Tamang Heritage Trail

This is a superb introduction to trekking in Nepal among some of the most beautiful scenery in the whole country, with rich tamang culture.

Many years ago Nepal, fought with Tibet for salt and some of the biggest areas where this war took place is in the Langtang Region of Nepal, wherein lies the third most popular trekking trail in Nepal.
This area is connected to Tibet and the trails in this region were used by traders from Tibet bartering in Salt and mountain goats for meat (changra) with foodstuffs from the south.

Developed by the Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Program, the "Tamang Heritage Trail" is the newly developed tourism product, off the beaten track, which highlights an ancient lifestyle combining it with picturesque scenery and healing baths in natural hot springs.

The people of this region are mostly Tibetans who came from Kerung in Tibet across the border and settled in Nepal. In earlier days, the citizenship of Nepal would not be offered to real Tibetans, so they changed their ethnicity to Tamang, which is what they still write till date. The cultural and traditions of these people are similar to the Tibetan across the border.

This trekking destination is just a day long bus journey from the capital, Kathmandu. The 13-day trekking tour provides varieties of experience. Tamang rituals, Tibetan culture, festivals, traditional architecture, costumes, local Syabru dances make the exposure to this culture very unique. There is a view point at Goljung Pass, from where
views of Langtang and Kerung (Tibet) can be awe inspiring. Visitors will get an opportunity to observe Syabru, Mane and other local dances at Goljung and Gatlang VDCs. The villages also sell exclusive handicraft items like traditional caps, mufflers and other items.
Tourists can enjoy hot bath in the healing hot-water spring at Tatopani before reaching Nagthali, where the stay is a unique experience. The ancient monasteries and houses adorned with rich wood engravings at Thuman is an unforgettable experience.

At Briddim one gets to experience the famous Tamang hospitality, where there is home stay facility in 24 houses. After the Tamang heritage trail we will head towards the Langtang.Langtang is a narrow valley situated 75 kms north of Kathmandu close to the Tibetan border. Last but not the least combining the Tamang heritage trails with the Langtang would be one of the best trails in Nepal like the Annapurna circuit or the Everest Base Camp.

LANGTANG NATIONAL PARK
The Langtang Valley was decaled a national park in 1976 and remains the second largest in Nepal covering approx. 1,710 sq. km. Stretching up to the Tibetan border, it has a high level of biodiversity including 15 forest types, 3,000 species of flowering plants like oaks, fir, blue pine, spruce and more that 10 species of rhododendron. The Park is also a rich area for medicinal plants. Extensive forests and varied vegetation types provide a habitat for approx.46 species of mammals and 283 Spices pf birds, including musk deer, snow leopards, red panda, wild dog, Himalayan black bear and the clouded leopard.

Tourist Services:
A community lodge offers accommodation at gatlang. Packaged facilities of home stay offer accommodation at Briddim. Normal hotel, lodge and indiviual home stay are available in the remaining villages where meals are also offered with accommodation. Cooked with special attention on food safety, the simple yet nutritious meals are an adventure for the palate. Trained guides and porters are also availble in the villages

Getting There:
Lantang region predominatly lies in Rasuwa district of Bagmati Zone. A 7 to 8 hour drive from Kathmandu to Dhuche in Rasuwa district is the most convenient approach to Langtan. The Langtang National Park is also accessible from Sundarijal toward the east of Kathmandu and Melamchi Pul )Bridge) about 3 hours derive from Kathmandu

TAMANG HERITAGE TRAIL WITH LANGTANG VILLAGE TREK:
The new Tamang Heitage Trails offers peek at the Himlalayan life style and culture. The Trauil takes you to verdant midlands of Nepal experiencing the beauty of the mountain region and the culture of the people who live here. The trail passes through traditional Tamang villages where life, culture, and crafts have remained unchanged since the begining of the settlement. Warm traditional welcome hosted by the locals, their elaborate costumes, rish architecture of their mountain houses and the ancient monasteries and places of pyayer add color to the experience of this trail. In addition to cultural expereince the trek also offers wilderness experience through beautiful landscapes of alpine terrain. flat meadows and rhdoeedndron forests.The trail start either from Dhunche or Syabrubesi and passes through Goljung, Gatlang, Chilime, Thurman, Timure and Briddim. The trail may end back in Syabrubesi or follow and Langtang trek from Briddim village via Khamjim

SUGGESTED ITINERARY TO TAMANG HERITAGE TRAIL

HOME STAY AT BRIDDIM:
Briddim (2,229m) is a small and beautiful Tamang village. It offers Himalayan cultural experience in the form of accommodation. Here visitors are accommodated as house guests and are able to have first hand experience of the age old culture and hospitality of the Tamang community. The accommodation and tourism package is managed by home stay Tourism Management Committee in the village. Briddim home stay was
awarded 2nd Mountain Development Prize at the International Mountain Day programmed held in Kathmandu December 2005.

PEOPLE & CULTURE
The inhabitants of the Lantang Valley are thought to be descendants of Tibetan from Kerung who intermingled with Tamangs from the Helambu area. The inhabitants of Briddim, Thuman, Timure and Langtang are of the Tamang ethnic group but a marked influence of Tibetan culture and tradition is noticed in their lifestyle closely resembling that of most Tibetan villages. They are mainly sheep and yak herders, but grow some
hardy grains and vegetables. The daily life of the villagers includes raising livestock, agriculture and trade with Kerung in Tibet. Wheat, maize, potato, soybean and millet are their staple food.
In addition, visitor can also observe Syabru dance, Khampa dance, Shaman performance and other colorful performances during major festivals like Lhosa (Feb) Chhiju (Dec) Baisakh Purnima (Apr-May) and as per visitor's request.

HOT SPRINGS
At Totopani which literally means "HOT WATER" you can cleanse yourself spiritually in natural hot springs with bathing areas in the lap of the mountains. Locals believe that the waters have a healing quality that ease away your aches and pains.

NATURAL EXPERIENCE
The trail is equally a pleasure for natural experiences. The unique landscape around Goljung Bhanjyang, Thuman and Briddim, pristine forest between Tatopani and Nagthali, Thuman and Kaleidoscopic view of the Langtang mountains. Sanjen range, Ganesh Himal, Kerung and Gosaikunda range along the way give a wholesome experience of Himalayan landscape and vegetation.

GOSAIKUNDA TREK (FROZEN LAKE)
An additional 4-5 days trek to Holy Gosaikunda Lake (4,300 m) can be either from Rimiche, Syabrubesi or Dhunche. The trek offers perfect combination of natural and cultural Buddhists. About 25 to 30 thousand pilgrims visit this area during Janai Purninma festival which falls during the full moon time of August.

FURTHER AFIELD
Visitors can extend their stay in Langtang to trek to Kyangjin and explore the upper valley to Langshisa and beyond. Tilman's Col, a difficult crossing named after H>W Tilman the first Westerner to visit Langtang in 1949, leads east toward Panch Pokhari, Ganja La Pass (5,120 m) often covered by snow and clouds, leads south to Heleambu and the Kathmandu Valley.