When we first suggested to friends and family that we were thinking of going to Nepal with the kids (then aged 2 and 5), their initial reaction was a mixture of ‘wow, that’s cool’ with ‘really, is that even possible?!’ Now, to be fair, we had our own concerns too – but having travelled to this beautiful country pre-kids, we knew it was somewhere we wanted to return to – and we knew that with some good planning it could turn into an epic adventure. So, we decided to go for it. Now, it’s certainly not a trip for the faint of heart, and it was certainly the ‘hardest’ holiday we’ve ever gone on, but the experience, the stories and the memories we have are unbeatable.
Kathmandu calling
We started our trip with a few days in Kathmandu. Our previous experience told us that you needed a day just to recover from the visa queues at the airport! This time we made our way through a little quicker as we had the children in tow but it was still rather painful. However, once officially into the country we were reminded why we loved it so much. Friendly people everywhere and sights and sounds that had to be experienced to be believed. We were based at the lovely Moonlight Hotel on the edge of Thamel from where we could easily walk in to town to see the main sights. The kids really enjoyed Durbar Square with its many temples, smell of incense and interesting locals. The Monkey Temple (Swayambhunath) was a huge hit and the toddler almost burst with excitement when he saw a monkey steal a banana from a stallholder.
There’s something quite special about taking children to a place like Kathmandu – our 5 year old understood more about religion from that one wander around a temple than she ever could from our safe ‘home’ thousands of miles away. Thamel also proved to be a hit with the kids – a fun place to wander around and buy souvenirs, although the motorbikes speeding around can get annoying at times. But still, plenty of local life to enjoy and cafes to relax in.
The bumpy road to Pokhara
When we had exhausted Kathmandu we braved the long 7 hour car journey to Pokhara – the gateway to the Annapurna region of Nepal. We had visited Pokhara in 2011 (when we got engaged!) but returning with small children meant it felt like a new experience all over again. After a night of relative comfort at a local hotel in Pokhara it was time for us to get down to business and the reason we had really come to Nepal – trekking.
The trekking begins
After much consideration, we had decided to engage a guide and two porters for our 8 day trek via Ghandruk, Khopra and Mohare Danda. Having previously hiked independently to Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) we knew some of what to expect. We were very grateful that someone else would be carrying a lot of our gear, but we had decided to carry the 2 year old ourselves. Despite the very kind offers of assistance from our porters and guide, we knew that he would scream the Himalayas down if anyone other than Mum or Dad even considered picking him up! Luckily the 5 year old was well used to hiking – having been put through her paces by us since she was able to walk, so she managed the whole trek by herself – covering an average of about 5 hours trekking per day. We would certainly only recommend this for kids who have done a reasonable amount of hiking before as you need to know their capabilities and limitations.
During the trek we covered a variety of terrain and stayed in some vastly different places. When we were on the main tourist trail it felt like we could have been in the Alps for the sheer number of other trekkers around. They were all very friendly (and many were fascinated by the kids!) but sometimes it did feel a bit too commercial. So we really enjoyed the middle few days of the trek when we went away from the beaten path and instead took in Mohare Danda and the Khopra ridge. The lodges here were nice, although basic, and there were definitely fewer trekkers around. We had been concerned before the trip that the altitude would be an issue for the kids – our highest point was 3,660 metres above sea level. Whilst it certainly made the breathing a bit tougher on some ascents, and the 5 year old felt nauseous for an hour at Khopra, we all coped well. And the altitude meant that we got some fantastic views – the hour or so we spend on Khopra Ridge taking in a vista including some of the highest peaks in the world has to rate as one of the best experiences we have ever had.
The altitude did however mean that nighttime was very cold. We stayed in the dining rooms as long as we could in the evenings as they were pretty warm and then got into sleeping bags as quickly as we could once in our rooms. Getting up to go to the toilet in the middle of the night was always a pain but we managed somehow! And on that subject, the toilets were basic but actually fine. Just remember to take your own toilet paper!
Despite some initial concerns, the food on the trek actually turned out to be pretty much perfect for our small kids. Tea house menus follow a pretty standard formula, so by the end of the trip we knew that we were always going to be asking for pancakes and porridge at breakfast, then popcorn, freshly cooked chips, rice and fritters later in the day. The adults were of course a bit more adventurous with the dhal bhat and curries, but it was nice to be able to offer some familiar food to small stomachs. Oh and the daily hot chocolates went down very well too!
Top tips for trekking in Nepal with kids
Hopefully from the above blog you should have an idea of how we feel about trekking in Nepal with kids. The main message would be that if you really want to do it, then just get on and do it! But we will add a few more useful tips below for the planners amongst you:
- Travel cot. Our 2 year old is not the world’s best sleeper, so we wanted to take along something familiar and safe for him to use overnight. Our littlelife travel cot has been much loved and used for the last 5 years and it proved worthwhile again in Nepal. It is small to pack and very easy to set up. If you are clever (like us!) you can set it up on top of a normal single bed – highly recommended.
- DVD player or iPad with movies. We usually try to limit screen time to sensible amounts, but sometimes kids just need their downtime (or we do!) so technology can be a godsend. Use it wisely…
- Food and drink. Make sure you have lots of snacks with you. And be realistic about what the kids will and won’t eat. Of course you want them to be as adventurous as you, but ultimately small kids can be risk-averse and look for comfort. There’s no harm in buying them a good old Mars bar at the end of a tough day of hiking! And hot chocolate 8 days in a row doesn’t become an unbreakable habit…
- Know your kids abilities. The professionals will tell you that you know your kids better than anyone else. And they’re right! Go hiking with them, test them out beforehand, know when the moaning is a sign of boredom and when it’s a sign that they need more support from you. We find telling long convoluted stories to be a great way to pass the hours. But equally don’t underestimate them. Children have reserves that adults don’t. After our hardest day of hiking (15km covered, 500 metres of ascent, 1,800 metres of descent), the kids were energetically playing ‘tag’ 10 minutes after arriving at our teahouse for the night whilst Mum and Dad could barely move!
- Get porters. You’re giving locals employment, your family gets to meet some lovely people, you’re giving your back and knees a fighting chance at ending the trip in one piece.
- Acclimatise. We were really careful to ensure that we had enough time to get used to the altitude. We didn’t want to risk any crazy altitude jumps, so we followed the advice of our guide and took our time ascending. When you are travelling with small children it is particularly important to be mindful of this as they cannot always tell you what’s wrong if they are feeling under the weather.
There’s no doubt that trekking in Nepal is one of the more adventurous trips we’ve had. But it is also one of the most rewarding and one which the kids really remember. It is so enjoyable to hear them now talking to each other back home about the Monkey Temple in Kathmandu or about how one day they are going to go and catch a yeti on Everest. There are many other places in the world we want to visit in the future but we also agree that we will soon return to Nepal!
Roaming Rascals 