Kimkim Trip Reviews for Nepal

This was my second trip to Nepal. Booked with Nepal Myths and Trails Trekking/climbing Company. So Glad I did. Nigma Dorje is an absolutely amazing owner and operator of his guiding company.
By far the best communication out of the guding companies I’ve used in Nepal. He asnwers all questions and concers promptly and to your full satisfaction! All his staff from his fully certified and experienced guides and porters to his person taxi/driving staff for airport pick ups and drops offs are very hard working and are very dedicated to catering to any and all needs you may have and do it with full smiles. Everything about this company is above and beyond expectations.

Our trekking and mountain climb trip to Mera Peak was a complete pleasure in every aspect. Not to mention our Guide Ang-Gelu Sherpa, was the only guide able to get his clients to the summit and back of Mera Peak saftely in the face of a week of bad weather on the mountain. He along with our high alttitude porters (Dawa Sherpa and Kunga) were able to successfully and in a very short weather window of 4 hours get us to the top with out any set backs.

I would highly reccomend anyone wanting to trek or climb in Nepal to book with this company. Heard soo many horry stories from other clients during this trip about their guiding companies and staff. I will definately be back to Nepal again for more climbing and will be booking again with Nigma Dorje Sherpa. Thanks soo much to everyone at Nepal Myths and Trails for a 100% successful expedition!!!

What an amazing adventure! KimKim.com got us into contact with Marie Stissing from Tiger Tops. Highly recommended. Organisation was impeccable. Itinerary developed by Marie was excellent. Her services are professional and personal. We did a 3 day trek with Mr Saila, an amazing guide and the great Mr Jongkwe as our porter. Mr Mangal did an great job with guiding and advising us with all the transfers. It was like clockwork and he took great care of us. All accommodation was really good and very diverse. It gave us a very good opportunity to get a feel for beautiful Nepal in a very short time. Mr Laxman was a very pleasant and confident driver. We hope to come back and spend more time in Nepal. We will definitely book again with KimKim.com and TigerTops! Thank you!

This was my first time using kimkim, and I'm so glad I did! Amanda was great to work with, she gave me great tour options to fit my needs and advice to go along with it. I was able to customize the trip I wanted, and it was super easy when we had a few hiccups along the way (adding additional travelers, dealing with a flight cancellation). As planning became reality, my friends and I spent 3 days trekking east of Kathmandu through quaint villages and beautiful steppes from Dhulikhel to Panauti. After our trek, we were able to enjoy a few days in Kathmandu exploring. One of Amanda's recommendations was a highlight and a visit I won't soon forget - Pashupatinath, a Hindu crematorium. In a place surrounded by death, there is so much life as well, and in a way that I never imagined. As an American, it really opened my eyes to a different culture and perspective.

Another epic trip! Mads and his team are first class. Not only great guides but great friends!

Off the beaten path adventures. Lifelong memories.

We were very impressed with how promptly, patiently, and thoroughly Ngima Dorji Sherpa answered all our numerous emailed questions. His attention made us feel at ease that he was personally making sure all our requirements were being attended to. We were personally greeted when we arrived in Kathmandu and fully briefed on the details of our meeting with our guide and porter at Lukla.

Our first trip to the Sagarmatha National Park was a most enjoyable and unforgettable experience thanks in large part to the attentive, sensitive, and patient care of our guide Mingmar Gyaljen Sherpa, and porter Chhiring Sherpa. They answered every question, attended every need, steered us away from potential folly, and genuinely looked after our well being. For this they have gained not only our admiration but also our friendship. We now better understand why the uniquely majestic Kumbu Valley region and it warm hearted people make visitors want to come again, and again!

From the moment I requested information about the Poon Hill Trek to the moment I arrived back home from the perfectly organized trip, Mingma and his team have been helpful, kind, informative, and attentive. As a solo female traveler, I was a little apprehensive about what my experience would be. Mingma laid out a tentative itinerary in detail that fit my requests and needs. I was extremely pleased. The price for all of the services (airport pickup, hotel stays, flights between Kathmandu and Pokhara, and a guide) was affordable too! This is a hands-on company! I had a representative from the company accessible to me at all times. Bishow, was my greeter and accompanied me to all of my airport drop-offs and pick-ups, contacted me by phone to make sure my guide and porter where in contact with me, and just made sure I was taken care of. My guide, JB, and porter, Ram, for the trek were very familiar with the trek and were very knowledgable about the area. It was great to have a guide that spoke English as well as the local language and could help with communication! Overall, this company, Mingma, Bishow, JB, and Ram provided a safe and quality experience. I will definitely use them again and refer anyone to them who is looking for a Nepal trekking experience. Thank you guys so much! My time in Nepal was a very memorable and amazing experience!

My son and I had an absolutely amazing experience on the Nar Phu Valley trek. Our guide Chhiring and porter Nara, were fantastic. Chhiring provided us with a lot of commentary about the places, people, and social and cultural influences both past and present. Visiting the villages of Nar and Phu, particularly when there were very few other trekkers, was a remarkable experience but of course the stunning scenery the entire way, was the highlight. When it snowed heavily the night before we were to ascend and cross the Kangla Pass, we were prepared to turn back but Chhiring, having monitored the situation, confidently led us on to the Pass. We often lost the path in the snow but Chhiring expertly picked a line and despite the oft times deep snow, we made it in good time and it was truly an exhilarating moment to reach the top!
Amanda was extremely informative and addressed all our concerns promptly. She was very helpful in both the initial planning stages and very amenable to any changes that we considered. I felt completely confident that the trek was well organized and safe. It was also a pleasure to meet with her and Chhiring before the trek. I would highly recommend Kimkim and Amanda from Himalayan Trails.

First of all kimkim was very easy to use, it was fast, accurate and we would definitely use them again.

Within hours of our initial inquiry, 4/6 weeks before the trip itself, we received a message from Ngima of Nepal Myths and Mountain Trails (NMMT), a Kathmandu based trekking company and from that moment we had direct contact with our tour operator right up until the day we traveled. Ngima listened to our requests and was able to create a bespoke itinerary matching our exact needs. He also provided sound advice in relation to equipment needed and any other questions we had, always responding pretty much immediately or within 24 hours (Max). We opted for the 8 day Khopra Danda Trek, via Ghandruk, asking NMMT to arrange everything from the airport pick up to the airport drop off, including, internal flights, accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout. The cost for two people for 10 days seemed very reasonable.

The trek was everything we could have hoped for. We met Ngima and our guide Lahkpa Sherpa on day one and were given a full briefing of the itinerary prior to the start of the Trek. The next day we met our Assistant Guide Sonam Sherpa and the trek began shortly after. Throughout the trek, both Lakhpa and Sonam were extremely attentive, professional and respectful. Both guides (everyone we met along the way) were extremely kind, good natured and really did make us feel safe and welcome throughout. In addition, Lahkpa's knowledge and experience provided us with a detailed insight into Sherpa life, the local culture and trekking routes through the Himalayas. The scenery itself was spectacular, awe inspiring and majestic... We had never really seen anything quite like it before and our words and pictures could never really do it justice. We were also very lucky with the weather so i'm sure this did help with our experience, as did sticking to the local Dal Bhat for lunch and dinner to avoid any unwanted issues with the food.

Im not the kind of person to rate something 10/10 but im really struggling to find fault in anything we experienced during our trip, so we cannot thank the whole NMMT team enough, especially our two guides Lahkpa and Sonam.

If you are looking for a first class experience with an experienced team of people in the most incredible of locations, then look no further.

Sudarshan was super reliable at any times. He always answered within an hour. Has been very helpful with the planning of the trek. Super professional but also always worried and concerned about how my trek was going. The guide he provided me for the trek was one of the nicest human beings I have met throughoutmy life (Takta). I couldn't have asked for more, I had a great time with him. Making it an unforgettable experience for me. Sudarshan would always make sure the trek was tailormade to my preferences. And he makes sure to meet with you after the trek to give some feedback on how things went throughout the trek. The one thing I can assure is that Sudarshan is highly recommendable to anyone seeking for some adventure in Nepal. He has the knowledge and professionalism to satisfy your needs.

The local team did a great job taking care of us and helping with all our needs! This went beyond the organized part of the tour (buying trekking shoes our organizing transport out of Kathmandu) and we could always count on them

I really had a great experience in Nepal thanks to Kencho and the guide, Mr. Sherpa. It was really a sweet escape and I just had a blast. Everyone was so nice and helpful (starting from the pickup-drop), the resort was great, the track and tour was also memorable. I am so happy that the trip really captured what I want and I really look forward to be in Nepal again

Summary

These guys know their stuff and can handle much more difficult challenges than ours.

Background

John and I started walking about a year ago and decided that it would be a good challenge to go trekking in Nepal. We are 67 and 64 years old and no previous trekking experience.

We first looked at holiday packages to Nepal, many are 14 day packages with 3-4 days trekking. That wasn’t enough trekking for us. Google search recommended using trekking companies being members of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal. Himalayan Trails is on the members list and are also a travel agency with excellent reviews on TripAdvisor. We live in Australia and Himalayan Trails has a sales representative from Australia, Amanda Delecca who handled our package.

Package Development

Contact and financial control was through the US online travel agency Kim Kim website portal. Amanda considered our inexperience, age and general health to design options for us. We chose the lower Annapurna Circuit. After several “conversations” through the Kim Kim portal we extended the 6 day loop to 8 days with a “rest” day at Ghorepani.

On the lead up to our trip Amanda communicated with us giving encouragement and sent helpful tip sheets for arrival and departure, what to pack, etc.

We wanted some cultural experience in our package. Our final itinerary is below.

Day 1. Arrive from Australia.

Day 2. Catch-up day in Kathmandu to meet Amanda and our trekking guide to help us get those last minute items - buy or hire.

Day 3. Sightseeing Pashupati Ceremonial area, Boudhanath Stupa and Swoyambhunath.

Amanda suggested we fly to Pokhara. The flight takes 25 minutes and saves a day on the road. So for about $200 we saved 2 full days travel.

Days 4-11. Fly to Pokhara and drive 45 minutes to start trekking at Phedi to Potana, trek to Landruk, to Grandruk, to Tadapani, to Ghorepani, up Poon Hill pre dawn and return to Ghorepani, to Tikhedhunga, to Hile (20 minutes to catch vehicle for 2 hour drive to Pokhara). This direction around the loop avoided the huge number of steps on the first day ensuring our continued enjoyment.

Day 12. After our trekking we had 2 nights in Pokhara, giving us one and a half days sightseeing on our own.

Day 13-15. On return to Kathmandu, Himalayan Trails met us at the airport and took us up to Namobuddha, the next day to Bhaktapur, then we were off.

The Actual Experience

I have travelled a little bit now and my wife and I often book a package at our country destination, such as in Jordan, or Morocco. It is always a consideration as to whether we would be met at the airport. In this case the guide and driver were there holding a sign so we knew we had “landed”.

From there everything went as promised. Guides and drivers were all very good, not rushed, knew their stuff, and were patient while I took photos, or had to repeat information. All vehicles were modern and clean in as new condition. We got the sense that they considered it a privilege to work for Himalayan Trails. We had a different guide and driver on our return, they knew their areas, being a Buddhist and living in Bhaktapur.

The most important people were our trekking guide and porter. Turns out they were both from the Sherpa region. Our guide “No-wun” was very experienced having been on mountaineering expeditions since he was 14, on Mt Everest and leading climbing expeditions on other mountains. No-wun checked everything we hired, bought, or used. On the trail he set a comfortable pace for us, rested us when needed, checked our rooms, monitored the kitchens, looked after all our needs.

Our porter “Peppi” walked with us following up behind, waiting when one of us stopped. Eventually Peppi joined with John and I singing on trail.

All four of us easily interacted like old friends.

Each day we trekked 3-5 hours with two 6 hour days. It meant we were checked into our tea house most days by 2pm avoiding the need to trek in the afternoon storms. In March the sun shines in the morning and clouds and rain come in the afternoon. We had plenty of time to dodge the hail and explore local villages on our own.

Accommodation Food and Facilities

The hotels and resorts in Kathmandu Valley and Pokhara were excellent. Our first was The Inn Patan right next to the central square. It was originally a large family home. So convenient to historic sites. John and I walked around at dusk. The room was big and faced a back courtyard so very quiet, beds very comfortable and menu cosmopolitan enough for us both.

In Pokhara we stayed in the Temple Tree Resort. It was definitely a resort! Beautiful property, big rooms and really hot showers. Prices for food and clothes washing were high, so we ate out at Moondance cafe each meal and I got my washing done across the street in a small laundry opposite the entrance for next to nothing, so I gave the lady double. We visited the Gurkha Museum and the International Mountaineering Museum on our first day; and went for a boat ride on Lake Fewa and shopping the next.

We stayed at the Namobuddha Resort high on a Hill. It was very unusual with separate buildings, vegetarian food, and a sense of serenity. We sat outside having a vodka before going to the main building for dinner. Rooms were generous, the bathroom was in a separate building and massive! Loved the food there.

Our last few nights were at 1905 Suites. We were blown away by this boutique property. We ate dinner in and the food was amazing.

Some summing up the hotel and resort part of the package - all properties were privately owned and offered completely different experiences, rooms and food excellent, bathrooms functional. We would recommend any of them to our friends.

Accommodation on the trail was “Tea Houses”. All offered us twin rooms with a simple, but comfortable bed in dormitory style accommodation. Meals were limited, with the same menu appearing almost everywhere. All the food we tried was good - especially given where we were! The Chicken Dal Bhat was my local favourite. Those with sweet tooth can try mars roll, or chocolate pudding!

We had a mix of washroom arrangements, but most were ensuite. All places had an English type toilet in the room, and at least one English communal toilet. Hot water ranged from almost cold to scolding, so test your water first. We trekked early March so we had limited number of other trekkers. The only Tea House that was a bit average was the one a Tadapani. Our favourite was the one in Ghorepani called Superview Hotel. All Tea Houses had wi-fi, but power was not reliable. If you take a lot of video then take a power bank with you. I used mine once to recharge.

All our expectations for a great trip and trekking were well exceeded.

We had a debrief with Amanda on our last day - just where we started at Himalayan Java Coffee at the entrance to Thamel. Great place. We spent an hour with her going through all aspects of our trip before saying goodbye. It was evident that Amanda had been in contact daily with our guides and hotels/resorts and was across our whole trip.

Conclusion

Well there is much that I cannot say in this short space, but our experience with Himalayan Trails was outstanding. Although our trekking was simple and easy (compared to others) we felt we were treated with the same high levels of service and safety. We would confidently recommend them to any of our friends.

Other Things You Should Know

If your going that far to Nepal, take a scenic flight to Mt Everest, after all it is the “big daddy”and see the top of the world go by. We tried it on Day 3 but due to cloud got cancelled on the runway. Himalayan Trails rescheduled us with Buddha Airlines on Day 15. We saw it. Truly awesome experience.

When in Nepal, use taxis. They are not that dear. Negotiate a price up front and get to where you need to be fast. Don’t waste your time travelling - you’ve paid to be there so get to where you want to be quickly.

Be generous. Tip for good service. You don’t have too, but a small amount in European, American, or Australian is nothing to you and is a great deal to the Nepalese.

Happy trekking.

Phil Hewitt
Adelaide Australia

Overall excellent. Good hotel in Kathmandu (Shankar). Amanda and team came to brief us. All well organised and implemented. Day trip around K was not enough (so we spent some more time on our own later). Requested "old folks" walking trip in hills near K was well organised and guide (Dawa) was sympathetic and adjusted pace to suit our knees. Very interesting and comfortable places to stay along route. We requested "view of the mountains" and it was provided! (courtesy of some rain which cleared the smog).

Overall - excellent.

Mads was so quick to suggest the great trek designed specifically for my 10 yr old daughter and I. He responded fast to any questions we had in the organisation phase too, nothing was too much bother for him.
Amanda contacted us in Kathmandu and it was lovely to meet her and Niresh (our guide) prior to commencing our adventure the next day.
Niresh was a gentle, knowledgeable guide who answered all of my silly local questions and shared so much of his knowledge and experience with us. He took care of everything each day (even my daughters ravenous apetite!!) .
Receiving a special thank you gift from Amanda at HT after our adventures had finished was a beautiful surprise! And the follow up phone call the next day was great too.
We can’t wait to book another trek!! Communication and in country support was second to none x

We had a wonderful 8 days in Nepal. Our itineray was very professionally organised by Amanda Delecca from start to finish. I could not fault her communication skills which was the reason we chose Amanda versus other tour operators. Amanda even arranged to meet us personally on arrival at our hotel to make sure everything was ok for the trip and to introduce us to our guides. Because of our limited time in Nepal Amanda had a good understanding of the amount of time we would need in each place including Kathmandu and Pokhara and our 3 day trek to Dhampus and Astam. Every detail was taken care of including pickup and drop off at the airports, our accommodation at Mums Garden in Pokhara and hotel Manaslu in Kathmandu which were both comfortable and clean and the Eco lodges on our trek even had hot water. I would like to make a special mention of our amazing treking guide Tendu who was very caring and went out of his way to make sure everything was ok throughout our time away and also the lovely quietly spoken sherpa Lakpa.They both travelled 8 hours on the bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara to accompany us on the trek. The highlight of the trek was to wake up early on our last day at Astam Ecco Village to see that the rain and mist had cleared and we had a magnificent view of the Annupurna mountains. Thank you all concerned for a most memorable time in Nepal. Helen and Ralph Arbon

Kripa was great at helping me plan everything! She made sure I was completely ready before my trip. My trek was amazing and definitely my highlight of Nepal. My guide was really helpful and kind to carry my bags with me, but I wished it was more interactive. He did not talk to me very much. However, my overall experience was wonderful.

We had a fantastic trip! - Thanks so much to Amanda, Pemba and Nima for all their support and looking after us before and during the trip. The trek was spectacular -in particular, watching the sunrise at Muldai point! The planning and logistics when we were there, were seamless. I would highly recommend Himalayan Trails!

Overall, very happy with Ang Gelu and Kunga. Both of them compliment each other, and they understood our trekking style.

Ang Gelu - Extremely patient person. Seriously, I can't tell you how many times I stopped during the first few days. He never left my side. Always trekking behind me at my pace. Sometimes slow and sometimes really fast. His stamina is spot on. It's evident he loves the mountains, the way he talks about them, later part of the trek. He made sure we got proper meals during the day and also made sure we ordered food that was good in that particular restaurants. Whatever that he felt we shouldn't be eating he lets us know. There were many times after the trek when we took naps before dinner, and he came to our rooms with the menu asking for our orders in advance so that we don't have to wait for the food for long. He also made sure we stopped for tea breaks in between. He never rushed us, never raised his voice. There was a rest day where the room we got was near the storeroom, and the entire night we had mice running around and in our bags. We did not get any sleep at all that night and thankfully it was a rest day. We told him about it in the morning, and he spoke to the owner and got us a new room. AWAY from the mice. Ever since then he made sure the rooms we got were never near a storeroom. A very kind soft-spoken man. He also makes sure Kunga is ok while trekking and even offered him gloves on the morning of the pass. I have to say the day of the pass was the most gruelling out of all the days. Being up there was beautiful. But while descending, Mattis and myself had slight altitude sickness and had massive headaches. When we stopped for lunch in the mountains, we took a short nap. He knew we were both exhausted and even though we might be getting late to get to the guesthouse, he never rushed us at all. He also offered to carry my pack, which I politely declined. I knew we were all exhausted from the day and I consider all of us a team :) We were one of the last few to get to the guesthouse before sunset. He's honestly a good Sherpa.

Kunga - He is seriously like a ninja. For such a small frame, I'm in awe of how much he can carry, trek fast and eat like a horse after all that! Honestly, he's so fast, that later on during the trek, Ang Gelu sends him ahead to make sure we get comfortable rooms in the guesthouse since there were many trekkers on the way. He would be waiting for us at the guesthouse with our bags in the rooms holding the keys. As Kunga English is limited, it was hard to speak to him, but Ang Gelu was our translated. Later we brought out the cards and Mattis, Kunga and Ang Gelu had a good time playing cards and breaking the ice. Especially with Kunga as he's really shy.

Few things: During our briefing in the hotel, we spoke about height sickness pills, and we were assured that Ang Gelu would be bringing them. We did not know he did not have any, a day before heading to Dharamsala. I don't think he realised that he should have brought some in case we needed them. We brought some just in case, but we also feel a Sherpa should carry some with him.

Also, we knew accommodation would be limited in Dharamsala (the night before the pass). What we didn't realise was that it was just enough tents for trekkers but sherpas and porters had to sleep in the main canteen. With no heat or beds. We only found out in the morning. Even with such conditions, the Sherpas and porters still had their game face on early in the morning making sure their clients had breakfast and hot water before starting the trek. The Sherpa and the porters work the hardest, and somehow they did not even have proper sleeping beds to rest. We heard Dharamsala would be building a guesthouse eventually, but we hope in the meantime, that Sherpas and porters have comfortable sleeping areas so that they too can adequately rest a day before the pass.

We also notice they don't eat together with their clients. Not sure if this is a cultural thing. There were a few times both Ang Gelu and Kunga dined with us, but most of the time it's after we retire to bed. Sometimes Ang Gelu sends Kunga to have dinner first while he stays and waits for us to finish meal regardless of how long we take. Mattis and I would have been happy to have dinner together with Ang Gelu and Kunga after a whole day of trekking. We assume it could also be that they would want to have dinner together with their fellow Sherpas and porters. Which makes sense as well.

All in all, we had such a fabulous time doing the Manaslu trek. It's a beautiful route that changes every day. We had a great time with Ang Gelu and Kunga that once we got back to Kathmandu, we met them the next day for lunch. Will recommend your company to future trekkers for sure. A professional and competent team of Sherpas and porters.

Thank you Ngima for arranging this for us from start to finish. A special heartfelt thanks to Ang Gelu and Kunga for making this a trek that we will never forget. Great company with plenty of memories to last a lifetime.

Amanda was really helpful and flexible with our change in plans. I was so busy in the run up to the holiday that it was great to have someone else taking care of all the details. Our guide Mingmar was very experienced and professional (hugely overqualified for taking us up a 4000m peak which for Nepal is no more than a hill...) and the views were spectacular.

The whole trip was fantastic and thanks Erin for putting me in touch with Amanda!

Amanda (with Himalayan Trails) was very helpful throughout the trek coordination process. She had timely replies, good advice, and helped me suss through all the many options for my Nepal hiking experience. Plus, she made the time to meet me in Kathmandu before I left with my guide. I'll strongly consider booking my next trek with Himalayan Trails.