The Langtang region is magnificent and will appeal to all nature lovers. It takes about a day from Kathmandu to reach Langtang, which means it's slightly less touristy than mountainous areas such as the Annapurnas or Everest. Nonetheless, the landscape is equally grandiose and there are numerous hikes in the area. Langtang is home to several peaks and glaciers as well as mountain lakes, the sacred lake of Gosain Kunda being the best known.
During my holiday, I spent a couple of weeks woofing in a small, isolated Tamang village. We worked the fields, helped build a school, visited surrounded villages and even attended a marriage - an unforgettable experience of life off the beaten track.
*After the devastating earthquakes that shook Nepal in April and May 2015 the country is slowly getting back on its feet. This article was written before these catastrophic events occurred.
Langtang is the name of a valley, a village and a national park. You enter Langtang National Park at Magengoth, a little mountain village that is at an altitude of 3,220 metres, and then continue up to the summits, climbing as far as Therepati, at 3,510 metres. The view over the eternally snow-capped Himalayas is sublime.
Numerous prayer flags were flying around "Langtang Village" when we found it, surrounded by mountains including the one from which the devastating avalanche began. There was a veil of mist around it and the temperature was cold, despite the effort needed to get there, although the welcome was warm. It's the ideal place to meditate, not far from Tibet, on the wisdom and strength needed for these people to live under such difficult conditions.