Traveller reviews

“Our guide Paban and porters, especially Ropesh, were exceptional! They were always extremely helpful and attentive, making sure that no one is left behind throughout the whole trekking journey. Paban is a good leader, being fun and caring as well, the whole crew brought a positive and energetic vibe. This effectively made my trip an enjoyable experience, not just a trek through the pass. I will definitely go back again!”

“We did the 15 day Mardi Himal Trek Adventure. Our guide Prikash and porter Dinesh were excellent. We went from mid June and got in just before the monsoon hit. Perfect time as there were no crowds. Great views in the morning, but mostly cloudy in the afternoon with rain overnight. Kathmandu is crowded and colourful, The mountains are scenic and relaxing, and Chitwan is a slice of African-like safari. Highly recommend.”

“We took 3 teenage grandsons for an adventure trekking to 4000 metres. Expectedly conditions were out of their comfort zone but there were no meltdowns. Our guides and porters were excellent. Shankar and Sagar were exceptional in dealing with issues that arose and making sure that things ran smoothly. They connected well with our teenagers and helped them achieve their 4000 metre altitude goal. I highly recommend this as a serious family adventure. Our age range is 13 years to 72 years. We certainly have a common point of intergenerational interest.”

“We highly recommended HSJ. We have found them very professional with their corresponding emails, from the moment we booked our tours via Luxury Escape. We loved our tour so much that I am going back to Sydney to organise another tour with them. They have made our visit to Nepal a great trip. HSJ have selected a great team to support and guide us. We are very lucky to be supported by one of the best guide and porters team experienced in our many trekking tours spanning many countries. Our guide Bishnu Bhattarai, is a very considerate and caring person. He has kept the pace to match the walking pace of some of our slower trekkers from the group. He offered his walking pole to my sister, whom has found it’s difficult coming down from the mountains. At High Camp, an independent trekker at our tea house has taken sick with altitude sickness, he measured their oxygen level, pulse, blood pressure and appearances before giving them Diamox, Panadol, advice on hydration, plenty of rest to prepare them for the sunrise climb to Mardi Himal view point the next morning. He checked in on them the next day to make sure they are ok. Our tour group of 7 trekkers was a successful and memorable adventure also due to the great porters team of 3 amigos. We would with special thank you to our porters: Prakash Tamang, Prakash Neupane and On Shrestha. They has became our brothers and nephews. We have made new friends for life with the team and with fellow travellers.”

“We had a great experience on the Mardi Himal trek. The views were sensational, the trek itself was well organised and fun and we had a great feeling of achievement when we reached our goal. The guides (Bishnu and Tikaram) and porters did a great job and we felt safe and supported. This is a relatively new trek, so not as crowded as some and probably all the better for that. I'd say it is a brilliant introduction to trekking in the Himalayas. The trek itself lasted seven days, with another week of sight seeing and relaxing. You'll need: 1) to be reasonably fit and have the right gear. 2) to be able to cope with some pretty basic accommodation on the trek 3) to get along with the rest of your group - everyone on ours was great. The organisation and communication were also good. I'd recommend anyone to use Himalayan Social Journey. Just do some research first, so you know exactly what you are letting yourself in for!”

“From the time we arrived at the airport until we left 15 days later, we were always looked after. No request was too difficult for both the guides (Bishnu & Tika) or the porters on our trek. Accommodation on the trek was not expected to be luxurious, and was more than adequate considering the isolation. All the meals were plentiful, had good variety and tasted great. Lots of fun times with dancing, singing and draw dropping sunsets, sunrises and scenery on the trek. Would highly recommend it for adventurous people.”

“The words are hard to find on how to describe what an incredible trip this was. We didn't really know what to expect, we were just in for an adventure. An adventure is what we got in spades. From the very start of our booking on-line HSJ has been on top of their game with quick responses to enquiries pre-trip, to airport pick ups and engaging, knowledgeable guides (Tikaram and Bishnu) who went the extra mile to ensure everyone had what they needed and where comfortable. The porters (Roopeszz, Prakash, Sumandra @ Db) need a special mention as they where not just the porters they where part of our hiking family ensuring we also had everything we needed. They do an incredible job, thank you 🙏 I would have no hesitation in recommending HSJ to anyone considering visiting Nepal. Thank you for the life time of memories made. Namaste 🙏”

“I have just completed the Mardi Himal trek which was awesome. Our guides Mingmar Sherpa and Ram really looked after us. Our whole group could not have been happier with the way we were cared for. There were no unpleasant surprises and nothing was a problem for them. I always felt safe and had confidence in their abilities. The porters we had were also great to be around. I do not know how they do what they do but the were always smiling.They were always polite, respectful and enjoyed a laugh. It was a very good team, who worked together to make our experience awesome. Thanks Mingmar, Ram and the boys.”

“Our Family has just bid farewell to our guides Mingmar Sherpa and Ram Simkhada on our Nepal adventure with HSJ after 15 days. I signed us up for the mountain trek mainly but the whole journey was amazing including jungle Safari, white water rafting, tours of Kathmandu and Pothana. We had the opportunity to go paragliding also but cloud cover prevented this. The people are amazing and we never felt threatened. On the trek our porters Basanta, Rajiss, Prabin and Ganesh did an amazing job each carrying four people's gear up the mountain while we staggered up with our day packs. They were very entertaining teaching us to dance and play cards despite the physical burden of their job. Mingmar collected us from the airport on the first day and even showed us through the local markets on our last day in his spare time. They really do take great care and are fun to be with. We highly recommend our guides, porters and the company. Peter, Annette, Cody and Amber.”

“We adored the trek and touristing we just completed over the last 15 days. The trek was spectacular with great tea houses to eat and sleep. We were overly fond of our guides and porters as were the rest of the group. We would definitely recommend Mingmar and Rum as guides and Rajesh, Besanta, Prabin and Ganesh as porters. They were very friendly and helpful and even showed us their cultural dances on the last night of the trek, making the experience even better.”

“My husband and I had a wonderful time on this tour through Himalayan Social Journey. We got to do some sight-seeing in Kathmandu and Pokhara, white-water rafting, and 7 days of trekking towards the Mardi Himal ranges. The tour ended with a few days in Chitwan National Park, with river and jungle safaris. The hotels at the start and end of the trip were nice, and the guesthouses we used on the trek were basic, but clean. Our guides (Binod and Tikaram) and porters (Sudip, Prakash and Rajesh) were excellent - friendly, knowledgeable and super helpful. Our guides especially went above and beyond, proceeding at a pace that was comfortable for the whole group, helping us in the tricky parts of the trek, being available overnight if anyone got sick etc. They were a pleasure to deal with, and we honestly could not have done the trek without them.”

“My wife and I had a wonderful experience in Nepal with Himalayan Social Journey (HSJ). The 15 day adventure included sight-seeing in Kathmandu and Pokhara, white-water rafting on the Trishuli river, and 7 days of trekking towards the Mardi Himal base camp reaching a view point at 4200m. After trekking we chose the luxury hotel accommodation in Chitwan National Park and met their local Elephant Sandra. We went on walking and jeep safaris. I suspect the luxury hotel options would make more sense in warmer months. We had fantastic guides Binod & Tikaram and great porters Sudip, Rajesh & Prakash. They were all really helpful and friendly. They focused us all to work as a team, and they really helped those who were struggling by carrying their day bags and giving them a steadying hand over unstable ground. HSJ were very responsive to all my emails leading up to the trip. They made it trivial to extend our stay and automatically organised airport transfers even when the airline changed the flight times. I highly recommend HSJ and the guides and porters we met. If we return for a future trip I'd happily put my faith in HSJ to arrange it and provide another fun adventure.”

“I am a 68year old woman, I love bush walking and I traveled to Nepal to do a Luxury Escape Tour including 7 days of trekking on the Mardi Himal Trek to a view point at 4005m. Included as well was sightseeing Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Chitwan. Hotel accomodation and Teahouse accomodation on trekking days, all breakfasts and some lunches and dinners. For me the Trekking was the highlight. I really loved it and when I close my eyes I still can see all the snow covered peaks of the Anapurna range and especially Mt Machhapuchhare, which was our constant feature on the trekking days. We were only a very small group (4 people) due to Corona Virus, but we had 2 porters "Sorro" and "Pekay" ( do not know, what the correct spelling of their names is) they were so friendly with always a smile although they were carrying quite a heavy load. Binod our guide was very professional and we had lots of fun together. Nobody got Altitude sickness but we got snowed in at High Camp, so never made it to the viewpoint, but I realized how lucky we were to have a professional guide, who knew what to do to get us out and knew the way out even in meter high snow. Overall, the hotels were all quite good, I loved my daily Bhat Dhal and I am planning a return to Nepal to walk maybe the Anapurna Circuit with the company again Thanks for great memories, guys”

“Having booked a 14 Day Luxury Nepal Trip in 2019 as an introduction to Nepal, COVID-19 caused our inability to attend until 2022. Throughout the intervening 3 years, HSJ were always there to assist with rescheduling and honoured the booking in full. Once in Nepal in November 2022, we met our guide Ram at the airport and were supported by him throughout our 14 day trip. He was attentive and considerate at all times; from rafting Trishuli River, trekking the Poon Hill circuit, during our time in Pokhara and Chitwan and coordinating our optional inclusions. Our porter Madab on the Poon Hill Trek was a marvel - setting off after us and arriving ahead of us each day - we certainly couldn't have done it without him! We experienced an amazing sunrise at Poon Hill - the mountain peaks lit up as the sun's rays touched them consecutively in an almost cloudless sky. Our guide for our final day (Kathmandu city sightseeing) was Dipendra and his knowledge and excellent English made for an interesting and very enjoyable day. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip and highly recommend the optional experiences (helicopter flight to Mardi High Camp, paragliding at Pokhara etc) if they're within your means. Thankyou HSJ 💙🇳🇵”

“The experience with Himalayan Social Journey has been perfect. We booked the 5-day trek to the Mardi Himal base camp with them and of course they more than met expectations. Not only for the trek itself, which is wonderful and a pass but for the service and professionalism of Dawa Sherpa, our Guide, and Guelu our porter and helper. Although we are young and fit they always behaved with great caution looking at our blood oxygen level daily, adapting the itinerary to our way of walking (fast) but always maintaining our safety. This is what you expect from a Mountain Guide, to give you security and know that nothing will happen. Compared to other guides we were encountering along the way, Dawa always showed more knowledge of the mountain and how to manage any situation in it. I think for this type of treks you have to value that knowledge very much. We are looking forward to repeating other trekkings with Dawa, but this time around Everest. Thank you so much!”

“The good prepare for a tour to Naragot, Damphus, Sarangkot and Pokhara of Himalayan Social Journey impressed me so much. The rich of nature and nice people of Nepal motivate me to go there for the second time. Really amazing for the nice panoramic view at Naragot. A wonderful scenery view at Dhampus village. A really amazing view of Himalayan range at Sarangkot and Pokhara. The nice guide man seems like a friend. suggestion and taken care when trekking. One small thing that I reccomend to improve is hotel's location selection. it should not be near with the dancing bar or discoteque.”

“My friends and I booked 10 days All Nepal Tour through Himalayan Social Journey. From the beginning, Ram - the owner - was very attentive and timely responded to my e-mail queries. When we first arrived in Kathmandu, Ram brought us to his office and throw in ideas to customize our itineraries from the original one. We then decided with Kathmandu sight seeing, overnight in Nagarkot (first sighting of the Himalaya), Bakthapur sight seeing, rafting and overnight camping in Tirishuli river (grade 3), activities in Chitwan (jungle trekking, elephant ride, etc.), sight seeing in Pokhara (including up-close encounter to Himalaya's peaks: Annapurna, Machapuchare, Manaslu), and trekking in Sarangkot. Arrangement on accomodations throughout the tour were basic but clean with hot water available in most of the properties. Other highlight of having HImalayan Social Journey as tour arranger was having our Malay speaking local guide, Bishnu, although we told Ram earlier that we're okay with English speaking one. But we're very glad to have Bishnu throughout the trip as he was very helpful and always concern with our well-being. Our group consisted of 5 females ranging from mid 30s to 50s in age. When we were traveling in tourist bus from Kathmandu-Chitwan-Pokhara, Bishnu ensured that we're comfortable and save particularly during our ride from Tirishuli river to that was stretched to 5 hours (from normal 2.5 hours) due to pre-election strikes and disturbances that were happening across Nepal. When we did the trekking in Sarangkot, Bishnu cheerfully helped us with the steep and difficult tracks since couple of us were afraid of height and having knee condition. Overall, we had great time and definatly one of most memorable experience for my friends and I. Thank you Himalayan Social Journey for making this trip a memorable one.”

“It was a lovely 12 days in Nepal. Mr. Ram and his team were very friendly and helpful. We visited Pokhara, Lumbini, Gorkha, Nagarkot, Sarangkot and Kathmandu. On the last day Mr. Ram gave us a lovely farewll dinner. It was a wonderful trip to Nepal. Namaste and dhanyabath.”

“I chose Himalayan Social Journey based on a recommendation from a friend, and I am sooooo glad I did! Ram & his team, Dilip, Raju, Jeevan, Sharmilla are all great. The team changed my perception towards Nepal and Nepalese in general, in a very good way. I had 1001 questions (& worries), but my emails were promptly responded by Sharmilla. Ram was very flexible to accommodate & receptive to our idea. We went through the itinerary again & again upon arrival, as I keep changing my mind. Thank you so much, Ram, for your understanding. The trip to Bhutan, was just as great. Thank you for an excellent choice of tour operator with a 1st class tour guide, Thinley @ Spider. (We have met fellow travellers who has not been as lucky). Dilip with his pleasant & easygoing attitude and smiling face, loves to make jokes. He has made the journey to Pokhara and Sarangkot very enjoyable & comfortable despite the road condition & long drive. Raju with his lovely voice & nice laugh is a very experienced trekking guide. Couldn't have done the trek without his motivation. Sometimes trekking, sometimes rafting... While the country is still developing in many ways, I find it safe and convenient. Indeed the team has made the trip very pleasant & smooth. There was no hiccup at all! Whenever I think of Nepal, I will remember friends with easygoing personality, kinship, positive attitude, gratitude & zest towards life. Something to learn from them. I strongly recommend Himalayan Social Journey to anyone looking for a great time in Nepal - wherever you chose to go. :)”

“The team at Himalayan Social Journey was beyond exceptional! They are made up of a team of experienced and knowledgeable people who want nothing but to provide its clients with the best service, of which they met beyond my expectations! Ram, the owner, was warm, pleasant and hospitable. Amreet, the web-genie for the company, had also joined us on this 10D trip together with our wonderful and spirited guide, Ganga! The duo made this a trip of a lifetime and i can safely say, this is the best trip i have had in my life! I had travelled alone but they made me feel not only welcomed but like family. The team at Himalayan Social Journey are sincere and humble, and they are there to make this trip a rewarding one. I am so happy i chose to travel with them. Even the porters who had assisted us during the Dhampus trek (Namaraj, Arjin and Vimsin) were such amazing souls who wanted to ensure that we could enjoy our treks without having to endure any pain. The places we had visited were remarkable and the accommodations we were put up in were definitely value for money. The group i was travelling with on this tour and i are definitely going to return to Nepal and we are definitely choosing Himalayan Social Journey again because we know we will not be disappointed and will be in able hands!”

“First of all, all the staff were really nice. The accommodation was nice, especially the one at pokhara (hotel splendid view). Went to temples for all the sightseeing which I'm not really interested in as I'm not the religious kind of person. But the temples are nice. I think those spiritual/religion people will love it. Transportation wise, since I was alone and just finished my white water rafting(I was wet and didn't managed to change as there's no changing room and were were at the roadside) we had to take public transport to chitwan. It was very uncomfortable and the bus was really squeezy. But for the rest of the journey, I took the tourist bus. Quite an experienced actually. Food wise, they're a lot of varieties quite delicious too! The view at dhampus and sarangkot was breathtaking. Really enjoyed my 2 nights staying at the lodge. Overall it was good.”

“My friend, Sara & I were in Nepal for 2 weeks from end Feb to mid-March 2015. We had signed up for the 10D9N guided tour but as we wanted to spend more time in Nepal, we decided to travel to Nepal 5 days before the start of the guided tour. As this was the first time in Nepal for the both of us, we had approached Ram from HJS to provide recommendations on places that we can visit during our additional days. Ram went beyond that and promptly helped us plan a 5-day itinerary which included sightseeing at Bhaktapur and treks and stays at beautiful places such as Nagarkot & Chisapani. We also managed to visit Thamel which was a 10-minute walk from Hotel Tibet (where we stayed) in Kathmandu. The accommodation and meals at the lodges (at Nagarkot & Chisapani) were beyond satisfactory and HJS ensured that the places we stayed at had the best views of the mountain range. The hosts at the lodges were also very warm and friendly. We felt like we were at home. The activities plannned in our itinerary during the 10D guided tour was diverse - city sightseeing in Kathmandu (Hindu & Buddhist temples), whitewater rafting along Trisuli River, canoeing, jungle trekking and elephant ride in Chitwan, trekking at Dampus, paragliding at Sarangkot and boating at Fewa Lake in Pokhara. Also, the itinerary was well-paced and hence, we had ample time to get some shopping done and exploring of the various places on our own. We felt relaxed and at the same time we felt very happy to have done the different types of activities. It was great pleasure to meet the wonderful HJS team in Nepal. We had a terrific holiday and Nepal is simply amazing. But none of that would have been possible without the help and all the efforts put in by the HJS team from the planning stage up to the very last minute that we left. Special mention and our sincere thanks to our guides Prakash Rijal, Binod Dhakal, the porters: Binod Ghastri, Santosh Devkota, Sudip & Mohan and the drivers: Bala & Dilip. Prakash was ever-ready to help when we had to make some minor changes to our itinerary even though we were travelling as a group during the guided tour. The porters too were very patient and encouraging when we were were slowing down during the treks. Not to mention the jokes, songs and laughter that was shared everyday. We felt incredibly lucky to have met such lovely people during our time in Nepal. Personally, we felt very happy and satisfied with everything that was done during our trip and we can't wait to come back.Thanks once again to HJS for everything that they have helped us with in making this a memorable trip for us and treating us as family. Dhanyabad! Hope to see you again in the near future! :)”

“I have just arrived home from a wonderful tour of Nepal. Our tour leader Binod and his porters gave us great care, good fun and were accommodating to all our requests. Every activity of our 12 days was a highlight; the elephants of Chitwan National Park, the three day trek and paragliding from Sarangkot to Pokhara. Each one was amazing! Lovely country, friendly people and helpful staff made this a very memorable trip at the top of the world. Thank you Ram, Rameshwar, Binny and all the staff of Himalayan Social Journey Liz Smith”

“The tour package was well planned and allowed us to experience almost all the highlights in Nepal (city sightseeing, jungle trekking, canoeing, elephant ride, mountain trekking, water rafting, paragliding, pokhara lake boating, cultural dance and etc)!! I would highly recommend HSJ especially with Bishnu as a tour guide :D The day that we were supposed to have paragliding at Sarangkot was unexpectedly cloudly after the rain so it was cancelled. However, Bishnu was really nice and tried to arrange paragliding for me and my friends the next morning before our flight back to Kathmandu at noon! I really enjoyed my trip in Nepal with HSJ and wish to visit Nepal again by following Himalayan Social Journey.”