Kathmandu Active and outdoor Trips

This holiday was a dream come true for me. Our guides throughout the tour were brilliant at giving information regarding a wide variety of visits. Our main guide, Santosh, was amazing from our first meeting until the taxi collecting us on the last day. His knowledge, concern, caring friendly nature and humour made the holiday....nothing was too much trouble for him. The variety on the tour was very well balanced; I would highly recommend it. The only challenge was sorting the visa; I paid on line and was charged again at tbe airport after being told the first payment was a scam! However this didn't impact on the holiday as I enjoyed every minute of it.

I loved that The Annapurna Foothills trip was like three trips in one: the temples, colour and bustle of Kathmandu, the peace and green beauty of the foothills and the interest and serenity of Chitwan National Park. Our leader Santosh was efficient, caring and funny.

We were only 4 explorers, and we had an amazing time with our lovely guide and driver. The country is so green and beautiful . I was pleasantly surprised about the quality of accommodation and food. I would highly recommend this trip.

This was a interesting trip to a fascinating place. The flight from Nepal to Paro passing Everest and through the tree covered valleys set the scene for a week in a stunningly beautiful country where the air is clean and the people welcoming. The trip was well paced and most of the hotels were of a very good standard. We could not have been in better or safer hands than with our excellent guide Sanom and driver the Captain. The walk towards the Tigers Nest is doable if you are reasonably fit and take your time, although the altitude adds an extra challenge. And with rain setting in I found the descent more difficult and could not have been more grateful for our guide assisting all the way. The final two days in Kathmandu were a good taster for a very different but equally interesting country. I very much appreciated the knowledge and passion for their country of the local guides we had.

Bhutan is a unique country and Chencho, ably assisted byTandin and driver Captain John, was central to an excellent local team. He was enthusiastic, informative, cheerful and helpful and was a first class ambassador for his country and culture. Fortresses, temples and monasteries were fascinating however equally so were the delightful people, scenery, high passes and the iconic Tiger’s Nest. Accommodation was made by the staff, with Thimphu’s centrally located hotel being excellent, with the best hotel food. Paro’s hotel, with lovely staff, was too far out of town for me and limited local independent sightseeing. Pre and post Bhutan in Kathmandu, Sandar was an excellent leader, transport coordinator and guide, with the Ambassador Hotel being well located and excellent. Kathmandu guided tour was very good despite this being a long day, post a very early flight from Paro. The Drukair flights to Paro were very good however an important area for improvement is to arrange for the group Bhutan flight booking to enable individual online check in and seat selection on the favourable side of the plane for Himalayas views. With airport check in, one ends up with what seat is left, or in the case of the outbound flight, what’s right!

Kinzang was an excellent tour leader and along with our driver Ngawang made our trip very memorable. Kinzang was always informative and helpful, and Ngawang was an excellent and careful driver. Our highlights: 1. The Punakha festival, which was a wonderful colourful spectacle. However you will be sitting for several hours on the paved stone ground so bring a cushion or mat to sit on. 2. Our walk up to the Tigers Nest Monastry. A challenging but rewarding trip. Kinzang was excellent and thoughtful in setting a pace to suit us all. Bhutan is a beautiful country, with lovely friendly people.