I’m Rujan, a licensed trekking guide living in Kathmandu. In spring the hill forests of Nepal turn red, pink and white. The rhododendron, lali gurans, is Nepal’s national flower, and there are about thirty kinds in the country. Walking through them in flower is one of the joys of a spring trek.
When
They flower from low to high: in the lower hills, about 1,500 to 2,500 m, from late February to March; in the middle forests, about 2,500 to 3,300 m, in March and April; higher up, small pink and white kinds into May. The exact weeks change each year with the winter.
Where
- Ghorepani and Poon Hill: great red forests in late March and April. See the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek.
- Mardi Himal: the ridge through rhododendron forest in April.
- Langtang: the forests below Lama Hotel. See the Langtang Valley trek.
- Phulchoki, above Kathmandu: a day hike, in March and April.
- Milke Danda, in eastern Nepal: a long ridge known for its rhododendron forests.
- Solu and Pikey Peak: forests in April. See the Pikey Peak trek.
Good to know
- Spring afternoons are often cloudy; the flowers are at their best in the morning light.
- Do not pick flowers or break branches; in national parks and conservation areas it is not allowed.
- See trekking in spring.
If you are not sure which suits you, write to me and tell me what you hope for. I will say honestly.
Rules change. If something here is out of date, please tell me and I will correct it.Tell me
Sources
- Wikipedia: Rhododendron arboreum en.wikipedia.org
