Nepal, Trekking around Annapurna - the Jomsom side

 Annapurna Circuit:  on this page you will find information and pictures of Kageni

you can enlarge most small pictures by clicking in on of the corners.
If you want to see a picture in full sizze, click additionally on F11

My love Kagbeni ***

View into upper Mustang from Kagbeni

My love - Kagbeni ***

2800m (safe water drinking station, ACAP office).

Kagbeni is an absolutely magical place and no one should miss the opportunity to see it. I have met many trekkers who first did not plan to go there and then decided to stay two days because it was so beautiful. It is my favorite village in the entire Annapurna region.

Kagbeni is situated at the confluence of the Jhong River and the Kali Gandaki River and used to control the trade to Upper Mustang and Tibet. You still can see this aspect in the old village centre, which looks rather like a fortress. Visiting it, you will feel like being in a medieval village as you pass through the narrow lanes or tunnels between old mud houses.

Kagbeni has many fields, which are irrigated by the Jhong River as it comes down from Muktinath and flows through the centre of the village.

I

View to the south with the Nilgiri mountains

 Nilgiri north

if you cross the bridge over the kali Gandaki river you can make this photo with Thorong la in the backround. Be there in the late afternoon to get good light.

Kagbeni is built on a sediment plateau . in hte backround oyu see Thorong la

Kagbnei is sourounded by fertile an irriguated fields

The old part

The northern part is formed by an enclosed village section with only three entrances. As you come from the river you will see the entrance on the right side below the Red House Lodge. Enter the small lane and go till the end where you turn left. A few meters later you see on the right a very long prayer wheel wall.

 At the end of the prayer wheel wall continue ahead and you come to the old protector of Kagbeni. To show potential bad spirits that he really was a strong man they left no doubt about his sex. I call this statue Mr. Viagra Man.

Continue through some tunnels to the little central place. Above it, one can still see the ruins of the former Dzong of Kagbeni. Take the west lane at the end of the place and you will reach the third entrance. Near to it there is the counterpart of the Viagra Man, a very clear woman statue. The lane leads to the Kagchode Thubten Samphelling Gompa. You will have to pay an entrance fee but it is well worth it. Some people are quite content just to take some photos from the roof with its fantastic views. Have a look at the cute little wind mill prayer wheels.

Some house tunnels lead to the centre plaza of Kagbeni

Ialso in Kagbeni you will find ruins of the old Dzong (fort)

The Gompa

The lane leads to the Kagchode Thubten Samphelling Gompa. You will have to pay an entrance fee but it is well worth it. Some people are quite content just to take some photos from the roof with its fantastic views. Have a look at the cute little wind mill prayer wheels.

Chorten and prayer wall below the gompa

People of Kagbeni

Sout of the river is the newer part with the bigger lodges.

Some of them are just old farmhouses

Teh fields of Kagbeni

corn and Buckwheat flowers

potato harvest near Kagbeni

Lodges: There are several lodges in Kagbeni so that you should always find a place to stay. Normally I don’t recommend lodges, but for Kagbeni I make an exception: Near the entrance to the old village you find the Red House Lodge. This very old house has a private prayer room with an old Buddhist statue and offers a beautiful view over old Kagbeni. If you like basic lodges have a look at the Star Lodge beside the prayer wheel wall. In this old style house there are three basic rooms and the didi has a beautiful smile. There is no solar shower but you have a great view of the village from the roof. The third recommendation is for the Annapurna Lodge at the south end of the village. This newly-built lodge with spacious rooms offers some special menu items unique on the whole trek. If you stay there try the sesame potatoes or their cabbage rolls with béchamel sauce. Both are delicious. But to be clear, the other lodges are also very good places to stay and I never heard any complaints about a

Excursion from Kagbeni.

May people fell so in love with Kagbeni that they stay at least two nights..

A wonderfull half day day excursion is to the village of Tiri, which is already in upper Mustang but you are allowed to visit it.

Overview Annapurna region

Putak        Natt 51 Tiri

 NATT 52 Climbing up from Kagbeni to Jhone

 NATT 53 from Kagbeni to Jomsom on the standard route

NATT- guidebook and maps