This route was first trekked by HRH The Prince of Wales hence it is popularly known as the Royal Trek. This four day trek starts in Pokhara and follows a ridge east through villages and farmlands and affords panoramic views of the Annapurna and the Manaslu-Himalchuli Ranges. This is the best trek for those wanting to experience a Himalayan trek without getting too high or going too far. This trek can be best combined with a raft trip down the Trisuli River and a few days wildlife safari in Chitwan or Bardia National Parks.

Easy trekking in altitudes ranging from 920m (3,000ft) to 1,500m (5,000ft). Relatively short days. Fully supported trek with all meals and equipment led by experienced local guide. All equipment and luggage will be carried by porters. Clients carry day pack only and walk at an easy pace.

This special Getaway trek involves 8 days of hiking and camping along, little visited areas of the Annapurna foothills. Our journey begins with a drive to Birethanti on the Pokhara-Baglung road. As we begin our trek, we will marvel at the maze of terraces, carved into the hillsides, that make up most of rural Nepal. Our trail winds through forested slopes, interspersed with cultivated terraces, with magnificent views of Machapuchare (Fish Tail Peak) and the entire Annapurnas. Once we climb higher, we pass by the typical slate-roofed villages, on hill-slopes overlooking the mighty Kali Gandaki valley. The giant Dhaulagiri Himal dominate the skyline. Now our trail winds though a magical forest of giant rhododendron and oak trees - far away from the crowded backpacker's 'apple pie' trail. As a fitting finale to this trek we will make a dawn ascent of Poon Hill to enjoy one of the most spectacular mountain-scape on Earth. As the sun touches the snowcapped summits, the Himalayan giants, Dhaulagiri (8,167m/26,788ft.) and Annapurna (8,091m/26,538ft.), along with a maze of other peaks, slowly begin to appear, like magic, before our eyes. In the end our trail drops down into the Kali Gandaki river valley near the town of Baglung. A rewarding trek that can be enjoyed by every lover of nature and beautiful landscape.

Mardi Himal - South-West Face. Less than fifteen miles north of Pokhara, as the crow flies, this mountain is the most southerly of the Annapurna range. From some viewpoints it seems little more than an outlier on the south-west flank of Machhapuchhare. Mardi Himal is the lowest and perhaps least climbed or visited of the trekking peaks.

Once again it was Col. Jimmy Roberts who, with two Sherpas, climbed to the summit by a route on its East Flank in 1961. The normal route of ascent reaches a col from a glaciated amphitheatre that rises above a hidden plateau; the 'Other Sanctuary', as Roberts calls it. Although another route has been made on the south-West Face, Roberts' route is the only recorded line and the one used on most subsequent ascents.

Obviously, the peak has commanding view of the Annapurna ranges and undoubtedly a spectacular one of Machhapuchhare the "Himalayan Matterhorn," better known as Fish Tail Peak. Few westerners visit the valleys and ridges south of Mardi Himal. They are steep sided and heavily wooded with bamboo and rhododendron. Above the forest high alpine pastures provide good grazing and a habitat for undisturbed wildlife. Despite it lowly altitude the mountain obviously has a great deal of potential for those interested in small-scale exploratory mountaineering and the ridges, already mentioned, present obvious climbing challenges at a reasonable standard.