Mardi Himal Trek Difficulty
Mardi Himal Trek is a moderate difficulty trek. You will need to walk for 5-6 hours a day. Walking at higher levels is physically more demanding. If your health is good, you will complete a moderate trek successfully, with moderate physical fitness and strong determination. Training, particularly jogging and climbing of stairs are advised to boost your strength and health before your trek to Mardi Himal. Previous hiking is an asset, but technical skill is not necessary.
Mardi Himal Trek Accommodation
Mardi Himal is a tea house trek. There are neat and clean tea house lodges along trail. Tea houses in the mountains are basic. On the trail there are only a few tea-houses. The hotel stay in Kathmandu and Pokhara before and after the trek you will book on your request. Kathmandu has a wide range of hotels for all budget and interests. Hot showers, Wi-Fi are available at an extra cost in the trek regions.
Meals on Mardi Himal Trek
Food on Mardi Himal Trek has little choices. The food menu is very similar to Poon Hill and ABC Trek. You will get enough tasty and nutritious food during the trek, but you will not have all the choices like in Kathmandu and Pokhara offer. The breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in the package price. Breakfasts consist of Oatmeal, Corn Flakes, French toast with Jam, Butter, Cheese, Honey Tibetan bread or Chapati, Local Tsampa porridge, Eggs, Pancakes, Muesli Breads, Fruits, Vegetables, Hot Drinks-teas and coffees etc.
Lunch and Dinner form of Dhal, Bhat, Tibetan Bread, Various Soups, Sherpa Stew, Steaks, Sandwiches, Momo (dumplings), Macaroni dishes, Thentuk Spaghetti Noodles, Thukpa, Pasta, Vegetable curry, Potatoes, Vegetables, Salad Pizza (Tomato, Mushroom, Mixed), Snacks (Papad, Prawn), Desserts, (Rice Pudding, Apple pie). You will have plenty of non-veg item choices, but we do not recommend. We also suggest you to avoid dairy, cheese, alcohol, caffeinated items, and hot chocolates. Lunch and dinner in Pokhara, all personal bills (alcoholic drinks, hot (tea, coffee), and cold drinks are excluded in the package.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is compulsory for Mardi Himal Trek. Your travel insurance covers personal injury, death, medical expenses, repatriation expenses, helicopter rescue, and any kind of illness. We strongly recommend you to buy an insurance package through a reliable insurance company in your country.
Equipments for Mardi Himal Trek
Depending on the season, you need to adjust your trekking equipment. However, here is our list to help you decide what to bring to the trek.
Head
Sun hat or scarf
Winter hat or insulating hat or a wide-brimmed hat
Headlight with extra batteries
Face
Sunscreen
Sunglasses with UV protection
Face/body wipes
Hands
Lightweight gloves
Heavyweight winter gloves
Body
Hiking shirts
Long sleeved shirt made of synthetic fiber
Hooded rain jacket
Fleece jacket
Lightweight cotton pants
T-Shirt (bring lightweight wool)
Polypropylene underwear
Down jacket (available for rent in Kathmandu)
Sweater
Waterproof jacket and pants
Footwear
Hiking Boots that have been worn in
Thick wool socks (Take an extra pair of thick light socks)
Essential Gears
Backpack or day pack (Size depends on whether you take porter or not)
Thermal bottle
Water purification
Trekking pole
Sleeping bag (-15 degree bag is best in the high altitude trekking)
Toiletries
Medium size drying towel
Tooth brush
Toilet paper
Toothpaste
Deodorant/ floss
Biodegradable bar soap
Nail clippers
Small mirror
Personal accessories
Money
Watch
Cell phone
Camera
Extra items
First aid kit
Extra passport photos and passport photocopies
Notebook and pen
Binoculars
Last-minute booking
For those unable to book in advance, we also have a last-minute booking facility. For last-minute booking, you need to pay the whole payment 24 hours before the trip departure. However, we will try our best to conduct trek at any time, but we are not liable for delays from circumstances that beyond our control such as bad weather and lodge unavailability.
Trip Extension
If you have extra days to spend in Nepal after this trip, we can arrange several activities for you. You can go on a sightseeing tour in Kathmandu Valley, tour to Chitwan National Park. You can also do paragliding, rafting, canyon and cable car ride.
Seasons for Mardi Himal Trek
Mardi Himal Trek is possible throughout the year, but certainly, there are ups and downs based on season. The trails are easier, along with clear mountain views during spring and autumn. During winter and summer, the treks get a bit challenging. In winter trek gets cold and may receive snow while summer coincides with the monsoon that makes the trails wet and slippery.
Spring Trek
The temperature is mild in Spring, the rainfall is quite low, and the trekking conditions are perfect. The daily temperature in the higher elevation of the Mardi Himal trek is between 5°C to 0°C. Lower regions are even warmer. By April, the rhododendron flowers bloom adding red, pink, and white colors to the forests. The temperature starts rising from mid-March up to mid-May. During this time, the sky is clear and you can enjoy the unobstructed mountain views.
Summer Trek
Summer is the hottest season, and therefore the temperatures are higher. However, summer coincides with the monsoon in Nepal, making the trails wet and slippery. Monsoon generally begins around the end of June and continues up to the second week of August. The daily temperatures at high elevations range from 15°C to 25°C. The night temperatures are colder at 5°C to 10°C. Morning is usually clear, with clouds building up during the afternoon and disappearing at night. Though the rain may cause some problems, various plants bloom during this season, providing a green look to the trekking regions.
Autumn Trek
Autumn is a perfect season for Mardi Himal trek due to moderate temperature, mild wind, and low precipitation. The sun shines brightly, the skies are clear, you get a superb view of mountains. The temperature is perfect. The monsoons will be over by early September.
Daytime temperatures can reach up to 20°C in high altitudes, the nights are colder at around 5°C. In this season, the greens that grow during the monsoon fade to golden providing a spectacular contrast against the crystal blue skies. This is also a season to harvest ripening grains in terrace farms. If you are looking for an easy trek, this season can be your choice.
Winter Trek
Winter (December – February) trek is less popular. The places along Mardi Himal Trek can be cold during the winter, but it excites some trekkers. The winter temperatures at higher part of the trek will be as low as -10 °C. The coldest period starts from December and continues through early February. After late February, the climate gradually gets warmer. Despite being cold, winter skies are usually quite clear, mountain views with snowy caps look stunning. However, it snows in winter, making your trek more challenging. On the positive side, the trails are the least busy in winter. Winter treks might not suit for trek beginners, but experienced trekkers will have no problem for Mardi Himal Trek.
Communication on Mardi Himal Trek
During Mardi Himal Trek, you can use internet at lodges/tea houses for an extra charge. At high elevations, you can use NTC or Ncell Sim mobiles. Depending on the kind of network you use, you might get signals, but they may not be strong enough. If you want, you can buy a local sim card in Kathmandu. Wi-Fi is available at trek lodges, but you need to pay a service charge.
Electricity and water on Mardi Himal Trek
Electricity for camera and mobile battery recharge is available. You can buy packed mineral water from local lodges and en route shop or fill your water bottle with boiled water for an extra cost. We will provide you water purification pill to make water drinkable. We advise you not to drink water from rivers, taps, and wells because the water may not be drinkable.
Nepal Visa
You can get Nepal visa upon arrival at Kathmandu-TIA Airport at USD 30 (or equivalent in other major currencies) for a 15 days multiple visa, USD 50 for a 30 days multiple entry visa and USD 125 for a 90 days Multiple entry visa. The newly installed technology (visa machine) which makes it no longer necessary to have a passport photo. Please bring 3 photos for your trekking permit and TIMS card permit.
Money Matter
Some major currencies (USD, AUD, Pound and EURO) are accepted for both visas and in general. There are plenty of ATM’s in both Kathmandu, Pokhara and Namche. The credit cards are accepted in limited shops and many restaurants. Please note that only Nepali rupees are accepted on the trek. It’s difficult to give an exact amount of money that you should bring. Costs will vary according to how much you want to spend for shopping and meals (lunch and dinner) you want to eat. Trekkers find that around $30 (for lunch and dinner). You may have to pay for Wi-Fi, electricity and hot showers too (up in the mountains during the trek).
Group size
For each tour date, there will be several separate groups. Each group will have a maximum of 14 people with its own experienced English speaking guide. During the trek, there will be a suitable number of porters to carry your luggage.
Tipping
A general rule of thumb for tipping is USD 90-150 for porter and guide if you are fully satisfied with their service. So we suggest you allocate a minimum of USD 70 for tipping. This is just a guideline and you may tip whatever /how much you think is appropriate for the services rendered which make your trek a memorable one.
Porter Luggage Limit
For the trek, you will have one porter for two people as per group size. The porter will carry 12 kg-15 kg per person luggage during the trek. You need to carry your day pack to keep your personal belonging such as wallet, camera, water bottle, dry snack, headlight, gadgets. The safety and concerns of our porters is our collective responsibility. We take our responsibilities towards them and their safety concerns strictly. On your part, please carry only things that are of absolute necessities.
The Risk and Liabilities
We are committed to providing the best services which will give you a once in a lifetime journey. We perform our duties honestly and seriously to make your journey very smooth and pleasant. However, the entire programs in Nepal are conducted strictly under the rules and regulation of their policies. So in this case, we will give options to choose a different itinerary for an enjoyable holiday. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Sleeping Bag
You will need a good quality sleeping bag for this trip. It helps you sustain the colder climate in Nepali mountains up to -25 degree Celsius of temperature. However if you need the one of your own, you can buy one here. Your guide shall assist you to get it here. Keep the track of the weather forecast of the area and pack your clothes accordingly. This would help you be prepared for the type of weather Nepali Mountains are accustomed to. It is also possible to rent sleeping bag here in Kathmandu too.
Electricity Device
Remember to bring TWO and THREE pin travel adapters! You can also buy the adapters in the supermarkets or electronic shops in the Kathmandu. Our guide can help you with it.
Luggage Storage Facility
The hotel in Kathmandu does provide free storage services. So you can store your luggage and clothing that are not required for trekking and you can collect it after your Trek and Tour.
Refund Policy in case of not completing the trip
Sometimes travelers are unable to finish the scheduled trek due to the various reasons or they ended up not completing the trek/tour for health or personal reasons. In this case please realize that we cannot offer you any refunds for unused days on the trek/tour. You have to understand that our costs are the same as we have an obligation to pay our guides and porters for the time they have committed.
Cancellation Policy of Trip
No refund will be made for 20% deposit amount in case of cancellation of trip for any other else reason. Having paid the full amount of any trip, you will get your money back but still, cancellation charge (20%) is invoiced to you. And for the voucher holders, since you have purchased the voucher from the deal companies, we have to follow their cancellation policy. But for both the conditions, we are flexible to postpone your trip in any later days. Written notification of your cancellation should be made to cancel any trip.
