Nar, Nepal

Nar is a walled Tibetan-style village at about 4,110 metres in the hidden Nar Phu valley, tucked behind the Annapurna massif in a restricted corner of Manang district. Chortens, prayer walls and barley terraces cling to a windswept shelf, and monastic life still shapes the rhythm of the year.

What sets it apart is its seclusion. Opened to foreigners only in 2003, the Nar Phu valley sees a fraction of the traffic of the nearby Annapurna Circuit, preserving an older Himalayan world of yak caravans, Khampa ancestry and cliff-perched gompas beneath raw rock walls.

On the trek Nar is reached on a seven-to-ten-day itinerary branching off the circuit at Koto, following a dramatic gorge to Meta, Phu and Nar before crossing the Kang La pass at roughly 5,320 metres back toward Ngawal. It is graded moderate to strenuous; the altitude and the pass are the main challenges rather than technical terrain, and careful acclimatisation is essential.

Practical notes: because this is a restricted area, you need a special Nar Phu permit plus an ACAP entry permit, and you must travel with a licensed guide and at least two trekkers in the group. September to November and April to May are the reliable seasons, the rain-shadow terrain staying relatively dry even at the monsoon's edge.