Annapurna Short Trek

Superb organizer – Excellent client-service – Super friendly, straightforward and reliable
I live in Kathmandu and have used Rajan’s company Earthbound Expeditions for many travel and trekking occasions: whether it was for organizing a trekking or a leisure trip, for asking him to book me a domestic or international flight or just for seeking his advice about where to go during what time of the year or what to suggest to friends who visit us in Nepal. I have never been disappointed. What I like about Rajan is his ability to organize everything in an excellent way. He seems to have an incredible large network of people in the tourism sector to tailor you the package you’re looking for and to take care of you without worrying. Rajan is very good in hearing what you want - even if you don’t know it exactly yourself yet- and can present you different customized options. He is straightforward in explaining both the highlights and potential downsides one might expect during a trek or trip; as well as what is possible and what’s not. He takes customer care to the core of his business, never being bothered to call you during and/or after a trek to check if everything goes well. Besides his good humor and his dynamism, you can bet Rajan is very reliable. I never had any problem and will surely turn to him for the next treks and trips. In addition, I also like his personal dedication to the development of Nepal. He is currently developing a trek that will pass his home village, far remote in the mountains, and where he personally is setting up a school. The income that he generates from this trek is set aside for the school. A great initiative!

Memorable Nepal Trekking
We(family of 4) have never done trekking before, and decided to go for the big one-Annapurna in Nepal. Following reviews in Trip Advisor, we picked EarthBound Expedition to arrange the trip. Rajan, the propritor, responded promptly to our email. He arranged a complete programme from airport pick ups, drop offs, accommodation etc. They organised flights to Pokhara from Katmundu and we returned by car. Being a small business, there was lot of personal touch including meeting us at arrival to Napolese Cultural evening out on the last day. The expedition guide, Sundeep, plus two porters were all excellent. Always smiling, and their prime focus was our welfare and comfort. We felt like one big family. Christmas period can be cold in the mountains, best times would be Oct/Nov but with appropriate wear, it wasn't too much of a problem. I would recommend some exercises prior such as step ups to strengthen tigh muscles I wasn't aware that the company also did trips to India, Tibet and Bhutan- but will bear that in mind for future .

An outstanding organization and support
We have only good things to say about Earthbound Expeditions. Rajan the owner of the company went out of his way to answer all our voluminous questions before our departure. His gracious answers were always quick and to the point with no nonsense. This gave us great confidence in his company and we decided to select Earthbound Expeditions with my friend. We did right, as our trek in the Annapurna Sanctuary was just magnificent, well organized, and so amazing. The staff went out of their way to make this trek one of the most memorable journey of our life. We were pampered and always felt safe during all our stay even when crossing some difficult paths on our way to the Annapurna Base camp. We had a lot of fun, laughter and discovered amazing sceneries with both our outstanding guide Nabin (who speaks French and English) and our outstanding porter Krishna, an incredible human being. Thanks to the support of our two great friends and the Earthbound company, this was more than a trek. It was also a lesson in selflessness, inner peace, and compassion in the midst of landscape of extraordinary beauty. We have done many trips around the world but we will rate our journey in Nepal without hesitation an outstanding experience. On the practical side we loved our hotel: the Kantipur Temple house: a three star hotel exquisitely decorated in Nepalese style and with a friendly staff. Good food, calm and very well situated near Thamel where you can do incredible shopping. Ask for the deluxe room good value for your money. Free wifi in the lobby. In Pokara the Bahari hotel situated near the lake and restaurants is nice with great views on the snowy mountain. Ask for Deluxe room with balcony upper floor. Good value for money. The tea house picked up for us by our guide Nabin along the trek were all very clean with great views on the mountain. Be ware that at high altitude you need an adequate down comforter (0 to minus 20 degrees Celsius), the company graciously will provide you with an adequate one. The tea house has no heating in the rooms. I strongly recommend the national vegetarian dish the Dhal which is excellent in protein, you can also ask for pizzas. Bring with you a camel bag for your water. In the last stretches toward the Annapurna base camp mineral water is not provided to bring pills to purify the water. We had no problem with food poisoning during our entire journey. We recommend spring as the rhododendrons are in full bloom. Also do not hesitate to take a few days to visit Katmandu with the help of Earthbound Expeditions you will not regret it.

Amazing trek and amazing service!!
We booked to do a private trek in the Annapurna range. On the way to the start point we realised that the trek we were on was quite popular, we requested to go on a quiter route and in a flash our fantastic guide Gautam rearranged the route and granted our wish... We were not disappointed!! The quiter route was called the Eco Trek, and we were told we were the first to go from Earthbound. It took us to a place called Khopra and the place was incredible! Beautiful scenery throughout, incredible views and no crowds! We were superbly looked after by our guide Gautam and porter Leela, who really ensured we were at comfort throughout the trek. The service with Earthbound was great, with a very personal service which made us feel very special! We would highly recommend this tour operator to anyone looking for some guided fun in the Himalayas.

Good Trekking
My group of five went on a hiking trip to the Annapurna region recently. We had planned as early as February for this trip and customized the itinerary our tour Agent. Needless to say, all was well organized and our guide, Pravin Baniya, was very helpful and efficient. The hike took us to a remote part but with breathtaking views of Mt. Machchpuchchre aka. the Fishtail and its range. Many thanks to Mr. Rajan of Earthbound Expeditions who have taken special care to make our pioneer trip to Nepal a most wonderful and memorable one!

Trip of a lifetime
What an amazing trip! We took a 10 day trip, 5 trekking in the Annapurna region. Being in our 60's I was somewhat concerned about MY ability to succeed. However, our guides and porters made it possible. We were a very diverse group of 10 and by the end of the trek, we were all friends. On the first day one of our porters Ramjee Bhatta stayed behind to bring up some luggage that had been lost in route to Kathmandu. He covered in a couple of hours what had taken us all day. With a smile on his face. The accommodations on the trek, while spartan, were totally adequate and quite comfortable. The food was much better than I expected. I have done a fair amount of travel and this was one of my best experiences. It is difficult for me to put into words how life-changing this trip was. Imagine 5 days without seeing a vehicle with wheels? All transport is on foot. And yet we had internet service at night. Meeting people from all over the world and still being in contact with them 7 months later. Not only did we experience incredible landscape beauty and physical challenges, we made friends. Ramjee was among those making this happen. Not only did he carry our bags he was more of an assistant guide, told us about his culture and was a great cheerleader. I would highly recommend making this trek.

Trek was quite possibly the greatest experience of my life
cannot recommend Earthbound Expeditions highly enough. They really did an outstanding job organizing a suitable trek for me (20) and my father (53), supplying a very friendly guide and porter to accompany us for our 9 day trek up to Annapurna Base Camp and back. As Earthbound is a local trekking company based in Kathmandu, you'll also be really bolstering the Nepalese economy if you do your trek with them over a company based overseas. I definitely recommend requesting Shreeram Adhikhari and Kedar Bhatta to be your guide and porter (respectively) as they did fantastic jobs. They made the trip awesome with their good senses of humour, kind natures and very warm and cheerful attitudes. I hope to do another trek with them one day! Earthbound was very helpful in that they tailor the trip specifically to what you want to get out of your experience in Nepal. They can even assist in organizing activities and tours in Kathmandu and Pokhara. You can do anything from Paragliding to immersing yourself in the rich history, culture and beautiful sights that Nepal has to offer, all alongside setting up an unforgettable trek which will leave you craving to return! Thank you very much Earthbound Expeditions, I will definitely be recommending you to my friends and family as a company which helped set up the trip of a lifetime which I will always cherish and never forget.

Wonderful Nepal hiking!
My wife and I had a great trek in the Annapurna region plus a couple of great days in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Rajan and his team at Earthbound were fantastic and were very accommodating with our many itinerary changes. We, unfortunately, we had to cut our trip short a couple of days and even with that Rajan and team were tremendous in helping us change our plans last minute. We had a wonderful and inspiring trip filled with amazing landscapes and even better people thanks to Earthbound. Highly recommend to anyone wanting to set up treks, tours, or anything else in Nepal.

Fantastic Annapurna Trekking Experience
Our group of Brisbane (Australia) women were thoughtfully guided by experienced and knowledgeable staff at Earthbound Expeditions. Our guide appeared to be on duty 24/7 catering to our team, planning ahead to smooth our arrivals for lunch and evening accommodation, plus working closely with the Head Porter and the three porters assigned to our team. Everyone on staff was courteous, friendly and generous, particularly when we gained altitude each day. Awareness of the issues related to altitude was factored into the schedule so that we had time to adjust, as well as time to take in the vastness and beauty of the mountain-scapes. Stories told along the way, included answers to our many questions about local land use, domestic and wild animals, customs and religious beliefs, major sources of income and a host of tales about locals encountering trekkers from around the world. Curiosity was alive in our group and was met with an openness and willingness to engage and respond. Added to this, the staff greeted us with encouraging smiles and a delightful display of humour. Where language barriers may have existed there was ample enthusiasm, broad smiles and a willingness to show kindness when exhaustion and weariness may have been expected. Each trekker grew in admiration for our porters who went ahead each day and greeted us at our resting places, usually sitting on the rock fences or under trees. We were walking with day packs and felt the exertion that those mountain paths demanded, while our porters were carrying loads wiht seeming ease. Their willingness and exuberance monitored a steady growth of respect and empathy. We used terms that endeared them to us, like "Out Boys" and we quickly learnt their names so that we could show gratitude in ways that were sensitive and caring. The place is breath-takingly magnificent and everywhere seemed to be at a scale that was surreal. The waterfalls, the landslides, the white-water rivers, the sheer slops and those high peaks among the clouds or bather in sun-light ... The majesty of walking so close to the Gods with reminders that spirituality is marked in common practices of greetings and prayers along the way. It is hard to review that aspect of the Annapurna, but suffice it to say, that it is a felt part of the trail and our Guide was always ready with excellent explanations and illustrations of local beliefs, festivals and customs. Of course, the trekking was demanding and the courage to be on the trail was part of the preparation to be there and to experience it. However, the key experience was a growing connection with each other, our team and a reverence for the land we were walking on with the vistas that held us in constant surprise. How often did we say, I have to pinch myself to believe that we are here and standing with views so pristine that photographs did not prepare us for. Not in the picture were the sense of gravity that those mountains would reveal, as eagles preyed on marmots or other animals, and yaks feed on mountain pastures, or deer wandered down to graze in mountain meadows and goats, donkeys and horses could be heard as their bells rang down from further up the trail. The rhythms of mountain life and trekking were growing familiar as our Guide commentated in an easy unobtrusive style. And each day we felt fortunate to have these gentle people with us, doing their roles so well that we each felt a special connection to them. There is so much to see on this trail and to go there is to be transported to an extraordinary place. We kept expectations low on the food and accommodation side as we had read ahead and anticipated a complete absence of luxury. What we got was a taste of life, as lived by the Nepalese, and an appreciation of how fortunate we all are to take so much for granted in our own countries. However, there is no room for spoil alerts in those mountains or among people who are happy in the face of poverty and rich in their willingness to share what is surely a walk with the Gods. Huge gratitude to Earthbound Staff who were working with us for months before we arrived and stayed connected with us for the entire time we were there. Their days were devoted to our safe passage and positive experience and how tremendous was the result. Out team grew to include the staff and I suspect they came to know us and share the affection.