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Australian Camp Trek neither takes you to Australia nor any base camp. Instead, it brings you to the Thulo Kharka(Australian Camp) of Dhampus Village, which lies on the outskirts of the Annapurna Region.
In the late 80s, people from Austria came here and camped in this beautiful plain pasture. They started to visit this place regularly to watch the panoramic mountains of the region. For that reason, the locals named it Austrian Camp. But then, later, it became Australian Camp. The locals found the last name more common and easy to pronounce. This is how it became popular as an Australian Camp.
So Australian Base Camp is a comfortable trek to Dhampus Village, a picturesque village in the region. It is a four-day long trip, out of which two days are for trekking. The journey starts from Kathmandu with a scenic drive to Pokhara, the city of natural beauty. Next, the trip leads you to the Kande, the starting point of the trek. Kande is only one and a half hours away from Pokhara.
The hike begins through the terraced fields full of paddy, forested land, and several suspension bridges to Dhampus Village(1,650m). Then the trek takes you to the center of the Dhampus Jungle, where the Australian Camp(2,060m) lies. While on this trek, you will come across the lovely people of the region and their iconic villages. Pothana, Kande, and Dhampus are the scenic villages you pass on this trek.
Likewise, you will find peaks such as Macchapuchre, Hiunchuli, Annapurna South, and other mountains in the backdrop. That is why it is a short and sweet hike for nature lovers. You will briefly know what is so special about the Annapurna Region, the home of famous treks.
Plus, you will have options on this trek to extend the walk by combining beautiful hikes such as Mardi Himal Trek, Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek, and Khopra Danda Trek.
You can have more adventures in the region doing so.
If you consider doing this Australian Camp Trek, do let us know. We are good at planning everything
Day 1: Drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara | 7 hours
Day 2: Drive from Pokhara to Kande and then hike to Australian Camp | 1 hr drive & 2 hrs trek
Day 3: Trek back to Dhampus and Drive to Pokhara
Day 4: Drive back to Kathmandu
We will start the Australian Camp Trek with a drive out of Kathmandu to Pokhara. It will be a scenic drive of 7 hours on Prithivi Highway. We will watch villages, rivers, forests, and markets passing by through our windows. After the drive, we will arrive in Pokhara, the tourist’s favorite city in Nepal. Heading to our hotel for check-ins, we will rest for a while. After the rest, we will explore the lakeside of Phewa Lake. Overnight in Pokhara.
We will wake up to a pleasant morning in Pokhara. After breakfast, we will leave Pokhara for Kande, the beginning point of the trek. One hour of drive out of Pokhara is enough to reach Kande. We will see Mt Fishtail and other peaks all the way. After reaching Kande, we begin a short hike of 2 hours towards Dhampus Village. En route, we will traverse through scenic paddy fields, lush vegetation, and iconic settlements. The locals will greet us with a warm welcome in their villages. Throughout the walk, we will enjoy the views of the Annapurna Region’s peaks and hills. In this way, we will reach Dhampus village at first and then Australian Camp. Overnight in the camp after a lovely evening view.
We will wake up early to catch a breathtaking sunrise from the camp. The whole region looks sublime during sunrise. We will experience every bit of this moment. Later, we will explore the surrounding area more by walking around. After the exploration and breakfast, we will leave for Dhampus for a tasty lunch. We will explore the village for a while before doing a downhill hike to Phedi. It will be a trek of around 2 hours. From Phedi, we will join a jeep drive back to Pokhara. Another evening in Pokhara.
Now it is time to return to Kathmandu. We will have a short morning stay in Pokhara before we join a drive back to Kathmandu. The drive will happen on the same road for 7 hours. Once we reach Kathmandu, we will return to our hotel. And this will be the completion of a short Australian Camp Trek.
What kind of meals should I expect during the trek ?
You will get hygienic, energetic, and well-cooked meals three times a day. The food items available on the trek are the most common ones from Nepali, Indian, Chinese, and Western but local style.
Do I need a visa to visit Nepal?
Yes, a visa is necessary to visit Nepal for all tourists except Indian nationals. You can get a visa from the Nepalese Embassy in your country or an on-arrival visa from Kathmandu (TIA) Airport. For that, you will need a valid passport before 6 months, some passport-sized photos, and a visa fee.
How much is a Nepalese Visa fee?
The up-to-date visa fees (as of 6/6/2024) for a Nepalese visa is: US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days, US$125 for 90 days. For Visa Extension: 3 USD per Day(minimum 15 days) 5 USD per day as late fine in the case of delay
Which time is best for a Nepal tour?
The best times to visit Nepal are September to November and March to May. If you are not doing any high-altitude tours, you can visit Nepal all year round, including Monsoon and Winter.
What is Nepal best known for?
Nepal is known for multiple reasons. The country is geographically, culturally, architecturally, and religiously a gifted one. It is the birthplace of Buddha, home of Mt Everest and eight other world & highest peaks, the world best trekking trails, the land of brave Gurkhas, and more. Therefore, multiple reasons make Nepal popular across the globe.
Will I get WiFi on this Tour?
Yes, most of the hotels, resorts, guesthouses and homestays have Wi-Fi facilities. But quality of service may be different.
Dec-2022
Chitwan Jungle Safari was a great experience with good value for money. We hired the Car from Kathmandu and stayed for 02 Nights. Our trip was well organized with good service on time. It was rainy and animals were scarce but the driver and Guide worked hard to spot them for us. 01-hour canoeing ride in the middle of hundreds of Crocodiles & Gharial followed by Elephant Breeding Center was an amazing experience. Our Jeep Safari of 04 hrs of continuous rides on the main Jungle was quite a good experience. The excitement level goes up when any kind of Wildlife creature is spotted. We saw Peacock, One Horn Rhino, and different species of Birds but with no luck Royal Bengal Tiger missed out. Overall it was a lovely and memorable experience with good Food and will highly recommend this tour. The best season would be in Winter with good Nature.
Philip
We had a great time with Shiva and his team, from being picked up from the airport to being dropped off there, everything was just perfect! We had "culture tour and a trip to Shaman Village" Hiking. Got to see many cultural sites around Kathmandu and was an incredible experience in monastery visiting monks. The program was great and fantastic as far as we wanted away from the tourist crowds, all accommodations were good. It’s really a great opportunity to explore Nepal as local.
The “TeamSabbatical” were very helpful and friendly as well. When we have a questions or a problem can find someone on the spot immediately to find a answer and solve it. We highly recommend the trip Meet the Monks with Boudhanath Stupa tour, and the Kathmandu Cultural tour together.
Magda, Terese and Group
Philip Hoffmann
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Interact with locals, get to know their culture & traditions for an inside view of the Nepalese lifestyle