Kimkim Trip Reviews for Nepal

We had an amazing trekking in the Everest region.

Our guide was a real care taking person, so he was not only guiding us the way, but made the whole trip a really good experience. When one of us was not feeling well he helped to make the trip as best as possible (changing the itinerary a bit). It felt like an all inclusive trip :).
Also the porter was amazing, seeing us struggling in some parts he was helping us to get up, even though he carried all of our luggage.

The views on this trek were the best we ever had, on all days it was spectacular: stupa's, mountains, lovely villages, rivers, bridges, etc. We also loved our acclimatisation day from Namche up to the Everest hotel. The monastery in Tengboche is also very impressive to visit. Also all view points were worth it: Kala Pathar, Gokyo lakes, Gokyo Ri, Cho La pass.

No trip halfway around the world could ever be perfect. If you want perfect, maybe go to Monaco, not Nepal. I started working online with Kimkim in the early spring of 2017 to book a trip for my family to Nepal with no prior knowledge of where to go or how to get it done. The Kimkim website first impressed me with the large number of trekking options available. It was a bit overwhelming to the Nepal novice, but as I exchanged information with Mads at Kimkim, he patiently helped me come up with an itinerary. My family of 5 wanted to combine trekking and sightseeing during our trip. All of us are in reasonably good physical condition, but we came with no real experience with hardcore trekking, mountain climbing, high altitude activities, etc. Kimkim built a trip plan that took all of this into account, along with our preferences for lodging along the way.

We just got back from our trip and all of us agree that Kimkim delivered on everything we asked for. To start with, the guides assigned to our family were outstanding. These were some very smart, impressive people. They taught us a lot about Nepal and made a huge difference in overall experience. Every step of the way, the local people assigned to my family were attentive, patient and friendly. We really couldn’t have asked for more.

I’ll be honest, the trekking was close to the limits of what we could handle, but that is not a complaint. We expected hiking around Nepal to be physically demanding and strenuous and it most certainly was. If you’re not in good physical condition, you need to be very thoughtful about signing up for this type of activity. The trekking route we took in the Khumbu region was physically challenging, often dangerous and busy with other people (and animals) headed in both directions. We loved every minute of it. A fascinating, beautiful place. My aching knees (get trekking poles) and altitude-induced headaches were a small price to pay for the experience. At the end of our 5 day trekking schedule, we were tired, sore, cold and sorry that it was over. I would have gladly gone on for another 5 days (assuming my knees held up). Great, great, great experience.

Back in Kathmandu, our guide took us to more amazing places than I can remember to wrap up our trip. It really was an almost perfect combination of trekking and cultural experience. I give Kimkim full credit for putting it all together for us.

It seems trivial to bitch about anything after such a great experience, but if you need proof I’m not an employee of the company, here is our list of grievances:
- We weren’t fully prepared for the possibility of flight delays getting out of Kathmandu into the mountains. It’s not that Kimkim didn’t warn us, we just didn’t pay much attention. We spent the better part of a day waiting for a flight because of bad weather. That was not fun. If I had it to do over again, I would either add another day or two to the trip to allow for this possibility or talk to Kimkim about hiring a helicopter to ensure you’ll get to your destination on time. Lesson learned.
- There’s no heat and often no hot water in the sleeping rooms, even in the more upscale lodges we booked. You realize pretty quickly that this is not unusual for Nepal. Bring the warm clothes Kimkim suggests and you’ll be fine. It wasn’t a big deal for me, but other members of the family were a bit more put off by this. You won’t always be comfortable, so just be prepared (thermal underwear helps a lot).
- Electricity is not easy to deliver to many places in Nepal, so it is generally dimly lit and downright dark in most of the place you’ll go. Bring your own lighting for reading if you think this will bother you.
- If a lodge advertises they have Wi-Fi Internet service, it doesn’t mean much. They may not have it at all or it may not be working when you arrive. You may go for several days without being able to contact friends and family back home. Just be prepared for this and unplug from the grid for a few days. Character-building. 
- Walking around Kathmandu is stressful. Some fun-loving Nepali decided it would be fun to run his motorcycle up the back of my leg a few times to mess with the tourist. I was not amused, but I kept myself under control (barely) and let him pass. You’ll need to be prepared for the chaos and traffic jams in Kathmandu and embrace them as part of the overall experience. There’s no avoiding it and it’s not a reason to stay in your hotel. Just get your game face on.

A few other comments: The food was great, we didn’t get sick, the people were generally very friendly and courteous, the airport is a bit of a hot mess and the prices are all cheap to very reasonable.

If you’re thinking of going to Nepal for the first time, all I can suggest is get yourself in good shape, practice being patient, bring all the cash you think you’ll need with you (don’t rely on ATM machines, credit cards generally worked fine) and use Kimkim to book your trip. They did a fantastic job for us and we can recommend them without any reservations.

Great trip and once-in-a-lifetime experience. Thank you Mads, Pasang, Rajive and Raj. I hope to book another trip with you someday in the future.

We wouldn't have changed a thing, except maybe that I lost the sole of my shoe five minutes into hiking!! Ha No but seriously, everything was perfect. Raj, Anura and team really put together a trip that included a little bit of everything, which truly gave us a clear taste and feel of Nepal. They were able to put together a full and comprehensive trip for us within our week timeframe, and I couldn't be more grateful!! We love Nepal!!! And I'll definitely be using KimKim for future trip planning!!!

Raj was always responsive and even downloaded a Marco Polo app so that we could communicate better, since our timezones were so different, which was very helpful. He was great from the beginning on and was very patient will all my million questions and worries. He was really great!!!

One of the best trips I've had arranged with an agent and I've done +20 agent coordinated trips. Impressed with Kimkim from top to bottom.

It was an excellent trip by Ngima and his team. We had one day that was less than perfect due to our guide (Tshering) under estimating our hiking time (5 hours vs 12 hours) which led to a challenging and over strenuous day. Other than that the entire trip was excellent, including the two porters (Lale - excellent; Bikram - good).

It was definitely an amazing trip. Except for Day 4, the continuous trek, which could have been split. We walked/hiked/climbed down for almost 12 hours that day and it is quite possible that the time extends considering most of us are not professional climbers. Rest everything was really very good. I thank social tours for our guide Robin who was so courteous and well mannered throughout. Thank you Team kimkim for making this happen for me. Cheers!

Our guide, Naresh, was brilliant... Nothing was too much trouble and everyone else wanted him to be their guide. He knew where to get the best pictures and was always helpful, his English is really good and he was easy to understand. He always looked out for me and made sure I was okay and always made me eat lots of food.
I wouldn’t have wanted any other guide and would definitely want him to be my guide again if he would have me of course.

The trip Mads planned was exactly what I asked for with great views of Everest throughout but trying to stay away from the crowds. Mads always answered any questions in a timely manor and gave additional information.

Bishnu was amazing and so was the porter Sujan. They were unbelievably friendly and made the whole trip amazing. I would recommend them for a raise. Bishny heeled us feel like locals in no time.

The only thing that really wasn't Amanda's issue but would have helped us plan a little more. Was the 15kg bag limit per person. It made it a little difficult on Amanda to organise last minute bag storage for us. Maybe that info cold be added to the Trek gear info so it can be sorted out before the trip starts.

Guide and porter were both great. Very friendly, calm and understanding.
The trek itself was ok as well but the 3rd was just too much.
As we already knew beforehand that it will be a long day, we couldn't really enjoy the view at the peak because we had the feeling that we need to rush in order to get all the distance covered within daylight. Although we hurried, we did not manage to arrive Junbesi by daylight. The last 2 hours we were trekking in the dark. Further the trek on this day was really hard and there were several Situations where i was really scared to death. The Trek was full with stones, it was tight and slippery and next to some really high cliffs. I spent 4 hours of the day Just praying to survive. I know this might sound a bit dramatic but I was really facing big fears. Our Guide was really helpful and supported us best possible. I would split the 3rd day and only walk till Lunch. There is No need for a full restday in Junbesi, if the day before is devided into 2 days..

The team of Himalayan trails was very helpful on planning, booking and solving problems that arouse in our trip. The few things that could have been better were may be, due to misunderstanding with our guide, but nothing really important! We appreciate so much that they did their best to make our trip possible and successful.

Mads was always very helpful! He answered our questions soon giving us good options and confidence.

The guide and porter were fantastic and we had an amazing time. Raj did a good job responding to our questions. Anura Rai, however, was absolutely horrible at communicating really all details for the trip. The bulk communication we received from her was VERY last minute...we were already at the airport enroute.

Raj was good but we were very disappointed with the lack of information provided by Anura.

Ngima was fantastic

Amanda was extremely helpful throughout the process, from assisting us in choosing the right trek to answering all our questions. Her local knowledge was invaluable. She met us in Kathmandu at the start of the trip to ensure that everything was in order. The itinerary that she put together for us was excellent, and worked out as planned.

Booking on kimkim.com was easy and very convenient. All our questions were promptly answered and details about our trip were provided up front.

We would like to say thanks to Ngima and his team for arranging this amazing trip. Ang and Lakpar (guide and porter) were amazing guides and tended to our every need. Also, they were very patient with our hiking pace! They made sure we were comfortable throughout the trip and we felt safe all the way.

Everything ran very smoothly on KimKim, Amanda was very responsive and answered all questions I had. The trip was organised with no fuss or hassle whatsoever.

Amanda provided a brilliant service - we were v impressed with Amanda and Himalayan Trails

Communication was easy and efficient. I felt that all my questions and concerns were taken care of in a timely and professional manner.

Ngima and his employees did a tremendous job taking care of us! They were always on time and easy to communicate with. They went out of their way to make sure we got to the airport and even all the way to the gate in a couple instances.

The weather was hot and humid and I was unprepared for that. The walking days were longer than I expected.

Amanda was friendly, informative, and punctual. She was great!

Our return trip to Nepal (after 30 + years) in September 2017 was unforgettable. We are so pleased to have found Kim Kim and to have worked with Mads. He was consistently patient and able to adjust our trip plan to our ultimate satisfaction. In Kathmandu, we were well taken care of by the guides and associates of Himalayan Trails, namely, Surendra, Pushpa, Raj and Rajiv. Our all day tour of Kathmandu with Rajiv was incredibly educational and literally life changing. We came across so many incredible people and places that we hold that as the first memorable day, of many, of the trip!

Our next adventures involved getting to, and traveling in, Upper and Lower Mustang. Having travelled and lived in Asia we understand the need to be patient, adjust expectations and go with the flow. Because of this attitude and our confidence in, and respect for, our Sherpa guides, Mingma and his 21 year old son Dorje, we were able to relax and enjoy the adventures of traveling in a remote and dramatically beautiful region. Some of our favorite parts of returning to the Himalayas were simply waking up in Mustang everyday, enjoying the high altitude scenery, learning about the people and places, including Mingma and Dorje (with whom we readily felt akin), eating the delicious Tibetan food (most often in the kitchen!) and visiting the Gompas (Tibetan Buddhist monasteries) during the Full Moon Ceremonies! Tears of joy filled my eyes at the beauty and devotion intrinsic in the intricate and colorful sand mandalas, the heartfelt chanting of the monks young and old, and the conversations we had with them while standing in the ancient structures while surrounded by sacred statues of a living tradition.

We finished the trip off with a few days in the Terai, down at Chitwan, enjoying the elephants, rhinos, gharials, hog deer, and birds galore!
A wonderful trip. We recommend Mads, Himalayan Trails and Kim Kim whole-heartedly.

The planning and booking of the trip were top notch.

Having read up a little bit about KimKim before hand it seems like a great tool to allow clients like my sister Renee and myself as well as others from around the world to connect with outfits like yours. It gives a chance to see and experience Nepal, its people, and its culture with the guidance of a great local guide and support staff.

Raj, and the rest of his staff were great and extremely helpful. They went out of their way to help us with all of our questions before and during our stay in Nepal. I would gladly recommend them to friends and family who are looking to do similar treks in Nepal in the future.

Our trek in the Annapurna Conservation Area (9/10-15) was just the getaway my brother Mark and I wanted/needed. It was very well organized, simple and peaceful. Our guide (Arjun Kulung) and porter (Bazdowz- sp?) were lovely- very personable and gracious. They made everything easy for us. Arjun’s knowledge of the area and the tea house proprietors/community members was fantastic. They both provided a perfect first impression of Nepal. I would recommend them and this trek without hesitation to friends interested in discovering Nepal. Sharing a meal with Anura our last night in Kathmandu was also great. All of the staff we interacted with (drivers in addition to the three named above) helped to make us feel very welcomed in Nepal.

Timely, informative responses to our emails; patience when we needed time to get organized on our end after prices were provided. The only thing I might have liked more directed information about was the need for waterproof boots (to keep leeches out!). I had listened to my friend who had lived in Nepal a few years ago and done more or less the same trek before. She said, one could do it in trainers. Maybe she'd gone at a drier time of year!

The tour guides, the excursions, the experience was fantastic. We really enjoyed our trip and it was economical too. Only thing that could have been better is it would have been nice if everyone knew it was our honeymoon. No one knew and that would have made it a bit more special. The last hotel didn't even book us a double bed on our last 2 nights. Other than that, it was a great and memorable trip.