Kimkim Trip Reviews for Nepal

My wife and I are very grateful for the fantastic support we have received from Erin and the local guide Chhiring. They moved so rapidly, reorganizing our whole itenerary after it became evident we couldn't do the EBC + Gokyo tour anymore due to bad weather.

We decided to do the fantastic Annapurna Circuit. Definite hiking highlights here are the Tilicho Lake and Thorong La Pass, but for us, the experience is also elsewhere. For example, the fantastic food you eat on the way, meeting other trekkers, the peace and calmness of life, no internet and mobile phone connection, and even the unfortunate event of blocked roads due to busses not being able to continue in the mud.

Throughout our trek, Erin was in close contact with our Guide Chhiring. To us, this just shows so much dedication to her profession and emotional connection. It goes therefore without saying that we are extremely happy with the great travelling experience and the fantastic support we received from Erin and Chhiring all the way through! Definitely recommend to go on tour with them!

I have a few requirements when I travel: I don't like to fight for space with loads of tourists; I like to see inaccessible or unusual places; and although I tend to travel alone, I like to be part of a group to share my experiences.
From the moment I asked my first question about Khopra Danda, I knew I was in good hands. To plan a holiday into the unknown requires complete trust in the company you deal with - this includes Ngima (the owner of NMMT), the guides and the porters. No question was too much or inconsequential.
During the briefing, the night before we left, the group of three Australians and three Americans instantly bonded - a great sign for the upcoming 7 days of trekking and transport.

Our main guide, Lhakpa, set a steady, manageable pace which managed our energy reserves throughout the trip.

The first part of the trek was to get to Ghorepani and Poon Hill. This is clearly a popular destination, as the 3,400 stairs were never empty, and the dawn viewing was inundated with tourists. None of that mattered: we were entertained and looked after the whole way; and the views were spectacular!
Throughout the entire trek, both the food and the views just got better every day.

Out of the six of us, two suffered from upset bellies at various points in time and we all had our own special pace to keep us going. This meant that Lhakpa needed to discuss with the group new plans each day. For example, one day we shortened our hike, and on another we pushed on further than we thought possible. This would not be possible with an experienced guide!

Lhakpa also seemed to be able to get us the best of everything! From mountain-side seats on our flight, to top-floor rooms in Ghorepani, to double rooms in overcrowded lodges.

It is not just walking, eating and sleeping involved in trekking. We often discussed local politics and religions in an effort to understand the local culture, something that our guides were only too willing to educate us on. Old customs, overthrown royalty, yaks and naks, yeti and wildlife (leopards, tigers and wolves) were everyday conversations.

The highlight of the Khopra Danda Trek was the day we hiked to Kaire Lake, at 4660m. We set off before dawn and returned as the sun was setting. It was a truly humbling experience to climb over 1,000 metres amongst some of the biggest mountains in the world. To reach Kaire Lake, a holy place for both Hindu and Buddhist, was not only exhilarating, but also calming.
Out of all the people who stayed at Khopra Lodge, we were the only group to make it, to which I credit our wonderful guides.

I would book another trek through Ngima again, no doubt at all. And if you made it through this review, then you should book one as well!

Our trip to Nepal was amazing! Erin did an excellent job of organising our trip, and responding to our queries. Our guides while up in the mountains, Pemba and Dawa, were incredible- kind, attentive and great company. Our stay in Manang was excellent- the views of the mountains there are beautiful and we hope that Hotel Mystic does very well, as they took very good care of us! Would happily recommend KimKim and Himalayan Trails to anyone else looking to do some trekking or exploring in Nepal! :)

As I only delt with Amanda online and very briefly in Nepal I gave 4 stars, this is not a reflection on her service as she was very helpful and easy to liaise with. I wanted to save the five star rating for our wonderful guide Sonam and porter Mik Ma (hope i spelt his name right). Everything was perfect. My first trek and apart from it hurting badly on my very sole it was awsome.. Josh

The brief for our trip was culture, trekking and wildlife. The itinerary was finalised months beforehand, apart from the very end which was subject to confirmation. Mads suggested various options for earlier in the trip depending on how we departed from Nepal but being realistic, this was never going to happen as it would have meant changing the whole itinerary. In the end, we agreed to go to Suklaphanta but this was the most disappointing part of the trip. October is the wrong time of the year, apart from anything else.

Our main guide was very pleasant but as a trekking guide he didn't usually come in to museums with us and didn't seem particularly knowledgeable about flora and fauna. Lodge staff were all very helpful and nice and the guides were generally very good. We loved the scenery in the Annapurnas and seeing a tiger in Bardia was a highlight of the trip.

Ngima and his team has provided an amazing first time Nepal experience for us. We had a very long conversation via this portal as we cannot finalize our arrival/departure dates to/from Nepal, but Ngima was ever patient in waiting and answering all our inquiries. He was also very flexible in changing the itinerary according to our preference. He managed to arrange everything (itinerary, flight, permits, tea house booking, etc.) without any issues despite having a very short lead time on hiking peak season.

We were personally fetched from the airport and directly sent to the hotel by Ngima in Kathmandu. The hotel room we stayed in Kathmandu is very well maintained and spacious. I observed that Ngima and his team really tried to get the best accommodation possible. This is also evident during the trek. Of course, you cannot expect the same level of cleanliness and comfort on mountain tea houses, but the accommodations we’ve stayed usually had the basics (i.e. comforter, hot shower, bottled/filtered water, wi-fi, power outlet, etc. – may or may not be chargeable). Some of the tea houses we stayed-in also provided remarkable view of snow capped mountain peaks which personally is the best place to sit and have a sip of piping hot coffee/tea in the morning or afternoon.

The night before we departed for Pokhara, Ngima and Ang Gelu – our guide met and briefed us on what to expect and see during the trek. Upon arrival to Pokhara airport, we were met by our porter (who is also named Ngima) and traveled by land for 2 hours until we reached the jump off point for trekking. Both Ang Gelu and Ngima were friendly and competent. Ang Gelu was very patient and let us trek at our own pace. We never felt that we were rushed and pressured. He regularly asked if we were already tired from walking and needed rest. We were always given morning and afternoon tea/coffee breaks which we really appreciated. Ngima, though shy, is very strong and funny. Ngima and Ang Gelu are both knowledgeable on the mountain trails and are always ready to answer our trivial questions. Every night during dinner, Ang Gelu provides a quick briefing for our next day activity. He also gets our dinner and breakfast preference in advance to ensure that we can have our meals on time.

Our flight back home was also re-scheduled few hours later so once we returned to Kathmandu, Ngima met with us again and helped buy some stuff to bring back home. He even accompanied us to Boudhanath temple to have different experience of Nepal apart from trekking. This was not part of our original itinerary but Ngima gladly accompanied and sent us back to Kathmandu Airport. He even provided some souvenir to for us to keep.

Over all, we are very satisfied with the trip provided by Ngima and his team. The trip has a very personal touch and makes you feel at home away from home.

Really wonderful experience from start to finish. Exceptionally well taken care of by my guide, Sonam and my helper Tarmring. It was culturally magnificent, rewarding and the best in every facet.

We were doing the EBC trail and had to be evacuated due to my husband getting high altitude sickness and sent a request on Kimkim for an alternative for the remainder of our stay in Nepal and got a promt response from Amanda with an excellent description of our trip and great service from her in all respects. We had a great experience, loved all the hotels on our route except one but I suspect that the options were rather limited as we booked our trip with almost no notice. The guide and porter were lovely, their English a little limited but that did not cause any problems.
A lovely time!

We had a great experience. The booking process and all preparation felt very good. Good information and checklist for equipment.

The highlight of the whole trip was Chhepal, he was very friendly, knowledgeable and also curious about us. I really liked that he also made a good example pickup up trash along the trek.....

The porters was also very nice and friendly and made a good job helping out with food in the evenings and mornings.

The trek was excellent for our boy. The was no hurry and made it to the the houses by walking in our own pace.

Our Sherpa Lhakpa was great and the porter was excellent. The trip was a good trip for us - not too hard. The accommodation along the way was mostly good apart from Low Camp and High Camp where the toilet facilities were poor and the fire/heater were not turned on at these places even though everyone was cold. The accommodation in Sidhing was brilliant.
It was great to be met and farewelled by Ngima - the parting gift was a lovely touch.

We had a fantastic trek for our honeymoon and would highly recommend Amanda, our guide Tendu Sherpa and the entire Himalayan Trails team. Amanda was so responsive and helpful in planning our adventure - and went above and beyond to track down my bag that arrived late from our airlines and helicoptered it to the Himalayas to meet us a few days along our trek - really grateful! We have already recommended them to our friends!

From the point of enquiry and putting together a personalised itinerary to the fruition of the trip the service has been five star.
Following a very late arrival we were met at the airport by a team member and taken straight to our hotel.
The following day we met with Ngima and Lhakpa who explained in full our next few days adventures.
Following a long car journey we arrived in Jhapre to begin our 5 day Pikey Peak trek.
We were a party of 2 adults and 2 14 year old boys and this trip was perfectly geared to our fitness levels. Challenging in places but most definitely achievable.
Of course, reaching Pikey Peak's summit at sunrise was awesome and we had a perfect view of the surrounding mountains.
What goes up must come down and this was equally a challenge with steep, rough, loose pathways underfoot but the guesthouse in Jumbezi with it's hot shower was most welcome. The following day was a rest day were we visited the Thuptenchholing Monastry which, along with the early morning summit climb, was one of the highlights of the trip.
The rest of the trekking was relatively easy following the ridge towards the final destination of Phaplu.
Our Guides and porters were all amazing but a special mention to Lhakpa who was the perfect trekking partner. Extremely patient with the slower members of the group, great fun with the teenagers and a master at Rummikub !!!
Ngima once again came to meet us on our final evening before his transport took us to the airport .
Thankyou everyone!!

The trip over all was fantastic. .Weather was great , food was very good and the mountains
are beyound, to be so close to Annapurna is a experience in its own.
The check in/out time in Kathmandu is 2pm we arrived at the hotel at 9.00, so i had to wait 2 hours
to get in my room. That was the only small hinderance of the whole tour. ( from Jomson/Pockara)
I want to thank everybody who was concerned for making this tour a unforgetable experience.
Peter

The experience was great. We could have done with a rest afternoon and a better driver to return back with. However Wangchu was a great guide who was very knowledgeable and helpful

We had a glorious time last week trekking through Lower Mustang and would like to take this opportunity to commend Chhiring for his first-rate guide service. It was a pleasure to walk with him.

It was my 14-year-old son Dylan’s first trekking experience and Chhiring did an excellent job of gauging our comfort and ability levels to ensure that we were always challenged but never overwhelmed.

Chhiring knows the Mustang area well, affording us glimpses into otherwise hidden corners, and was always willing to accommodate tweaks to our itinerary - even if it meant lingering longer in a Tibetan temple or adding extra hours and kilometers to our scheduled trek.

Chhiring has an easy way about him, always calm, cool and upbeat – crucial traits on the trail. He was respectful, open and communicative with locals, and provided just enough special insights to be interesting but not overbearing. Chhiring struck a perfect balance.

So, too, did our hardworking porter. We were not able to communicate with him on the same meaningful level as we did with Chhiring, but he was also pleasant to be around - though he was usually streaking well ahead of us on the trail.

All in all, we had a splendid time and owe much of that life-changing experience to Chhiring, our porter and the KimKim Team. Accept here our gratitude and we look forward to our next KimKim guided tour of Nepal.

All the best,

Shawn W. Crispin

We trekked the Langtang-Gosaikunda-Helambu route for 2 weeks with our Nepalese guide Dawa and porter Renjen. The trip was absolutely amazing: stunning views, friendly people, interesting culture! We felt safe and welcome from day one until the end.

My husband and I had a wonderful trip organised by Ngima and his family. The whole experience has been breathtaking and it will remain in our memories for a long time. We chose to visit Kathmandu for two days , we then drove to Bandipur in private car, continuing to Pokhara the next day. We then did a three days treck with a guide and porter in the Annapurma, after which we flew back to Kathmandu. Our guide in Kathmandu was very knowledgeable and attentive to our needs , giving us lots of free time to enjoy particular spots when we wanted to. Our driver in Kathmandu was very professional and punctual making the visit from sites to sites a breeze in a very busy and someyimes chaotic city.
Pema Futi , our guide in the Annapurma was very professional and friendly , making sure we enjoyed our treck and were well fed and comfortable in the tea houses we staid in. Everything in the trip was organised very professionally and I highly recommend Ngima's company Nepal Myths Mountain Trails to anyone wanting to have a memorable and wonderful trip in Nepal.

The guides were all fantastic and look after us all very well.

We had a wonderful time with Responsible Treks!

Responsible Treks is a great touring company with a respectable business model and mission. By mainly hiring employees from a single, impoverished village high in the Himalayas, they are providing a way for members of the village to earn a living outside of the mountains. Our guide was Sonam and our porter was the famous dancing and singing Nirmal.

Our trek was a 7-day/6-night hike through the south Annapurna Conservation area. The highlight of the trip was being on top of Poon Hill for the morning sunrise! If the afternoon weather was clear, we would have tried to climb up for sunset instead - the mornings can be very crowded with fellow tourists. However, it was still well worth the climb.

We would choose Responsible Treks again!

The guides were excellent especially Chiring and KB. They were very attentive and helpful. The whole journey of trekking and places and people and views we passed thro were so awesome and amazing .