The
Annapurna trekking region consists of peaks Annapurna
I, II, III, IV, and those of Annapurna South peaks.
The trek's major highlights are the ancient mid-western
salt route settlement of Manang, Thorong-La pass
between Nepal and Tibet, Muktinath Temple and
the deepest gorge of world Kali Gandaki. Mustang,
or Lo Manthang, the desert plateau located in
the upper valley of the River Kali Gandaki, and
to the north of the main Himalayan range also
falls in this region. Tourist access to Mustang
is controlled to help retain its exclusiveness.
The highlight of the trek includes the visit to
the Mustang Palace, the visit to Lo Manthang and
pony rides to the Nepal-Tibet border. Annapurna
region is reached via Pokhara, which is 200 kilometers
from Kathmandu. It is five or six hours by road
and 30 minutes by air from Kathmandu. One can
ride a bus or hire a cab from Pokhara to reach
the trek head. Food and accommodation is easily
available in the popular tourist city of Pokhara.
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