Traveller reviews

“Have just came back from this amazing adventure. I decided to hike to base camp to celebrate my 50th birthday. From the moment we booked everything was looked after so smoothly and nothing was ever to much. We were picked up by the lovely Dil at the airport at 10.30 pm. He was our driver for any of our trips while in Kathmandu. He took us on a great tour of Kathmandu and taking us to all the must see places. Such a great freindly guy and nothing was ever to much. Once our trek started we were in a group of 9. Our guides were Binod and Ganesh. I can not speak highly enough of these two gentlemen. They took care of everything from what weather to expect, our meals, what to expect everyday. Binod would have a family meeting every night and explain our next day as he said , listen to him and we would all make it and we did. Ganesh was incredible his knowledge of the mountains is amazing and he would remember everything I am Sure this guy has a photographic memory. They genuinely cared for each member of our group, twice daily we would check our oxygen levels and heart rate to insure we were all good to continue. They would check everyone was drinking enough water daily. All the tea houses they choose are really good and we enjoyed all of them and the food . They organized birthday cakes for two of us on the trek . We loved Gokarna resort at the end it was so nice to unwind after the hike . Holy Himalaya is also lovely with tea and coffee served all day from the restraunt. This trek is not for the light hearted and you should really insure you are fit enough and enjoy hiking. It is a tough trek but an achievement. Thanks guys I will be recommending you to anyone who wants to hike to base camp or any trek in Nepal”

“We have just returned from our EBC adventure and found the hospitality and organisation by our two guides Bishnu and Bishnu (B1 and B2) to be excellent. They were always on hand to give out good advice to ensure all of our group made it to EBC and their humour was always welcomed. The altitude caught a number of our group out and necessitated multiple helicopter rescues from Gorak Shep the following morning (the altitude is brutal above 5,000m) and it was here that we found some key company processes and systems were not as good as they could have been and the health of individuals were not valued as highly as we thought should be. Access to lifesaving drugs and medical equipment at Gorak Shep would be a good improvement. It was good that we had easy access to the company’s helicopter and luckily everyone survived to tell the tale. The problem we have since discovered is systemic and widespread and not confined to just HSJ - but still doesn’t make it right! Other than that we benefited from HSJ’s scale and experience on the treks and our guides knew how to make sure we were looked after and happy. This was demonstrated when we were able to smash through the queues of stranded passengers at Lukla to get back to Kathmandu on our last day - really appreciated. Overall I gave our guides a 5 star rating and HSJ a 3 star rating (marked down due to the unacceptable behaviour of their MD with our sick team members)”

“Wow!!! What an incredible experience Thoai and I had on this trip. Our guide Bishnu Bhattarai was extremely resourceful, helpful, experienced and funny all at the same time. Slowly lovely gently. Tuan Nguyen”

“HSJ and our fantastic guide Mingmar made the Everest Base Camp trek an unforgettable experience. Everything was organised perfectly and the only minor hiccup (an unexpected yak illness) was handled and dealt with smoothly and perfectly. Mingmar was a fun, charming and insightful guide, and I’ll recommend his services, which so far boast a 100% success rate, to anybody who is looking for a brilliant Himalayan trekking trip.”

“Just completed the 16 day EBC trek with expert guidance from the Himalayan Social Journey team of Mingmah and Garnesh. The trek was physically demanding due to altitude, freezing alpine weather and steep climbs. However it is an exhilarating experience of overwhelming beauty wrapped in the gentle Sherpa welcome. Strongly recommend this itinerary but a good level of fitness is a must and also suggest you seek expert medical advice about managing altitude before you leave home. And be sure to ask for Mingmah and Garnesh to safely guide you along the way.”

“We had the trip of a lifetime walking from Lukla to Everest Base Camp and back and want to say a huge thank you to Himalayan Social Journey and our guides MIngma Sherpa and Ganesh for making it as easy as possible and truly memorable. We didn't encounter a hitch from being picked up at the airport, cruised around the sights of khatmandu, sheprded on the first plane in and out of Lukla and guided with great care all the way through the 13 day trek in the Himalayas. Mingma is an energetic, kind and caring guide and Ganesh shared great stories about life in Nepal. I reccommend them to anyone wanting a guided trek through the Himalayas.”

“The HSJ guides are excellent - they know the mountains like the back of their hand. They are warm, gracious, friendly, knoweldgeable, professional, and all in all some of the most excellent people I have been fortunate to meet in life. Thank you Ganga and Prakash (and our excellent Yak guide and wider HSJ team). These mountains are tough and things can go wrong even with the best intentions and preparations - choosing to do this trek with trusted guides is a wise choice. I have no hesitations in recommending HSJ to others. They are top notch in all regards. I had the trip of a lifetime.”

“I recently completed the EBC trek with Himalayan Social Journey and Mingmar Sherpa. Mingmar and Ganesh provided just the right amount of support and advice to allow myself and a mate of mine of 32 years to achieve our goal of getting to EBC and back safe and well. Mingmar has a range of “must do” advice for this trek, and we put all of our faith in him and closely followed his advice throughout. Everything he told us definitely helped us through each phase of the trek, in particular as we prepared for the very high altitude sections. His guidance was always graceful and helpful, and I am very pleased to have got to know this master guide and true Himalayan Mountain Man. His extensive knowledge of the many peaks and paths was most appreciated. He also knows all the best spots to take photos, being a photographer himself, which is most handy on a trek such as this one. I can’t speak highly enough of this trekking experience and it will be one of the big milestones I will remember for the rest of my life. Highly recommended to trek with Himalayan Social Journey and Mingmar Sherpa. The photo is Mingmar Sherpa in his natural environment. Tim B., Newcastle, Australia”

“Myself and my husband have just returned from an amazing 12 day EBC trek led by Mingmar with Ganesh as assistant guide. Both guides were knowledgeable and so helpful and professional throughout the trek. We thoroughly enjoyed our journey through the Himalayas with them and would not hesitate to recommend either of them. Prior to commencement of our tour we had a day tour of Kathmandu arranged for our group and again our guide was so knowledgeable. Any HSJ staff we encountered during our trip were helpful and courteous. I would highly recommend HSJ to anyone looking to book a trip to Nepal.”

“The most amazing journey with the aid of our fantastic guide Binod Dhakal. The trip was excellently organised and with great care taken to ensure that we all successfully made it to Base Camp. We were given 1st class health advice everyday with details of what to expect each day of the trek. Accommodation is basic but clean and the food was more than adequate. An extremely well run trip by Himalayan Social Journey who have paid great attention to detail. They looked after us so well and I would recommend them to anyone wanting to trek to Base Camp”

“I cannot express enough thanks to our guide Mingmar Dai who expertly led our group patiently and expertly to and from EBC. We were a mix of ages and abilities but throughout Mingmar kept us all focussed, upbeat and looked after so we had a 100% success rate (something that is very hard to achieve with the many unknowns of trekking to 5365m altitude). Whilst others on the trail seemed intent on rushing, Mingmar encouraged us to take it easy and enjoy the amazing scenery so that when we arrived at the lunch restaurants and the lodges each night and he went into overdrive to get our orders/checkin happening we only had to worry about refuelling and relaxing. He was a superb guide and I am certain that our trek would not have been as memorable without him. If you can choose your guide, choose Mingmar.”

“I recently completed the EBC trek with Himalayan Social Journey lead by Mingmar Sherpa. The team were professional, caring and committed to helping us achieve the goal of reaching base Camp. From the arrival in Kathmandu through to getting us safely through the doors of the 5 -star Forest resort the HSJ were there. Great city tour and other options to see sights around teh trip. Well done to all involved, would have no hesitation in recommending the HSJ team. Ask for Mingmar and Ganesh (they are the best) Andrew, Newcastle, Australia.”

“Our tour guide was amazing. I actually did this trip in April 2017 and am just a bit late to review. Ganga was our guide. He was attentive, good humoured and helpful. He took the job seriously but not himself too seriously. Trekking to base camp is no easy feat. 2 people had to be choppered back to Kathmandu. I don't think people understand the risks and potential complications. To do this kind of trekking having an expert like Ganga to help is so important.”

“I have just returned home from the most amazing trekking holiday ever. We had a magical experience and this is thanks mainly to our incredible guide Mingmar Sherpa. He led our (not so young) group with expertise and unfailing patience. He was determined that all 6 of us would successfully reach Base Camp - and walk out again - and indeed he was right. He set the perfect pace for us and gave us excellent advice throughout, thus gaining our respect 100 percent. I will never be able to thank him enough.”

“Himalayan Social Journey is a wonderful local company. They were very accommodating and were able to customize our trip on the fly. Our Guide Santosh www excellent. Highly Recommended!!!”

“Recently trekked to EBC with two friends and an incredible guide names Santosh from Himalayan Social journey. Santosh looked after us from start to finish and was extremely knowledgeable about the history and areas we trekked through. Himalayan was a very responsive company. Any issues that came up along the way were addressed right away and it was a nice touch to have the owner meet us for lunch at the end and ask for feedback on the trek and how they could improve going forward. Very refreshing from a business these days. Only thing that I would have changed would be a less aggressive itinerary that allowed for more acclimation but we still made it on schedule.”

“The 14 day trip was great in terms of experience, the people (guides, sherpas, and other tourists) were incredible, and the scenery. The accommodations in the beginning were reasonable for the area but as we got closer to Everest Base Camp, the hotels had very little in hospitality. The rooms were ok for the location, but temperatures became cold at night, paper thin walls, no toilets within rooms, no showers available, and a few other concerns with hygiene. Available public toilets were dirty and not kept clean by the hotels. Very different to that of "Luxury" hotels we were promised. The trek made up for the overall experience, the accommodations were not up to any level of decency.”

“Mingmar was our guide and he made sure that we all were successful in achieving our goal of getting to EBC and all the way back down again. Great guide, great team! If you take this trip, make sure Mingmar is your guide, he is great!”

“The Everest Base Camp trek was a wonderful experience. The Himalayan Social Journey guides were great, knowledgeable amd helpful. I have already planned to do another trek in the Annapurna Region with these guides. I recommend using Himalayan Social Journey for your Himalayan mountain trekking needs.”

“I booked this last year through Luxury Escapes and Himalayan Social Journey did a great job ensuring us trekkers got to Mt Everest Base Camp. Our guide was Bishnu and he did a great job. Some of us were a bit slow but we were not pressured and we enjoyed every bit of the journey. I must say trekking to Everest base camp was harder than I expected, due to the high altitude, but the people we trekked with and the hospitality we received at each town has made it so memorable, and the scenery so amazing! The tour company, Himalayan Social Journey, had made every effort to make our trip comfortable and memorable. Enjoyed the Kathmandu city tour too.”

“Right from the very start HSJ were about making our trek a memorable one. The guides were fantastic and knew their stuff, answering every question with quality information -Our guides were Shenkar,Raju and Bishnau who were very approachable, friendly and eager to please. Fortunately we had great weather throughout and would recommend going in May as weather is mild with many sunny days (nights still cold). Don't go if you are expecting a five star experience and be prepared to rough it with accommodation and food (you get the best of what is available). Make sure you do some good fitness training before you go and your trip will be all the more enjoyable. The package we selected was $1300 pp and this is real value when you consider all the inclusions. We did not get to fly out of Lukla due weather however the chopper flight to Kathmandu was another thrill in itself. Thank you to the team at HSJ and all their efforts to make this a fantastic trip - especially Shankar our team guide, who is the ultimate professional and company ambassador.”

“We have just completed our 16 day EBC Trek, Mingmar and Bishnu expertly and very patiently handled our group of 11. They were both so attentive, kind and most importantly, just really good fun to be around. The walking pace they set was perfect, their professionalism and service can’t be faulted, and their determination to get our whole group to Base Camp paid off - our whole group got there and got to celebrate together. We had a fantastic experience with Mingmar, Bishnu and the Himalayan Social Journey team, thank you for such a memorable experience!”

“Fantastic experience made even better by our guides Mingmar & Bishnu. Their knowledge, humour & genuine concern for all of us to complete the trek made this the experience of a lifetime.”

“We had an incredible experience trekking to base camp over 16 days. The views along the way are something that have to be seen to truly be appreciated. Our trip was made even more memorable by the people we met and our guides Mingmar and Bishnu who were very informative, professional and encouraging; their humour and knowledge make the journey all the more entertaining. I would recommend Himalayan social journey to anyone wanting to experience the Himalayas.”