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Lake Bled Contents Introduction Piran Koper Izola Ljubljana Skofja Loka Radovljica Lake Bled Lake Bohinj Vrsic Pass My Other Blogs on Slovenia 1. Introduction We visited Slovenia for one week at the end of April 2023 while driving from the UK to the Greek islands. We were on a 3 month road trip visiting interesting places on route to and from Greece. The aim wasn't to cover everything in the countries that we visited. See my blog Venice to Serbia - Week 2  for the daily trip report of our week in Slovenia. It would have been preferable to visit Slovenia towards the end of our trip in late June. The weather would then have then been warm enough to swim in the sea and in the lakes. By then the snow would have melted on the Julian Alps and we could have hiked in the higher alpine areas that I enjoy. Slovenia is too busy and expensive at that time of year. So we decided to visit Slovenia at the start of our trip and to enjoy the coasts of Albania, Montenegro and Croatia on the way back. We were lucky with the weather as it was warm and sunny when we were on the coast. It was cloudy, but dry, in Ljubljana. The weather forecast for our 3 nights at Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj was abysmal, but it was dry until the day we left. Then it poured! We were very impressed with Slovenia and it was a very easy country to travel in. The roads weren't busy and driving was very straightforward, even for someone used to driving on the wrong side of the road! Most Slovenians spoke English and were very courteous and friendly. The accommodation in Slovenia wasn't particularly cheap and we found cheaper accommodation in all the countries we visited south of Slovenia. Petrol though was about 20% cheaper in Slovenia than in the UK, France, Switzerland Italy and even Greece. 2. Piran Travel Guide 2.1. Accommodation in Piran Piran is similar to the many historic towns further south in Croatia. The accommodation is more expensive than Croatia, even in the off peak season. This might be because Slovenia has a very small coastline for Slovenians to visit. Piran is absolutely packed in July and August. We rented a compact apartment in the small village of Pobegi for 1 night at a cost of Euro 75 through Booking.com . Pobegi is 4 kilometres from Koper and a 25 minute drive to Piran. The apartment was very well equipped and in pristine condition. I have reviewed the accommodation on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1 " (number 6). 2.2. Parking in Piran Parking in Piran is very expensive and it cost Euro 2.60 per hour. We parked in the Fornace parking lot and there is a free shuttle for the short distance into Piran. 2.3. What to see in Piran Half a day in Piran is ample for wandering around the old town. Piran is an unspoiled historical town with Venetian architecture. The main square in Piran is Tartinijev Trg and it is surrounded by attractive historic buildings. It is very near the sea front as it was originally the inner harbour of Piran. In 1894 the harbour was filled in to create the main square. The tourist office is in this square. We climbed up the road to the Cathedral of St George and its Bell Tower. We continued up the hill to the old Walls of Piran. It costs Euro 3 to enter a small section of the walls and 3 of the walls' towers. There are very good views of Piran from the towers. It was open until 20.00. We wandered around the streets in Piran's lower town and there were hardly any other visitors. Most of the restaurants and cafes are along the seafront. It was warm enough in late April for us to sit outside on the waterfront for our evening meal of calamari and sardines. From the parking lot below the entrance to the walls there are steps that descend steeply back to the Piran's old town centre. It makes a good circular walk around Piran. The Harbour at Piran, Slovenia The Seafront Promenade at Piran View of Tartinijev Trg in Piran Tartinijev Trg in Piran The Cathedral of St George The Interior of the Cathedral of St George The City Walls The City Walls A View of Piran from the City Walls 3. Koper Travel Guide It is only an hour's drive to Ljubljana from Piran. We visited Koper and Izola on the way and we had most of the day to explore them. 3.1. Parking in Koper We stopped off at Koper first and there were plenty of parking spaces, unlike at Piran. It would usually cost Eur 1 per hour but a kind local told us that it was free as it was a holiday. We had all our luggage in our car. It seems that Slovenia has less theft than many other European countries. 3.2. What to See in Koper We walked into the centre of Koper along the seafront promenade and then to the main square called Titov Trg. It is an attractive square surrounded by historic buildings. The tourist office is also located there. Surprisingly there were very few other tourists in Koper, just like at Piran. We paid Euro 4 each to climb up the 36 metre high City Tower and there were good views from the top. Every town in Slovenia seems to have a tower to climb and we decided not to go up towers in future as the cost soon mounts up. Koper's historic centre is very interesting, but not that extensive, so it took less than 2 hours to see. 3.3. Restaurants in Koper It was lunch time when we finished sightseeing and we went to a cheap seafood eatery outside Koper's market called Fritolin . Fritolin is recommended in the Lonely Planet guide to Slovenia and it was busy with locals. We ordered 2 portions of grilled calamari and french fries for a total cost of Euro 21 and ate it at an outside table. It was very tasty and the portions were good! There are many other cheap eating spots and cafes in Koper's market area. The Cathedral of the Assumption & the City Tower in Titov Trg A View of Koper from the City Tower A View of the Port from the City Tower View of Titov Trg from the top of the Bell Tower at Koper The Praetorian Palace in Titov Trg Venetian Gothic Loggia in Titov Trg The Fontico at Koper The Promenade at Kroper The Cathedral of Assumption at Koper The Da Ponte fountain in Prešernov Trg in Kroper The Barbabianca Palace in Koper 4. Izola Travel Guide Koper's helpful tourist office had told us that it was a 6 km walk to Izola along the seafront promenade and that we could then take a bus back to Koper. We decided to do this as we needed the exercise and didn't fancy trying to find parking in Izola. The walk to Izola took 1 hour and 15 minutes. It was a very pleasant walk and was popular with the locals who were cycling, roller blading and walking. There were several free toilets along the way. We had a quick walk around Izola and then took the short bus ride back to Koper. Izola is a pleasant town but there aren't many historic sights to see. The bus runs regularly between Piran and Koper. Even on a holiday it ran every half an hour most of the day. The tourist office at Koper provided us with a sheet detailing the departure times and told us where the bus stops were. Our bus ride from Izola to Koper cost Euro 1.30 per person. Besenghi degli Ughi Palace at Izola The Parish Church of St Maurus at Izola The Church of St Mary at Izola 5. Ljubljana Travel Guide 5.1. Introduction Slovenia is such a compact country that it only takes an hour drive from Ljubljana to the coast, 40 minutes to Lake Bled and 30 minutes to Skofja Loka. The roads in Ljubljana weren't congested at all. Ljubljana would be a convenient base to visit places like Lake Bled and Skofja Loka. I wondered if there would be enough to do in Ljubljana as I had read that there wasn't much to see apart from Ljubljana Castle. Ljubljana is a picturesque city and we enjoyed wandering around for a couple of hours. Half a day is adequate unless you want to visit the museums. 5.2. Ljubljana Castle Ljubljana Castle is the main site. It is a steep 15 minute walk from the city centre. A funicular railway from the centre of Ljubljana costs Eur 3.30 one way or Eur 6 return. Entrance to the central courtyard of Ljubljana Castle, and a small section of the wall, is free. To see a bit more of the castle is expensive and, in my opinion, not worth it. Much of the interior has been renovated and so doesn't look ancient. The entrance ticket of Eur 12 enables you to go up the viewing tower and enter the Puppetry and Slovenian History museums. To appreciate the History Museum you need to pay an additional Eur 4 for an audio guide as there aren't sufficient signs in English. It is worthwhile seeing the Ljubljana Castle from the outside and the free interior sections. I wouldn't buy a ticket unless you want to take a photo from the tower or are interested in puppetry. Details of the current ticket prices are on the Ljubljana Castle website . Ljubljana Castle Viewed from Congress Square (Kongresni Trg), Ljubljana, Slovenia A View of the Julian Alps from Ljubljana Castle 5.3. The Bridges in Ljubljana The Ljubljanica river bisects the city centre and there are 3 well known bridges crossing it. They are not very old, nor particularly beautiful, but most travel books refer to them. You would probably have to cross them while looking around the city. The Dragon Bridge was built in 1888 and has a dragon on each corner. It is northeast of the Ljubljana's old town. There are public toilets on the southwest side of the bridge. The Triple Bridge is south of Presernov Trg. The central section was built in 1842 and in the 1930's two pedestrian side bridges were added. The Cobbler's Bridge was rebuilt in 1931 and is south of the other 2 bridges. It is a pedestrian bridge and in medieval times shoemakers lived and worked on the bridge. The Dragon Bridge at Ljubljana One of the Dragons on the Dragon Bridge The Triple Bridge in Ljubljana The Ljubljanica River 5.4. A Circular Sightseeing Walk in Ljubljana A good way of seeing Ljubljana is to do a circular walk. You could start anywhere. We began at St James Bridge in the south and walked northwards to Dragon Bridge along the west bank of the river. We then crossed Dragon Bridge and walked back to St James Bridge on the east bank of the river. Some of the main areas of Ljubljana that we saw were: Novi Trg, an old area of Ljubljana. Kongresni Trg, which has an excellent view of Ljubljana Castle. There are some attractive buildings in the square like the University of Ljubljana and the Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity. Presernov Trg, Ljubljana's main square and is surrounded by some beautiful buildings like Hauptman House and the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation. The Triple Bridge Miklosiceva Cesta, which runs from the railway station to the river. This street has some of the finest a rt nouveau buildings in Ljubljana. Trubarjeva Cesta, a bustling street lined with shops, restaurants and cafes. Dragon Bridge. Ljubljana Castle. The Central Market in Vodnikov Trg, which has a large open air food market. Pogacarjev Trg, which has a covered market and a fish market. On Fridays there is a weekly food fair known as the Open Kitchen. Ljubljana's Old Town, which runs along the east side of the river from Triple Bridge in the north to Hercules Fountain (near St James Bridge) in the south. Hauptmann House in Presernov Trg Franciscan Church of the Annunciation in Presernov Trg The University of Ljubljana in Kongresni Trg Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity in Kongresni Trg The Fruit and Vegetable Market in Vodnikov Trg Open Kitchen in Pogacarjev Trg Hercules Fountain in the Old Town 6. Skofja Loka Travel Guide 6.1. Getting to Skofja Loka It was surprisingly easy to drive out of Ljubljana. Once we had got off the motorway we drove on pretty, rural roads with the snow covered Julian Alps in the background. We reached the historic town of Skofja Loka after about 30 minutes. Parking was easy and free. Scenery on the Drive from Ljubljana to Skofja Loka 6.2. What to see at Skofja Loka Skofja Loka has quite a large historic core and we spent about 2 hours wandering around. If you visit the castle museum you will need longer. The main site is 13th century Loka Castle and it is a steep 10 minute walk up to it. There are good views from Loka castle and it is pleasant wandering around the grounds. Otherwise there isn't much to do unless you visit the museum and the entrance fee is Eur 5. Loka Castle at Skofja Loka The other main place of interest in Skofja Loka is Mestni Trg. It is surrounded by colourful 16th century houses. The most famous of these is Homan House which was built in 1511. Other things to see in Skofja Loka are: Jakoba Church dating back to the 13th century. It is free to enter. Capuchin Bridge dating back to the 14th century. Spodnji Trg with a 16th century granary. Mestni Trg in Skofja Loka Mestni Trg in Skofja Loka Homan House in Skofja Loka A Street in Skofja Loka Jakoba Church in Skofja Loka The Interior of Jacoba Church 7. Radovljica Travel Guide The Lonely Planet guide book says that " The town of Radovljica is filled with impossibly cute, historic buildings ". That is very misleading as the historic part of Radovljica is limited to Linhartov Trg. Trg means Square but in reality Linhartov is a street. The street is lined with 16th and 17th buildings. It doesn't take long to see them. We spent half an hour wandering around Radovljica. There is nothing else of interest to see in Radovljica. Vidic House at Radovljica Linhartov Trg in Radovljica Linhartov Trg in Radovljica Church of St Peter in Radovljica 8. Lake Bled Travel Guide 8.1. Getting to Lake Bled It is only a 45 minute drive from Ljubljana to Lake Bled as Slovenia is a compact country. Lake Bled was very congested as it was a warm and sunny holiday weekend in late April. I dread to think what it would be like in summer! We turned off at the first parking sign we saw near Lake Bled and the charge was Euro 15 for 4 hours or Euro 25 for the whole day! That's as expensive as Venice. We decided to pay Eur 15 for 4 hours rather than drive around the congested streets of Bled to find somewhere cheaper. 8.2. Walking around Lake Bled There is a 6 km paved path going all the way around Lake Bled. It was congested around the town of Bled but not bad otherwise. Apart from the number of people it is a very beautiful and easy walk with great views all the way around Lake Bled. It should only take about 90 minutes but we took 3 hours with a lot of stops for photos. Lake Bled is very photogenic with the island, the castle perched above the lake and the snow covered Julian alps in the distance. Some people were swimming and the water didn't feel too cold, even though it was the end of April. 8.3. Bled Island You can take a boat over to Bled Island. Only row boats and electric boats are allowed to prevent noise pollution. We didn't bother as it is expensive and Bled Island appears to be a tourist trap. A Pletna boat, which looks like a large gondola row boat, costs Eur 15 per person. An electric boat from Bled town costs Eur 14 per person. You can also rent your own rowing boat but it doesn't work out much cheaper. On Bled Island you have to fork out another Eur 12 to enter the church and bell tower. So for the 2 of us it would have cost Eur 54 for a 1 hour to 1.5 hour experience at a tourist trap! 8.4. Bled Castle It is a steep 15 to 20 minute walk up to Bled Castle, but that is not as steep as the Eur 15 entrance fee! You can also drive up and there is paid parking at the top. The main reasons to visit Bled Castle are for the views and the museum. Bled Island, Slovenia Bled Castle, Slovenia Bled Island, Slovenia A Church on the Shore of Lake Bled 9. Lake Bohinj Travel Guide 9.1. Towns and Accommodation at Lake Bohinj There isn't a town called Bohinj. The only settlement on the lake is Ribcev Laz on the south eastern corner. It is the main hub for Lake Bohinj. We stayed in nearby Stara Fuzina, an unspoiled village a 10 minute walk from Lake Bohinj. Ukanc, the only other settlement near the lake shore, is a very small village on the western shore of Lake Bohinj. We booked a 1 bedroom apartment through Airbnb for Eur 98 per night. I have reviewed it in my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1 " (number 8). Stara Fuzina on Lake Bohinj A View from Stara Fuzina on Lake Bohinj A Church in Stara Fuzina, Lake Bohinj 9.2. A Hike around Lake Bohinj The Lonely Planet guide says that Lake Bohinj is more beautiful than Lake Bled. I don't agree with that but Lake Bohinj is certainly less crowded and touristy. We hiked from our apartment in Stara Fuzina clockwise around the Lake Bohinj. The hike is 12 kilometres long and it took us 3 hours. Unfortunately the trail on the south bank of Lake Bohinj follows the road and the views are often blocked by trees. At the western end of Lake Bohinj it was more open and there were good views of the lake and mountains. The north side of Lake Bohinj is more popular for walking. There isn't a road nearby but unfortunately trees often obscure the views. This is the more popular side of Lake Bohinj for walking and I can understand why. In my opinion it is better to hike there and back on the north side instead of walking around Lake Bohinj. The disadvantage is that it is busier but you could probably get around that by starting early in the morning or late in the afternoon. View on the Walk from Stara Fuzina to Lake Bohinj The Church of St John the Baptist at Ribcev Lab on Lake Bohinj Lake Bohinj from the South East Shore near Ribcev Laz The Holy Spirit Church between Ukanc and Rivcev Laz on Lake Bohinj Lake Bohinj from the Western End near Ukanc Lake Bohinj from the North West Shore 10. Vrsic Pass Drive 10.1. About the Vrsic Pass The Vrsic Pass is in north western Slovenia near the border with Italy. It was built during the first world war and there are 50 hair pin bends up and down the 1,611 metre high pass. Vrsic Pass is closed in winter which means it is closed from November to April, depending on the snow. You can check whether it is open on the AMZS website . The road to Vrsic pass goes from Kranjska Gora on the eastern side to Bovec on the western side. The drive to Kranjska Gora takes 45 minutes from Lake Bled and 1 hour 15 minutes from Lake Bohinj. 10.2. The Road up the Eastern Side of the Vrsic Pass The road up Vrsic Pass was a bit narrow going around some of the hair pin bends, but otherwise it wasn't a difficult drive. There are several parking spots on the road from where you can enjoy spectacular views of the Julian Alps. When you reach the top of Vrsic pass you could turn around and drive back down. The longer alternative is to drive down the western side of Vrsic pass and complete a circular route back to Lake Bohinj or Lake Bled. It would make the drive even longer if you started at Lake Bled. 10.3. The Road down the Western Side of the Vrsic Pass We did the circular drive and continued over Vrsic pass down 24 hair pin bends to Bovec. The hair pin bends weren't as tight, and the scenery wasn't as dramatic, as on the way up. We looked out for the Russian Chapel built as a memorial in 1916 by the Russian prisoners of war who constructed the road. Unfortunately we missed it and decided not to drive back up Vrsic Pass to find it. From Bovec we drove south on road numbers 203 and 102. We then turned east on the narrow and mountainous road number 403 to return to Lake Bohinj. It took us 3 hours 45 minutes to drive back from the top of Vrsic pass to Lake Bohinj. In comparison it only took us 2 hours to drive up to the top of Vrsic pass. On the way up Vrsic Pass View On the way up Vrsic Pass View On the way up Vrsic Pass View On the way up Vrsic Pass View On the way up Vrsic Pass View at the top of Vrsic Pass View at the top of Vrsic Pass View at the top of Vrsic Pass View on the way down Vrsic Pass View on the way down Vrsic Pass View on the Drive back to Lake Bohinj Church of the Virgin Mary in Pri Cerkvi-Struge View on the drive back from Vrsic pass to Lake Bohinj 11. My Other Blogs on Slovenia Venice to Serbia - Week 2 UK to Greek Island Accommodation - Part 1

Monemvasia Contents Introduction to Monemvasia Parking in Monemvasia What to See in the Lower Town What to See in the Upper Town A Hike around Monemvasia Accommodation in Monemvasia Links to My Other Blogs on Greece 1. Introduction to Monemvasia Monemvasia is a spectacular fortified island town. At its peak it had a population of 60,000 people. Monemvasia was founded by the Byzantines in the 6th century and it remained in their possession for almost 700 years. Monemvasia fell to the Ottomans in 1540 and was under their control for almost 300 years, except for a brief 25 year period of Venetian rule. In 1821 Monemvasia's fortress fell to the Greeks in the War of Independence and the Turks were massacred. The fortress town of Monemvasia is definitely worth a visit. The Lower Town is well preserved. Monemvasia's Upper Town has the 12th century Church of Hagia Sophia, ruins and fantastic views. A half day is needed to see both the Lower and Upper Towns. You can easily spend a whole day there as there are beaches at new Monemvasia and there is a hike around the island. There are no entrance fees for visiting Monemvasia's Lower and Upper Towns. 2. Parking in Monemvasia Monemvasia's entire lower town is pedestranised. You can park on the road between the causeway and the ancient gate into the lower town. It can be difficult to find a parking place. Alternatively you can park in the new town and walk across the causeway. From there it is a 20 minute walk to Monemvasia's old town. 3. What to See in Monemvasia's Lower Town Monemvasia's Lower Town once had forty churches and over 800 houses. Only a few of the churches remain but there are still a lot of buildings and an intricate network of alleys. The western fortified entrance gate is narrow and Z shaped for defence purposes. When we arrived we weren't even sure there was a way through! There is a single main street leading from the gate to the main square. It is lined with cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops. The main square is a beautiful public area with a Byzantine church, a museum housed in a 16th century church and a cannon in the centre. There are places to sit at the far end to enjoy the square and views of the Upper Town. You can walk through Monemvasia to the eastern gate. If you walk through the gate and continue eastwards you will reach the lighthouse. See the section on hikes . From the eastern gates you can follow the southern wall back to the centre of Monemvasia's Lower Town. You can walk along the top of the wall in places. We spent an hour wandering around Monemvasia's Lower Town. Monemvasia Island The Main Street in the Lower Town. Monemvasia's Main Square Church of Christ Elkomenos Canon Ball Bowling! Monemvasia's Lower Town Panagia Chrysafitissa Church Monemvasia's Lower Town The Eastern Wall at Monemvasia 4. What to See in Monemvasia's Upper Town Monemvasia's Upper Town was the home of the Monemvasia aristocracy. During the 17th century A.D. there were more than 500 mansions. Very little remains today except stone ruins and the Church of Hagia Sophia. It is a 10 to 15 minute steep walk to the Upper Town. There are good views of the Lower Town on the way up. Halfway up is an impressive tunnel and entrance gate. The church of Hagia Sophia was built in the 12th century A.D. and has been recently restored. It is the most important building in Monemvasia. It is reported to only be open at weekends but we went on a Friday and it was open. The Citadel is at the very top, which is about 300 metres above sea level. The ruins aren't that impressive but it is worth going for the views. We spent just under 2 hours seeing Monemvasia's Upper Town, including the walk up. The Path to the Upper Town A Tunnel on Way to Upper Town A View of Monemvasia's Lower Town on the way to Upper Town The Church of Hagia Sophia The Interior of Hagia Sophia Church The Citadel View of New Monemvasia from Monemvasia's Citadel A View of the Lower Town from the Upper Town A View of the Tunnel and Gate between the Lower and Upper Towns 5. A Hike around Monemvasia You can hike around the island of Monemvasia. The full circuit is around 4 kilometres and would take about an hour. The route is described on the Alltrails website , although this route also includes a walk up to the Upper Town. Other options would be to: Walk along the south side of the island from the east gate of lower Monemvasia to the lighthouse and return the same way. This would probably take half an hour. Walk along the northern shore from the causeway to the lighthouse and return the same way. This route is described on the Alltrails website . 6. Accommodation in Monemvasia Accommodation in Monemvasia's Old Town is expensive. We booked a small apartment in Monemvasia's new town which is on the other side of the causeway. It was a 20 minute walk to the Old Town. We booked through Booking.com and paid Eur 53 per night. My review of this apartment is on the blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1 " (number 15). 7. Links to My Other Blogs on Greece Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

Vilan Lighthouse on Stage 5 Contents Introduction The Official Lighthouse Way Website Maps & Signs for the Lighthouse Way Taxis & Buses Accommodation & Restaurants in Muxia Weather Organised Lighthouse Way Treks Stages of the Lighthouse Way & Shortening Options : 8.1. Stage 4 of the Lighthouse Way 8.2. Stage 5 of the Lighthouse Way 8.3. Stage 6 of the Lighthouse Way 8.4. Stage 7 of the Lighthouse Way 8.5. Stage 8 of the Lighthouse Way 9. Links to Other Blogs about our Road Trip 1. Introduction to the Lighthouse Way The Lighthouse Way is a hard 8 day trek along the Coast of Death on the tip of north-west Spain. It is called the Coast of Death because of t he numerous shipwrecks. The Lighthouse Way is n't busy or commercialised like the Camino Frances and the majority of the Lighthouse Way is on coastal paths rather than roads. We had never heard of the 8 day Lighthouse Way trek until a friend of Lani (my wife) mentioned it and suggested they do it while I was trekking in Nepal. They didn't do the Lighthouse Way trek and I think they would have struggled with the long and tiring sections. When I was planning our 10 week road trip from the UK to southern Morocco in 2024 I decided to spend a week in Muxia at the end of the journey. Our plan was to do the last 5 sections of the Lighthouse Way as day hikes from Muxia. Some of the advantages of doing day hikes on the Lighthouse Way from a comfortable base, rather than doing it as a continuous trek, are: It is easy to do it independently. You don't have to carry, or arrange transfers for, your bags. If the weather is bad you can postpone hiking on the Lighthouse Way to another day. Galicia isn't known for it's great weather! Road sections at the start and end of each daily stage of the Lighthouse Way can be cut out easily when using taxis. You can have rest days and do excursions. Most of the 8 stages of the Lighthouse Way trek are long. Unfortunately the excellent official website  for the Lighthouse Way doesn't provide any information on how the stages can be shortened. We wanted to do more relaxed hiking so I worked out how sections 4 to 8 of the Lighthouse Way hike could be shortened without missing out too much of the great scenery. My blog includes information on: How to shorten the daily sections of the Lighthouse Way. How to use buses and taxis to get to and from the daily sections. A review of sections 4 to 8 of the Lighthouse Way to help you decide which sections you want to hike. Route finding on the Lighthouse Way. See my trip report Week 9 - Muxia & the Lighthouse Way for additional information about our hikes along the Lighthouse Way. 2. The Official Lighthouse Way Website The official website for the Lighthouse Way provides excellent information about the 8 day trek. It provides detailed information for each of the stages including downloads of the Lighthouse Way on Google Maps and Wikiloc. There is also information on taxis, accommodation and restaurants. Unfortunately the official Lighthouse Way website is designed to help hikers who want to do the Lighthouse Way in full and as one continuous trek. A hiker we met informed us that the officials don't want to encourage shortened sections and therefore don't provide any information on how it can be done. My blog provides information that isn't on the official website about hiking individual sections of the Lighthouse Way and shortening some of the long sections. 3. Maps & Signs for the Lighthouse Way The trail for the Lighthouse Way has been marked with green dots and arrows painted on to rocks and trees. Sometimes they aren't clear and the markings have been made for hikers going from north to south. Fortunately the official website provides information on each stage of the Lighthouse Way. This includes trails for the 8 stages which can be downloaded on to Google Maps or Wikiloc. You can then see your position in relation to the trail. We followed the trail on Google Maps and it worked very well. We would have gone the wrong way several times without Google Maps. We found that when hiking along a road or beach it is often not apparent when to turn off on to a path and Google Maps alerted us to the turn off. Mark for the Lighthouse Way 4. Taxis & Buses I had planned to use buses for 2 of the Lighthouse Way's sections in order to save money. In the end we used taxis for the 5 sections of the Lighthouse Way that we hiked as it was more convenient and the cost was reasonable. Google provides details of 9 taxi drivers in Muxia. One of these drivers is Mathew Smith (telephone 34 683 36 24 65) who is a Brit married to a Spanish lady. We used Mathew for all our hikes as he is a great guy and we could communicate with him in English. Lani is learning Spanish but she didn't relish phoning a Spanish taxi driver and trying to arrange a trip. Particularly since most of the time we were trying to shorten the stages and start hiking a few kilometres after the official starting points for the Lighthouse Way. When I first contacted Mathew I asked about the cost. After that I didn't bother as the Muxia taxi drivers have set rates for all the destinations and Mathew had them on a sheet of paper. The fares were reasonable and the official website provides details of many of the fares. There is a taxi office on Muxia's seafront but it is only manned when there are drivers waiting for rides. The taxi rank is shown as Parada de Taxis on Google Maps. Aviva Spain has a bus service between Fisterra, Muxia and Camarinas. There are 5 buses each day on weekdays and 1 daily bus at weekends. Single bus tickets currently cost Eur 2.60. This bus service is useful when doing stages 6 and 8 of the Lighthouse Way. If you are based in Muxia you can take a taxi to the start of stage 8 of the Lighthouse Way and then take the bus from Fisterra to Muxia at the end of the stage. For stage 6 of the Lighthouse Way hike the bus service provides a couple of options if you are based in Muxia. If you want to do the entire section 6 you can take a bus from Muxia to Camarinas. However, if you want to reduce the length of stage 6 you can take the same buses and alight at Cereixo. Mathew Smith - The best taxi driver in Muxia! 5. Accommodation & Restaurants in Muxia We booked an excellent 3 bedroom apartment in the centre of Muxia through Booking.com for Eur 474 in June. It had a very high approval rating of 9.6. If you intend to use Mathew Smith's taxi service it would be worth considering the accommodation he offers which is about a 5 minute drive from Muxia. His accommodation is: A 3 bedroom house which has an approval rating of 9.6 on Booking.com . A studio apartment for up to 4 people which has an approval rating of 9.4 on Booking.com . Mathew recommended several restaurants and we ate at O Porto and A Marina. Both the restaurants were good. In June the O Porto was frequented by locals and wasn't busy. A Marina was mainly frequented by visitors and was busy. The staff at A Marina were very welcoming. 6. Weather We were surprised that the weather forecasts for Muxia were very reliable. We were lucky that in June we had good weather and no rain at all. The only negative was a very strong northerly wind for about 4 days of our stay. Apparently this isn't unusual and Muxia is particularly affected by wind. It is important to take into account the wind direction when planning the Lighthouse Way hikes so that the wind is behind you. It makes walking much easier and more pleasant. We did stage 7 of the Lighthouse Way hike from the south to the north and left it until the end of our stay when the wind had died down. We found it very hot without the wind! 7. Organised Lighthouse Way Treks If you want someone to organise a self guided trek along the Lighthouse Way then On Foot Holidays seems to be the major operator. They offer packages for both the full trek and reduced stages. They also offer shortening options for each stage. The official website also offers packages for the Lighthouse Way through a Spanish travel agent. 8. Stages of the Lighthouse Way & Shortening Options We did day hikes on stages 4 to 8 of the Lighthouse Way hike. We really enjoyed stages 4, 5 and 8. The scenery on stage 7 of the Lighthouse Way wasn't as good as we expected and the second part of the trail was a bit overgrown. We only did the second half of the very long stage 6 and it was a good starting hike. When driving from Muxia to Camarinas we passed some of the first section of stage 6 of the Lighthouse Way. The trail along the busy road didn't look appealing as too much of the trail goes inland, and through forest. 8.1. Stage 4 of the Lighthouse Way Stage 4 of the Lighthouse Way goes from Laxe to Arou. It's the easiest stage of the Lighthouse Way as it is 18 kilometres long and there isn't much elevation. The official website estimates that stage 4 will take 7.5 hours and that allows enough time for photos and a picnic lunch. We enjoyed the hike and thought that the coastal scenery was excellent. One of the highlights of stage 4 is near the end when the trail for the Lighthouse Way goes through a spectacular area of large boulders. We shortened stage 4 by taking a taxi to Praia dos Cristais instead of to Laxe. This cut out the headland that has Laxe lighthouse on it. It reduced stage 4 by 2.8 kilometres and saved 1 hour. Our entire hike for stage 4 of the Lighthouse Way took 6 hours. Taxis can be taken to Praia dos Cristais to start stage 4 You could reduce the length of stage 4 by another 3.1 kilometres if a taxi collected you in Camelle instead of Arou. See my trip report Week 9 - Muxia & the Lighthouse Way (28 June) for information about how we organised the taxi for stage 4 of the Lighthouse Way. Stage 4 could be ended at Camelle Castro Rock Traba Beach The Boulders between Traba & Camelle Approaching Arou at the end of the hike 8.2. Stage 5 of the Lighthouse Way Stage 5 is one of the best stages of the Lighthouse Way hike. It is 23.7 kilometres long and the official website estimates it will take 9 hours. We shortened stage 5 by taking a taxi to Lobeiras viewpoint instead of Arou. This reduced stage 5 by 1.7 kilometres and saved half an hour. We cut out the trail from Arou to Lobeiras Viewpoint which is circled in red We didn't walk up to Vilan lighthouse and that probably saved another half an hour. The northerly wind was ferocious and 2 hikers who went up to the lighthouse told us it was much worse there. We took the track circled in red to bypass Vilan lighthouse At the end of stage 5 of the Lighthouse Way we bypassed an uphill section to the Hermitage of Virxe do Monto. The road circled in red bypasses the Hermitage of Virxe do Monte It took us 6.25 hours to reach Camarinas when cutting out the 3 sections mentioned above. We didn't think the hike was particularly tiring as there wasn't much elevation. The scenery for stage 5 was excellent. Stage 5 of the Lighthouse Way could be reduced by an additional 3 kilometres by arranging for a taxi to collect you from Lago beach, instead of Camarinas. There is a reasonable road to Lago beach but only a tiny parking area. Taxis can access the Praia de Lago The English Cemetery is on stage 5 of the Lighthouse Way and it is worth quickly stopping to visit it. There is a reasonable road to the English cemetery and it continues westwards along the coast almost to the Vilan lighthouse. There is very little traffic on the road. The English Cemetery A View over to the Vilan Lighthouse Vilan Lighthouse 8.3. Stage 6 of the Lighthouse Way Stage 6 goes from Camarinas to Muxia and is the longest stage of the Lighthouse Way. The official website estimates that the 32.6 kilometres hike would take 10 hours. A lot of stage 6 isn't the sort of hiking we enjoy as the trail runs along roads and through forests. It's also too long. The hike from Camarinas to Cereixo can easily be avoided by starting in Cereixo instead. It isn't a particularly nice trail as too much of it is inland and along roads. It would reduce stage 6 of the Lighthouse Way by 14.5 kilometres (4 hours). Buses from Muxia could be used for stage 6 of the Lighthouse Way as there are 5 buses a day between Muxia, Cereixo and Camarinas. The section from Camarinas to Cereixo could be skipped We hiked from Leis Beach to Muxia and enjoyed it. The hike was 10 kilometres long and took 3 hours. Although the trail went along some country roads there was very little traffic. It also went through forest but much of it was very nice virgin forest. We started hiking on stage 6 by taking a taxi from Muxia to Camping Praia Barreira Leis . We started our hike at Camping Praia Barreira Leis on Leis beach The last 2.5 kilometres of stage 6 of the Lighthouse Way continues from the centre of Muxia to the tip of the headland and back to Muxia. This section isn't necessary in order to reach accommodation in Muxia. We walked around the headland on a day we had a break from hiking and enjoyed it as we could take our time and weren't tired. The trail circled in red can be cut out at the end of stage 6 Leis Beach A Granary (Horeos) The Forest near Negro River Mills 8.4. Stage 7 of the Lighthouse Way Stage 7 of the Lighthouse Way goes from Muxia to Nemina and is 25.3 kilometres (9.25 hours) long. It is a tough section as there are several hills that have to be climbed. In addition part of the last section of the trail was overgrown in places. We were a bit disappointed with the scenery at times on the southern section of stage 7 of the Lighthouse Way as the trail deviates from the coast. We did stage 7 of the Lighthouse Way from south to north as it was easier taking a taxi to the start of the trek than arranging for a taxi to meet us at the finish. At the end of our hike we just walked back to our apartment in Muxia. There are a few ways that stage 7 of the Lighthouse Way hike can be shortened: Our taxi driver dropped us off in the hamlet of Talon (called Heel on the official website), which is one kilometre north of Nemina beach, and it saved 15 minutes of walking. The trail from Nemina beach to Talon goes inland so the views are unlikely to be good. We took a taxi to Talon to start stage 7 of the Lighthouse Way The headland with the Tourinan lighthouse can be bypassed and this saves 3.5 kilometres (1 hour) of walking. The Tourinan lighthouse loop can be cut out on stage 7 Some hikers use the road to completely bypass the beautiful Punta Buitro headland. We were also going to do that but met someone whose wife had been attacked by a dog when doing so. As a result we decided to hike around the Punta Buitro headland and cross over to the other side at a narrow point. As we walked along the headland we could see that there was too much thorny ground vegetation to be able to cross over unless there was a path. We weren't disappointed in having to hike around Punta Buitro as the scenery was superb. Then halfway to the tip of the headland there was a dirt track crossing over to the north side. I am not sure how much time this dirt track saved but it was probably around half an hour. The red line indicated where there is a track across the Punta Buitra headland View from Mount Pedrouzo Punta Buitra Descending Mount Cachelmo with Muxia in the distance. 8.5. Stage 8 of the Lighthouse Way Stage 8 of the Lighthouse Way goes from Nemina to Fisterra lighthouse and it's 27 kilometres (8.75 hours) long. It is a beautiful hike but tiring due to the length and hilly terrain. We took 2 shortcuts on stage 8 which reduced the hiking time to 6 hours, including lunch and photo stops. We only saw 3 other hikers the entire hike! We started stage 8 of the Lighthouse Way by taking a taxi from Muxia to Area Grande. This cut out 7.3 kilometres (1.75 hours) of a mainly inland section of the hike from Nemina to Area Grande. At low tide it is also possible to wade across the Lires estuary from Praia de Lires on the north side to the south side. See the article on the Estuary of Lires in the official website. A taxi can be taken to Area Grande, instead of Nemina, to start stage 8 We ended our hike at the town of Fisterra where the taxi collected us. However, stage 8 of the Lighthouse Way ends at Fisterra lighthouse which is a further 5 kilometres and much of it is uphill! If I was doing the entire Lighthouse Way trek I would leave this final part to the next morning so I could enjoy it. As mentioned earlier in this blog there are are buses from Fisterra to Muxia and Camarinas. The section from Fisterra to Fisterra Lighthouse can be cut out A View between Lires & Rostro Beaches View of Nemina Rostro Beach 9. Links to Other Blogs about our Road Trip from England to Morocco Week 1 - Salamanca, Toledo, Cordoba & Granada Week 2 - Spain to Morocco Week 3 - Southern Morocco Week 4 - Marrakesh to Todra Gorge Week 5 - Todra Gorge - Merzouga - Fes - Chefchaouen Week 6 - Morocco to Cadiz & Seville Week 7 - Seville to Portugal Week 8 - Porto to Pontevedra, Spain Week 9 - Muxia & the Lighthouse Way Week 10 - Muxia, Spain to Plymouth, UK

Techa Gompa near Umlung Contents Introduction When to do the Markha Valley Trek What to bring for the Markha Valley Trek Internet Connectivity on the Markha Valley Trek Transport to and from the Markha Valley Trek Permits for the Markha Valley Trek Cost of the Markha Valley Trek Map of the Markha Valley Trek Navigation on the Markha Valley Trek Homestays & Tented Camps on the Markha Valley Trek River Crossings on the Markha Valley Trek Itinerary for the Markha Valley Trek Links to my other blogs on Ladakh 1. Introduction I did the Markha Valley trek by myself in mid August 2024. Before doing this trek I spent 3 nights acclimatising in Leh and then trekked in the Sham Valley for 3 days to further improve my acclimatisation. At the end of the third day of trekking in Sham Valley I took an unofficial taxi to Skiu. I stayed in a homestay for the night (12th August) at Skiu before trekking through Markha Valley for 4 days. I spent the nights in Skiu, Markha, Thachungtse and Nyimaling. I was concerned that the trails and accommodation could be very busy as I was hiking in peak season. I was pleasantly surprised, and probably fortunate, that neither the Sham Valley trek nor the Markha Valley trek were busy except at Nyimaling. I wanted to have my own room or tent and fortunately this was possible. At Skiu I had the homestay to myself. In Markha I had a triple bed room to myself. It was fortunate that I decided not to stay in Hankar as I later heard it was overflowing with trekkers. I had continued on from Hankar to the Thachungtse tented camp and had a tent to myself. I was one of the first trekkers to arrive at Nyimaling and was only allowed to have a tent to myself as the outer zip was broken. I really enjoyed the Markha Valley trek. The scenery was fantastic and there was great camaraderie with other trekkers. I usually don't like trekking on roads but the rough road from Skiu to Markha didn't spoil my trek. There was very little traffic and it made navigation very easy! The Markha Valley trek isn't difficult but the section between Skiu and Hankar can be very hot. There are now bridges over the river in many places. However, in years when the water level is high river crossings could be difficult on the descent from the Gongmaru La to Chokdo. I was fortunate that there was little snow last winter so the river levels were low. 2. When to do the Markha Valley Trek The Markha Valley trek can usually be done from late May to mid October. There is more risk of snow on the pass in May and October. In late June and July the river levels are often higher. As discussed in the section on River Crossings the river level is mainly a concern when descending the Gongmaru La as there are now bridges over most of the rivers until Nyimaling. Another consideration is the number of trekkers. July and August are the busiest months for the Markha Valley trek but by the end of August the number of trekkers should decrease. The section of the Markha Valley trek from Skiu to Hankar can also be very hot in July and August as it is in a valley. I trekked in mid August and the temperature on this section felt like it was in the mid 30's centigrade. In my opinion late August to mid September would be a very good time to do the Markha Valley trek. There should be less trekkers and the temperature would be less extreme. 3. What to bring for the Markha Valley Trek 3.1. Blankets, Duvets & Pillow Cases Unless you are bringing your own tent you don't need to bring a sleeping bag for the Markha Valley trek. I brought a silk liner bag for hygiene reasons and used the blankets and duvets provided. For temperatures in mid August there were sufficient blankets and duvets at all the places I stayed at, including the tented camps at Thachungtse and Nyimaling. It would be colder in September and October but as there are less trekkers there should be more blankets and duvets available. I always take a pillow case for lodge/homestay treks and either put it over the pillow provided or stuff my down jacket in the pillow case if there isn't one. You can be sure that the pillow cases provided are rarely washed. 3.2. Drinking Water All the homestays and tented camps on the Markha Valley trek provided filtered water and a lot of trekkers drink it. However, I took a Steripen to sterilise the filtered water. Some trekkers use LifeStraw water bottles or water purification tablets. I did a 35 day trek through Zanskar after the Markha Valley trek and relied on filtered water at our campsites. Three out of seven of us got very sick from the water as most filters don't remove viruses or parasites. As a result two of us had to end our trek after 26 days and it took me 7 weeks to completely recover. It is better to be safe than sorry when drinking water! 3.3 Footwear I wore boots but the terrain isn't difficult on the Markha Valley trek and hiking shoes should be fine. Just make sure they are shoes or boots that you have worn before and that they are comfortable. I met some trekkers who had bought new footwear in Leh and were really suffering with blisters. To make matters worse they hadn't brought any plasters or Compeed. I also took water shoes as I had brought them for the Zanskar trek. I didn't use them as the river levels were low in 2024. However, when the river level is higher it would be good to at least have a cheap pair of plastic crocs for river crossings and they can be bought in Leh. 3.4. Food I didn't take any food as the meals provided by the homestays in the Markha Valley were sufficient. However, some people might want to take some snacks. 3.5. Power banks I brought a power bank and solar panel but never used them. There was mains electricity in my room at Skiu and at Markha the homestay charged my cell phone from their solar powered batteries. My phone battery then lasted on airplane mode until I finished the trek. 3.6. Medications I hadn't taken Diamox for 20 years before this trek. However, I decided to take half a tablet on my arrival at Delhi at midnight and also the next morning and evening in Leh (3,500m). I didn't have any problems with altitude acclimatisation in Leh as a result. I decided to take half a tablet of Diamox when I arrived at Nyimaling and half a tablet early the next morning. I didn't have any problems with altitude acclimatisation but I usually acclimatise well anyway. Therefore I would suggest taking some Diamox on the Markha Valley trek in case you need it unless you have already spent a week or so at altitude. I would also take plasters for blisters and some basic medication like Panadol and Ibuprofen. 3.7. Other Items Other items worth considering: A head torch even though there is electricity at some locations. A waterproof jacket. One change of clothes in case you get wet. Warm clothes for Nyimaling and the amount depends on the season. It got close to 0 centigrade during the night in mid August. I had a thin down jacket and long johns. I took a pee bottle which I had bought for my Zanskar trek. Hat Sun glasses Walking poles for the descent. Water bottles Cellphone with a local SIM card ( see the next section ). Toilet paper, toothbrush & toothpaste Sun block. Hand sanitiser. Reading material. I took a Kindle but never used it. Headphones for music. Earplugs. I never take them and all 3 nights were quiet. 4.8. What not to bring! Don't bring any satellite communication devices, like a phone or Garmin Inreach, to India. It is illegal and in Ladakh they track satellite communications due to the border disputes with China and Pakistan. I personally know 2 people who got into serious trouble using satellite communication devices. The Indian authorities treat it as a very serious matter. 4. Internet Connectivity on the Markha Valley Trek There was connectivity with the Jio network at Skiu according to the lady running the homestay I stayed at. However, I didn't have a Jio SIM card. Outside Markha's monastery there is free internet and it worked well. The password at the time was 1234567890. However, check the password with your homestay before walking up! The Jio and Airtel networks can be accessed at the top of the Gongmaru La. Many trekkers phone from there to arrange for a taxi to meet them at Chokdo. I don't think there is any connectivity to the BSNL network on the Markha Valley trek. I had BSNL and Airtel SIM cards and the BSNL SIM card was of no use to me during my 6 weeks in Ladakh. Jio seems to be the best and then Airtel. 5. Transport to and from the Markha Valley Trek If you are on a really tight budget you can hitchhike or perhaps take an infrequent local bus. I didn't consider these options as cost wasn't an issue. For taxis it's best to go to the taxi stand in central Leh where lots of taxis are parked. They have set rates to all locations and to Skiu it costs INR 4,175 (USD 50). These rates are usually non negotiable but once you have used a taxi driver they are often willing to offer a discounted fare for the next trip. I took a taxi to Likir to start the Sham Valley trek and then at the end of the Sham Valley trek I tried to find transport from Temisgam to Skiu for the Markha Valley trek. I asked about taxis at a local store in Temisgam and the owner shut his store and drove me there for INR 4,000! For the return journey from Chokdo to Leh you have several options: Arrange a taxi to meet you at Chokdo before you start the Markha Valley trek. The official rate is about INR 4,500. The problem would be estimating your arrival time in Chokdo. I left Nyimaling at 07.15, immediately after breakfast, and got to Chokdo at 12.00. However, the numerous river crossings were very easy in 2024. Phone a taxi driver once you reach the Gongmaru La using a Jio or Airtel SIM card. It took me about 3 hours to descend to Chokdo. Hope that there is a taxi waiting at Chokdo. There were several when I got there but they may have all been prearranged by other trekkers. Try and share a prearranged taxi at Chokdo. That's what I did and the other trekker wouldn't accept any payment from me. Phone for a taxi from Chokdo and probably wait 1.5 hours for it to come from Leh. The Ladakh Taxi Union lists the official taxi fares to numerous locations on its website . 6. Permits for the Markha Valley Trek I had read a number of travel blogs about the Markha Valley trek and none of them mentioned permits. However, on my arrival in Leh the hotel manager said I would need one to get through a check point on the road to Chilling. I didn't believe him and when I googled it the results were very confusing. I then checked with a few travel agents and they all said I needed a permit costing INR 600 (about USD 7) if I was travelling to Chilling. However, if I was doing the longer and more difficult trek starting in Zhingchan it wasn't necessary as the road didn't go past the check point. All travel agents can obtain this permit for INR 600. However, the permits can only be granted to a group and not to individuals. Therefore travel agents apply for several people at a time even though they won't be travelling together. At the bottom of my permit there are 4 other people named who I never met! These permits can be arranged very quickly by travel agents who arrange a lot of tours and treks. My hotel recommended using a travel agent called Ancient Tracks which is in the centre of Leh. They can often arrange permits in 2 to 3 hours and give you a receipt for your passport. However, the permit office may not be open at weekends. I was very impressed with them and they are a popular and legitimate agency. When I went my taxi wasn't stopped at the checkpoint and I didn't have to produce the permit. However, I met other trekkers who were stopped and were asked for it. I don't know what happens if you don't have it but the risk is you would have to return to Leh and obtain a permit. It isn't worth the risk when the permit only costs INR 600. If you can't obtain the permit because it's the weekend there are 2 options. Start the Markha Valley trek from Zingchan or leave Leh by about 06.30 so you can get through the check point before it starts operating. INR 600 Permit for the Markha Valley Trek The Ancient Tracks Travel Agency in Leh 7. Cost of the Markha Valley Trek It costs very little to do the Markha Valley trek if you are doing it by yourself. The costs of my 4 day trek were: INR USD Taxi fare from Leh to Skiu (Estimate) 4175 50 Homestay - Skiu 1600 19 Homestay - Markha 1600 19 Thachungtse tented camp 1600 19 Nyimaling tented camp 2000 24 Permit 600 7 Taxi fare from Chokdo to Leh (Estimate) 4500 54 TOTAL 16075 192 Regarding taxi fares I actually took an unofficial taxi from the end of the Sham Valley trek to Skiu for INR 4,000 and a kind trekker gave me a lift in his prearranged taxi from Chokdo to Leh. 8. Map of the Markha Valley Trek 9. Navigation on the Markha Valley Trek Before travelling to Leh I read several blogs about the Markha Valley trek and also the Cicerone Trekking in Ladakh guide book. I brought photocopies on the trek as they kept warning about wrong turns and difficulties navigating the trail. I also downloaded maps on Maps.Me and Mapy.cz . The reality is that the trail for the Markha Valley trek is very easy to navigate and it would be very hard to go wrong except in very poor visibility for the section after Hankar. I never had to look at the photocopies or the downloaded maps. There is now a road all the way from Chilling to Markha so it is virtually impossible to go wrong on this section of the Markha Valley trek. From Markha to Lower Hankar there seems to be a jeep track although no vehicles were using it as they couldn't cross the river just before Markha. The trail was a bit confusing after the restaurant in Lower Umlung and after leaving Upper Hankar. After Upper Hankar you go through a gate and then walk along the left bank of the river. After a while there is a steep trail on the left up the hillside. It looked a bit hairy but it was actually okay. You don't cross the river at all until you get to the bridge just before Thachungtse. The only other time I was a bit uncertain of the trail was at the Tsigu lakes, between Thachungtse and Nyimaling. Two other trekkers in front of me were uncertain whether to take the left or right path but we all correctly guessed to the left. Other blogs suggest following the horse droppings on the trail and it is a good indicator of the right path, particularly on the descent from the Gongmaru La. On this descent there are a couple of sections where the trail briefly ascends in order to avoid going through narrow and difficult canyons. The locals can often get through the canyons when the river level is low but it is safer to take the trails up. 10. Homestays & Tented Camps on the Markha Valley Trek The homestays on the Markha Valley trek run on a rotation system with each homestay in the village taking turns to take in trekkers. If the designated homestay is full they will send you to the next designated one, if there is more than one in the village! The rotation system sounds very fair but in reality it isn't. The rotation system means that poor quality homestays receive the same income as good quality homestays and they have no incentive to improve. In Skiu the lady running the homestay didn't like me taking photos as some areas were very untidy. She should have tidied up instead! In Markha I had a great homestay in the new section of the village but some trekkers in the old section of Markha were complaining about their accommodation. All the homestays charge INR 1,600 (USD 19) per night for food and lodging. Nyimaling tented camp charges INR 2,000 (USD 24). This cost includes dinner, breakfast, a packed lunch and cups of tea. Breakfast usually consisted of freshly cooked chapatis or Tibetan bread with jam. At Skiu I was also served eggs. Dinner was usually Chhutagi or a rice dish. Chhutagi is flattened pasta cut into circular shapes and cooked with vegetables. It is a very filling soup. The packed lunches consisted of a sandwich or large pastry with a filling. Cold boiled potatoes were sometimes added. There was also a small juice box and chocolate bar. If the homestays are busy you might have to share rooms or sleep in the dining room. I was lucky and always had a room to myself. The toilets were long drops. They had a good system where you put soil down the hole after going to the toilet. I didn't find the toilets bad and they were clean. I was a bit perturbed at Markha when I saw the neighbour's dog lying underneath the long drop! The homestays provide filtered water but I recommend sterilising it. 10.1. Homestays in Skiu A couple of years ago travel blogs for the Markha Valley trek reported that there were no homestays in Skiu. I don't understand this as there are several. The taxi dropped me off at the far end of Skiu. The first homestay I enquired at informed me it wasn't their turn and directed me to the next homestay about 5 minutes away. There are also homestays at the start of Skiu which operate on a separate rotation system. My homestay was fine. I had my own room, the food was good, it was quiet and the toilet was clean. I had mains electricity in my room and I could charge electrical devices. There was limited Jio cellphone connectivity and the owner only seemed to be able to make calls from 1 room. There is probably better phone and internet connectivity in the first part of Skiu. 10.2. Homestays between Skiu and Markha When I arrived at Skiu in the late afternoon I had considered walking on as the heat had subsided. However, I wasn't sure about the accommodation after Skiu. I met some other trekkers who were continuing on but they had their own tents. The Skiu Women's Eco Cafe is a 50 minute walk from Skiu and the trekkers I had met camped there. The cafe was closed when they got there and it was closed when I passed it early the next morning. The sign doesn't mention that there is camping or homestay accommodation and the fancy flush toilet was locked. There is a camping site and restaurant at Hamurja which is a 1 hour 40 minute walk from Skiu. The sign mentions that beds are available and it looked like there were at least two fixed 2 man tents. I have never seen any mention of a settlement called Hamurja before and it is probably near Pentse. Sara is 2.5 hours from Skiu and there is a homestay and camping site. 10.3. Markha's Homestays There is at least one homestay and two campsites before you cross the river and enter Markha. They were probably used more when there weren't bridges over the 2 river crossings before Markha. Trekkers often had to wait until the next morning to cross the rivers. There are about 10 homestays in Markha. There are about 7 homestays in the old section of Markha at the foot of the hill below the monastery. There are another 3 homestays about 5 minutes further on and they are just off the trail to Umlung. I stayed in the new section of Markha and my homestay was very good. I was given a triple room and I checked that they wouldn't put other trekkers in before accepting it. The homestay was very clean and tidy, the food was good and the hosts were very pleasant. 10.4. Homestays between Markha and Thachungtse I had a drink at the restaurant at Lower Umlung. The restaurant looked good and the lady running it was very pleasant. I can't remember the homestay in detail but I think it should be a reasonable place to stay. Lower Umlung is a 90 minute walk from Markha. The homestay & campsite in Lower Umlung The homestay and camping site at Upper Umlung is about 15 minutes from Lower Umlung. I didn't take any photos of the homestays at Lower Hankar or Upper Hankar. There are several homestays in Lower Hankar and two in Upper Hankar. Upper Hankar is the nicer location but it seems to fill up. I visited one of the homestays and the dining room looked nice but there might have only been one bedroom with triple beds. Trekkers at Nyimaling told me that the homestays in Upper Hankar had been packed the previous night and trekkers were sleeping in the dining room. 10.5. Thachungtse Tented Camp I intended to stay in Hankar rather than Thachungtse as I wasn't sure if they had fixed tents for trekkers at Thachungtse. I was also concerned about the river crossing just before Thachungtse as a YouTube video mentioned there wasn't a bridge in 2023 and that the river crossing in the afternoon was very difficult. I reached Lower Hankar very early at 10.50. It was so early that I didn't register that I was in Lower Hankar! I soon got up to Upper Hankar and had problems locating the homestays. I was finally shown the homestay and was given a triple room. I decided not to stay as I wasn't keen on the room and I wasn't sure if I would have it to myself. I tried without success to find another homestay. Luckily I met a small group of trekkers and their guide said they were going to Thachungtse. He said there were fixed tents there and that there was a bridge across the river before Thachungtse. I therefore decided to go there. There is a lower and upper part to the Thachungtse campsite and I was directed to the upper area where there were 4 two man tents and a large dining tent. There were only 3 other trekkers there and I was given my own tent with a sleeping mattress and duvets/blankets. The man running the upper campsite told us that early the next morning he was going to Hankar for 2 days and his campsite would then be closed. We therefore had to have breakfast at 06.00 but we could leave after him. I asked him if trekkers would be allowed to stay in the tents whilst he was away but he said not. The cost was INR 1,200 like the homestays and that included tea, dinner, breakfast and a packed lunch. The campsite was good but it concerned me that they were closing for 2 days in peak season. If I had arrived a day later accommodation may have been a problem. I did pass another campsite between Hankar and Thachungtse so it may be possible to stay there if Thachungtse was full. The lower campsite had some larger fixed tents and a stone dining room. It was full as a group was staying in most of the larger fixed tents. I met 2 trekkers who were staying in a 4 man tent and they said the owner had tried to charge them for 4 persons. They did negotiate the rate down a bit. 10.6. Nyimaling Tented Camp I arrived at Nyimaling at 11.15 which was very early. I asked the owner for a single tent but it wasn't possible as he didn't know how many people were coming. As he took me over to the 2 man tents he showed me one with a broken zip on the fly sheet and said I could have that tent to myself. I was delighted. The camp filled up with trekkers and by mid afternoon it was full. The last couple given a tent were told that if any one else came a third person would be squeezed in! Officially it was a 3 man tent but in reality it was tight for even 2 people. Later in the afternoon it started to rain and the campsite became muddy. One trekker who had intended to sleep outside asked for a tent and the owner told me that he would have to sleep in my tent. I refused as the vestibule of my tent couldn't be used for luggage. I would have been sharing the worst tent even though I was the first person to arrive at the campsite. In the end they found a tent for him but the owner wasn't happy with me. I read a blog that said they have plenty of spare tents at Nyimaling which they can erect if necessary. That isn't correct and the only tents are the ones erected. Most of the tents are 2 man tents but they also have a couple of 8 man tents. In total 50 to 60 people can be accommodated. Groups with their own tents tend to camp a few hundred metres away. As it often rains or snows at Nyimaling the campsite can be muddy. When it is sunny it is pleasant and you can sit outside and drink tea. When it rained everyone stayed in their tents until dinner time and then went into the very rudimentary and dark dining tent. The owner said that it was very difficult planning for meals as the number of trekkers staying varied so much and he didn't know the number until the actual day. Apparently the day before the camp was only a third full. Supper consisted of 2 huge pots of food and rice and it was self serve. It's best to line up as quickly as you can and not sit in the seats by the walls as it is difficult to get out. The food was good and plentiful. It was very sociable in the basic surroundings. Breakfast was served at 07.00 and it was again self serve. I think there was porridge and chapatis. Whilst we were eating breakfast they were preparing our packed lunches in the kitchen. I went to the kitchen after breakfast to pay the INR 2,000 for the night and collect my lunch. I didn't eat it until I got back to Leh! When I left two Israelis were trying to pay for their share of an 8 man tent. The owner was insisting they pay for all 8 people even though they weren't all hiking together. Apparently 2 of the others had already paid and left but the owner couldn't remember this. I don't know how it was resolved but the owner wouldn't back down and started being rude about Israelis. It was all a bit unpleasant. It is best to arrive at Nyimaling early so you can get reasonable accommodation. Otherwise you could end up in a 8 man tent, share a 2 man tent with 2 other people or sleep in the dining room. None of those options appeal to me! They don't make single trekkers share a tent with the opposite sex. As a result one woman had a tent to herself. 11. River Crossings on the Markha Valley Trek The river crossings on the Markha Valley trek were my main concern as I was doing the trek by myself. All the travel blogs said that river crossings could be a problem just before Markha, between Markha and Umlung, before Thachungtse and on the descent from the Gongmaru La. The first river crossing before Markha village now has a bridge for pedestrians but not for vehicles. In mid August 2024 most vehicles couldn't cross this river. The final river crossing before Markha has a bridge suitable for vehicles. There are now bridges where the river crosses the trail between Markha and Umlung and also before Thachungtse. I crossed the bridge near Thachungtse in the early afternoon and it was a raging torrent. I wouldn't have attempted to wade through that river by myself. It was worse than any of the rivers I crossed on the Zanskar trek. I had to cross a small stream about 15 minutes after leaving Thachungtse early in the morning. It was very easy to jump across as the water level was low. A trekker reported in July 2018 that this stream was a raging torrent at 14.00. The time of day, snow fall the previous winter, rain, temperature etc can make such a big difference. At Nyimaling you have to cross the river to take the trail ascending to the Gongmaru La. When I arrived in the afternoon it looked like I would have to wade through it the next morning. However, the next morning the river level had dropped and it was possible to hop across on the rocks. After the initial descent from the Gongmaru La the river has to be crossed numerous times, perhaps around 30 times. Fortunately the river level was very low in 2024 and it was easy to cross each time without removing my boots. In some years this river on the descent can be a raging torrent and difficult to cross. One blog recommended trying to get to Chokdo by 10.30 to avoid difficulties in crossing. The bridges were well made but there is always a risk that a bridge can be swept away in floods and not replaced immediately. The first steel road bridge at Chilling, built in 2015, was washed away in flood water later that year! Therefore you cannot rely on the bridges I mention being in place. You should enquire about them when trekking. 12. Itinerary for the Markha Valley Trek The Markha Valley trek traditionally used to be started from either Zhingchan or Chilling. The Zhingchan route takes about 7 days and requires crossing the 4,973 metre high Kanda La at the start of the trek. Most trekkers don't take this route due to the risk of altitude sickness and the extra time required. If you acclimatise properly, and have the time, the Zhingchan route is the superior option. I did the Chilling route as time was a constraint and I wasn't adequately acclimatised. I actually started the trek in Skiu as there is now a road from Chilling to Markha. Very few trekkers now start the Markha Valley trek from Chilling and I don't recommend doing so for reasons detailed in the next section. Many trekkers take a taxi to Markha in the morning and either stay there or hike to Hankar the same day. This reduces the trek to 3 days and 2 nights. I think that it is a shame to drive from Skiu to Markha as the scenery is excellent and there is very little traffic on the road. 12.1. Chilling to Skiu I was driven along this section of the Markha Valley trek and most trekkers do the same. I don't recommend hiking this section as: The first part of the road is tarred and the traffic is fast. The scenery isn't as good as during the rest of the Markha Velley trek. In July and August it is likely to be very hot. 12.2. Skiu (3430m) to Markha (3806m) As I mentioned earlier many trekkers skip this section of the Markha Valley trek as they drive from Leh to Markha. I think that is a mistake as the scenery is excellent and can't be appreciated from a vehicle. The dirt road doesn't spoil the hike as there is very little traffic and it makes route finding very straight forward! I arrived in Skiu late in the afternoon and stayed the night there. That meant I could leave Skiu early and walk in the cooler early morning temperatures. It would have been even better if I had walked for 1 hour 40 minutes the previous afternoon from Skiu to the tented camp at Hamurja . I left Skiu at 07.30 and reached Markha at 13.00. The temperature was very pleasant for the first couple of hours but then it became very hot as the trail is in the Markha valley. Markha is an attractive village with a crumbling old fort and a monastery on the hillsides. I didn't see any other trekkers until I reached Markha and then I met plenty. 12.3. Markha (3806m) to Hankar (3990m) or Thachungtse (4250m) It only took 3 hours to walk to Lower Hankar (3,990m) and from there it was another 20 minutes to Upper Hankar (4,048m). It was too early to stop for the day and I walked another 2 hours to the tented camp at Thachungtse. Most trekkers spend the night at Lower Hankar or Upper Hankar. Upper Hankar is in a very attractive location with an old fort perched on a rocky outcrop. Apparently it is possible to scramble up to visit it. The altitude at Thachungtse would be too high for most trekkers who drive from Leh (3,500m) to Markha the same day. I saw very few other trekkers on the trail as I left Markha at 07.30, which was earlier than most trekkers. 12.4. Hankar (3990m) or Thachungtse (4250m) to Nyimaling (4848m) The weather was overcast for the first time during the Markha Valley trek. The sun makes such a difference to the the scenery and it seemed a bit bleak at times. However, there were good views of the snow covered Kang Yatse which is 6,400 metres high. It was an uphill walk to Tsigu lake. After that the terrain flattened out and the last section to Nyimaling was across a plateau. It took 3.5 hours to walk from Thachungtse to Nyimaling and the previous day it had taken 2 hours to walk from Upper Hankar to Thachungtse. As I had left Thachungtse early at 07.30 I only saw 2 other trekkers on the trail. Nyimaling is in a bit of a bleak setting. Some trekkers climbed up the hillside to the south west of the campsite to get better views of Kang Yatse. There are apparently some very nice walks around the Nyimaling area but you have to know where to go. It wasn't advisable for me to explore by myself and I wouldn't fancy spending a second night at Nyimaling's muddy tented camp. 12.5. Nyimaling (4848m) to Chokdo (3660m) I wanted to set off very early from Nyimaling but breakfast was only served at 07.00. I left at 07.15 which was before many trekkers but I still had about 10 trekkers ahead of me. There were 2 groups camped near us and I was pleased that I was about 20 minutes ahead of them. It is a steep 440 metre ascent from Nyimaling to the Gongmaru La (5,287 metres) but it wasn't difficult and it took 1 hour 40 minutes. It wasn't cold or windy at the top and I spent 15 minutes enjoying the views before starting the descent to Chokdo. The very first part was steep but there was a good path that snaked down. I was pleased that no one was ahead of me or behind me and it stayed that way until I had almost reached Chokdo. The trail to Chokdo was very clear. It crossed the river about 30 times but since the river level was so low the crossings were easy. The only time I had any doubts about the trail were when it ascended a couple of times to avoid difficult sections through the canyon. It took about 3 hours to descend 1,600 metres from the Gongmaru La to Chokdo. I didn't find the descent difficult or tiring and the scenery was very good. It is an enjoyable section of the Markha Valley trek when the river level is low. I was fortunate that another trekker overtook me before Chokdo. At Chokdo I asked if I could share his taxi and he very kindly agreed and wouldn't accept payment. I was back in Leh by about 13.30 and ate my packed lunch at my hotel! 13. L inks to my other blogs on Ladakh 2024 Guide to the Sham Valley Trek 2024 Zanskar trek - Part 1 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 2 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 3 Travel Guide for Leh and Vicinity - 2024

The Temple of Apollo We brought our UK car to Naxos by taking the car ferry from Syros (see my blog Syros, Greece: Travel Guide ). We spent 5 nights on Naxos island and it was our favourite Cyclades island. We left Naxos by taking a car ferry to the island of Andros (see my blog Andros, Greece: Travel Guide ). Contents 1. Introduction 2. Naxos Town 3. Hikes on Naxos Mount Zas (Zeus) Hike Melanes - Flerio - Potamia Hike Halki to Moni Hike 4. A Drive from Naxos Town to Apollonas Apiranthos Koronos Apollonas Kouroi at Flerio 5. The Beaches south of Naxos Town 6. Halki 7. Filoti 8. Accommodation 9. Links to My Other Blogs 1. Introduction When planning our trip I was concerned that Naxos might be spoiled by tourism. Naxos Town was certainly busy in June but we still enjoyed walking around the delightful old town every evening. Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades and there is very little tourist development on the remainder of the island. We visited 4 of the Cyclades islands and Naxos was our favourite as: Naxos Town is interesting to explore. There are many old and picturesque villages. Naxos is very scenic and mountainous. There are some excellent sandy beaches south of Naxos Town. We had a couple of good hikes including a hike up Mount Zas. This is the highest point in the Cyclades. 2. Naxos Town 2.1 Parking in Naxos Town There is a very large free car park just north of the centre of Naxos town. It is a 10 minute walk to the harbour. We always found a parking spot when we were there in early June. It is shown as " Naxos Municipal Parking " on Google maps. Be careful as there are a couple of other municipal car parks in the same area with similar names. There is a free municipal car park on the southern side of Naxos town. It is more convenient than the northern one. It is not quite as large so it is more difficult to find a parking space. It is shown as " Municipal Parking 1 " on Google maps. 2.2 Old Naxos Town Naxos Town is a very picturesque old coastal town on a hill with a Kastro on the top. There is a maze of winding narrow streets and alleyways, some of which pass through tunnels, between the seafront esplanade and the Kastro. There are shops and restaurants on the waterfront and in the alleyways in the lower section of Naxos old town. They cater for tourists rather than locals. It is still very pleasant and interesting to wander around. It is definitely worth walking up to the Kastro but there isn't much to do or see when you get there. The only view is to the east towards the interior of Naxos. There is a cathedral at the top which was closed when we went in the evenings. There is also an Archaeological Museum in the Kastro. 2.3 The Temple of Apollo The Temple of Apollo which was built in 530 BC, but never completed, lies at the end of the causeway leading from Naxos Town. From the Temple there is an excellent view back to Naxos Town. It is a very popular place to stroll to in the evenings. 2.4. The New Section of Naxos Town & the Beaches The newer part of Naxos is south of the old town and Evripeou is the main square. The main road north of the square has shops and restaurants aimed more at locals. To the south west of Naxos's main square is the long, sandy and shallow Saint George beach. It gets good reviews on Google . The road between the square and the beach has many restaurants frequented by tourists. Grotto beach, just north of the causeway to the Temple of Apollo, is a stone beach. It is not as appealing. A View of Naxos Town from the Temple of Apollo A View of Naxos Town from the Ferry A Church in Naxos Town The Catholic Cathedral in Naxos Town Covered Alley in Naxos Town The View from the Castle in Naxos Town Covered Alley in Naxos Town A Street in Naxos Town 3. Hikes on Naxos Island There were 3 circular hikes that I wanted to do on Naxos island but we only did 2 of them. The Alltrails website provides details of many hikes on Naxos with very useful reviews. The reviews often indicate the condition of the trail. 3.1. Mount Zas (Zeus) Hike Mount Zas is 1,003 metres high and is the highest point in the Cyclades. It is a popular hike as many people like to reach the highest point. Try to do the hike up Mount Zas in good weather so you can enjoy the views from the top. We had low clouds so we couldn't see anything! There are 3 main hiking routes up Mount Zas: Hike from Ayia Marina Chapel to Mount Zas It is a 40 minute drive from Naxos Town to the Ayia Marina Chapel. There is some car parking at the small chapel and also along the road. Enter " Saint Marina Holy Chapel " on Google maps to locate the chapel. This is the easiest and quickest trail up Mount Zas and it was the one we hiked. The trail is well marked, ascends 396 metres and it took us about 2 hours and 15 minutes to reach the summit of Mount Zas. The final 15 minutes is steep and rocky. Take care not to twist an ankle. It was raining when we descended and the rocky trail was very slippery. Luckily we brought walking sticks which made it safer and faster. The Alltrails website and App show this trail up Mount Zas and it can be downloaded onto your phone. It isn't really necessary as the trail is well marked. On the way down don't take the trail forking off to Aria Spring. Hike from Aria Spring to Mount Zas It is a 40 minute drive from Naxos town to Aria Spring. Enter Fontaine d’Aria on Google maps to locate the starting point. The turn off from the main road is clearly signposted. There is limited parking on the road. The Alltrails website and App show this trail up Mount Zas. It is worth downloading the trail onto your phone as the trail isn't clear at one point . The first 20 minutes of the hike is along a paved path to the Cave of Zeus. It then becomes a rocky trail that is more difficult than the Ayia Marina trail. It ascends 484 metres to the summit of Mount Zas compared to 396 metres on the Ayia Marina trail. The hike takes about 2.5 hours. Hike from Filoti to Mount Zas This is the most difficult trail up Mount Zas and normally undertaken by people relying on public transport. The trail ascends 607 metres to the summit of Mount Zas and the hike takes about 3 hours 45 minutes. The route is shown on the Alltrails website . The Beginning of the Walk up Mount Zas Middle Section of the Walk up Mount Zas The Middle Section of the Walk up Mount Zas Near the Top of Mount Zas At the Summit of Mount Zas A View on the Descent from Mount Zas 3.2. Trail 6 Melanes - Flerio - Potamia Hike This is a beautiful walk that passes right by the archaeological site at Flerio on Naxox island. There you can see the 2 famous kouroi dating back to 570 BC. See my blog for further details. You will pass through the pretty and unspoiled villages of Ano Potomia and Mesi Potomia. We hiked clockwise from Melanes and the trail is marked with a red dot and a red number 6 until Mesi Potomia. After that it helps to use the AllRoutes app for a section of the trail. The hike took us 3 hours and 15 minutes. We didn't stop to see the kouroi at Flerio as we were wet from the rain. The hike can be shortened by taking other trails from east to west before reaching Ano Potamia. These trails are shown on the AllRoutes App. The first section from Melanes is down a steep, wet and slippery path and it wasn't raining at the time. Hiking poles would definitely help. The next section was a bit overgrown but after that the trail was very good. The trail descends steeply to Ano Potamia and then climbs up to Mesi Potomia. It is an easy walk once you reach the dirt road after Mesi Potomia. Village of Melanes on Naxos On the Path between Melanes and Flerio Cacti on the Path The Path going down to Ano Potamia Kato Potamia Melanes Village on Naxos 3.3 Trail 4 - Halki to Moni Circular Hike I planned to do this hike as it seemed to be an interesting circular hike. Sadly we ran out of time. The route is detailed on the AllRoutes website . The reviews of this route indicate that in 2023: About 30% of it isn't well maintained. The second section of the trail on AllRoutes trail isn't correct and the signs for trail 4 and 4A should be followed instead. The hike takes 3 to 4 hours. Other useful information about this hike is on the Tripadvisor forum and the Cycladen website . 4. A Drive from Naxos Town to Apollonas We took the inland route north up to Apollonas and stopped off at Apiranthos and Koronos. We drove back south on Naxos's coastal road and turned off to see the kouri at Flerio. The drive took about 6.5 hours and it was very scenic. It was tiring driving on Naxos's mountainous roads and there were very few places to pull over to take photos and to enjoy the views. 4.1. Apiranthos We thought that Apiranthos was the prettiest and most interesting village on Naxos island. Apiranthos is quite large and we spent an hour walking around the alleyways. There aren't any particular sights to see. We reached Apiranthos before 10.00 a.m. and there were very few other visitors. There were several restaurants and shops so I am sure Apiranthos would be busy later in the day. There was parking along the main road. A View on the Drive to Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos 4.2. Koronos Koronos is a pretty village but not nearly as interesting as Apiranthos. There is a nice taverna at the bottom of the village, with a good outdoor seating area, but there is no tourism infrastructure. I don't think Koronos is worth visiting. We parked on the main road and walked down a steep road to the bottom of the village and then back up a different way. We couldn't find a car park. Koronos Agia Marina Church in Koronos Koronos 4.3. Apollonas There is limited free parking at the southern end of Apollonas. Apollonas is a modern, and not very pretty, village with a couple of beaches. Tavernas surround the beach in the centre of Apollonas. There is not a lot to see or do in Apollonas but it would be a good place to have a swim. Apollonas Apollonas Apollonas 4.4. Kouroi at Flerio Flerio is a 25 minute drive from Naxos Town. Enter " Faragi Kouros " in Google maps to obtain directions. The parking area and the entrance to the Kouroi are free. Kouroi are sculptures of men. There are 2 kouroi at Flerio and they date back to 570 BC. These 5 metre long kouroi were unfinished due to damage to the stone. There is an ancient sanctuary nearby which dates back to the 7th century BC. There is very little left to see. The marble quarry high up in the hill above the site is much more impressive. It takes about 30 minutes to see the 2 kouroi and the ancient sanctuary at Flerio. They can be visited when doing the circular hike from Melanes to Potamia . A Marble quarry near Flerio Kouros of Flerio Kouros of Faranghi at Flerio 5. The Beaches south of Naxos There are some excellent beaches on Naxos and the best ones are south of Naxos Town. We drove south to Agiassos on the tarred interior road that goes via Galanado and Ano Sagri. We then drove up the coastal road to Naxos Town and stopped off at the beaches on the way. 5.1. Agiassos Beach There is a dirt road from Agiassos to Alkyo which is suitable for saloon cars. We swam at Agiassos beach and had the long beach to ourselves. It is a lovely sandy beach but there are sections with rocks in the water. Agiassos Beach 5.2. Alkyo and Hawaii Beach Our next stop was at Alkyo to see the famous Hawaii beach. There are 2 beaches on either side of the promontory at Alkyo. The beach on the southern side had a car park. Hawaii beach is across the road on the northern side. It is known as Hawaii beach due to the vibrant blue colour of the sea. There are no facilities at either of these beaches. Hawaii Beach Near Hawaii Beach 5.3. Mikri Vigla/Orkos Beach There are long sandy beaches on either side of the promontory. The beaches at Mikri Vigla and Orkos are both popular with kite surfers. We spent an enjoyable hour watching people learning to kite surf. It wouldn't be a relaxing place to sunbathe with the kites hovering above the beach. Mikri Vigla Beach 5.4. Agia Anna Beach The beach at Agia Anna was the most developed beach that we saw during our drive along the beaches south west of Naxos Town. This isn't surprising given its close proximity to Naxos Town. It merges into Agios Prokopios beach to the north. Agios Prokopios beach is said to be an excellent beach but we didn't visit it. Agia Anna Beach 6. Halki The village of Halki is very popular with tourists. It has several Byzantine churches including the 9th century Church of Panagia Protothronos. Halki is a pretty village but a bit touristy. There is a large free car park on the north eastern edge of Halki. Halki Halki Thge Main Square in Halki Halki A Church in Halki Church of Panagia Protothronos in Halki 7. Filoti Filoti is a popular village and there is a large free car park on the left side of the road when driving from Naxos Town. There isn't much to see in Filoti and half an hour is sufficient for wandering around. The main sight in Filoti is the Church of Panaglia Filotitissa which was built in 1718. Entry to the interior is free. The Church of Panaglia Filotitissa in Filoti The Church of The Interior of Panaglia Filotitissa in Filoti 8. Accommodation We stayed in an excellent 2 bedroom apartment in the village of Galanado. It was a 10 minute drive to Naxos Town. We booked it through Booking.com and paid Eur 75 per night. My review of the accommodation is on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 " (number 2). 9. Links to My Other Blogs about Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

The Theatre at Epidaurus We visited Epidaurus while staying in Nafplio ( see my blog Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide ) as it is only a 30 minute drive from there. Contents Opening Hours for Epidaurus Best Time to visit Epidaurus Tickets Getting to Epidaurus, Parking and Toilets A Brief History of Epidaurus What to See My Other Blogs on Greece 1. Opening Hours for Epidaurus Winter From November to February: 08:00-17:00 March: 08:00-18:00 Summer: April : 08:00-19:00 From 02nd May - 31st October: 08:00 - 20:00 Holidays 1 January 25 March 1 May Easter Sunday 25 December 26 December 2. Best Time to visit Epidaurus We arrived at 08.30 and virtually had the Epidaurus to ourselves. The first tour group arrived at 09.15 and others soon followed! It is best to arrive at Epidaurus early or late to avoid the tour groups and the heat in summer. However, in summertime they have evening shows and they start preparing the theatre in the late afternoon. That isn't good for photos. If you arrive at the start of the day see Epidaurus's theatre first before it becomes crowded. Conversely if you visit later leave visiting the theatre until the end so more people will have left the site. We took our time and spent 2 hours at Epidaurus to justify the high entrance fee! You could certainly see everything at Epidaurus in 1.5 hours. 3. Tickets for Epidaurus The ticket prices for Epidaurus have recently been significantly increased and it now costs Eur 20. Admission is free for children up to the age of 5, under 25's and students. The latter 2 categories must provide documentary proof that they reside in the EU. Admission to Epidaurus is free on the following days: 6 March 18 April 18 May The last weekend of September 28 October Every first Sunday from November 1st to March 31st 4. Travelling to Epidaurus, Parking and Toilets Epidaurus is a 30 minute drive from Nafplio through pretty rural countryside. There is plenty of free parking and there are free toilets near Epidaurus's entrance gate. 5. A Brief History of Epidaurus According to ancient Greek mythology, Epidaurus was the birthplace of Asklepios, the healing god and son of Apollo. Epidaurus was the most popular healing center in antiquity. In the sanctuary, there was a temple, dormitories and baths to help patients recover from various diseases. Epidaurus's heyday was in the fourth and third centuries BC. The main monuments date back to the 4th century BC. In 395 AD Epidaurus was sacked by the Goths and 30 years later it was closed by Emperor Theodosius II as it was a pagan sanctuary. 6. What to See at Epidaurus 6.1. The Theatre at Epidaurus The theatre is the main attraction at Epidaurus and it is spectacular. It was built in 340 BC and is the best preserved theatre in Greece. It has a capacity of about 14,000 spectators. Epidaurus's theatre is famous for its remarkable acoustics which allows voices to be heard from the stage all the way to the last row. All groups, and a lot of individual visitors, try to demonstrate the acoustics. They either drop a pebble on the stone in the centre of the stage, clap or sing! It is entertaining, although in peak season the guards stop people singing. The Theatre at Epidaurus 6.2. The Propylon The Propylon is the outer monumental gateway to Epidaurus's gymnasium. The Propylon 6.3. The Temple of Asklepios The temple of Asklepios was built in the early 4th century BC. The Temple of Asklepios 6.4. The Abaton The Abaton is a 2 level structure and you can enter the lower part of the building. Patients would sleep here awaiting a visitation from the healing god, which was believed to be a serpent. Harmless snakes were released at night for this purpose. The Abaton 6.5. The Stadium at Epidaurus Epidaurus's stadium was constructed in the 5th century B.C. to host the nude athletic games! These games were hosted every four years to honour Asklepius, the god of healing. The participants and spectators were mainly pilgrims at Epidaurus's sanctuary. The Stadium 6.6. The Museum at Epidaurus The entrance ticket for Epidaurus's main site includes entry to the small and interesting museum. The Museum 7. My Other Blogs on Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

View of Rovinj from the North Our visit to Rovinj was part of a 3 month road trip from the UK to the Greece. See my blog Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12  for our daily trip report covering Rovinj. Contents Rovinj Pula Accommodation in Rovinj My Other Blogs on Croatia 1. Rovinj 1.1 About Rovinj & What to See Rovinj has a very Italian appearance and apparently some inhabitants still speak Italian. Rovinj is an unspoilt historic town, but not Venetian like so many of Croatia's coastal towns. That made a nice change as we had just visited numerous Venetian towns in Montenegro and Croatia. Rovinj is a reasonably large town and there is little traffic so it is great wandering around. There are not too many sights to see, but Rovinj is an exceptionally nice town in a beautiful setting. Rovinj's main square is Trg Marsala Tita and it has a clock tower. In summer there are often street performers in the square. A street called Grisia branches off the square to the west through a Balbi's Arce and then climbs up to St Euphemia's Church. Clock Tower - Trg Marsala Tita Trg Marsala Tita in Rovinj. Balbi's Arch The 18th century St Euphemia's Church is at the top of the hill in the centre of Rovinj's old town. Its tower is very impressive and is visible from most parts of Rovinj. There isn't an entry fee and it is worthwhile seeing the interior. There are good sea views from the plaza by the church. St. Euphemia's Church Interior of St. Euphemia's Church 1.2. A Circular Walk around Rovinj It is nice to walk around the perimeter of Rovinj. Start from the southern end of the harbour and and walk along the harbour to the piers in the northern section. The promenade along the harbour is surrounded by cafes and restaurants. Rovinj's Southern Harbour Then continue walking westwards along the sea and soon the street climbs up to St Euphemia's church. From there descend eastwards along the northern part of Rovinj. There are houses and shops on either side with a few alleys on the left descending to the sea. Typical Alley in Rovinj Trg Valdibora is at the bottom of the hill and from around this area is an impressive view of the northern side of Rovinj. Then walk south to the very nearby main square of Trg Marsala Tita, which is just off the harbour. View of Rovinj from the North Just north of Trg Marsala Tita walk down Rovinj's main shopping street (Via Carrera) that runs south eastward. At the end of Via Carrera take a side street to the right and you will be back at the harbour where you started. 1.3. Parking in Rovinj We parked at a reasonably sized car park on the eastern side of Rovinj and it was a 10 to 15 minute walk into the centre. There were always places available and it cost Eur 1 per hour. Payable in advance by cash or card. Click here to see the location on Google Maps. 1.4. Beaches in Rovinj We spent half a day at Zlatni Rt (Golden Cape). It is a 6 minute drive from Rovinj to the edge of Zlatni Rt (Golden Cape), and then depending on where you park, a 10 to 15 minute walk through wooded parkland to the sea. Zlatni Rt Nature Reserve near Rovinj The closest parking is on the road where it ends at Zlatni Rt. However, you have to get there early to find a spot. Otherwise there are large parking lots a bit further back. We parked at " Parking Monvi " which is a huge parking lot. You can pay at a machine with a credit card or cash, exact change only. We paid Eur 7 for the day, but there is also an hourly charge. There are a couple of beaches in the large park (Lone Beach and Zlatni Rt), but we just found a nice shaded spot on the rocky shoreline. I think we were near Punta Cabana . It is a popular area so go there by mid morning to obtain a good spot and also to find parking. There were a couple of restaurants nearby and they were renting out sun loungers and umbrellas. 2. Pula 2.1. About Pula & What to See Pula is a working port that isn't as reliant on tourism as other Croatian coastal towns. Pula isn't a particularly attractive town, unlike the numerous Venetian coastal towns dotted along Croatia's coast. However, Pula is more authentic and caters for locals rather than tourists. There are many interesting historical sights in Pula and it is definitely worth visiting for half a day. Many of the sights date back to the Roman era and include: The sixth largest amphitheatre in the world dating back to around 14 AD. Amphitheatre at Pula Amphitheatre at Pula The Roman amphitheatre is the main tourist site in Pula and the entrance fee is Eur 10. In summer it is open from 08.00 to 22.00. We entered at 09.00 and there were very few people until 09.30. Unfortunately they were constructing a large stage and screen for summer events. This prevented us from taking photos of the entire amphitheatre and the construction was noisy. They do this in summer at many amphitheatres and it spoils the experience for visitors who are paying high entrance fees. The Triumphal Arch of the Sergii which was erected in 27 BC. Arch of the Sergii The Temple of Augustus which was completed in 14 AD. Temple of Augustus The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary that dates back to Roman times, although much of the present structure is from the 17th century. Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Venetian castle built in the 1600's. Pula Castle We didn't enter the Venetian castle as there was a Eur 6 entrance fee. This fee also includes the museum but we didn't want to visit it. Instead we walked the entire way around the castle on a reasonable path. There were good views of the moat, castle walls, Pula's harbour and the amphitheatre. The views wouldn't have been much better from the castle. Pula's indoor market which was constructed in 1903. Fish Market 2.2. Getting There & Parking in Pula We visited Pula as a half day trip because Rovinj was a more attractive town to base ourselves in. Pula is a 50 minute drive from Rovinj. Car parking can be a problem in Pula but if you are willing to pay Eur 4 per hour there is a good solution. " Parking Karolina " is a large car park with 200 spaces next to the amphitheatre and it still had spaces when we left at midday. The Eur 4 per hour charge is the most we paid anywhere during our 3 month road trip but it was worth the convenience. Before exiting you pay at the ticket machines by card or cash. There are clean toilets for a charge of Eur 0.70, but there are also free clean toilets at the amphitheatre. 3. Accommodation in Rovinj We stayed in an excellent one bedroom apartment about a 10 minute drive from the centre of Rovinj. We booked it through Booking.com for only Eur 61 per night. I have reviewed it on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 " (number 15). 4. My other blogs on Croatia Hvar Island, Croatia: Travel Guide Split, Croatia: Travel Guide Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Brac, Croatia: Travel Guide Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

View of Mount Everest from Kala Patthar This blog provides details of 15 excellent day hikes that can be done when doing the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes trek. Click here  to read my other blogs about these treks. Contents Introduction Namche - Hillary Memorial - Khunde Peak - Khunde - Khumjung - Everest View Hotel Namche - Hike to Thame (3810m) Pangboche (3930m) to Ama Dablam Base Camp (4600m) Dingboche (4410m) to Nangkartshang Peak (5083m) Chukhung (4730m) to Island Peak Base Camp (5080m) or Amphu Laptsa Phedi Chukhung (4730m) to Chukhung Ri (5550m) or Chukhung Tse Chukhung - Climb up Island Peak (6189m) Lobouche to Viewpoint (5300m) below Changrila Tonggu Ri Lobouche to the Moraine Ridge of the Khumbu Glacier Gorak Shep (5140m) to Kala Patthar (5550m) Gokyo (4790m) to Gokyo Ri (5357m) Hike to Gokyo 5th Lake (4990m) & Scoundrel's View Point Hike to Gokyo 1st and 2nd Lakes Thame to Sunder Peak (5368m) Thame - Trek towards Tashi Labsta Thame to Kongde Links to my other Everest Base Camp Blogs 1. Introduction Most trekkers do 3 or 4 day hikes on the way to Everest Base Camp and 5 to 6 day hikes when doing the Everest 3 passes trek. These are done to acclimatise and to enjoy good views of Everest and other peaks. With the high cost and effort of getting to the Everest region it is worth taking the opportunity to see more of the spectacular high altitude scenery. In any case should your flight to Lukla be delayed these extra days will provide a buffer allowing you to complete your trek. Below I have provided details of the main day hikes when doing the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 passes treks. For more adventurous ideas read these Tripadvisor posts: Dharma Bum's Guide to Paths Less Travelled: Khumbu Edition Another Khumbu report, off the beaten paths 2. Namche - Hillary Memorial - Khunde Peak - Khunde - Khumjung - Namche We intended to do this hike in May 2022 but we only went to Khunde and Khumjung as the weather was bad. See my blog Trip Report for the Everest 3 Passes Trek . It is a very scenic hike in good weather and parts of it is popular. There are great views from the Hillary memorial view point, an easy 45 minute hike from Khunde, and Khunde Peak (4,253 metres). The hike takes more than half a day and Khumjung is a good lunch stop. 3. Namche to Thame (3,810 metres) The 3 hour hike to Thame is a good hike to do if you are doing the Everest Base Camp trek. However, if you are doing the Everest 3 passes trek you will pass through Thame anyway. On the way back from Thame you can deviate to the upper trail at Samde. This trail goes via Lawuda Gompa and rejoins the main trail at Theso. This trail isn't shown on the printed maps but you can use Maps.Me. 4. Pangboche (3,930m) to Ama Dablam Base Camp (4,600m) We did the hike to Ama Dablam base camp in May 2022 but it was cloudy and snowed a little on the way down. We enjoyed the hike but were disappointed to miss the outstanding views. We did at least see the climbers' tents at Ama Dablam base camp as it was still the climbing season. Initially there is a descent of about 100 metres and then the trail climbs 800 metres to Ama Dablam base camp. It takes about 2 to 2.5 hours to hike up and 1.25 hours to hike down. Mingbo is about 5 minutes walk from base camp and there are 3 lodges, but only the Ama Dablam Base Camp Lodge was open when we were there. We had lunch there, but they do have rooms which are mainly used by climbers. If you want to stay at Ama Dablam Base Camp it would be best to check in Pangboche that the Mingbo lodges are open when it isn't the climbing season. 5. Dingboche (4,410m) to Nangkartshang Peak (5,083m) Nangkartshang Peak is a very popular acclimatization hike. It is about a 4 hour hike up an easy to follow trail and the views are great. 6. Chukhung (4,730m) to Island Peak Base Camp (5,080m) or Amphu Labtsa Phedi The mountain scenery on this hike is fantastic, particularly the first half. It is a 3.5 hour walk to Island Peak Base Camp. There is a good view of the large Imja Tsho glacial lake if you climb up the glacial moraine to the south of the base camp. In May 2022 I hiked to the turn off to Island Peak Base Camp and then continued for an hour towards Amphu Labsta. Shortly after this junction there is a river with a metal ladder, without side rails, serving as a bridge. I have to admit that my guide lent me a helping hand. About half an hour after the junction the path passes between the large glacial grey Imja Tsho and the small deep blue Amphu Labsta Tsho. You have to climb the moraines to see the lakes and they are both spectacular. The contrast of the colours of the 2 lakes is superb. I continued for another half an hour and had lunch at a spot with a view of the difficult Amphu Labsta La. I had planned to hike on to Amphu Labsta Phedi, but I had a cold and it seemed the scenery wouldn't change much. 7. Chukhung (4,730 metres) to Chukhung Ri (5,550 metres) It is a 2 hour hike to the saddle of Chukhung Ri. To the left of the saddle there is an easy trail to the lower peak (5,417 metres). To the right, the trail goes to the higher peak (5,559 metres). There are great views from both peaks. From the saddle it takes about an hour to the high peak and the descent back to Chukhung takes about 2 hours. 8. Chukhung - Climb up Island Peak (6189m) A package to climb Island Peak costs $700 and includes a guide, food, base camp tent, crampons, ice axe, harness, jumar and boots. You need to take your own sleeping bag. It can all be arranged in Dingboche and the permit will be sent to you electronically from Kathmandu. I have never climbed Island Peak as it is a climbing peak, not a trekking peak like Mera. 9. Lobouche to Viewpoint below Changrila Tonggu Ri There is a scenic and easy alternative trail on the way from Lobuche to Gorak Shep, which leads to a fantastic viewpoint at 5,300 metres. This trail starts about 20 minutes after leaving Lobuche once you reach the turn off to the Pyramid. Immediately behind the Pyramid billboard there is a path that zigzags up the hill for 5 to 10 minutes. This path then joins a high trail which runs above, and parallel to, the main trail to Gorak Shep. After a while there is a feint trail that snakes down and rejoins the main Everst Base Camp trail. This higher path is more scenic than the lower trail and in high season avoids a section of the often congested main trail to Everest Base Camp. If you don't descend down to the main trail you continue on very easy terrain to an excellent viewpoint at 5,300 metres. It is about 1.25 hours from Lobuche. After that the terrain becomes difficult and there is some scrambling involved to reach the summit of Changrila Tonggu Ri (5,691 metres). 10. Lobouche to the Moraine Ridge of the Khumbu Glacier The Khumbu glacier is just to the east of Lobuche and has to be crossed when doing the Everest 3 passes trek. It takes 20 minutes to reach the top of the moraine ridge of this glacier from the lodges at Lobouche. It is a very popular and visible trail. You can see Everest base camp in the distance, the Khumbu glacier and excellent mountain views from the top of the ridge. It is best to take trekking poles for the steep descent back to the lodges. 11. Gorak Shep (5,140m) to Kala Patthar (5,550m) Virtually everyone does this hike as it offers some of the best views of Everest and surrounding peaks. Some hikers set off in the dark so they can see the sunrise from the top of Kala Patthar. This certainly doesn't appeal to me as it is very cold before sunrise. It is also one of the busiest times on Kala Patthar and I prefer quiet and solitude. In mid May 2014 we left our lodge in Lobuche at 05.30 a.m., just after sunrise, and reached Gorak Shep at 08.30 a.m. As the weather was sunny and clear we immediately hiked up Kala Patthar. We sat at the top for about 45 minutes in warm temperatures enjoying the spectacular view. There was only one other person at the top. The round trip took about 3.5 hours. People often hike to Everest Base Camp on the day they reach Gorak Shep. If the weather is clear it is better to go up Kala Patthar that day and hike to Everest base camp the next morning. If you hike to Everest base camp the next morning you will have enough time to reach Pheriche or Dzongla by the late afternoon. If you hike up Kala Patthar the following morning I recommend starting at sunrise to avoid the risk of it clouding over. 12. Gokyo (4,790 metres) to Gokyo Ri (5,357 metres) People hike up Gokyo Ri for the fantastic views of Everest and surrounding peaks. The trail up isn't difficult and it took me 1.5 hours to reach the peak in May 2022. It was warm so I spent a couple of hours enjoying the panorama. People on the Tripadvisor forum recommend going up for the sunset as it is more spectacular than the sunrise. Ensure you have warm clothes and a good head lamp for the descent! Apparently Gokyo Ri is busier at sunrise than sunset. 13. Hike to Gokyo's 5th Lake (4,990m) & Scoundrel's View Point Due to lack of time I only hiked to Gokyo's 4th lake in May 2022. I met some very tired trekkers making their way back and many hadn't made it to Gokyo's 5th lake. There wasn't any real incline to the 4th lake but there wasn't a good trail either. The scenery was very desolate and I could see it would be tiring to continue on to the 5th lake 14. Hike to Gokyo's 1st and 2nd Lakes Gokyo is on the 3rd lake and it is a short easy walk southwards to reach the 1st and 2nd lakes. There isn't much elevation and the round hike would take about 1.5 hours. 15. Thame to Sunder Peak (5,368 metres) Sunder Peak is a fairly popular acclimatisation hike for trekkers going clockwise on the Everest 3 passes trek. The path is well marked and there is a good view point at 4,250 metres. It is easy to follow up to about 4,800 metres . After this it continues to be well marked up to the lower peak at 4,936 metres, but the trail is a bit trickier. It takes about 4 hours to reach the lower peak. It is a difficult climb from the lower peak to the summit and there isn't a marked trail. 16. Thame - Trek towards Tashi Labsta You could do a day hike from Thame (3,820 metres), walking as far as you can get towards Tashi Labsta before returning to Thame the same day. Reports on the internet indicate that it is a 4 to 5 hour hike to Thyangbo (4,310 metres), but that seems too long for the distance and altitude gain if you are already acclimatised. Sign near Thame Monastery Another option is to hike to Thyangbo (4,310 metres) and stay there if the lodge is open. In 2019 there was only one lodge, but a recent report indicates that there may now be a second one. The lodge by the river, which is run by Pemba and his wife, has been recommended. It is very scenic at Thyangbo. Click here to see a vlog of this hike If you stayed at Thyangbo for 2 nights you could go to Tashi Lapsta High Camp (5,150 metres), or higher, and then return to Thyangbo. If you only stay 1 night you could hike further towards Tashi Lapsta on the afternoon you arrive at Thyangbo or the next morning. 17. Thame to Kongde See post 13 of this Tripadvisor report if you are interested in hiking from Thame to Kongde. The trail can be icy and difficult. The 2 lodges at Kongde cost about $250 a night! It is possible to hike from Thame to Kongde and then down to Toktok in one long day. 18. Links to my other Everest Base Camp Blogs My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek Lodges and Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek When to trek to Everest Base Camp What to take for the Everest Base Camp Trek Kathmandu to Lukla and Back Forum Posts, Vlogs & Webcams for Everest Base Camp Trek Guides, Porters and Trekking Agencies

Imja Tsho & Amphu Labsta Tsho near Island Peak This blog provides information on what to pack for the Everest Base Camp trek and details of travel insurance companies for high altitude treks. Click here  to read my other blogs about the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks. Contents Introduction Clothes in Main Pack & to Wear Miscellaneous Items Medications Toiletries etc Sleeping 33 to 45 Litre Day Pack Travel Insurance Policies Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs 1. Introduction I am not a light packer and I use a porter or porter/guide to carry my pack. However, this ultra light packing list is by someone who did the Everest Base Camp 3 passes trek in November and everything weighed 4.26 kilos including the pack! I usually have more than that in my day pack! What I pack depends on the time of the year. I have only trekked in the Everest region in May when it is warmer and easier to wash clothes. See my blog My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek . I have done the Everest Base Camp trek twice. The first time I was too hot in my Rab Ascent 900 sleeping bag so I bought a Rab Ascent 700 for my second EBC trek. It was perfect for the May temperatures, but during winter I would need something warmer or would have to use the lodges' blankets. If you do forget to bring something for the Everest Base Camp trek you can very likely buy it in Kathmandu, Lukla or Namche Bazaar. I wouldn't want to buy boots or hiking shoes in Nepal. I met a trekker in Gokyo who had to abort his Everest 3 passes trek as the boots he had bought in Kathmandu were falling apart. 2. Clothes in Main Pack & to Wear 2 light pairs of long trekking pants (they can convert to shorts) 2 trekking T shirts (one synthetic and the other heavier merino wool) 1 light long sleeve synthetic trekking top 1 warm merino long sleeve trekking shirt 1 Rab trekking sweater 3 merino hiking socks 3 liner socks 4 underpants Scarpa boots Scarpa shoes (not essential, but more comfortable, and a back up for the boots) Long johns for trekking when it is cold and in the evenings Primaloft pants for cold evenings (can be bought for about NPR 3,500 in Kathmandu) 3. Miscellaneous Items to Pack Factor 50 sunblock Trekking Map Two pin double USB plug Reading spectacles Spare boot laces 4 Spare Energizer lithium AA batteries (for the Steripen) Petzl rechargeable headlight String (approx 6 metres for drying clothes in the bedroom) 12 Clothes pegs Ear plugs (I don't like using them) Kobo or Kindle Photocopies of relevant pages from guide books Water purification tablets (for emergencies) Cellphone charger Earphones for listening to music at night Dried apricots to keep me regular! Spare sunglasses 4. Medications Paracetamol Azithromycin for bad stomach issues (don't use Ciprofloxacin due to side effects risks) Rennies tablets for heartburn Strepsils for coughs (can be bought at some lodges) Plasters (lots) Micropore tape Thermometer Covid test kit Diamox (I bring it in case I get altitude sickness) 5. Toiletries etc Shaver Toothpaste Toothbrush Small soap Trekking towel Flip flops for showering Very small bottle of shampoo Small mirror Nail scissors Hand cream Small bottles of hand sanitizer Comb 6. Sleeping Sleeping bag Silk liner bag Pillow case (to go over the tea houses' dirty pillows) 7. 33 to 45 Litre Day Pack The contents depend on the weather & temperature. Lightweight waterproof jacket Lightweight waterproof trousers 2 Trekking poles Rab down jacket Liner Gloves Warmer Gloves Buff Wool hat or beanie Microspikes for the Everest 3 passes trek 2 one litre water bottles Tilley hat and baseball hat Sunglasses (category 2 - 4) Steripen Plasters and micropore tape Blister kit (never used it) Toilet paper Lip ice (factor 30) Cellphone Money and passport Garmin Inreach Mini Cover for day pack 8. Travel Insurance for the Everest Base Camp trek Travel insurance for trekking in Nepal is expensive because of all the scams perpetuated by guides and trekkers themselves. Do ensure that you obtain an insurance policy that will cover you up to 5,500 metres if you are trekking to Everest Base Camp. Jamie McGuinness has climbed Everest 6 times and runs a trekking company called Project Himalaya. He has written a very good blog on travel insurance for Nepal and Ladakh. This blog provides details of companies providing the appropriate travel insurance in the UK, North America and Worldwide. 9. Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek Day Hikes on the Everest Base Camp Trek Lodges and Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek When to trek to Everest Base Camp Kathmandu to Lukla and Back Forum Posts, Vlogs & Webcams for Everest Base Camp Trek Guides, Porters and Trekking Agencies

A view from Gokyo Ri When to do the Everest Base Camp trek is probably the most important decision to make when planning your trek. Some months are far too busy with trekkers and other months are affected by the cold, the monsoon, haze and cloud. This blog give you the facts to enable you to make the right decision. Click here to read my other blogs about the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks. Contents Mid December to Mid March Trekking Mid March to beginning of May Trekking May Trekking June to September Trekking October to Mid December Trekking Nepal Monsoon Dates Monthly Trekker Numbers for the Everest Base Camp trek Historical Weather Data and Weather Forecasts Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs 1. Everest Base Camp Trek from Mid December to Mid March This is the off-season due to the cold winter weather and the increased risk of heavy snowfall. This period has become more popular with independent trekkers recently. Very few groups will do the Everest Base Camp trek at this time of year which is very appealing! There is also a greater chance of clear skies and crisp views. Many lodges on the Everest Base Camp trek will close during the winter due to the cold so even though there are fewer trekkers the lodges will often be busy. There should be at least 1 lodge open at each location, but the few people doing the Everest Base Camp trek will be funnelled into them. Toilets and water pipes will often be frozen and the bedrooms will be very cold. Another important factor to take into account, apart from the cold, is that the days are much shorter. 2. Everest Base Camp Trek from Mid March to Start of May The Spring peak season is probably from about 20th March to about the 7th May. It is almost as busy as the autumn season as per the Sagamatha Park Monthly Trekker Numbers chart . The sky will not be as clear as in the autumn peak season which comes after the monsoon. In recent years there has been terrible air pollution in Kathmandu, and the lower elevations of the Everest region, from wild fires in late March and April. See reports in the Kathmandu Post and on the TripAdvisor Forum . During April the lodges on the Everest Base Camp trek will be very busy and some will be full. Single trekkers may find it difficult to get their own room. So there is pressure to rush from one location to the next to obtain a room. You will always find a place to sleep, even if it is in the dining room. Lobuche and Gorak Shep are the 2 locations where the accommodation will be the most limited and basic! Groups either pre-book the accommodation or send a guide or porter ahead to reserve rooms. Independent trekkers get the remaining rooms! See my blog Lodges & Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek for recommended tea houses. 3. Everest Base Camp Trek in May I have trekked to Everest Base Camp in May twice and haven't had a problem with air pollution. The first week of May could still be busy but after that the number of trekkers drops off. There are less trekkers in May than March, April, October or November. May is pre-monsoon but it is also the month when most climbers summit Everest. You need reasonable weather to do that! Most climbers summit Everest between May 10 and 20. My logic has been that May should therefore be a good month for trekking to Everest Base camp. May is also reasonably warm and the days are long. When we did the standard Everest Base Camp trek in May 2014 we had incredible weather. We only had a bit of drizzle in the afternoon of the acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar and some mist in afternoon when descending from Lobuche to Pheriche. It was so nice and warm at the top of Kalar Patthar that I sat at the summit for over an hour! In May 2022 when I did the Everest 3 passes trek over 17 days the weather wasn't as good. The locals said that the weather was unusually bad for May. However, it only rained 1 day and clouds spoiled the view for a further 3 days. If you are going to do the Everest Base Camp trek in May I recommend going after the first weekend to avoid the crowds. The number of international groups decreases substantially after that. Try and fly into Lukla from the Wednesday after that weekend as a lot of trekkers fly into Kathmandu at the weekend and then fly to Lukla after two nights in Kathmandu. 4. Everest Base Camp Trek from June to September I would definitely recommend not doing the Everest Base Camp trek from mid June to the end of September as it is the monsoon season. The monsoon used to end in September, but the Nepal Monsoon Date chart below shows that it now ends in October due to climate change. Rain isn't necessarily a problem as it can be for just a short period or at night. There is little point in trekking if clouds constantly block views of the mountains. There will also be leeches at lower altitude and dengue fever is a big problem in Kathmandu from July to October. In the first half of June the weather could be okay. If it is then that would be a fantastic time to trek with few trekkers, nice temperatures and long days. I have trekked twice up to the 12th June in the Annapurna and Nar Phu regions and have had good weather both times. I have never done the Everest Base Camp trek during this period. 5. Everest Base Camp Trek from October to Mid December October was regarded as the best trekking month in Nepal as the temperatures weren't yet too cold and the air was clear after the monsoon. In recent years the monsoon hasn't ended until almost mid October as per the Nepal Monsoon Dates chart . Also cyclones originating in the Bay of Bengal have hit Nepal several times in the first half of October. On 14 October 2014 cyclone Hudhud resulted in the death of 21 trekkers on the Annapurna circuit. In early October 2022 a cyclone hit the western and central parts of Nepal and caused great disruption to trekkers. I started a trek in Lower Dolpo in mid October 2022 and there was so much snow on the passes that we couldn't cross them. The beginning of October to mid November is the busiest time of year for the Everest Base Camp trek. If you don't like crowded trails and busy lodges it would be better to start trekking after mid November. The later the better for quieter trails. With regard to weather it would be best to wait until after 20th October to commence the Everest Base Camp trek. 6. Monsoon Dates for the Everest Base Camp trek These dates reflect when the monsoon first enters Nepal and finally exits the entire country. It should be taken into account that the monsoon enters and exits Nepal from the east when analysing these dates. Therefore for the Everest Base Camp trek the monsoon starts a few days later and ends a few days earlier. I have personally experienced how these monsoon dates can be misleading because the monsoon takes time to cross Nepal. The 2022 monsoon start date was 5 June yet we had great weather trekking in the Annapurna region until it rained in the evening of 10 June. The 2019 monsoon end date was 12 October but we had perfect weather in the Manaslu region from 10 October and the weather had been fairly good for about a week before that. YEAR START DATE END DATE ​ 2002 15 June 19 September ​ 2003 16 June 30 September ​ 2004 9 June 1 October ​ 2005 20 June 2 October ​ 2006 1 June 29 September ​ 2007 7 June 9 October ​ 2008 10 June 17 October ​ 2009 23 June 15 October ​ 2010 17 June 1 October ​ 2011 15 June 7 October ​ 2012 16 June 28 September ​ 2013 14 June 19 October ​ 2014 20 June 7 October ​ 2015 13 June 3 October ​ 2016 15 June 12 October ​ 2017 12 June 16 October ​ 2018 8 June 5 October ​ 2019 20 June 12 October ​ 2020 12 June 16 October ​ 2021 11 June 11 October ​ 2022 5 June 15 October ​ 2023 14 June 15 October ​ 2024 10 June 12 October 7. Monthly Trekker Numbers for the Everest Base Camp Trek These numbers are recorded when trekkers enter the Sagarmatha National Park at Jorsale. Most trekkers going to Everest Base Camp are recorded as entering the park on the day after they fly into Lukla. The Official Statistics at the Jorsale entrance I haven't shown the numbers for 2015 as they were affected by the earthquake. Likewise I haven't shown the numbers for 2020 to 2022 as they were affected by Covid. The number of trekkers doing the Everest Base Camp trek started to increase at the end of 2022 and 11,319 trekkers entered Sagarmatha National Park in October 2022. When reviewing these figures you should take into account that: The majority of trekkers for March will start the Everest Base Camp trek in the last half of March. Therefore from the middle of March the Everest Base Camp trek will be busier than it appears. There will be a lot of trekkers that enter Sagarmatha National Park at the end of April who will be doing the Everest Base Camp trek mainly in May. October is very busy but most trekkers entering Sagarmatha National Park at the end of October will be doing the Everest Base Camp trek mainly in November. Also most trekkers entering Sagarmatha National Park in November will do so in the first half of November. Therefore the first half of November will be busier for the Everest Base Camp trek than the statistics imply and the second half of November less so. Foreign climbing expeditions and Nepali trekkers aren't included in these statistics. Therefore early to mid April will be busier with climbers entering the park and hiking to Everest Base Camp. MONTH 2014 - 19 AVERAGE 2014 2016 2017 2018 2019 JANUARY 1072 930 589 1297 1466 1076 FEBRUARY 1265 975 1078 1363 1654 1256 MARCH 4980 3829 3804 5058 6609 5598 APRIL 8976 6808 5520 9592 10576 12386 MAY 3731 2397 3124 4487 4565 4082 JUNE 494 328 399 557 637 549 JULY 314 254 354 342 335 287 AUGUST 485 484 351 542 498 549 SEPTEMBER 3172 2788 313 4400 4818 3542 OCTOBER 11806 9463 10013 12479 12532 12542 NOVEMBER 7525 6496 6274 7687 8869 8300 DECEMBER 2507 2272 2467 2584 3080 2132 8. Weather Data & Forecasts for the Everest Base Camp Trek Meteoblue provides historical weather data and weather forecasts for several locations on the trail to Everest Base Camp. 9. My Other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek Day Hikes on the Everest Base Camp Trek Lodges and Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek Kathmandu to Lukla and Back What to take for the Everest Base Camp Trek Forum Posts, Vlogs & Webcams for Everest Base Camp Trek Guides, Porters and Trekking Agencies

The View from Renjo La Contents Tripadvisor Posts Vlogs Webcam Nepal Live (Lukla, Namche, Khumjung & Pheriche) Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs 1. Tripadvisor Posts for the Everest Base Camp Trek My blogs on trekking in the Everest Region are based on my trek to Everest Base Camp in May 2014 and the Everest 3 Passes trek in May 2022. See my blog My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek . I am also an active participant on the Tripadvisor forum for Nepal. I follow this forum every day and obtain a lot of useful and up to date information. I have included some of this information in my blogs. It can be difficult to find relevant and useful trip reports on the Tripadvisor forum later on. I have therefore listed below some of the best trip reports regarding the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks. For easy reference the headings are linked to the posts on Tripadvisor. Some of the posts have over 300 threads and in such instances I have provided a summary of the most relevant and helpful postings. 1.1 Warning: Heavy Smoke Across Nepal This 2024 post highlights the problem from wild fires and pollution in Nepal during Spring. This wasn't the first year that it has happened but Spring of 2024 was particularly bad. Internal flights in Nepal were cancelled and this included flights to Lukla for trekkers doing the Everest Base Camp trek. Views on the Everest Base Camp trek were affected by the pollution particularly at lower altitude. The wild fires were put out by rain on 6th May 2024. In the past the pollution from wild fires hasn't been a problem from about this date. 1.2 How My Guide Almost Killed Me on the Everest 3 Passes Trek This Thorntree trip report about the Everest 3 Passes trek was written by a Canadian lady in 2014. She had a bad guide and they got lost in poor weather when crossing the Ngozumpa glacier near Gokyo. They spent the night on the Ngozumpa glacier and she suffered frost bite as a result. It is a fascinating trip report and highlights the risk in crossing the 2 glaciers on the Everest 3 Passes trek. In May 2022 I met several trekkers who had got lost on the Khumbu glacier after crossing the Kongma La. Luckily the weather was clear and warm. See my blog Guides, Porters & Trekking Agencies in Nepal . 1.3 Trekking in Nepal after April 1st 2023 - Live Reports The Nepal Tourist Board unsuccessfully tried to ban independent trekking in Nepal from April 2023. This post provides up to date information on this matter. 1.4 A Walk in the Khumbu in October/November 2021 This is a very interesting, and informative, trip report for the Everest 3 Passes trek from a German trekker (aka Dharma Bum) who travels very lightly. He walks to Everest Base Camp from Dhap and does the Everest 3 passes trek. His backpack weighed 4.26 kgs ! He didn't take a sleeping bag even though he did the Everest 3 Passes trek in November. He used the lodges' not so clean blankets and duvets. He is a fast trekker so take that into account when he mentions trekking times. Before the trek he asked Tripadvisor forum members to critique his proposed itinerary for his Everest 3 Passes trek. After the trek he posted trip reports for his 29 day trek. It ends up being a very long thread with 192 posts from himself and other trekkers, many of whom know the Everest 3 Passes and Base Camp treks very well. If you just want to read his trips reports these are the relevant links: Post 114 - Day 1 (Dhap) to Day 3 (Junbesi) Post 118 - Day 4 (Junbesi) to Day 8 (Namche Bazaar) Post 125 - Day 9 (Namche Bazaar) to Day 12 (Pangboche) Post 136 - Day 13 (Dingboche) to Day 16 (Lobuche) Post 140 - Day 17 (Pangboche) to Day 21 (Gokyo) Post 144 - Day 22 (Gokyo) to Day 27 (Namche Bazaar) Post 153 - Day 28 (Namche Bazaar) to Day 29 (Lukla) 1.5 Live report: Everest Base Camp Three Passes Trek in Spring 2022 An entertaining, informative and well written live trip report on the Everest 3 Passes trek from an American (Ling) based in Thailand. He has done the Everest 3 passes trek numerous times but until now always in the winter months. His Everest 3 Passes trek started on 30th March 2022 when the number of trekkers was fairly low due to Covid. There are 302 posts in this thread due to all the feedback from Tripadvisor forum members! Post 1 - Day 1: Flight to Lukla & trek to Namche Bazaar Post 21 - Day 2: "Rest day" in Namche and his day hike to Mong and Khumjung. Post 29 - Day 3: Namche Bazaar to Phortse Post 117 - Day 4: Phortse to Dingboche Post 148 - Day 5: Dingboche to Chukhung Post 170 - Day 6: "Rest day" in Chukhung Post 175 - Day 7: Chukhung to Lobuche via Kongma La Pass Post 180 - Day 8: Lobuche to Dzonglha Post 198 - Day 9: Dzonglha to Gokyo via the Cho La Pass Post 211 - Days 10 & 11: "Rest days" in Gokyo Post 232 - Day 12: Day hike from Gokyo to Renjo La Pass Post 256 - Day 13: Rest day in Gokyo Post 272 - Day 14: Gokyo to Namche Bazaar via Renjo La Pass Post 292 - Days 15–18: 3 Rest days in Namche Bazaar & the walk back to Lukla 1.6 Liveish Report: EBC Three Passes Trek December 2022 Another Everest 3 Passes trip report by Ling! Post 7 - Day 1: Kathmandu to Namche Bazaar Post 9 - Day 2: Rest day around Namche Bazaar Post 24 - Day 3: Namche Bazaar to Phortse Post 41 - Day 4: Phortse to Dingboche Post 53 - Day 5: Dingboche to Chukhung Post 58 - Day 6: "Rest day" in Chukhung with a stroll up Chukhung Ri Post 69 - Day 7: Chukhung to Lobuche via the Kongma La Pass Post 77 - Day 8: Lobuche to Dzonglha Post 81 - Day 9: Dzongla – Cho La Pass - Dragnag Post 96 - Day 10: Dragnag to Gokyo & Climb up Gokyo Ri Post 111 - Day 11: Hike to Gokyo Fifth Lake & Scoundrel's Viewpoint Post 132 - Day 12: Gokyo to Thame via the Renjo La Pass 1.7 Another Khumbu Report, off the beaten paths - October 2022 A trip report for an extremely exploratory trek in the Everest/Khumbu region. A lot of what he did is beyond the capability of the average trekker. That definitely includes me! The posts of interest to the ordinary trekker, looking to do side trips during the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks, are: Post 13 - The trail southwards of Thame that climbs up to Kongde and then descends to Toktok. Post 17 - Sunder Peak (5,368 metres) north west of Thame Post 33 - Lodges at Thyangbo (4,320 metres) on the way from Thame to Tashi Lasbsta 1.8 A Side Trail with Great Views between Lobuche and Gorak Shep Post 142 provides details of a very scenic route that runs from the Pyramid Lodge (north of Lobuche) towards Gorak Shep. It runs above, and parallel to the main Everest Base Camp trail. The trail is very scenic and not difficult. It is also possible to walk westwards from this path up a grassy slope to about 5,300 metres. 1.9 Daily Meal & Beverage Costs for the EBC 3 Passes Trek & trek in from Jiri Post 4 is by Ling again and he details all the daily meal and beverage costs he incurred during his December 2021 Everest 3 passes trek. Costs will have increased since then! 1.10 Pikey Peak on the way to the EBC Trek - where to sleep & eat? This Tripadvisor forum post provides pre Covid information on the trek from Dhap to Namche Bazaar. It is a thread of 20 posts with contributions from some trekkers who have hiked a lot in Nepal. 1.11 Dhap to Pikey Peak Trek Questions Another more recent Tripadvisor forum post on the Pikey Peak trek from early 2022. It is a thread of 59 posts. 1.12 Dharma Bum’s Recipe for Happiness: Boudhanath This post provides a lot of information on accommodation, restaurants and what to see at Boudhanath. 1.13 Back for more cake: Everest Three Passes Trek deep thoughts A trip report for Ling's Everest 3 passes trek in December 2023. In post 138 (written on 4 January 2024) he recounts his near fatal fall while crossing the Ngozumpa glacier near Gokyo! 1.14 Dharma Bum's Guide to Paths Less Travelled: Khumbu Edition   Information about alternative trails and day hikes when doing the Everest 3 passes and Everest Base Camp treks. 1.15 First Half of November Crowds on the Everest Base Camp Trek This post provides information about the number of trekkers doing the Everest Base Camp trek in the first half of November 2024. Surprisingly it didn't appear too busy as usually it is a very popular and busy period. 2. Vlogs There are quite a few interesting vlogs covering the Everest 3 passes and Everest Base Camp treks. Watching one or two will give you a feel for the scenery and what to expect. I find that they usually provide little factual information and are not that useful for planning the Everest Base Camp trek. I have provided links to a few of the better English speaking ones. 2.1 Everest Three Passes Trek This is a vlog by an Australian couple who were driving from Australia to Europe. They drove from Kathmandu to Salleri in their vehicle and then did the Everest 3 Passes trek in 21 days. They were later arrested and imprisoned for almost 3 months in Iran for flying a drone! 2.2 Motor Bike to Bupsa & then the Everest Base Camp Trek This is a video by a Nepalese couple who ride a motorbike from Kathmandu to Tham Danda, which is north of Bupsa. It gives a good idea of the road if you want to drive in rather than fly to Lukla. The road appears better than I thought it would be, but after rain it would probably be a mess. After walking to Namche Bazaar they take the standard route to Everest Base Camp. The only thing I didn't like was that they took a helicopter back from Gorak Shep. 2.3 Gokyo Trek (Part 1) - Lukla to Ama Dablam Base Camp The trekker is German so there is also a German version of this vlog. It covers the first part of his trek to Gokyo. He first hiked to Ama Dablam Base Camp to acclimatize. 2.4 Gokyo Trek (Part 2) - Pangboche to Gokyo This video is of his trek up the Gokyo Valley to Gokyo and then back to Namche via the Renjo La and Thame. 3. Webcam Live Nepal This YouTube site has links to several webcams set up along the trail for the Everest Base Camp trek. There are webcams at Lukla airport, Namche Bazaar, the Everest View Hotel above Namche Bazaar, Khumjung and Pheriche. This is very useful when you are sitting at Kathmandu or Ramechhap airport wondering if the weather will improve in Lukla so your flight can take off! 4. Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek Day Hikes on the Everest Base Camp Trek Lodges and Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek When to trek to Everest Base Camp What to take for the Everest Base Camp Trek Kathmandu to Lukla and Back Guides, Porters and Trekking Agencies

Lukla Airport Most trekkers start and finish the Everest Base Camp trek in Lukla. Unfortunately the Lukla flights aren't reliable due to the weather and now most of the flights to Lukla don't land or take off from Kathmandu airport. This blog provides information about flying into, and out of Lukla, and the alternatives if the weather is bad. Click here  to read my other blogs about the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks. Contents Lukla Flights Ramechhap Accommodation & Transportation Accommodation at Lukla Drive/Hike between Kathmandu & Lukla in 2 Days Helicopter Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs 1. Flights to Lukla for the Everest Base Camp Trek 1.1 Flights to Lukla from Kathmandu and Ramechhap Airports Most trekkers fly into Lukla to do the Everest Base Camp trek and until recently these flights all took off from Kathmandu. Congestion at Kathmandu airport has resulted in the flights to Lukla being transferred to Ramechhap airport during the peak trekking season. This is from about mid March to the end of May and during the months of October and November. Flying from Ramechhap to Lukla is inconvenient. It is about a 4 hour drive from Kathmandu to Ramechhap at night but longer during the day due to road congestion. There are some hotels near Ramechhap airport, so you can drive to Ramechhap the previous afternoon and stay overnight. The alternative is to depart Kathmandu for Ramechhap between 01.00 to 02.00 to get an early morning Lukla flight! It is very chaotic at Ramechhap airport, even when there are no delays. Unfortunately flights are frequently delayed due to bad weather at Lukla. The effect of these delays have more impact at Ramechhap than Kathmandu as there isn't enough accommodation in Ramechhap. 1.2 Flights from Lukla Flying to Ramechhap isn't as bad as departing, as you don't have to stay there or cope with the chaos at the check-in counters. The major drawback is the drive from Ramechhap to Kathmandu, which could take 6 hours due to road congestion during the daytime. Lukla flights are often delayed, although less frequently during the normally clear weather from about mid October to mid December. Luckily this also coincides with Nepal's peak trekking season. Always try to get on the earliest possible Lukla flight as the weather usually deteriorates as the day progresses. If there are seats available on a different airline it is possible to transfer your ticket. Go to the airline office and get them to put the relevant stamp on your ticket which you then hand to the other airline. We did this at Lukla airport in 2014 and it only took 5 minutes. 1.3 Flight Cost & Weight Limit Flights between Ramechhap and Lukla currently cost $191 each way and between Kathmandu and Lukla cost $238 each way. These flights can be booked online through Yeti Airlines , although it shouldn't cost any more to book it through a trekking agency. The weight limit for these Lukla flights is 10 kilograms but the charge for excess weight is only about NPR 250 per kilo. If you are travelling with a guide he would usually have less than 10 kilograms of luggage and you can use his surplus weight allowance. 1.4 Cancelled Flights and Rebooking If your Lukla flight is cancelled you will have to rebook on the next available flight. In peak season only the later Lukla flights, which are at greater risk of being cancelled due to weather, will normally have availability. Your chances of getting rebooked onto an early flight will often depend whether your agency, or hotel at Ramechhap or Lukla, has good connections with the airlines. 2. Ramechhap Accommodation & Transportation 2.1 Hotels near Ramechhap Airport Some of the hotels within walking distance of Ramechhap airport are: Freedom Resort - This hotel gets reasonable local Google reviews and is an 11 minute walk to the airport. Rooms cost NPR 3,500 and tents NPR 2,500. The tents can be hot. Rooms and tents can be booked online through the above link. Lalu Hotel - The local reviews are also reasonable but there is no online booking. Hotel Manakamana Airport View - It also gets reasonable local reviews but again there is no online booking. 2.2 Transportation to Ramechhap Airport The first flights take off from Ramechhap airport at about 06.15. If you don't spend the night in Ramechhap you would have to leave Kathmandu around 01.15 to get there in time. This early start would probably be only a couple of days after a sleep disturbed international flight and when you are still suffering from jet lag. This isn't an ideal start for the Everest Base Camp trek. Mini buses and buses leave Kathmandu for Ramechhap around 02.00 each night and can be arranged through trekking agencies in Kathmandu. They cost about $35 per person, but you would not arrive in time for the earliest flight to Lukla. A private car arranged through a local trekking agency for the journey from Kathmandu to Ramechhap would cost from around $110 and a jeep about $160. Hiring a taxi yourself would be cheaper. 3. Accommodation at Lukla When flights are delayed for several days there isn't enough accommodation at Lukla for trekkers finishing the Everest Base Camp trek, even though there are many more hotels than at Ramechhap. Some hotels, like the very comfortable Lukla Numbur Hotel and the more basic Sunrise Lodge have connections with the airlines which makes a big difference. They can often arrange for you to get on an early flight from Lukla the next day and the early flights have a better chance of taking off. At the Lukla Numbur Hotel we didn't have to go to the airport until they told us that the incoming flights were proceeding. When we arrived at Lukla airport the hotel owner and guide had already got our boarding passes for us. 4. Drive/Hike between Kathmandu & Lukla in 2 Days The flights to Lukla for the Everest Base Camp trek are often grounded due to bad weather. It is often difficult to determine if the weather will clear or if the flights will be grounded for several days. The alternatives are taking a helicopter or doing a fairly gruelling drive and hike combination between Kathmandu and Lukla. The latter option is cheaper than flying when using shared jeeps or buses, but probably not when using a private jeep. In May 2022 we had a 06.00 flight from Lukla to Kathmandu but we woke up to rain. By 10.30 a.m. it looked like the weather wouldn't clear and an Australian at our lodge decided to hike and then take a jeep to Kathmandu. The weather suddenly cleared at 12.30 p.m. and our flight took off from Lukla at 1.30 p.m. We were surprised, and pleased, to see the Australian on the flight! He had luckily seen the weather improve and quickly hiked back up to Lukla! 4.1. Logistics The 2 day drive and hike from Kathmandu to Lukla could be split as follows: Drive on the tarred road between Kathmandu and Salleri. It could take 7 hours by private jeep, longer by shared jeep and almost 12 hours by bus (NPR 1,700 at March 2023). Stay in a lodge at Salleri. Phaplu is an alternative to Salleri but the lodges there aren't good. Drive 6 hours by jeep on the rough dirt track between Salleri and Tham Danda (just north of Bupsa). Click here to see a 16 minute video of the jeep ride. I wouldn't want to drive on this track after a lot of rain. The cost of a shared jeep was NPR 2,200 in March 2023. Then hike the same day between Tham Danda and Lukla, which takes about 5.5 hours. The hike from Tham Danda to Namche Bazaar can be done in 2 days with an overnight stop at Ghat or Phakding. The trail bypasses Lukla. 4.2. Approximate Costs of Getting from Kathmandu to Tham Danda Cost of a shared jeep from Kathmandu to Salleri was reported to be NPR 3,700 in April 2022. Cost of a bus from Kathmandu to Salleri was NPR 1,700 in March 2023. Cost of a shared jeep from Salleri to Tham Danda was reported to be NPR 2,200 in March 2023. A private jeep from Kathmandu to Tham Danda is about $420. These are ball park figures that depend on the fuel costs, road conditions, type of private jeep and your negotiating skills! 5. Use of Helicopters for the Everest Base Camp Trek The weather in Lukla can be too bad even for helicopters! It is the quickest option if flights have been grounded but not the cheapest! The normal cost is about $400 a person, but if a helicopter has spare seats you can sometimes be lucky to get a seat for as low as $150. The weather was terrible the day of our flight from Kathmandu to Lukla in May 2022. By mid morning we had given up on flying to Lukla and decided to pay $400 per person for a helicopter. However, the helicopter couldn't take off as the weather was too bad in Lukla. This proved to be lucky as at 12.30 we were told to board the plane as the weather in Lukla had cleared! We later met some young Swiss trekkers who had taken a helicopter that day from Kathmandu to Lukla and had only paid $150 each. As the weather was too bad for the helicopter to land at Lukla they were flow to Phakding instead, saving a few hours of the hike to Namche Bazaar. 6. Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek Day Hikes on the Everest Base Camp Trek Lodges and Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek When to trek to Everest Base Camp What to take for the Everest Base Camp Trek Forum Posts, Vlogs & Webcams for Everest Base Camp Trek Guides, Porters and Trekking Agencies