The Road Less Travelled

A motorcycle trip along the Annapurna Circuit, Nepal — the legendary 160+ km trail that circles the Annapurna Massif — had long been on my bucket list. In December of 2025, the call became too strong and I sketched a rough route map, packed my bags, serviced my Royal Enfield Bullet 350 and set off from Kolkata, West Bengal, India for Nepal.

About 24 hours of non-stop riding took me to Birgunj, the border town in Nepal, to get the customs clearance for my bike. The next stop was Pokhara. This, the starting point for the circuit, is where you get the permit to enter the Annapurna Conservation Area.

From there, the route divides into two. On the left, you ride towards Mustang, the high-altitude Himalayan desert with its cathedral-like spikes and desolate landscapes. In complete contrast lie the verdant valleys and lakes on the right towards Manang.

As I set off towards Mustang, the majestic Nilgiri Himal, Annapurna mountain ranges and the grand Dhaulagiri Range watched over me. Beautiful villages — Tatopani, Lete, Marpha and Jomsom — dot the otherwise solitary route.

At this altitude, the roads cutting through the mountain ranges turn into natural wind tunnels. Temperatures plunge to between a chilling 0 and -10°C. One of the key destinations in the Lower Mustang region is Muktinath, the world’s highest Vishnu temple, revered by Hindus and Buddhists alike. It is connected to the eastern side (Manang) by Thorong La Pass. One of the highest walkable mountain passes in the world, it is untraversable by vehicles. So, I rode back down to Pokhara to the opposite side of the Annapurna loop.

The right side of the circuit towards Manang is verdant, with a wealth of waterfalls along the way. The road is also one of the most difficult in the world. Its steep incline, frequent landslides, boulders and black ice make it a fearsome adversary.

The magnificent peaks of Annapurna II, III and IV tower on one side, along with the massive Pisang Peak. As you climb higher, stunning Alpine lakes start appearing like scenes out of a fairytale. The serene Blue Lake, Green Lake and the beautiful Gangapurna Lake.

After Manang is Khangsar village — the final parking spot for vehicles. Tilicho Lake is a demanding trek away. It takes you to almost 5,000 m — pushing close to the atmospheric intensity of Everest Base Camp. Unpaved paths, steep drops and active landslide zones make this trail treacherous.

The first day out of Khangsar, it takes about five hours of cautious navigating along narrow, exposed mountain ledges just to reach Tilicho Base Camp.

But then, the breathtaking, 360-degree panorama of the towering Tilicho Peak and the Annapurna range that surrounds you is its own reward. The next morning takes you to Tilicho Lake, one of the highest and most sacred Alpine lakes in the world. The ascent is steep and takes about three to four hours. These factors necessitate mindful packing. Batteries discharge rapidly, so I had thought it a bright idea to carry multiple batteries. But any extra luggage increases the difficulty at such a high altitude.

Once I reached Tilicho Lake at 4920 m, what I witnessed was a snow-laden heaven. After about an hour there, I walked down to base camp and the next morning, back to Khangsar. As I set off for the ride back home to Kolkata, I had to admit the lenses I carried could only capture a fraction of the experience.

My Sony A6700 mirrorless camera, 35 to 150 lens and a long 18 MM lens for capturing the stars at night, travelled with me. An Insta 360 camera and a very capable DJI Air 3S drone helped record the ride. But I learned the best camera is the one I had in my hand. At Tilicho Lake, the temperature was about -18°C, all my camera and drone batteries were drained and my iPhone 15 was the only ‘equipment’ I had. It served me well and taught me a lesson in travelling even lighter.

Till the next time!