The Annapurna region is the most popular trekking destination in Nepal — and for good reason. The Annapurna Circuit, Annapurna Base Camp (ABC), and the Ghorepani Poon Hill route collectively attract well over 100,000 trekkers a year, including thousands of Australians who make the journey each spring and autumn.
What sets a great Annapurna trek apart from an ordinary one is almost always human connection: the warmth of a tea house owner who remembers you asked for no sugar in your chiya, the conversation with a porter who teaches you three new words over lunch, the elder village woman who stops to bless you with marigolds because you pressed your hands together and said "Namaste" properly.
These connections happen in Nepali. This guide gives you everything you need to communicate on the Annapurna trail, day by day, from the bus stop in Pokhara to the final descent into Nayapul or Jomsom.
Before You Leave Pokhara
The Annapurna trek typically begins in Pokhara — a lakeside city of considerable beauty that serves as the gateway to the Annapurna Conservation Area. Most trekkers spend a night or two in Pokhara before heading to their trailhead.
At the ACAP Permit Office
You need two permits for the Annapurna Conservation Area: the ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Project) permit and the TIMS (Trekker's Information Management System) card. These are obtained in Pokhara or Kathmandu.
Annapurna Conservation Area ko permit cahiyo — an-na-PUR-na con-ser-VAY-shun ARE-a ko PER-mit chaa-HI-yo I need the Annapurna Conservation Area permit.
Permit kati parchha? — PER-mit KA-ti PAR-chha? How much is the permit?
Passport diinus — PASS-port di-NUS Please take my passport (for registration).
Getting to the Trailhead
Most Annapurna Circuit trekkers begin at Besisahar; ABC trekkers begin at Nayapul or Phedi. Jeeps and buses run from Pokhara.
Besisahar jane bus kaha chha? — BES-i-sa-har JA-ne BUS ka-HAA chha? Where is the bus to Besisahar?
Nayapul bata ABC jaanchhu — na-YA-pul BA-ta ABC JAN-chhu I am going to ABC from Nayapul.
Kati paisa laagchha? — KA-ti PAI-sa LAAG-chha? How much does it cost?
Bus kati baje chhadchha? — BUS KA-ti BA-je CHHAD-chha? What time does the bus leave?
Day 1–3: Lower Trail — Villages and Valley Paths
The lower sections of the Annapurna trails pass through farming villages, rhododendron forests, and terraced rice paddies. This is where interactions with local villagers — farmers, children walking to school, women carrying loads — are most frequent.
Meeting People on the Trail
Namaste! — na-ma-STAY — Hello! (always with pressed palms)
Kaha jaadai hunuhunchha? — ka-HAA JAA-dai HU-nu-HUN-chha? Where are you going? (formal, to a local)
___ jaadaichhu — ___ JAA-dai-chhu I am going to ___. (fill in destination)
Bato thik chha? — BA-to THEEK chha? Is the path correct / am I going the right way?
___ kati ghanta lagchha? — ___ KA-ti GHAN-ta LAG-chha? How many hours to ___?
Dhanyabad, tapaaīlai! — dhan-ya-BAAD, ta-PAA-ee-LAI! Thank you (to you)!
At a Village Tea Shop
Small tea shops (chiya pasal) dot the lower trail, run by local families. A stop for tea is an opportunity for genuine connection.
Ek chiya diinus — EK CHI-ya di-NUS One tea, please.
Dudh chiya ki kaalo chiya? — DUDH chi-ya KI KAA-lo chi-ya? Milk tea or black tea?
Dudh chiya diinus, chini nachaahiyo — DUDH chi-ya di-NUS, CHI-ni na-chaa-HI-yo Milk tea, please, without sugar.
Kati parchha? — KA-ti PAR-chha? How much?
Yo gaun ko naam ke ho? — YO GAUN ko NAAM ke HO? What is the name of this village?
Ramro gaun chha — RAM-ro GAUN chha It is a beautiful village.
Days 3–7: Mid-Trail — Tea Houses, Altitude, and Rest Days
The middle section of the Annapurna trails involves longer days, higher elevation gains, and more reliance on tea house accommodation. These are your primary communities for food, shelter, and human connection.
Arriving at a Tea House (Lodge)
Namaste! Ek kamara chha? — na-ma-STAY! EK ka-MA-ra chha? Hello! Do you have a room?
Kati paisa euta kamara ko? — KA-ti PAI-sa EU-ta ka-MA-ra ko? How much for one room?
Bed mattai chha ki attached bathroom pani chha? — BED MAT-tai chha KI AT-tached BATH-room PA-ni chha? Is it just a bed or is there an attached bathroom?
Blanket chha? — BLAN-ket chha? Are there blankets?
Charging point chha? — CHAR-ging POINT chha? Is there a charging point?
WiFi chha? — WiFi chha? — Is there WiFi?
Garam paani kati baje painchha? — ga-RAM PAA-ni KA-ti BA-je PAI-nchha? What time is the hot water available?
Ordering Food
The tea house menu on the Annapurna trail is fairly consistent: dal bhat, momos, noodle soups, pasta, fried rice, porridge, eggs.
Menu diinus — Please give me the menu.
Dal bhat ek plate diinus — dal BHAT EK plate di-NUS One plate of dal bhat please.
Dal bhat maa masu chahiena — dal BHAT MAA MA-su chaa-HI-e-na No meat in the dal bhat please.
Momo ek plate diinus — One plate of momos please.
Jhol momo — JHOL MO-mo — Momo in soup broth.
Fried rice — FRIED RICE — (same word in Nepali)
Thukpa — THUK-pa — Noodle soup.
Taato paani diinus — taa-TO PAA-ni di-NUS — Please give me hot water.
Lemon tea diinus — Lemon tea please.
Biscuit chha? — BIS-kit chha? — Do you have biscuits?
Chaaklate chha? — CHAA-kla-TE chha? — Do you have chocolate?
Paying
Sab ko mila ke kati bhayo? — SAB ko MI-la ke KA-ti BHA-yo? What is the total for everything?
Bill diinus — BILL di-NUS — Please bring the bill.
Card chainchha? — CARD CHAIN-chha? — Do you accept card?
Day 5–8: Higher Altitude — AMS Awareness
Altitude sickness (Acute Mountain Sickness — AMS) is a serious risk above 2,500 metres. The Annapurna Circuit reaches over 5,400m at Thorong La pass; ABC reaches around 4,130m. Knowing how to communicate about symptoms is essential.
Describing Altitude Symptoms
Mero tauko dukhirako chha — ME-ro TAU-ko dukh-I-RA-ko chha I have a headache.
Jharjhar bhairako chha — JHAR-jhar BHAI-RA-ko chha I am feeling dizzy.
Khaana khaana man chhaena — KHA-na KHA-na MAN CHHAE-na I don't want to eat / I have no appetite.
Raat bhar nidra laagena — RAAT bhar NID-ra LAA-ge-na I couldn't sleep last night.
Waak waak bhairako chha — WAAK WAAK BHAI-RA-ko chha I feel nauseous.
Saas pherna gaaro bhairako chha — SAAS PHER-na GAA-ro BHAI-RA-ko chha I am having difficulty breathing.
Tala jaanu parla ki parla? — TA-la JAA-nu PAR-la ki PAR-la? Do I need to go down?
Tala jaanu parchha — TA-la JAA-nu PAR-chha I need to go down. (Say this clearly if you have moderate or severe AMS.)
The Golden Rule for Guides
If you are communicating with your guide about AMS, the most important sentence is:
Tala jaau — TA-la JAA-u — Let's go down.
Never ascend if you have moderate or severe AMS symptoms. The mountains will be there next year. Say these words and mean them.
Day 6–9: High Passes and Sacred Ground
The Annapurna Circuit crosses Thorong La (5,416m) — the highest point of the trek. Annapurna Base Camp sits beneath the dramatic Annapurna South and Machapuchare faces.
At Thorong La Pass
Uhh — Thorong La puginyo! — THOR-ong LA PUG-i-nyo! We made it to Thorong La!
Photo liinu sakchhu? — PHO-to LI-nu SAK-chhu? Can I take a photo?
Hamro saatha photo liinu sakchhu? — HAM-ro SAA-tha PHO-to LI-nu SAK-chhu? Can you take a photo of us together?
Muktinath Temple (Circuit) / Machapuchare Base Camp
Both treks include encounters with sacred sites. Muktinath is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for both Hindus and Buddhists. MBC and ABC offer awe-inspiring views of Nepal's most iconic peaks.
Yo mandir kati puraaano ho? — YO MAN-dir KA-ti pu-RAA-a-no HO? How old is this temple?
Yahaa photo liinna milchha? — ya-HAA PHO-to LIN-na MIL-chha? Is it okay to take photos here?
Yatri garnu bhayeko ho? — YAT-ri GAR-nu BHA-ye-ko HO? Are you a pilgrim? (to a local at Muktinath)
Talking with Your Guide and Porter
Your relationship with your guide and porter is one of the most important on the trail. A little Nepali goes a very long way.
Naam ke ho tapaaīko? — NAAM ke HO ta-PAA-ee-ko? What is your name?
Kati barsha dekhi guide garnu bhaeko? — KA-ti BAR-sha de-KHI GUIDE GAR-nu BHAE-ko? How many years have you been guiding?
Tapaaīko ghar kaha ho? — ta-PAA-ee-ko GHAR ka-HAA HO? Where is your home?
Paribaar chha? — pa-ri-BAAR chha? — Do you have family?
Tapaaī ko kaaj ramro chha — ta-PAA-ee ko KAAJ RAM-ro chha You are doing a great job.
Aaraaam garau — aa-RAAM ga-RAU — Let's rest.
Bistaarai bistaarai — bis-TAA-rai bis-TAA-rai — Slowly, slowly. (The classic trekker's mantra)
Haaletainchhu — haa-le-TAIN-chhu — I am tired.
Pugyo — PUG-yo — Enough / I'm done for today.
Aafu ko khaana khanu bhaeko chha? — AA-fu ko KHA-na KHA-nu BHAE-ko chha? Have you eaten? (asking your porter/guide — always do this)
Weather on the Trail
Annapurna weather changes fast. These phrases help.
Aaj mausam kaasto chha? — AAJ MAU-sam KAA-sto chha? What is the weather like today?
Pani parla ki nai? — PA-ni PAR-la ki NAI? Will it rain?
Hiu parla? — HIU PAR-la? — Will it snow?
Mausam bigriyo — MAU-sam big-RI-yo — The weather has turned bad.
Mausam ramro chha — MAU-sam RAM-ro chha — The weather is good.
Baadal lagyo — BAA-dal LAG-yo — It has clouded over.
Pani parryo — PA-ni PAR-ryo — It is raining.
Hiu parryo — HIU PAR-ryo — It is snowing.
Completing the Trek: Farewell Phrases
Ekdam ramro trek thiyo — EK-dam RAM-ro TREK THI-yo It was a wonderful trek.
Tapaaīlai bhetnaa paayekomai khushi laagyo — ta-PAA-ee-LAI BHET-naa PAA-ye-ko-mai KHU-shi LAAG-yo I am very happy to have met you.
Nepal mero manparne thau ho — ne-PAAL ME-ro man-PAR-ne THAU HO Nepal is my favourite place.
Pheri aaunechhu — PHE-ri AA-u-ne-CHHU I will come back again.
Pheri bhetaula — PHE-ri bhe-TAU-la Until we meet again.
Tapaaīlai dhanyabad, ekdam ramro guide garnu bhaeko — ta-PAA-ee-LAI dhan-ya-BAAD, EK-dam RAM-ro GUIDE GAR-nu BHAE-ko Thank you, you guided wonderfully. (to your guide)
Prepare Before You Go
The phrases in this guide will serve you well on the Annapurna trail — but they land better when you have practised them before you leave Australia. Spend two to three weeks before your trek going through BolNepali's trekking vocabulary module, listening to native-speaker audio, and practising the most common phrases aloud.
Trekkers who put in even a modest amount of preparation consistently report a qualitatively different experience on the trail — more conversations, more warmth, more of the human connection that makes Nepal memorable.
Start your preparation free at bolnepali.com.
BolNepali prepares Australian trekkers for the Annapurna Circuit, Annapurna Base Camp, and all of Nepal's great trekking routes with structured Nepali language learning and trekking vocabulary.