Annapurna Fee Doubled

The fee for entry to the Annapurna conservation area has been doubled from 1000 rupees to, er, 2000 rupees. In English money, that's an increase to 29 dollars, okay then, American money. The same is true of the Manaslu conservation area. Some of the increased income is to be spent on conservation and some on local villages. More information at Planet Ark.

Last year Nepal abolished trekking permits for popular areas, though you still have to pay an entrance fee to get into the Sagamartha National Park (Everest area).

Meanwhile, the airport at Lukla is now closed for modification – more chicken wire probably – but should be re-opened for the autumn trekking season. Anyone heading up towards Everest now has the choice of walking from Jiri or flying in to the Phaplu airstrip a few days down the valley.