My dad, brother and I had an epic Everest Base Camp trek with Heaven Himalaya. I would recommend this company and our guide, Shankar, with all my heart. My review will discuss the logistics/season, itinerary and plan, key people involved, and overall experience/tips.
We started our 11-day trek on September 3rd, so not yet peak season. While there was some rain, this was an amazing time to go because the forests were lush, the weather was mild, and most importantly it was not crowded. This offered more flexibility with lodging as well. I’ll talk more about weather when I talk about Shankar.
Heaven Himalaya set up a thorough and effective itinerary that allowed for ample acclimation at higher altitudes. The daily hiking was challenging at points, but very manageable and we saw people of many ages conquering the trails. The company set up clean, comfortable accommodation at each location and even coordinated with other guides so our family could stay at the same tea houses as the friends we met on the trails. We were also given a down jacket and sleeping bag by the company, but I didn’t need to use them because it was pretty warm and the tea houses had very robust blankets. I never felt like I was going hungry or thirsty because Shankar ensured we got hot food at each meal. I cannot eat gluten, and while I found there were many food options for me, Shankar asked hotel chefs to prepare specific oatmeal that was safe for me to eat. This was very valuable to me, as I wanted to be well fueled at breakfast before hiking. Breakfast was the most limiting gluten-wise and I usually ended up eating eggs and potatoes. But for lunch and dinner, there was a wide variety of soups, dal bhat and other Indian rice dishes, fried rice, and potatoes. It was all so delicious! Shankar also gave us a nightly run-down of the next day’s plan, so we could know exactly what was going on. It’s important that I mention that during our trip was the revolution in Nepal. We didn’t have service high up in the mountains, but Shankar kept us updated of the political events. He and Ram, the founder, emailed my mom who was worried about safety in Nepal and kept her updated and reassured that we were safe. By the time our trek concluded just 3 days later, the riots had stopped and the curfew was lifted in Kathmandu. We felt very safe.
The overall experience was beyond amazing. The mountains were beautiful and I learned so much about Nepali culture through visiting monasteries on our trek and eating traditional foods like dal bat at each tea house. It was such an accomplishment to make it to base camp. We along with many other hikers took Diamox to prevent altitude sickness, and Shankar encouraged us to hydrate and sleep well which helped us feel great the entire trek.
Shankar and Ram were a fantastic team both when things were smooth as well as during challenges. One such uncontrollable challenge was the weather at Lukla airport preventing flights from departing as normal. Shankar was very well connected with airlines flying from Lukla to Kathmandu, and so arranged for me and my family to fly back to Kathmandu on time after our trek even though flights were not guaranteed. Shankar’s quick thinking and hustle got us to Kathmandu safely even though many of our friends who used different trekking companies were left waiting at the airport for days while the weather cleared. Shankar was seriously a superstar during this time and I wish all our friends had guides like him to advocate for them. Domestic travel in Nepal is very weather-dependent and Heaven Himalaya did an amazing job navigating that. I can’t say enough how much stress that erased for us. I must emphasize how AWESOME our porters, Maniraj and Rajkumar, were. They carried our bags with such strength and on the last day, when we were rushing to the Lukla airport, they rushed alongside us which was a feat considering the weight they carried. I felt so supported by this efficient team.
Now for my general reflections. This was our first long multi-day trek and some items I found useful were: electrolytes, vitamins/probiotics, a waterproof backpack cover, knee support wraps, a power bank. You can find these items in Namche during the trek but may be more expensive. As a gluten free person I wish I had brought more snacks with me. I managed fine but it wouldn’t have hurt for me to bring a couple protein bars like other friends did, and perhaps more packaged oatmeal just for gluten intolerance reasons. it was also really helpful to have a good quality, absorbent backpacking towel because it really elevated the shower experience. Other things to note are that hot drink costs do add up so just be mindful! We had one hot drink per day included, but liked to indulge in multiple.
We are hoping to return for another trek with Shankar and Heaven Himalaya, maybe this time to Annapurna. The company and country’s hospitality made a strong impression.
