Classic Trek: The Annapurna Circuit

by Kraig Becker on

Climbers and high altitude mountaineers aren’t the only ones having fun in the Himalaya this spring. Plenty of backpackers will pour into Nepal too, setting their sites on one of the greatest treks in the world, the legendary Annapurna Circuit. Unfortunately, this may be the last great year to take this hike, as the completion of a new road could spell the end of the things that have made this one so special for so long.

The Annapurna Circuit gets underway near Pokhara, located in western Nepal, and has a completely different feel than trekking in the Khumbu Valley, the country’s other major backpacking hub. For one thing, it tends to not be as crowded, and it can provide a more authentic cultural experience.

Those planning to make the trek should expect to devote between 18 and 20 days to the journey. Over the course of that time, you’ll cover approximately 185 miles, and go as high as 17,770 feet in the Thorung La pass. The Circuit wanders completely around the Annapurna Massif, which is made up of a series of massive Himalayan peaks, of which, the central summit known as Annapurna I reaches 26,545 feet in height. It is the 10th highest mountain in the world, and considered one of the most challenging to scale. Trekkers will also journey in the shadow of Dhaulagiri, the 7th tallest mountain on Earth, which falls just to the west.

One of the unique elements to trekking in Nepal is that it allows travelers to stay in comfortable tea houses at the end of each day. These traditional inns are found in villages, located every few hours along the trail, and offer up warm, comfortable, and relatively inexpensive places to stay throughout the length of the trek. It also means that food and drink are plentiful, which allows for the backpacker to carry less gear and go at their own pace. The easy access to these Himalayan hostels means that you can spend all morning on the trail, and if you feel like taking it easy, stop early in the afternoon for a rest, or push on to the next village, not too far down the line.

As if the luxury of the tea houses wasn’t enough, the trail also has a number of Buddhist temples and other impressive displays of the traditional architecture of the region en route. Couple these attractions with the stunning beauty of the mountains, and travelers get a unique experience unlike nearly any other trek in the world.

The character of the Annapurna Circuit is changing however, and some fear that it will soon lose its charm. As I mentioned, a new road has been built in the area, and now increased traffic has turned a once remote, and tranquil hike into a dusty, noisy experience for trekkers. Many who have hiked the Circuit say that if you really want to experience it in its truest form, this is the year to go, as once the road is completed sometime in 2010, it’ll never be the same again.

The lasting impact of that road has yet to be seen, and for now the Annapurna Circuit remains one of the great clssic treks. It is easy to find a guide service to show you the route, either before you go to Nepal or after you arrive, but one of the other great elements of the Annapurna Circuit is that it can easily be done without a guide, making it one of the most accessible of the world’s classic treks.

Amazing Race 14, recap 7: Thailand is hotter than heck

by Jamie Rhein on

With all teams on the same flight from Jaipur, India to Phuket, Thailand on this episode of the Amazing Race 14, the competition didn’t heat up until teams dashed out of the airport to find a taxi. Their goal? To find the statue of a bigger than life-size gorilla without knowing its location. All they had was a photo of it as the clue to lead the way.

Showing the photo to anyone who would look at it eventually proved to be fruitful for five of the teams. Mark & Mel’s driver, unfortunately, led them on a goose chase to Patong Beach about the time the other teams found the gorilla at the Phuket Zoo for their picture taking with Esso the tiger and being part of an elephant show.

In a typical Thai elephant show, among other feats, elephants tap on people’s butts, or fake sit on them after audience members volunteer to lie face down on the ground.

The unusual aspect of this segment is that if you were at the Phuket Zoo, you could do exactly what the teams did. They’re normal zoo offerings. The tiger handler’s empty sleeve where an arm should be didn’t exactly promote confidence in the teams, particularly when the handler positioned them next to the tiger, their arms across it.

After the zoo, teams were sent to the oldest herb shop in Phuket. Nguan Choon Tong Herb Shop was an interesting destination because it captured the flavor of more traditional forms of medicine. The next clues were in the 99 drawers, one clue for each team. To find a clue, teams had to guess drawers. The shop owner kept opening the drawers until clues were found.

Cara & Jaime didn’t have much luck as other teams breezed past them. Frankly, I was happy to have them do badly with this since they spent time dissing Mark & Mike’s size. Mark & Mike, as far as I can tell, are nice, interesting men. Who cares if they don’t clear five feet? Are the two women middle schoolers in disguise?

The next task involved two choices–working like a Thai fisherman or operating a rickshaw. Jen & Kisha and Mel & Mike, once they finally found the gorilla, loaded up a fishing boat with 53 barrels and filled 47 other barrels with water while the other teams played rickshaw.

Rickshaw driving meant one team member playing driver and the other playing passenger until the driver couldn’t take the heat anymore and the pair switched rolls. Rickshaws had to be taken two miles to King Rama IX Park without a taxi leading them there.

After dropping off their rickshaws at the park, the teams headed by taxi to Wat Thep Nimit Temple the location of the Pit Stop and some of Buddha’s remains.

Mark & Mike who had blazed to first place made two mistakes. One, they piled the bike pumps back into a box so the other teams would have a harder time with the task, and two, they let a taxi driver help them. When they reached the Pit Stop first, they had to wait for one hour because of two thirty-minute penalties.

This allowed Tammy & Victor to win, yet again. This time they are going to Oahu. Jaime and Cara pulled up second which made Mark & Mike 3rd. To Mark & Mike’s credit, they didn’t get after each other for their breaking the rules missteps. Margie & Luke came in fourth.

Soon after stepping on the mat, Margie collapsed from the heat which is the best illustration of the importance of drinking plenty of water when running through the streets while pulling a rickshaw in a tropical climate. She recovered, but people looked worried for a few minutes there. It was one of the few times you could see the people who are behind the scenes since one of them also came to her rescue to help her to shade. Luke, naturally, was freaking out. Something happens to her and there goes his interpreter. He’d be able to get along, but it would have been harder.

Unfortunately Mel & Mike’s side trip to the beach cost them the race. Although disappointed, they’re so thrilled to have been in the race in the first place, winning would have just been gravy. I need to take whatever they’re taking because the two of them have the greatest attitudes.

Hopefully, they’ll liven up the Elimination Station in Koh Samui. The teams who are already there are depressing to watch.

Tourism’s Impact on the Amazon

by Kraig Becker on

Ecotourism has become quite a buzz word over the past few years, and with an increased awareness of global climate change, many of us are more acutely aware of the impact of our travels then ever before. This is especially true when we journey to remote, fragile ecosystems, such as Antarctica or the Amazon, the latter of which is the subject of an article in the The Guardian today.

In the story, travel writer John O’Mahoney travels to Brazil to experience the greatest ecosystem on the planet, but in doing so, he’s also came face to face with the various threats (deforestation, encroachment by man, pollution, etc) that have put the health of the rain forest in jeopardy. He also can’t help but wonder if by visiting these places, we are contributing to their demise.

O’Mahoney visited the Mamirauá Preserve in Brazil, and got a chance to see some of the eco-friendly tourist options that are available there now, such as floating lodges that work hard to ensure that they have as little of an impact on the region as possible. The author makes it clear that now all the lodges in the region are eco-friendly, and encourages travelers to do their research, but the gist of his story is that it is indeed possible to now visit these locations, and have little impact on the environment and the species that live there.

The story was especially timely for me, as I leave Friday for the Amazon myself. I will not be staying in one of these lodges however, but will instead be living aboard an Amazon river boat for my stay. I’ll also be much further upstream, as I’ll be in the Peruvian Amazon, but I’m already looking forward to investigating this issue as well. Stay tuned for an update on my return.

Photo of the Day (3.28.09)

by Brenda Yun on


Talk about a gorgeous night skyline. The red hues of Skye Bar at the Hotel Unique in Sao Paulo are set perfectly against the looming gray urban night. There’s something very alive about this photo, from the reflection of red lights in the pool to friends lingering under glowing umbrellas.

Our Photo of the Day comes to us from wesleyrosenblum, who has some pretty awesome shots of sites all over South America.

If you have some great travel shots you’d like to share, be sure to upload them to the Gadling pool on Flickr. We might just pick one as our Photo of the Day!

Gadling Take FIVE: Week of March 21 –March 28

by Jamie Rhein on

I’m psyched. As soon as I set this puppy to post, I’m heading to Cleveland to go to the Cleveland International Film Festival where I’ll meet up with Brook Silva-Braga for the showing of his film A Day in Africa. There’s also a load of stuff going on to commemorate the inductions at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

It’s been busy around here at Gadling as well. Kent has been posting about his Competitours Race in Europe, Aaron is posting about his Heathen in the Holy Land experiences which includes why wearing stripes is a good thing. For anyone who wants to be a flight attendant, Heather has the scoop on that . And Karen, with her artist’s eye, tells about color in photography. Her post is gorgeous.

Here are six more.