Poon Hill Trek

Die Landschaft war unglaublich, wir liebten den Wald mit alten Bäumen. Glücklicherweise konnten wir auf Poonhill alle Gipfel in fantastischem Licht sehen! Herrlich! Wir waren so glücklich mit Sunil, einem zuverlässigen und humorvollen Führer, sowie mit Pradip, unserem freundlichen und immer so hilfsbereiten Gepäckträger. Sunil fand immer besondere und friedliche Gästehäuser für uns zum Übernachten. Der Fishtail hat uns auf der Tour immer wieder beeindruckt und berührt. Und natürlich werden wir die nepalesischen Treppen nie vergessen?

Chanced upon ACE the Himalaya on TripAdvisor and was left with a good impression from the reviews online. Booked the Poon Hill trek as we wanted something that was not too challenging altitude-wise given our short duration of stay. The Poon Hill trek offered stunning views with scenic routes that showcased the beauty of Nepal. Our guide, Ram, made us feel welcome right from the start. He received us at the airport upon arrival and took great care to ensure that our welfare was cared for throughout our entire stay. To quote Ram, ‘Guest is God’ in Nepal and indeed, we were privileged to be treated with such hospitality by ACE and the various guesthouse staff along the way. Ram and our porter, Ramesh, had great camaraderie and made our trek all the more enjoyable. They were very seasoned and it was obvious that they had many years of experience under their belt. We also appreciated the snippets of history that Ram shared with us throughout our trek which further enriched our stay in Nepal - his command of the English language is very commendable (we had no issues with communication whatsoever). Thanks to their knowledge and familiarity of the trek, we were able to customise our trekking route to our needs and managed to complete the trek one day earlier without compromising our itinerary. At the end of the trek, Ram and Ramesh also went above and beyond to ensure a fulfilling stay in Pokhara and Kathmandu. We ended off our trip with a debrief with Sujin at their headquarters as well as a farewell dinner which showcased the Nepali cuisine and culture. We really appreciate that ACE takes feedback seriously and would highly recommend engaging their company for your adventure in Nepal!

Signed up with Ace the Himalayan after seeing many good reviews on Trip Advisor. Pre-trip: booking and deposit payment was straightforward and easy. Correspondence with Sujan was prompt and clear. I requested for an extra night in Kathmandu as we were flying out 1 day later. The transfer from hotel to airport was still offered despite departing on a different date from the package. Price for the extra night was also transparent and made know from the start. On arrival: the only minor issue we face at the airport was for payment of the on arrival visa. The counter insisted we pay in our home currency of SGD 86 for 2 pax instead of the USD30 per pax we were advised to prepare for the visa. Small issue as we managed to bulldoze our way to pay in USD after counter staff grudgingly obliged to accept our payment. We were welcomed by our guide Ram at the airport arrival who patiently waited almost an hour as our flight was delayed. Trip briefing, collection of balance payment, insurance details and passport photos were duly done at the hotel in Thamal, “Thamal house”. The next morning was a long bus ride from Kathmandu to Pokhara with frequent rest/toilet stops in between. Lunch was also at one of the rest stops. The journey was bumpy and dusty so a N95 mask could be useful. After 1 night at Pokhara, we embarked on our trek to Ghorepani and Poon Hill. Accommodations were basic but clean. Ram (guide) and porter (Ramesh) were attentive and obliged to all our requests. I really appreciated that the company provided a water filter so that we didn’t have to purchase single use plastic water bottles which contributes to plastic waste in the mountains. We were blessed by good weather and great views of the mountains throughout our trip. On day 3 of trekking we rested at Tadapani and Ram offered us the option to complete the trek on day 4 instead of stopping over at Ghandruk. We gladly accepted so we could return to Pokhara 1 day earlier. Since we arrived back at Pokhara earlier, Ram brought us on a boat tour in Fewa lake and climbed up a flight of stairs to pay a visit to peace stupa. We spent the rest of the day exploring Pokhara. Overall, the trip was well planned. Ram and Ramesh spoke good English and we had no issues with communications. They were both very entertaining and sincere. Highly recommended.