Reviews

Awesome experience end to end - from Ram/ Santos in the office to Nir Kumar Rai our guide - delivering what was a trip of a life time!

My best friend and I have worked to raise funds for the Himalayan Trust over the last eight years so a trip up the Khumbu to not only see EBC/ Kala Patthar but also visit the schools and hospital around Khumjung/ Khunde was very important to us. 

The trip was seamlessly organised with everything in place from the moment we arrived until the time we left. Thank you Ram and Santos!

On the trail Nir ensured we were very well looked after, while allowing us to flex/ change components of the trip on the fly. Nir is an amazing guide and a special man - ask for him if you can! 

Himalayan Scenery you were amazing and we will continue to recommend you far and wide!

Everest Base Camp was perhaps the toughest thing I've ever done - but I loved it! Its both physically and mentally demanding but so rewarding. The team at Himalayan Scenery where great & very supportive. They all have so much experience which meant we got the best service, including the better lodges, the prime time flights to & from Lukla & our daily highlight of oxygen tests! The guides (Narayan & Govinder) & porters (Montu & team) worked so hard for us, they were always positive, encouraging & knowledgeable - massive thanks to them, we couldn't have done it without them!
Tips: Don't go expecting luxury - its not that kind of trip! & eat & drink as much as possible - you will need it!

Well, where can I start..... I was very apprehensive about the trip and a little nervous. However, when I met Ramkrishna he set my mind at ease and he was very good at responding to emails before the trip, he would answer all questions myself and my friend asked. 

The day before flying to the trek, we went on a tour around Kathmandu visiting temples and getting an insight of the culture! Just be warned there's an extra cost for the entry to the temples. (Max of $30) 

The flight to lukla was straightforward, I think we were lucky with the weather. We had two guides Nayaran and Govinda. Nayaran was fab, great English and knowledge. I enjoyed his chats about Nepal and the mountains. He was very patient and cared for all the members of our group. 

The accommodation was basic and the food did get repetitive but wasn't as bad as I thought it be. You'd just have to remember where you were (middle of the Himalayans) and you'd appreciate anything. 

Overall, the trek was organised, unfortunately I suffered with really bad headaches due to the altitude, Narayan provided medication to help. He would also measure our oxygen levels during the evening. The day after reaching base camp I found it difficult to breath and walk. Nayaran arranged a helicopter and Ramkrishna arranged the hospital etc. The next day Ramkrishna arranged a lift and took me to the hotel for the next few nights, whilst I waited for the group to return. 

I would definitely recommend booking with Himalayan scenery treks. If you are lucky to have a group like I did, you'll have a fab time.

I completed the EBC trek with Himalayan Scenery Treks and Expedition in April 2017. 

I found the deal on Wowcher UK and bought on a whim. I trained hard but was still apprehensive, particularly as this was my first time in Asia and I was travelling solo. From start to finish, I felt safe and well looked after. Arriving at Kathmandu airport, Ramkrishna had arranged a pickup for me which took me directly to the Hotel Access. I was told the arrangements for the next few days (i.e. what times to be down at reception to be walked over to Ramkrishna's offie), so I always felt 'in the know'. 

We had the guides Narayan and Govinda. Both were excellent, although as lead guide, Narayan's English was much better than Govinda's, and he was able to tell us much more about the scenery etc. Both were professional, had our best interests at heart, and when the going got tough, supported the group. 

There are so many companies out there offering this kind of trek, but I have to say that as a solo female traveller, I couldn't have hoped for anything better. I would recommend this company above all others. 

Thank you for a wonderful experience Himalayan Scenery Treks and Expedition - the memories will last a lifetime!

Wow! This was such a good trek, and to begin at the end, I would absolutely recommend Ramkrishna and Himalayan Scenery Treks 100%. The pre-arrival arrangements were good - Ram would email back very quickly on any queries. Once in KTM, the hotel for our nights there was very comfortable - about 3* I would say. The HST preferred hotel (Access Nepal) was full, so we were overflowed into the Highlander next door - I checked the rooms in both and felt the Highlander was nicer. 

The arrangements to travel to and from Lukla were extremely well organised - the team have very good contacts - on both flights we were on one of the very earliest flights of the day, which is a huge advantage as this is the best flying weather, and avoids long delays or getting stuck - one of the many advantages of having a proper guide on the ground with you. 

Speaking of guides, we had two for our party of 9. Narayan was the lead guide, and is fantastic. His English is great, he is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the trek, and also very patient with any members of the party who are slower, struggling or unwell. Our second guide Govinda was much quieter, but became a constant companion on the trek, and also a tireless waiter in all of the lodges we stayed in. 

On lodges, it feels as though HST tend to go for the better ones, which is a bonus. The food was always pretty good (especially considering the altitude!), and the rooms reasonable. However, be prepared for some very bad toilets in the highest spots. 

In particular, the lodge in Pheriche was great - including a king size bed and en suite bathroom. Ok there was no toilet seat, but this is at 4,400m!

The pace of the trek was also excellent (our actual days walking, including the first day's walk from Lukla to Phakding, was 11), with the all-important rest / acclimatisation days allowed for in Namche Bazaar and Dingboche. This is a very high trek with the peak being around 24 hours spent at over 5,000m, so the likelihood of some altitude symptoms is higher, and the rest days really help. 

We were offered the option by HST to go all-inclusive on the food. However, as you are really just eating for calories, we found that we were only spending around $5 per meal, so $20 per day per person would be plenty, and allows for a couple of hot drinks as well. 

My partner and I both had pretty nasty headaches over 4,000m, so be prepared for that. Which reminds me of some absolute essentials to take while it is fresh in the mind. These were all on the packing list, but I'm highlighting the important ones. 

- Diamox to help combat altitude sickness.
- Strong painkillers - e.g. Paracetamol and Codeine combination - walking with a thumping headache is not fun. 
- Think about hydration - it's critical to avoid getting sick - we used cheap chlorine tablets and had no ill effects at all, but a couple of tips to avoid your drink tasting like a swimming pool: 1) add the tablets to the tap water the night before - the chlorine flavour dissipates; 2) take something to flavour the water - either rehydration sachets or super-concentrated squash - in the UK Robinson's do small squeezy bottles which are only about 5cm across which are perfect. 
- Now you have your drinkable water, a CamelBak in your day pack just makes it so much easier to keep drinking. 
- At least one walking pole - we both found one to be plenty. 
- As much medicine as you can find! It's very easy to get sick up there, so lots of remedies for coughs, sore throats, congestion etc. 
- Stacks of baby wipes. Even as low as Namche, showering is not for the faint hearted - lukewarm water and a very cold environment! A quick freshen up with wet wipes is a good way to stay at least acceptably clean. 
- Lots of hand sanitiser to stay healthy. On a related note - we are both definite carnivores, but remained veggie for the duration, and had no tummy troubles at all. 
- Long thermal underwear - above Namche you will never take it off!
- Solar panels. I wished I had one of these, as there is no free charging of anything once you reach Lukla. Also rather pleasing to be able to charge your phone from the sun rather than having to pay!
- Ear plugs: the lodge rooms are generally partitioned with single sheets of plywood, so noise transmission is very high. Add barking dogs from dusk until dawn, and you'll be glad of some sound insulation. 

On the don't bother list, I would say:

- Camp towel - if you don't shower, you won't need it - and they are expensive!
- Spare clothes - as above, if you are sacrificing hygiene a bit, all those spare T shirts and so on will go unused - after a while it's too cold to get changed anyway. 
- Big camera: when you are gasping for oxygen, taking a quick snap on your phone is quite enough hassle, never mind messing about with an SLR.

Hope these thoughts are useful. As I said at the top, there are so many companies offering trekking in Nepal, so it's hard to choose. Our experience with Ramkrishna, Narayan and Govinda was excellent, and unforgettable. Thank you guys - I wholeheartedly recommend you!

P.S. Make yourself get up for the dawn hike up Kala Patthar. It is exhausting, but the views of Everest, including the South Col, are definitely worth it.

Wow! This was such a good trek, and to begin at the end, I would absolutely recommend Ramkrishna and Himalayan Scenery Treks 100%. The pre-arrival arrangements were good - Ram would email back very quickly on any queries. Once in KTM, the hotel for our nights there was very comfortable - about 3* I would say. The HST preferred hotel (Access Nepal) was full, so we were overflowed into the Highlander next door - I checked the rooms in both and felt the Highlander was nicer. 

The arrangements to travel to and from Lukla were extremely well organised - the team have very good contacts - on both flights we were on one of the very earliest flights of the day, which is a huge advantage as this is the best flying weather, and avoids long delays or getting stuck - one of the many advantages of having a proper guide on the ground with you. 

Speaking of guides, we had two for our party of 9. Narayan was the lead guide, and is fantastic. His English is great, he is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the trek, and also very patient with any members of the party who are slower, struggling or unwell. Our second guide Govinda was much quieter, but became a constant companion on the trek, and also a tireless waiter in all of the lodges we stayed in. 

On lodges, it feels as though HST tend to go for the better ones, which is a bonus. The food was always pretty good (especially considering the altitude!), and the rooms reasonable. However, be prepared for some very bad toilets in the highest spots. 

In particular, the lodge in Pheriche was great - including a king size bed and en suite bathroom. Ok there was no toilet seat, but this is at 4,400m!

The pace of the trek was also excellent (our actual days walking, including the first day's walk from Lukla to Phakding, was 11), with the all-important rest / acclimatisation days allowed for in Namche Bazaar and Dingboche. This is a very high trek with the peak being around 24 hours spent at over 5,000m, so the likelihood of some altitude symptoms is higher, and the rest days really help. 

We were offered the option by HST to go all-inclusive on the food. However, as you are really just eating for calories, we found that we were only spending around $5 per meal, so $20 per day per person would be plenty, and allows for a couple of hot drinks as well. 

My partner and I both had pretty nasty headaches over 4,000m, so be prepared for that. Which reminds me of some absolute essentials to take while it is fresh in the mind. These were all on the packing list, but I'm highlighting the important ones. 

- Diamox to help combat altitude sickness.
- Strong painkillers - e.g. Paracetamol and Codeine combination - walking with a thumping headache is not fun. 
- Think about hydration - it's critical to avoid getting sick - we used cheap chlorine tablets and had no ill effects at all, but a couple of tips to avoid your drink tasting like a swimming pool: 1) add the tablets to the tap water the night before - the chlorine flavour dissipates; 2) take something to flavour the water - either rehydration sachets or super-concentrated squash - in the UK Robinson's do small squeezy bottles which are only about 5cm across which are perfect. 
- Now you have your drinkable water, a CamelBak in your day pack just makes it so much easier to keep drinking. 
- At least one walking pole - we both found one to be plenty. 
- As much medicine as you can find! It's very easy to get sick up there, so lots of remedies for coughs, sore throats, congestion etc. 
- Stacks of baby wipes. Even as low as Namche, showering is not for the faint hearted - lukewarm water and a very cold environment! A quick freshen up with wet wipes is a good way to stay at least acceptably clean. 
- Lots of hand sanitiser to stay healthy. On a related note - we are both definite carnivores, but remained veggie for the duration, and had no tummy troubles at all. 
- Long thermal underwear - above Namche you will never take it off!
- Solar panels. I wished I had one of these, as there is no free charging of anything once you reach Lukla. Also rather pleasing to be able to charge your phone from the sun rather than having to pay!
- Ear plugs: the lodge rooms are generally partitioned with single sheets of plywood, so noise transmission is very high. Add barking dogs from dusk until dawn, and you'll be glad of some sound insulation. 

On the don't bother list, I would say:

- Camp towel - if you don't shower, you won't need it - and they are expensive!
- Spare clothes - as above, if you are sacrificing hygiene a bit, all those spare T shirts and so on will go unused - after a while it's too cold to get changed anyway. 
- Big camera: when you are gasping for oxygen, taking a quick snap on your phone is quite enough hassle, never mind messing about with an SLR.

Hope these thoughts are useful. As I said at the top, there are so many companies offering trekking in Nepal, so it's hard to choose. Our experience with Ramkrishna, Narayan and Govinda was excellent, and unforgettable. Thank you guys - I wholeheartedly recommend you!

P.S. Make yourself get up for the dawn hike up Kala Patthar. It is exhausting, but the views of Everest, including the South Col, are definitely worth it.

This trip was booked in the U.K. As part of a deal with Living Social.
The whole trip provided excellent value for money with very good service from the company, Himalayan Scenery Treks and Expeditions.
All my emailed questions were responded to promptly and politely. 
We were met from the airport as planned, taken to our hotel in Thamel, had an excellent, well-informed tour of various temples the following day.
The trek to EBC was amazing, fantastic scenery, some very cold nights and some very hot days, as you may expect , you need to be prepared for all weather conditions. We had a truly unforgettable experience and met some lovely people along the way.
I would not hesitate to recommend the services of this company.

My Wife and I completed the 11 day Everest Base camp hike with Himalayan scenery Trek.

Ramakrishna, the company owner was very helpful and promptly replied to our emails requesting information. 

When we arrived at Kathmandu Airport a representative was holding a sign with our names and we were taken to an excellent hotel (by Kathmandu standards) in the Thamel district.

We were picked up early the next day and taken back to the airport for the flight to Lukla. Tip: get Nepalese rupees from ATM in Kathmandu. There are ATM’s atLukla & Namche but only for VISA (not Mastercard) customers

The hike is very tough, especially above Namche. The accommodation on route is very basic tea houses so don’t expect luxury. Our guide, Gopal, was very nice but his English was a little poor. The Porter carried two duffle bags (supplied by the company) with a total weight of 24Kg – this is about the limit so pack accordingly.
Previous reviews have criticised the food at the Tea houses. It does get a bit repetitive but we found it generally pretty good. 

Tip 2: you are expected to tip the guide and porter at the end of the walk. We gave the equivalent of about 120 pound between the 2 of us

Everything was well organised and I can highly recommend the company for an Everest Base Camp hike.