Kimkim Trip Reviews for Nepal

Erin, the Himalayan Trails staff, our guide Wongchu and the team of porters were all stellar throughout our whole experience - from the 10 month pre-trek planning and prep phase, to the moment we stepped out of the Kathmandu airport and all the way back again to our departure. As pretty well fit 50 year olds we found the Gokyo Ri/Lakes circuit challenging, namely due to the altitude. But the length of the trek and the acclimatization days did seem to help ease the associated symptoms. Some highlights: the agro-based sherpa culture village/landscape of Rimjung; the sheer bazaar-ness of the location, size and activity of Namche Bazar; the altitude sickness presentation in Machherma; summiting Gokyo Ri with the accompanying 360 degree view of the Himalayas including, of course, Mt. Everest; crossing Renjo La Pass; and just meeting and witnessing the beautiful, hardworking, ancient Himalayan and Sherpa peoples going about there daily lives.

We were a group of 4 adults and 4 adventurous children (age 7-10) and had a really great introduction to Nepal covering trekking, wildlife in the Chitwan National Park and an immersion to Kathmandu which included a very insightful market visit and a brilliant cooking lesson - supported by Raj and the team.
In the run up to the trip we found the team to respond quickly, answer a host of questions and adapt the itinerary to meet our changing requirements. We took a couple of internal flights to cut down travel time on the road that were delayed several hours - come to the airport prepared for delays, and many of the roads were very bumpy - again be prepared! The t-shirts and water bottles which were gifted to us were appreciated as well as the briefing session on arrival so we could ask any unanswered questions face to face e.g. how much to tip the guides/ porters, how cold it would be up the mountains etc.
My only advice would to be very clear how far you wish to trek each day and how able/ active your party are. We felt we could have gone further and seen plenty more - and having briefed this in we were disappointed that our trekking was over much earlier than we had hoped each day with limited possibility to make changes while en route.

This trip was organised incredibly well. Tashi was able to factor in Kathmandu’s culture, a trek to Poon Hill and experience the jungle in Chitwan within 12 days.
Tashi continually replied promptly and would always help me with any questions and queries I had about the trip. He was friendly and professional when we met at the airport, and talked me through the trip and helped me find trekking gear.
My guide, Pemafuti, and porter were both incredible during my trek and made me feel comfortable during my trip. There were experienced, friendly and allowed me to use one of their trekking poles when mine broke.
Poon Hill was by far the most memorable part of my trip.
I would highly recommend doing the itinerary that I followed, as I covered so much in such a short amount of days. I felt accomplished yet I didn’t feel I rushed any part of my trip.

Our group of seven recently came back from a trek in Nepal through your company and i thought it may be helpful to provide some feedback on our experience. Overall, we had a fantastic time and found all the staff professional, positive, and very attentive. We really appreciated that Erin was able to book not just our trek, but also our kathmandu hotel, our Surkhet hotel, and our internal flight to Surkhet. That was so convenient for us and made our lives much better. Everythimg was taken care of and we didn't have to worry about even one night's accomodations. 

Sonam, our guide...Our guide was fantastic!! She was a highlight of our trip!!! She seemed to genuinely care about us having a good experience. She had a great attitude and was so positive and fun! She was a great communicator, explained what to expect very well, and laid out each day clearly. She was also very good at estimating how long it would take to get to our destination, something Nepalis aren't always good at. She was a delight to spend two weeks with! I would highly reccommend her as a guide to anyone. Since our group was mostly women, we loved that we had a female guide!!

The porters and assistant guide...The porters enthusisam and pleasant personalities were a delight to be around. We really liked that they didn't smoke like we saw many others doing. They all worked so hard and anytime we asked them for anything they were right there to help us. They were fantastic!!!!

The food on the trek...The food was plentiful with a lot of variety. We all ordered different things and felt very accomodated. We all found the food delicious and got our fill. It was better than we expected!!

Hotel Manaslu...Our kathmandu hotel was great! The food, accomodations, staff were all great. It was our little refuge from the bustle of kathmandu life. 
The hotel in Surkhet...Our Surkhet hotel was far more than we thought we would get there. The hotel driver was there to pick us up at the airport, the food was great, and the staff very accomodating.

Trekking accomodations...Our first Hotel, ABC Hotel, was very dirty and we just sucked it up and endured. It was quite horrible and we were worried the whole trek would be like that. It got better almost with each hotel and we enjoyed all the other ones. We loved the hot showers and the rooms that had comforters!!! The clothes lines were really nice too. A couple of rooms had trash cans and we felt like we won the lottery.

Erin...Erin was always quick to respond to our questions while we were planning and getting ready in the US. Her enthusiasm came through in her messages, and once we met her she was equally enthusiastic. She was bery smiley and friendly and clearly enjoyed working with people. We had an issue with getting the permits and giving our passports to one of the staff people and she came to our hotel right away. She was good at solving problems in a timely manner. My only constructive feedback for Erin would be to be more definitive and less loosey-goosey about things. When we asked if we needed crampons or microspikes, she said we can bring them if we have them. We really didn't know if we needed to bring them or not. When asked about bringing snacks she said we could if we wanted to, but really we needed to bring them. When asked about bringing a sleep pad she said we could bring one if we wanted to, but we never needed one and several people in our group brought them. The beds on the trek all had sleep pads that were very nice. I don't know if Erin has done this trek, but if not, maybe it would be helpful to do it so she can better answer client questions with more certainty and less ambiguity to help people better prepare for their trip. 

The handouts...Some of the information we got pre-departure seemed pretty out dated. 
The tipping information seemed incorrect based on what others told us. 
We didn't need to bring nalgene bottles as they filtered water rather than bolied it. Several of us didn't bring a bladder because of this information, and wished we had one. 
Airport tax is no longer charged on departure. 

The need for crampons or microspikes was very wishy washy. I think you should tell everyone to bring micro spikes. If they don't need them its fine, but if they are needed, it's essential to have them. 

Sometimes it felt like the info was generic to any trek, but it would be nice to have information that was specific to our trek.

Some additional info that would have been helpful...Bring snacks because on the big pass day you won't have acces to food. 

It would be better to get a little more description on what to expect on the trails. We were sort of in the dark as to what to expect and pack for. We got the packing list, but it would have been helpful to know that we would be in both very hot weather as well as very, very cold weather. 
Our time hiked was greater than every day on the description. 

Trekking poles are essential for stream crossings, balance on cliffs, and downhill stints.
It would be helpful to know that the trekking itinerary is an estimate of where we would stay, and that the trek may change based on weather, hiking strength, or accomodations. It would be nice to know that the descriptions we got weren't set in stone if they aren't. 

It would be very helpful to have an idea as to how much various things cost along the trek. Specifically, a hot shower is $5 to $6. Beer is about $6. And wifi ranges from $2 to $5. This would help us to figure out how much money to bring on the trail. It would also be good to know that there are a few handcrafted items we may like to buy along the way. 

The night before the pass and on the pass day  we were told that we should drink warm water, not cold. We were supplied with half hot and half cold water so we wouldnt drink cold water. We were then charged $36 for having the water boiled. We weren't told in advance that we'd be charged for the water and weren't given a choice as to whether we wanted hot water or not. It would have been nice to have been told in advance that we'd be charged, then given the choice as to wheher we wanted it or not. 

We thought we were going to have two rest  days, but we had none and hiked everyday. It would have been nice to know that we really had no rest days to mentally prepare ourselves. 

Oooh we really enjoyed it! It was so impressive, such a beautiful landscape and country. The people are really friendly and the food was good. Fortunately we were lucky with the weather so the view was amazing. Tendu was a nice guide, he really took care of us.
The only little negative thing was that the driver didn't find our hotel where we stayed after the trekking tour. So we had to help him with google maps. But it can happen, so we forgot it immediately when we arrived.

From start to finish my tour organised by Chhewang was seamless and for me effortless. I was very well looked after by my guide Keshab and can’t thank him enough. The responsible trek team communicated everything clearly and consistently where I never felt a worry or not looked after. The trek itself was created and catered specifically to my wishes and the time I had available. I loved every experience, and was lucky to observe many cultural customs as it was the time of the festival.

Hi Erin and the KimKim Team!

Erin you did it again!! Top marks for another incredible trip to Manang.

Your professionalism, friendliness, organistion, attention to detail and providing us with THE best
guides, Raj and Rabin, made for an unforgettable trip. The journey left a profound impression on each of us and will forever stand as a superb adventure in a beautiful country with wonderfully open hearted people.

Dhan'yavāda from us all!

My wife and I booked an 8 day luxury trek around the Everest Area in Nepal with Erin. The travel platform for communication with Erin via KimKim was really easy to use and worked without issues. I found Erin super responsive and exceeded our expectations.

The lodges they utilized were awesome. The Beyul was one of the highlights for my wife and I. The owner is super personable and the dining was great. Another fantastic lodge was the Everest View Lodge in Mende. This lodge is really great.

Erin found our guide, Mindu. He was a super friendly guide and always shared his life as a sherpa and answered our many questions about the area and about the local customs and religion. The porter was also really a nice fellow and our gear was always were it needed to be and in good condition.

At the conclusion of the trip we met with Erin and enjoyed that experience as well. The hotel in Kathmandu was perfect.

Overall I would not hesitate to use KimKim and Erin for a trek in Nepal. I know we will book another trip with them.

O wow... an adventure that far exceeded our expectations! Erin was amazing in our pre-travel planning. I must have asked a million questions that were always answered thoroughly ..I gained such confidence in the team before we had even landed in Kathmandu. All the transfers from pillar to post were punctual, the drivers were super polite, the Kathmandu guides were great ... we were so spoilt! Our trek with Serala as our guide was fantastic. We were very proud to have one of the few woman guides to lead our way..and our porter Ram was so shy but he eventually joined in our laughs and jokes. Nepal has left a tender spot in our hearts, and I know it's because our time there was so well supported by KimKim's entire team.. Thank you and Namaste

Nepal was the second part of our holiday abroad, and it was fantastic. We enjoyed our hotel choices, especially Dwarika in Kathmandu. The helicopter ride to Mount Everest was epic! The views were incredible. Thank you Erin for planning such a memorable adventure.

This was my first time with Kimkim. The platform was easy to use and connect us to Kripa in Nepal who has been great. She arranged everything for us and was extremely helpful. The guides, porters, drivers were sincere, knowledgeable and friendly (if not too friendly, as we prefer guides that are less intrusive ie not having to follow you everywhere including meals). Overall experience was pleasant. Our local specialist Kripa was very attentive and responsive when we need help or advice.

Price is reasonable, we didn't mind paying a premium for better services and arrangements. Mountain biking was deemed begginers but my wife found it quite difficult and scary (she's not the most adventurous type).

Nepal is a great countries, it has both scenary, heritage as well as culture. Thought you must expect min choice of international food (at least nice ones) and alcholol except if you are in some nice restaurant or hotels or tourist area.

We really enjoyed it. Thanks very much.

I found KimKim (and Amanda) totally on the ball, professional, and very competent. They responded to emails/questions very promptly and were very attentive to detail. The greeting and meeting in Kathmandu was helpful and the trip itself was excellent and tailored to our needs. Overall very pleased.

I completed the 3 passes trek in early October - an incredibly challenging and rewarding experience. Ngima (from Nepal Myths and Mountain Trials and Kimkim) was fantastic in tailoring the trek to allow me to complete it over a shortened time frame. He responded promptly to all my questions and requests and was even there to greet to me upon arrival at Katmandu and to see me off after the trek. My guide (Da Furi Sherpa) and porter were both experienced and friendly and were a great support, especially on the steep and sometimes slippery descents. Of the three passes, the Kongma La Pass was definitely the most challenging, though this may in part been due to the fact it was the first pass we did and I was not as acclimatized. I would highly recommend this trek to anyone looking for a challenging trek in Nepal.

The best thing about Himal Mardi trek is the changing terrain from tropical to alpine . Our highlight was reaching the base camp and seeing the closeness of the peaks of Annapurna and Macchapuchare ( Fishtail Mountain) . We had a tremendous guide , Scchapel , who was very informative , very experienced and we got along very well with him . Everything from start to finish was very well organized thanks to Erin . The only setback for me , which probably can’t be helped due to water shortage is that the tea houses are very basic and sanitation like the toilets need to be improved. Having said that the owners who run the tea houses are extremely friendly .

An absolute trip of a lifetime! Our trip was away from the crowds and as such, there was the odd challenge but would highly recommend getting off the path well trodden. We didn't see a single other tourist for the duration of our trip and hence saw the real Nepal, right up close to the border with Tibet. Staying in tents did require more logistics than tea houses but we did feel much more engaged with the scenery and that blissful feeling of isolation every morning. It also felt more of an expedition and brought us closer to our wonderful Nepalese support team; certainly when we were all huddled together in an abandoned farm shack around the fire as the thunder storm lashed against the roof! Day 3 of the Trek was especially memorable and the website was right to mention the steep drops and hard climb but it was pretty awesome. The mountain biking on Day 4 was amazing but challenging for those without much experience and the uphill section needed a solid level of fitness (worth considering bypassing with the jeep for some) but two thirds of the route is downhill and very exhilarating. Even our guide was pumped after it! And finally the white water rafting was brilliant and a perfect end to a real adventure. Our guide was absolutely faultless from start to finish and if you want an accessible to all adventure, I cannot recommend this trip enough

Excellent choice of itinerary for the trek, very professional guide and helicopter pilots during the holiday so that we felt really in good hands. We had a very good time, we will be back.

We had an amazing trip, and experienced the local culture in many different areas of Nepal and saw breathtaking views ! It was like nothing else I have ever experienced . We felt very well supported by our guide Bhim when we visited ghandruk , and our guides in Chitwan. They were all amazing and friendly and full of information and knowledge in their local areas eg. the jungle animals, mountains, history of the area etc . Our trip planner Sangita and her husband bipin were so great and responded to our calls and text when we had unexpected changes to our itinerary.. eg plane or bus late , help with translating , even spoke to the locals at times, to help us plan changes we decided to make on the spot etc , we felt very relaxed and could focus on enjoying every minute knowing whatever happened we were very well supported and never on our own no matter where we were :)) we have had an adventure we will never forget and the best time!! Thanks so much to everyone:))

It was my first trip to Nepal and everything was handled perfectly. Kripa was very helpful and able to give good tips about the trek and the whole office worked to make sure that my experience was great. While the weather could have been more cooperative my guide was able to make adjustments and everything worked out great.

Well organised, friendly, professional from start to finish. The entire NMMT team was very helpful, and our guide, Darfuri Sherpa provided a great hiking experience. The weather was a challenge with flights, but the team made a great effort to ensure that we managed to experience everything we wanted to. Would highly recommend them.

Dafuri was a great/knowledgeable guide and the porters were very helpful. Overall great first experience in Nepal!