Emily
Canada
17th Oct, 2013
Dates: From September 24 to October 16 2013
Itinerary: Kathmandu, Lukla, Phakding , Namche Bazar, Khumjung, Lukla, Chaurikharka, Bupsa, Basa (volunteering), Phaplu, Sete, Kenja, Deurali, Jiri, Kathmandu. (I need to check these against my notes )
My experience:I decided to go to Nepal on a bit of a whim. My good friends Suzanne and George had convinced me that I would love it and that the people at Himalayan Magic Treks were the best to help me plan my trip. Everyone (including me!) was surprised when I decided on September 2 to leave on September 22!I e-mailed Himalayan Magic Treks and by the next morning I had received an itinerary, including a guide and a porter and a week of teaching English in the remote village of Basa had been arranged. I confirmed my flights with Gopal and he assured me that my guide was the best (his son, Gadjendra), my porter was the best (their good friend, Gaurab). The guide, porter, accommodations, meals and coffee were all included in the price.
When I arrived at the airport in Kathmandu I was tired and a bit nervous, but as soon as I stepped out the airport doors, Gopal and Gadjendra were there to welcome me! Not only did they have a garland of flowers and a Himalayan Magic Treks sign, they also had a car and driver waiting and a hotel and dinner booked. From those first hours, when I took a warm shower in Kathmandu and had a nice dinner with Gopal, I felt confident that I would be well taken care of. Little did I know how well!
During the entire duration of this amazing trip, I was never asked to pay for any lodging or food during the hikes. Gadjendra discreetly and effectively took care of all the negotiations, bookings, last minute changes to my itinerary, ordering meals and even tea and coffee. Gaurab took my bag up to my room at every new tea house and picked it up in my room at every departure. Gaurab and Gadjendra never let me out of their sight unless I was happily chatting with a friend of theirs or had retired to my room. On the trails they made sure that we stayed together. In contrast to other tourists, who relied on their maps and good senses, we never got lost. When we arrived in Basa, I was warmly welcomed by my hosts and their children as well as by the school and the community. Needless to say that our arrival had been tracked along the trails of the Himalaya for a few days!
At the school I soon found that these beautiful children would learn very little from me without some help from an interpreter. Gadjendra was amazing! We gave classes together and, to a very large extent, he spent as much energy and time as I did – both in the classroom and in preparations.The trek out of the Himalaya, from Basa to Jiri was as sad as it was wonderful. By then Gadjendra, Gaurab and I were good friends. We had fun hiking and we took a lot of pictures! We hung our numerous prayer scarves on bridges and near stupas at the top of the trails.
We arrived in Jiri in the rain and were told by many tourists that it was impossible to get a bus to Kathmandu, but by then I was confident in Himalayan Magic Treks ability to do anything. Within an hour, Gadjendra and Gaurab had us booked in a compact van to Kathmandu at 6 am the next day. A much smoother ride than in the big crowded busses!
In Kathmandu, Gopal met us at the (very nice!) hotel and invited me to eat at his home. Gadjendra - who must have been exhausted by then! – came with me back to Tamil district to shop for souvenirs and ensure that I got the best deals. We then all went to dinner at a traditional Nepalese restaurant.
Gopal and Gadjendra were even there to see me off at the airport at 7 the next morning. My heart was heavy as I boarded the plane and still is more than a week later.
Without Gadjendra I would have experienced Nepal as an isolated outsider miming my way to ensuring my survival. With his patient, gracious and generous help, I was able to be a guest in local family homes, sit around the fire and listen to grandmothers and grandfathers tell stories and give advice. I was able to play with the kids and have very enriching conversations with community leaders. With Gadjendra as a tireless interpreter and cultural guide, I made a lot of friends!
By the end of my time in Basa my heart was full of these bright children’s laughter and smiles. I had learnt a few words of Nepali and they had learnt (to their credit) an impressive amount of English. I felt like Basa had let me in and shared a part of its self with a clumsy tourist. To know the magic of Nepal, you have to have been there. It would not be fair of me to try to explain the wind, the cucumbers, the children playing, the cool clear night sky or the fireflies. Nor could I ever do justice to the sight of a snowy peak at the end of a long climb or to the sound of clear rushing rivers roaring under a foot bridge.
To have been there is to carry Nepal in your heart.
Thanks to Himalayan Magic Treks I had a life-changing experience in Nepal. I will never forget the new friends I made and I will forever be grateful to Gadjendra, Gaurab and Gopal for making it all happen!
Danyabad!
Love, love, love
matthew astier
Canada
13th Dec, 2022
I spent over 17 days with Gopal on a trek for EBC with 3 other family members in October 2011. It was an incredible journey that would not have been possible without the excellent help and guidance that Gopal and our two porters provided. Even in moments of trouble (altitude sickness) he showed us just how experienced he is with guiding and made sure to keep everyone safe even if it meant turning around.
You can be sure that if you choose Himalayan Magic Treks as your tour company you will have a safe, fun, informative and exciting journey. I was not disappointed with the service they provided and would recommend them to anyone who is interested in exploring this beautiful area of the world.
peter vandrish
Canada
13th Dec, 2022
"The Everest base camp trek with Gopal was, from beginning to end, and incredible adventure. Gopal and his porters are exceptionally knowledgeable and friendly. They went to some unimaginable lengths to ensure the comfort of our group and the success of our trek. Gopal has been doing this for a very long time and has no problem obtaining lodging or logistics anywhere in the Khumbu region, as he is well known and respected throughout the area. The trek is something that I will never forget. I highly recommend Himalayan Magic Treks."
Jenny
Canada
13th Dec, 2022
‘I'm a 25 year old Korean-Canadian and I got into contact with Nabin 5 months before my arrival at Nepal in 2014 after hearing some good references from other foreigners. I got in contact with him early to get some ideas about trekking to EBC early 2015. He was very quick but detailed in his responses.
I had actually contacted several other guides and trekking companies, but in the end I decided to go with Nabin and his guide-porter because of not only their fast replies but also a sense of flexibility I got from them when it came to making decisions. They were very accommodating to the decisions I made, even about the little details. In the end though my personal challenge to trek to EBC failed because of my personal health reasons, but I highly recommend Nabin and his agency because of the hospitality, care, and quick emergency responses I received from them when I needed medical help. I think this is the most important factor when choosing a guide for your trekking experience.
We are hiring guides not just for sightseeing info during the trekking experience but in case we need to deal with emergency situations. Nabin and Krishna dealt my health problem really well and even continuously followed up with me throughout my stay at Nepal. This was not part of their job description when I hired them, and I truly appreciate their care and attention. I am planning to attempt an EBC trek again in two years after I train more. I'll be asking Nabin and Krishna again for their guidance and I hope my review of them will be helpful to you in deciding your guide for your trekking experience.
alex_from_gengenbach
Germany
7th Dec, 2022
Reputable Trekking agency!
I can recommend Himalayan Magic Treks to everyone looking for an individual trekking adventure in beautiful Nepal.
Very qualified management and staff.
Sylvain
France
7th Dec, 2022
Himalayan Magic Treks organised for us Island Peak ascension.
They did it really well an experienced guide with high competencies, preparation of the base camp, training and advice at the base camp and security. We highly recommend this agency for treks and summits ! Thank you to all the team of Nabin
David Kurtz
France
7th Dec, 2022
Souhaitant partir au Nepal pour un long trek de 3 semaines, un ami m'a conseillé Himalaya Magic treks. Parti confiant, j'ai rencontré une équipe chaleureuse avec le souci constant de mon bien-être dès mon arrivée.
Mon accompagnateur, Dipak est un homme avec qui le contact a été immédiatement chaleureux. Une vraie complicité est née très rapidement. Nous avons, grâce à lui, vécu des moments inoubliables. Le guide prévu pour l'ascension, Domi, a été un homme d'une grande valeur.
Ainsi reçu à Katmandou, nous sommes partis pour Lukla afin de rejoindre Namche Bazar pour une halte de 2 jours laissant du temps à l'acclimatation.
Direction les lacs de Gokyo par la vallée de Gokyo, sublime lieu laissant une vue inoubliable sur Cho Oyu bien plus loin et déjà un 8000m.
Traversée du glacier pour passer le 1er col à + de 5000, Cho La Pass afin de rejoindre le secteur du camp de base de l'EVEREST et dormir à Gorak Shep. Tout est grandiose et on en oublie les efforts journaliers à cette altitude. Passage par Kala Patthar à plus de 5500m et poursuivre notre route direction Chhukhumg pour rejoindre le camp de base d'Island Peak et son ascension à 6189m.
Toute cette route avec en point de vue les "géants" de cette planète. Nupse, Lhotse, Everest, ...
Des moments forts et des soirées inoubliables à chanter, danser parfois, profiter de quelques boissons (…) mais surtout croiser des personnes étonnantes.
Un trek inoubliable avec un accompagnement sans faute.
Merci ... et certainement à bientôt
Rizi D
Singapore
7th Dec, 2022
Even if it is monsoon season, foggy and cludy most of the time; we really did enjoy our magical trek from sundarijal-chisopani-nagarkot. We had more than what we want.
I am most thankful to our guide mr. Sitaram karki for his amazing service. Also to Mr. Nabin Karki for his kindness.
will surely do annapurna and everest with magic treks.
Daniel R
Australia
6th Dec, 2022
Himalayan Magic Treks made one of the greatest adventures in my life possible. I did a 22 day hike around Annapurna on the Annapurna Circuit and to it's basecamp. The region was unbelievable beautiful beyond any imaginations and all the people I met on the trek were friendly and helpful.
But what made my trek so uniqueful was my guide who was so friendly and kind ALL the time!! We shared so many good laughs and are linked together because of all the things we experienced.
The trek itself was demanding but with all the help provided by my guide and the company more than doable. They organized almost everything for me. The transport to the region, all the stays, my meals and even helped me by choosing souvenirs in the end. I felt safe all the time even in the higher regions of the trek. The company and my guide informed me before and during the trek about any risks and how we could avoid them.
My guide even tought me some Nepali.
I can highly recommend the trek itself but most of all the company!
Thank you for everythin Nabin and Sitaram!!
Kevin B
United Kingdom
6th Dec, 2022
Himalayan Magic Treks organised our recent trek around the Annapurna Circuit and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Totally reliable, well organised and professional throughout we had a truly magical experience. Our guide was very experienced, knowledgeable, spoke very good English and looked after us extremely well throughout the trip. If you are looking for a local company to help organise your trek you should not hesitate to contact them.
William B
United Kingdom
6th Dec, 2022
Ha, what a great time we had. DB our guide was brilliant, he carried a 20kg pack as though it was nothing, was always cheerful and a great laugh.
Nirmal the boss has his own hotel in Kathmandu and we were looked after all the way. We were all experienced mountaineers, so let us make some decisions, DG was always there to help and guide, but in a way that we felt it was our trip. in other words we were not treated like sheep. He was always looking out for signs of latitude sickness and checking our fitness levels and leading to suit. Def a recommend
Johanne
Canada
6th Dec, 2022
Our journey through the Annapurna was remarkable!
My first experience trekking was truly the best experience ever!
The scenery, the landscape, the people... simply extraordinary! A photographer's dream!
But the best of all was our Himalayan Magic Trek team...Gopal, Nabin, Krishna and Lotsy... this is the best team I could have wished for...they made our trip so memorable and I would certainly go back again to see my new found friends...thank you HMT
Johanne l
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