New trekking trail from Pokhara to Khudi explored

In its effort to identify the new tourism product in the trekking areas, Nepal Tourism Board in collaboration with Trekking Agents Association of Nepal recently conducted a feasibility study from Pokhara to Khudi by taking trekking agents and journalists from Kathmandu and Pokhara.

The trekking which started from Thumsikot- three hours drive from Pokhara- meandered through Wardi Khola and Rudi Khola crossing the villages of Kashi and Lamjung district. The 41-members trekking team made night stay at Phakrikot- 1535m and Nagidhar of Kaski and Pasagaon-1655m and Ghalegaon- 2016m of Lamjung, and it finally ended at Khudi. These Gurung villages of Kaski and Lamjung are culturally rich, not affected by modern civilization. Since these villages have kept their tradition and culture alive, in an interaction organized on April 25, 2005 after the trip, members of team suggested to promote it as a cultural destination. Throughout the trekking trails, all villages have basic facility for home-stay accommodation and food which they are upgrading every year as to give more facility to tourists. Although trekking can be completed in three night and four days, 5 nights and 6 days is the ideal time to complete it. The members of the team said that there is a huge potentiality for extension trip from Pasagaon, Nagidhar, Bhujung and Ghalegoan, which will eventually help to increase the length of stay of the tourists. Apart from culture, beautiful mountain ranges of Annapurna, Fishtail, Dhauligiri, Lamjung Himal can be seen from these areas. To synergies effort, the Nepal Tourism Board's Tourism Product and Resource Development Department is closely working with Lamjung District Development Committee, Annapurna Conservation Area Project, Trekking Agents Association of Nepal to provide all kind of logistic support to villages to develop it as a model trekking trail.

Nepal Tourism Board has been involved in promoting Ghalegaon and Ghanapokhara by organizing festivals, holding training, putting signage and upgrading museum since last three years. The CD Rom on Ghalegaon was released in JATA Travel Mart in Japan in 2003 by Nepal Tourism Board as a new tourism product. Trekking Agents Association of Nepal has expressed its commitment to lend its support to market it internationally so that the benefit of tourism can be reached to the villages isolated from mainstream trekking trails.