Manaslu Heli Tour

  I’m not usually one to write reviews but I strongly felt that Nepal Hiking Team deserve every bit of praise for their efforts and going the extra mile to ensure... read more we had best experience possible.

We were met by a NHT member at the airport who brought us to the hotel where Balaram, the company partner/owner was waiting upon our arrival. We went straight into a meeting on every step of our itinerary and he made sure we had all equipment necessary.

Our guide, Deepak Dhakal and porter, Santosh Koirala were exceptional throughout the entire trip. Their level of service, local knowledge and friendliness was unparalleled. I must add that Deepak’s higher level of English was extremely helpful and Santosh’s enthusiasm to communicate and learn English with us was awesome.

Our conversations together, all the laughs and picking each other up when it was needed are aspects of this trip I’ll always remember. Saying goodbye was like bidding farewell to old friends by the end of it all.

Thank you to the Nepal Hiking Team. Your professionalism and personal touch made our trip an unforgettable one. I could not recommend this group more. Amazing work.

  Incredible adventure on the Manaslu Circuit - We completed the 15 day Manaslu Circuit trek with Nepal Hiking Team in late November 2022.

The scenery of the Manaslu region is stunning and far more beautiful than... read more we had imagined. The weather was excellent! It did get cold but we had blue sky every day and no rain. There were three of us in our group and we only bumped into a few people along the trail. It was incredibly serene and this was a big reason we chose the Manaslu Circuit over Annapurna. We started our trek with a long drive to Machha Khola (which avoided some road sections if we had started in Soti Khola) and finished in Dharapani. In total, we did ten days of actual trekking which was really enjoyable.

Our guide was Ram and porters Namaraj, Sabin and Samir. They were all very professional, capable and polite. They made sure we had a good experience. It’s not the sort of trek where you are provided with lots of information about Nepal along the way, but Ram was always happy to answer questions and share information when we asked. Prior to departing on the trek Ganga had organised a day tour around Kathmandu where we learned about Nepalese culture and it’s well worth doing.

We were impressed by the communication and organisation of NHT during the booking process and our actual trip. Ganga was extremely helpful in answering all our questions and also assisted us to tailor our itinerary as we wanted to travel to Bandipur and Chitwan after the trek. We were collected from the airport we met Ganga and our guide the day before the trek which was nice. He even organised our transport back to Kathmandu airport a good two weeks after we finished the trek which we hadn’t expected but really appreciated.

We were happy with the accomodation before the trek (Woodapple Hotel) and we chose to stay there where we returned to Kathmandu. On the trek you stay in tea houses. The quality of tea houses on the trek varied but for the most part were very nice. We enjoyed most of the food, it’s best to eat the vegetarian Nepalese/ local options rather than western choices - they are delicious, especially the Dahl baht and momos. Our favourite tea houses were in Namrung, Lho and Samdo (the hot shower at Samdo for 500 baht was money well spent) and our least favourite were Samagaun (a shame as you spend two nights there) and Dharamasla. You won’t get much cell/wifi coverage (which is quite nice) but you can buy a warmish shower at most tea houses for between 250 and 500 rupee. We brought our own warm sleeping bags and pillows which we appreciated as the cleanliness of extra blankets and pillows in tea houses was often lacking (Nepal Hiking Team can also supply a sleeping bag and down jacket but we chose to bring our own).

Overall we loved our experience. We would be happy to book with Nepal Hiking Team again and 100% recommend the Manaslu Circuit as an incredible adventure.

Tips: I’d suggest bringing your own food (eg that you can add hot water to) for the tea house at Dharamasla as it was extremely basic and you don’t want to risk food poisoning the night before the Pass. Biodegradable wet wipes, toilet paper, a life straw, water sanitation tablets and plenty of hand sanitiser are also suggested! Drink lots of water to help with acclimatisation.

  I’ve had a great experience hiking to Everest Basecamp with my guide Thakal! Also the manager was very friendly and helpful before and after the trek.

  Guiding a fantastic group on a charitable challenge up to Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar. Fantastic 15 day package staying at The Marriott Hotel both prior and after, and... read more we needed it!! No corners cut here, excellent trip with every member of the team summiting Kala Patthar and reaching EBC. Congratulations one and all - Great example of how its done with a bit of quality!!

  My wife and I had awesome experience with Nepal Hiking Team!! We did the Annapurna Circuit Trek last April and all I can say is that it was a lifetime... read more trip. Our experience started in Kathmandu. Ballaram was personally to welcome us at the hotel and booked us in a very nice and confortable room at WoodApple Hotel which is close to the Kathmandu's main attractions. During the trek our guide (Surya) and our porter (Keshab) did all they could to provide us with the niciest accommodations and food during the trek. They were very professional regarding the aclimatization to the high altitude. We live in a sea level city and before our trek we were woried about high altitude sickness. Surya was very carefull on advising us to control our walking speed and hydration, plus they helped us with a lot of climb high and sleep low. The result is that my wife didn't had any simptoms of high altitude sickness (even in Thorong La Pass) and I had very litle headache that I'm not sure if it was due to altitude or due to the cold wind up in the pass. About the trek it were incredible, the weather were just perfect, there was a lot of blooming along the way and a thin cap of snow at the pass, which turned the landscapes even more beautifull. I can say it was one of the best vaccation of my life!

  We did Mt. Everest Base Camp, the three high passes, and Gokyo lakes with Nepal Hiking Team in April 2022.

I initially reached out to Ganga in April... read more 2021, remembering the positive feedback I heard from fellow overlanders while in India in 2017. I must have emailed Ganga 100 times between April 2021 and April 2022. We ended up delaying our trek from October 2021 to April 2022 due to covid, and I had so many questions. I wanted to make sure I didn't forget anything and was as prepared as possible. We hadn't traveled in nearly 3 years, and I was pretty nervous about many things. Ganga always got back to me within 24 hours, and was always patient, thorough, and polite, putting any concerns I had at ease.

When we arrived to Nepal (our flights were delayed in-transit, fortunately Ganga was able to track us since my means of communication was limited), we were greeted at the airport by Balaram. We couldn't have asked for a more kind or friendly person to welcome us to Nepal, he was perfect!

Over the next day we learned more details about the trek with a briefing from Ganga, and got to tour Kathmandu according to what NHT arranged. We enjoyed the local guides NHT arranged for us, and the sites. And of course the cuisine! We love Dal Bhat!!!

We were happy to get away from the hustle of the city, and on the amazing flight to Lukla the following morning. We got so lucky with our flights- so many times they are delayed due to weather, and we got in and out just as scheduled.

Our guide, Ram, and porter, Neema, were absolutely outstanding!!! We had gone to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2019, and everything we read about Everest Base Camp said it was easier. Base Camp was more gradual than the final push to the top of Kili, however those three high passes were something else- we had no idea how much of a challenge that would end up being. Fortunately, we paid extra to be in a group by ourselves, and could really take it slow with individual attention from our helpers. Ram and Neema made sure we were safe, often holding onto or spotting one of us through the rockiest parts of the passes, when we went downhill. We had contemplated not doing the 2nd and 3rd pass after the first one. Fortunately, thanks to Ram and Neema, we made it through all of them without getting hurt, and, were able to enjoy the true highlight of the trip- majestic views of the Gokyo lakes, at Gokyo Ri, and from Renjo La Pass. Neema handled our luggage with such ease that he usually would go ahead of us, put the bags down, and come back to help. Sometimes he helped while carrying our luggage! We truly could not have done this without Ram and Neema. We have them to thank for making this experience of a lifetime successful, and something we will cherish memories of, forever.

Wow, 2+ months later we're still in complete awe of what we accomplished. The views are out of this world. Despite it having been the greatest challenge of our lives, we want to go back to Nepal and hike Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake in the next 2 years. We will only consider Nepal Hiking Team, and already look forward to it, even though we know it will be the second greatest challenge of our lives.