Bamboo is a small teahouse settlement deep in the Modi Khola gorge on the trail to Annapurna Base Camp, named quite literally for the dense bamboo forest that envelops the trail in this section of the route. Sitting at a modest altitude compared to the high alpine terrain further ahead, Bamboo occupies one of the lushest and most humid stretches of the entire Annapurna Sanctuary trek, a world away from the barren moraine and glacier views that await trekkers a day or two further up the valley.
The settlement consists of little more than a cluster of simple lodges built along a narrow shelf of flat ground beside the roaring Modi Khola river, hemmed in on both sides by steep, densely forested slopes. The bamboo canopy overhead keeps the trail shaded and cool even in the warmer months, and the sound of the river is a constant companion through the night for trekkers staying over. This stretch of trail is also known for langur monkey sightings, the bamboo forest providing ideal habitat, and the occasional troop can be seen moving through the canopy at dawn or dusk.
Bamboo's position partway up the gorge makes it a natural overnight stop for trekkers pacing the ascent to Annapurna Base Camp sensibly, breaking what would otherwise be a very long single push from Chhomrong into more manageable stages. Most itineraries stop here either on the way up, before continuing to Dovan and Deurali, or on the descent, after the more demanding high-altitude sections of the trek are complete. The gorge setting means mobile signal is limited and the sense of enclosure is strong, though this only heightens the contrast when the valley eventually opens out into the wide amphitheatre of the Annapurna Sanctuary itself, still a day's walk further on.
Despite its small size, Bamboo plays an outsized role in the logistics of the Annapurna Base Camp trek, and most guides will recommend against skipping it entirely even for strong walkers, since the altitude gain from here to the Sanctuary is substantial and best broken into two further stages rather than attempted in one long push.