Ghodepani-Punhill Trek features new Tourism Infrastructure

Galeshwor / Dec 7: The Ghodepani and Punhill, the major parts of the Annapurna Circuit also known as the Annapurna Round trek, now features new tourism infrastructures constructed by the government and community levels.

The Ghodepani-Punhill route is one of the 100 new touristic destinations identified by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. Local communities too are attracted to invest in the development of physical infrastructures along this unique trekking route as the tourist arrival here is encouraging these days.

Twenty-three solar lamps have been fixed along the route to illuminate it during the night. A three-room concrete building has been built at Punhil to provide a safe resting place for visitors during rain and snowfall. More, an RCC building has been constructed for the Magar Museum at Ghodepani.

The cleanliness of the community and courtesy to visitors have been the priorities of locals. A newly constructed trekking route of around two kilometres stretches from Punhil to Ghandruk via Mohare, Ghodepani, Chitre and Khiwang. It seems that investors of Ghodepani are competing to attract tourists through better accommodation facilities.

According to Ghodepani Hotel Management Committee, the hotels here had the capacity to accommodate 500 people daily six years ago while the capacity of these hotels has now been increased to accommodate 1,000 people.

Vice-Chairperson of Hotel Management Sub-Committee, Mina Pun, said that the four-kilometre road connecting Ghodepani via Chitre has been gravelled. Gandaki Provincial government invested Rs 270 million to blacktop the 18-kilometre road linking Pokharebagar to Chitre.

A hotel to accommodate 40 people has been brought into operation at Khopara under a new concept of taking tourism benefit to the community for the first time in Nepal.

The trekking route was constructed at Khopara, Khayar, Dhadkharka, Kindu area last year from two million rupees allocated by Annapurna rural municipality, said ward chairperson Rajesh Tilija. RSS