“My partner and 2 friends, booked this 14 day tour through Luxury Escapes, and wow. We didn't do the upgraded package to stay at Gokarna Resort though. Having never trekked before, we were very anxious. We arrived at the Holy Himalaya 3 days before, just so we could get our bearings and relax a little.
Binod from HSJ met us before the trek, which was really good. We found out a lot of information, that was helpful to know before we headed off. HSJ give you a duffel bag, so there is no need to bring a backpack. We didn't know this before hand and went out and brought new trekking backpacks, so, just so you know, don't bother, as you have to pack everything into a duffel bag. If you are travelling with a partner they ask if you can share one. Which we did easy. You do need your own smaller backpack to carry water etc in. Highly recommend a camel pack, as it is so much easier to suck on, than constantly getting a water bottle out.
We didn't need sleeping bags either. Every Lodge you stay in has pillows and thick donas, which was enough. There was one night I was a little cold, so I just slept in a beanie and socks, which was perfect. I have a bit to write, so I'll break it down.
Are group had an age mix from 30's to 70's
Holy Himalaya - Wonderful. The first room we got, there were a few problems, but they moved us straight away without any fuss or delay. Again, we stayed another few nights when we finished the tour, and the room we were given was great, but the bed was super hard. I asked if we could possibly have a room with a softer bed, and they moved us straight away. I was so thankful. The buffet breakfast was more than enough, and they make fresh coffee to order, Latte's etc, which was a real treat. The hotel is in a great area, with shops and restuarnts everywhere. There are heaps of trekking shops around, so you can get everything there, if you forget anything, and prices were cheap.
Start of the tour was great. Long bus ride, but that's all part of it. Definitely take medication if you get car sick though, as the roads are bumpy and winding. Water rafting was the best we have ever done, and the rapids were flowing which made for a good day. Jungle safari accommodation at 7 stars was awesome. Large generous room with great buffets and pool
Accommodation on trek was basic but cozy. A lot of shared bathrooms/toilets and paid showers. Some had plywood walls so they can get noisy, so take earplugs if you are a light sleeper. The food was always fresh and delicious. We allowed about $30aud per day for lunch and dinner, but if you want to drink take a little more. Meals are around $3-$7aud/meal and beers (king brown size) are around $5-$10. Wine is about $25/$30/bottle
The trek is mainly steps, and I mean pretty much 80% steps. we never trained and my friend ended up hurting her knees and needed them both strapped. So, spend a bit of time on the stairs before you go. She still made it though, and never required the assistance of a donkey to make it to the next stop.
Don't worry too much about taking food with you - we took a heap of hiking\protein bars which we didn't need, as you stop along the way for drinks, snacks and lunch. Pretty much all toilets are squat toilets so make sure you take paper or tissues. I had never used a squat toilet, and had mastered it after day 1. You kind of have to when you have no choice. All accommodation had western toilets.
If a tennis ball or 2 fits in your bag, try and take them to Poon Hill. The kids were all playing on a basketball court when we were there. They played basket ball, cricket, volley ball......We joined in and one of our group accidentally hit the tennis ball down the hill/mountain, which we could not get. He went to buy another ball, but the village had none to buy. He felt so bad. So, a ball or 2 wouldn't go astray up the top of the mountain
The porters who carried are things were amazing. They always had smiles on their face, and helped us along rocky crossings etc. So not only were they loaded up walking up stairs, but helpful and cheery along the way.
The guides. What do I say. I am so grateful for the guides. A huge shout out and thanks to Binny ( Binod) and Pradip. Nothing was ever, and I mean ever, too much trouble. They always smiled, even when Binny came down with a cold, he was still smiling. They interacted with us like friends and always made us feel safe, happy and like we were all a family unit. It was my friends birthday, so I asked Pradip if he could organise a cake for my friend, that I would pay for. He organised the most delicious cake, enough for everyone, and told me not to pay. He and Binny organised it. Plus, they brought my friends gifts, which was super nice. Pradip, Binny and the porters all look after you. They take your food orders, they serve you your food, they dance with you, they are just there for you always. Thankyou Binny, Pradip and Porters. Without your smiling faces and uplifting attitudes, we the trek would of been a lot harder. Would I go again???? 110% yes”
“I took a 15-day tour organized by them, according to my interests. I visited quite a few cities and took the Poonhill Trek. The excursions were excellent and the hotels, very good. I can only thank them for all they did. In the first place, the people who answered my emails and questions before and during the trip, Reeya and Priyanka, were always available and patient. The guides and drivers, among them Dep, Dilip and Bishnu, were so good too! They did everything to make this a great experience. Also, I have to point out the proficiency, invaluable help and patience of the guide during the Poonhill trek and most of the cities, Bishnu, without whose help I could never have reached the top of Poonhill. It was an amazing trip.”
“I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a rewarding EBC trek experience.
Dinesh was wonderful and made adjustments to the trekking plan as needed which made the experience more enjoyable.
Trekking during the monsoon season was not recommended due to rain, shops being closed and limited food/ accommodation options but i thoroughly enjoyed the peace and quiet, no crowds, no waiting for bathrooms or restaurant tables, and plenty of time to soak in the incredible scenery without feeling rushed.
While communication could sometimes be a bit tricky due to language barriers, I knew I was in good hands as Dinesh clearly knew the route well and was committed to making sure I had a memorable journey.”
“We went on a trek with Himalayn Social Journey in February of this year. Once landing in Nepal, they picked us up from the airport and the next day helped us work out what trek we would like to do. Ram, who is the owner, is always smiling and happy and this made it very easy to deal with him. He puts no pressure on you, just gives you the outlines and all the details and lets you choose. They were very helpful and the prices really reasonable. We decided Everest Base Camp Trek would be our chosen journey, and follow in some of the footsteps of our kiwi fellow Sir Edmund Hillary. The flight was all arranged by the company and the transfer to the airport. Our guide Bisnu was amazing!! He lives in the Khumbu region, so you are really supporting local people. He had a great knowledge of the mountain ranges and kept us at ease with any questions we had. All accomadation was booked and organised by Bisnu and the company.
We trekked for 11 days up to Kala Pattar and back down, the most memorable experience of our life, seeing that gian mountain Everest is unforgettable!
After the trek we also organised through Himalayan Social Journey trekking to go down to Chitwan, where we had three days, two nights organised for us. With bus fares, accomadation, elephant riding, jungle walking all included and organised. Very fun and cultural!
My husband and I love the fact that some of the proceeds goes to local charity projects as well.
Would reccommend this company to anyone! And when we go back to Nepal we are sure to visit them and be welcomed by their love. Thanks heaps!!!”
“Hi all dont think about it do it !!
The whole experience was great more than expected and value for money twice over ( yes im an accountant) the trek was hard but not as hard as expected altitude was not a problem with the well planned itinerary and a little help from diamox ( 125 g) at ktm
Then when on trek up to 250 no problem for our group # your call
accomodation was fine, not 4 star but clean cosy and excellent sleeping bags were provided by him social and extra blankets were provided, never cold except those extra toilet runs due to bloody diamox. the trip was well planned and managed and our tour leader had the same trek to ebc over 400 times ,so knew the path blindfolded but better still knew all the hotel/ tea houses and allowed us the better rooms. FOOD OPTIONS ARE LIMITED EVERYWHERE DUE TO LOCATION BUT ON A USER PAY basis there was plenty of choices at reasonable prices, you will love the garlic soup by end the trip, goid for ams. The tour leader and porters were all great and helpful and quietly funny i miss them writing this
overall the tour was great, a small size of 8 was awsesome and everyone interacted great, even laughed at my jokes when struggling for air whilst treking, ha ha
the porters worked so hard always smiling even carring 30 kg up step hills or sliding down snow covered tracks ( we got caught in snow blizzard one in 20 year pheonemon)
The farewell dinner was great, with food provided best in nepal and best of all paid by the ever thoughtful ram, the man pulling all the strings, he is very approachable considerate and well organised, helped us with tours pre and post tour at good prices.
Tip allow 2 or 3 days end in case wether problems, if no issue take the cheap option to rhinos in chitwan nat park awsemome exp.
As i said do it you wont regret we didnt even falling three kms/ hours d
short od ebc bloody snow never liked the stuff, not good with boubon either( dont drink whikst ascending) save for down hill ENJOY !!!!!”
“I travelled to Nepal in November 2013 with a friend. We had organised the Everest base camp trek with HSJ, who had been very helpful throughout the process.
We arrived in Nepal and stepped out of the crazy airport with little clue as to what was going on, navigated our way through the crowds and out into the pick up area. We were ushered to a car by someone carrying the sign so we followed and took the bumpy ride into Nepal whilst our chaperone Binod pointed out the sights. We finally arrived at the office and we met with Ram (managing director) who greeted us with generous Nepalese hospitality and helped us go through our itinerary. Everything was organised and despite having to change things around due to the election unrest at the time we were on our way for our stay at the Chitiwan National Park, where we rode elephants, canoed crocodile infested waters, trekked through jungle in search of elusive rhinos amongst a myriad of other fun activities whilst staying at a river side resort.
After returning from this adventure we met up with the trekking group back in Nepal where and flew out to Lukla for the beginning of the trek. The trek up to Everest basecamp is a 7ish day affair which takes you through breathtaking scenery on a journey which is sometimes challenging, with dusty narrow trails, yak trains to dodge, swinging suspension bridges, ankle twisting stones, freezing showers (if any at all) and if you are unlucky altitude sickness. Don't let these challenges deter you however, our guides binod and bisnu were a wealth of knowledge and were more friends than just guides. We were fortunate to travel with a great bunch of people and experience some of the most amazing scenery in the world.
I had the misfortune of being affected heavily by altitude sickness and flew down from Everest base camp by helicopter (which was stunning as well)
Finally on the last day I had a personal driver to take me around the city to see all the sights. He was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and I had a great day.
One thing I must say is that the staff at HSJ especially Ram and Binod, were extremely accommodating and nothing was too hard. The level of service was unparalleled to anything I had experienced before. There was always someone ready to meet us from the bus, ferry us between locations, made changing flights extremely easy, put up with the insurance and medical processes just to name a few.
I feel that this service is a reflection of the hard working nature of Ram and his team who strive to make your experience the best possible.
One thing that should be noted is that for fussy people, accommodation isn't 5 star, you will be hassled on the street constantly to buy drugs, give food, money, buy stuff, the air is dusty and smoky. On the trek the going can be tough at points even if you are of reasonable fitness, and the accommodation and creature comforts become more Spartan the higher you are.
However the people that make this trek possible, the friends you make along the way, the food, the culture, the amazing temples, the breathtaking scenery, the challenge; these overshadow any of the negatives, and if you go in prepared for the journey you will be guaranteed to have an amazing experience which you will never forget and talk about for years to come.
Thanks again to Ram and Binod from HSJ and the guides Bisnu and Binod”
