If traveling to Nepal, THIS is the guide service to use!
I used Trekking Planner for a first-ever trip to Nepal in November 2022; my 65-year-old father and I completed the Three Passes trek using Trekking Planner’s services. I could praise this company for pages and pages - if you’re looking for a positive, well managed, supportive experience visiting Nepal, go with Trekking Planner!
From my very first email inquiries, I could tell that the business would be perfect for what we needed. The owner, Dipak, was so responsive and answered every question I had. Because the company didn’t have a preset date for the trek we wanted, they set up a private trek - just me, my dad, and our guide and porter. And because my dad has loved Ama Dablam since he was a small child, we even added a side trip to Ama Dablam Base Camp as part of our trek… Trekking Planner had no issue totally curating our itinerary to make sure we got exactly what we wanted out of our experience!
From arriving in Nepal and being picked up at the airport, to being put up in a beautiful little hotel in Thamel before and after our trek, EVERY detail was handled Trekking Planner. As first-time visitors to Nepal, it was wonderful to be able to relax and enjoy without any of the stress of planning the details ourselves. When my dad’s flight ended up changing, making him arrive in Kathmandu hours ahead of me, it was no problem - Trekking Planner picked him up and delivered him safely to the hotel, and was there to pick me up when I arrived later, too.
The trek itself was incredible. Our guide, Ananta, was very knowledgeable and experienced… and patient with our constant stopping for photos! We felt like we were in very capable hands; there was always a plan for each day, and our acclimatization was slow and steady, giving us the best chance to avoid altitude issues. Our safety and health always came first, and there was always a feeling of an open dialogue.
We met many other trekkers during our weeks on the trail, and some traveling solo. To be honest, when I was first looking into coming to Nepal, I was leaning toward going solo / unguided myself. My dad and I are experienced backpackers and climbers; I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy being “guided.” However, I now look back and can’t imagine going solo! It would have made the trip so much more difficult in so many ways - and less enjoyable because of the added stress. Using Trekking Planner, we got to simply hike and immerse ourselves in the amazing beauty around us, without any concerns of finding a lodge for the night in each village or navigating the unique experience that is the Lukla airport. If you want to have the best experience possible, use a guide service. Beyond what I’ve already mentioned, supporting the local economy by employing a guide and porter is really important.
It was clear throughout the trek that Trekking Planner has really strong relationships everywhere you go. At each lodge, we were treated so well, and even at the Lukla airport I observed the Trekking Planner guides able to get good information from the airport workers, so that we could stay up to date (and get seats on the planes back to Kathmandu! Some unguided travelers got bumped, because preference goes to guide services).
In Kathmandu after the trek, we were treated to a farewell dinner from Dipak and even offered complimentary massages from our hotel’s spa services. We couldn’t take advantage of that last part, as I had hurt my ribs toward the end of the trip, but it is just another example of how Dipak and Trekking Planner really take care of all their clients, down to the smallest details.
I couldn’t be happier with how our trip went, and truly owe most of that to Trekking Planner. My dad will likely not be back to Nepal, so I’m so grateful that his bucket list trip was handled so professionally and gave him everything he could have wanted from it. I am quite sure I’ll be back at some point - maybe for an easy climbing trip like Mera or Island Peak - and I’ll absolutely use Trekking Planners services again. Five stars, 10/10!
8 november 2022
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