Landruk Lodge

Gather around the sunken firepit in the terraced gardens as Annapurna South turns from pink to deep red, gin and tonic in hand. Then, retreat to the dining room with its enormous picture windows for a chef-prepared meal to refuel for the next day's trek, and board games late into the evening. Gurung staff – many connected to the legendary Gurkha regiments – serve with warm precision. Happy hour runs from six to seven, offering local drinks and mountain stories as the light fades behind the peaks.

Contemporary touches are blended with traditional mountain character across the terraced bungalows. Each has twin beds, modern black-slate en-suite bathrooms with hot showers, and private terraces with views that genuinely stop you mid-sentence. Details include parquet wood floors, thoughtful bedside up-lights, and vaulted ceilings that create a sense of spaciousness. Heated beds and hot water bottles keep the Himalayan chill firmly at bay. Wake to the happy clink of a tea tray at your door as the dawn light illuminates the landscape.

Trek through rhododendron forests and terraced farmland to neighbouring lodges, crossing suspension bridges hung over rushing rivers. Explore Landruk's traditional Gurung settlement and learn about the culture behind the legendary Gurkhas. In the right season, you might witness honey hunters performing their extraordinary harvest – scaling sheer cliffs on bamboo ladders while bees swarm around them. Roll out a yoga mat in the gardens facing the sacred Machhapuchhre, or simply watch the mountains shift through golden sunrise to alpenglow as the day quietly unfolds.