Ghandruk

The first thing you notice on arrival at Himalaya Lodge is the massive peaks of Annapurna South (7219m) and its neighbour Hiunchuili (6441m) towering over the valley. The lodge is built around a 19th cuntury Gurung village house perched above the ancient village of Ghandruk in the Modi Khola Valley at an altitude of 1980m (6500 ft).

The village is a major recruitment centre for Gurkha soldiers and is the hub of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project which promotes many varied eoclogical projects. A wander around the village reveals small shops and farm houses, tea houses and the comings and goings of local people transporting goods from one village to the next in the company of donkeys, mules and chickens.

The lodge's 10 rooms are simple but very comfortable, with en-suite bathroom and shared veranda. The lovely staff ensures you are well looked after before leaving guests to share stories around a roaring log fire (the only heating in the lodge) after dinner.  The sunrise views from here, viewed through the steam of a hot cup of tea brought to your door,  must be some of the most spectacular in Nepal.