As a first long trek in the Himalayas, choosing Manaslu circuit was quite an easy decision and something we never regretted. Here is a summary of our experiences before and during the trip, which might be helpful for planning a memorable trip which is also safe and enjoyable.
Looking for a hike is easy in the Himalayas, which present many options for beautiful treks, some being more challenging than others. This is why we asked immediately to our friend Jamie from Project Himalaya, which trek he would recommend for us. We wanted a trek which 1. we could do in three weeks as an introduction to trekking in the Himalayas, 2. is challenging, including at least one mountain pass, and 3. we could do as a teahouse trek but without many other visitors. He immediately recommended Manaslu. Other options were either more travelled to, or not yet open for teahouse trekking, and required a bigger budget for a camping trek.
We went to Manaslu in April, the second best (and therefore less busy) period after October/November. An important point for planning the amount of days we needed was the possibility to add the Tsum Valley trail to the itinerary and extend this trip by a few days. We have not chosen this option as this trail was a camping trail until recently. We did hear from other trekkers later however, that it is possible to do this trail as a teahouse trek now. They recommended it very much.
Manaslu
The other trail we need to mention is the Annapurna trek, which Manaslu trek merges with in Dharapani. This is nothing to be happy about. As soon as the trail merges, you notice that everything becomes commercial. The trail becomes wider, the number and size of teahouses get bigger, and the number of hikers increase dramatically. Annapurna trail can be done without a guide, and therefore we have seen many young people in groups or alone walking with big headphones as if in a metropolitan city subway…The two trails cross where Manaslu ends and Annapurna starts. This is also not the best part of Annapurna trail for sure and we found that it is best to do this part as quickly as possible and return to Kathmandu.
fourwalkingfeet 