September 6: Manang is one of the most popular trekking destinations among foreign tourists visiting Nepal. Meanwhile, the peak tourism season for tourists to visit the Annapurna circuit in Manang has started. This foot trail has become a preferred destination among the trekkers who come here.

In the past, tourists used to travel through this trail with a long day schedule, but now it has changed.

The journey of trekking that once started from Lamjung's headquarters, Beshisahar, can now be completed in a short time thanks to the expanding network of roads. Now, the journey from Beshisahar to Chame-Khangsar can be reached easily using four-wheelers and the journey can be completed before the specified time, reports the national news agency RSS.

Manang’s Disyang Rural Municipality and Thorang-la Pass fall among the popular choices of tourists in the world. In the past, it used to take 18 days to cross Thorang-la Pass. But now this trip has been shortened by about a week with the expansion of the road network, according to RSS. 

Now, one can cross Thorang-la pass in three days after traveling up to Upper Manang by vehicle. Trekking experts shared that individuals are more likely to have altitude sickness while traveling in this way.

The Annapurna Circuit touches Lamjung, Manang, Mustang, Myagdi and Kaski district. But with the expansion of the road network, this foot trail is not visible in some places. In some places, the road network has made it difficult to walk on the foot trail. Trekkers have to suffer as the road network has displaced the foot trail. As a result, trekkers are forced to use vehicles.

Nia, a citizen of Finland, who came to the Annapurna Circuit with a long schedule, shared that it is good that the road network has been expanded. But the path should not have been displaced, shared Nia. For the tourists who come for trekking, the journey becomes difficult when the road network is narrow and it crosses path with foot trail.

“The people of Manang should pay attention and protect it. The road network has been extended from Mustang to the lower part of Thorang-la,” she shared.

Meanwhile, the booking of external tourists for the Annapurna base camp trek has started. Tourism entrepreneurs are excited as bookings have started from the UK, Australia and other countries.

Dilip Gurung, secretary of Chomrong Tourism Business Committee, informed New Business Age that bookings have being done for the upcoming season.

“Recently, Annapurna Base Camp has been equipped with facilities for trekking,” he said, adding that the tourists coming here can trek easily.

At present, seven new hotels have been added above Sinuwa, and four others are under construction. Until last year, there were 26 hotels in areas including Sinuwa, Bambo, Himalayan, Dobhan, Deurali, Machhapuchhre and Annapurna base camps. Now infrastructures including hotels have been added in those places, said Lalit Gurung, a tourism entrepreneur and social activist.

This area has been protected by Annapurna Area Conservation Project (ACAP) since 2043. According to the standards set by ACAP, in the past, there were 156 rooms with an average of  six rooms per hotel. Given the increasing attraction of tourists for trekking in the area, Annapurna Rural Municipality formed a committee four years ago to study the expansion of hotel capacity and infrastructure in the area and tried to make it well organized.

Lekhnath Gautam, head of the Annapurna Area Conservation Project (ACAP), informed that some parts of the foot trail have been damaged by floods and landslides. He said that they are working to conserve the tracks and have also created new ones in places that have been washed away by floods.