The “SAARC Village Award” winning Ghale Gaun (2070m) lies in the popular Annapurna Circuit, at the foot of the Lamjung Himal (6932m)in the Lamjung district-Nepal. The unparalleled scenic grandeur and unspoiled ethnic lifestyle of this village, home to world-famous Gurkha Soldiers, makes it a perfect affordable home-stay based tourism destination. As a young photo enthusiast, my trip to Ghale Gaun was also a photo-trip and my first step of learning towards exploring the hills of Nepal through the lens.
The trip was quite easy until we took a jeep, easily available from Besisahar. It took almost three-hour of tough off-road drive to get to the village entrance. The villagers’ hospitality was overwhelming. I got to witness one of the best sunsets I have ever seen and the Sunset Halo afterwards was just another new photo opportunity for me. As it was a clear night, I was lost into space between millions of stars and beautiful night view of mountain over the village. Early in the morning we could see Bhedi-Goths (sheep stable) guarded by Dogs and numerous hills and valleys around us on our way to the sunrise viewpoint at the top of the hill. The beautiful view of the Himalayan mountain range including Machhapuchre and Lamjung Himal was just mesmerizing in the reddish glow of the early morning sun.
The typical Nepali lifestyle of people there was pristine and untouched by most forms of modernization. However, we could see smartphones, telephone towers and the best part, a decent Wi-Fi Internet service all over the village. The good food, the amazing homestay hospitality, the breathtaking scenic views and the firsthand village life experience of this Gurung community made me realize why we call Nepal as a small world in itself. One can experience peace and affordable getaway along with countless photo opportunity on a trip to Ghale Gaun.
seema
awesome picture arun