Manaslu region
The trails around mighty Manaslu (8,156m), the world’s eighth-highest mountain, have it all. Steamy lowland valleys and fields of rice give way to ice-coated passes haunted by leopards and much more.
There are mystical valleys rich in Tibetan culture and monasteries stuffed with treasures. There’s exhilarating walking with relatively few other trekkers and exciting day-long side trips to glaciers, base camps and hidden gompas. The Manaslu region didn’t open up to foreign trekkers until the early 1990s ( the neighbouring Tsum Valley opened even later), but it was an instant hit with those wanting a challenging and less developed trekking area. Anyone who has walked in the shadow of Manaslu will probably tell you that overall, this is one of the most rewarding trekking areas in Nepal.
There are trekking lodges all along the standard routes in Manaslu but for now, they are a lot more primitive than those on the Everest and Annapurna treks. Getting to the trailheads in this area is easy and cheap with frequent public transport from Kathmandu and Pokhara.
Trekking in Nepal
Everything you need to know about Nepal trekking
The Nepal trekking industry is plagued with an oversupply problem – there seem to be more trekking operators than actual trekkers, which puts immense downward pressure on prices. This might seem like a good thing for you, but when you see a 12 day EBC trek for $800 it means corners are being cut somewhere, usually in the pay and quality (and therefore safety and wellbeing) of ground staff. Personally I always recommend booking with a Nepal based and owned operator, but do plenty of homework first...read more