Reviews

Martin - UK

I was very privileged to live in rural Nepal for a few years some 30 years ago and it was brilliant to return after all this time. We have just finished two of the shorter routes – Gurja Khani and Okhle (Treks 1 & 4 in the website). The views from the pass above Okhle are stunning (well outstripping Poon Hill, and you will have the ridge to yourself!). It is hard to get across how different these trekking routes are - the most obvious is that you will see almost no other foreign trekkers. You will still see those wonderful trails and mountains but you will though also see rural Nepal at its best with friendly, welcoming kind Nepalis whose smile lights up like a torch as soon as you greet them with Namaste! None of the accommodation on these routes is ‘luxury’ but you will be very well looked after, be warm at night and savour the infinite varieties of daal bhat thakari! You will be safe, there is almost no crime in rural Nepal and Nepalis are legendary at chasing after you to return what ever objects you had inadvertently left behind the night before - cameras, glasses, clothing.

Whichever route you take, the Hidden Village - Gurja Khani is a really special place. Unusually for Nepal it sits some way from other villages in its own valley and the walk to it is true rural Nepal at its best. I guarantee you will leave with powerful memories of a unique, but quintessentially Nepali village in one of the most beautiful settings in the whole country.

Anne - Canada

I wanted to thank you for your recommendation about going to Gurja Khani. I ended up going there and I really enjoyed it. Great people, pretty and authentic villages and awesome mountain views. I had blue sky for 3 days, even in the afternoon I could see Gurja Himal! And the document available on internet is really well done and helpful.
So thank you for that clue of a well hidden secret, it was a great way to end my trip in Nepal.

Jenny - United Kingdom

"I had the most amazing trekking experience inspired by Off the Beaten Treks. A group of four of us with local guide Lal Chantyal and three locally recruited porters set off from Darbang (five hours jeep ride on a rough road from Pokhara) for our 12 day trek. We enjoyed homestays in the villages of Dharapani, Lulang and Gurja Khani (2nights) before camping for 5 nights in remote areas where we saw absolutely no-one. This was nothing like a well trodden trek to Annapurna or Dhaulagiri base camps. It felt like a much richer experience. We crossed high passes at altitudes well over 4000 metres, took in Churen base camp and high camp and finally descended into the beautiful Dhorpatan valley. Here we were welcomed at homestays in Gurjaghat and then Muna on our way back to Darbang. All the way we had stunning views of the mountains in the Dhaulagiri range. We spotted wild animals and many species of birds and experienced village life. I am a fit 66 year old woman. I found the trek physically and mentally challenging but I would not have wanted it any other way. This is definitely the way to enjoy Nepal and Nepali hospitality."

Tamara & Joep - Netherlands

"We had been traveling for almost 4 month when we decided to do a trekking in this area. We couldn't decide whether we wanted to do one of the famous Himalayan trips or go for this unknown area. Looking back, I'm very glad we chose trekking in Gurja Himal: it was one of the best and real experiences we had during our 5 month Asia-trip!"This area gives you the chance to explore the pure, untouched typical Nepali life, without any influences from the West or more developed Asian life. We traveled through villages so hidden, that Westerners were very rare. Nevertheless the people we met were extremely friendly, eager to share there food, homes and life stories with us. Those 5 days we learned more about Nepali life, than the three weeks we travelled through the country. One day we were invited for home made dal bath made with fresh vegetables from the garden. Another day a woman pulled my arm and suggested to follow here. She took me to her buffalo and insisted on me drinking some wonderful fresh milk. We enjoyed every minute!

The stay at Keshab's house was overwhelming: his friendliness, knowledge of the area, the beauty of his children, the way they learn, play and grow up together, his hand-made house, the little dark living/kitchen, with nothing there but a fire place.... and last but not least, the unforgettable (forget Poon Hill, not interesting any more) 360* view of the Himalayan mountain range and the Indian Mountains...

Dare visit this area, and meet the untouched beauty of Nepali life and landscape!"

Evaline - Switzerland

An encounter with an English-American couple, Joy and Duane, gave me the chance to discover little-known valleys, off the beaten paths. My steps took me to Gurja Khani, a small village at the foot of the Gurja Himal massif, where I spent several days with the family of Bhim-Maya and Jhak Bahadur.get there, I passed many villages, the houses freshly painted for the Dashain festival, surrounded by rice fields in harvest. Sometimes I encountered young girls with heavily-laden doko – large baskets made of bamboo – on their backs, filled with fodder grass or rice stalks; children dragging their feet through the dust with the weight of the loads attached to their heads, twice as big and heavy as they; women returning from the river with their clothes washing; herders with sheep and goats and buffalo. I passed through immense wet forests of rhododendron trees covered with wild orchids, over suspension bridges – not the best (!!!) - a pass of [3300] metres, and as the final bouquet, a sumptuous forest of cedars through which the summits of Gurja Himal and Dhaulagiri shone. These Himalayan giants stroking the clouds at 8000 metres, covered with a thick mantle of snow, made tears come in my eyes. As for my ears, they delighted in bird song, and the melodies of men, women, and children on the way.

Since there were no lodges, I asked for accommodation in people’s homes, each time being warmly made welcome. Sometimes they gave up their only bed for me and slept on the floor beside the fire; other times I shared the bed with one of the girls of the family. I was stuffed with daal bhaat-tarkari, with sweet milky (from the buffalo) tea, with chapatti/ paratha, and one time I sampled the local alcohol with Phul-Maya, one of the homestay mothers. I had walked 12 hours that day in order to arrive in time for the Dashain festival. Phul-Maya was waiting for me with a bucket of icy-cold water and soap for scrubbing my tired back and washing my clothes!

The next day, I celebrated the Dashain festival with all the family of Bhim-Maya and Jhak at Gurja Khani; there were men who had returned from the Gulf states where they worked to earn a living for their families after several years of absence, children on holiday from distant schools in urban areas (one per family generally), and above all, the chicken, the goats, and the buffalo which waited to be sacrificed and their blood spread here and there as a protection. Mmmmh! A delight for all the senses! The grandparents then gave me the Tika blessing – pink rice smeared over the forehead, some grass shoots in the ears, and a gift of a traditional topi (cap) from the grandfather on my head. before I re-traced my route.

I returned happy, filled with all the beautiful encounters, blistered, tired, dirty – but alive.

Kim - Brazil

My encounter with Gurja Khani was yet another proof of how much we should follow our instincts and embrace life’s accidents so to be surprised by often hidden beauties.

Frustrated by the amount of bureaucracy necessary to go on most treks around Nepal and by the somewhat “commercial” feel to them, I browsed online for something else that would take my breath away by both its natural beauty as well as people/culture. At the same time I didn’t want to spend almost a month walking – like many of the circuits would require you to do - but wanted to feel like I had gotten away. It seemed like a lot to ask for but then I bumped into the name Gurja Khani and after googling it found a detailed guide, with maps and tips in PDF format ready to be printed. When talking to people I realized no one knew what I meant by Hidden Village or Gurja Himal, which made me even more interested in going and finding out more about it.

In Gurja Khani I was lucky to stay with an amazing local family, Bel Moti Pariyar and her daughters, who always went out of their way to make sure I was feeling comfortable and at home. It was a true homestay experience: we ate together, exchanged cultural curiosities and learned from each other.Being there made you forget about the “real world” - which stayed 2 to 3 days behind - and the village’s atmosphere developed and invited you to be a part of its life. For the following days I’d wake up with the sun and have breakfast while a group of young children would sit on the veranda for their early morning English club. It was an inspiring and funny way of starting the day, after which I’d go on long walks outside the village, exploring its surroundings and trying to get a glimpse of the Himalayas before they got covered by clouds. Between the constant and delicious homemade meals, I’d go for a stroll or simply find a spot where to sit and watch the locals go about their daily business. The entire experience helped me put a lot of things in perspective and worked as a sort of therapy, where I unconsciously let go of my so called worries and responsibilities to be there, in the present.

Gurja Khani was indeed the friendliest and most genuine village I’ve been to in Nepal, where without even trying I managed to immerse myself in the culture – spending time with the people and playing with the children - as well as have some quiet and refreshing time amidst the mountains and nature…the perfect balance.”