Most Mardi Himal trekkers leave the mountains the same way: a steep descent from Low Camp to Siding, a quick lunch and a bumpy jeep ride back to Pokhara. It works well, but it can feel abrupt. One day you are standing beneath Machapuchare at dawn, and the next you are back among the hotels of Lakeside. Ending the trek through Lwang village offers a gentler, richer finish. Lwang is a hillside community on the eastern side of the ridge, known for its tea gardens, Gurung culture and warm homestays. Spending a night there turns the last day of the trek into a cultural experience in its own right.
This guide explains where Lwang is, how to add it to your trek, what to expect in the village and at a homestay, and who this variation suits best. For the standard final day, see Low Camp to Siding.
Lwang at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Kaski District, on the eastern slopes below the Mardi Himal ridge |
| Known for | Tea gardens, Gurung culture, community homestays |
| Nearby village | Ghalel, a well-known homestay village |
| How it fits | An extension of the descent via Siding |
| Extra time | Usually one additional day |
| Access | On foot from the Siding area, or by road from Pokhara |
Why Add Lwang to Your Trek?
The Mardi Himal Trek is primarily a mountain experience. Its lodges are simple tea houses built for trekkers, and apart from the first day through Australian Camp and Pothana, and the final hour into Siding, you see relatively little of village life. Adding Lwang changes that. You sleep in a family home rather than a lodge, eat home-grown food cooked on the family stove, and see how people live and work in the hills. For many trekkers, this is the part of the trip they talk about most when they get home.
There are practical benefits too. A night in Lwang breaks the long descent from the ridge into two gentler days, which is kinder on tired knees. It gives you a relaxed evening in a warm, low-altitude village before returning to the city, and it spreads the income from your trek into a community that sees fewer visitors than the lodges on the main trail. See how your trek supports local communities.
The Tea Gardens
Lwang's hillsides are planted with tea, a sight more usually associated with the far east of Nepal around Ilam than with the Annapurna foothills. Neat rows of bright green bushes follow the contours of the slopes, with forest above and terraced fields below, and on clear days the peaks of the Annapurna range appear above the ridgeline. Walking between the rows in the early morning, when mist hangs in the valley and pickers are at work, is one of the most peaceful experiences of the trip.
Tea here is grown on a small scale, and it has become a source of local pride and income alongside farming and remittances. If you are interested, ask your guide or host about the tea, how it is picked and processed, and whether you can buy some to take home. A packet of local tea makes a meaningful souvenir that supports the village directly. See coffee and tea on Mardi Himal.
Gurung Culture in Lwang and Ghalel
Lwang and the nearby village of Ghalel are home to many Gurung families. The Gurung, who call themselves Tamu, are one of the main communities of the Annapurna region, with their own language, traditions and a long history of service in the British and Indian Gurkha regiments. Village life revolves around farming, extended family and community events, and visitors are often struck by the hospitality they receive.
Depending on the season and your hosts, you may be welcomed with a garland of flowers or a tika, invited to watch or join a cultural performance of traditional songs and dances, or shown around the village by a family member. Gurung festivals such as Tamu Lhosar, the Gurung new year, usually celebrated around late December, bring the villages alive with music, dance and food. See Gurung culture on the Mardi Himal Trek, Tamu Lhosar and Gurung festivals and Gurkha heritage around Pokhara.
Staying in a Homestay
Community homestays are the heart of a visit to Lwang and Ghalel. Rather than a hotel or tea house, you stay with a local family in their home, usually in a simple guest room with clean beds and blankets. Bathrooms may be shared and basic, with hot water from solar heaters or buckets heated on the stove. Meals are eaten with the family and are typically dal bhat made with rice, lentils, seasonal vegetables and pickles from the garden, sometimes with chicken, millet bread or local specialties.
The experience is informal and personal. Your hosts may speak little English, but your guide will help translate, and simple gestures and a few Nepali phrases go a long way. Help in the kitchen, ask about family photos, and share pictures of your own home. Evenings are usually spent around the fire, and bedtimes are early. See homestays near Mardi Himal and useful Nepali phrases.
How the Route Works
The Lwang variation follows the standard Mardi Himal route all the way up to Base Camp and back down the ridge to Low Camp. From there, you descend east through the forest to Siding, as on the normal route. Instead of taking a jeep straight back to Pokhara, you continue to Lwang, either on foot along village trails and farm tracks or by a short drive, depending on the season, trail conditions and how tired you are. After a night in the village, you drive back to Pokhara the next morning, usually arriving before lunch.
A sample final section might look like this:
- Day A: Low Camp or Badal Danda to Siding (4–6 hours), then continue to Lwang or Ghalel on foot or by road; homestay night.
- Day B: Morning walk in the tea gardens and village, then drive back to Pokhara (a few hours).
Your guide will adapt the details. In some cases, it makes more sense to walk to Lwang the next morning and drive back to Pokhara in the afternoon. See coming down from Base Camp.
Which Itineraries Work Best
Lwang can be added to any of our Mardi Himal itineraries with one extra day. It works especially well with the 5-day Mardi Himal Trek from Pokhara, turning it into a relaxed six-day trip with a cultural finish, and with the 9-day trek from Kathmandu, where it adds a village night before you return to the capital. For trekkers on the 3-day Short Mardi Himal Trek, a night in Lwang after the long summit day is a very welcome break from the jeep ride. See the custom itinerary guide.
Who Is This Variation For?
- Culture lovers who want to experience Nepali village life, not just mountain views.
- Families, as children usually love homestays, animals and village games.
- Trekkers with knee concerns, who benefit from splitting the descent.
- Photographers, who will find tea gardens, farm life and portraits of village life.
- Slow travelers who prefer a gentle end to the trek rather than a rush back to the city.
It suits less well if you are on a very tight schedule, need to catch a flight the evening after the trek, or prefer the comforts of a hotel. See the family trek itinerary and the slow trek itinerary.
Homestay Etiquette
- Remove your shoes before entering the house and the kitchen.
- Accept food and drink with your right hand, or with both hands as a sign of respect.
- Do not touch other people's food or plates with your own utensils or fingers.
- Ask permission before photographing people, shrines or inside the home.
- Dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees.
- Be mindful of water and electricity, which may be limited.
- Thank your hosts with a warm "dhanyabad" when you leave.
See cultural dos and don'ts and tea house etiquette.
Food You Might Try
Homestay meals are usually based on what the family grows. Dal bhat is the everyday meal, but in Gurung homes you may also be served dhido, a thick porridge of millet or buckwheat flour eaten with curry; gundruk, fermented leafy greens; fresh buffalo milk yogurt; and seasonal vegetables such as squash, beans and greens. Local millet wine and spirits are sometimes offered as a welcome; accept a small taste if you wish, or politely decline. Vegetarians are easily catered for. See Nepali dishes to try and vegetarian and vegan trekking.
Best Time to Visit Lwang
Autumn (September–November) brings clear skies, mountain views from the tea gardens, harvest scenes and festivals such as Dashain and Tihar. Spring (March–May) is warm and green, with new tea leaves and blooming rhododendrons on the slopes above. Winter (December–February) is cool and dry, often with excellent visibility and the chance to catch Tamu Lhosar celebrations. Monsoon (June–August) is lush and quiet, with rice planting in the fields, but the roads can be muddy and views are limited. See the best time for the Mardi Himal Trek and the trek during Dashain and Tihar.
Practical Tips
- Bring cash; there are no ATMs in the villages.
- Pack a small gift for your host family, such as something from your home country, or buy local products instead.
- Keep a headlamp handy, as power cuts are possible.
- Carry your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
- Expect simple facilities and early nights.
- Book ahead in peak season, as homestay capacity is limited.
See how much cash to carry and giving responsibly on the trail.
A Morning in the Village
If you stay the night, the next morning is the best part of a visit to Lwang. Village days start early. You may wake to the sound of roosters, the clatter of the kitchen and the smell of wood smoke, and step outside to find mist lying in the valley below and, on clear days, the Annapurna peaks catching the first sun above the ridge you walked down. Take a short walk through the tea gardens before breakfast, watch farmers heading out to the fields with their tools and animals, and see children setting off for school in their uniforms. After a breakfast of tea, eggs, flatbread or noodles, thank your hosts and set off for Pokhara. It is a slow, gentle morning that gives you time to reflect on the trek before returning to the city.
Visiting Lwang Without the Full Trek
You do not have to walk to Base Camp to enjoy Lwang. The village is connected to Pokhara by road, so it can be visited as a short cultural trip of one or two nights, either on its own or combined with a short hike in the hills around Siding. This is a good option for travelers who have limited time, for family members who do not want to trek high, or as a relaxed add-on before or after a trek elsewhere in the Annapurna region. Ask us about combining a village stay with the 3-day short trek or a day of gentle walking. See the weekend trek from Pokhara.
Lwang Compared with Other Village Options
Lwang is not the only way to add village life to a Mardi Himal trip. On the ascent, the first day through Australian Camp, Pothana and Pitam Deurali passes small settlements and farmland, and some trekkers start from Dhampus, a larger Gurung and Brahmin village with lodges and fine views. On the western side, Landruk and Ghandruk offer bigger Gurung villages with museums and well-established lodges, reached by linking Mardi Himal with the Annapurna Base Camp trail. Lwang stands out for its tea gardens, its quieter atmosphere and its focus on community homestays. See starting Mardi Himal from Dhampus, linking Mardi Himal with Landruk and villages around Mardi Himal.
Finish Your Trek in Lwang with Us
If you would like to end your Mardi Himal Trek with tea gardens, village life and a night with a Gurung family, tell us when you book. We can add Lwang to the 5-day trek from Pokhara, the 9-day trek from Kathmandu or any of our other itineraries. Contact us to plan your trip.