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Introduction on Annapurna Circuit Trek

A field visit experience is a kind of process through which a visit or campaign related to tourism can be explained; it is a great way to facilitate a proper way to provide enrichment, frontloading content and expose students to learning. In addition to this, it is a way through which people can experience real-life examples of a tourist destination (Inskipp and Chaudhary, 2016). In relation to this, in order to increase the exposure of students as well as their knowledge about a particular place which they are going to visit, it is important to provide field visit experience as it can help them to reach most of the popular places and avoid the issue that arises in the local environment. In support of this, Annapurna Base Camp or sanctuary is a high glacial basin which is a plateau in Nepal; it is located to the north of Pokhara. The plateau is surrounded by a ring of mountains, and the plateau sits at an altitude of around 4000 metres (see Figure 1) (Kim Kim, 2020).

Figure 1: Annapurna Base Camp. Source: (Kim Kim, 2020).

It is a well-renowned mountain range in Nepal, and most of the tourists visit the mountain in order to enjoy trekking. The trekking of the mountain or plateau is quite risky as there are various risks involved in the trekking, such as consistent avalanches, which are dangerous; thus, it is vital to have proper information about the trekking location before visiting the place (Inskipp and Chaudhary, 2016). Annapurna Base Camp is one of the most popular trekking locations all over the world as it is the most difficult trek and is the world's tenth highest peak. It is also estimated that the trekking location is around the peak of 8,091 metres which holds a fatal attraction for mountaineers as well as people across the world. In addition to this, it is a range that can be viewed right from Pokhara, and it also allows the view of different peaks such as Machapuchare and Sinuwa. The forest of Himalaya and Deurali also foster the experience of the visitor. Moreover, the Annapurna is not only limited to the mountains, but trekking inside the forest is also fun as it takes the tourist to the land of vegetation which is surrounded by fern, bamboo and rhododendron (Waldschmidt, 2013).

The oak trees, which are quite tall, also increase the interest of tourists all over the world to visit the base camp. The forest is quite dense, and there are trees such as Daphne, which are thick and dark that ultimately fosters the experience of a visitor. Tea houses near the base camp are also a centre of attraction to most of the visitors as there are a lot of people who belong from different cultures and diversity can sit together (India Hikes, 2020). In support of this, on this field visit experience, the touring guide map of Annapurna Base Camp is explained as well as explored in which details about food, drink, transport, leisure, accessibility, accommodation, local history, culture, destination marketing and destination management are explained. The field trip map is also explained in details utilising pictorial format in the blog. Furthermore, it also discusses the post-visit evaluation and analysis.

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Tour Guiding Map of Annapurna

Leading a tour is a process of guiding people in which there are plenty of tasks accomplished by the leader such as doing proper research about the destination, knowing the audience, introducing oneself to others and giving a proper overview of the destination, tour route and guidelines that are important for the tourists or team members and are to be followed on the trip. In addition to this, being a leader, it is also important to communicate with the people effectively and to make them understand the local environment. In this case, allowing people to ask the questions is very important as people feel more comfortable (Carrillo et al., 2020). In the context of food and drinks, the Annapurna Base Camp or ABC is a destination that is well-renowned for its tea, and there is a tea house hill that is popular for providing a magical view of the mountain along with the enjoyment of tea. The food of Nepali culture is also the centre of attraction to many visitors, which is available in the tea houses that can typically accommodate 20-25 people (Kemp, 2016).

Figure 2: Dal Bhat Source: (Kemp, 2016)

           There are a lot of dishes that are popular near the base camp or Nepal, such as Dal Bhat (it consist of rice, a mixture of lentils, vegetables, pickle, potato, curry, curd and spies) (see in Figure 2), Momos or dumplings, spring rolls, tortilla, bread, black tea and so on. It is also observed that the fair of specialities and food are not high in the base camp (Kemp, 2016). The most popular place which is known for visitor attraction is Machapuchare, which is a mountain situated in ABC or north-central of Nepal. In addition to this, the place is the centre of attraction due to the sacred beliefs of local people that it is the home of Lord Shiva. Moreover, it is restricted to climb the mountain due to religious beliefs. The place is only meant for the presence of Lord Shiva. In the context of transport and accessibility in the ABC, there are plenty of local buses available; there are direct buses available from Pokhara too (Joshi and Dahal, 2019). Moreover, in order to access the base camp, it is vital for the tourists to have a permit as well as Tracker Information Management (TIM's) card. People can get a direct flight to Pokhra from different countries such as London for 500 Euros or more as it depends on the season and demand. Moreover, taxis are also available in the country to visit any place, such as ABC (Bhatia, 2019).

           In the context of leisure and corporate events, the events which are well-renowned at ABC are trekking, temples and lakes (see in Figure 3). In this case, the most important leisure place at the base camp is Tilicho Lake which is popular for clear blue coloured water and hygiene. The second most important place or leisure place is Machapuchare which is well-renowned for religious beliefs, silence and sacredness. The mountain is restricted for the tourist and the local people also do not try to climb the mountain as it is the place or home of Lord Shiva, who are worshipped in Hinduism (Bhatia, 2019). In addition to the leisure and events, trekking and camping are the best events which are experienced by the tourists and to enjoy the hard and risky trekking, people come from all over the world. The accommodation provided to the tourists is effective at the ABC as there are plenty of places that offer a wide range of accommodation facilities such as tea houses that offer people to stay in the night and are capable of accommodating around 20-25 people (Kim Kim, 2020).

Figure 3: Tilicho Lake. Source: (Bhatia, 2019).

           In relation to this, people stay in the tea houses for the beautiful and calm view of the mountains as it can be a wonderful experience for the tourists. There is no shortage of hotels and lodges in the base camp; even tourists can stay in the places according to the budgets as the hotel of high and low budgets are available near the base camp. The base camp is covered with mountain ranges; thus, hotels and accommodation are not nearly available to the mountains. Moreover, the price of accommodation is not high, and the quality is also worth the money of the tourists (Inskipp and Chaudhary, 2016). The local history related to the camp is quite interesting and adventurous, it lies directly 40 kilometres to north Pokhara. A lot of famous places exist near the camp such as forest trekking, lakes, mountains and valleys between peaks such as Machapuchare and Hiunchuli. The place is sacred for Gurung people as they are the native people of the place. They also believe that there is plenty of gold and repositories left by the Naga Sadhus or serpent of gods in India. Languages spoken in the destination are Hindi, Nepali and English; it is not a problem for tourists as most of the people in the country speak English effectively; thus, there is no communication barrier (Gellatly, 2011).

           Marketing, branding and promotion of the ABC are accomplished through various channels in which people are generally acknowledged about the trekking events through social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook and tourists also come for spiritual enlightenment in the Pokhara city as well as ABC (Gellatly, 2011). The government and tourism industry of Nepal promote and market such destinations through official websites, television and through religious beliefs. The local people or Gurung people are responsible for making the destination more sustainable to the tourists or visitors. In addition to this, local people also restrict outsiders to climb the Machpuchare Mountain as it a sacred place or home of Lord Shiva. The country also promotes ecotourism by showing the Annapurna Conservation Area and western Nepal. The local communities are in partnership with organisations such as the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), which has become the agent of sustainable tourism in Nepal (Gurung et al., 2008).

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Field Trip Map of Annapurna

Figure 4: Map of Annapurna Base Camp. Source: (Exciting Nepal, 2019).

In the above Figure, it is clearly shown the way or destination to ABC in which a tourist or international visitors can directly take the route of ABC from Pokhara or Kathmandu. Both the cities have the airport and proper transport facilities. There are plenty of visitors who visit the place once a year in order to attain spiritual enlightenment as well as enjoy the view of mountain ranges and lakes. In addition to this, people or international visitors specially visit the base camp in order to enjoy trekking which is the most complicated and highest peak destination for trekkers all over the world (Exciting Nepal, 2019). The accommodation, as well as transport facilities, are easily availed by the tourists, whether they are local or international. In Nepal, it is quite effective that people do not affect by the language barrier as most of the people know English as well as other languages such as Hindi, Russian, Mandarin, and Spanish and so on. The most interesting fact about the base camp is that near the ABC, there is a mountain named Machapuchare, which is restricted for the people to climb, and tourists are not allowed or are restricted by the local people to trek the mountain (Dhakal, Sthapit and Khanal, 2017).

 In a similar context, it is due to the religious beliefs of local people that represent the mountain as the home of Lord Shiva. Below is the field trip map of Annapurna Base Camp, which represents grassland and forest path to the sacred mountain of the Pokhara.

 Figure 5: Field Trip Map of Annapurna Circuit

           It is clearly shown in Figure 5 that Annapurna Base Camp is quite vast and has sanctuaries and forests that are maintained by the local people as well the government of Nepal. In addition to this, the grassland of ABC is also beautiful, which attracts tourists across the world. The spirit and positive environment of the place is the reason behind the attractiveness and interest of people to visit the base camp once in a lifetime (Exciting Nepal, 2019). The government of Nepal do not promote the place as it not allowed to hamper the religious beliefs of local people as most of the tourists’ demands to visit sacred places such as Machapuchare and other temples. In the left figure of the field trip, the grassland of ABC is represented, which is quite dense and beautiful, and its trekking height is estimated at around 5000 metres. In addition to this, it requires a time of 10-11 days to trek the entire mountain in Annapurna. The sunrise in ABC is also popular among tourists; most people wake up in the early morning to watch the sunrise. Due to less pollution and a clear atmosphere, the sunrise and sunset seem clearer to the tourists (Bhatia, 2019).

           The second image, which represents the base camp, is the place where most of the trekkers plant their camp in order to take rest. Moreover, people of different culture and diversity meet up at the base camp. However, trekking at ABC is known as the 10th most difficult and highest peaks all over the world. Thus, it is vital for the trekkers to take proper gears and equipment before starting to trek. In addition to this, the mountain peak is quite dangerous as it has taken the lives of a lot of people in the world. Therefore, people have to take special permit as well as TIM card in order to trek on the risky or dangerous mountain ranges of ABC (Dhakal, Sthapit and Khanal, 2017). The third place is Machapuchare which is an avalanche-prone area or most near base camp to the ABC which has plenty of beautiful snow peaks. Moreover, people also enjoy camping while watching the Milky Way or clear constellations of stars. The third image represents the Annapurna sanctuary which is quite famous for long trees and bamboos; it is the centre of attraction for the tourists who like ecology and dense forests for trekking. The final image in Figure 5 represents the base or cluster of tea houses located near ABC; it is the most affordable and beautiful place to stay at night (Becken, Lama and Espiner, 2013; Bhatia, 2019).

In a similar context, each tea house can accommodate more than 20 people as people pay more to stay in the houses in order to enjoy the sunrise, sunset as well as mountain views in the morning. There are specific time and season set for the trekking purpose in ABC, which are April to May or October to November. In this case, it is the time when most of the visitors visit Nepal or ABC for enjoying the best form of nature. The tourist destination is quite cheap for people to visit from any country or place, but it is important to have trekking permission as it is not allowed for normal people to go to the camp for trekking (Becken, Lama and Espiner, 2013).

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Post Visit Evaluation and Analysis on Annapurna Circuit

Annapurna Base Camp that has been known as the lodges' small cluster on the opposite side of the glacier named Annapurna in Nepal. The Annapurna Base Camp's trek is considered an outstanding journey among a few of the highest peak treks in the world. The concept of tourism is determined as the specific activities shortlisted by own desire or choice as well as executed outer-side of the environment of the home. It is also known as the functions of travelling or visiting as well as exploring outside places to spend leisure time (Camilleri, 2018). With the same concept, I decided to visit Annapurna Base Camp destination to have an incredible and outstanding experience of exploring and going through the challenging treks. My expectations from the trip have been that I wished to view and enjoy the beautiful valley, explore the attractions of the mountain and stay in a tent at the location from where the sun-set point could be visible effectively. I encountered similar experiences as the trip trail took me through a beautiful valley surrounded by vegetation's variety.

While performing trekking to Chomrung from Ghandruk, there have been fern, rhododendron as well as bamboos. Once after crossing the point Sinuwa, I reached Annapurna sanctuary where the forest got highly dense that was although frightening to some extent but beautiful at the same time. Maslow's need theory guides that the motivation for travel gets generated among individuals in case they have a feeling of satisfaction with their needs about psychological expectations (Adiele and Abraham, 2013). Thus, I evaluated that my expectations have been fulfilled with this trip to Annapurna Base Camp to a significant extent. However, as the Annapurna Base Camp had a trek of length 67km, I failed in finding out sun-set point to place my tent for stay.

On the online platform, while visiting the web-source and articles, I found that for covering a total track of 67km length, 9 days have been essential (IndiaHikes, 2021). However, after my experience, I wanted to share that it is good for future visitors to keep a spare day with consideration of the risk of unfavourable weather. My online experience of visualising the attractions of Annapurna Base Camp has been highly significant as I found plenty of information regarding customer services. For example, I analysed that this location follows Nepali culture and the food provided at the majority of tea houses tends to be in Nepalese trend. I further identified online that in the treasure of mountain, Machapuchare i.e. a fish-tailed attractive mountain has been known for the incredible beauty of it and it was regarded as one of the places where Lord Shiva stays. Such types of information found from an online platform remained highly supportive for me as I enjoyed experiencing Nepali culture and food of their local style. Self-categorisation theory in the field of tourism explains the above aspect more clearly that the individuals themselves define the group identity or category of them in the geographical locations with their cognitive dimensions (Jostad et al., 2015). Thus, due to the Nepalese food style and language, I evaluated the prevalence of Nepali culture across the Annapurna Base Camp.  I also explored Machapuchare that offered me a divine environment and provide peace to my soul with the utmost beauty. Further, multiple customer services were observed on online platforms like booking confirmation service, cancellation policy, refund mechanism, three-day meals, items to carry like sunglasses, trekking suit and oximeters etc (Thrillophilia, 2021). In this way, a suitable advisory was obtained from an online platform to make the trip effective.

Furthermore, I also observed online that the local community-based in the Annapurna Base Camp has been Nepali; although due to the prevalence of migrants, English was the common language for making interactions that proved to be convenient for the trip. Moreover, the local culture was noted as highly welcoming as people were interactive and supportive to guide the travellers and share their life-styles to assist the stay for visitors in Annapurna Base Camp (IndiaHikes, 2021). Thus, it is evaluated that host-tourist relation has been observed to be highly strong in this location. As per the theory of planned behaviour, the individuals used to form decisions based on logical plans and reasonable aspects (Ajzen, 2011). Similarly, by visualising effective local culture, welcoming attitude of people and common language for interaction in Annapurna Base Camp, I planned to visit this location while having positive feelings after making an online search.

Apart from this, it is identified that the government of Nepal for boosting tourism, has been constantly funding the development of proper roads in the treks so as to provide a comfortable and convenient experience to the visitors. For evidence, till the year 2017 to 2018, feeder roads and highways have been developed to greater than estimated 6,700 extra miles by government funding (Shapiro, 2020). I further found that organisations like the Himalayan Glacier Adventure Travel organisation host variety of events to enhance the trip experience at Annapurna Base Camp. This organisation conducts events like trekking and hiking, cultural and historical tours, climbing and expedition, heli tours and religious tours for attracting tourists (Himalayan Glacier, 2021). However, I did not refer the local organisations to host my event as I used management of my trip by myself through exploring the place and services on Google through the internet.  

Further, I did not find adequate provision for corporate meetings as well as incentive-based travel for this location of Annapurna Base Camp. On the other side, the environmental factor was also observed that might hamper the trip due to the changing atmosphere or weather in this location.  Black swan theory guides that the events generate suddenly or surprisingly might pose a major or adverse impact (Ponkin, 2019). Similarly, I also encountered difficulty because of sudden winds and rain on my trip to this camp; so I would like to suggest future visitors take care of this aspect. Additionally, it is also noted that there has been strong physical infrastructure funded by the government and facilities of vehicles to travel in the region (Shapiro, 2020).

           Apart from it, I also evaluated that the tourism's impact gets minimised in Annapurna Base Camp protecting the environment, encouraging the use of renewable energy and raising funds or donations to fulfil basic requirements of water (NP.UNDP, 2017). In addition, for visitors' management, there are multiple factors like the staff of tea shops, porters and guides to effectively interact and welcome visitors to Annapurna Base Camp for attracting and influencing them. It is analysed by my experience that beautiful mountains, effective local food and common English language for communication help in managing visitors’ attraction to this location (IndiaHikes, 2021).

           However, while critically analysing my experience of this trip, I also wanted to convey that a sustainability issue might occur during the travelling to Annapurna Base Camp. In this essence, I wanted to share evidence that multiple other visitors throwing waste, using excessive natural resources like water and making the environment polluted contribute towards environmental destruction to some extent. The triple-bottom-line model of sustainability emphasises the need for managing social and environmental wellbeing maintenance with human actions along with the financial benefits (Ahi and Searcy, 2015). Thus, it is analysed that sustainability planning needs to be strong in this region for enhancing travellers’ experience level while also managing environmental wellbeing. On the distinct side, visitors' information was noted to be effective in Annapurna Base Camp; for example, guides for a tour provided significant knowledge of routes, destinations and attractions in this location that enhanced my experience of this trip and it would also be beneficial for future travellers to this location (IndiaHikes, 2021). Further, I preferred to stay in tents as I wanted to explore the natural beauty during my trip-period; however, there have been distinct types of accommodations in the Annapurna Base Camp region such as Himalaya Hotel and Dwarika’s Hotel. These hotels offer luxury facilities like deluxe bed, comfort-based world-class accommodation and effective ambience for travellers’ experience enhancement (Hotel Himalaya, 2021; Remote Lands, 2021). Thus, it is advisable for future travellers to go for luxury hotels in case they want effective comfort, a high-class accommodation experience and a relaxing trip.

Finally, the future challenge identified for the selected destination was related to sustainability and environmental problems because of increasing wastage, rising pollution and depletion of natural resources due to excessive consumption. The concept of the model of environmentally responsible behaviour supports the aspect of showing a positive attitude towards the management of environmental wellbeing and sustainability through perceiving values for nature and society (Chenget al.,2019). Thus, the Nepal government and tourist management agencies require taking care of managing environmental sustainability for boosting tourism and trips at Annapurna Base Camp.

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