Source: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Annapurna_II_seen_during_Annapurna_Circuit_Trek.jpg
The Annapurna Conservation Area is Nepal's largest protected area, covering about 7,629 sq km across Kaski, Lamjung, Manang, Mustang and Myagdi districts. It rises from subtropical valleys at about 790 m to the summit of Annapurna I at 8,091 m, and includes the Annapurna Sanctuary, the Annapurna Circuit and the deep Kali Gandaki valley. Snow leopards, blue sheep, Himalayan tahr, red pandas and the danphe, Nepal's national bird, live here.
The area is managed with local communities, and most visitors come to trek, staying in teahouses in villages such as Ghandruk, Chhomrong and Manang. An ACAP entry permit is required for all trekkers; check the current permit rules in Pokhara or Kathmandu before you set out.
- How to Reach: Pokhara is the usual starting point; trailheads such as Nayapul and Besisahar are reached by road from Pokhara.
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