23 Sep 2022 Himalaya Trip
Being an adventure-loving couple or exploring the Himalayas in Poon Hill Trek, we decided to experience a closer encounter with the mighty Himalayas in our vacation this year. Our holiday was cut off short due to some family functions, and we didn’t want to replace the idea so easily. Surfing the internet, we were lucky to find this four days trek of Poon Hill by Himalaya Trip. After some necessary questioning, they were prepared enough to run this trek on short notice. Wasting no time, my wife and I flew to Kathmandu with expectations of knowing the mountains better from home.
More than just the snow-capped mountains, the smiling locals and warm hospitality
Our drive to Nayapul from Pokhara was smooth, and we enjoyed the snacks in the way. The early drive led us to perfect weather to start our trek in Nayapul. The sudden shift in the lifestyle and settlements amazed me as we’ve entered rural Nepal after only 3 hours of walk to a suspension bridge. The trail moved straight up for some time, and I can remember my wife looking me with the classic ‘this was supposed to be easy’ look.
However, the stretch completed quickly giving us a bit more relaxed trail to Ulleri. Nearing the village we were going to stay for tonight, we witnessed the local farming techniques in the Nepalese hills. The kids were playing and adults returning after the routine field activities, but a thing common was a beautiful smile and a greeting to the soul going by ‘Namaste.’ With a beautiful sunset from Ulleri, we ended our first day of Poonhill trek in a lodge here.
So much more than the internet but surprises are always delightful
With a great sleep last night, we started day two of our trek with a light breakfast in our guesthouse. The view was outstanding from the lodge, and we got a clear sight of the hills and mountains in the morning. The trek today was relaxed as assured by our guide Hari but he did fail to mention the majestic rhododendron forests we will be passing by today. The vibrant wildflowers and taking many pictures now and then, we didn’t feel even a little bit of the toil from that 5-hour walk to Ghorepani. We did research a bit about the trail, but we would certainly have missed the excellent narration of Hari on spotting the birds, herbs, flowers, and the culture of the locals there. Luck was certainly on our favor as we were blessed with beautiful weather throughout the trek. We went to bed early as we were familiar to the early hike of tomorrow.
Best sunrise of my life; the Himalayan glory in Poon Hill
Poonhill hike started early from Ghorepani. This very place is called so many times as the best viewpoint of Annapurna and even by many people as the king of short treks in Nepal. We were both excited as well as ready to test that if the destination is worth our efforts or not. With an easy hike for an hour, we reached the top of the hill just to be left amazed and speechless. The views of Annapurna and other ranges were so beautiful that internet pictures were just a bit of what the place has to offer. Hari helped us with the Peaks, and we picked some from the board there too. A small cafe there gave us more reasons and a hot beverage to fall for the place. We took many pictures and just enjoyed the moment there. This panoramic view from Poon hill will remain with us forever. After treasuring some moments at the viewpoint, we started the descent to Ghorepani.
Straight out of the ledger, the memories to remember forever
After the hike back to Ghorepani, we continued the return trek to Ghandruk. This stretch surprised me more as we got to interact more with the locals and just knew these places better. The stone patched roofs amazed us with cultural delights here. The local dress and Sukuti (Dry meat) varieties were amazing here. We spent a relaxed day at a community lodge in Ghandruk. Our last day of the trek started with another beautiful sunrise and local breakfast in Ghandruk. The views of Annapurna and fishtail accompanied us to Kimche, and we drove to Pokhara. We relaxed for a bit, and Pokhara was the perfect place to end our tour.
Overall, this trek was one of the best decision we made after realizing the majestic experience we collected here. The friendly locals, pristine nature, and a perfect short trekking experience here will lead us to visit there again. The job Himalaya Trip has done flawless and looking back; we couldn’t have been on more reliable hands for the trek. With glorious memory and stories of our Poonhill trek to share and relish thanks to Himalaya Trip, we discovered the Himalayas better than ever. Keep traveling as Ronald rook said ‘add life to days not days to life.’
