What's Included
On our Nepal, Bhutan and Tibetan trips?
In Kathmandu: Each tour includes airport reception,
two nights at a good hotel (such as the Shangri La Hotel) on a twin share, bed and breakfast basis before the
trek and two nights after the trek. A half day sightseeing tour and a pre-trek briefing.
Additional
nights If required to fit in with your chosen flight schedule are possible.
Accommodation While on Camping Tours will be in 2 man tents,
single tents are available at a supplement.
Meals All meals are included on full service
camping treks. All camping equipment and gear, including two-person tent,
dining tent, toilet tents, kitchen tent, tables and stools etc. Comprehensive medical kit.
Accommodation on Lodge Treks
Rooms are either dormitory 2/3/4 bed rooms, the facilities in these lodges are basic but
clean and comfortable. Breakfast and a packed lunch and evening meals
are provided.
Trek Pack This saves you bringing
a lot of your own gear, giving you more space to take your souvenirs
home! It contains items like a sleeping bag, poncho, Duvet jacket,
mat and duffle bag: all in good condition
Our Indian
Himalayan treks: Run in a very similarly way to the
above. They are all camping and on full board apart from those
days when you are staying at a guest House or Hotel (such as in
New Delhi when it will be a B&B arrangement). Trek Packs however, do
not apply to our Indian treks.
Porters and Pack Animals
They will carry all personal gear and equipment.
You carry only a daypack. For rafting trips: all rafting equipment, life jackets, helmets
and windproof jackets, group and personal waterproof containers.
Trekking/Rafting permits, national park entry fees, conservation fees and visa
extension services for the trip period are all included.
The Himalayas are not just for mountaineers and very experienced hill walkers. They
offer a range of treks to suit all aptitudes and abilities, from a modest hike in the
foothills to a challenging Everest adventure. Anyone who lives an active life and is
in good health will enjoy a Himalayan trek. Our emphasis is in providing you with a
rewarding trekking experience amongst the highest mountains on earth.
Nepal, Bhutan, India and Tibet are blessed with incredibly impressive walking country. It is home
to nine of the world's ten highest peaks. Only by hiking the ancient foot trails that
link the remote village communities can one gain access to these Himalayan giants. The
range of scenery, from sub-tropical jungle to glacier, is as varied as the many ethnic
groups that make up the region's fascinating population. It is not only the mountains that cast
their spell. The people, the flora and fauna and the immense landscape combine in a
kaleidoscope of sights and sensations that make a Himalayan trek a truly unique
experience. There is no doubt that if you only ever do one Himalayan
holiday, it will be one that you will remember for the rest of your life!
Choosing your trek:
If you have not visited the Himalayas before, the sheer scale
and immensity of the mountains and landscapes guarantees a remarkable experience. Whilst
Everest is an irresistible attraction; we offer both the classic camping
trek to Base Camp, shorter lodge based tours and an overland
version approaching Base Camp from the Tibetan side; it is also worth
considering the often quieter beauty of the Indian Himalayas as well as
an exclusive trek to glorious Bhutan.
What's the food like?
All meals are included on our lodge and camping
treks. The only exceptions are when you stay in Kathmandu, New Delhi or
other 'Town' hotels which will be on a B&B basis. There will
usually be fresh local produce or a blend of local food and packet/canned food.
The food is literally "Haute Cuisine", although maybe more in the
altitude sense than the French sense of the word! Nevertheless the meals will be substantial and
nutritious, and it is amazing the sort of dishes that the staff can turn
their attentions to. We
welcome vegetarians and anyone with special diets. Please give us advance notice of your
needs and we will do our best to ensure that they are catered for. On Lodge treks
breakfast dinner may be prepared by your hosts.
Camping or Lodge Treks?
We offer two types of accommodation on
the Nepalese treks, camping or
lodges. Our camping treks are fully supported, you'll probably never have been so well
looked after on any mountain walk. On lodge treks you stay in dormitory style
accommodation which is basic but clean and comfortable. We use family run lodges so
clients get a unique opportunity to mix with local people. Our Indian treks are camping, although you may spend a day or two in
small local hotels, depending upon the particular itinerary.
Kathmandu Accommodation
Generally we use the Shangri-la Hotel in Kathmandu is your own private paradise. The hotel has a
magnificent prize winning garden, which leads to a coffee shop and a swimming pool
fashioned after a stone carved royal bath from 16th Century Nepal. The Shangri-la offers
attentive service where ever you are in the gardens or hotel.
Delhi Accommodation
Generally we use the comfortable Four Star Sidarth Hotel in New Delhi. It's
only about about 10 minutes from the city centre by motor rickshaw!
Our hotel has a swimming pool, bar, a couple of coffee shops and
restaurants. Rooms are also air conditioned.
Why Not Other Regions of Nepal? Sherpa has been
running tours in Nepal since 1973 and we have during that time worked in
all of Nepal's trekking areas. In the last few years the assassination
of the Royal Family and the rise of the "Maoists" has led to
us reassessing our tours in relation to the politics of the country. The
Everest region is at present, particularly stable for tourism. The
Annapurna and Langtang regions are less so. Tourists of course still go
there, but we try to be on the side of caution and will not be offering
these areas in 2004. Nepal needs tourism and certainly do not miss the
chance of your lifetime to go because of regional problems!
Environmental & Porter Protection:
In India and Nepal, Sherpa prescribes to good practices in order
to to help conserve the environment and to look after our staff. We do
not use wood for cooking in Nepal, we use paraffin as much as is
possible to help reduce deforestation. Rubbish is tidily cleared,
burnt, taken out, or disposed of at special lodge pits. Staff are
given warm clothing: Blankets, a jacket, gloves, socks,
footwear on lower treks and boots and goggles for higher
conditions. They have sleeping accommodation and food appropriate to the
normal conditions that they are likely to face on the trek. They
are also given reasonable wages for the local economy. We cannot
pretend that the gear they generally use will be near the quality
of your own that you bring, or that their wages are anything
like the amount that you would receive in the 'West,' but bear in
mind how little they would receive in the local economy without tourism.
These are tough mountain people who are used to little materially and on
the whole the proceeds of tourism benefits them.
Emphasis is placed on you to protect the
environment as well: Tea houses have always used wood, but
deforestation has been hastened by the demands of tourists for hot
water and showers. You need to bear this in mind on your trek. Another
thing is the purchase of the ubiquitous plastic 'Mineral Water' bottles
and their dumping after use. There are reasonable water sources, you
just need to treat the water properly with Iodine, or bring a
filter unit. Buying glass bottled drinks is also fine because the bottles are
recycled.
There are excellent handicrafts to be purchased on these treks, and
we encourage people to make this input directly into the local
economy. Tipping is also encouraged, but only at reasonable rates
that will be explained by your
leader.
