Starting from:	Beshishar (Drive from Kathmandu 6 hour)
Ending at:	Nayapul (By Bus to Pokhara & Kathmandu)
Grade:	Challenging
Highest access of the trek:	5,416m. (Thorong La Pass)
Culture:	Different Community with majority of Gurungs, Magars, Chhetri, Brahamn.
Mode of trekking tour:	Lodge Trek - Recommended one or camping trek.
Himalayan sights:	Annapurna I- 8091m. Annapurna II-7937m.Annapurna III-7855m,Annapurna IV- 7525m, Annapurna South 7819m, Varaha Shikhar 7847m, Himchuli 6441m,Dhaulagiri 1- 8163m, Dhaulagiri II- 7751m, Churen Himal 7371m, Sita Chuchura 6611m, Nilgiri 6940m, Thapa Peak 6015m, Tukche Peak 6920m, Tilicho peak 7134m, Machhapuchhre 6993m, Mardi Himal 5588m. Singu Chuli 6500m, Tharpu Chuli 5663m. Gangapurna 7483m, Lamjung Himal 6931m, Manaslu 8163m, Ganesh Himal 1-7429m. Ganesh Himal 2-7163m, Ganesh Himal 3-7110m, Ngadi Chuli 7871m, Himalchuli 7893m, Shringi 7187m, Pisang peak 6019m, Himlung 7126m, Gyajikhang 7038m, Cheo Himal 6820m, Chulu East 6338m, Chulu West 6420m, Thorong Peak 6484m, Yakawa Kan 6482m, Ratna Chuli 7035m, Brikuti 6364m and more snow capped mountains.
Most Attraction of the trek:	Different Community with majority of Gurungs, Magars, Chhetri, Brahamn and Great Himalayan scenery etc.

It is early morning in Kathmandu. About a dozen buses in front of the Grindlays Bank of Kantipath prepare to leave for a 135 km trip Dumre Bazaar. The buses from Kathmandu proceeds towards Pokhara from here, but others then get on the local bus which goes to Dumre-Besisahar. Most tourists prefer this route of catching a tourist bus till Dumre and then a local bus to Besisahar. If you prefer a smoother ride, then cars, vans and even minibus can be hired and taken directly to Besisahar from Kathmandu While the road from Kathmandu to Dumre is of high standard, the same can't be said of the road from Dumre to Besissahar. In fact passengers often kojingly say how at the end of journey one may not be able to recognise even one's traveling partner because of the dust.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival & transfer to hotel
Day 2: Kathmandu sightseeing

Day 3 : After leaving Kathmandu at around 7 am, we reach Mugling for lunch at around 11 am. The drive till Mugling by the banks of Trishuli river is a scenic one. Mugling is the cross-roads from where the roads going to the hills and to the plains which can take you till India separate. From Mugling, which is situated at the confluence of Trisuli and Marsyangdi rivers, the distance till Dumre is 25 km and it takes a little over half an hour to reach Dumre. The Coca Cola Trek stars from this destination. This trek can be of 18 days or 24 days.

The trek which stars from Besi Sahar takes you through Chame, Manang, Thorong-la pass, Muktinath, Jomsom, Tatopani, Ghore Pani, Birethati and Nayapul. From the last point you take a bus and reach Pokhara. It is said this trek is called the Coca Cola Trek because throughout the route you can have the soft drink Coca Cola and tired tourists can relax by taking this cold drink. Besi Sahar is a town which is situated at around 820m above sea level and this place where we rest for the night on the first day, offers a lot of tourist class lodges.

There are two type of treks which a tourist can choose here. One is the camping Trek and the other Tea House Trek. Under the Camping Trek, a tourist will have to pay a lump sum for the entire trip. Such Trips are conducted by Government recognised trekking agencies and they provide fresh food a trained guide, cooks, and porters. Further two men tents, mattresses sleeping bags, chairs tables and toilet tent is also provided. Usually there is a cultural program also every night. Though this program cannot be organised at high altitude. Tea House Trek: Here a tourist eats the food which is available on the route and sleeps at tea houses for any other place where they can get shelter.

DAY 4: Besi Sahar is the district headquarters of Lamjung district. From this place the actual trek starts and the two hours walk to Khudi Bazaar is a pleasant one. The scene of the Lamjung mountain and the sounds of the Marsyangdi river enchants you as you walk on the trail. From Khudi Bazaar, a half an hour's trek will take you to Bhul Bhule. October and November are specially the months when this place because heaven for tourists. The lush paddy fields, the full in bloom marigold flowers and the enchanting weather all makes you feel like you are out of this world. This place is also where all tourists stop for lunch. The trek after lunch takes us to Ngadi. The walk is also very pleasant, specially because of the wide variety of birds that can be seen and also the small water falls and springs that dot the trail. We will stop a place called Usta bridge for the night .There are on lodges here so we make camp in our tents. This place is the camping place for only the tourists who take the Camp Trek. The Tea House tourists will have to proceed to Bahun Dada for the night which is one hour's walk away.

DAY 5: After having breakfast at Usta, we head for Bahun Danda. We reach Bahun Danda after an uphill trek of about one hour. From this little outpost we then head downhill towards Sange. Just before we reach Sange, we cross suspension bridge over the Marsyangdi river. This place at an altitude of 1136 m, also has a waterfall which always captures the imagination of all tourists. This is also the right spot for lunch. Then we head for the last part of the trek for this day and reach Jagat after about two hours. Here tents are pitched and tourists can relax as cooks fix dinner and helpers makes camp for the night.

DAY 6: From Jagat, a village of the Gurung Community we leave for Chamje after breakfast at around 7.30 am. We reach Chamje after one and a half hours. Like Jagat, this village also has only a few houses and some tea stalls. From here, after crossing a bridge we head for Tal another village. The road till Tal has lush greenery and this makes the walk a pleasant one. We pass a small outpost with two small shops which can be called the border which separates Lamjung and Manang districts. We stop for lunch at this village, which is also situated at the banks of Marsyangdi river. From here we head for Dharapani. At this village, tourists can have some connection with the outer world because, there is telephone service here. A tourist can make contact to any part of the world through ISD telephone service. From here after crossing the Marsyangdi river we reach a place called Thonche is about ten minutes. We camp for the night in this village which sits at the confluence of Marsyangdi and Dudh Khola.

DAY 7: We start for Bagarchhap after breakfast and from there we head for Dana Kyu which we reach after about one hour. Then we reach a place called Lato Manang. The biggest attraction of this small village is the hot spring nearby. Both tourists and locals take great pleasure in taking a dip at the hot spring. We also have lunch here. We pass through typical village of the people of Manang called Koto before reaching Chame. This route also has lush greenery which is a treat to the eyes of any weary travellers. Here the trekking permit of all tourists is checked and if the permit is not order/taken then the tourist is sent back. This village is the district headquarters of Manag district. Chame is situated at 2700 m above the sea and here also there is a hot spring where tourists can relax and one can find a tourist standard motel here for the night

DAY 8: After breakfast in Chame , we head for Pisang, Before we reach Pisang, we pass through Talekhu a small village which has just four or five houses. We can see Lamjung mountain clearly on this route which goes through a forest of pine trees. We then reach Bhratang after about forty-five minutes walking. Bhratang has a small apple farm. From here the uphill trek to Pisang starts. Meanwhile we stop for lunch at a scenic spot after one hour's walk from Bhratang.

From here we can view Annapurna II and after a long walk in the afternoon we reach Pisang around four o'clock. There are two villages, which are called Upper Pisang and Lower Pisang. They both are situated at the lap of Pisang Peak which is 6092 m high. From this vantage point tourists can see different other peaks like Manaslu and Tilicho Himal and other smaller peaks. The villagers mostly are farmers, but they also do business in Kathmandu .

We head towards Deurali from lower Pisang,. On the way travellers can buy Tibetan handicrafts, Woollen sweaters., gloves and local food stuff in small shops. we reach Sabche in about half an hour from Deurali and from Sabje we reach Hongde after another half an hour's walk .Then we reach Sabji Khola, a river which has been formed by the ice melting from the base camp of Annapurna range of mountains. On the banks of this river is the one and only mountaineering school of Nepal. This school was established with the help of the Yugoslavian government in 1994 and a 45 day long basic course is organised at around mid-July every year. There is also an advanced course.

The Nepal Mountaineering Association runs this school and till now more than 500 students have taken the course provided by this school .From Sabje Khola we head for Braga which is about one hour walk away. This is an interesting village which looks like it is has been pasted to the walls of the high mountains. The roof tops are also made of mud . A Buddhist Gomba is also situated at this village which should be a place of interest for tourists. we head for Manang village from here. From Pisang to Manang from the Upper Route. The higher route may be more difficult to travel, but the scenery is breathtaking. Not only can you see the high mountains, but the valley with Marsyangdi river down below is also an enchanting scenery. Few tourists take this route, as we have already said it is a difficult trek. Yet after passing some villages situated at high altitude, we eventually reach Braga from where we travel to Manang.


Manang: This village is situated in the laps of Mt. Annapurna III and Gangapurna Mountain . A range of mountains including Annapurna IV(7525m.) Annapurna III (7855m) Ganagapurna (7485m) and Tilicho (7134m) can be seen and they look like huge silvery reflections. A glacial lake is also situated nearby. Though situated at such a remote and high place, tourists should feel happy in that they can get virtually every kind of food in the restaurants here. A Himalayan Rescue post is also situated here. There are foreign doctors who have voluntarily come to give their services here. They work in two seasons- September, October, November and March, April, May and travellers can consult with them. Usually all tourists rest for a day here.

One interesting feature in this village is the horse race which is held every year in the month of October. This is unique culture of the local people there which perhaps can't be seen anywhere else in Nepal. We head for a village called Khangsar from Manang after one day's rest Khangsar which is situated at the banks of Marsyangdi river. And we also pass the confluence of Khangsar and Jhorgen rivers which actually is the starting point of Marsyangdi river. From this village after walking uphill for about four hours, we reach the scenic Tilicho Lake, which is one of the most interesting features of the whole trek.

Tilicho Lake is situated at 4400m above the sea and it is considered one of the highest situated lakes in the whole world. This lake naturally is frozen for about five month in a year. But when we reach there, we can not only observe the sparkling water but the scenery of the range of mountains which we saw from Manang. Very few tourists venture this route as they will have to have all equipment's with them for eating and camping. There are no eating places and lodges in the route.

Tilicho Tal (Lake) - Chauri Latar-Thorong Phedi when you wake up in the morning the sight of the golden sun shinning on the silvery mountains all around you has a profound effect. It looks like the mountains are a huge cache of gold mines. This is a sight you will see if you go to Tilicho Tal. The best time to go there is between mid- September to mid- November and anytime in March, April and May. We leave Tilicho Tal soon after observing the enchanting sight and then head downwards Thorong Phedi.

We go further down towards Khangsar and after passing through Manang we reach Chauri Latar to make our overnight camp. there is another route a little above this, which is a short cut and one can reach Chauri Latar. There are three hotels in this small village. This is a place where tourists can eat, rest and freshen up. One change which we see after leaving Manang for higher altitude is the change in the natural scenery. You mostly see high altitude plants like moss.

We again start from Chauri Latar towards Thorong-La Phedi which we reach after two hours walk. Even in this exotic place, there is a hotel and tourists can have a Coke and also Western food like pie, cakes and also have a hot shower. This is a very popular destination for tourists and in peak season even the 200 beds available in the only lodge there, is not enough. Mostly trekkers who have gone on a fixed Camping Trek can be seen there. At this pass which is 4,500m above the sea level, it naturally gets very cold in the night, yet all tourists make it a point to stay over night here.

Thorong-La Phedi - Muktinath. From here we make a very early start, at around 2 or 3 in the morning, after having breakfast because it gets very windy after 11 in the morning and this makes walking virtually impossible. The high altitude is also a problem for walking. However with the help of torch lights we will reach the top of the pass which is marked by a heap of stones and a white cloth covering it. This is also the border of Dhaulagiri and Gandaki zones and Manang and Mustang districts. This Pass is in between the two peaks of Khatung Kang 6484m and Yakawa Kang 6120 m. This pass is the highest point during the entire trek and here we reach an altitude of 5416m.

There is a chance of some getting high altitude sickness in this region, the best thing to do if this happens is descend as soon as the symptoms appear. The scenery that you can see from this point is breathtaking. To the South you will see the virtual range of Annapurna mountains and to the North lies the Kali-Gandaki valley. Other smaller peaks like Dhaulagiri, Tukuche, Thapa peak 6013m can also he seen.

For many tourists this will be a high point in their entire life and indeed they should feel exhilarated. You most understand that the highest peak in the entire of Europe, Mt. Blanc is just 4810m which will be lower than where you will be standing. From here it is a downward trek again and to reach Muktinath one will have to walk more than 1600m downwards. One must drink plenty of liquid during this trek and also have a packed lunch as there are no eating places on the way. We reach Muktinath after about two hours of walking.

Muktinath is a holy place for both Hindus and Buddhist and along with tourists, you will see a lot of Nepalese travellers too. This temple has 108 taps inside it where all the worshipers go and bathe. There is also a place where continuous fire is burning due to natural gas, however the devotees consider this as an act of God. While Brahmins are the priests in the Hindu temple, girls called Jhuma do the worshipping in the Buddhist side. Jhumas are girls who have been given to God by their family. There is a tradition among the ethnic people living in this region, according to which each family's second daughter is given to worship to God. Jhumas are not supposed to marry as well.

To stay overnight, trekkers will have to walk to a place called Ranipauwa which is about ten minutes away. Muktinath definitely is one of the major attractions for any tourist who come for trekking to Nepal. You can take a moment from this place by buying the handicraft available at the shops that dot this village. Muktinath - Jomsom We head towards Jomson from Muktinath and on the way we reach a quaint village called Jharkot. For tourists there is a Buddhist Gomba which should be interesting. From here we reach Khingar after about 20 minutes.

One interesting feature while walking this route will be that we will meet a lot of local travellers who are heading for Muktinath. The whole area is desert area and during the winter it is virtually impossible to travel here due to snow. After about one hour of walking we reach Kagbeni which is situated at the confluence of Kali Gandaki and Jhong rivers. This is considered a very old village which has been a centre for travellers from time immemorial. Kag in Nepali means crow and it is believed that a crow while going to heaven crashed in the mountain and fell near this place, so this spot was called Kagbeni.

From this place one requires a special permit to go to Lo- Mangthang and Mustang. A government liaison officer also has to accompany trekking groups and only some trekking agents have been given permit to take trekkers in this route. Kagbeni itself is an interesting place from where one can observe peaks like Nilgiri North. From here we head towards Eklebhatti which literally means lonely pub. there are two hotels in this village and it is a good place to rest if you want to. Like mentioned before, in the afternoon it gets very windy and it becomes difficult to travel. From this point we walk on the banks of Kali Gandaki river and reach Jomsom bazaar after one hour.

Jomsom is the district headquarters of Mustang and for tired tourists this is also a point from where they can fly to Pokhara. Jomsom has good hotels and restaurants almost like Kathmandu and Pokhara. Jomsom-Kalopani -Lete. For those who like to trek further, we start early in the morning after having breakfast towards Kalopani. We criss-cross Kali Gandaki river several times and arrive at a beautiful village called Marpha. This is a well known place in Nepal for its apple farming. Though the inhabitants of this place are of Thakali origin, there is also a Tibetan refugee camp here and tourists can buy curio items as well as locally made alcoholic products like apple cider and apple brandy.

From here we move towards Tukuche and reach that village after one hour. This village which is situated at about 1591m above the sea is the starting point for expeditions which want to climb Mt. Dhaulagiri. Quite naturally, one can see various beautiful peaks from here. We go to Khobang Larjung village which is about half an hour away for lunch. After lunch we walk uphill again and reach Dhaulagiri Ice fall which is situated at 4500m. You can see a wide range of mountains like Dhaulagigi I, Tukuche Peak, Nilgiri South and also the deep Kali Gandaki valley with the villages which we just passed dotting it. We eventually reach Kalopani after passing Khobang and Sokung villages. This village has several good hotels and eating places and there is also a technical school which is being run with UNDP help. However we don't stay here and instead after about ten minutes walk we reach another village called Lete. We reach this spot at around 4 PM. and we start to pitch our tents for camping.

Lete-Tatopani We start early in the morning after having breakfast. And the pine forests and the sweet music of birds singing help is on our way to Tatopani. We meet a lot of mules which are used to carry loads in the high altitude villages. We eventually reach a village called Rupasi Chhara after crossing yet another suspension bridge over river Kali Gandaki . A beautiful waterfall greets us at this village and we are free to bathe and photograph here.

Again we resume our journey and reach Dana after about one hour. We have lunch at this village which is situated in perhaps the lowest area in this region and we rest in this place which is surrounded by mountains on all sides. Then we head for our final destination which is Tatopani. We arrive after about one hour in this place which got its name because of the hot springs that are there. Tato means hot and pani means water in Nepali. Here we will see a lot of local travellers lining up to have a bath at the natural hot springs. Tatopani- Ghorepani we rest for the night at Tatopani and next morning we head for Ghorepani.

We reach Ghara, a village where Brahmins, Chetris, Magars and Gurungs live and from here as we walk uphill, we reach Sikha and here we stop over for lunch. It is a tough walk from here with us sometimes climbing up then again going down and again climbing up. It is no wonder you will be drenched with sweat in this route, but the beautiful scenery will help you along. We pass a village called Chitre Gaon and from here our route takes us along green forests which during March-April looks fully red because of the rhododendron flowers.

We reach Ghorepani after one hour and fix our camp here. The next morning we walk one hour to reach Pun hill. This is an interesting spot which tourists will like immensely as from here you can see the beautiful sight of a mountain sunrise. Nilgiri south 6839m, Nilgiri 6940m, Annanpurna 6441m, Annapurna I 8091m, Varahashikar 7847m, Annapurna South7219m, Himchuli 6441m and Fishtail 6993m and many other peaks can be seen in their morning glory as the fiery sun shines on them. After this breathtaking scenery we head towards Pokhara . Some Trekkers who want to go to the Annapurna base camp take another route and head for Tadapani.

Ghorepani-Birethati we leave Pun Hill and arrive at Ghorepani at around 7.30 and after we have breakfast here. We leave for Phokara. We reach Banthali and then Ulleri after walking through green forests for about two hours. Here tourists can relax in the hotels and eating houses. Making a 90 degree turn and walking down we reach Tikhe Dhunga after half an hour. This village which is on the banks of Bhurungdi river is also our lunch stop and we rest here for about one hour. We then walk along the river banks and pass two villages before we finally reach Birethati where we stop for the night

Birethati-Phokara We have a restful night at Birethati which has nice eating places, shops, schools and communication centre from where we can talk to friends and relatives by phone. Then after breakfast at seven we head for Naya Pul which we reach after one hour. This village is at one point of the Phokara-Baglung Highway. We then stop walking and get on a bus which takes us to Pokhara in two hours. But the bus ride is also interesting as we see typical villages on the way. We stop the bus at one point in Hyangja where there is a Tibetan refugee camp and here we can buy carpets and other curio items. We eventually reach Pokhara and the scenic site of the famous Phewa Lake.

There is a government camping ground there where we also, Pitch our tents. This is the last camp we are pitching at the end of the Coca Cola Trek and in the evening along with dinner there is a cultural programme and dances and music. Tourists usually give tips to the Nepalese workers here. The next day we take up the opportunity to look around this beautiful town which lies in the laps of Mt. Fishtail. We can then head for a rest at the jungle safari camps in the Terai or we can go to Kathmandu . We recommend that tourists should take up this Coca Cola Trek (Annapurna route) only if they have the help of bonafide trekking agents and on a camping trek full board basis. This means they will have to pay only once and they will not be troubled on the way. Their expenses will cover trekking permit, tent, toilet tent, dining table, porters, guide, cook, and food.

Camping Trek

Cost includes:

1. 4 nights hotel in Kathmandu with Bed & Breakfast.
2. Annapurna Conservation Permit fee
3. Equipment: Trekking tents, Dining tent, Kitchen Tent, Toilet Tent, Table and chairs, Mattresses during the trekking & Peak climbing
4. Food: Food for trekking & Peak climbing (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)
5. Staff: 1 Guide, 1 Cook, 1 Kitchen & necessary porters
6. Local transportation Airport – Hotel – Airport
7. Kathmandu - Benshi Shahar & Pokhara-Kathmandu by tourist bus.
8. Trekking crews of insurance
9. Trekking allowance, food allowance for trekking crews
10. Our service charge

1. 4 nights hotel in Kathmandu with 2 stars bed & breakfast
2. Annapurna Conservation Permit fee
3. Meal: All meal during the trek best available restaurant
4. One experience trekking guide/Climbing Guide & necessary porters
5. Transportation from Kathmandu to Kathmandu or flight as itinerary area wise
6. Insurance for Guide & Porters
7. All accommodation during the trek best available hotel/guesthouses
8. Airport -Hotel-Airport transfer
9. Our service charge

1. PERSONAL equipment for Trekking/climbing
2. Personal Insurance for travel to Nepal
3. Lunch & dinner in Kathmandu
4. Emergency Rescue evacuation
5. Trekking Sleeping bag
6. Personal expenses
7. Tipping (Tips)
8. Bar bills & Beverages
9. Departures taxes