A Belarusian woman traveled to Nepal for three weeks for $1280. What was it like?
21-year-old Alena, along with her friends, spent three weeks in Nepal: two weeks they hiked in the mountains, and another week they lived in Nepalese villages. The entire trip cost less than $1300. The girl told Myfin.by how one can save money in Nepal and why the Annapurna circuit is suitable even for beginners.
"I thought Nepal was too expensive and incredibly far away"
Lena's love for hiking began in childhood and gradually grew from a hobby into a profession. She leads hikes and excursions for various tour companies and dreams of becoming a mountain trekking guide. The Nepalese Himalayas were also her dream, but seemed unattainable in the near future.
— This is not my first trip: as a guide, I interned in the Caucasus, and I hitchhiked with my boyfriend to Karelia and Altai — in general, I want to go on a round-the-world hitchhiking trip! As you can see, I try to travel on a budget, as I don't earn much yet. When I saw videos from Nepal in reels, I didn't think about the trip seriously: it seemed too expensive and incredibly far away.
It all came down to chance. Last November, friends offered Alena a good price for airline tickets — so the planned trip budget decreased from $1500 to $1300.
— We watched for the start of ticket sales with a discount: if we hadn't made it in time, we would have paid $600 instead of $400. Flights and visas were the biggest part of the expenses. In total, they cost $788.
- Round-trip tickets to India — $411 with luggage.
- Delhi — Kathmandu ticket from Royal Nepal Airlines — $92.4.
- Kathmandu — Delhi ticket from IndiGo — $162.
- Indian visa — $41.5.
- Insurance — €7 + €20.
- Nepalese visa — $50 for 30 days.
Why do people go to Annapurna?
The Annapurna circuit is manageable even for beginners, Alena believes, which is why this route is so popular among tourists.
— The culmination of the route is Thorong La Pass. Its height is 5416 meters. For comparison: the summit of Elbrus is 5642 meters. But while Elbrus requires an ice axe, crampons, and safety gear, Thorong La is a walking route: minimal equipment, the altitude is easier to handle, and the climate is more stable in season. Along the way, there are lodges in every village — small hotels for tourists, where there are beds and food.
It wasn't so easy to get to Annapurna. First, Alena and her friends flew to Delhi, and from there to Kathmandu. A taxi from the airport to the hotel cost $5.6, two nights in a hotel cost $20 for three. There, the girls first encountered the hospitality of the locals.
— On the second day, due to the abundance of impressions, we forgot to buy food for dinner and breakfast. This became a problem: we had to leave at five in the morning. We decided to ask the owner for help. At first, he was flustered because he had never cooked in his life, but then he set a whole table — and long refused to take a tip. And the hotel was very simple: honestly, we only focused on the price. We booked the room in advance, but you can also find accommodation on the spot.
In Kathmandu, the travelers obtained the mandatory permit for the route for $20, spent $6.1 on food, and bought two gas canisters for $6.
— We paid for everything in cash: I didn't see terminals anywhere, even in cities. We exchanged a smaller part of the money at the airport, and a larger part in the city: the exchange rate differed by about 10 rupees.
"Bargaining is an essential part of the cultural program"
Nepalese people are kind, friendly, and always willing to help, even if they don't speak English well. Most know only a few English words — not enough for a full conversation, but sufficient for "hello - goodbye."
— Bargaining with Nepalese people is an essential part of the cultural program. Take into account the "white face tax," so feel free to knock off 10-20% from the price. In Kathmandu, we bought windbreakers and down jackets — it's easier and cheaper to buy them on the spot than to bring them from Minsk. We managed to bargain for two down jackets and two windbreakers for 10,000 rupees ($65) instead of the initial 16,000 ($105).
They will scare you and ask: "Where else will you find such things?" Well, anywhere! And the sellers know this, so in the end, they agree to a discount. But it's important not to show interest, otherwise, the price can be doubled — proven.
"Don't agree to a large bus with comfortable seats"
From Kathmandu, the girls traveled to Besisahar by bus — the ticket cost $5. From there, they took a jeep to Syange, where the Annapurna circuit began.
— My personal advice is to ride local minibusses. A ticket costs 700-900 rupees, not 1200 ($4.6 - $5, not $8), like for a large bus, and the journey takes six, not ten, hours. At the ticket office, they might persuade you to take a large bus with "big comfortable seats" — it's important not to agree and point to the small minibusses.
Alena advises buying tickets at ticket offices — from the driver, they are 250-300 rupees more expensive. But sometimes there's no choice: for the jeep ride to the starting point, they paid $10 per person for an hour and a half of travel. Otherwise, you can't get to Annapurna.
"We saved about $80 on tea!"
— The hike took two weeks. In the morning, we would set off, travel all day, and spend the night in lodges. We spent about $13 a day on a bed, food, and hot water. We didn't particularly restrict ourselves, but we didn't splurge either: for example, we didn't order a lot of food, but only took what was necessary.
The higher you climb, the less you pay. Below 3000 meters, you have to pay for a room, above that, you can stay in a lodge for free by ordering dinner and breakfast.
— Thanks to our burners, we saved a lot on hot water. Without tea, it's cold and boring in the mountains, so you drink it constantly, but if you buy it in lodges, you can spend a fortune. So we boiled water ourselves and just bought drinking water — drinking from springs in Asia is risky. That's how we saved about $80 on tea! Water cost $7.1, sweets $8.9, napkins $2, coffee $7.4. In total, we spent $160.4 during the hike.
"If something hurts, it's always altitude sickness"
When the altitude increased from 3400 to 3700 meters, Alena started experiencing altitude sickness, also known as "gornyashka" (mountain sickness).
— It manifests differently in everyone: headaches, nausea, gastrointestinal problems, apathy — usually the most vulnerable spot suffers. That's why people are often advised not to go to the mountains with bad teeth, — Alena says. — For me, "gornyashka" worsened my psychological state. Even before the trip, I started to worry about the altitude, and once there, the anxiety only intensified. My body began to resist the ascent — it probably thought it would die "right here": my heart pounded, my head hurt. I recovered for a day, and then, choosing between descending to the village or trying to go further, I chose the latter. I can always come back later!
The culmination of the route
— We started ascending the pass almost at five in the morning. Darkness, headlamps, wind chilling to the bone, water in the bottle frozen, nose running. Almost at eight, we, joyful and frozen, reached the pass and shared a chocolate bar with other travelers in a small hut at the summit.
One common mistake is to think that the pass offers breathtaking views, says Alena. In fact, stunning landscapes open up along the Annapurna circuit, and the views of the Himalayan range there are much more beautiful.
— I remember on the fourth day of the journey when we first saw Annapurna — I was speechless.
And at the top — small stones, snow, a log tea house, a monument. But people don't go to the pass for the views: if you reached it, it means you managed to climb to such a height!
Thorong La doesn't complete the route, but often becomes the last point before descending into the cities.
— Muktinath — a pilgrimage town awaited us below, where many people come, even without aiming to climb Thorong La. But after two weeks of peace and quiet, being in Muktinath is difficult: it's too dusty, crowded, and noisy. So we immediately went to Kagbeni — only 10 kilometers difference, but it's much quieter there.
"It can be difficult for introverts"
Not meeting people during a hike in Nepal is a very difficult task, Alena admits. And it's hard not to make acquaintances: after a day on the road, you really want to share your impressions of the route with someone.
— People from all over the world travel to Nepal: we made friends with a Frenchman, an Australian, a German, a Pole, and met Englishmen and Israelis. The route is one, everyone goes through the same points, so you cross paths with people several times and manage to make friends. We walked the same route with a Nepalese guide for four days, and then by chance met again in Kagbeni — he treated us to masala tea, which was a truly generous gesture.
"If you don't buy souvenirs and don't take luggage, you can save a couple hundred dollars"
Including all expenses, including $150 on souvenirs, Alena spent $1280 for three weeks.
- Tickets and visas — $788.4.
- Expenses in Kathmandu before the hike (gear, accommodation, food, route permit) — $75.4.
- Trips to the starting point — $30.2.
- Expenses during the hike — $160.4.
- Expenses in cities after the hike (food, accommodation, visiting interesting places) — $88.5.
- Souvenirs — $120.
- Unrecorded expenses — $17.5.
The girl is confident that with her current knowledge, she could have saved even more.
— You shouldn't restrict yourself in everything either. After descending from Annapurna, we traveled through cities: we visited cafes and fruit farms, bought freshly squeezed juices — a liter cost 200-400 rupees ($1.30-$2.61) depending on the fruit. In Kathmandu, as it should be, we visited Swayambhunath — the monkey temple ($1.3 for tourists), Pashupatinath — the Shiva temple complex ($6.8). Both places are definitely worth visiting!
To save money, Alena advises traveling with only hand luggage and buying gear in tourist towns. A sleeping bag and tent can definitely be crossed off the list: a sleeping bag wasn't needed even at an altitude of 4800 meters in unheated lodges. A tent won't save money but will bring extra hassle.
— It's not necessary to buy expensive gear: this is not mountaineering, but a walking route, so you can safely save on gear and have no regrets. The same jacket we haggled for a couple of dollars helped me cross the pass, then was useful on Elbrus, and I'm sure it will continue to please me. Fitting within $100 for the entire set of gear is more than realistic — where else will you find such prices?
Going to Nepal is within reach even for a beginner, Alena is sure. You just need to dedicate time and effort to preparation.
— It's better if you have at least some experience organizing an independent trip, not necessarily a hiking one, so you don't get lost on the spot. For the hike itself, no special tourist skills are needed — basic physical fitness will be entirely sufficient. Carrying a backpack might be unusual, but you can use the services of porters. However, you need to remember that it is still a hike: sometimes we ran from falling rocks, slipped on snow, endured rain. But there were many, many more beautiful views and cool experiences.
This route is maximally friendly to beginners. If the goal is to travel on a budget, it is entirely possible. If you want comfort, you can find lodges with heated beds, use porter services, and many other things that make the journey easier.
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