Beautiful country. Amazing tour guides. Enjoyed the scenery, the tours, and the hike to the Tiger's Nest Monastery ( which was the highlight of the trip ). The hotels and the food (all buffet) were good. The tour guide and the driver were spectacular. All of the people I encountered in Bhutan were friendly and welcoming.
From the autumn 2016 season the Mera Peak trek/climb by this tour operator changed from a camping based itinerary of previous years to lodge or tea house based accommodation. I/we departed in October 2016. Before commencing the trek Id convinced myself that the trek in to Mera would be broadly similar to the Everest Base Camp trek, I was very wrong. There is no gentle start and long days requiring sustained effort are the theme pretty much throughout. The route taken for the first few days is very quiet and had a feel of "going around the houses" for me. That quieter route also makes for much more basic lodges than those found on EBC for example but they were all adequate. The longer approach route does however allow for excellent acclimatisation, a major key to success. All the approach routes converge in Kote and it is then a straight shot up the now rocky Hinku valley. I didnt find the approach trek in to be very scenic and that wasnt helped by day after day of cloud cover. I wonder if a November departure would be worthwhile for clearer skies. Khare, which I thought of as base camp village, was a surprsingly busy place with climbers from all over the world either preparing for or returning from Mera. Stories of six groups having been beaten back by high winds the previous day brought about a realisation that nature could quite easily scupper our plans. Having left Khare and reached the snow line, those of us that brought our own mountain boots and crampons were reunited with them by virtue of some porters that had gone ahead of us. I was now using mountain boots and crampons on snow for the first time, I found I tired far quicker than I cared to admit at the time. After a short but steep climb things level out and then it was a relatively short walk to Mera La camp for the night. The sunset and night time stars were very nice. We were now in tents for the first time. I wish I hadn't binned off my Thermarest mattress as a weight saving effort for the Lukla flight. Foam mattresses were provided but I could still feel the cold coming up from the ground. The next day was a short one from Mera La to High Camp. It however is one of those sections where the destination never seems to get any closer despite feeling you're working like a steam train at full speed. The amusement of high camp's precarious position soon passes as you try to concentrate on getting some sleep for the upcoming 0030 wake up call. I got no real sleep. We then started our torch lit climb through the night in deeply sub zero temperatures. It was hard going, really hard going, there was little talking amongst us. It was just heads down and endure it. The group were imposing more rest stops on the guides than they wanted but I don't think there were any negative consequences when all said and done. My fingers were numb with cold. The sun slowly rose and Mera central summit could now be seen ahead. We left our rucksacks at the foot of the summit and using our Jumars went up the surprisingly short roped section fixed by our guides, it was easy and I was on the summit in a minute. It had taken around 7 hours from leaving High Camp with no sleep (for me) since Mera La the previous day. It was bitterly cold on the summit and very windy, there wasn't any open celebration. There now followed an extremely long walk all the way back down to Khare village with only a short pitstop at High Camp along the way. It was exhausting. Availability of water was a problem too since much if not all of our water was still frozen despite the now blazing morning sun. I was gasping for a drink. Ngima our leader had some warm water in a flask and I will definitely take a small flask when I find myself back on a high mountain again. What now remained was the trek "home" to Lukla. The third day of decent involved far more steep climbing than we were in the mood for but we gt where we were going. Conditions on the Zatrwa pass werent as bad as they could be. During our trek trail crampons or shoe grips weren't necessary. There were only a couple sections of ice a few paces long. The decent from the pass is long and steep, thankfully the national park authority have been building a stone staircase which makes things a little easier but you still have to watch your step. There is the potential for an overnight stay a few hours short of Lukla but depending on progress it can be skipped and we pressed on for Lukla and some comfort... relatively speaking
ClimbingTrekking and Hiking
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Camping, Lodge, Tent
Age Range
18-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Kathmandu, Tangnag, Mera Peak Ba
Kathmandu, Tangnag, Mera Peak Base Camp, Mera La, Mera Peak High Camp, Mera Peak, Zatrwa La Pass, Lukla, Piuyan, Pangkongma, Nashing Dingma, Chholem, Sukye La, Kothe
The hotels were fantastic — central, comfortable, and beautifully presented. It made such a difference to be close to everything while still feeling relaxed and at ease. The coach was also very comfortable and reliable, and guided us through heavy traffic safely and on time.
My EBC trip was perfectly planned. First of all, I want to thank Mr. Gokul, my guide Kali, and Amita from operations a million times. The guesthouses I stayed in were warm and clean. My guide Kali was always kind and supportive. I’m very excited for my ABC trip this year—hope to see you again soon!
Trekking and HikingAdventure
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Guest House
Age Range
10-79 yrs
Operated in
english, nepali
Destinations
Everest Base Camp trek, Kathmand
Everest Base Camp trek, Kathmandu, Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar, Namche Bazar, Lukla, Phakding, Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche
Lahiru was fantastic to work with! He was incredibly responsive and provided us with the trip of a lifetime in Sri Lanka. We enjoyed the extra experiences that were so unique and felt like we truly experienced the best of Sri Lanka, even though we were only there for a week. We always appreciate trips that inspire us to return! Without a doubt, we would gladly choose this tour operator again in the future!
The trip gave a comprehensive tour of some of the main sights in Vietnam. The walking elements in Pu Luong, the hike to My Son temple, and the Mekong Delta were highlights, as was Hanoi. Most of the other walks were sightseeing tours in the cities. Our guide Juan was very organised and professional, and his insights into the history and people were very interesting. The standard of the accommodation was very good. The walking was very sedate and would be doable for almost all travellers. As an introduction to the country, it ticked all the boxes.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
We reached out to several operators but chose to work with Lahiru due to his honesty and straightforwardness. We provided him with a list of our desired activities and accommodations for our 15-day trip, and Lahiru responded with an excellent itinerary and fantastic hotel recommendations. The price was reasonable, and the all-inclusive package meant we didn’t have to worry about any additional services.
The hotels we stayed at was great, excellent food and amazing hospitality. The van was in good condition, equipped with air conditioning, and our driver, Asanka, skillfully navigated Sri Lanka's challenging roads. Lahiru, who also served as our guide, was incredibly knowledgeable and kind, making our experience even more enjoyable.
Without a doubt, this is one of the best tour operators in Sri Lanka.
Thank you,
Linda and John
Adventure
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort
Age Range
18-80 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Negombo, Sigiriya, Kandy, Anurad
Negombo, Sigiriya, Kandy, Anuradhapura, Galle, Ella, Yala National Park, Colombo, Tissamaharama
Excellent tour leader, helped me climb up Sigiriya. He was friendly and knowledgeable.
We saw a lot during the week and stayed in lovely hotels.
The only downside was the poor service of Srilankan Air, but there was efficient help when our flight was cancellec
Active and outdoorWildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Colombo, Negombo, Wilpattu Natio
Colombo, Negombo, Wilpattu National Park, Mihintale, Kandy, Koggala