Annapurna Circuit & Sanctuary

25 days of trekking in Nepal, I'll try and give an overview of what it was all about before I dive into the stories.

Transitioning to 5-10 hours of hiking everyday with a pack on your back is a bit rough. We only took 1 rest day in 25, no wonder we're tired and broken! The experience of carrying everything on your back for extended periods of time is a challenge that everyone should undertake at least once in their lives.

I expected the Annapurna Circuit to be more hiking in the remote of the Himalayas. In reality, we were never more than about an hour away from a town or village which are completely built up around trekking tourism. It was some of the most beautiful and varied scenery I have ever seen, we trekked through dry regions, lush apple orchards, a snow-packed pass, blooming rhododendron forests... Amazing!

Hiking with a guide and friend was probably the most challenging aspect for me after eight months of traveling alone.

Getting sick was the second most challenging aspect for me... Everyone gets sick at some point. Even if you are paranoid about the cleanliness of your food and water you get sick at some point. Problems are: you don't feel like hiking much when you have vicious diarrhea; proper technique in the use of a squat toilet becomes very important to you; not sleeping because you are making frequent trips to the loo... It all wears you down.

All in all, a life experience not to be missed!