When in summer 2006 the situation in Nepal was improving I e-mailed Nature Trail about my plans and we worked out a program that was based on my wishes. We had very frequent contact by e-mail and all my mails were answered immediately and very correct.
The intercontinental flight and the first two nights in Nepal were booked at a Dutch company and from day three Nature Trail took care of all the arrangements.
The first day after my arrival in Nepal I went to Bishnu’s office with my Nepali sister Rati, to talk over the program once again. We were introduced to the trekking guide, Ramesh Paneru, and signed the contract.
Payment was made by traveller cheques, on my wish that same day.
The trekking I choose was the Muktinath teahouse trek, from Jomsom to Muktinath, including a walk to Marpha and Tukuche and stay in Marpha .
We were flying to Pokhara where we met our guide Ramesh again who arrived by bus and planned to fly to Jomsom next morning.
Because of bad weather the flights to Jomsom were all cancelled and so we discussed an alternative with Ramesh and the Nature Trail office in Kathmandu.
There were two options, one is, drive by public bus or private taxi to Nayapul and start trekking, and fly back Jomsom – Pokhara at the end, or wait one more day and take another chance to fly Jomsom. We decided for flying next morning and the guide immediately booked new flight tickets and changed the Pokhara hotel booking.
Next morning we took the flight to Jomsom and started the trek with a walk to Marpha to visit the monastery and bring some presents and letters of a Dutch friend for one of the monks in Marpha. To our big surprise we were invited by Dutch friends of the Nepal-Netherlands friendship association (Ver. Nederland-Nepal) to stay some extra days in Marpha to take part of the celebrations round the Lama Dance Festival.
Again we discussed the possibilities with our guide and he suggested a wonderful schedule in which we still could do all the highlights of the trekking and also take part in the Marpha celebrations. So we made the trekking with a wonderful caring guide (and porter), he even was helping in the lodges with serving breakfast and dinner and provided us with boiled water while on trek to avoid the plastic water bottles and reduce the garbage/recycling problem of plastic bottles.
He also showed us the best places to find shaligrams and informed us about the temples, monasteries, mountains etc. on the trek. The rest of the holiday I had my own program but Bishnu and his staff were there to give any kind of support that was necessary, like car bookings, sightseeing suggestions, etc. They reconfirmed my flight to Amsterdam and arranged the transfer to the airport.
So resuming I can only say that I had a wonderful organised trip with excellent arrangements and services.
Nature Trail Trekking will surely arrange my next trip in Nepal again!
Connie de Vos
The Netherlands
December 04, 2006
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