Traveller reviews

“My sister and I signed up to the Nepal adventure holiday with Himalayan Social Journey (HSJ) via Luxury Escapes. Our trip was from 1-14 January 2018. The package covered all land transport and accommodation but I highly recommend taking domestic flights (especially Chitwan to Pokhara). You may have to wait at the airport for 3 hours for a 15mins flight but the alternative may be a 17+hrs bus ride! Leading up to the trip HSJ provided generic information on what to pack and was very prompt in responding to emails. There were a couple of things such as steripen and sleeping bags mentioned in the email that was supposedly provided but did not eventuate. Having said that, it wasn't an issue as we were able to buy drinking water and blankets were provided in the mountain lodges. We arrived after 9pm on NYE in Kathmandu - roads leading to our hotel was closed and as a result, we had to push our way through essentially a mosh pit carrying our luggage. Was a scary experience but we survived it. NOTE TO TRAVELERS: If arriving on NYE - try getting in before the street party! There were only 4 of us in the tour group - which was excellent. As such, we were given options to customise the 14-day package as we went along. We did our city tour on the 1st day. Sights covered were awesome. We were brought to some shops where they explained the art of Tibetan Thangkas and Singing bowls - but no pressure was put on us to buy anything - which was pleasant. Thanks to our guide Narendra, the route that we ended up trekking was a great one Annapurna foothills (Birethanti - Ulleri- Ghorepani - Tarapani - Jhinnu - Tolka) - I couldn't have imagined trekking the reverse (some people do!). We also skipped whitewater rafting as water would have been freezing and they do not provide wet suits! The lodges on the mountain are pretty basic. Our first night was unpleasant (dirty sheets and stinky blanket - had to ask for clean ones) but subsequent ones were ok. The last lodge in Tolka was nice - great way to end our trek. Weather wise - eventhough it was winter, we trekked during the day in short sleeves as it was warm. Couldn't imagine trekking in summer - the toilets would be even worse! We got lucky that we trekked when we did - offpeak - less traffic on the mountains and more peaceful in lodges. Our guide Narendra and our porters Babu and Krishna were fantastic. They looked after us very well. HSJ did have a suggested tipping amount that we should set aside for our guide and porter but in my opinion, it was set ridiculously low - less than if I were to buy them a simple lunch each day! Paragliding is a popular activity in Pokhara. The photos taken by the operator when up in the air are awesome - so even if one suffers from motion sickness - it's a small price to pay :) The river and Jeep safari in Chitwan was great. Highly recommended. As i've mentioned earlier, fly in and out of Chitwan if you want to avoid being stuck in traffic. My sis and I did the Everest Scenic flight on our 2nd day in Kathmandu - a touristy thing to do but I doubt we would have done it if we have waited until after treks. Being out in the mountains is infinitely better. NOTE TO TRAVELERS: If choose to do Everest scenic flight - eventhough you get a window seat each - best views are from the seats away from the wings. The 1st seat on the left of our plane had only a partial window- seat not aligned :( The best hotel for the whole trip was Mt Kailash in Pokhara. The Seven Stars Hotel in Chitwan has nice grounds. Holy Himalaya in Kathmandu is your standard 3 star hotel - nice friendly staff and clean. Overall, a great holiday! :)”

“I strongly recommend this trip by Himalayan Social Journey. The value was very good. The standard and location of the accommodation in Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara were great. The standard of the guesthouses along the trek were as good as you could expect. Our guide Ram was friendly, excellent English and very competent. Our porters were fun kids. Coordination with the rafting, Chitwan and other activities, sightseeing and airport transfers were seemless. This is a low price tour so expect to pay for entrance fees not specifically included such as cable cars, temple admissions and some tipping. I particularly recommend the flight from Pochara to Kathmandu, the scenic flight to Everest and paragliding in Pochara. Ram got us discounts on all of these. Expect a couple of days of continuous climbing for great views of the Annapurna range. All of our small group had a great time. I didn't stay at the Gokana resort but some did. They were blown away but it's not within walking distance from town. Bruce (photos of Ram with friend and Annapurna)”

“My wife and I had a great time on this trip, we met wonderful people and thanks to our brilliant guide Shankar we learned a lot about the people and culture of Nepal. Shankar really looked after us and explained the smaller details we wanted to find out. He also negotiated great rooms when the accommodation was busy, and Ramesh Maygar one of the porter's looked after the restaurant ordering and made sure all the money was worked out at every stop. Both of these guys were exceptional. The Trekking was great, we had some rain, we had hot days and cooler nights, we had excellent food and plenty of it. And fellow trekkers, other porters, teahouse proprietors, and all the people we met were fantastic. We've made some friends for life. Himalayan Social Journey really do make it a social journey, after 5 days of trekking I felt like I had Nepali brothers. The views of the Annapurna area are fantastic, our accomodation was sometimes basic, but the views at 6am were outstanding, Poon Hill was a highlight as was Tadapani, Our Pokhara Hotel room had a double aspect and we could go onto the roof at 5am and watch the sunrise on the mountains behind the city, or another morning down to the park by the lake at an early hour gave us a different flavour. Hotel Holy Himalaya was perfectly situated for the hustle and bustle of Thamel area in Kathmandu, and as the New Years Celebrations were on while we were there it made a great way to access the party on the streets! The Hotel staff are also very friendly and the restaurant staff perfect. We were invited to eat with the staff at one point and it was good to see everyone being together and relaxing in front of us, best coffee I've ever had too! There were plenty of good restaurants close to the hotel but take a little walk out for 10 minutes and you can really find some amazing nightlife, bars and cafes with live music, and the crazy busy city at night is worth walking around just to watch the way the city lives and breathes. We also did a flight out to Everest in a small plane with cockpit views early one morning. Well worth the extra $'s and getting up really early. This was my first active trip involving trekking, at no point did I think it was too hard, it tested me on the third day, but by the fifth day when we were on our way down the mountain to the pick up point I knew it was setting something in motion which will change me forever.”

“Great opportunity to see Mt Everest form the sky. The view from the individual windows was amazing. Really enjoyable view from the cockpit. Recommend .”

“The experience of a life time. From the moment we arrived in Kathmandu till the moment we left. Himalayan Social Journey (HJS) staff cared for and guided us wonderfully. The ride through the streets of Kathmandu to the Mulberry Hotel was a real eye opener. It was not my expectation, but the skill of the drivers, motorcyclists, pedestrians and bus drivers was unbelievable in such dense traffic on very poorly made roads. Mulberry Hotel provided first class service, accomodation and food. The weather spoiled a dip in the ideally placed infinity pool. The hotel is well situated in the Thamel tourist district. The highlight of the trip was the helicopter flight to Everest. An exhilarating experience with an experienced pilot. A landing on the Tenzing / Hillary airstrip at Lukla to refuel on the way view Everest. The quick stop at Everest Inn allowed us to experience the weather below the mount. The flight over Basecamp and icefall to glimpse climber was just the entree to magnificent views of Everest; a sight never to be forgotten. The cultural dinner and show was totally enjoyable. Two days sight seeing of Kathmandu was carefully managed by HSF and very worthwhile. Our bus trip to Pokhara was ably chaperoned by Tik our guide. It was 7 hours of spectacular views. Sunrise at Sarangkot was mystical to glimpse the mounts of Annapurna range. The sights of Pokhara were magnificent and we benefited from the care and knowledge of Tik. HSJ suggested we fly back to Kathmandu. It was a great idea. We were able to enjoy the hospitality of the resort, including views of the Annapurna from the roof. Unfortunately traffic conditions cruelled our intentions of enjoying the offerings of the Gokarna Forest Lodge. The accommodation and food were 5 Star plus. Generall the best week’s holiday . HSJ organisation and staff were superlative.”

“We went for the Everest Scenic Flight by YETI AIRLINES. Fortunately for us the weather cooperates and we could watch from close quarters,Gauri Shankar(7134 Metres)and Flat Melingtse (7181 ) mountains to name afew. We saw the entire mountain range and the highlight was Kanchenjunga (8586 Mertres) There were two AirHostesses who took great pain to explain Various Peaks. As we approached Everest we were allowed to enter Cockpit and View. A once in Life Time Experience. Don't Miss”

“I came across this company by accident when planning a business trip to Kathmandu From my very first email, the communications from the staff were first class I booked a 5 day Sunrise tour with an additional night in Kathmandu to cover my business day Accommodation was upgraded to a deluxe room at my request and expense in both the properties in Kathmandu and Nagarkot Transfers were always on time and included the day I needed to see my business associate Staff were always friendly and helpful including the guides provided on the tour of Kathmandu sites My drive to Nagarkot was over absolutely shocking roads but I got there and back in one piece I was somewhat shocked when we spent sometime at the Hindu temple , together with cremations on one of our tours I think a little less time there would have been better as we didn’t see the main square in Kathmandu that I was expecting The recommendation of scenic flight over Everest provided me wife a life highlite Could not recommend this company and its staff more highly Thank you Rob”

“Our flight with Yeti Airlines went off without a hitch; left on time, provided distance views of Everest. Everyone had a window seat, and we each got about 30 seconds in the cockpit to take photos. It was very exciting, and worth the time and money.”

“We took the Mountain Flight with Buddha Air in May which we greatly enjoyed - the weather cooperated!. However, given that the point of this flight is that you can see the mountains, I made the suggestion that the windows of the smaller plane are professionally cleaned so that they are sparkling and tourists can see the mountains clearly from their seats which is the point of the flight! For us this slightly spoiled the experience, but did not take away from the magnificence of the Himalayas. The flight was well managed and each person on the flight was allowed to go upfront with the pilots to see the full view.”

“My 12 year old son and I took a great day trip through Himalayan Social Journey after our morning Everest flight. It was a fantastic tour overall and specifically great for my son. Our superb guide Rigzin, was absolutely great. Knowledgeable, friendly and kind. He explained the sites, history and spiritual aspects of both places in a patient and interesting way with easily understandable English that had my son interested and engaged in the history and culture of the places. What more can you ask for! My son was so at ease that he would just follow Rigzin as we went through the tour as I was taking some pictures. The tour started at 10:30 and we returned by 430pm. The JuJu Yogurt at the end at the small shop was a really nice finish. Wonderful experience.”

“Wow! We are so happy we took this flight. We were only able to see the tops of 3 of the big mountains, including Everest due to cloud cover. However, we can say we saw Everest! Everyone gets a window seat on the plane and an opportunity to look from the cockpit. We do wish we could've had a more clear day, but we are happy with our experience.”

“This Everest Scenic Flight (sold by Himalayan Social Journey with the flight provided by Yeti Airlines) was the experience of a lifetime and worth every penny. Everyone on the plane had a window seat and, because the aircraft turned half way through the flight, we all had ample opportunity to takes photos of the mountains at close quarters. We were lucky enough to have fabulous weather and had great views of the Eastern Himalayas, including Kangchenjunga and Everest. Everyone had the opportunity to enter the cockpit for a few moments and see the mountains as the pilot would. The complimentary glass of champagne provided by the attentive flight crew was the icing on a fabulous cake. If you get the chance to do this amazing trip I highly recommend it.”

“The Everest Scenic Flight with Buddah Air in Kathmandu is an experience that any first time traveller to Nepal should do. You get up early in the morning, before sunrise, and the size of the airplane varies from 12 to 30 people but everyone has a guaranteed window seat for taking pictures. You also visit the cockpit where you can take a selfie with the pilots or pictures of Mt. Everest or other mountains. The view is sensational and we were very fortunate to have completely clear blue skies. What is amazing is that there are so many mountains in the Himalayah Range besides Mt. Everest. It is expensive, but worth the money. I tell my friends that I climbed Mt. Everest and they are amazed that I did it in 1 hour!”

“Do your self a favor and take this trek. My husband and another couple are in our sixties,we were the oldest of a group of 11 people. Im not particularly sporty, enjoy a walk around the block. This trip did test me and surprise me with how much I could actually do. The first day was the hardest, over 2500 steps on rough terrain, but we all did it and the feeling was the best!!!! Our guide, Ram and his team of Porters were amazing, they encouraged us, sang songs to take our mind off it, pointed out sites and there was always one of them with the last person on the trek. We can't thank them enough! The weather was perfect, mid 20s. Accomo was basic, sometimes a shared bathroom but always clean. We did take our own pillow slip and double sheet. My husband and I absolutely loved this trip. Sunrises over the himalayas, a flight over Mt Everest, the people of Nepal, scenery to blow your mind, beautiful!”

“We recently went on a 12 day Annapurna Poonhill trek with Himalayan Social Journey and we were looked after from beginning till the end. Ram also organised a flight over Everest which was amazing. A huge thankyou to Narendra, our guide for encouraging us during our trek and being with us every step of the way, "a little up, a little down". We even bought T shirts with this saying to remind us. Narendra organised other parts of our itinery including transport and accomodation and ensured we always felt safe. Thankyou to all our porters, you all deserve respect for your amazing efforts. Special thanks to Suraj for bringing us safely back to Pokara, you have a special place in my heart. To anyone thinking of trekking or just visiting Nepal, I can highly recommend Himalayan Social Journey and will be using their services if I should return to Nepal.”

“This is one of the best experiences if you are ready to wake up early. Buddha Air is excellent and among the more punctual ones. The pilots are very helpful and they identify the peaks for us.”

“We choose to go with Yeti airlines and we were so happy!! They are slightly cheaper than Bhudha airlines. You get to go to the cockpit and take photos and get a glass of champagne to celebrate!! Well worth it”

“Did the Mount Everest flight back in October with Yeti Air. Amazing pics and no clouds. And going in we had decent expectations. We knew the plane would still be miles away from the mountains. Some points: (*) We did the 5:30 pick up 6:15 flight (earlier is better). Everyone gets window seat and time in cockpit (*) Get boarding pass and seat at airport. Get seat in front or back (front is better) so wing is less in the way (*)The plane flies to Everest then loops back. You will see Everest around the middle of the flight. (*) The way the plane loops back to Kathmandu means you are closest to the mountains on the way back. So ideally get seat on the right side of plane (if facing forward) to get these views (*) Time in cockpit is like 30 seconds to be ready to shoot photos fast! (*) Plane window can play havoc with auto-focus so get ready to use manual focus. For me, my iPhone XS actually took better pics (even on max optical zoom) then my $1400 Sony superzoom camera. See attached with my iPhone of Everest.”

“We took the Shree air flight only window seats are given and the allow you in the cockpit by turn to have a great view of the Himalayas. Very nice, knowledgeable and friendly staff We also got a certificate.”

“buddha air. 6.30 am. 1 hour sharp. window seat for everyone. great pilot. all peaks from dhaulagiri to kanchenjangha. crystal sharp view of everest. view from cockpit also. sketch of all peaks given before journey is so accurate that you need no help in identification. a top-class, perfect, spectacular, thrilling morning for 7800 inr per person. start savings from now, if you step in here, you just can't miss it at any cost.”

“On the first day our group was arrived, we met Dipentra at the airport. He is our guide for 4days after that we go to Nagarkot. At Nagarkot we stayed at villa Himalaya. Room was nice and spacious. Dinner and breakfast was nice. And View of Himalaya at terrace is wonderful. After that we went to Bhaktapur and back to Thamel. Holy Himalayan hotel was located in the heart of Thamel, good for shopping and walking around. Room and Food was nice too. Dipentra is a nice guide, he always explains everything that we want to know. And Mr. Ram, the founder of HSJ came to meet us at hotel after everest scenic flight to make sure that everything is fine. About scenic flight the view from plane is incredible. And the price of HSJ is reasonable.”

“Booked with Yeti Air for 6:30 flight, airport fogged in so had to wait until about 10:00 but more than worth the wait. We were in th e Jetstream 41 so 19 window seats were sold. If you can pick seat pick right side facing cockpit ( you get Everest on flight back which is closer view) and try for front or back to avoid wing, however no seat is bad. Well worth the cost and any waiting, champagne and 8 by10 photo of Everest an additional nice touch. Thanks Yeti”

“We had a fascinating and professionally managed Everest flight, a well guided safari in Chitwan and an interesting city tour of Kathmandu. Other than the driver who picked us up at the airport (who was a bit non responsive) all personnel we encountered were fantastic. Accommodation in Kathmandu was adequate but the hotel in Chitwan had a few problems, especially an intermittent supply of hot water. HSJ delivered on everything promised, provided good value for money, and we would have no hesitation in recommending them.”

“It is possible to see the mountains very well, and we got a map with the names and shapes of all of them. The pilots let us take pictures from the cabin too. It is a really amazing view.”