Is Annapurna safe?

[Jane]

Hi

We are leaving for Nepal in 2 weeks and need to make the decision whether to come or not. We intend trekking to Muktinath and back and would like to know if it is safe or not.

Look forward to your replies, hoping they are positive.

[hello]

It is safe Annapurna Area for tourist. Please go with guide or porter. It is much more convienient.

[Andrees]

Hi Jane, the Jomson trek is supposed to be still one of the "safer" treks. Till now, no tourist was threaten by any way.
In the south of the Kali Gandaki Baglung und Beni are potentially dangerous areas, in both villages there have been bombs planted by maoists. But never they where aimed at tourists.
But you can avoid this area by going the former main trail from Birethanti over Gorepani to tatopani. An other possibility would be to fly to jomson, stay some days around the villages of Kagbeni and Muktinath an walk back the way over Gorepani. As written befor, having a porterguide can make a trek far nicer. I trekked myself several times with bachan rai whom I could sincerly recomend. See a picture of him at http://www.nepal-dia.de/int__England/EV_porter/ev_porter.html. and more information about annapurna.
I have been once at new years eve in Muktinath. Be prepared to the very cold an get a warm down jacket, wich you can rent for peanuts in pokhara. A warm down sleeping bag, Long johns an a beany are also very usefull. I also recomend to buy some codein tablets in kathmandu, the are the only drug working if you get the bloody winter himalayan caught, and you can not buy them in Pokhara.
I wish you a wonderfull trek. Several friends who just returned from Nepal this month just loved it.
greeting andrées

[dennis]

hi there,

We returned from nepal 2 weeks ago, and we dit the annapurna circle.
During the trekking to the torung la pass and after it from muktinath till pokhara we did never think that there was a moment during the trek that it was unsafe. We had had the best time. Well,..... some parts are a bit small to walk on and some bridges, uh uh bridge, were exciting to overcome.

I could recommend to go. Nepal is a great country to travel, people are really friendly. and there is so much to see and to do. Even 2 weeks ago there werent many tourist on the trek and we were there in peak season.
Tourism is really down 50% of 50%of 50% of the last three years. Which is bad for the nepalese ofcourse who depend on the tourist for income. on the other hand its in your favor, because prices fall and you dant have to look at the back of 20 other people walking up the same hill or hasle to get a place to stay for the night.

We did think it was safe al the time we were there. all 34 days. this doesnt mean that the situation is stable though, bombs dit explode and bands were on, and there were shootings between the army and the maoists.

But those happend nowere in the neigbourhood of the annapurnas or tourists centrers.

Hope you will enjoy your trip have fun

[Michael]

high, I just spent 3 months in Nepal, did the Circuit and EBC with no guide or porter. Lots of army patrolling the Circuit. I heard stories from trekkers I met on the Circuit that had run-ins with Maoists, but no problems like robberies on EBC trail from Jiri to Lukla. I met folks that were detained on the Circuit trail for about 4 hours while Maoist cadre had pep talks with the villagers in certain villages. I had no problems. It was way cool to have the trails pretty much to myself as trekking season is just a fraction of what it used to be. Once you get high enough you will be above the Maoist problem. Have fun but be careful.

[daniel]

Annapurna Circuit is safe, go enjoy it.
Bachan Rai, the porter guide that Andrees is recommending, is a local from the area, speaking the local languages and dialects. This always makes the whole experience easier and more enjoyeable. I would go with him.
If you have a bigger party please let me know. I have a good guide that I employed a number of times and am very happy with.
Otherwise if there are just a couple of you, Bachan Rai is excellent. I have recommended tourists to him, who were very happy.