Everest for Education Base Camp Trek - 19 Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu - Monday, 15th November, 2016
Your flight arrives in Kathmandu. You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel in the city by a Lura Village school & Darawne Pokhari Kavre Experience team member. All volunteers in your group, regardless of where they come from or when they arrive, will be housed initially in the same hotel, giving you the opportunity to get to know them from Day 1.
Day 2: Kathmandu Orientation
Your first day will begin with breakfast at your hotel. A Village Experience team member will provide orientation and information about the following day's trek. You will be reminded of everything that is needed for your adventure, and shown shops where you can stock up for the trip ahead. As Kathmandu is the starting point for all Himalayan trekkers, many shops exist to cater to Western tastes, though they are quite basic. Any luxuries you cannot do without should be brought with you from home. It's also a good idea to carry a stock of energy bars (or chocolate), as these can be difficult to get hold of once you leave Kathmandu. These bars could prove a life-line if you find the local village food difficult to eat.
As well as snack food, we recommend that you purchase toilet paper and any other essential items that you may have forgotten. You will also be able to hire or purchase a sleeping bag from a shop in Kathmandu.
After breakfast you will be guided to the famous Buddhist temples Swayambunath and Bouddhanath, and the oldest Hindi temple, Pashuipatinath. These temples attract Buddhists and tourists from around the world. The view of Kathmandu valley from the top of Swayambunath temple is stunning.
The group will then enjoy a local lunch at a typical Nepali restaurant. The time after lunch is allocated for purchasing items for your time in the village.
The group will come together after shopping to enjoy a traditional Nepali dinner, after which you will have the opportunity to discuss any concerns and will be briefed on the following day's plans.
Day 3: Kathmandu to Darawne Pokhari Kavre
Time to hit the road, so put on your walking boots. The day will start early with a 7am breakfast at you hotel, after which a car/mini bus will take you on a one hour drive to Darawne Pokhari Kavre on the outskirts of Kathmandu. The trek from Darawne Pokhari Kavre takes about 3 hours.
This will be a long day, taking in Nima Dorjee Tamang truly stunning scenery, and should provide you with ang furba sherpae great memories. The pace will be slow, so you don't need to be super-fit to enjoy the experience.
Day 4: Darawne Pokhari Kavre
You will be woken up early to enjoy the sunrise over the Himalayan mountain range. We strongly encourage everyone to wake up to this unforgettable experience.
After breakfast, we will commence our downhill walk to Patybanjyang, where you will experience ang furba sherpae great views of the Himalayas. After a short stop in Patybanjyang, we will walk uphill towards Batase Village. The surrounding scenery is breathtaking, and you will look across a vast valley and see rice fields, villages and people going about their daily lives in rural Nepal. This section of the walk will take you along the ridge of a mountain overlooking surrounding mountains. Many travellers have commented on it being a humbling experience. Upon arriving in Batase village at approximately 1pm, you will meet Ang furba sherpa's family and enjoy your first meal in the village.
After lunch, you will be settled into your rooms and will have the opportunity to freshen up and to have a short rest before being introduced to the children who live in the hostel. These children are either orphaned or from disadvantaged backgrounds. You will be given a short tour of the surrounding area before enjoying dinner.
After dinner, you will have the option of free time or of offering tuition and support to the children living in the hostel. After the long walks of the previous two days, that sleeping bag is sure to look inviting.
Day 5: Village Experience
You will wake up to the sounds of the village: children chattering and cocks crowing. Your morning will start with a hot cup of tea in the shadow of snow topped mountains, followed by a group orientation session with your group leader. After breakfast, you will be guided to the village school where you will be introduced to the principal, teachers and students. Your morning will be spent being taught ang furba sherpae basic Nepali, a level of which will allow you to have basic conversations with the villagers.
Dinner will be provided at approximately 6:30 pm. The evening is your free time to do with as you choose. Many visitors have loved spending time with the hostel children, teaching and learning through stories, dance and song around the fire.
Day 6: Back to Kathmandu
After breakfast you will walk down to the neighbouring town of Talamarang, before commencing an adventurous journey by bus back down to Kathmandu.
Arrival back in Kathmandu will be late afternoon, where you will be dropped off at your hotel and given much needed time to relax and shower.
Day 7: Rest Day
Today you have the opportunity to explore Durbar Square, a plaza in front of the old royal palace The square is home to the palaces of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled over the city, and surrounds quadrangles revealing courtyards and temples. It is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman -- the monkey devotee of Lord Ram -- which is located at the entrance of the palace.
After lunch there will be time for last minute shopping for trek supplies.
