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Nepal - with a organised tour co. or independently???

  • 10-03-2011 4:35pm
    #1
    Sin1981
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 181 ✭✭


    Hi,
    I'm thinking of going to Nepal on holiday this year. I will have a max of 2 weeks off work and I will probably be going alone. I've been looking at the GAP or Intrepid tours in Nepal. Both companies have 2 general Nepal trips (including some trekking, jungle, & general site seeing), as well as Everest Base Camp, and Annapurna, both obviously with more hard core trekking.

    Has anyone covered Nepal with either GAP or Intrepid? Any feedback, do's or don'ts, must see's??
    Also, I would consider doing the Everest/Annapurna treks, but I'm a complete novice. I haven't trekked at all before, but I am fairly fit. How experienced/fit do you need to be to do these treks in Nepal??

    Any info appreciated :)


Comments

  • #2
    HenryChinaski
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 118 ✭✭HenryChinaski


    Independently. 100%. Nepal is an easy country, it's well set up for solo travelers who want to hike, be prepared and you'll be flying it. If you book a tour from Ireland you're guaranteed to be paying several times as much as the trip would cost you independently, depending how you budget, what kind of accommodation you stay in, etc. Secondly it'll be much more rewarding to do it yourself. Where's the adventure if you've got some nifty professional holding your hand the whole way? With a tour like that booked from home you could also find yourself in a boat where you're stuck with people you mightn't necessarily connect with for prolonged periods of time. Alternatively you could find yourself with a good crew but then ye just stick together and don't really mix with other people. Constantly meeting new people is the best part of travel and you'll meet some cool heads in Nepal for sure. And the great thing then about being on your own is that if you don't connect with people you just say goodbye and move on. You've no strings tying you down, travelling solo with nothing but the bag on your back, there's nothing like it.

    Also it's much better to suss things out yourself when you land. That goes in any country that would be a regular backpacker destination. i.e. you want to go into hotels and see the room you'll be staying in, suss it out, pay considerable attention to security. Then you start negotiating and usually you'll get the room cheaper than the original price they gave you. Also trekking around with your backpack trying to find the right place to stay is part of the overall experience.

    As far as booking treks are concerned, Nepal is covered in agents running treks to every base camp, but bear in mind that there'll be a lot of cowboys. The trick is to shop around, be selective and don't scrimp on price. It'll be competitive over there but if it's too cheap it means there's something up. It'll all work out a lot cheaper than going with a tour from home and it'll defo be more of an adventure but expect to pay a few hundred quid for a good tour. You don't want to be messing about with dodgy operators when it comes to serious trekking. See their equipment, evaluate their operation, and if possible get references. Many legitimate, reliable companies are in the habit of asking people to write them references at the end which will be stored in some folder or something for people to see.

    Finally as far as fitness is concerned you sound like you'll be fine. I've met overweight lads in their 40's who've done Everest base camp and survived. In fact they came out looking well after it.

    So in summary, do it yourself. Be safe, be diligent, be prepared. Study the guidebook, check out the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Forum, have a rough idea of what you want to do but don't tie yourself into a set itinerary. Get a comprehensive insurance policy. Get a good comfortable backpack from a specialist store and a pair of well fitted, quality hiking boots. Pay the extra money you'll be glad of it when you're on the side of a mountain and you'll have them for years. Pay upwards of 200 bucks for a good Lowe Alpine backpack it'll last for years. Finally embrace the fact that it's going to be different, expect to be well out of your comfort zone, don't panic if things don't go to plan, and be prepared for a very different diet. If you do all this, going independently will make for a much better trip than booking a tour where everything is done for you.


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