HIGHLIGHTS:
- Green Lake
- Chingdi Lake
- Manang Village
- Bhratang Farmhouse
- Tilicho Lake
If you have been thinking about trekking to Tilicho Lake or visiting Manang village and want to find out the route and things to see while out there, then you have arrived on the right page. I highly recommend an adventure to Manang Village which can be done by road travel – just be warned that it gets really bumpy at certain points! Not a fan of trekking? Then just drop by the scenic villages and Green Lake.
Not a fan of reading? Then watch my Manang Vlog!
DAY 1: KATHMANDU TO BHRATANG
My sister and I left on a van, Hiace micro I think, at 6.35am from Lhotse Mall in Gongabu. This is just by the Bus Park on the Ring Road and all the vans depart from the car-park of Lhotse Mall. The ticket cost us approx. NRS 720 each. We reached Besisahar in Lamjung at around 1.15pm in the afternoon. The road to Besisahar is straightforward, following the highway until Dumre and then the vehicle turns in, right – heading towards Besisahar. It was my first time turning right from Dumre! I particularly enjoyed the route from Dumre to Besisahar. We had lovely mountain views! At Besisahar, we were dropped off at the Gangapurna Hotel which is where most people who need a ride to Manang get dropped off. We managed to have a nice dal-bhat courtesy of Ekta Yatayat and left for Bhratang in Manang just around 2pm!
The journey from Besisahar onwards was on EKTA YATAYAT. Travellers can book a seat via their Instagram or Facebook. They are a provider trying to change the way people travel and reach Manang – which is commendable! We took a scenic route where the road also went through a tunnel (my first time driving inside a tunnel in Nepal) and gradually the vehicle climbed higher and higher. Dramatic landscape and rocky slopes surrounded us and the roads also became very bumpy. The Bolero vehicles really are built for such terrains! We stopped by Dharapani to meet some friends and had the luck to meet Dilli Jung Tamu (pictured) who is a historian of Tamu heritage and recipient of the Gorkha Dakshin Bahu.
By the time we continued the journey, it was very dark! When I say dark, it really does is dark in rural Nepal. We reached The Farmhouse in Bhratang around 7.45pm in the evening. We went from approx 1355m to 2940m.
DAY 2: BHRATANG TO MANANG VILLAGE – MANANG BASE CAMP
After a comfortable nights sleep at Bhratang; equipped with electric blankets, and an ensuite bathroom with hot water, we departed the wonderful Farmhouse at around 8.15am in the morning. I would go as far as to recommend a two nights stay at Bhratang Farmhouse. It’s nice and perfect place to unwind and there’s even Manang Valley winery. We did not have time for a wine tasting tour. Next time.
Driving in daylight was quite a different experience as we could visibly see how tricky the road was in Manang. It was rocky, narrow and quite high!
We had a quick stop over by Chingdi Lake! After taking few photos and video clips of the stunning frozen lake, we proceeded towards Manang village. This stretch of the drive alone was astonishingly beautiful. It made me want to walk to Manang and take it all in…
We reached Manang Village at 9.45am and headed straight to Hotel Yeti which became our base! After a quick bite to eat, we met with our guide and decided an acclimatization trek up to Ice Lake would have us in good place and pace for our Tilicho Lake trek.
We left Manang Village at 11am with very little information about Ice Lake. All I thought about was how ridiculously high it was for us to go from 3520m to 4600m and return on the same day! However, I thought it would be best that we still try so we are in a good place for Tilicho! Let me just say we got back to Hotel Yeti at around 6.40pm. So, that was an incredibly long and very challenging trek! It was steep, unforgiving and when we got around 3900+ it started becoming pretty challenging. I am surprised how my sister really pushed herself considering this was her first trek and the highest point she was reaching.
Once we got back to Hotel Yeti, we rested for an hour or so and then proceeded towards Manang Base Camp, a lodge with domes just at the outskirts of Manang Village. It’s about 20 minutes walk from the village. This was not ideal after our 7-8 hour trek and we had to really push ourselves mentally to get there but thankfully it all worked out. The domes at Manang Base Camp were great, warm, cosy, comfortable, and by then we decided that the next day would be a complete rest day!
DAY 3 – REST DAY IN MANANG VILLAGE
A massive lie-in was due! I only woke up around 1PM. We spent the day walking around Manang Village, visiting the popular Alpine Guest House (colourful huts pictured) and went back to Hotel Yeti for our super late lunch.
DAY 4 – MANANG VILLAGE TO TILICHO BASE CAMP
We left our lodge, Manang Base Camp at 7.55am and proceeded our trek towards Tilicho Base Camp! This was a stunning day of trekking – my favourite! The trails were what I usually expect from a trek; no concrete, real earth, views of mountains, rivers, hills, greenery as well as rugged terrains. However, I have to add that the trails gradually became a lot more challenging after Shree Kharka! The terrifying paths, filled with landslide risk signs or warning of falling rocks need careful navigation and steady feet! For first-time trekkers, it may prove to be too much. We passed by Khangsar, Shree Kharka and eventually made it to Tilicho Base Camp just before 3pm!
This was the coldest nights sleep and a lot more simple than previous nights. However, I must add that it was the cheapest for a room from our stays so far!
DAY 5 – TO TILICHO LAKE AND ALL THE WAY DOWN TO BHRAKA
We got up around 6am this morning but only left the lodge at about 7am! The guide emphasized the importance of walking after sunrise. It was a pretty good day of trekking. At parts the wind picked up and my lashes felt icy! Fun! Then there is the loose rocky uphill of 12 ghumti (turns) which seems to challenge many. Thankfully, it worked out for me but even after the long and tedious 12 ghumti, there was quite a bit left to walk! Now – THAT – I found annoying. You think you’re reaching the top only to realise you have to walk along and then go further up – the surprises you get on these treks aye! Nonetheless, it was all good fun!
I reached a frozen icy Tilicho Lake just after 10am, so a good three hours walk! As I had chatted to a trekker returning, I was aware that it was going to be bloody windy. They were not lying. Yet, I surprised myself by hanging about in those crazy windy conditions for a good thirty+ minutes having my Snickers bar first then taking silly content, reel, photos for social media! It’s crazy how your body and mind perseveres when it knows you have to perform for the camera… lol.
I reached Tilicho Base Camp back at 12.50pm where the guide and my sister were waiting for me. They decided not to pursue the trek about an hour into the journey earlier in the morning which I thought was sensible. Always good to know when to stop.
After a quick Wai Wai lunch which I do not advise (I picked this because I was in a mad rush) we started our, very very long walk down. Our guide told us that we would be lucky to make it to Manang village and for us to rest up at Khangsar. I was not keen on that plan at all. My plan was that we would ask a vehicle at Khangsar to take us down to Bhraka as I had booked the final night of this trip at the Manang Lodge by Mountain Lodges of Nepal.
I did not want to lose another night as I was intent on reaching Kathmandu for New Years Eve (no partying, just wanted to be with the family) and also wanted to make sure we were in comfortable accommodation on our last night which I knew Manang Lodge would guarantee.
We made it to Khangsar at 5.25pm. Honestly, if we had not secured a vehicle I think I would’ve walked another two hours or so to Bhraka because that’s how stubborn I was becoming ha! Thankfully after agreeing on a fixed fee with the driver, we managed to get a vehicle out of Khangsar and were dropped off at Manang Lodge, which happens to be in Bhraka (just few KMs down from Manang village).
Reaching the Manang Lodge was heaven, especially after walking for eleven hours or so!
It was all worth it.
DAY 6 – BHRAKA TO KAHMANDU
We left Bhraka at around 8.30am in the morning and stopped by Green Lake which quickly became my highlight of this entire trip! It’s a must!
Then it was all straight-forward drive to Besisahar and then we quickly hopped onto a microvan at around 2.30pm and progressed towards Kathmandu, by 10.30pm.
SOME TIPS
- Maps.ME is a great tool for offline maps.
- Trekking poles is a must!
- The Tilicho trail is dangerous, loose and unstable.
- Keep your rubbish with you!
- Carry a water bottle.
PS. If you are after a more gentle, straightforward and less-risky trek then I recommend Annapurna Base Camp. Check out my blog on my ABC adventure.
