Nikkis
Travel Services, has been striving to open
up the remote areas of Nepal to visitors, whilst
providing them with the best possible value for
money. We are committed to trekking in a way that
does no harm to the local environment. With camping
groups we always carry kerosene, so that no logs
need to be used to cook our food. Naturally, to
maintain our high standard, we have a dedicated
team of experienced staff, from the office managers
who arrange your trip, right down to the cooks
that prepare your food!
Nikkis
excellent record of customer satisfaction and
continued success has led us to expand our range
of services. As well as a wide range of treks
in Nepal, we now offer mountain biking tours,
rafting expeditions, hotel reservations, Wildlife
Safaris, trekking and tours to Tibet, Bhutan and
India! In fact, we specialize in tailor-making
your holiday to your requirements. We strive to
make your visit an unforgettable experience in
Nepal.
Nepal
is a land of extreme topographical, climatic and
ecological contrasts. South of the central Himalayas,
this mountain kingdom with an area of 147,181
sq. km, varies in altitude from the plain of 100m.
To 8848m, the height of Mt. Everest, within a
short span of less than 200 km. Biodiversity ranges
from tropical to sub-tropical to alpine flora
and fauna within that short north -south axis.
Few countries in the world might have such a vast
range of natural beauty crammed into a small area.
The kingdom is a reign of natural and adventure
opportunities are many. |
For
many of our treks, you can choose between staying
in tea-houses or camping. A tea-house is a local
run guest house, but standards vary enormously.
In popular areas such as Annapurna, tea houses
are more like hotels, with hot water, Western
food and private rooms, whereas in more remote
areas, they are far simpler and more authentically
Nepali. Tea-house trekking is less expensive than
camping, and is suitable for small groups. With
large groups, irrespective of the area, it is
more practical to camp. A team of guides, porters
and cooks mean you trek in comfort and provides
international-style food of a high standard.
Grade
1
For trekkers with no previous experience, we offer
a diverse range of easy treks. By easy, we mean
that the trek involves no difficult climbing or
ascents to high altitudes, takes usually no more
than a week and is suitable for anyone. However,
you should not think that loss of height means
loss of interest; while our more challenging treks
get you closer to a small number of mountain ranges,
lower altitude treks often provide colourful horizons
of a whole series of ranges. High or low, mountain
villages reachable only by several days walk from
the road brim with character.
The
Ghorepani and Jomsom treks follow
well-trodden trails. The tea-houses along these
routes offer hot water and Western-style food.
Of course, these treks are popular with good reason,
as you will find the terrain and views superb.
If the idea of tea-house trekking appeals to you,
but you would prefer to escape from the crowds,
then the Helambu trek could be your ideal
choice. You trek up to within sight of enormous
snowy mountains, and then wind at a leisurely
pace through a spectacular green valley. The tea-houses
are simpler here, but you will benefit from the
peace of the unspoilt villages and the friendly
welcome of your hosts. To really get away from
it all, try the Shivapuri trek, Siklis
trek or the Royal Trek. Whilst you will
still pass through many remote villages, these
regions are so unspoilt as to have no tea-houses,
and you will need to camp. Again, the range of
mountains you can view on these treks are astounding..
Grade
2
Grade 2 treks are more challenging than Grade
1, and are suitable for any walker looking for
something a little more energetic. They are longer
(10-20 days) involve more walking up and down
and climb to higher altitudes, where you will
be rewarded with close-up views of big mountains.
For a well-trodden route with good tea-house facilities,
you could choose the Annapurna Base Camp
trek, which gets you close to glaciers and affords
spectacular mountain views. For something a little
more remote, but still with the option of simple
tea-houses, try a trek in the beautiful Langtang
region.
From
the Langtang Base Camp, you have the additional
option of scaling a trekking peak. For a moderate
trek out in the wilds, Ganesh Himal would
be a good choice. With only 100 visitors a year
to this region, the local cultural traditions
are still very much intact. On this trek, you
cross the high Singla Pass (4600m.) The Rara trek
is similarly remote and is a good option for the
summer season as rainfall is low. As tourists
are relatively unknown in these last two regions,
you need to camp.
Grade
3
Grade 3 treks should only be undertaken by those
with some previous mountain walking experience.
They ascend to altitudes of up to 5500m and involve
some steep climbing, although it is never necessary
to use ropes. Treks at this level can he arranged
for periods of 7-21 days.
For
a popular and spectacular trek, with the possibility
of staying in well-developed tea houses, the Annapurna
Circuit is a good choice. A gradual ascent
through a green river valley will lead you up
to a number of high passes, where you will reach
the altitude of 5416m. This trek will give you
a close insight into Tibetan culture. Another
understandably popular trek, with good tea house
facilities, is the Everest Base Camp. The
goal of this trek speaks for itself, but in achieving
it, you cross a glacier, see Mt Everest
and a whole variety of soaring peaks and experience
the rich Sherpa culture. For a real adventure
in wild and restricted areas, that see less than
300 visitors per year, you could trek in Mustang
or to Makalu Base Camp. The Makalu trek
traverses many high passes before reaching the
Base Camp at 5000m. The Tibetan plateau of Mustang
is a wild, treeless desert. The last two treks
are possible only if you camp.
Grade
4
Grade 4 treks are only for real adventurers. They
involve steep ascents to high altitudes with the
possibility of some rope climbing. You’ll
need stamina to complete one of these treks, as
it can take 20-28 days to journey to the heart
of the wildernesses that they cross. All are camping
expeditions. The exception is the Simikot trek,
which is very remote with a truly undeveloped
culture (quite a shock.) This can be accomplished
in a shorter time (7-14 days.) However, you can
also use the little-visited Simikot as the starting
point for a trip to Mount Kailash (20 days.)
A
trek through the isolated Dolpo region
is one of the few good possibilities for the summer
months, as the area gets little rain. Manaslu,
like Annapurna, is a circuit trek and passes through
Tibetan villages in a little-visited, restricted
area. A trip to Kanchenjunga, the third
highest mountain in the world, will take you into
the remote far east region of Nepal. Here, Sherpa,
Rai and Limbu culture happily co-exist. If you
want the ultimate challenge, the Dhaulagiri
trek is the most difficult of our featured treks.
This wild trek involves challenging trekking on
rough high terrain, perhaps with a ropes pitch
or two. |
