Machhapuchhre Municipality Permit Compulsory for Mardi Trek

25 Mar 2024 3 min to read

Outdoor Himalayan Treks presents an article on ‘Machhapuchhre Municipality Permit Compulsory for Mardi Trek’. Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality has an area of 545 sq. km which lies in the Kaski district of the Gandaki Province in Nepal. The rural municipality consists of 9 wards and is home to four hiking trails. Between them, two routes are very popular among trekkers i.e. Khumain-Korchung Trek and Mardi Himal Trek. The rural municipality emphasized endorsing one specific route to boost tourism and support the locals.

Hence, they have decided to impose permit fees to enhance the hiking trails, aid further development, and support the village and the locals. Machhapuchhre Municipality Permit Compulsory for Mardi Trek including the Great Machhapuchhre Trail, the Ghalekhark-Tarahill Trek, and the Khumain-Korchung Trek. With the recent growth in the number of domestic tourists for short day treks on these trails, the rural municipality is excited to develop these routes to attract internal as well as external tourists.

The permit is levied on both domestic and international tourists and these collected fees are intended to be used for the developmental works, and maintenance within the municipality. Some proposed works include providing electricity and internet services throughout the village, solar lights, waste management, building an information center, rest areas, and necessary toilets for better facilities for the tourists. The permit costs NPR.100 per person for domestic tourists and NPR. 500 per person for international tourists. From November 2023 onwards, permit fee collection has started from Humal (Low Camp), the starting point for the Mardi Himal Trek.

Machhapuchhre Municipality Permit Compulsory for Mardi Trek 3

Based on the Municipality’s Economic Act 2080 BS, Schedule 6, Section 7, by local authorities’ rights, the permit fee of the Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality is decided. The data on the total number of tourists visiting here is unavailable but 80% are domestic tourists. Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality’s four hiking trails are gaining popularity among hikers for their short duration, unspoiled nature, least explored new routes, and peaceful and beautiful nature.

The rural municipality is trying its best to develop and promote these routes which is why they are planning on installing weather instruments, keeping a record of the number of tourists visiting, and creating a rescue team to aid hikers if they get lost during the Mardi Himal Trek.

For the Mardi Himal trek, the required permits besides the Machhapuchhre Municipality Permit are the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP), and the Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS).