The Alays Mountain Trek in Kyrgyzstan takes 7 days and 90 km. This hike takes hikers over some diverse terrain with lush valleys, alpine lakes, high mountain passes, and snow-capped peaks.
Among the highlights are the high-altitude Jiptik and Sary-Mogul passes and the panoramic views of the Pamir Mountains. In the summertime you can meet up with the semi-nomadic shepherds living in the Alay Valley.
Everest Base Camp in Nepal offers hikers one of the most iconic hikes in the world with the goal to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth. This challenging trek takes 12 days to complete, and the round trip is 130 km. First you begin the challenging route to the base camp at 5,364 meters that takes you through the breathtaking landscapes of the Himalayan mountain range.
There are trekkers that take two weeks to reach the base camp and then return to Lukla, Nepal, but if you want the ultimate hike, Mount Everest awaits you.
Kumano Kodo in Japan offers a hike that includes both nature and culture. This is a network of ancient pilgrimage trails on the Kii Peninsula that lead to the sacred Kumano Sanzan shrines. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The classic Nakahechi Trail takes 6 to 7 days to complete with a total of 68 km.
Hikers pass through mossy forests, quiet mountain villages, and ancient shrines. There are guesthouses and scenic rest stops along the way.
Monk’s Trail in Chiang Mai, Thailand, offers a 3.5-hour hike total of a 7.5 km hike. Chiang Mai is a spiritual hub and home to hundreds of ancient Buddhist temples in a lovely location surrounded by mountainous forests.
The most famous hike is the Monk’s Trail, starting at the mountain base to War Pha Lat and then up to Doi Suthep, which is the most revered Buddhist temple.
Tackle the highest peak in Japan, Mount Fuji.
Along the Fujinomiya Route, which is the shortest and most direct path to the top of the hill, it takes 5 to 7 hours up and 2 to 3 hours down and a total of 8.6 km round trip. If you take the Prince Route for the descent, you’ll see the Hoej Crater, Mount Fuji’s largest crater.
Padar Island in Indonesia is part of the UNESCO World Heritage sphere with the adjacent Komodo Island, home of Komodo dragons. The island offers a short 30- to 45-minute hike to a mirador.
You’ll see a white sand beach, a pink sand beach, and a black sand beach in a single frame.
Paro Taktsang, or Tiger’s Nest, in Bhutan is a Buddhist temple that sits on the edge of a cliff over 900 meters above the Paro Valley. The hike to it takes a 5- to 6-hour round trip with a total of 6.4 km. There are rest stops along the way. The most challenging part is where hikers hike down several hundred steep stairs and then up several hundred more stairs to reach this sacred site. The scenic views of the valley and the beautiful temple make it all worthwhile.
The Pekoe Trail in Sri Lanka takes hikers through tea plant-dotted highlands from the Hanthana Mountains to Nuwara Eliya, aka “Little England,” because of its colonial architecture.
The trail takes hikers by the iconic Nine Arch Bridge
and the historic Loolkandura Estate, which was the first tea plantation in the country.
The trail has 22 sections. The official trailhead is in Kandy, and stage one stretches from Hanthana to Galaha, from the Ceylon Tea Museum to the Hanthana Tea Estate, one of the largest tea plantations in Sri Lanka. The 22 stages span 300 km and take 10 to 15 days to complete.
About the Creator
Rasma Raisters
My passions are writing and creating poetry. I write for several sites online and have four themed blogs on Wordpress. Please follow me on Twitter.
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