Traveller reviews

“Fantastic 14 day tour with Himalayan Social Journey. We visited Kathmandu, Trekked the Annapurna circuit, visited Chitiwan National park and Pokhara and much more. Throughout the entire trip we learnt a Great deal about Nepal from our Tour Guide Dhakal Binod, he was very helpful and patient during the trek and gave us an experience of a life time. I highly recommend booking your trip to Nepal with Himalayan social Journey!!!”

“A great trip! The people, the land, the culture - all of it is remarkable and Himalayan Social Journey folks made it especially wonderful. We were looked after at every step and all the guides and porters were so much more than just helpful - they were real friends to us. Ghorepani and Poon Hill were absolute delights and not to be missed. Thanks to all the kind and patient people at Himalayan Social Journey who made this trip of a lifetime a reality!”

“Late November I had booked a tour with the Himalayan social journey. It was a 14 day tour which included spiritual tour of nepal white water rafting couple of days at Chitwan national park and a 6 day trek of the Annapurna circuit including sunrise at poonhill. Our guide dhakal binod and his 4 porters were exceptional organised everything couldn't of run any smother. The accomdation was better than we expected and in the group of 9 we were amazed buy the quality of the food. I highly suggest if you were to book a tour with a agency social Himalayan journey are the group to do it with. I will deffinalty be back with a group of friends to do this Agian. Thank you very much for making my time amazing and never never forgotten.”

“They could not have done more. Due to family issues I needed to travel a few days earlier than planned. Ram changed my bookings to coincide with a party leaving the next day. He negotiated with the Hotel where I was staying to credit days booked for use on my return. and generally smoothed the process. The 14 day Kathmandu, W. Water Rafting, Chitwan, Annapurna Trek and Pokara itinerary was a great introduction to Nepal. At no stage did we feel rushed, and Binod proved a quietly efficient, friendly, and knowledgeable guide. This is a great trip if you have not visited Nepal before, as it combines so much. Climbing to 3,300 can be a struggle if you have been living at sea level, and other parts of the Annapurna circuit which we did not visit, are over 5,000 meters. You need to be fitter than you think ! A wonderful holiday, super people to plan and travel with, I can't recommend this company enough. Himalayan Social Journey Rocks !! Richard Bell ... Australia”

“I did the 65km Annapurna circuit trek with a couple of friends and it was amazing. A very scenic tour with lots of variety and spectacular vows of the Annapurna ranges. Special shout to the guide Ram Chandra and the porters Nobo and Cheeky boy all were very accommodating and helpful.”

“From the moment we stepped foot in nepal, we were greeted and welcomed by hotel Holy Himalaya staff. After our orientation with Himalayan social journey and Ganga as our main guide and binud as our second guide we set off for our trek around annapurna circuit. I was astounded by the knowledge our guide Ganga had of the Himalayas. Whatever peak we asked the name for he knew and also added the height and facts to support it. Along with our amazing guides, the porters were very accommodating and friendly, always offering a hand. After our amazing trek was over, we stayed and extra few days in Kathmandu but would have prefered to spend it in phokara as it is nicer and less busy. All in all I highly reccomend Himalayan social journey, I don't have a bad word to say about the whole experience 10/10”

“Excellent Holiday with Himalayan Social Journey, can thoroughly recommend them as tour operators. A big thanks to Raju our guide and Santosh our Porter for keeping us safe and making us laugh. They made sure all our needs were attended to, were flexible, hardworking and very honest all the while smiling. I would definitely travel with these guys again. Great value and great experience.”

“We had a brief two weeks in Nepal. The areas we visited included downtown Kathmandu; Pokhara for a four day trek to Dhampus, Australian Camp and Sarangkot; Chitwan National Park and Nagarkot. During this time we were guided by Binod (Binnie) Dhakal. Binnie is an exceptional young man, passionate about his country and job. He gave an extremely informative and detailed account about the places we visited. He was most considerate of our older age and accommodated all our requests with enthusiasm and professionalism. Whilst on a four day trek of a short section of the Annapurna Circuit, Krishna ? was our porter. Krishna was an extremely capable and caring person. Sirma, the local guide, was terrific too. He was extremely informative about the four places that we visited included the Monkey Temple, Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhanath and Pantan Durbar Square. Dilip Simkhada, our driver to Nagarkot was an outstanding driver, negotiating windy roads to the mountainside town with caution and precision. Ram, the Office Manger was brilliant in promptly answering our many questions prior to arrival. The company was very accommodating to our change in travel plans to add Chitwan and Nagarkot to our itinerary after arriving in Kathmandu. Overall, it was an excellent holiday in which we learnt an extraordinary amount about Nepal. Whilst the damage of the April 25th earthquake is very much evident to dwellings around Thamel, Gorkha and Kodari, it is a safe place to travel with so much still to view. The resilience of the Nepalese people is extraordinary. We will encourage our friends and colleagues to utilise this company when visiting Nepal.”

“This was an amazing trip and so well-planned. We weren't exepcting all the sightseeing but it was wonderful and really felt as if we got the Kathmandu experience. In terms of the hike- it was off-season time so we had a bit of rain and couldn't always see the views but the route was nice and quiet. Binod was our guide and he was lovely, friendly and so informative! *Keep money aside to tip the porters because they work very hard and should not go unnoticed!”

“We used Himalayan Social Journey (HMJ) to plan and organize both our Nepal and Tibet trip in October. First of all would like to point out to all those who are worried that Nepal is unsafe after last years earthquake may we recommend you put your worries aside. Yes there is some damage but Nepal and the Nepalese are absolutely wonderful; and not once did we feel unsafe. HSJ helped us plan and organize our trip. Their emails and communications were quick and helpful in the planning stages. They were ready to accommodate us and plan the trip to what we wanted not to some set standard. We ended up doing the Annapurna Circuit trek in Nepal for 11 nights. Our guide was Bishnu Bhattarai - the best treking guides we have ever had and we have done a lot of trekking. Bishnu was caring and fun. We recommend you get him to join you in a game or 2 of cards. The Annapurna Circuit was a beautiful trek. Some of the guest houses were OK and some were not so OK. Bishnu tried to find us the best ones in every place we stayed but you have to realize that sometimes it is what it is or that's what is available so live with it. In Tibet we were going to go treking as well, which HMJ had arranged, but at the last minute, when we were on the Annapurna Trek we decided it was going to be too cold - so without complaining about the last minute changes HMJ kindly helped us re-arrange our Tibet Trip to a driving / site seeing trip rather than a hiking to Everest Trip. Thank goodness because it was cold in Tibet. I cannot tell you how many times we asked HMJ to make changes (some small and some large) to our schedule while we were on the road. We have never had a more accommodating Tour Company than them. They never complained about our changes, always helped us and made good suggestions. Everyone from the drivers to the guides and the office personnel were helpful and friendly. Three last suggestions - if you are doing a city tour of Kathmandu through HMJ ask for Swami Basu dev as your tour guide, Very knowledgeable and interesting guide. Secondly, we would go back to Nepal and use HMJ in an instant. We do not ever need to go back to Tibet. The tour company was good but it was the actual country we did not like as much as Nepal. Lastly, Nepal has a lot to offer. We only saw a part of it. Take your time and enjoy the people and culture. You will not regret it.”

“I just dus the 6days trekking from Nayapul to Ghorepani en Poolhill, and back by Ghandruk en Syauli Bazar. I went alone with guide Sherpa Mingmar. First we took the flight from Kathmandu To Pokhara together. I was very well and professional organised from the first until the last moment. It all went relax. The sherpa was very experienced, helpfull and did everything to help me giving a great trekking. There was enough possibility to do the trekking at my OWN rhythm. I had the safe feeling of hicking alone. Sherpa Mingmar asked every evening feedback from the day and explained what the plan was for the day after. It was a great program. The hostels where we slept where good. We left every day around 7.30-8.00h and had only rain in the evenings. The views where spectaculair. We could see the Annapurna south and the Fishtail. There was time to stop and take a break at some teahouses on the way. I really can recommend this trip to everybody alone. It was a beautiful hike to remember. Thank you. - Lisa from Antwerp, Belgium”

“Ram was fantastic in organising our trip with the best rooms for our accommodation and always making sure we were looked after. The tour was fabulous and we were lucky to be with great people. We packed a lot of sightseeing in so it was great value. The trek was fantastic and I recommend it if you are trying it out for the first time. Even the porters were engaging and interested in talking with us. We did the Annapurna circuit and the experience was fantastic.”

“Me and my sister bought the voucher of 14 day tour from Deals.com.au and we didn't have any expectation before coming to Nepal. Our tour consisted of rafting, visiting Chitwan national park, trekking on the Annapurna circuit for 5 days including Poon Hill, and visiting the Kathmandu valley. The experience was truly astounding! I can't ask for better tour guides, porters and travel companions. It was a short time but it feels like we'd been together for months and everyone got so close together like a family. The tour was very well organised and the guides - Binod and Ganesh were so friendly, fun, professional and always made sure that everyone was happy and healthy. Be open minded and don't have too high expectation as you're not going to stay in resorts with spa or luxurious hotels all the time. Some accommodations we stayed during the trek were very basic. However considering the conditions there, where people live on the high altitude and lack of facility, I was contented and was always fascinated by the view from our rooms. I'm glad I went on this trip and get to know about Nepal, one of the poorest countries but has people with kindest hearts. Will totally recommend Himalayan Social Journey to anyone. Thanks for the amazing experience! This is my first and won't be my last visit.”

“Besi Sahar to Jomsom 11 day trek. Early November 2016 Our guide: Bishnu Prasad Bhuutarai Our Porters: Pradeep Khadaka (speedy), Mahes Khadaka (the quiet one) and Suvash Sapkota (have a chat). These 4 men were supportive, attentive, great hosts, proud of their country, promoted it well, shared their knowledge and were lots of fun. Undoubtedly the scenery was superb. We walked from 800m to 5,416m, so the change in vegetation was incredible from forest walking to moonscape. The endless waterways and snow capped mountains. Lovely villages. The lodges were basic but adequate and the food was great. The road walking (only used when no option of a track) was dusty and tiresome, however not too crowded. Roads however, are like Australian fire trails. I recommend a good quality sleeping bag and inner sheet, walking poles, sturdy boots, layers of clothes, good quality wind proof jacket, pants and gloves. Definitely buy a steripen or water purifying tablets and a water bottle to prepare water. Carry water in a camelback. Think of the environment and avoid buying bottled water. Carry out all your rubbish.”

“We have just finished our 14 night treking, jungle safari and rafting trip staying in Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara. We walked along the Annapurna circuit covering 60k over 5 days. The weather was fantastic and the people are just so friendly. The trek is advertised as easy entry level - I'd say it was not easy - probably more medium difficulty - make sure you are OK with steps - there's just a few along the way! The guys from this company are amazing - they really take care of you and go out of their way to see to your every need even when this is outside of the arranged itinery. Nothing is too much trouble for them. From getting our meals to changing our flights and arranging extras everything ran like clockwork. We had Binod and Ganesh as guides and our porters Dill, Santa, Purna and Sujan were incredible. They took care of us both on and off the trail whilst carrying huge loads. We were in awe of them! I split my head open after a slip coming out of the shower and Ganesh was straight there with the first aid kit! There were 11 in our group and our guide often secured us upgraded tea rooms and sorted out activities. There were two levels of ability in our group - some forged ahead while others took it steadier - but the porters and guides made sure everyone was safe and accompanied at all times. The tea rooms that you stay in along the trek whilst basic are better than we imagined and the food is amazing especially when you factor in the effort taken to get it up there! The treking is such a peaceful time as everything shuts down by 9.30pm although I would recommend ear plugs if you're a light sleeper - the donkey trains can start early! Also be prepared for some cold showers or use wipes - it's just the luck of the draw sometimes! This really had been a stress free exciting and humbling trip and we would not only recommend the company but would also use them again myself. These guys are amazing.”

“Just finished a trip with HSJ. It was fantastic- well organised, good itinerary, great tour leader-( Ram Chandra,) lovely porters, & beautiful scenery. The trek was challenging, but do-able. We never felt rushed, lots of support. Best to train for the 5 night trek,to enable an easier experience. Would use this very reputable company again.”

“This was a fantastic trip!! My friend and I went to Katmandu, Manacamana, Chitwan, 7 day Annapurna Circuit Trek, and lastly Pokhara!! Our guide Tika was with us on every step of our journey. Tika did a fantastic job of making us feel comfortable, looking after our every need and just being a really nice guy. My friend gets tired quite easily because of a physical condition, yet the trek though quite demanding was portioned in the right so that we didn't have to rush to walk to our next destination with the constant reminder from Tika to go "Slooowly." Really enjoyed the people, the culture, and the beeeeeauuuutiful Nepal scenery. We also did Paragliding, White Water rafting, the Mountain Flight (worthwhile since you get to see a stunning view of the Himalayas) and various safaris(and canoeing) which we also thoroughly enjoyed. I would certainly recommend Himalayan Social Journey to anyone thinking of coming to Nepal.”

“A great trip, well managed by Ganga and his assistants. The trek showed off Nepals mountains well while not taking us much over 3000m. The Guided tour of Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan before and after the trek gave us more insight into Nepal and what it has to offer. We were pleasantly surprised that the level of accommodation on the trek was way above our expectations. Would definitely return to Nepal in the future.”

“We had a very enjoyable 4 day trek from Phedi to Damphus ( lots of steps but fine if taken slowly), to Australian Base. Camp ( very easy) then the long haul to Saranghot (21klms) through interesting forests & villages. The views of the Annapurna range are spectacular and we were fortunate to witness many stunning sunrises and sunsets. Our guide, Mingmar was wonderful, he was very attentive and thorough and we enjoyed his company. The porters were also very helpful. Whilst the accommodation is basic, it was quite comfy. (Remember to ask how the gas heated showers work). Try to spend more time in Pokhara as it is very beautiful and relaxing. The paragliding from Saraghot to Pokhara should not be missed. Himalayan Dragon Paragliding were very professional and we all felt very well informed and comfortable. The take off & landing are expertly managed by the friendly pilots. My female pilot (Krishna ?) was excellent. All of our group with varying fitness levels managed the trek.”

“My Husband, sister and I did the Annapurna (not Ghorepami) Circut in October - November 2017, finishing up our trip with a stop at Pokhra for a few days at the end. We had a ball. We were always well looked after by our guides in Kathmandu and on our trek. Our accommodation was much better that we expected, food was great, we even got a hot(ish) shower most nights! Our Guide Pawan was fantastic and our porter kashab was a trooper. We loved the views, beautiful villages and Nepalise people we we met along the way. Trip of a lifetime, now planning another!”

“This is an experience of a liftetime! HSJ were recommended to us by friends and we cannot speak more highly of them. Every detail was thought of and their pre trip correspondence was efficient and informative. We did a 10 day/9 night trek to Annapurna Base Camp via Poon Hill and including rafting and hot springs. The staff on the trek, hotels booked, internal flights, day tours in both Kathmandu and Pokhara were all excellent. We would certainly recommend them to anyone who wants good value for money and a great local experience!”

“I have just returned from 3 weeks in Nepal where I put myself in the hands of the experts "Himalayan Social Journey ". They collected us from the airport and had a detailed calendar for the 20days of our stay. Which was primarily a trek to Annapurna Base Camp. The choice of hotels in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan were excellent. Our Guide Bishnu Basnet was superb we were always his first consideration making sure we were attended to. The route to Annapurna Base Camp was carefully planned and we were never over stretched on the way. We tagged on an Everest morning flight Chitwan Safari and a morning sunrise at Narakot. All worth while and well planned. I have only praise for this company as competition in Kathmandu is fierce. I can say from experience they are one of the best out there and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone who wishes to do what we did. Our thanks go out to everyone involved in our trek especially our porter Ramesh Magar his smile kept us all going.”

“Our 12 day tour was booked through a local voucher deal company and for the low price paid our expectations were not that high. After contacting HSJ to make the booking and other arrangements we could immediately see that they were a professional company and very efficient, even arranging birthday gifts etc prior to arrival. The greeting on arrival at Kathmandu was smooth and the first evening's introductions and the folklore dinner was great. Our trip included a full day sight seeing tour of Kathmandu which was interesting but we felt it could have included more. The next day we travelled to the Trishuli river and enjoyed a couple of hours rafting which was one of the highlights of the trip. Great fun and well-organised followed by an overnight in the lodge and a tasty breakfast. The following day we arrived at Birethanti for the start of our trek which was fantastic throughout. Well organised, friendly guide and porters and good quality teahouse accommodation each night. The weather was perfect throughout and we were so lucky with the views that we experienced. We would highly recommend HSJ for any trip to Nepal without question and may even visit again ourselves one day!”

“We have just completed the Ghorepani Poon Hill circuit trek with Himalayan Social Journey and I would highly recommend them. HSJ make the entire process hassle free from the moment they pick you up from the airport to the time you are dropped back at the airport nearly 2 weeks later. We opted for a private tour so on the trek it was just the 2 of us plus our guide Tikaram and porter Dinesh. HSJ are a socially responsible trekking organisation and ensure that their porter’s are not overloaded by assigning one porter for every 2 trekkers and limiting each individual trekker to about 12kg of gear. Unfortunately as witnessed on the trek not all companies are as responsible as HSJ and if you are concerned about porter welfare I would definitely recommend using HSJ. All of the staff from HSJ we encountered were genuine and helpful. From the email correspondence which was always responded to promptly through to the general manager who met with us before we left Kathmandu. However special mention must be made for our guide Tikaram and porter Dinesh whom we spent the most time with during our stay in magnificent Nepal. Tikaram arranged our days on the trek expertly so that the only thing we needed to worry about was hiking, ordering food, and being packed and ready to go for the next day. Tikaram arranges the accommodation in the guest houses along the way, sets the hiking pace based on your ability, takes your order and serves your food. The hiking never feels rushed under Tikaram's guidance and there are ample opportunities for photography and rests. We had a extra slack day so Tikaram advised we spend an extra night in Pokhara. Additionally we decided to fly back to Kathmandu rather than bus and Tikaram arranged the flights as well. All in all Tikaram is a brilliant experienced guide and a kind, thoughtful and considerate person. HSJ are very lucky to have him as an employee. Dinesh is a dutiful and attentive colleague of Tikaram. He bore the weight of our pack with a smile and aplomb. He assisted Tikaram with meal service and would often be of assistance on the trail when required during wet and treacherous conditions or would power on ahead to secure our lodgings for the evening. All of this with the most weight of his back and a smile on his face. I wish Dinesh well with his future endeavours and his progression as a guide which I’m sure he’ll achieve and excel at. As for Nepal itself if you are contemplating coming I would highly recommend that you do. It is a dichotomy of the hustle and bustle of dusty manic Kathmandu to the serene majestic beauty of the Himalayas. With Pokhara falling somewhere between the two. Do not be delusioned power outages are a regular occurrence throughout the country. While we were at Kathmandu airport the power was cut on 3 occassions. The first time was disconcerting to be plunged into darkness but by the third time is was a mere inconvenience. The Hotels are basic is terms of western standards and the guesthouses on the trek even more so. However as always we were stuck by contrasts as we had wifi at most guesthouses which was totally unexpected and often an ensuite bathroom which Tikaram had secured for us. He was at pains to mention that during peak season it is not always possible to get an ensuite in a guesthouse. The major benefit of an ensuite is the toilet, the showers were sometimes cold because of power issues. However if you are an experienced multi day hiker even the option of a shower is plus. The roads are often narrow, potholed, dusty, and very busy. Driving in Nepal is an art involving lots of horn and overtaking on blind corners. Additionally everything happens in what’s known as Nepal time, and you need to be patient. Buses take between 6 and 10 hours to travel along the sole highway between Kathmandu and Pokhara. This major reason I would advise flights between Pokhara and Kathmandu if you can afford the additional expense. One way by bus while very interesting is enough. Why do Nepal? Given the challenges outlined above why would you travel to Nepal. Simply because of the adventure. The Himalayas are breathtaking and the sunrise summit of Poon Hill with the panoramic views of the Annapurna’s is an emotional experience. But beyond the mountains more importantly is the people. We’ve come away with life long friends who we will return to see hopefully again and again as we explore this magnificent country.”