Annapurna Short Trek

April 2016

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!

April 2017

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 .

March 2014

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.

February 2015

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.