Set high up in the Modi Khola Valley at an altitude of 1980m the ancient village of Ghandruk is one of the largest Gurung settlements in Nepal, and the most comfortable base for trekking in the region. The giant peaks of Annapurna South (7219m) and Hiunchuili (6441m) dwarf the slate-roofed houses and patchwork of lush fields terraced into the hillside, providing a dramatic backdrop on clear days. The headquarters of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project are in the village, and there is a visitor centre to promote their environmental and community projects. Ghandruk is a major recruitment centre for Gurkha soldiers, and many locals will proudly tell of friends or family who have served in the British Army. The quality of tea houses here are a notch above anywhere else on the trekking circuit, and it is a great place to spend time in an authentic mountain village to observe the local lifestyles of the schoolchildren, traders, tea shop owners and farmers. Ghandruk is included on the 5-Day Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek as featured on our "Adventures in Nepal" tour.