Sailung trek – the Indigenous People Trail

Namaste and welcome to Nepal!

Today, you will leave together with your guide and porter with a private jeep to the starting point of your trekking, Dhunge. You drive there via Dhulikhel and then the village of Mude. The ride takes about 4.5 hours in total.

Today is a short hiking day. In Dhunge you start a short climb in the direction of Thulo Sailung. You then follow the path down to the Sherpa village of Khola Kharka, where you will spend the night today.

You will spend the night in a community lodge in Khola Kharka.

Today you walk to the top of Thulo Sailung to reach. At an altitude of approx. 3300 meters Sailung offers impressive views over Kalinchowk to the Annapurna, Langtang, Ganesh Himal, Rolwaling, Everest and Kanchenjunga, to the south you can see the Mahabharata hills and the Sun Koshi River and more down you can even see the lowlands of the Terai!

Thulo Sailung is considered by the indigenous Tamangs (the largest population group in this region) as the abode of the God of the region, the Sailung Phoi Sibda Karpo. The chörten on the hill of Sailung is the home of this divine protector and the Tamang community are regarded as the 'keepers of the land'.

This is a very important - and for you fascinating - place for the indigenous people. Just below the top of Thulo Sailung is Gaurighat cave, considered a source of fertility and health.

You will spend the night in a community lodge in Thulo Sailung.

On a clear day you can enjoy a breathtaking sunrise over the Eastern Himalayas!

After breakfast you follow the path downhill via rhododendrons to the Tashi Namgyal Choeling Monastery in Raj Veer, which was built in 1972 by the Bhutanese Drukpa Kagyu school. Unfortunately this monastery was severely damaged by the earthquake of 2015.

From the Raj Veer monastery the path continues downhill. You no longer walk through forests, but through green terraced fields. On the way you'll pass a Sherpa village and a Tamang village. You walk under and along prayer flags and next to chörtens and mani-walls.

The path continues downhill until you reach the spectacular 'Thinghare' waterfall: the water from the 12-metre high waterfall plunges into the rocks below. After another short climb you arrive at the settlement Surke, surrounded by beautiful terraced fields.

The rest of the day you will spend in the village. You can walk to the viewpoint of Gaurigaun or visit the Thami community. This indigenous community likes to show you their culture. There are only 30,000 more of them, and the survival of their Tibetan - Burmese community is threatened.

You spend the night in a homestay in Surke.

You walk through the Thami settlement before crossing the Doramba Valley. The path leads you over a wooded ridge to the terraced fields of Doramba.

Doramba is one of the largest Tamang settlements in Nepal. Did you know that many of the Thangka artists you see at work in Boudha come from this village? The Tamang are very hospitable and also have their own language. Be sure to try a few sentences!

You will spend the night in a homestay in Doramba.

You leave the Doramba Valley and walk up to the top of Agleshwari Danda. Here you will be rewarded with breathtaking views of the Himalayas and the rolling Mahabhata hills below. On this hilltop there is also a secret Hindu sanctuary!

You descend through a slate mine, then through pine forests until you reach Galpa Bazaar. This village is situated on a pass between two valleys and a perfect place for lunch!

Khandadevi is situated on top of a hill at an altitude of 1977 meters. The village lies around a fascinating Hindustani temple complex and is surrounded by old stone walls. The Hindu temple is dedicated to the Goddess Khada Devi.

The surroundings are picturesque! From the rolling lush green Maharabharat mountains, to the snowy peaks of Numburchuili and Gaurishankar in the north and view to the plains of the Terai in the south.

You will spend the night in a homestay in Khandadevi.

As you leave Khandadevi follow the path along a long ridge with views of the subtropical plains of the Terai on one side and the snow-capped Himalayan peaks on the other. The Nepalese diversity at its best!

The path goes up and down through dense alpine forests before you enter another valley. Before you arrive in Dhonghme, you pass an enormous rock in the middle of the forest on which a temple to the God Shiva is made. Dhongme is an old Yolmo settlement, where many Lamas live. The local Lama likes to show you his extensive collection of Buddhist writings.

In the evening you can climb to the top of the Sunapati. The sunset here is spectacular. Because you are here between Buddhist Chörtens and Hindu temples, the experience is magical.

You spend the night in a homestay in Sunapati.

You enjoy a beautiful sunrise early in the morning.

After breakfast you descend today to the village of Lubughat at the famous Sun Koshi River. Here you will meet the Majhi community, known for their expertise in fishing. You will see the men, women and children in the river. They repeatedly throw nets into the water hoping to catch the passing fish.

You spend the night in a homestay in Lubughat.

Today is the last day of your trek. Walk through fields from Lubughat to Thulo Parsel.

Thulo Parsel is a vast village, overlooking the mountains and the river below. Several communities live there, the majority Tamang, Brahman and Chhetri's.

This is also the native village of Chuda and some of our guides and porters!

You spend the night in a homestay in Thulo Parsel

The end of the journey has come. After breakfast you leave with a private jeep back to Kathmandu. The first part is an adventurous ride, passing villages and overlooking the river.

After arrival in Kathmandu you have some free time to explore this fascinating city further.

In Kathmandu there are many sustainable and social businesses: many of their articles are beautiful souvenirs. In this article you will find a selection. Of course, there is much more to discover.

If you would like to relax your stiff muscles, go for a massage to Seeing Hands, a social enterprise where blind people are trained as masseurs and then also employed there.

If you are in need of a quiet spot, go and have a look in the Garden of Dreams. This neoclassical historical garden is a green oasis in the middle of Kathmandu city.