Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek: 22 Days

We were a group of just two with a guide and a porter, most other companies wouldn’t accommodate a group of just two people and the only other one that did was double the price so we were very happy to go without a big group, going at our own pace with no internal politics, I did a lot of research and wanted to use a Nepalese company which is eco conscious and a good price, Nepal Hiking fulfilled all criteria and were friendly and accommodating from our first communication. I was recommended to organise the trip cheaper from Kathmandu but I’m glad I didn’t, many other groups we met that did this commented on how friendly and helpful our guide Gakul was, his english was much better than most other guides and he would give us a detailed briefing every night on what to expect the next day, which other groups with different companies didn’t have. I think another big factor was that our guide and porter, Vim, felt like friends in no time, we would play cards and drink and joke together whereas other guides didn’t interact that much and were a bit distant from their groups. Gakul would always negotiate the best accommodation he could in any village we were in and would always ask us to check we were happy with them before accepting, other groups were just put in the cheapest places without any input. Any questions we had about the local culture, were always greeted and answered well and any requests to try local delicacy’s were organised. He was very conscious of our health the whole way and always reminding us to go slow, especially at high altitudes, when we got to Lhonak and other groups were experiencing altitude sickness he got a mobile BPM meter out and checked our heart rates were at the correct level. Our porter Vim was a machine, I still can’t believe his strength, he was always fastest and was carrying between 25-30kg the whole way, although his english wasn’t very good we still laughed together and was always friendly. The hotel in Kathmandu was amazing as were our tours of the old parts of the city, all our transfers and flights were smooth and they were always conscious of our needs the whole way. We were even treated to a lovely meal in Kathmandu after our trip with another group, our guide Gakul and Bhairam, one of the owners, at a restaurant with traditional Nepalese dancing for no extra charge. All in all it was an amazing trip and I feel so lucky to have found Nepal Hiking, I would recommend them highly to anyone and very much hope to use them again in the future.

Nepal Hiking arranged a bespoke trek especially for a friend and I so that we did not have to join a larger group. Our guide and porter were excellent, with very good english and expert knowledge – more like our travelling companions. It was clear that we had the most helpful and friendliest guides on the mountain. I have never smiled and laughed more. Other groups repeatedly commented about the higher standard of quality displayed by the Nepal Hiking staff in comparison with their own guides. Our guide and porter became friends for life whom we want to return to travel with again. We were met at the airport by the owner and put up in a lovely hotel in Thamel, before and after the trek. We were also driven to the airport by the owner when we departed. In addition to the Kathmandu city tour which was part of our itinerary, we arranged two further days of Kathmandu city tours upon our return. Nepal Hiking simply listened to what we wanted to see and arranged a guide and taxi for the following morning. We were taken out for a farewell dinner at the end of the trek, and constantly supported and engaged with beyond all expectations. I cannot recommend Nepal Hiking more highly. They really care about providing the highest standards of service to their clients. Both before during and after the trek. The owner also took me to a local tailor so I could have a suit made, and translated for me. They were also by far the best value in terms of pricing. Both cheaper, and involving more time on the trail walking, rather than travelling for additional days in jeeps. This is a truly first rate company. Everything was so well organised and easy, it left us free to tackle the gruelling trail and enjoy the views without distractions or concern.

Il trekking del Kanchenjunga è lungo e classificato difficile, ma l’ottima organizzazione di Nepal Hiking, la competenza e la capacità di Bikesh Rana ( la nostra guida ) e di tutto lo staff l’hanno reso un’esperienza bella ed indimenticabile.

Tilak inoltre è stato un prezioso aiuto per risolvere i problemi sorti alla fine del trekking a causa dei voli sospesi nel periodo dell’eruzione del vulcano islandese, i quali ci hanno costretto a prolungare il soggiorno di altri quattro giorni.
Sembra che in Nepal ci sia un detto che dice “mai viaggiare in tre […]” e noi eravamo tre, abbiamo avuto qualche contrattempo ma tutto si è risolto per il meglio grazie all’impegno dell’agenzia di trekking.

Ci sentiamo quindi di consigliare Nepal Hiking a chiunque voglia visitare questa mag-nifica nazione.