Annapurna Base Camp Trek

  I'm so thankful to someone who recommended this company to me. I couldn't agree more that they provide the best service. They are very professional and helpful along the whole... read more journey from making enquiries to final day at Kathmandu hotel. Netra our guide always made us feel looked after. Always happy to share his experience, insights and names of the mountains around us with altitudes. Each evening he briefed us on the next day's trek, what to expect and to call on him at night with no hesitation if we had need, with a smile. Netra noticed my struggle and lethargy on the Chola Pass section, one of the most demanding days of the EBC with Chola pass trek. He insisted the porter carry the extra weight of my pack while on the ascent, which the porter did with gladness, just to make it that bit easier. It made a huge difference to know how much they cared about our individual needs. I offered to carry it on the descent but it was no big deal for him to carry it all the way to our guest house. They go the extra mile to ensure we are comfortable and enjoying the trek. No surprise I was the slowest and last to arrive at the guest houses. Netra patiently waited for me and never made me feel rushed. He walked at my pace. When climbing up a hill we stopped often to rest and enjoy the views. With such a client focused mentality Netra and his porters gave us all the best experience we can possibly have in the mountains. While it's a very demanding trek you're in safe hands with Netra.

  Experience of a lifetime - 7 day Annapurna Base Camp w/ Nepal Hiking Team - Nepal Hiking Team is one of the best hiking companies in Nepal. We had planned a 7 day trek to Annapurna Base Camp (5 days of walking and 2 days... read more to get there and back) before the pandemic but our trip had to be postponed multiple times because of the pandemic. Ganga the leader of Nepal Hiking Team worked with us patiently over the years to plan the trip and customize it the the needs and schedules of our party. The trip was arranged by Ganga end-to-end with transportation to and from the hotel and Kathmandu and Pokhara airports, a few days stay in Kathmandu on either end, equipment, and the guides, porters and trek to ABC. The hotel in Kathmandu was modest, clean and central to the nice spots and restaurants in Kathmandu. Ganga organized a fascinating day trip to visit the sites in Kathmandu with a very knowledgable guide. I had a private audience with the Royal Kumari (Princess) of Kathmandu. Don't miss Pashupatinath Temple - one of the holiest Shiva temples.

Our guide for ABC was Hari Saran, the head porter was Rabin Bhandari, and junior porter was Krishna. Foremost they were great company, and very responsible and caring of all the members of our group - the tortoises, the rabbits, the ones with food preferences, ones who needed help carrying their bags at times, etc. We had two birthdays during the trek and had wonderful surprises and treats for the celebration.

Hari was an incredible guide and next time we come to Nepal we definitely want him back. Hari was very knowledgable about the area, the flora and fauna, and during the trek gave us an introduction to the history, people and politics of Nepal. He made the trek safe, smooth and highly enjoyable for us all organizing the lodges, food, showers and WiFi along the way.

Rabin was a lovely human being, concerned for all of us and our needs and safety and foremost we are grateful that he carried a huge load for us. Rabin spoke perfect English and was a great complement to Hari. Our young porter Krishna was always smiling, and training to become a guide.

Nepal that was the hippy destination in the 60s and 70s is now a destination for hikers and NGOs. A lot of young adults simply show up in Nepal for a few months and are often hiking without a guide or porter. We met a lot of wonderful people along the trek and had great conversation with them in the lodges - Nepalese, Europeans (lots of French!), Indians and surprisingly Malaysians.

The lodges along the ABC route are very simple and cold - no insulation or heating. Bathrooms can be dirty (no western style toilets in many lodges) and very few hot showers. But it sure beats sleeping in tents.

Some tips: take Diamox and don't be the one that has altitude sickness and has to be brought down. Be careful with what you drink (no fresh juices) and eat - it will be no fun getting dysentery. And choose a good hiking company - we chose Ganga's Nepal Hiking Team and it was an amazing trip!

Namaste

  A truly amazing experience arriving at Everest Base Camp - I have just arrived back from a truly amazing experience, one for the bucket list crossed off. Firstly, I would like to thank the Nepal Hiking Team and in particular... read more our guide Basu Dev Sapkota. He made the trip possible by being supportive, having great emotional intelligence to understand the groups needs and wants and ensuring we were looked after at all times along the way. Basu and his team were with us all the way from picking us up at the airport to spending the days and evenings with us when we were tired and needed feeding :). If you use the Nepal Hiking team you will be well looked after. some keys bits of info, your kit bag shouldn't way more than 15 kilos including the sleeping bag that they can provide. Less if possible, they say 10 kilos as the sherpa's need to take them up on their backs! the food is plentiful along the way and you can buy bottled water at every interval during the trip. The cost of litre bottle ranging from £1 to £3 as you get higher. I went in November but luckily it was warm during the day but be aware it gets freezing of a night. Key items that I took, a pair of warm slippers for the night and evening, some tracky bottoms to get out of your walking trousers, a small torch, I used this more than a head torch. Altitude tablets is a must, i purchased online, they are called Acetazolamide (Diamox). Don't stress about taking them, the guide will inform you when and how to take them based on progress. I used 3 T-shirts, underwear, 1 pair for every 2 days (no comments please). Liner socks helps your main socks remain clean, main socks 3 pairs enough. Water bladder in the ruck sack made drinking so much easier, and maybe tablets to give the water a better taste, i,e. cycling tabs. Sun cream for your face, good sun glasses but you don't need to spend a fortune. a good jacket, you can buy from Kathmandu very cheap and probably okay but they are generally fake. Walking Poles for me were a absolute must!! As you get higher the rooms wont have heating or electricity so i had 2 battery packs, and a tablet to watch some films in the room. Make sure you have a good set of thermals to sleep in and gloves, a light pair for the nights and thicker for higher altitudes. You can buy chocolate along the way, i did take out some cereal bars but to be be honest i didn't eat many because your appetite slows as you get higher. I took two fleece's, one for walking in (waffle fleece) and a thicker one to wear when relaxing in the evenings, i didn't use a flask, i used 2-3 wick away T-shirts under my T-shirts. A good pair for walking boots is a must, but you need to make sure they are worn in, I had Scarpa's and they were brilliant. I wore a baseball cap during the day and a woolly hat for the evenings. so....a key question of fitness...It says a good level...its hard to judge fitness, everyone is different...in our group we had three in their twenties, they found it tough but had natural fitness and managed well...I'm in my 50'S and would say I have a good level of fitness. I found it really challenging, mainly the climbs, but still did it, Basu managed the pace and made sure it was a slow pace to conserve energy. My advise is to ensure you have the ability to climb steep hills (Brecon Beacons, Wales as an example) for 3 days in a row to help you. If you can do that you will be fine. Don't worry about the altitude, you hear a lot of stories, in fact , no one knows if you will get symptoms, but out of 6 of us only one had some form of sickness and he was the only one that didn't take Diamox. Make sure you have insurance that covers high altitude helicopter rescue, mine was about £350. I took £700 spending money and changed it into Nepalese Rupees out there. £600 is probably enough as i bought some souvenirs. Lastly a big thank you to Basu and his team, they were brilliant and he even carried my bag when i got tired!!!! thanks Basu!!!!! Basu knew when to help, when to slow down the pace and when to encourage you. This trip is a must as long as you prepare, I'm so pleased I've completed it as the views and incredible, the group was amazing and Nepal Hiking team on point!!! thanks to all i had the time of my life!!!!

  We had an amazing experience with Nepal Hiking Team! Ganga was incredibly responsive, accommodating, and quickly answered all our questions before our trip. He arranged a custom ABC trip adding... read more a day-long tour of Kathmandu, a free day in Pokara, and a flight back to Kathmandu. Once in Nepal, he met us at our hotel several times before and after our trek to ensure everything was going smoothly. We can’t say enough about our guide, Hadi, and porters, Navaraj and Ganesh. They became our trail family and kept us safe, comfortable, and educated on the culture and geography of the Annapurna Conservation Area. Hadi brilliantly paced us through days of climbing, arranged the best rooms in every tea house, and kept us laughing the entire trek. He was always attentive to our comfort and safety and was especially caring to our daughter when she was sick with a cold. When we reached ABC the views were blocked by clouds, but the next morning Hadi got up at 5:00 am to wait for the views to clear and woke us up as soon as the clouds lifted! And a highlight of the trek was nightly card games with our team. Nepal Hiking Team and their professional, caring staff are top notch. I highly recommend them and will use them again when we return to Nepal. Thank you for a trip of a lifetime!

  Had a fantastic time with the team. We did the Annapurna Circuit and had Paban as our guide and Gockul as our porter. They were both excellent - took great... read more care of us and made sure we were so well supported throughout the trek. Thank you for such a wonderful time!

  We just got back from the "EBC heli shuttle trek" and we had such an amazing time! Our guide Basu was great, very experienced and knowledgeable.

It was... read more all very well organised and I can highly recommend Nepal Hiking Team