Nepal Reviews
Review 1
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Reaching Kopra Ridge on the Annapurna trail circuit, at 3660m height, complete with YAK farm and breathtaking views.
What did you think of your tour leader?
Pleasant and approachable, with a dry wit. Quietly authoritative and well respected by the sherpas and porters.
What advice would you give to other travellers?
Don't underestimate the physical challenge the constant climbing and then descending presents. The trek grade is classed as 'moderate' but even fit 30 year olds knew they's been on a good walk! For us (quite fit) 60 years old members, it was hard!!!
Reviewed by Julian Grubb who travelled in September 2012 on the Real People of Annapurna trip
Review 2
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Varanasi night prayer and the morning boat ride on the river ganges
What did you think of your tour leader?
Bhuvan was very helpful and informative.also a lot of fun!!!! He did well even under the pressure other travellers gave him.
Reviewed by Debashish Dey who travelled in June 2012 on the Nepal & India trip
Review 3
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Varanasi night prayer and the morning boat ride on the river ganges
What did you think of your tour leader?
Bhuvan was very helpful and informative.also a lot of fun!!!! He did well even under the pressure other travellers gave him.
Reviewed by Debashish Dey who travelled in June 2012 on the Ain't no Mountain High Enough trip
Review 4
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing Everest from Kala Patar
What did you think of your tour leader?
I thought our guide was superb!
What advice would you give to other travellers?
To ensure they undertake exercise prior to the trip and prepare themselves to rough it somewhat and prepare themselves for the cold.
Reviewed by Bethan Thomas who travelled in February 2012 on the Footsteps of Hillary trip
Review 5
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The trekking in the foothills of the Annapurnas and the white-water rafting on the Seti (and a splendid night's accommodation on the river); other major moments included the half-day tour in Katmandu, the trip to Chitwan, the Taj at Agra, sunrise and sunset at Varanasi, the Palace of the Winds at Jaipur (an option we made for ourselves) and (after an altogether penitential 4 hour jeep ride) the lovely accommodation and hospitality in Tordi Ghar (a long way for what it gave, but the experience was worth it).
What did you think of your tour leader?
leaders, actually. Our trekking guide was on the ball all the time, and came very well equipped for the disasters that befell several of the party on day 2. The guide we then joined for the last days of the holiday in Nepal was very experienced at getting groups to interact. Our Indian guide may not have appreciated at first how much direction the group needed when it had time off - Varanasi probably needs options to be made clearly available, in your general programme, for day 2 of the group's time there. It may also be useful to alert people to the desirability of a modicum of preparation before they go, so they have some idea of things they can do in their free time. But he certainly knew his stuff, and, especially when he shared with us the love of his professional life, tigers, he was inspiring.
What advice would you give to other travellers?
Be prepared for a challenge. You will almost certainly find the length of time it takes to get around the various sites of India exhausting; treat with a pinch of salt the brochure's claims that our various modes of transport are a way of introducing travellers to authentic Indian Experiences (very little happened in the way of interaction between us and Indians on the buses and trains we shared with them). Be well prepared for extreme cold at night in the foothills, and, especially on the second night, for extremely basic accommodation (not sure you can do much about that) and extremely basic and repetitious food while trekking. Bring a towel for the trekking (I don't think your paperwork told us of the need for that).
Reviewed by Roger Ellis who travelled in February 2012 on the Mountains & Plains trip
Review 6
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
All of it from the great people I was with to the scenery to the aeroplane crippling fog, that stranded us for another 8 days!!!
What did you think of your tour leader?
He was brilliant, very knowledgeable always keeping an eye on us to make sure we were not suffering from altitude sickness. Also helpful and great fun.
What advice would you give to other travellers?
Book it and enjoy it, all-round a great trip but can be expensive once you have all equipment, flights, tour, food and extras.
Reviewed by Gr¿inne Gallagher who travelled in October 2011 on the Footsteps of Hillary trip
Review 7
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Watching sunset from the dunes in Tordi Ghar, meal on a hotel rooftop overlooking the ganges, wandering along the ghats in the morning watching the locals wash, riding an elephant in Chitwan, jamming with another group on a train from Varanasi to Agra... too many highlights!!!!
What did you think of your tour leader?
Both our guides - Nepalese and Indian were fabulous, helpful, friendly, kept us all well organised.
What advice would you give to other travellers?
Take a nail brush! Hands and feet get filthy in Nepal and in India!
Reviewed by Natasha Rittmeyer who travelled in November 2011 on the The Road to Delhi trip
Review 8
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Watching sunset from the dunes in Tordi Ghar, meal on a hotel rooftop overlooking the ganges, wandering along the ghats in the morning watching the locals wash, riding an elephant in Chitwan, jamming with another group on a train from Varanasi to Agra... too many highlights!!!!
What did you think of your tour leader?
Both our guides - Nepalese and Indian were fabulous, helpful, friendly, kept us all well organised.
What advice would you give to other travellers?
Take a nail brush! Hands and feet get filthy in Nepal and in India!
Reviewed by Natasha Rittmeyer who travelled in November 2011 on the There's Nothing Sub About This Continent trip
Review 9
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The highest point we reached at Kopra Ridge with amazing views on the mountains. I will NEVER forget this, so fantastic!
What did you think of your tour leader?
He was the best ! Raju told us everything we wanted to know about the Anapurna range, he was always willing to help, was kind and knew exactly what to do in difficult situations.
What advice would you give to other travellers?
I would definitely recommend this tour - the trek is really off the beaten track and beautiful. Travelers should be aware that the trek is quite hard though. The path is very steep at times and there are days of 8 hours of trekking.
Reviewed by Jakoba Van Der Linden who travelled in October 2011 on the Real People of Annapurna trip
Review 10
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Crikey there are so many. I loved trekking through Annapurna, the elephant ride was amazing. However the optional scenic flight to Mt Everest was really something else.
What did you think of your tour leader?
Our tour leader was fantastic. He worked round the clock for us fulfiling our needs. Friendly and pleasant, he is one of the best tour guides I have ever met.
Do you feel your holiday benefited local people?
Definitely, our tour guides, porters and cooks were from the local community.
Do you feel that you got under the skin of a country?
I definitely got a taste of the country, the tour was only for 12 days. The trekking allowed us to meet and integrate with local villages on the way.
What advice would you give to other travellers?
Be prepared that Chitwan can get incredibly hot, 100% humidity and no breeze, we ended up having 4 cold showers a day!
Reviewed by Vijay Lakshmi Bhalla who travelled in May 2010 on the Annapurna & Chitwan trip
Review 11
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Crikey there are so many. I loved trekking through Annapurna, the elephant ride was amazing. However the optional scenic flight to Mt Everest was really something else.
What did you think of your tour leader?
Our tour leader was fantastic. He worked round the clock for us fulfiling our needs. Friendly and pleasant, he is one of the best tour guides I have ever met.
Do you feel your holiday benefited local people?
Definitely, our tour guides, porters and cooks were from the local community.
Do you feel that you got under the skin of a country?
I definitely got a taste of the country, the tour was only for 12 days. The trekking allowed us to meet and integrate with local villages on the way.
What advice would you give to other travellers?
Be prepared that Chitwan can get incredibly hot, 100% humidity and no breeze, we ended up having 4 cold showers a day!
Reviewed by Vijay Lakshmi Bhalla who travelled in May 2010 on the Annapurna & Animals trip
Review 12
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The scenery and the local people, both have left a lasting impression
What did you think of your tour leader?
Excellent
Do you feel that you got under the skin of a country?
Not really, but did leave with a better understanding of their culture and an appreciateion of how lucky I am to be a UK resident
What advice would you give to other travellers?
Sort out what you will do regarding drinking water. Local bottled water is available throughout but gets more expensive the higher you go. Iodine is a harsh disinfectant and can kill good bacteria in your gut giving as many issues as it cures. I'd recommend a U.V steri-pen coupled with bottled mineral water.
Reviewed by Paul Pearson who travelled in October 2009 on the Classic Everest Base Camp trip
Review 13
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The scenery and the local people, both have left a lasting impression
What did you think of your tour leader?
Excellent
Do you feel that you got under the skin of a country?
Not really, but did leave with a better understanding of their culture and an appreciateion of how lucky I am to be a UK resident
What advice would you give to other travellers?
Sort out what you will do regarding drinking water. Local bottled water is available throughout but gets more expensive the higher you go. Iodine is a harsh disinfectant and can kill good bacteria in your gut giving as many issues as it cures. I'd recommend a U.V steri-pen coupled with bottled mineral water.
Reviewed by Paul Pearson who travelled in October 2009 on the Everest Base Camp trip
Review 14
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The scenery and the local people, both have left a lasting impression
What did you think of your tour leader?
Excellent
Do you feel that you got under the skin of a country?
Not really, but did leave with a better understanding of their culture and an appreciateion of how lucky I am to be a UK resident
What advice would you give to other travellers?
Sort out what you will do regarding drinking water. Local bottled water is available throughout but gets more expensive the higher you go. Iodine is a harsh disinfectant and can kill good bacteria in your gut giving as many issues as it cures. I'd recommend a U.V steri-pen coupled with bottled mineral water.
Reviewed by Paul Pearson who travelled in October 2009 on the Classic Everest Base Camp trip
Review 15
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Probably sunrise over the Anapurna mountain range - it was breathtaking
What did you think of your tour leader?
Brilliant - informative, friendly, fun, caring - couldn't fault them!
Do you feel your holiday benefited local people?
Yes I think it did - we chanelled some money in to the hotels and restaurants and also provided work for the shirpas and guides
Do you feel that you got under the skin of a country?
Yes very much so, having a local tour guide really helped with this - the trek also took us very close to the villages and we got close to the shirpas etc
What advice would you give to other travellers?
Go to Nepal!
Reviewed by Liz Wagstaffe who travelled in October 2008 on the Images of Nepal - sleeping bags trip
Review 16
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The whole journey really - trekking is about the journey, not just the final destination (though getting to the top of Kala Pattar was great!).
What did you think of your tour leader?
fantastic!
What advice would you give to other travellers?
do this tour! dont expect it to be easy though!
Reviewed by June Egglestone who travelled in October 2008 on the Classic Everest Base Camp trip
Review 17
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The whole journey really - trekking is about the journey, not just the final destination (though getting to the top of Kala Pattar was great!).
What did you think of your tour leader?
fantastic!
What advice would you give to other travellers?
do this tour! dont expect it to be easy though!
Reviewed by June Egglestone who travelled in October 2008 on the Everest Base Camp trip
Review 18
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The whole journey really - trekking is about the journey, not just the final destination (though getting to the top of Kala Pattar was great!).
What did you think of your tour leader?
fantastic!
What advice would you give to other travellers?
do this tour! dont expect it to be easy though!
Reviewed by June Egglestone who travelled in October 2008 on the Classic Everest Base Camp trip
Review 19
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Its hard to narrow it down to one specific thing. Seeing a bloke carrying a kitchen fridge by a strap round his forehead in Kathmandu? The first glimpse of the whitecaps above the rhododendron clad foothills? The view from Poon Hill at dawn? Playing cards and wolfing down daal bhat with ten feet of snow against the window? It would take someone far more eloquent than me to describe Nepal; it was never on my list of "must do" countries, but now its amongst my favourites.
What did you think of your tour leader?
Excellent. Raj was terrific and had a great sense of humour - he was always smiling and had a laugh like Muttley out of Wacky Races! Krishna, the deputy, was one of the most courteous and professional men I have ever met.
Do you feel your holiday benefited local people?
In the Sanctuary it is customary to eat at the same teahouse where you sleep, thus providing income for the host family. The Tourism Ministry has quite strict regulations for conduct within the Sanctuary, such as standardised fair pricing and the control of litter.
Do you feel that you got under the skin of a country?
Not so much under the skin as under the bark. This is an outdoorsy tour - and all the more refreshing because of it.
What advice would you give to other travellers?
I went in February, and predictably it was freezing cold at the higher camps. Top packing for this time of year: 1) buy a pair of the beasty wool socks in Kathmandu for the evenings when you have your boots off, but want your toes to remain ON 2) Gore-tex boots and gaiters for the snow fields - check out army surplus 3) Sunglasses for snow glare 4) Shemagh neckscarf to stop draughts 5) Body puff thingy for washing with - at the higher camps you'll have to use warm water from a bucket 6) Bog roll - its expensive once you enter the Sanctuary! Other than that its fairly obvious depending on the season. You need surprisingly little stuff. Enjoy!!
Reviewed by Anthony Lingard who travelled in February 2008 on the Gear Transport and Storage trip
Review 20
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Its hard to narrow it down to one specific thing. Seeing a bloke carrying a kitchen fridge by a strap round his forehead in Kathmandu? The first glimpse of the whitecaps above the rhododendron clad foothills? The view from Poon Hill at dawn? Playing cards and wolfing down daal bhat with ten feet of snow against the window? It would take someone far more eloquent than me to describe Nepal; it was never on my list of "must do" countries, but now its amongst my favourites.
What did you think of your tour leader?
Excellent. Raj was terrific and had a great sense of humour - he was always smiling and had a laugh like Muttley out of Wacky Races! Krishna, the deputy, was one of the most courteous and professional men I have ever met.
Do you feel your holiday benefited local people?
In the Sanctuary it is customary to eat at the same teahouse where you sleep, thus providing income for the host family. The Tourism Ministry has quite strict regulations for conduct within the Sanctuary, such as standardised fair pricing and the control of litter.
Do you feel that you got under the skin of a country?
Not so much under the skin as under the bark. This is an outdoorsy tour - and all the more refreshing because of it.
What advice would you give to other travellers?
I went in February, and predictably it was freezing cold at the higher camps. Top packing for this time of year: 1) buy a pair of the beasty wool socks in Kathmandu for the evenings when you have your boots off, but want your toes to remain ON 2) Gore-tex boots and gaiters for the snow fields - check out army surplus 3) Sunglasses for snow glare 4) Shemagh neckscarf to stop draughts 5) Body puff thingy for washing with - at the higher camps you'll have to use warm water from a bucket 6) Bog roll - its expensive once you enter the Sanctuary! Other than that its fairly obvious depending on the season. You need surprisingly little stuff. Enjoy!!
Reviewed by Anthony Lingard who travelled in February 2008 on the Annapurna Sanctuary trek, 22nd november 2008 trip
Review 21
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Its hard to narrow it down to one specific thing. Seeing a bloke carrying a kitchen fridge by a strap round his forehead in Kathmandu? The first glimpse of the whitecaps above the rhododendron clad foothills? The view from Poon Hill at dawn? Playing cards and wolfing down daal bhat with ten feet of snow against the window? It would take someone far more eloquent than me to describe Nepal; it was never on my list of "must do" countries, but now its amongst my favourites.
What did you think of your tour leader?
Excellent. Raj was terrific and had a great sense of humour - he was always smiling and had a laugh like Muttley out of Wacky Races! Krishna, the deputy, was one of the most courteous and professional men I have ever met.
Do you feel your holiday benefited local people?
In the Sanctuary it is customary to eat at the same teahouse where you sleep, thus providing income for the host family. The Tourism Ministry has quite strict regulations for conduct within the Sanctuary, such as standardised fair pricing and the control of litter.
Do you feel that you got under the skin of a country?
Not so much under the skin as under the bark. This is an outdoorsy tour - and all the more refreshing because of it.
What advice would you give to other travellers?
I went in February, and predictably it was freezing cold at the higher camps. Top packing for this time of year: 1) buy a pair of the beasty wool socks in Kathmandu for the evenings when you have your boots off, but want your toes to remain ON 2) Gore-tex boots and gaiters for the snow fields - check out army surplus 3) Sunglasses for snow glare 4) Shemagh neckscarf to stop draughts 5) Body puff thingy for washing with - at the higher camps you'll have to use warm water from a bucket 6) Bog roll - its expensive once you enter the Sanctuary! Other than that its fairly obvious depending on the season. You need surprisingly little stuff. Enjoy!!
Reviewed by Anthony Lingard who travelled in February 2008 on the Annapurna Sanctuary Nov. 7-22 Proper clothing/footwear trip
Review 22
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
To be honest it was all great but as we were in the Himalayas I would say it would have to be the scenery. The group we had was small (7 people) and we all got on really well with one another and it was just lovely. i was by far the slowest on the trip but was never made to feel that i should hurry up
What did you think of your tour leader?
Vimal was fantastic and we still keep in contact :-) We also got to know the boys that carrried our bags and they were all great - nothing was too much trouble.
Do you feel your holiday benefited local people?
yes - no doubt about it
Do you feel that you got under the skin of a country?
A little bit - we were out in the hills so were sheilded partly from the city life.
What advice would you give to other travellers?
Do this trip - it was AMAZING!!!!!
Reviewed by Gordon Docherty who travelled in November 2006 on the Gear Transport and Storage trip
Review 23
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
To be honest it was all great but as we were in the Himalayas I would say it would have to be the scenery. The group we had was small (7 people) and we all got on really well with one another and it was just lovely. i was by far the slowest on the trip but was never made to feel that i should hurry up
What did you think of your tour leader?
Vimal was fantastic and we still keep in contact :-) We also got to know the boys that carrried our bags and they were all great - nothing was too much trouble.
Do you feel your holiday benefited local people?
yes - no doubt about it
Do you feel that you got under the skin of a country?
A little bit - we were out in the hills so were sheilded partly from the city life.
What advice would you give to other travellers?
Do this trip - it was AMAZING!!!!!
Reviewed by Gordon Docherty who travelled in November 2006 on the Annapurna Sanctuary trek, 22nd november 2008 trip
Review 24
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
To be honest it was all great but as we were in the Himalayas I would say it would have to be the scenery. The group we had was small (7 people) and we all got on really well with one another and it was just lovely. i was by far the slowest on the trip but was never made to feel that i should hurry up
What did you think of your tour leader?
Vimal was fantastic and we still keep in contact :-) We also got to know the boys that carrried our bags and they were all great - nothing was too much trouble.
Do you feel your holiday benefited local people?
yes - no doubt about it
Do you feel that you got under the skin of a country?
A little bit - we were out in the hills so were sheilded partly from the city life.
What advice would you give to other travellers?
Do this trip - it was AMAZING!!!!!
Reviewed by Gordon Docherty who travelled in November 2006 on the Annapurna Sanctuary Nov. 7-22 Proper clothing/footwear trip
Nepal Forum Feedback
Annapurna Sanctuary Nov. 7-22 Proper clothing/footwear
Hi: Just looking for a bit of help for the tour. For Annapurna Sanctuary do you recommend a day hiker or full leather type boot? Are silk sleeping bag liners available and at what cost in Kathmandu? Also, is there a trekking shop in Kathmandu you would recommend for rental of sleeping bags and down jackets. Thanks from Canada for all replies. Brewster
Images of Nepal next week!- clothing & money
hi there, this might seem a crazy question since I am heading off to Nepal next week, but I am still at a loss as to what is really needed to wear and what isnt? I have been looking at photos of Nepal in December and to be honest it looks a lot warmer than in the UK at this time of year ! I had reckoned on getting warm gear - ie thermals, mid layers and fleeces - but am wondering if this is going overboard? Can you advise on what is essential ? Also I have a question about cash- what is recommended - ie proportion of travellers cheques to cash, and are Euros or US dollars (apart form local payment) best? Last minute stuff ! thanks John
Images of Nepal - sleeping bags
Hi We are preparing for the 'Images of Nepal' tour and need some advise on sleeping bags. When we leave Nepal we are heading for a bit of R+R in Sri Lanka and want to take as little luggage as possible. Instead of bringing our own sleeping bags for the trek part of the Nepal trip we would like to buy sleeping bags whilst we are in Kathmandu. Could anyone advise how much they would cost and how easily you can get hold of them? We know from the guide books that you can hire them, but this is not an option for us.
Annapurna Sanctuary trek, 22nd november 2008
Hello, I am just wondering who else is going on the Annapurna Sanctuary Trek 22nd november. Hope to hear from anyone attending.
Everest Base Camp 1 Nov 2008
Hi Just wondering how many & who is going on this trip, getting excited now! Carl
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