Khumaidanda draws increasing arrival of tourists

Annapurna, March 27: Number of domestic tourists reaching the Khumaidanda is gradually on the rise. With growing turn up of visitors, operators of three local hotels here are busy managing hospitality services. Popular tourism destination Khorchang is just a two-hour walk from Khumaidanda – which is located in an altitude of 3,245 meters from the sea level. Korchang is in an altitude of 3,682 meters. It takes only two days to trek the Saripakha-Khumaidanda-Korchang route, also locally known as Great Machhapuchhre Trail, from Pokhara.

Tourist can travel 13.3-km from Hemja, Pokhara to Saripakha on vehicle. Then, it takes five to seven hour of walks to reach atop the Khumaidanda, informed Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality-1, Ward Chair Indra Bahadur Gurung. He further informed that the trekkers can stay first night in Khumai and manage to return Pokhara next day after reaching the Korchadanda. Meanwhile, Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality of Kaski had recently conducted its 16th executive meeting in Khumaidanda. Machhapuchhre Chair Min Bahadur Gurung shared that the meeting was organized in touristic site for tourism promotion.

The meeting was focused on developing physical infrastructures in the area considering the rise in the number of internal and external tourists of late. “Khumaidanda has received increasing number of tourists in recent months”, he informed, adding that, “The municipal executive meeting was organized here to map the services needed for tourists”. The meeting decided to declare Saripakha-Khumai-Korcha route as a trekking route and manage services accordingly, Chief Administrative Officer Bedahari Adhikari informed.