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Marie Stissing Jensen

Coming from flat Denmark, with a passion for the outdoors, my travel priorities have always included mountains, forests, deserts or any kind of great nature. Norway and Swedish Lappland have been my preferred destinations while growing up, but after visiting Nepal I knew I was sold. Today I live in Kathmandu where I work for a pioneering adventure company. During my time here I have had the privilege of working closely together with the Tharu people of the Therai plains, exploring trekking routes in remote corners of the country, and hosting guests from all over the world.

For me Nepal is all about authentic and experiential travel. I find that a less-is-more philosophy is the best way to support this: Keep it simple yet comfortable, and slow down but stay excited.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"Chitwan National Park: Ethical elephant encounters, conservation-based wildlife safaris, and bird-watching.

Bardia National Park: Conservation-based wildlife safaris and bird-watching.

Full support camping treks to remote regions in Nepal and any kind of tea-house trek in the well-established trekking areas like the Annapurnas, Langtang, and Solu Khumbu.

And anything in between, from cultural experiences and Buddhist pilgrimages to motorbike expeditions and spa and yoga retreats."

How did you get involved in travel?

"I first came to Nepal in 2012, and all I wanted to do was to go trekking. And that's what I did - Khumbu, Annapurna, and Langtang. During my travels I visited a family member who had settled in Nepal and married the owner of a travel agency/operator. They invited me on my first trek, and the sense of excitement I had when embarking on my first real adventure in Nepal still returns to me every time I leave the Kathmandu valley to go to other parts of Nepal. Two years later I returned on a small stipend from my University to do research for my master's thesis. I again met with my extended family, and left Nepal with a job offer I couldn't refuse: come back and explore the potential for new trekking routes in the North-Western corner of Nepal.

I was back two months later, and have stayed since. The company I work for is a family-run business, and the feeling of belonging to the family is very strong. Not just for me, but also for my colleagues of whom many have been with the company for decades. Since my initial "recces" in the Himalayas I have spent many months in the jungle working closely with my colleagues there to improve elephant welfare practices among other things. I am now settled in Kathmandu, but I grab any chance to go the mountains or the jungle. "

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"Horse-trekking for two weeks in Mongolia! A most amazing but also painful travel experience (my knees did not agree with any angle that the stirrups could offer). One week into the trip, just after crossing a river where my friend and I literally had to swim with the horses, our only guide's horse gets spooked, throws him off and kicks him. For some 10 seconds our guide is not moving and my friend and I are both petrified, imagining having to navigate back to some sort of civilization carrying an unconscious (or, God forbid, dead) guide on a horse. Luckily, the guide gets up looking slightly disoriented and sends us a big smile, and we burst out in a somewhat nervous laughter. The rest of the trip runs smoothly and I will never forget the landscapes and thrilling remoteness of our camps. Definitely a memorable experience and it taught me that I prefer trekking on my own two legs!"

Marie Stissing is part of the following groups: Nepal Travel Agents
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Recent trip reviews for Marie Stissing

Our experience in Nepal was magical.
Nepal | Oct 24 - Nov 11, 2019

Julie
Julie E.
United Kingdom | Reviewed on Nov 13, 2019
Our experience in Nepal was magical. It was a return visit for my husband and I and we were not disappointed. The place remains amazing, the people warm and welcoming and our overall experience reinforced our love of the country. The Kathmandu Guest House was a good start with a great location in the bustle of the old town. Amit, our guide in the city, was sensitive to our wishes, thoughtful and informative. He did not rush us at any time but gave sensible advice on how long to stay and where... Read more

Our experience in Nepal was magical. It was a return visit for my husband and I and we were not disappointed. The place remains amazing, the people warm and welcoming and our overall experience reinforced our love of the country. The Kathmandu Guest House was a good start with a great location in the bustle of the old town. Amit, our guide in the city, was sensitive to our wishes, thoughtful and informative. He did not rush us at any time but gave sensible advice on how long to stay and where to be. The Balthali Lodge was our only disappointment, not a view shared by our travelling companions I don’t think! We thought its location 2 hrs east of Kathmandu added unnecessary travelling for a view of the hills we could have found west of the city. The road to the resort was shocking, even by mountainous Nepalese standards! This made our drive to Bandipur long and required an earlier start than would have been necessary from a more westward location. This left us with little time to explore the beautiful old town again before it was dark. Another half day here would have been better - possible if we had been that side of Kathmandu the previous night. The Old Inn was as lovely as we remembered! Our trek lived up to all expectations. Our guide Nema and his assistant Nema Tassi were excellent. They set a brilliant pace and were attentive to our needs and safety at all times. Accommodation along the way was first rate and the morning views from Gurung Lodge, La Bee Lodge and Himalayas Lodge were all stunning and worth waking up at dawn for. The tea house in Tadapani was basic but adequate, the cold and damp were simply due to altitude and cloud! The morning view made up for it and was quite stunning. The Hungry Eye Guest House in Ghorepani was much better than “just a tea house”. Our trek up Poon Hill was worth every step and we enjoyed wonderful views of the Dhaulagiri range and the Annapurnas. We were genuinely sad to say goodbye to our team, including two splendid porters who always raced ahead to get us the best rooms they could! The drive down from Ulleri was exhilarating, made more so by the brilliant and thoughtful driving and I’m sorry I don’t know the drivers name. Arriving at Temple Tree Resort in Pokhara was a treat. Lovely hotel in the Lakeside area and a great place for R&R. I’m glad we chose an extra day here. Next was the rafting trip. It was enormous fun and as people who’d rafted before exhilarating and made us smile the whole way. We had been led to believe it would be a drift, we were glad it wasn’t but if we’d known there were rapids involved may have dressed differently! Sukra Lama was a brilliant boatman and his team provided us with amazing food and a comfortable camp in lightning time great team work! Recommend him to anyone. Our next location was Tharu Lodge in Chitwan. A lovely place, great food and comfortable accommodation. Our jungle walk, elephant day, Jeep safari and river safari were all magical in their different ways but the highlights were 5 grazing rhino in the meadow and watching the elephants bathing and playing n the river. Our return to Kathmandu gave us an extra day to explore Patan. On reflection perhaps we should have asked for a hotel that end of the city for a change but the central location of KGH in old Kathmandu was still great.
Our driver over the visit was good. Always
punctual, helpful and polite. My only reservation was that he seemed to rate speed over comfort and at times his determination to arrive on time made for scary moments and a bumpy ride. However, he is not responsible for the state of the roads!!!!
As you can tell we thoroughly enjoyed our return visit and would happily recommend you to friends wanting a tailored tour and indeed all the individual operators.

Local specialist: Marie Stissing Jensen
Marie Stissing
Marie Stissing Jensen
Local specialist in Kathmandu | Replied on Nov 18, 2019

Dear Julie,
Thank you very much for taking the time to write a thorough review of the trip. I am very happy that you enjoyed the holiday and all the individual parts of the journey. I will convey your feedback to all the concerned guides and staff, as they will be pleased to hear from you. Thank you also for recommending our services, we hope to see you and your friends back here in Nepal.
All the best,
Marie

Trip to Nepal
Nepal | Aug 14 - Aug 19, 2018

S
siri J.
France | Reviewed on Aug 28, 2018

We had a great trek in Nepal- we did a 6 day comfort Poonhill trek- and as it was monsoon season we had the mountains more or less for ourselves! Marie was super helpful with advise and helping us choose our trek. Our guide Daewon and porter was also super sweet. Would totally recommend!

Local specialist: Marie Stissing Jensen
Marie Stissing
Marie Stissing Jensen
Local specialist in Kathmandu | Replied on Sep 28, 2018

Dear Siri,

Thank you so much for taking the time to review your trip. It was great meeting you both here in Kathmandu and I am happy to hear that you enjoyed the overall trip and the trek in particular.

Kind regards,
Marie

Ghandruk Trek - Scenic 3-4 day trek through the Annapurna Foothills
Nepal | Mar 30 - Apr 6, 2018

R
Richard M.
Qatar | Reviewed on Apr 08, 2018
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... Read more

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!

Local specialist: Marie Stissing Jensen
Marie Stissing
Marie Stissing Jensen
Local specialist in Kathmandu | Replied on Apr 12, 2018

Hi Richard,

Thank you very much for your kind words and a great review, I will pass your words on to our staff. I hope to see you and your family back here in Nepal in the future.

Kind regards,
Marie