Astam

Astam is a small farming village strung along a ridge in Machhapuchchhre Rural Municipality, roughly 20 kilometres north-west of Pokhara and about 1,500 metres above sea level. It is not a trekking waypoint and has no bazaar — the reason to come is the view and the quiet. The ridge looks straight north across terraced fields to Annapurna South (7,219m), Machhapuchchhre/Fishtail (6,993m), and Annapurna III and IV, with the Pokhara valley falling away behind.

The village made its name through community eco-lodges and homestays — small family-run properties built in traditional style, several of them running biogas, kitchen gardens, and their own dairy. Guests eat with the household, and the usual programme is a short walk through the surrounding villages in the afternoon, dinner, and an early start for sunrise on the ridge. It is a common first or last night for visitors who want a village stay without committing to a trek.

Astam is reached by road from Pokhara via Hemja, a drive of roughly 90 minutes on a road that is rough in its upper section and best attempted in a jeep during and after monsoon. Walkers can also come up on foot from Kaskikot or continue on toward Dhampus and Australian Camp — Astam sits below and east of that ridge line, outside the Annapurna Conservation Area, so no trekking permit is needed to stay here.