Over the course of two weeks, I trekked nearly 150 miles from the jungle, onto the Tibetan Plateau, and up and over a 5,200-meter high pass on the Manaslu Circuit Trek. It was an epic adventure and one of the hardest — but also most rewarding — things I’ve ever done. And it never would have been possible without Nepal Eco Adventure.
Many people choose to trek independently in Nepal rather than hiring a guide or going through an agency. There are pros and cons to this, but it wasn’t even an option for me. I chose a restricted region trek that required a guide. So the only question was, which agency?
There are hundreds of trekking agencies in Nepal. Quality varies widely, and a bad guide or a trekking company that doesn’t have it together can ruin your dream trip. The natural place to start is to read TripAdvisor reviews to help figure out of a company is right for you.
If you’ve been researching trekking agencies, you’ve probably noticed that Nepal Eco Adventure is among those with the top ratings. But it’s fair to wonder, are those reviews really fair and accurate?
I’m writing this post because it was very difficult to find reliable information about trekking agencies in Nepal online before I went, and I want to help people like you decide whether booking a trek with Nepal Eco Adventure is right for you. I paid my own way on this trip, 100%, just like you would — I have no relationship with the company. All opinions are my own.
Before the trek
I would highly recommend you wait until you arrive in Nepal before making a commitment to a trekking agency. This will allow you to meet with a few of your top contenders to get a feel for how organized they are. You may even have the chance to meet your guides/porters and trekking buddies before you pay for anything.
I didn’t realize this before I went, but unless you’re on an extremely tight timeline, booking a very off-the-beaten-path trek (think Inner Dolpo or Kanchenjunga), or doing Everest or Annapurna at the peak of high season, you absolutely do not need to book in advance. You can arrive in Kathmandu and arrange a trek at one of your top-choice agencies, get your permits, and hit the trails within 2-3 days.
You still may want to start a dialogue with your top trekking agencies before you leave home. So the below aspects of my experience with Nepal Eco Adventure are relevant either way.
Communication and booking from abroad: 9/10
Nepal Eco Adventure was my #1 choice of a trekking agency in Nepal from the beginning. It was one of only two agencies for which I could find TripAdvisor write-ups about the exact trek I wanted to do. Mountain Monarch was the only other agency that I looked at seriously. But they didn’t have a confirmed trek with the required two people leaving on the day I needed.
I reached out via Nepal Eco Adventure’s website contact form and heard back within a day. Chhatra, the agency’s CEO, answered all of my questions about the trip promptly. He sent me a link to pay the 20% deposit. For the remaining payment, I was given the option of charging my credit card a month before the trip departure or paying in cash in Kathmandu. I requested the credit card option so I wouldn’t have to carry so much cash.
Payment was through PayPal, which felt secure and avoided transaction fees. (There was a small currency conversion fee.) As part of the payment process, I had to send my flight details and confirm that I would arrive at least a day before the trek (to allow permit arrangements).
I had a few follow-up questions before arriving in Nepal, and Chhatra was always very responsive. He occasionally forgot to answer one of the questions I sent in a longer email — but I’d chalk that up to language barriers.
A few days before I arrived in Nepal, I got an email from Chhatra requesting that I drop off my passport and other materials needed for the permits at his office on the day I arrived. We sorted out a time to meet at that point as well.
Overall, from abroad, Nepal Eco Adventures came across as very organized and responsive to their customers.
Meeting in Kathmandu: 4/10
As positive as my experience was before I arrived, things did not go smoothly when I met the Nepal Eco Adventure folks in person. These pre-trek arrangements were by far the most negative part of my experience with the company.
First, I went to the office to drop off my passport and arrange permits. I learned that the four people Chhatra told me I would be trekking with when I booked were not going, and instead I was being paired with just one other person. I have no idea if he lied to me originally or if the other group’s plans changed, but it undermined my trust.
While I was in the office, Chhatra and I arranged a time when I would meet my guide and trekking buddy. He then sent an email to both of us to confirm, but I learned later that he sent my trekking buddy the wrong time.
After exploring Kathmandu for a couple days, I went back to Nepal Eco Adventure on the day before my trek to meet my guide and trekking buddy, who had luckily figured out the correct meeting time. We met Dibash, my guide, and got a briefing on what to expect from the trek. I picked up the equipment I needed to borrow: trekking poles, a down sleeping bag, a down jacket, and a duffel bag, all of which were included in the price of my trek. We settled on a meeting time the next morning and parted ways for the night.
I learned later that Chhatra was supposed to give me my (included) Nepal Eco Adventure t-shirt and hat at that point as well, but he didn’t. While I was able to ask for them at the end of my trek, it would have been nice to have the extra clothes on the trail.
Overall, if my only introduction to Nepal Eco Adventure had been at their office in Kathmandu, I probably would have been alarmed enough by what I saw to go with a different agency.
On the trail with Nepal Eco Adventure
Luckily, things picked up quite a bit once we left Kathmandu. Dibash explained to me that the guides really run the operation on the ground, and Chhatra serves more of a coordinator role in the office. So the most important thing on your trek is your guide.
The guide: 8/10
Overall, Dibash was a fantastic guide. Although he’s younger than many other guides, he has extensive experience in leading trekking groups — even having led a 40+ person team — and on mountain survival. If safety is your priority on the trails, you could not be in better hands.
Dibash was much more social compared to many of the other guides I met on the trail. He didn’t just sit in a corner and play with his phone the whole time when we were on breaks. I feel like I got to know the culture of Nepal a lot better because Dibash was enthusiastic and friendly.
He was also an extremely hard worker, and intent on making every aspect of our experience perfect. He constantly checked in about how we were feeling, if we needed anything, if we were happy with the tea houses, if we liked the food, etc. If something wasn’t exactly what we wanted, he fixed it immediately, with no hesitation.
Additionally, I appreciated that Nepal Eco Adventure sent me with a guide who knew my particular trail very well. Other guides I met were on their first or second trips on the Manaslu Circuit, but Dibash had done it over a dozen times — and in fact, had just returned from another trip there. This was valuable in terms of his level of preparation, but also because he knew lots of little secrets — like where to find the amazing rhododendron fields off the main trails, or alternative overnight stops with better sunrise views, or a three-hour side path that avoided the road construction early on.
The one thing that concerned me a bit about Dibash was that he tried to push us too high too fast. On our first night at 3,000+ meters, he recommended that we skip the planned acclimatization day and cross the pass a day earlier. He backed off pretty quickly when I pushed back, and it’s a good thing he did in the end — I had altitude problems the very next day. I understand why he did this — he wanted to break up the 12-hour descent later on into two days — but it still rubbed me the wrong way.
Despite that one slip-up, I was very happy with Dibash as my trip lead, companion, and protector on the trails and would highly recommend him to others.
The porter: 10/10
My trip with Nepal Eco Adventure included a porter, who would carry my larger duffel bag, freeing me to carry only my day pack.
Nepal Eco Adventure uses a model where the guide hires the porter for each trek. Dibash had heard good things about a porter named Sonam Sherpa, and although he’d never worked with Sonam before, hired him for this trek. And in short, Sonam could not have been a better porter.
Many people complain about porters not wanting to go as far each day, or slowing down their treks. Not Sonam. He was up for anything, and usually arrived at the tea house each night well before we did.
Sonam was also very cautious and protective with our belongings. He never left our bags unattended while he went to talk to someone in a village, or even while he ate lunch.
But perhaps more importantly, while most porters don’t socialize with their trekking groups, Sonam became a good friend over the two weeks we spent together. He had never trekked the Manaslu Circuit before, so he joined us for day hikes and side trips when most porters stayed behind. He didn’t speak perfect English like Dibash, but he spoke well enough that communication was easy, and he spent most evenings socializing and chatting with us at the tea houses.
Overall, I can’t imagine trekking in Nepal without Sonam as part of the experience. Between him and Dibash, Nepal Eco Adventure did a great job staffing my trek.
The tea houses: 9/10
The trekking agency you choose has limited control over your accommodation, especially on a trek like the Manaslu Circuit, where most towns only have a handful of options. But you generally sleep at the place your guide knows and likes, so your guide’s judgement matters.
Most of the tea houses I stayed in with Nepal Eco Adventure were awesome. A couple were particularly amazing, with charming wooden rooms and balconies, Tibetan-influenced decor, and cozy dining rooms. A couple were also absolutely awful. But these (in Samdo and Dharamsala) were at high altitude and the only available options. So this would have been the case regardless of which company I trekked with.
The best thing about Dibash’s choice of tea house was that he typically found us rooms where we wouldn’t have immediate neighbors. Trust me, that matters a lot when the walls don’t go all the way to the ceiling and the people next to you want to wake up at 5 am.
In addition to providing beds for the night, tea houses are also where you eat when you’re trekking in Nepal. There is little to distinguish Nepal Eco Adventure’s choice of tea house restaurants from any others. But I appreciate that Dibash occasionally let us order a bit more than what was technically covered under our trip. Not picking a fight over who pays for the appetizer was good judgement on his part.
The activities: 10/10
The main activity when you’re trekking in Nepal is, of course, walking for eight-plus hours a day. In this respect, it doesn’t really matter which trekking agency you choose — the walk will be the same, and it will be amazing.
One plus with Nepal Eco Adventure was being able to choose our own side trips on days when we had shorter walks. This allowed us to visit Pung Gyen Gompa — one of the oldest monasteries in Nepal. Most other groups skipped this side trip in favor of the more-difficult, and less-interesting, slog to Manaslu Base Camp.
Dibash made sure we were never bored while on the trails. If we arrived at our overnight stop early, he found some short cultural walk we could do, or took us to a better viewpoint. In fact, our group was so active that several trekkers from other groups asked to join us. Their guides preferred to leave them to read in the dining rooms while they played with their phones.
Dealing with the unexpected: 10/10
I believe the true indicator of a tour company’s quality is how they deal with problems. This is especially important in Nepal. Something that starts as a small problem could turn into a legitimate emergency when you’re eight days’ walk away from help.
Nothing catastrophic happened during my trek with Nepal Eco Adventure. But a few things didn’t quite go as planned. And I was very pleased and reassured by how Dibash handled them.
Transportation nightmare
On the very first day of my trek, luck was not on our side.
The starting point of the Manaslu Circuit is Arkhet Bazaar, a small town “six hours” by bus from Kathmandu. The first two hours is on a highway, but the remainder is on dirt roads. And unfortunately, the morning we left, the skies opened up and an epic thunderstorm crashed down on Nepal.
Needless to say, the dirt roads were a mess. When we got to the largest town before the dirt roads, Dibash started asking everyone around what the conditions were. He learned that there were some problems, so he suggested we eat lunch in town, even though it was early. This proved to be a great call — otherwise we would have gotten no food all day.
Back on the road, we got about 20 minutes in before stopping behind three buses that were stuck in the mud. The first one was dug out by hand. The second one was pulled up by a tractor. And the third one had to wait another two hours for a bulldozer to come through and rebuild the road. All in all, a four-hour delay for us.
We got stuck several other times and were running hours behind when it started to rain again. Finally, the bus got completely trapped in a mud puddle and couldn’t get out. So Dibash improvised. He had us take our bags, get out our headlamps, and walk the remaining 45 minutes into town, in the dark and in the rain.
After a 6 am departure, it was 10 pm by the time we arrived. But by some miracle, Dibash managed to find us some food and a place to sleep. And by the next morning, we were totally back on track.
Altitude problems
If you’ve read my guide for staying safe and healthy on a trek in Nepal, you know that altitude sickness is one of the biggest concerns. Once you’re over 2,800 meters, you must look out for the symptoms. If you ignore them and ascend too high too fast, they can become fatal.
I started to experience mild altitude sickness symptoms at around 3,200 meters, in Sama. I had a bit of a headache and my appetite was reduced. But by the next morning, I felt awful — nauseous, no appetite, and a serious headache.
Luckily, Nepal Eco Adventures sends a small device to check your blood oxygen level with each guide. My levels had dropped overnight from 95% to 82% — a huge decrease.
The good news is, you’re safe as long as it’s above 60%, and you adjust over time. One of the best ways to do this is to hike higher than you sleep that night. So Dibash planned an acclimatization hike that would take us up to 4,200 meters. By the time I finished that hike, I felt fine again.
I also experienced some minor altitude problems as we were crossing the Larke Pass, at 5,200 meters. I just felt like I was walking through mud. So Dibash offered to carry all my things for me to make it easier for me to walk faster. He also broke out his emergency candy bar stash to give me energy. I’m still slightly in disbelief that I made it across the pass.
Knee problems
I’m an extremely lucky hiker. Despite taking on steep descents on many a hike since I was a kid, my knees are totally fine. My trekking buddy, on the other hand — not so much. He was very nervous about descents and had some knee problems that made it worse.
Luckily, Nepal Eco Adventure was prepared. The staff in the Kathmandu office insisted he take trekking poles with him, even though he’d never used them before. (They take up to 20% of the weight off your knees.) Even better, Dibash packed a pair of knee braces for my trekking buddy to use on big-descent days.
Still, once we actually reached the insanely-steep descent on the Manaslu Circuit Trek, my trekking buddy got nervous. (To be fair, it’s nearly a vertical incline, and our porter Sonam got nervous too.) So Dibash walked down directly beside him to help him balance and to catch him if he slipped. It was slow going, but everybody made it to the bottom safely.
Overall experience with Nepal Eco Adventure: 7/10
If I were just rating my overall Nepal trekking experience, I would give this trip more like a 9/10. It’s one of the most scenically and culturally amazing experiences I’ve ever had. And it challenged me in a way that most vacations don’t.
However, most of my enjoyment of the trek was due to the activity itself. This would have been broadly the same regardless of which company I had chosen. So this rating only takes into account the things Nepal Eco Adventure directly controls.
In that light, while the guide was great, the porter was amazing, and the overall operation on the trails was solid, I can’t give them a perfect rating. The back-office shenanigans they pulled — from forgetting to give me my t-shirt to misleading me about my trekking group — make me second-guess whether the agency truly has its customers’ best interests at heart.
I’d still recommend looking into Nepal Eco Adventure for your Nepal trek. They remain very highly rated, and their guides are fantastic. I just wouldn’t book in advance. I’d insist on meeting your guide in person and get a sense of what their operation looks like for yourself. I’d also recommend exploring at least one other agency so you have something to compare them to.
As I said in the beginning, I don’t have any sort of professional relationship with Nepal Eco Adventure. So you can rest assured that this review contains my honest opinion. I’m hoping this review can help other travelers like you decide between trekking agencies for your Nepal adventure.
Have any questions about my Nepal Eco Adventure review? Leave a comment!
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Wonderful article and review. I had never heard of the Manaslu Circuit but I’ve been researching potential hikes and tour operators in Nepal and have been left completely dumbfounded by the array of options ! Bookmarking Nepal Eco Adventures for sure.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks Diana! Yeah the Manaslu Circuit is one of the less touristy hikes available. It’s now being called the “new Annapurna” due to the similarities with scenery, but with a small fraction of the tourists. Worth keeping in mind!
I always appreciate honest reviews with explanations for stating both the good and bad things you state. This was very thorough and makes me feel that I could not only pick a good tour guide if I was going to Nepal, but also that I have some inside track of what to look for in my guide! So, thank you!
Thanks Cynthia, glad you thought it was helpful!
It sounds like you had quite an amazing adventure with a fantastic guide and porter. The people you travel with can make all the difference to your trip. And it’s especially important to have someone to carry your bag at altitude! Congrats on finishing the trek!
Thanks Christina! So true, I couldn’t believe some folks carrying their packs at 5,200 meters. One guy even had to carry a drone with him the whole time that he never got to use due to local rules!
Thank you for a very honest review, though I am glad that overall things worked out for you despite the difficulties. Also, you’ve given some great tips about not booking the trekking company in advance and waiting to do it only after arriving in Nepal. I would not want to do a trek by myself and considering there are thousands of agencies doing it, picking a good one can’t be an easy task to being on site and meeting with the team before paying for anything would help in making an informed decision! Seems like they were overall well organised,… Read more »
Thanks Medha! I totally hear you on not wanting to go by yourself. It’s daunting for sure, and having a guide can make it way easier!
150 miles in 2 weeks, that seems unreal to me. And I am such a wimp I would have backed out after the rain/mud ordeal before the trek even began! All in all this sounds like it was an amazing experience for you
Lol once you leave Kathmandu on the bus there is no turning back — only an (expensive) helicopter evacuation 🙂
This was a great wrap up blog post. I would never have considered booking my trekking company until I arrived. But I understand your rationale. Even if the advance communication is good. It looks like your guide and porters were a good choice. I certainly would want to have good ones for this hike. Altitude issues, health problems and knee pain would probably be key reasons why I will not be doing this trek. Despite how fascinating it sounded.
Yeah, I was really worried I wouldn’t have time to form a group once I arrived, especially since I was traveling in off season on a less popular trek, but I was totally wrong about that.
I love this adventure. I would absolutely do this in a heartbeat. I am worried about altitude sickness and would want to make sure that we take the time to acclimate. I could imagine us taking a shorter route with more bail out options first to make sure we can hang. I have read several articles about Kathmandu lately that have left me feeling lukewarm on Nepal. After seeing this, I am itching to go again,
Yeah, shorter routes are definitely the way to go if you’re not sure you’re going to enjoy high altitude trekking. There are plenty of options!
What an awesome experience – I wish one day I can do this trekking, too. I think it’s a very wise decision that you went on an organized trek – why taking chances, right?! And your beautiful pics show that it was worth it 😍
Yeah, I didn’t really have a choice about the organized trek, as it was required for the route I wanted to do — still want to go back and do one independently some day though!
That’s epic. I so admire this challenge and your honesty. As much as I’d love to do this trek, it’s not for everyone. Quite a vicarious thrill.
Thanks Elaine! You can always get the epic mountain views from a helicopter ride too 🙂
Aren’t porters amazing? The one I had for the Inca Trail was fantastic. I have no idea how he would carry multiple packs on his back and be faster than anyone else hiking the trail. Your adventure sounds absolutely epic! 🙂
Yeah, they’re truly the heroes of the trails! I can’t believe they do that all day and then still have the energy to hang out in the evenings. I’d be ready to hit my sleeping bag the second I got to camp.
Wow good honest review. Very well justified why you rated 7/10 and not 9/10.
I hope they give correct info to the next tourist who books with them.
Eco Adventure sounds like an amazing tour company. No company is prefect and the few minor negative experiences isn’t unusual. I am glad you had an amazing time on the trek.
Hi Carrie, greetings from Nepal and Treksbooking.com. First of all I would like to thank you about writing a review of a trekking agency of Nepal that you have booked with. Secondly, I would like to thank you being here in Nepal and choosing a trek: Manaslu Circuit Trek. Along with the review, you have written your experiences starting from your planning to ending the trek so nicely. I would like to appreciate your writing. As being a Nepali trekking company, I Hari Pandey from Treksbooking.com would like to thank you again.
Thanks for visiting beautiful country Nepal and hope your first visit will not be the last visit, as we say once is not enough.
Manaslu Trek is Popular but the less crowded trip route. Thanks for the informative content.