The Annapurna High Route

• Return international flights
• A professional French tour guide supported by a local team of guides, porters and helpers
• Insurance for the local team
• Ground transfers in private vehicles as mentioned in the program
• Flight from Jomsom to Pokhara
• Accommodation in hotels in Kathmandu, lodges and tents on the trek, in double or twin rooms
• Full board during the trek except for meals mentioned as “free”.
• Trekking permits and national park entrance fees
• The SOS MAM medical service at Iffremont, including a hyperbaric chamber

• Visa fees
• Meals on international flights and in Kathmandu
• The drinks
• Any visits to Kathmandu and cabs
• Personal travel and hiking equipment (shoes, poles, sleeping bag, personal first-aid kit, etc.)
• Single room supplements in accommodations
• Hot water in the lodges
• Battery recharges and any Internet connections in lodges
• Cancellation or comprehensive insurance, to be taken out at the time of registration.
• Everything not mentioned in the “included in the package” section

SAFETY

You can find the Quai d’Orsay’s position on these countries on the official website of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs: diplomatie.gouv.fr in the “Travel advice” section. Les informations contenues sur le site du Ministère des Affaires Étrangères sont susceptibles d’être modifiées et données à titre indicatif. En outre, il est rappelé qu’aucune région du monde ni pays ne peuvent être considérés comme à l’abri du risque terroriste.

REGISTRATION

By post:

Ask us for a registration form

• by phone: 06 65 93 29 29
• or e-mail: contact@watse.fr

Send us your registration with a copy of your passport, your postal address, telephone number and e-mail address, together with a deposit of 30% of the cost of the trip.
Also, if you wish to take out a Comfort or Comfort Multirisk cancellation insurance policy, this must be paid at the same time as the deposit when you register. You can consult our insurance contracts on our website.

By internet:
Book your holiday directly on our website: directly on the holiday page, choosing your dates and insurance options. ATTENTION: air fares will be maintained until 3 months before departure and may be readjusted if necessary if you book during this period.

ASSISTANCE AND SAFETY

We strongly advise you to take out assistance insurance for the duration of your trip.

We offer two different types of insurance: Comfort Cancellation and Comfort Multirisk, to be taken out when you register for your trip.

Details of this insurance are available on request or can be viewed by by clicking here.

Other offers include Mondial Assistance, your own insurance company or Club Alpin Français. Check that your trekking activity is covered.

Make sure your insurance covers all medical expenses in the event of an accident.

You must make sure that you are covered for mountain rescue costs. If this is the case, you must provide us with the following information before you set off on your trek:

• a certificate from the insurance company covering mountain rescue costs.
• the contract number and telephone number of the assistance center

Beware of restrictive clauses in certain insurance policies (particularly those linked to Visa Premier, Gold or other cards), such as mountain insurance limited to snow activities, or altitude sickness not recognized as an illness requiring repatriation, which will be refused.

Please check the actual content of your insurance and take the necessary steps if necessary.

JET LAG

+ 4h45 from France (winter) + 3h45 from France (summer)

REGISTRATION

All climates are present in Nepal and change with altitude: tropical in the jungles of the Terai, temperate in the valleys and polar in the high mountains. Nepal’s climate varies greatly according to region and season. The country’s latitude is roughly equivalent to that of Florida, giving it a similar tropical and subtropical climate in the Terai region. Outside the Terai, however, the climate is completely distinct. Remarkable differences in climatic conditions are generally linked to the enormous range of altitudes within a short distance, from north to south. Nepal’s climate is suitable for all seasons. But to see and hike the mountains, you need to go between October and April, when it’s dry and sunny. At altitude, you’ll need a good fleece, a down jacket for the evenings and a good sleeping bag for the night, even in summer.

The climate in Nepal month by month :

• January-February:
  It’s cool and the big passes are snowed in, but the sky is blue and with a little wool you’ll be fine.
• March-April-May:
  This is a very good time for long treks. The weather is fine, you can see the mountains and the rhododendrons are in bloom.
• June to September:
  It’s monsoon season, but it rains mostly at night. The atmosphere is very special and the light perfect for photos. There are some great festivals in the Kathmandu valley.
• October to November:
  This is still a very good time for long treks, with crystal-clear landscapes all day long.
• December:
  It gets colder in December, but it never freezes in Kathmandu.

HEALTH AND VACCINES

There are no compulsory vaccinations, but we strongly recommend that you are up to date with the usual vaccinations: diphtheria-tetanus-poliomyelitis, whooping cough, tuberculosis, hepatitis A and B. You may also wish to be vaccinated against typhoid fever, yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis. Malaria and dengue fever are present all year round below 2,000 m altitude, particularly in the rural areas of the Terai – classified as zone 2. Anti-malarial treatment is recommended if you are planning a prolonged stay in this region. Consult your family doctor. In addition, you should take precautions to protect yourself against mosquito bites (repellent, loose-fitting clothing).

We recommend that you have a check-up with your dentist before you leave.

IFREMMONT

For this trip, Watse offers you Ifremmont’s SOS MAM service, which means that in the event of a problem, a French doctor specializing in altitude and isolated environments can be reached by satellite telephone. Your Guide is also specially trained by Ifremmont to deal with these situations. He is the local medical correspondent for these doctors. We’ll ask you to create an online medical file (http://www.teleconsultationsosmam.com), which you can also use every day to take charge of your health. We’ll provide you with a code to link your file to the trip you’re about to embark on. You’ll then be able to carry out a teleconsultation with these mountain medicine specialists before you leave, at a cost of €46 (non-reimbursed). This service is a real plus in terms of preventing the risks associated with altitude and remote areas.

Please note that this service does not replace your repatriation insurance, which is compulsory in some countries.

AIR

Air fares will be maintained until 3 months before departure and may be readjusted if necessary if you register during this period.

LUGGAGE

Your personal belongings will be carried daily by porters, as is traditional in Nepal.

The carriers :

To comply with the recommendations of the carriers’ union, the maximum load per carrier is 20kg. Our proposal includes one porter for every 2 participants. Please ensure that your personal bag does not exceed 10kg. Any excess weight will require the hiring of an additional porter, at the expense of the participants.

MEALS

You are responsible for your own meals in Kathmandu and on international flights. During the trek, we take morning and evening meals at the camps. At lunchtime, we organize a picnic or eat at lodges along the way. In Nepal, the food is simple but good. Mostly rice, pasta and vegetables, meat is rare. The traditional dish is Dhal Bhat (rice and lentils), which can be eaten anywhere in Nepal or in the mountains.

Please let us know if you have any food allergies when you register.

ACCOMMODATION

During the trek, we stay in lodges, similar to mountain refuges in France, sometimes very basic. The atmosphere is always warm and welcoming. They generally contain a common room with a stove, a kitchen, usually bedrooms and sometimes dormitories.
Heating is not always available, and toilets are often rudimentary and outside.
Any hot showers, telephone and camera battery recharging, and Internet connections must be paid for directly on site. Community lodges are run by villagers, with profits going back into the community to maintain schools and dispensaries. Hotel in Kathmandu based on 2 people per room. For a single room supplement, please contact us.

TRAINING

State-qualified French mountain leader for the entire trip, plus a local team of guides, helpers and porters.

ELECTRICITY

Alternating current 220 Volts, 50 Hertz. Sockets have three round plugs, so adapters are recommended.

FORMALITIES AND VISA

For French, Belgian, Luxembourg and Swiss nationals :

• Your passport valid 6 months after the date of exit from Nepal, with at least one blank page;
• A tourist visa, issued on arrival in Kathmandu, for a maximum of 90 days.

Visa applications (in English) are made at automatic terminals available at the entrance to the immigration hall. Please bring cash (euros) for payment.

Consular fees (for information only) for a visa :

• 30 (or € equivalent) for up to 15 days on site;
• 50 (or € equivalent) for up to 30 days on site;
• 125 (or € equivalent) for up to 90 days on site.

As these formalities may change, please check with the country’s consular authorities. All travelers are responsible for complying with entry requirements in the countries they visit. Watse cannot be held responsible for changes in formalities.

BUDGET, CHANGE AND TIPS

The currency in Nepal is the Rupee. The indicative rate is : 1 € = 140 Rupees.

Cash: you can travel with euros or dollars. Exchange is available at exchange offices, banks and even hotels.

• Meal in a tourist restaurant in Kathmandu: between 800 and 1500 Rupees

During the trek :

• 1 beer: 700 to 1200 rupees
• 1 Coca Cola between 200 and 500 rupees
• 1 tea between 100 and 300 rupees
• 1 hot shower between 200 and 500 rupees
• 1 phone or camera battery refill between 200 and 500 rupees

Tipping is not compulsory and should reflect your satisfaction with the team. Your guide will inform you if you wish to provide one.