. Niru was very apologetic but I was actually very happy with the improvised route. The scenery was fantastic and there were no other trekkers. It was a far better hike than the one I had planned. We decided not to go to Tserko Ri immediately as there was some fantastic scenery to the north. We ascended a ridge above the base camp and reached a grassy plain with absolutely stunning scenery. We walked slowly for another 30 minutes and got to an altitude of 4,914 metres. From there we walked across the grassy plain to Tserko Ri which is 4,984 metres high. There wasn't a path but the terrain was easy. We reached the summit at 12.40 and there were 20 to 30 other trekkers there. The weather was still perfect and none of the mountains were obscured by clouds. It wasn't cold and windy like it had been on Kyanjin Ri so we sat and enjoyed the views for about an hour. The other trekkers soon started to descend and we were the last people on the summit. All the trekkers were descending on a southerly route rather than returning on the steeper western route that they had ascended. We also took this southerly descent and after a while it joined the path that we had walked along in the morning. It took 2 hours and 20 minutes to descend back to Kyanjin Gompa on this route. I regretted not taking the shorter and steeper western route.  Just before we reached Kyanjin Gompa there was a junction with another path. We saw a sign that said it led to Langshisha Kharka which had been our original destination for the day! We hadn’t seen the sign as it wasn’t visible from the path we had been on. We had walked for 9 hours and about 16 miles. I was tired and cold by the time I reached the hotel. I took a couple of paracetamol and ordered a pot of ginger and lemon tea. Fortunately the Swiss women were much quieter that evening and it was very pleasant having dinner and relaxing in the dining room. First section of the hike to Yala Kharka and Yala Base Camp The first section of the hike to Yala Kharka and Yala Base Camp The middle section of the hike to Yala Kharka and Yala Base Camp The middle section of the hike to Yala Kharka and Yala Base Camp. Yala Kharka View from Yala Kharka View from Yala Kharka View from Yala Kharka Getting close to Yala Peak Base Camp Yala Peak Base Camp Views from the plateau above Yala Peak Base Camp Views from the plateau above Yala Peak Base Camp Views from the plateau above Yala Peak Base Camp Views from the plateau above Yala Peak Base Camp View from the top of Tserko Ri View from the top of Tserko Ri View from the top of Tserko Ri View from the top of Tserko Ri View from the top of Tserko Ri View from the top of Tserko Ri 26 November 2023 - Langtang Lirung Base Camp & descent to Mundu This was my final day at Kyanjin Gompa. I had a choice of hiking to Langtang Lirung Base Camp or to yesterday’s intended destination of Langshisha Kharka/Numthang. I decided to hike to Langtang Lirung Base Camp as I had already seen much of the scenery along the route to Langshisha Kharka during the previous day’s hike. After 1 hour and 20 minutes we reached a Buddhist shrine near the lateral moraine of the Langtang Lirung glacier. We went up to the top of the moraine and had excellent views southwards along the glacier to a lake named Chu Haa Tso.  Looking northwards up the glacier there were very good mountain views. We had to be careful at the top because of the vertical drop down to the glacier. We could hear rocks tumbling down while we were there. It took another 1 hour and 40 minutes to reach Lantang Lirung base camp, although that included numerous stops for photos and an early lunch. There wasn’t a sign indicating Langtang Lirung base camp’s location but it was the last flat grassy area by the moraine. There was a basic table made from stones there. The scenery was superb as the mountains surrounded, and towered above, the base camp. We climbed up the lateral moraine to get a good view of the Langtang Lirung glacier. The altitude was 4,407 metres and this was the highest point of the hike. This was almost 600 metres higher than Kyanjin Gompa. It took 1.5 hours to hike back to Kyanjin Gompa. There were no other trekkers on the trail. As it was only 13.30 I decided to check out of the guest house and start the return section of the Langtang trek. I had intended to hike to the guest house at Gumba Danda where the noisy Nepali trekkers had spoiled my stay on the way up. However, the owner of the Buddha Inn warned me that Gumba Danda was popular with Nepali trekkers and that it was likely to be noisy again. As a result we walked to the village of Mundu instead where there were 2 very good guest houses. We stayed in the first one which was the Golden Holiday’s Guest House. I had a very clean corner room with an attached bathroom.  The only other guest was a 50 year old South Korean who was carrying his own pack. He was suffering from altitude sickness and several times he said he was scared. It was only his second night on the Langtang trek and Mundu is at an altitude of 3,530 metres. He should have stayed a bit lower down for his second night. He told me that he wanted to hike to Kyanjin Gompa (3,830 metres) the next day and then hike up Tserko Ri (4,984 metres) the day after that! I advised him about altitude sickness and warned him not to go higher unless he felt better. He said he would make a decision the next morning. First section of the trek to Langtang Lirung Base Camp First section of the trek to Langtang Lirung Base Camp First section of the trek to Langtang Lirung Base Camp First section of the trek to Langtang Lirung Base Camp First section of the trek to Langtang Lirung Base Camp Shrine in the middle section of the trek View of the Langtang Lirung Glacier from above the Shrine View of the Langtang Lirung Glacier from above the Shrine. View from the Langtang Lirung Base Camp View from the Langtang Lirung Base Camp View of Kyanjin Gompa at the end of the trek 27 November 2023 - Mundu to Pairo It was a warm night and the temperature in my room only dropped to 10 degrees centigrade. I had to unzip my sleeping bag to cope with the heat! The South Korean still had a headache but said he would start hiking to Kyanjin Gompa later in the morning. He still intended to hike up Tserko Ri the next day as that was the main objective of his trek. I didn’t see him again but he would have struggled to hike up Tserko Ri. Niru and I left Mundu at 07.45. After the first 3 hours we were hiking through forest and there were minimal mountain views. At 12.30 we stopped for lunch at the settlement of Lama Hotel. After that we continued to Pairo (1,800 metres) which is the last settlement before the turn off for the trail to Gosainkunda.  The difference in altitude between Mundu and Pairo is 1,750 metres but we actually descended more than that as the trail was undulating. It took 7.75 hours to reach Pairo, including lunch. All the tea houses on this lower section of Langtang are very basic. There were 2 tea houses in Pairo and I chose the slightly less bad one! Initially I was the only guest at the tea house. However, while I was eating my meal I could see several lights coming up the trail.  Six Nepali trekkers had hiked in the dark and chose my tea house. My guide said they worked in the tourism industry and fortunately they were quiet. The Mani wall west of Mundu Scenery west of Ghoratabela Scenery at Chhunama Scenery at the village of Bamboo View from Pairo 28 November 2023 - Start of the Gosainkunda & Helambu Treks I had a good night's sleep and  we left Pairo at 07.45. Shortly afterwards there was a fork in the trail and we took the path southwards to Thulo Syabru and Gosainkunda. See my blog on the Gosainkunda and Helambu trek . Niru told me that it would have taken about 2 hours to hike from Pairo to Syabrubesi. Links to my other Blogs on the Langtang, Gosainkunda & Helambu Treks Planning the Langtang Trek Day Hikes on the Langtang Trek Planning the Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek Gosainkunda & Helambu Trip Report