What to do in Annapurna

If Nepal had a greatest hits album, the Annapurna region would be most of the tracklist. This is where the classic tea house trek was perfected: well-worn trails connecting stone villages, steaming dal bhat served at every stop, and views that somehow manage to outdo themselves day after day. The full Circuit remains one of the world's great long-distance walks, crossing the Thorong La pass at 5,416 metres, but shorter routes like the Annapurna Base Camp trek or the Poon Hill sunrise hike deliver plenty of drama in less time. Beyond the boots-and-backpack crowd, mountain biking has taken off on the lower trails – a brilliant way to cover ground with the wind in your face – and the Seti and Marsyangdi rivers offer white water rafting that ranges from family-friendly floats to grade IV rapids that'll have you holding on for dear life.