Planning for a trekking in Nepal and looking for a local Trekking Company? Planning a trekking to Nepal on you own may be difficult. So it is best to find a local trekking agent to guide you from start to finish but finding the right Trekking Company to plan your next trekking in Nepal can seem like a daunting task as there are over 1000 trekking agencies in Nepal.
You have to be very careful while selecting local Trekking Company as your entire trekking experience depends on the travel agency, their guide and their services.
Here we have few tips to help you to find the right Trekking Company and best advisor to suit your needs for your trekking adventure in Nepal.
Always look for government authorized Trekking Company. Before booking your trekking with any Trekking Company in Nepal, it is very important to check if the Trekking Company is legally registered one or not. There are many fraud organizations and people who are running trips without registration and license. So it is advisable to all the travelers to check whether the trekking company and travel agency in Nepal are legally registered or not.
Every tourism related companies in Nepal including trekking operators have to be legally registered with Nepal Government’s bodies. All the organization who are working in tourism and providing trekking services requires registration with Nepal Government, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) to conduct their services. There are many trekking agencies operating climbing trips in Nepal. To run any climbing trips in Nepal, those trekking agencies have be an active member of the Mountaineering Association of Nepal (NMA).
It is possible to check out the listed trekking agencies registered in TAAN via TAAN’s official web-site. Next, if perhaps some company offers climbing expedition, they have to be a member of Mountaineering Association of Nepal (NMA).
Prior to booking any trips with a local Trekking Company in Nepal, it is advisable to check the years of Working experience of that trekking company. It is true that usually, the agencies who are the better and quality trekking service providers, they keep continues in the trekking business for a long period. As they grow mature, they can provide the reliable services with time. The years of Working experience is a very important aspect to figure out the services of the companies. However, it doesn’t mean every old trekking agencies are 100% fit for you because new agencies founded by a new generation to compete with old ones. There are many new trekking companies in Nepal managed by experienced trekking guide or experts and they are providing quality services.
It is strongly advisable to all the trekkers to check some references about the Trekking Company that you are going to book your trek. Please ask your trekking operator for some written recommendation from their satisfied customer who travelled with them before. The testimonials may give you basic idea about their level of services, quality and their strengths.
Testimonials are one of the most potent tools of marketing for any trekking agencies but it is also beneficial for you as you can learn about your trekking operator more and their services, nature etc.
Most of the trekking agencies list all the references given by their guests on their website. Some of the testimonials also include the traveler's email address and contact details, which you can use to get more information about related trekking company and their service.
The websites like Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor may be a good way to get the reviews of various trekking agencies and their services.
While booking your trekking with an agency in Nepal, it is very important to ask about the size of the group they run and safety standards of the Trekking Company. Better choose the company which handles small group, because it will be easier for you to adjust with lesser people.
Although trekking can be strenuous, it is generally not a dangerous activity. Trekking is not necessarily mountaineering; it is walking for a several days, usually on uncharted paths, in challenging environments which are likely to be hilly or mountainous. But it can become risky if you do not consider the necessary precautions on time.
You never know about the weather, mountain and your health while you are walking on uncharted paths. Anything can happen so before you take decision of booking your trek with a trekking operator, it is highly suggested to check about their great safety standards and make sure they turn helpful at times of emergency.
Your trekking guide is one of the important factors that determine your experience in mountain. Your trekking guide have an ability to make or ruin our journey. Having wrong guide can worsen your whole trekking experience. The un-professional guide doesn’t have knowledge about the roles and responsibilities of their business. Often these types of guides get hired by free independent traveler and un-certified companies in Nepal. So before you confirm your trek with any local Trekking Company, make sure that you are trekking with a government license holder guide through the trekking. License holder guides are trained and can handle the problems during the trek.
The proper agency also must provide necessary gears for its guides and porters. The guide is the life of the trek group. If the guide is ill or sick or injured, the entire trek halts, so choose the company that prioritizes the safety of their guides and member staff.
There are many trekking agencies in Nepal offering similar trips with different prices. Even if the trekking route is same, you may receive different package cost from different agencies. But please do not be fooled by the cheaper prices, the standards that follow may also be below par. Cheaper priced agencies mostly lack well-equipped equipment and latest trekking gears. So, if you are planning for a trekking in Nepal and want to have best experience, find companies that provide the best value for the money they charge.
It is always highly suggested and good to send an inquiry email to trekking companies and know more about their facilities. Inquiry can be made through calls, emails and social media pages. The contact information easily be found in each agency’s website and easily available on the internet. The two-way communication lets you know more about the Trekking Company in Nepal and services and facilities they offer. Also, their response will help you clear your doubts and know about their work ethics.
CSR represents an organization’s actions regarding attempts to support the environment and society. It is worthwhile to choose a company that delivers notable care and gives back to the local place you are travelling to. In the past, this concept was not widely implemented in Nepal, but now the idea of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming vital. In terms of the tourism sector, it is also known as ecotourism and it is in trend everywhere. The motto of CSR policy is to create a safe and eco-friendly environment better for everyone. So make sure that if they are using local guide and services without impacting nature or not. But be careful from unregistered and fraud trekking agencies and organizations, because still there might be a few of tourism agencies saying they practice ecotourism but quite possibly be responsible for awful activities against the environment and the society.
To find the best and reliable trekking agencies is not an easy task, I hope above mentioned advice is enough to find the best trekking companies for Nepal.
If you have any suggestion and question, you can comment or contact us.
Getaway Nepal Adventure (P.) Ltd
Thamel Kathmandu, Nepal
TripAdvisor