Nepal
One of the top bucket list items for any global adventurer is a trek in the Himalayas. And the Mecca of mountain walking is Mt. Everest, where Mt. Everest soars 29,032 feet (8,848 meters) to the top of the world. In fact 8 of the top 10 highest mountains on the globe are in this landlocked country. While Nepal was a secluded kingdom and isolated from the west for hundreds of years, the summiting of Mt. Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953 put it on the map. While Hillary and entourage walked overland from India with hundreds of porters carrying supplies, modern trekkers fly from around the globe to the exotic city of Kathmandu where your trekking journey begins and ends.
Nepal is one of the poorer countries in the world with a per capita income of $1,084. Nepal is mostly a rural country of small farmers growing enough to get by and maybe sell or barter their excess produce. Tourism is a key industry after agriculture with 63% of the people working small farms. The Nepali people are deeply religious. In the lowlands the people are mostly Hindu while in the mountains they are Buddhist. In Kathmandu and Pokhara a mix. Some still follow Animism and you may come across sacrifices being made with chickens or other small animals.
A Nepal trek typically begins and ends. Though you will need to fly or bus to your starting point. While one can travel overland from India directly to Pokhara and west Nepal avoiding Kathmandu, most pilgrims fly into Kathmandu from points across the globe. In Kathmandu most arriving pilgrims head directly to Thamel, a tourist ghetto, filled with shops selling everything you need for a trek. There is a surprising range of excellent restaurants; from steakhouses, Italian, French, Pizza, Vegetarian, Indian, Nepal, etc. Walking the streets of Thamel is an experience in itself; with street vendors selling fruit, vegetables, snacks, assorted trinkets and Masala(Chai) Tea. Kathmandu has a unique smell to it; a combination of burning incense, human sweat, and cow dung that is rather pleasant once you get used to it.
If this is a once in a lifetime holiday and you have limited time setting your trek up from home is advisable. However, if you have the time, Thamel is loaded with trekking agencies. Upon arrival I visit 3 agencies, talk with them about local conditions and choose a trek. Then I negotiate a final price of $20 per day for a guide/porter. $40 if you include meals. These guide/porters at this price speak limited English but will make your trek easier and more enjoyable. Once you set up your trek you can leave the following day but a few days to enjoy Kathmandu at the beginning or end of your walk is worth it.
Which trek to take can be a difficult decision.
Everest Base Camp- A popular choice for once in a lifetime travelers but can be crowded at peak season. 12-17 days
Annapurna Circuit-The popular choice for overland travelers and budget travelers as you can walk it without a guide and get there by bus. Like EBC can be crowded at peak season and development and roads are encroaching. 12-17 days
Annapurna Base Camp-A wonderful shorter 10 day trek that requires back tracking.
Manaslu and Tsum Valley- Manaslu and the optional Tsum Valley requires a guide but a special trekking fee keeps the crowds down.
Langtang-Excellent 7-8 day trek in the north of Kathmandu
Gosaikunda Lake 5 days
Helambu- 5 days.
Langtang/Gosaikunda/Helambu can be combined in a 12 day trek which ends just a 45 minute taxi ride back to Kathmandu
The 3 Passes-Perhaps the most challenging of the treks including 3 passes from 5,300-5,500 meters.
Night and Day. While Santiago is the end of the Camino, Kathmandu is where a Nepal Pilgrimage typically begins and ends. Though you will need to fly or bus to your starting point. While one can travel overland from India directly to Pokhara and west Nepal avoiding Kathmandu, most pilgrims fly into Kathmandu from points across the globe. In Kathmandu most arriving pilgrims head directly to Thamel, a tourist ghetto, filled with shops selling everything you need for a trek. There is a surprising range of excellent restaurants; from steakhouses, Italian, French, Pizza, Vegetarian, Indian, Nepal, etc. Walking the streets of Thamel is an experience in itself; with street vendors selling fruit, vegetables, snacks, assorted trinkets and Masala(Chai) Tea. Kathmandu has a unique smell to it; a combination of burning incense, human sweat, and cow dung that is rather pleasant once you get used to it.
While Kathmandu has gotten more crowded and polluted over the past 35 years, it still has its charms. It is also a great walking city. Explore the streets beyond Thamel where you will experience 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Getting up early and walking up the 424 steps to Swayambhunath Buddhist Temple for sunrise with the scores of monkeys. Also going to Pashupatinath Hindu Temple Complex early is a deeply humbling experience. Be sure to walk across the Bagmati River which flows into the Ganges, looking back you will see the various funeral pyres and locals bringing their dead on stretchers for the burning rituals.
For sunset I like to head for another UNESCO site Bodnath Buddhist Stupa to walk around one of the largest spiral stupas in the world. This is a center for the Tibetan Buddhists and there are many monasteries and convents and an excellent place to experience a 10 Day Silent Meditation Retreat. I particularly enjoy eventually making my way to one of the rooftop restaurants on the square to just enjoy the changing colors of the Stupa as day fades into night.
Then of course there is Durbar Square which was heavily damaged by the 2015 Earthqake but is slowly being rebuilt and still worth a visit to view several ancient temples. If possible a visit to the Living Virgin Goddess is interesting. She is replaced though after her first period. If you still have time a day trip to Bhaktapur Durbar Square with a similar complex of Temples is most interesting.