Gap Year Expeditions, Global Volunteering & Conservation Projects – Greenforce

Highlights

Starting in Kathmandu, the Himalayan capital of Nepal, you will spend your first week acclimatising, enjoying cultural visits around the city and attending Nepali classes. You will then travel into one of the rural valleys where you will work on the rural development project, before heading to the Chitwan National Park, taking an elephant back safari to look for the endangered Bengal Tiger. Return to Kathmandu and enjoy a farewell feast.

Aims and objectives

- Come to this remote mountain Kingdom of Nepal.
- See the wonders of Kathmandu and the rural areas we work in
- Undertake vital school aid work in Nepal - all you could want from your mountain adventure!

Where will I be living?

• You will be enjoying your first week in our own lovely house in Kathmandu.  Kitted out with showers, twin rooms, kitchen, T.V, and a spacious but yet intimate garden.
• You will then leave to move in to your new house with a Nepali family while you are on the Rural Communities Development Programme (RCDP) as well as a wonderful way to interact with the new language you have acquired from your first week.

Foods

• Indian and Tibetan cuisine is heavily influential on the Nepalese food of which you should come across a wide variety of during your stay. The diet is basic but nutritious based on local produce. The food is mainly high in carbohydrates so needed for the physical exercise you will get from the day’s activities.

What's included?

• On receipt of deposit payment you will receive a Welcome E-mail enabling you access to your personal page.
• Flight Centre will also call you to discuss your flight options
• You will also be invited to your Meet Your Team briefing day and BBQ in Central London
• Met at airport by a Greenforce staff member and drop off
• Welcome and Safety briefing
• Twin bedroom and 3 meals per day in our Kathmandu house.
• Nepali cultural briefing. Tour of Kathmandu's famous narrow markets.
• Five days Nepali language lessons. Local transport to mountain school, with guide. Home-stay including all meals. Possible for teaching placement
• Option for rafting. Elephant Ride. Bengal Tiger/One Horned Rhino safari.
• Final night in Kathmandu. Airport drop off. Emergency backup.

Country Information

Geography – landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga - the world's tallest and third tallest - on the borders with China and India respectively

Demographics

• The trip is open to all nationalities. However, check with your nearest Nepalese embassy to verify if you need to obtain a VISA prior to arrival.

• The minimum age for this trip is 17 years and the is no maximum. Expedition teams comprise of individuals from a diverse range of ages, backgrounds, and experiences. Everyone is welcome!!

Maps

Itinerary

Please read, keeping in mind this is a sample itinerary only and is based upon previous expeditions and may change.

First Week: Arrival
You will be met at Kathmandu International Airport and settled into our house in Kathmandu. You will be based here for the first week where you will acclimatise, enjoy cultural visits around the city and of course attend your Nepalese classes so you will be able to network with the locals around.

Second Week: Community Development
From Kathmandu you will head into one of the rural valleys of Nepal where you will meet the Nepali family that you will live with during your time on the Rural Communities Development Programme (RCDP).
Helping with the cooking in the evenings will be just one of the things that will make you a part of the family, but during the day you will be working on the RCDP school project. Here you will provide vital assistance, including developing resources, construction on school buildings and possibly some simple English teaching, depending on what is required at the time.

Third Week: Activities
As you bid farewell to your host family you will head off to the Royal Chitwan National Park where you visit an elephant breeding centre and then climb aboard your elephant to trek the one horned rhino and the famous Bengal Tiger.

As you are at the base of the glaciers run off from the Himalayas we take advantage of this with a day's canoeing or rafting - subject to the flow. A unique way to see Nepal. Jungle walks to Tharu villages, where you can experience the Thrau Stick Dance, will complete your Nepalese experience.

Fourth Week: 11 days Annapurna Base Camp Trek
Day 1st Leave for Pokhara: Drive to Pokhara, 200 Km or 6 hours bus drive from Kathmandu (160 km or 5 hrs bus ride from Chitwan) & preparation for trekking and overnight stay at Pokhara.

Day 2nd Pokhara to Ulleri (1685m): About 45 Km. drives from Pokhara via Naudanda, kanre, Lumle village up to Nayapool. From where the trail descends steeply to birethanthi and follows the East bank of Bhurungdi Khola, Tikhedunga and finally reaches to Ulleri.

Day 3rd Ulleri to o Ghorepani (1855m): The trail ascends to small villages more pleasantly through rhododendron forest arriving at top of Ghorepani and overnight stay.

Day 4th Ghorepani to Tadapani (2680m): Early in the morning trek to Poonhill where one many witness the sunrise for a lifetime memory. From Poonhill one can view over 30 white – capped Peaks, the whole Annapurna range. Many people talk about having a life changing experience after watching the sunrise over the panorama of the Himalayas. Then, walk through the forest filled with flowers (in the spring) overnight stay at Tadapani.

Day 5th Tadapani via Chhomrong to Sinuwa: Tadapani offers good views of upper modi valley. The route starts the long ascents high above the West Bank of Modi Khola from sinuwa you will see very nice views of Mt. Machhapuchere.

Day 6th Sinuwa to Deurali Hotel (3000): The trail continues to Khuldi Ghar for about one hour fifteen minutes and from there goes down very steeply to a bank of rock and then levels out , running through thickets of Bamboo at the bottom of the George, keeping always on the West side of the river. The pasture of Tomoe is passed by and then the very neck of the George at Panchen Barah, where there is a small trail and a shrine. Finally, Himilayas through Deurali overnight stay.

Day 7th Deurali to ABC(4130): From the Deurali the trail continues into the sanctuary, it crosses two wide avalanche tracks on narrow trail that huddles up against the cliff (rock face).The trail then descends to meet the Modi Khola and follows the river to Bagar. From bagar climb across more avalanche paths cross a moraine and a stream, then climb towards an area known as Machhapuchhere Base Camp (MBC) at the elevation 3700m After 2 hours journey we finally reach to our destination ABC and Overnight stay here for sun set and sun rise.

Day 8th ABC to and back Sinuwa: We see morning sun rise and take our breakfast at 7. am and reach to Himalaya for lunch and finally come back to Sinuwa with the same trail and stay overnight.

Day 9th Sinuwa to Kyumi: We follow same trail up to chhomrong and the trail goes to descend Jhinu. We see Hot spring and take our lunch there. After lunch we start our journey, passes with beautiful rift valley and finally reaches to Kyumi and stay overnight.

Day 10th Kyumi to Nayapool via Pokhara: The trail goes up and down through Ghandruk is one of the develop village and mostly people are Gurung (The Gurung is another ethnic group closely resembling the Magars in many aspects. They live in the western and central hills of the country although further to the east. Of tibeto-Burman stock, the Gurungs have their own distinct language and practice shamanism. Many find employment in the British and Indian armies) of this area. After this place, we reach to Nayapool and take our lunch there. We take rest there for an hour and finally you will be driven back to Pokhara and stay overnight there.

Day 11th: Pokhara to Katmandu by Bus. A final farewell night in Kathmandu, before it is time to leave this mountain Kingdom and return to another world.

Feedback

Greenforce Nepal volunteers have undertaken many successful community projects. We have helped rebuild a school. We have found crops that can be grown between the trees, thus removing the need to cut down the trees. Cutting the trees meant the soil washed way and thus crops did not grow. We have built methane re cycle stoves to create heat from the previous days waste.

We have taught English to over 120 young Nepalese children in remote locations. We have made many friends for life in Nepal! Come out and help us make a difference - please.