Millennium trek to welcome tourists

• Basudev Poudel  

Gandaki. Entrepreneurs of the Millennium Trek, the only mid-hill region in Nepal that connects Tanahu’s Dulegonda to Syangja’s Rambachha, are ready to welcome tourists as tourist sites that have been stalled for a long time due to corona virus infection are reopening.

With the aim of attracting tourists from the fourth week of September, the operators of 17 homestays in the area are ready to manage sanitation and infrastructure.

Hark Gurung, general secretary of the Millennium Trek Management Committee, said he was confident that trekking in the area, which has long been affected by the corona, would increase in the coming days.

The footpath is a distance of 72 kilometers from Mulkot Durbar. Named the Millenniun trek since 2000, it connects Shuklagandaki Municipality of Tanahu, Putlibazar Municipality of Syangja, Biruwa Village Municipality, Bhirkot Municipality and Waling Municipality.

A total of 6 nights and 7 days should be allotted to cross this trek which can be moved by anyone from children to the elderly. From Dhormulkot, Kolmakot, Bhansegonda, Gahte Manakamana, Farathun, Budhakot and other places along the trek, Dhawalagiri, Annapurna range, Machhapuchhre, Lamjung Himal, Ganesh Himal and Manaslu Himal can be seen.

With the aim of linking nature and culture with tourism, the master plan has also included the preservation of Sorathi, Yanimaya, Ghatu, Brahmin, Chhetri and other cultures of the Magar community prevalent in the region.

The trek, which was affected by the corona for a long time last year, could not come into operation this year. Secretary General Gurung informed that the work of infrastructure development has been taken forward despite the corona epidemic. “Last year, we had also carried out infrastructure development work in places like Millennium Cave, Dhor Mulkot Durbar, Bhirkot Kalika Durbar and Gahte Manakamana in the trek area between Corona pandemic,” he said.

He informed that the Jante Dhunga area in Shukla Gandaki Municipality-11, Raipur has been cordoned off this year as well with the assistance of Rs. 350,000 from the Ministry of Tourism of Gandaki. He said that a 420-meter trek has been organized from Gary Swahara of Putlibazar Municipality-12 Pelkachaur to Kegha Deurali.

Along with the opening of other tourist destinations in the country, the Millennium trek has also been opened for tourists from September 20, he said. “Operators of all 17 homestays in the trekking area are waiting for tourists at this time,” he said.

Apart from observing the hilly and mountainous scenery, the Kandevyakur, a bird found only in Nepal, can be seen here and there during the trek. Raju Acharya, director of Friends of Nature, said that those who are interested in tourism along with hiking have to reach the Millennium trek.

According to him, butterflies, birds and mammals of different species can be seen in the area during the trek.   Under the trek, wildlife research training was organized by Friends of Nature in Rangbhang-Bhansegonda of Putlibazar Municipality-2 last year.

During the 19-day training, 13 participants from different districts learned about the identification of birds, butterflies and mammals in the forest and their research methods. This year too, with the technical assistance of the Friends of Nature, the program is being carried out to count butterflies, birds and mammals in the Rangbhang-Bhansegaunda area, said Bal Kumar Gurung, Chairman of Millennium Bhaise Gowda Community Homestay.

According to a study, 115 species of birds have been found in the Rangbhang-Bhainsegonda area alone, while 137 species of birds have been found in the entire Millennium trek area. The Millennium trek trail  covers 52 kilometers of forest area.

Stating that the operators of the home stay have also started preparations targeting the tourists who may come in the coming days, he said that they are confident that the corona virus infection will be eradicated in the coming days and tourism in the region will become active. “The development of domestic tourism is now a necessity due to the corona virus infection,” he said. Photos: Taken from Millennium Trek’s Facebook page.