Nepal Trip Departure: Friday, October 23rd at ISKL at 17:15 for a flight that departs at 20:15 (TG418)
All GAP participants on the Nepal Trekking Adventure meet their travel group and trip leaders Ms. Malia Bodhaine and Mr. Bill Mitchell at ISKL 3 hours prior to flight, which is at 17:15 or 5:15 pm Friday evening to board the airport bus (which will be parked next to the front guard house.) Parents are encouraged to accompany their children to ISKL Friday evening to wish them a safe and wonderful adventure and to smile/wave as the bus departs for the airport. Parents will next hear from their children Sunday, November 1st at noon when the travel group returns.Students will not travel with cell phones.
If there is a significant flight delay, trip leaders will do their best to contact the lead parent on the emergency phone list who will share the message.
All parents will have participated in a detailed trip briefing at the Travel Group Family Potluck on Sunday, October 11th at 5:00 pm.
That briefing will include the trip packing list, departure/arrival times, emergency medical procedures, and GAP-parent emergency-contact protocol.
GAP-parent emergency-contact protocol is:
1) Parents will be contacted if their child has a medical emergency.
2) Parents will be contacted if there is a significant change in the return flight and pick-up times.
3) If a family has an emergency and needs to contact their child during the trip, parents will contact HS Principal Grant Millard who facilitate communication with the travel group trip leaders.
4) If all goes as planned, no news is GOOD NEWS!! In light of that, GAP parents will wait until their child returns to ISKL on Sunday, Nov 1st at 14:00 (or 2 pm) to hear about the trip adventures, challenges, joys, and highlights.
Friday evening flight TG418 lands in Bangkok at 21:25. Thai Airways will provide transportation to a hotel outside the airport for the group's overnight. Thai Airways provides the hotel while the group is in transit.
Saturday, October 24th EXPLORE DURBAR SQUARE and THAMEL WALK.
- Board TG 335 at 14:30. Arrive in Kathmandu at 16:40. Airport greeting and transport to Hotel Manaslu. After check-in, we'll visit the ancient city center of Durbar Square where not only the most historically significant temples and shrines of this timeless culture are located, but also the main marketplace.
- We’ll walk through the back streets of Kathmandu to give everyone an opportunity to get a feel for this fascinating Asian city.
- After the Thamel Walk, we’ll have dinner together and meet the directors and staff who will be responsible for all the arrangements of the trip. Any last minute questions can be clarified before we get started
Sunday, October 25th TRISULI RIVER WHITE WATER RAFTING and OVERNIGHT CAMP
- After breakfast, the bus will begin the 3 hour drive to Kuringhat on the bank of the Trisuli River.
- After our lunch by the river, we begin the white-water raft trip.
- After 2-3 hours of riding the rapids in the midst of stunning Nepalase scenery, we reach our comfortable lodge located right on the bank of the Trisuli where we will enjoy the sound of the river and the sumptuous dinner prepared by our crew. We’ll overnight at the riverside lodge.
Monday, October 26th MORNING RAFTING. BEHOLD TOWERING PEAKS of ANNAPURNA
- We'll have another morning of white-water rafting and then change into our dry clothes and set off for our trek in the Annapurna Himalayas. We'll reach the beautiful lakeside village of Pokhara after 2 hours of driving.
- After lunch in Pokhara, we start this trek by taking a jeep to the base of the final foothills facing the Annapurnas.
- After arriving at the small village of Phedi, we'll climb for about two hours on a spiraling slate-covered stairway up to the small village of Dhampus which is a scattered series of farms and tea shops along the ridge line. The views from our camp are a terrific first impression of the trek as the towering peaks of Machhapuchare/Fishtail and the Annapurna and Lamjung ranges loom above us only a few kilometers away.
- We'll stay the night in a comfortable lodge and enjoy the hospitality of our Sherpa crew.
Tuesday, October 27th TREK FOOTHILLS and RICE PADDIES
- After breakfast, the trail climbs through lush rhododendron forests to the crest which separates Pokhara valley from the Modi Khola River valley.
- We'll have lunch on the pass before descending to the thick forested jungle which covers the valley slopes.
- After following the ridge-line for about an hour, we’ll start descending back into the Modi Kola river valley over the network of trails that have served as the highway system of the Himalayan foothill villages for hundreds of years.
- We’ll pass through dormant rice fields and village inhabitants going about their daily routines which will allow for a wonderful day of trekking to our second night camping lodge at Landrung as well as provide a valuable insight into Nepali farming lifestyle. The views of the gigantic Annapurna South snow-covered Himalayan wall at the end of the valley are spectacular from our comfortable lodge.
Wednesday October 28th TREK ALONG LUSH FARMLANDS
- On a clear morning we can see one of the highest mountains on earth, Mt. Annapurna, as well as countless other snow-capped peaks over 25,000 feet in elevation.
- Today's trek descends steeply through the farms of Landrung down to the Modi Khola River and then crosses over a suspension bridge to the opposite bank.
- From there you'll climb steeply up a winding stairway which leads to our next camp at Ghandrung. This village is the headquarters of the newly established Annapurna National Park and offers some of the best views anywhere in Nepal. Not only does one see the Annapurnas, but now the exquisite Machhapuchare comes into view with its distinct "Fishtail" peak.
- Looking back toward villages scattered in the foothills, the golden light of sunset spills over the fields and red tiled roofs of the scattered villages that have inhabited the valley for hundreds of years. The spectacular sunsets on this magnificent Himalayan wall are unforgettable.
Thursday October 29th OUTREACH to SHANTI STUPA SCHOOL
- Today we'll first enjoy the magnificent sunrise on the massive peaks of the Annapurna Himalayas before descending through rice fields and small village settings for another 3 hours until we come to the road where our transport vehicles await.
- We'll be driven back to Pokhara where we will check into our hotel and have lunch.
- In the afternoon we'll once again head out to the location of the small Shanti Stupa School where we'll be working with the local students to white-wash the school buildings and donating the school supplies we've collected for their benefit.
- The late afternoon will be free for exploration of the Tibetan market local culture.
Friday, October 30th UMBRELLA ORPHANAGE: FRIENDSHIP GAMES and LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES
- Today we will meet the children at the Umbrella Orphanage in Kathmandu and be involved in teaching English, playing games and recreational activities.
- ISKL students initiate language activities in the context of the classroom and playground.
Saturday, October 31st COMPLETING THE CIRCLE:JOURNEY HOME
- On the way to the airport, we will visit one of the most important religious shrines in all of Asia. Pashupatinath is an exquisite temple complex revered by Hindus throughout the Indian subcontinent. In Bangkok, students will overnight in a hotel outside the airport provided by Thai Airlines.
- Flight TG 415 lands in KL at 12:00 (noon) and students travel by an ISKL school bus to the Ampang campus. Parents meet their children at 14:00 or 2 pm, which is two hours after the flight has landed. HAPPY HUGS!!! (Parents who wish to meet their child at the airport may do so but must be there before the students board the bus to return to ISKL as the bus will leave as soon as everyone is on board. For safety reasons, no students will be left to wait for their parents at the airport!) Enjoy your children's GAP stories!!!
Namaste
