Traveller reviews

“This has to be the best holiday we have had as a family. With ages from 16 to 62 it was going to be difficult to satisfy us all but everybody was blown away with all the different experiences we had. The temple tours lead by a very knowledgable guide, the rafting and the trekking were amazing. For all of us the trekking was the hardest thing we have done but there was a real sense of achievement. All the transfers went without a hitch - or none that we noticed, and people couldn't do enough to help.The best thing though was the people, the other members of our group, Binod, our guide, and all the porters made it a very special holiday. We will be back! Go with an open mind and an open heart - you won't be disappointed.”

“Started in Kathmandu with a tour of the City; collected by private car and guide arrived nice and early for an informative day around the major site seeing attractions. Off to Chitwan for Jungle Safari, Elephant-back Safari, Canoe down the river, bird watching, and a peaceful resort. Madan, the local guide was amazing; very knowledgeable and receptive to the many many questions. From Chitwan to Pokhara to start trekking; this is when Shankar our guide really came in to his own - excellent guide, willing to learn, happy to help, and just an all round great guy. He was teamed up with Dharma, the inspirational 50year old porter, that could burst a move uphill when he wanted. Amazing 6 days trekking; food was great, accommodation comfortable, views amazing, birdlife fantastic, company great, and the fact it was just the girlfriend and I with the guide and porter made the trip very flexible and convenient. Had a wonderful time. Make sure you ask for Shankar as a guide if you head over - he truly is a great guy! Had a wee look around Pokhara before heading back to Kathmandu. En route we stopped for white water rafting. This is where we hit only one of two minor glitches of the holiday. We were told that transport was included but were asked to pay $50 for private transport to and from rafting, or take public bus with all baggage (that was not advised) so we just paid the money; Rameshwar the manager made the decision for this and we were sure to voice our displeasure over it. I advise double checking for hidden costs with this man. Back to Kathmandu, and to be honest, one day was enough. Having been in peace and quiet (and cleanliness) of Annapurna range, the city was a little overwhelming - I would advise Kathmandu for a day and no longer - use it as a stopover point. Once you've had one day/night of it - consider it done! I mentioned two downsides to the trip; don't eat the meat served. We're Westerners and not ready for that kind of gut challenge - you've been warned. I thought I had an iron stomach...it took me 5 days of antibiotics to get over that one. Not nice!! All in all, 95% fantastic trip and experience. The guides, the private cars to and from site seeing, airport pickup and drop off, safari, animals (crocs, boar and sika deer), rafting, and trekking, all amazing. Try to forget the wee bumps on the way and it was well worth the money we paid - we were a groupon special (£500). Wouldn't like to pay anymore as everything is so cheap; rooms around £1-5/night on the trek and food between £3-7 per day, so don't spend too much. But do have a guide, otherwise you'll be pestered at every stop. Pleased we've done it. May be back, but only to where we know; miss Kathmandu, hit Chitwan, go more adventurous on the trek (base camp perhaps) and a night in Pokhara before the airport.”

“My son and I arrived in Nepal on 15th May wondering if travel to Nepal was appropriate after the devastation of recent tragic earthquakes. Throughout the 14 days stay 'locals' constantly thanks us for coming and expressed the wish that other tourists would soon follow. Upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, our main guide Binod and a driver from Himalayan Social Journey were waiting to take us to a briefing and our first nights hotel. My bags with trekking gear somehow missed the flight and we had to wait 24 hours for luggage to arrive. Ram from HSJ changed our itinerary so that nothing from the arranged tour would be missed. First night was in a reasonably comfortable hotel in Kathmandu before a flight to Pokhara and a night in a very comfortable resort. The next 6 days were spent trekking through the Annapurna foothills. Lovely scenery, basic accommodation and a few challenging hills. Highlights included amazing mountains in the background, a visit to hot springs for an early morning relax, and not forgetting Pradeep our porter. Back to Pokhara for sightseeing, relaxation and a little shopping. Next stop Chitwan where we stayed at a resort named Hotel Seven Star. Great staff, food and pool. Activities included elephant trek; canoe down river with crocs; walk through forest being the home of rhinos, tigers, bears and lots of other wild and wonderful animals. From Chitwan we headed back to Kathmandu by road with a break mid way for white water rafting and lunch. It's a long drive (about 7 hours). Very slow! Until our return to a Kathmandu for the final 2 nights, we were fortunate to have Binod as our guide and organiser. Binod's constant attention, his knowledge of the trekking area and Chitwan, greatly added to our memorable experience.Finally, HSJ arranged a tour of Kathmandu cultural sites with guide Basu. Basu is a great communicator/story teller whose commentary gave a valuable insight into the history, development and religions of Kathmandu. We saw devastation in Kathmandu and surrounding areas, thousands living under tarpaulins, early reclamation and reconstruction, and a community wanting to get back to business. As tourists we were 'not in the way'. We have come away with the belief that much of the country is ready and waiting for tourism. Particularly trekking areas and cities to the west which are geologically more stable. Keep Nepal on the must see list!”

“You can do alot things in nepal like sightseeing, river rafting, shopping, trekking,elephant riding and alot more with our tour guides amrit sapkota, shishir banjara, and arjun bogati 😄”

“I recently returned from a trip to Nepal. Himalayan Social Journeys was an excellent company to work with. They were accommodating of our schedule and needs, planned and executed great activities for us, and went above and beyond to make sure we had an enjoyable trip. We went rafting and hiking and loved these activities. Our guides were kind and willing to help with anything. Nepal was completely safe and the people and scenery were lovely. Thanks for a great time!”

“I had an excellent time - all very well organised, despite of the fuel crisis. Our trip leader, Ram, was excellent recognising our abilities and adjusting the trip accordingly with a smile on his face. Our tracking leader, Santosh, was excellent in getting us through the “Nepalese flat” by dictating the correct speed and Nabaraj and the rest of the team helping us with our luggage – which I know now, much less could be sufficient, when I compared our luggage to the staffs’ little backpacks. If you can, request these good people, you will not be disappointed. They are friendly, helpful, happy and very comfortable to travel with. Thank you Ram, Santosh, Naba and the rest of the team for an unforgettable experience. From Aniko (Martyn will write his own review)”

“I just got back from doing the 14 day trip with trekking, rafting, jungle safari and yoga and it was an amazing experience. From the moment I exited Tribhuvan airport the team from Himalayan Social Journey made sure everything went without a hitch. Despite the inconvenience caused by the current political issues and fuel crisis, HSJ was able to stick with our itinerary. Our wonderful guide, Ganga, and the 'supporters' that assisted our group on the trek (Binod, Ari, Subas, Ganesh and Bhupesh) were so attentive and helpful. Most of the areas we visited had either not been affected or had recovered from the devastating earthquakes earlier in the year, so I would encourage future visitors to Nepal to not be deterred by those events. I will be recommending this trip to all my family and friends. However, I must state that the words 'easy' and 'entry-level' don't accurately describe the six day trek in the Annapurna region - it was much harder than most of our group anticipated, so they weren't physically prepared for it. Overall, I was extremely impressed with the trip and the team from Himalayan Social Journey.”

“Ram, you have a wonderful Company. We felt the care shown by yourself, Binod our guide, and porters Amrit and Krishna was unsurpassed. There were only four of us trekkers and we developed a special bond with each other. Every day was a joyous experience. Besides trekking we kayaked in Chitwan, walked in the National Park, rode Elephants and saw plenty of wildlife, including two pairs of mother and child rhinos, went white water rafting, stayed in fantastic hotels, saw Cultural shows, had massages, ate beautiful food, but mostly had a completely unique experience so different from any we have had before. We also felt that we were supporting a noble race of people that have suffered ongoing hardship. Many Nepalis thanked us for coming to their country. They said that we were 'saving their country'. I recommend The Himalayan Social Journey to one and all. Phil & Jenny Marshall”

“My adult son and I just returned from a 14 day trip including 6 day trek through the Annapurna region with Himalayan Social Journey. The trip was well planned and organised by Ram and his team with some really nice personal touches like being greeted by our guide upon our early arrival in country and farewell at the airport. While we enjoyed many experiences including whitewater rafting and elephant ride, the highlight of the trip was definitely the trek itself. It was a bit difficult in parts, but as someone who had done very little physical preparation, I found that it was manageable and I was surprised at how little my legs ached! This was largely due to our tour guide managing an easy but steady pace to cater for our group of ten. The accommodation during the trek is fairly basic, but it was clean and warm despite temperatures dropping below zero a few nights. The food was better than expected, with pizza and pasta on the menu in most of the guesthouses where we stayed...I was really only expecting rice and curry. We were blessed with great visibility and the scenery was nothing short of spectacular. Our tour guide, Binod (Binny) was simply awesome - nothing was too much trouble for him. Our porters (Pim, Amrith, Krishna and Roupesz) were also fantastic, carrying our packs the whole way...and providing some great entertainment as well! I felt totally safe the whole time I was in Nepal. It is clear that the country is still struggling to get back on its feet from the earthquake and is dealing with the current fuel crisis, however the Nepalese people continue to take these issues in their stride with a smile on their face - they are such kind-hearted, beautiful people. I encourage anyone considering going to Nepal to just do it - the best way to support this country is through tourism. This was the first time I have been to Nepal, but certainly will not be the last!”

“Before i booked this trip, i read few reviews about Himalayan Social Journey; mostly they were great reviews but what got my attention was one review that mentioned little criticism and Ram (CEO HSJ) amazingly took the time to respond to every little point mentioned in that review in a very professional yet friendly manner. i knew then i was dealing with a highly organized team. We were looking at the 14 days Annapurna trekking but we could only do 12 days due to vacation limit.. so i emailed Ram and i was surprised by his swift feedback to accommodate all our needs to squeeze all activities in those 12 days and he hired us our own trekking guide & porter that will go far and beyond to make sure you are having the best experience. we squeezed 6 days of trekking in just 4. i would also like to mention that with Himalayan Social Journey, you get very high quality experience of Nepal including quality of the team members very polite & well educated, their business partners for certain activities i.e rafting ,jungle safari, canoeing...etc. the guest houses they pick for sleep over they all take the extra step to make sure that HSJ guests are content versus any other touring company in Nepal - we could definitely sense the respect toward HSJ everywhere we went in Nepal. we were very Lucky to Have Raj as our guide Ramhori as our porter i know we got you guys exhausted in our trekking adventure but the memories will be engraved in our heart. we are definitely coming back for another himalayan adventure with the best touring team out there Thank you for all your efforts to make our experience spectacular”

“These 14 days have been an amazing journey for us. It is our 1st time in nepal and we are greeted with much hospitality from the Nepalese citizens, staff from HSJ, especially our guide, Milan, and porter, Dheruba. The 2 of them are one of the main reasons which make this trip an enjoyable and memorable one. They show sensitivity to our needs and constantly make sure that our safety and well-being are taken care of, especially when the weather gets tough. They also tried their best to arrange the best lodging and food for us. As a whole, they really make the journey as smooth for us as possible. For instance, during our stay in the Manakamana Valley Resort, we have to walk a long path (i.e., up and down many steps and across a bridge) to the place, Milan had to help us with our heavy suitcase. We really appreciated his help with this. One suggestion for improvement is to make the resort more accessible to the visitors as it is still a place to stay in. Overall, we definitely recommend HSJ to manage your nepal experience:)”

“Himalayan Social Journey (HSJ) was very professional on all levels. From the time of booking, every email was promptly answered, they were extremely helpful with suggestions and options when we were looking to extend our stay. No request was too difficult and HSJ happily made all of the additional bookings (accommodation, transport and tours). The "14 Days Nepal Trip with jungle safari, rafting, trekking and Luxury 5 Star at Gokarna Forest Resort" was an amazing way to see and experience Nepal. Jam packed with a great range of activities with a good balance of rest time as well, well organised, very comfortable accomodation and transportation. Our guide Ram was very experienced, knowledgeable and ensured that the the whole group had an amazing experience. I would happily recommend HSJ for anyone planning a trip to Nepal. Thank you for the wonderful experience!”

“First of all apologies for the delayed review. We completed the 14 day trip with Himalayan social in June 2015 and have raved about it ever since! Other than the fabulous scenery, the fantastic raft trip, the lovely food - our outstanding memory is of our guide Ganga. He played the role of tutor of the Nepalese culture and flora and fauna, general trek guide, mountain trek guide, waiter, first aider, friend, accountant and much much more! He is knowledgeable, approachable and we felt safe and confident in his abilities. The 5 stars awarded this trip goes to him. We had a mixed group of different ages and this worked for the group dynamic. You require a moderate level of fitness for the trek but we found it extremely enjoyable and rewarding. The organisation of the company was very good and they arranged accommodation before and after the trip in a decent hotel. The trip contains a variety of highlights of Nepal and would definitely recommend it.”

“Absolutely BRILLIANT experience with Himalayan Social Journey starting from pickup at the airport by Dilip (the man of the dancing roads of Nepal) to the accommodation at Holy Himalaya Hotel. My journey was made extra special by our 'Tour leader Extraordinaire' Ram Chandra and out porters Suvass, Binod and Ram Krishna. Their friendship and care was wonderful. I will definitely travel with Himalayan Social Journey again.”

“We bought this trip online and were rather concerned about how it would be. There was nothing to worry about. It was well organised and perfectly guided. Our trip started in Kathmandu and left for rafting after one day. The rafting was great fun as we drifted down the river. Stayed in a tent resort, which was right on the river, and was a good experience. Onto Chitwan, where we canoed, walked and rode elephants through the national park. Saw 7 endangered rhinos which was fantastic. Next was Pokhara, which was lovely and the departure point for our 5 day trek. The trek was unreal (but hardish) , porters were part of the package. Five unforgettable days of climbing into the lower Annapurnas with spectacular views along the way. The lodges were more than adequate and usually had cold beer. Returned to Kathmandu and stayed at the Gokarna Resort which was ok. But make sure they put you in the new section and not the old. This was not as good as the other ordinary hotels. Played golf here and enjoyed it. Shared the course with deer and monkeys. Also extended the massage time and it was great. Hotels on the trip were good. All air conditioned and mostly had hot water. The trip was made very memorable by our great guide- Ram. One of the best guides we have experienced in all our travels. Our trip was great value and we would highly recommend it.”

“We had the absolute pleasure of doing the 14 day Nepal trip with jungle safari,rafting and yoga. It was the adventure of a life time, the country was so beautiful ,as were the friendly locals who welcomed us with a Namaste with a smile. We enjoyed the local food, which was fresh and extremely affordable. Our guilds Binod Dhakal ,and side kick Ghanish did an amazing job looking after our group , giving us local information along the way. He made also made sure our every need was meet, and had a fun sense of humour, we greatly enjoyed his company as well. The shepa"s were great , telling us stories along the way and teaching us to dance at night... So much fun! The accommodation on the trek was basic, but clean . The hotels we stayed in however were very comfortable. This was our first trek, and I felt was extremely challenging , ( Although I loved every minute) The altitude is what made it tricky for me. I would totally recommend this trip , we made memories we will never forget! Geoffrey and Tammy”

“I recently did a 14 days trip with Himalaya Social Journey (booked trough luxury escapes) and I am really pleased with my experience. The staff members were always helpful and they were always there when you need them. Our guide Prakash was extremely helpful, friendly and knowledgable about the area, the culture, etc. We had lots of fun with him and the Sherpas who are absolutely incredible. You will never meet guys so kind, friendly and hard working as these guys! They made our trip so much more enjoyable. One thing that I would recommend other travellers is to be aware that overall Nepalese standards are not the same in other countries such as Australia. During your trip there will be slight change of plans, sometimes things will not be as expected, like hot water, electricity, etc I recommend you have an open mind about this kind of things and go with the flow. For example, during our trip we did not do rafting as our guide told us that the water would be extremely cold during winter, so we had to change it for something else. Many of us were not very happy about the change, as there was no information about this when we booked it, but if you keep an open mind and enjoy the other activities this should not be a problem. Transportation is probably one of the main issues in Nepal and this can be a huge issue for some (take a plane whenever you can), but HSJ always provided good service and reasonable transportation (as available in some areas). Overall a fantastic experience and I am sure I will go back to Nepal and I will certainly hire them again! Thank you!”

“We booked a 14 day tour through a deals website and were very pleased with our choice. The trip was well organised and the guide,Ram, was a fantastic leader. He and his assistant Tikka did everything they could could make sure everything went smoothly. When things didn't go as planned, due to the challenges of travelling in Nepal, the guides did everything they could to ensure we were looked after and comfortable and back on track as soon as possible. The opportunity to do white water rafting, safaris, canoeing and trekking made this a wonderful trip. During the trekking our porters and guides were incredibly hard working and we enjoyed their company. The best part of the trip was getting to know the porters and guides. Ram, our leader was very knowledgable about the region and shared his ideas and vision for Nepal. We really felt lucky to have him as our guide. Accommodation throughout the trip varied greatly, from luxury to basic but it was always clean and sufficient. The food was of a good standard and serves were generous. Although the trekking was advertised as entry level, be aware that it is the Himalayas and there are lots and lots of steps and it's hard work. Training is essential and will make the trek much more enjoyable. You will be rewarded with beautiful scenery, magnificent mountains and excellent company. Highly recommended for adventurous and physically fit travellers.”

“Had a great trip with Himalayan Social Journey on our recent 13 night experience. We trekked for 5 days and stayed in basic but clean accommodation. It was an amazing way to see the country and experience what life is like. The guides and porters were extremely friendly and supportive and encouraged everyone on the trek. In particular Tikaram was great and really looked after me when I was a bit under the weather on the trek. Although he was already carrying a heavy load he insisted on carrying my backpack for me when I was struggling a bit. All of the porters were very friendly and helpful but Tikaram was really great. The rafting was also a great experience. The roads are challenging but certainly are a part of the experience.”

“We had a blast exploring Nepal with HSJ, highly recommend the 15 day Annapurna classic to anyone. Hats off to Ram and his team for organising the itinerary with fun activities such as rafting and safaris. The real gem for sure is the 5 days you spend in the mountains soaking in the scenery and being overpowered by the size of the Nepalese peaks. To help us we had the most amazing guide Mingmar who was very knowledgeable and funny. Mingmar also is extremely observant and always knew when to adjust the intensity as well as picking the best places to stay. Also a special mention to our porter Rupes whose carrying skills was matched by his skills in Ludo.”

“Amazing trip where we saw and experienced all Nepal has to offer. Very balanced trip with the Kathmandu and Pokara city tours highlighting temples and museums. Had a fantastic afternoon white water rafting before seeing so many animals in the Chitwan region. Then the magnificent scenery and beauty of the trek in the Annapurna region. Throughout our guide was fantastic. Knowledgable, friendly and genuine care shown to all the group was much appreciated. Highly recommend this company.”

“Excellent work by Tikka our guide and Harry our potter. We had an amazing time. The food the accomadation and service was excellent. Everyone we met were super friendly.”

“Thank you Ram Chandra for the wonderful and well-organised introduction to Nepal. This trip gave us a wide variety of experiences - including whitewater rafting, animal & bird watching, ancient temples, local culture and trekking in the majestic Annapurnas. You brought together a fun group of travellers & porters and took away all the organisational hassle - so we were free to enjoy the beautiful scenery and lovely people of Nepal. I enjoyed the whole, diverse experience and am looking forward to returning to Nepal and doing another trip with you and HSJ.”

“Wow, what and adventure. It was definitely a social journey with our great guide Tikaram. This amazing guide had us rafting, on and off buses, looking for tigers in Chitwan, then ultimately hiking in the beautiful Himalayas Going to India after this fabulous trip we experienced a 3 hour delay flying from Pokhara to Kathmandu. We nearly missed our connecting flight to New Delhi. Tikaram again saved the day, he was waiting at the airport and had rung the airline to get cutoff s ect. We made checkin by 4 minutes This company prides itself on showing Nepal and its people at its best Highly recommend If you want flexibility, organise a guide just for yourselves, this way you miss the group politics”