Tourists who obtained entry permits for the Manaslu Conservation Area but were unable to undertake their planned trips due to trails being blocked by the devastating Budhi Gandaki River floods will now be allowed to visit the Annapurna Conservation Area using the same permits. The alternative arrangement has been made after the floods disrupted several trekking routes in the Manaslu region, affecting tourists who had already paid the required fees and obtained permits before the disaster.
According to Bhuwan Raj Ojha, Information Officer at the Manaslu Conservation Area Project (MCAP), the arrangement was reached through coordination between the Manaslu and Annapurna conservation areas, both operated under the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC).
No Additional Conservation Area Entry Fee
MCAP currently charges an entry fee of NPR 3,000 per foreign tourist, NPR 1,000 for tourists from SAARC countries, and NPR 200 for Nepali citizens. Ojha said tourists who had already paid the fee and obtained permits for Manaslu before the floods but could not undertake their journey will not have to pay an additional entry fee when visiting the Annapurna Conservation Area.
Around 200 tourists are currently estimated to have obtained permits for the Manaslu region but have been unable to proceed with their planned journeys because of the damaged and obstructed trekking trails. The arrangement is aimed at providing an alternative to tourists whose travel plans were disrupted by the natural disaster while also preventing them from losing the fees already paid for their conservation-area permits.
Manaslu Remains a Restricted Area
Parts of the Manaslu region fall along Nepal’s open border with Tibet and are designated as a restricted area. Foreign tourists travelling to these areas therefore require additional permission from the Department of Immigration. The Department of Immigration issues separate permits for the Tsum Valley and Nubri Valley, with fees varying according to the season.
For the Tsum Valley, the permit costs USD 75 per person for one week during the season and USD 30 during the off-season. For the Nubri Valley, the fee is USD 100 during the season and USD 40 during the off-season. For visits exceeding one week, an additional USD 10 per day is charged for Tsum Valley and USD 15 per day for Nubri Valley.
Trekking Businesses Seek Immigration-Level Decision
The Budhi Gandaki floods have severely disrupted trekking routes in the Manaslu region, leaving tourists who had already secured the necessary permits unable to complete their planned journeys. While the conservation authorities have facilitated access to the Annapurna Conservation Area for affected permit holders, trekking businesses have pointed out that tourists holding restricted-area permits may also require a decision from the Department of Immigration.
They have called for coordination among the concerned authorities to address the permit-related issues faced by tourists whose Manaslu itineraries have been disrupted by the floods. The alternative arrangement is expected to provide some relief to affected trekkers while ensuring that tourists can continue their Nepal travel plans despite the disruption in the Manaslu trekking region.
