Touch the Himalaya Manaslu Trek Review
Touch the Himalaya Manaslu Trek ReviewWe recently travelled to Nepal to trek the Manaslu Circuit with Touch the Himalaya. (April 2019)We initially contacted Madan at Touch the Himalaya four weeks prior to our planned trek. He promptly replied and was always helpful, informative and meticulous as to the planning and requirements of our trip including sending us a detailed itinerary and packing list as well as organising all the transfers and trekking permits. All we had to do was turn up!
Through the ongoing communication with Madan, we were able to build a strong relationship with him prior to our arrival in Kathmandu. He greeted us at the airport adorning us with garlands of marigolds and fresh fruit, such a lovely welcome, then drove us to the hotel in Thamel.
The following day we met our wonderfully knowledgeable guide Arjun and our very reliable and helpful porter Bikram (Chicken-tiger) who happily showed us around Kathmandu for a day before our trek departure.
We are a middle-aged couple and admittedly were not exactly in peak physical condition and therefore we were quite nervous regarding our ability to complete the challenges of the two-week trek. However, Arjun intuitively judged our level of ability early on and was very caring in his advice and strategies to assist us with our daily trekking in order to give us the best chance of completing the full circuit and it worked!
From the outset, given their extensive and intimate knowledge of the route, Arjun and Bikram expertly guided us through a number of challenging and difficult sections. They were also both very familiar with the Manaslu district which allowed us to have a very rich cultural experience with many of the local tea house owners and their families.
Arjun was always careful to ensure that we ate well throughout the trip. We did not suffer any illness or sickness whatsoever and we believe this was largely due to Arjun and his thoughtful approach to the planning of every day of the trek.
Even with the burden of our pack, Bikram always went the extra mile for us, often offering to lighten our load further when the going got tough, he was ever thoughtful of our needs.
All three men were true gentleman and wonderful company.
We are very pleased to recommend Arjun and Bikram for any treks in Nepal. Arjun had a very deep and thorough knowledge of all of the flora and fauna are that we saw. He was always happy to give advice and answer any questions we had.
We can honestly say that without the care that Arjun and Bikram provided for us throughout our trek we may have not had such a successful and completely enjoyable time in Nepal.
If we return to Nepal, which we dearly hope we will, we would definitely engage the services of Touch the Himalaya, Madan, Arjun and Bikram.
We can strongly recommend this company as they will ensure you will maximise your enjoyment and memories of your time in Nepal.
Alice and Joe
Date of experience: April 2019
