Traveller reviews

“It was overally a very nice trip in Nepal. I had a great time especially in Sarangkot, Pokhara. I'm quite novice in hiking but thanks to the very professional trekking guide Mingmar, I felt blessed to reach Sarangkot! Mingmar was very patient and helpful during all the trip. A five-star -guide! I also enjoyed my paragliding experience, and was touched to see Buddha'a birthplace in Lumbini. The elephant ride in Chitwan was exciting too but unfortunately it happened on a very rainy day... As for hotel, I had a deep impression on The kindness staff of seven star hotel and the expertise of the tour guide Narayal.:) if you happen to go on a journey with HSJ, remember to ask for the services of Mingmar, the 5-star-guide of HSJ!”

“We have just returned from an amazing experience touring with Himalayan Social Journey. Starting in Delhi we were met by our fantastic guide Ibrahim who took great care of our large group of 31 people. We travelled by bus, train and air and completed the golden triangle over 10 days. The hotel accommodation rated from 5 star to 3 star but was acceptable. The train journey from Agra to Varanasi was quite confronting especially the toilets and sleeping arrangements. This was a 7 hour overnight train journey. It did all add to the overall experience I guess but not for the faint hearted. Then onto Nepal with only 15 of the group for the next leg which included touring of Kathmandu, Pokhara and 4 days of Trekking from Phedi to Dhampus to Australia Camp to Sarangkot and back to Pokhara . A special mention to our wonderful guide Dipendra Dharel and our assistant guide Santosh Dhakal who ensured our well being and safety throughout the trek. Also to our 5 porters Ramashran, Purna, Sujan, Hari and Krishna who carried all our gear plus any of us who needed physical support- you were fantastic and full of fun all the way. The tea houses - guest houses accommodation at the different camps were seriously basic but acceptable after an exhausting day of trekking. The grade of the trek itself was way under estimated by HSJ. The trekking consists mainly of steep ascending and descending rocky uneven steps. If you can't do steps or have bad knees then it's not for you however the scenery and the experience made it all worthwhile. On the last day of the trek I would recommend you take the option of the paraglide down to the bottom as the descent of 9kms of steps is really gruelling exhausting and not that interesting. However if you do want to complete the trek, expect the last day to be tough and long. Overall a wonderful exciting sensory explosion and would recommend this trip to anyone who doesn't mind roughing it.”

“I'm going to start by saying everyone on our tour had a fantastic trip- a great group of friendly people out for an adventure!!. I feel these reviews need to be honest so I'm going to give the good and the bad . Day one we were picked up from the airport as organised.The Crown Plaza was a great hotel - a bit out of the way which meant a lot of time in Delhi traffic. Our tour group size was 31- too big - having said that our guide Ibrahim did a marvellous job and it was a great group of people. The Delhi sightseeing on day one was excellent- Humayun's tomb and the Qutb Minar both amazing.We also went to the Lotus Temple and India gate which were OK. My only criticism here was we were all absolutely exhausted from the previous days flights and after the sightseeing we were taken to an Indian rug shop for a demonstration and then the hard sell!!- I think most of us had had enough and would have preferred to have missed this and gone straight to the hotel!! Jaipur was beautiful- my favourite was the Amer Fort. I felt like I was in an episode of Game of Thrones. This was a great day. The next day on the way to Agra we visited a Step Well-. It was situated in a little village which I really enjoyed seeing-real life.We also visited the 16th century city of Fatehpur Sikri - peaceful and beautiful. The Taj Mahal in Agra is the most beautiful man made structure I've ever seen. We were there before the crowds at sunrise- perfect. Somewhere during this time we were herded into another rug shop and a fabric shop- I really dislike being taken to these places and wish we were given the option of going to the hotel- I find the hard sell hard to take when you're already exhausted!! A trip to a marble shop in Varanassi!! We ended up late for the train and didn't have time to stop for food for the train. Enough said!! The overnight train to Varanassi was a real life Indian experience- I didn't mind it but not for everyone. Definitely wouldn't rate 1 star but part of seeing the real side to India. Varanassi is really an interesting place. Watching the Hindu rituals associated with the spiritual Ganges was fascinating.The different people and vibrant colours - wow! I felt the next 2 days in Delhi were a bit wasted-would have preferred to go straight to Nepal- although I did enjoy the clean metro train and the crazy rickshaw ride. Eighteen of our group went on to do the Nepal trip. Our welcome dinner in Kathmandu was delicious and our new guide Dipendra Dharel and his assistant guide Santosh Dhakal proved to be excellent over the next week. We didn't have a great room in the Holy Himalaya- some people did but ours was on the other side of the road and very small,noisy all night and lacking hot water for most of the day. Coffee and breakfast were very good. Kathmandu has dreadful traffic which made the sightseeing a bit arduous- should have just walked the local area. Magnificent flight to Pokhara- the mountain views were amazing. The Mount Kailash Resort was really good- in a great location. We both loved the trek Pedi/Dhampus/Australia camp/Sarangkot/Pokhara I'm an avid bushwalker so I would describe it as easy from a trekking perspective. However if you don't regularly climb up escarpments and walk on uneven bush paths you will find it difficult- many struggled. The little villages and teahouses on the trek are gorgeous- the Nepalese people friendly and inviting. The food was good but the rooms very basic. You need to bring a towel- none provided- we bought a microfibre towel each in Pokhara before we set out. We also bought a cotton sleeping bag insert(purchased from Aldi in Australia)which we used as the bedding is not really up to Aussie standards. Bottled water is available everywhere. Four of our group opted to do the paragliding down from Sarangkot- do it!! It was an amazing experience. The boat trip on Lake Pewa was peaceful and beautiful. I was disappointed to not stay in the lake area in Pokhara after the trek- the Pokhara Grand was not a great location - Mount Kailash at the lake was perfect and that area far better for tourists. Our last night in Kathmandu in Gokarna Forest Resort was a bit disorganised- not everyone got the promised massage- it really should have been pre booked. Having said that it was a tranquil location. Our initial room was very musty smelling but the room we were moved to was really good. I got a dose of Varanassi Belly! My doctor had sent me off with antibiotics -Azithromycin Sandoz . I battled it with gastro stop and electrolyte drinks for 5 days- the antibiotics fixed it in less than 8 hours!!!! We had a wonderful trip - made great friends and experienced so much. The good far outweighed the bad- I'll trek in nepal again some day and would use Himalayan Social Journey again. Please just leave out all the hard sell shopping trips- would have far preferred local markets!!!”

“We recently returned from an amazing 19-day tour of the Golden Triangle in India (Delhi, Jaipur, Varanasi and Agra) and Nepal, organized by the Himalayan Social Journey. The weather in November was perfect – a great time of year to tour this area. We started in Delhi – our group was led by Ibrahim, who was a fantastic escort and took great care of our large group of 31 people. We travelled by bus, train, rickshaw, tuk-tuk, metro and air and completed the golden triangle in 10 days. The touring is very intense but we had a lot of ground to cover in a very short time. We were glad that we did not have a lot of “down time”. The bus drivers and their assistants were amazing, considering the traffic, people and animals on the roads. The hotels we stayed in ranged from 3 to 5 stars and were clean and comfortable. Breakfasts in the hotels were very good. The hotels always provide free bottles of water. The overnight train from Agra to Varanasi was quite an experience and we enjoyed it - but not for the faint hearted. Make sure you pick up some food before the train ride. In Nepal, we saw a little bit of Kathmandu and a lot of traffic congestion. We flew to Pokhara and the views of the countryside were amazing. We then had 4 days of Trekking - from Phedi to Dhampus to Australia Camp to Sarangkot and back to Pokhara. Our guides Dipendra and Santosh, were wonderful and ensured our well being and safety throughout the trek. Our porters Ramashran, Purna, Sujan, Hari and Krishna carried all our gear and also helped any of us who needed physical support were fantastic and so accomodating and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble. The tea houses - guest house accommodation at the different camps were very basic but clean. The meals they produced from their small kitchens were very impressive. Bring your own towels, soap, shampoo! However, these 4 days of trekking are definitely not moderate or easy for non-hikers or beginners. We were not under pressure to move quickly but it was tiring. The trekking consisted mainly of steep ascending and descending rocky uneven steps. If you can't do steps or have bad knees then it's not for you. The last day of the trek was very exhausting as it was all downhill and it would have been nice to have had the option to drive down. You can paraglide down and it looked like fun. Overall we loved the trip and would recommend it to anyone. HSJ was a very nice tour company and we would use them again if we ever came back to the area.”

“Our standard 12D world heritage site tour itinerary was customised to include a more adventurous Damphus-Australia Camp-Sarangkot trek, at no additional cost. Coinciding with Deepavali (festival of lights), we had an amazing and memorable cultural and mountain experience, served by a marvellous HSJ team, especially Tika, Subash and Usha, who took time to serve us during their festive holidays. Highly recommended 👍”

“Our trip was amazing in the following ways: - Firstly, our trip was made very enjoyable because of our guide Mr Tikaram who was very knowledgeable and accommodating. He took care of all our check ins with such great ease - Our 5 day trek was simply mind blowing in all ways possible. (ie, the scenery, the pace we were brought up as trekking noobs, the lodging, the necessary rest breaks, and food were all perfect) - We had one porter to share between the both of us. We would like to say our thanks to Dhinesh for his services, our bag would already reach our destination way before us! He supported Tikaram in the guide duties as well by sharing information he knew about the mountains during trekking. He was approachable and attended to most of our needs (i.e. addressing wifi facilities, buying necessities [e.g. drinks, food requests, etc]) when he could. Overall, our trekking experience was engaging, comfortable and exhilarating, with many thanks to Tika and Dhinesh! - Pokhara was a a welcoming city after our 6 day trek in the mountains. It has a calm and serene vibe to it. We did our paragliding from Sarangkot. It's truly a unique experience running off a mountain cliff and having a birds-eye view of Pokhara! - Chitwan is a beautiful place with lots to see, especially if you are a nature/animal lover. The river safari was truly out of this world. We got to see crocodiles in their natural habitat up close. The jungle safari allowed us to see elephants, rhinos, sloth bears, monkeys and many types of birds wild and free. Our patient, knowledgeable and accommodating guide Harka who was provided by the hotel was very well read about his animals and gave us an insightful experience. - The City tour back in Kathmandu was conducted during the 2nd part of our tour. HSJ's have well spoken guides and their knowledge is vast. They brought us on a tour of 3 temples. - We would like to thank HSJ for providing us with a well thought itinerary that covered a vast variety of activities. They also provided us guides that were efficient in their service and language (English). We hardly had to wait anywhere at all because Tikaram would be on the ball with our timings! They were very helpful in providing us with other services (i.e: SIM cards, potable water refills and even accommodating to certain changes we wanted in the itinerary) We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Himalayan Social Journey for providing us with this memorable and mindblowing holiday experience with Nepal. We will share this experience with others and recommend them to go for holidays with HSJ!”

“The tour was really interesting especially the four day trekking from Pokhara to Dhampus, Australia Camp, Sarangkot and back to Pokhara. The tour guide of Mingmar Sherpa was especially good and made our walking tour extremely interesting. Our porter Ramess also made the walk a trip to remember. The views from Dhampus and the Australia Camp were good, but with better weather they would have been spectacular. On our way into Sarangkot Mingmar organised a visit to a primary school where we were overwhelmed by the children and there enthusiasm.”

“My wife and I arranged the Mount Everest adventure with the HSJ a few week ago. Apart from helicopter ride to the Everest we also visited Pokhara, a town west of Kathmandu to see the sunrise at Sarangkot View tower. The trip itself was amazing and the staff, tour guide, transports and accommodations were excellent. All correspondents related to our trip was handled perfectfly via emails and we appreciated to HSJ's staff, particularly to Khima. She is a very helpful and easy person to deal with. We always got responses in timely manner when requesting an extra night booking accommodation in Kathmandu, flights, transports etc. Thank you very much Khima. I would not hesitate to use HSJ in the future when travelling to Nepal again.”

“I would like to thanks the office but above all Mr. Ganesh Devkota for this amazing experience. Mr Ganesh is a highly experienced professional who enjoys sharing stories about his trekking trips as well as info about the culture and tye nature. The trip was well organised even though tough for an amateur like me but under any circumstances is highly recommended. Congratulations to the team.”

“Himalayan Social Journey's team of experienced guides and local experts ensures a seamless and enriching experience. Their dedication to responsible travel, personalized itineraries, and warm hospitality guarantees that every traveler departs with cherished memories and a profound connection to Nepal's vibrant soul.”

“The guide was kind and cared about our pace and explained a lot about the nature and animals along the way. In addition, the food at the accommodation was the same as in the lowlands, and we had no problems with Wi-Fi or electricity. The sunrise and mountains seen from the observation deck were truly amazing.”

“I booked my tour of Nepal from the UK. It was seamless and I was collected from the airport and a quick transfer to the hotel. The tour was amazing, spending time in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Sarangkot before returning to Kathmandu for my last night. As I was travelling solo, I was able to join other groups for city tours and some transfers. The guides were incredible people, very knowledgeable, good communicators and excellent advocates for Nepal. The company arranged a tourist bus - sofa seats and very comfy, to drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara and just under 8 hours with toilet and food stops. If you have the time, you must make this trip, it has more thrills than a theme park and a fantastic opportunity to see the countryside HSJ picked the hotels which, in the main were great. Communication was very good and I was kept abreast of the itinerary. HSJ provides a comprehensive range of services and activities ranging from walking/trekking/climbing to plane and helicopter tours water based activities and, of course, sightseeing etc and not just in Nepal. I have to say that I am very tempted to come back to Nepal and I would not hesitate to book through Himalayan Social Journey.”

“Congrats to Ram for providing us with an amazing experience in Katmandhu, Chitwan, Pokhara and trekking the Annapurnas. Your care, your team and your organization were first class for a brilliant value for money holiday on our 20th wedding anniversary! Namaste!”

“Excellent service from beginning to end. From our initial email contacts, booking our pre tour accommodation, to dropping us off at the airport, HSJ looked after us. As first time trekkers, we were a little apprehensive about this part of our trip, however, it was the highlight. Not only because of the stunning scenery, but because of our guides and porters. Binod (Mr a little bit up a little bit down) and Milan (Mr calculator) looked after their "family" every step of the way and were fantastic in insuring that we had everything we needed. And as for our 6 porters, their ever smiling faces and encouragement never ceased to amaze us. How they all found the energy is sing, dance and entertain us at the end of the day is beyond me. They are all a credit to themselves and to HSJ. Accommodation and food on the trek is basic but good and the accommodation in Pokhara and Chitwan exceeded our expectations. The only negative for me was the visit to the elephant park. Seeing these beautiful animals on short chains was distressing. Several people in our group chose not to go elephant riding and of those that did, many said they would not do it again. Whilst the conditions that they are kept in is not HSJ's fault, it may be worthwhile considering that many people out there do not enjoy or want to support this kind of tourism and provide other options. Would we visit Nepal again, absolutely and would we choose HSJ, definitely. Well done Ram, you have an excellent group of dedicated people.”

“My sister and I just returned from ten days tour with Himalayan Social Journey (HSJ) to Kathmandu/Chitwan/Pokhara. Absolutely absolutely enjoyed ourselves! Our tour guides at all three places were knowledgeable, trustworthy and accommodating. They looked after our welfare really well. We learnt so much about Nepalese and Sherpa culture. Trekking team was great! Made us feel at home and taught us their famous trekking sound especially during campfire nights :D The guest houses exceeded our expectations. We were blessed with great weather during sunrise and managed to get panoramic view of South Annapurna and Fishtail. After trekking for 3 days at Pokhara, we realized that we prefer Pokhara to Kathmandu and decided to extend our stay at Pokhara. The tour guide was really accommodating to change our flight to Kathmandu by extending it for another day with no additional charges. For that, we were so thankful although we informed them just a day before. Highly recommended and I would personally engage HSJ again for my future trips to Nepal ((: Satisfied customer :D”

“This was our first family trip to Nepal. The trip was highly educational especially for our son. The service that we received from Himalayan Social Journey was beyond our expectation. We were happy with the selections of hotels and resorts during our stay as our basic needs such as hot shower and free wifi were available at most of our accomodations. Despite our last minute requests, Ram was very accommodating and understanding who made our trip a memorable one. We would recommend Himalayan Social Journey as a reliable tour agent in Nepal to our family and friends.”

“We had the most fun going on this trip to Nepal (Kathmandu/ Pokhara/ Chitwan/ Aussie Base Camp). The service by the company was great to say the least. The folks from the company were warm, friendly and they really took care of all our needs. The guides/ drivers were exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend their service to anyone that wants to have a trip that is fun, affordable and worthwile.”

“Overall an excellent experience. Binod the manager made sure all arrangements worked which was complicated by problems at Kathmando airport. Milan our guide ensured all trekers were supervised according to their experience and fitness. Hotels were of a good quality if some of the plumbing was unreliable . Any shortfall in infrastructure was more than compensated by a very friendly people and god organisation from this company.”

“I just returned from a 2-week trip to Nepal through Himalayan Social Journey, and had an amazing experience. I spent the first day in Kathmandu, seeing some of the more famous sites along with my excellent guide, Basho, before traveling to Dhading with my guide Prakash. We spent the next few days trekking through the hillsides and villages, getting to see some of the earthquake damage firsthand. From there we stayed in Gorkha, Chitwan, and Pokhara, eventually getting to see a beautiful view of the Annapurna Himal range. Would highly recommend their services - they are very professional, and make the entire trip very easy and straightforward. Would travel with them again in a heartbeat. Nepal is truly a beautiful, unique, and amazing country, and they rely on tourism and now, more than ever, is an important time to go!!”

“we,10 friends used HSJ service for 4 days Pokhara -chitwan trip. We had great time . It was our unforgettable memory. We went from Kathmandu by van with driver Deelip. we found Hsj organized our trip very economically, friendly and flexible way. They are the expert to manage and make enjoyable holiday. we students like to recommend HSJ service without any dought for the better holidays.”

“My partner and myself recently travelled Nepal for 14 days with the HSJ and have been having withdrawals ever since. Our experience was made most enjoyable and hassle free right from the beginning. Booking with Ram was an absolute pleasure, taking the time to answer directly any questions we had regarding the tour. We were greeted on arrival in Kathmandu by our guide Binod and what a bloke he was! From sight seeing in Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara to trekking though the Himalaya's, Binod could not have been a lovelier, more accommodating guide. Large amounts of credit must also go to our porters Rupus and Godess (forgive our spelling if wrong!) who for our 6 Day Annapurna trek were nothing short of amazing, two lovely blokes that made the trek even more enjoyable, sharing a good sense of humour and imparting there local knowledge along the way. This really was a truly local Nepalese experience. Whilst the whole trip was well planned and catered for with comfortable accommodation, we never once felt like we were part of a large tour group. It felt more like Binod as our friend had decided to take us for an adventure, showing us his favourite parts of the country. Everything was personalised and special mention must go to Binod for catering the experience to our various needs and abilities. We couldn't recommend the trek with HSJ highly enough. It was an unforgettable experience and one we are looking to do again!”

“I travelled in early April and had a wonderful time enjoying the variety offered by this trip and some fantastic views along the 6 day trekking route. It was a great introduction to Nepal, trekking and the fantastic people. Binod our guide on the trek was brilliant and Yogi provided insightful information during our tour of Kathmandu. Booked via Luxury Escapes, I would recommend this to anyone who considers themselves travellers.”

“We did the 14 day Annapurna foothills trek / Chitwan / Pokhara / Kathmandu tour. The Himalayan Social Journey group catered to all of our queries well, and were open for feedback throughout the trip. Gunga was our guide. He was EXCEPTIONAL! Even with a bout of gastro at the end (Reminder - bottled water ONLY - even at the 5* joints!) after our tour ended (we stayed for some extra time), he visited and stayed with us in hospital and allayed our concerns to the doctors attending, ensuring we got out of there in time to comfortably meet our flights. He made it all the more worthwhile.”

“A 14 day tour of Nepal, including Kathmandu, Chitwan, Pokhara and 6 days of the Annapurna trek. Thankyou to Dipendra, our informed and charming guide for the Khatmandu day tour and Dilip our driver. A fascinating visit to the Monkey Temple, Pashupatinath and Boudhanath. Ram, our tour guide on the trek and our porters, Tikaram, Ramesh and Madav, our porters, were friendly, attending to our every need and offering interesting details about their country , culture and people. This was a family holiday and we agreed it was one of the best. The trek itself is challenging but also breathtakingly beautiful and satisfying. The visit to Chitwan National Park allowed for observations of the fauna and flora, jeep and canoe rides and adventures far removed from our routine existence. A well organised and affordable tour. We are keen to do another with Himalayan Social Journey.”