Name: Thailand Hilltribe Trek
Brand: Intrepid Travel
SKU: N/A
Price: 770 USD
Availability: LimitedAvailability
Rating: 4.5 (1 reviews)

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Nice trip, excellent service, good food and fine suites.

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Had a great time. Was very hard trekking but the sense of achievement is 
worth it.
Saw lots of fantastic scenery and experienced lots of weather conditions.
Making it to Everest Base Camp and the top of Kala Patthar.


Shailesh Tamang was a good leader and looked after all members of the group. 
He knows his country and imparts his knowledge well.


Make sure you are fit enough for this trip.
Make sure you have micro-spikes or equivalent and know how to use them.


I believe the rating on this trip needs to be increased as some parts of the 
trek are hard work.

Everest & Gokyo Lakes Circuit

Having arrived in Katmandu via Delhi we were met by our tour guide Shailesh 
Tamang who for the next 19 days would be our go to advisor for all things 
Nepalese. The first night was spent in a Katmandu restaurant getting to know 
the rest of our group as well as sampling some of the local food. The next 
morning saw us all gathered for a pre dawn return to the airport in 
preparation for the flight to the mountain airstrip at Lukla in a small 16 
seat aircraft. The views of the mountains and valleys during the flight gave 
us a sample of the sights we would experience during our trek. On arrival at 
Lukla and our baggage given over to the porters, who with seemingly 
superhuman strength carried 2 or 3 bags each, and we were off on our first 
day of trekking in Nepal. The first day of trekking was fairly short to ease 
us into what would progressively become tougher days of knee jolting foot 
pounding trekking. Our days took on a familiar routine of 7am breakfast, trek 
for a couple of hours then stop for refreshments at a teahouse then move on 
until lunch was taken at another teahouse and then onwards again until mid 
afternoon to our accomodation for the night. The teahouses are clean and very 
basic but do provide everything needed for this type of trip. Throughout the 
days of trekking there are a constant stream of porters, mules and yaks 
moving up and down the trail with supplies which adds to the whole experience 
of trekking in this mountain wilderness. The scenery is constantly changing 
as new valleys and mountains come into view at every turn of the trail, 
remember to look behind you as this view is as stunning as what lies ahead. 
During our trek we experienced weather that allowed walking in shirt sleeves 
as well as hand numbing bitter cold, so a good set of warm clothing is 
essential. There were a couple of extra early starts to climb Gokyo Ri and 
Kala Pattar to view sunrise over Everest which was well worth the extra 
effort. Our trek up and over Cho la pass was particularly tough as we had to 
walk through snow and when we started our descent more snow fell upon us, 
which for me just added to the whole experience. All in all this trip has 
left us with some amazing memories and a yearning to return one day.
There were many moments during this trip that will leave a lasting memory. 
Ascending Gokyo Ri and Kala Pattar pre dawn for views of Everest, making it 
up and over Cho la pass despite the adverse weather conditions and reaching 
Everest base camp.


Our group leader Shailesh Tamang was always available to answer any questions 
and give help where necessary. His years of experience of leading in the 
mountains was quite evident as he successfully got 12 trekkers of varying 
experience safely from start to finish achieving all the goals set out in the 
itinery.


Listen to the advice of your tour leader and guides, this is their back yard 
after all. Don't underestinate the effects of AMS or how cold it can feel at 
night. Make sure you prepare yourself physically for the rigours of this trip 
to ensure maximum enjoyment.

A great trip to take you on a journey through the Himalayas seeing some 
breath taking sights.
The two highlights for me were  summiting Gokyo Ri and crossing the cho la 
pass. Also I got engaged on an acclimatisation walk over looking macherno 
peak which was very beautiful.


The group leader was brilliant could not have asked for better. He is very 
approachable and knowledgeable. He took great care of the group and his 
advise was priceless, he was very encouraging on the tough days and always 
had a smile on his face.


I would advise to take Diamox for altitude and also ciprofloxacin in case of 
stomach upset, better to have it and not need it. I took a small hot water 
bottle for the night time which was brilliant and the water is still nice and 
warm to wash your face with the following morning. Snacks are a good idea, 
you can buy them in the tea houses but they are expensive the further up you 
go. We had a solar charge which folds up when not us use has about 3 panels 
on it this was really good you can just attach it to your day pack through 
the day. Steri pen for the water as it gets to cost a lot if you buy mineral.


This trip seemed a good all round trip. If anyone is thinking of doing a trip 
I would defiantly advise this one. The classic base camp trek is fairly busy, 
so this was a nice alternative and you still do base camp. Base camp seems to 
be the thing to do however I must say I found Gokyo much more stunning and 
the views from the top of Gokyo RI breath taking.

A fantastic first experience of Nepal ... and hopefully not my last
The emotions that came out at Base Camp showed how much the trek meant to 
some people and I'm happy to have shared that experience with them.


Shailesh was very informative about what each day would involve ensuring that 
we were well prepared.  He looked after the group well and was careful to 
check for any health/altitude issues which was reassuring.


Eat plenty apple pie!! :-)


Getting off the main Everest Trail for a few days was lovely, much quieter 
and a welcome escape into the beautiful goyko area.  I would recommend this 
route.

Truly the hardest but the most amazing trip I've ever done. An excellent trip 
from start to finish. We were looked after by the best leader and guides and 
we had the best group to trek with.  Awesome!!!!!!
There were many but to list a few.... my first view of amazing Everest; 
trekking past the beautiful Gokyo lakes; reaching the summit of Gokyo Ri with 
amazing Himalayan views (so tough but so worth it);  reaching the top of the 
demanding and icy Cho La Pass,


Our Group Leader, Gele was incredible! He took such care of us each day with 
patience and sensitivity. He took the time to get to know us all as well as 
sharing his stories. Gele was dedicated, attentive, informative, caring and 
supportive, a fantastic team leader.

The entire Exodus team was great, very friendly and always there to offer 
assistance.


This trek is very difficult however if you listen to your guides and take it 
slow and easy you will have an amazing experience.

Equipment:  This is very important, if you go without the proper equipment 
you will fail. A good water proof
Gortex jacket is a must. You will need a good down jacket for the tea houses

Boots: Good worn in boots are critical to your success. Make sure they are 
very comfortable and supportive around the ankles.

Layers: Take wicking material (don't forget good thermal underwear)  – 
Icebreaker rules

Invest in a good sleeping bag; Crampons for the glacier; Protein bars and 
beef jerky

Finally listen to your guides! They know best.


Don't keep thinking about it - do it!  Exodus have a fantastic reputation and 
there is no doubt that I will continue to travel with them for many years to 
come.

If you want to see Everest Base Camp and climb Kala Pattar but don't just 
want to go up the valley and back down again, this is the trip to choose 
assuming you can spare the extra few days. This longer circuit, taking in 
both Gokyo Ri and one of the High Passes (Cho La), is well worth it: it's 
quieter, has stunning views in its own right and will allow you more 
acclimatisation time prior to the regular Everest bits. I can safely say it 
was the most varied, wonderful and fulfilling 15 days' walking I've ever 
done, and I'd recommend it to anyone with two feet and a head for heights.
Having a long-awaited glass of wine at the Everest View Hotel on a perfectly 
clear morning (trek day 14) - that was pretty special. The views from Gokyo 
Ri, Cho La, EBC and Kala Pattar were more staggering than I'd ever have 
believed, and the routes in between these high places were beautiful as well. 
But the biggest inspiration was seeing how the local Nepalese people have 
bounced back from disaster and continue to make their way in the world. 
Tourism is the lifeline of that region and it felt good to contribute to 
their ongoing recovery.


I'd had a great leader on my previous Exodus trip (Hamid on the Peaks and 
Valleys of the High Atlas) so I'd booked this specific trip because I'd heard 
good things about Valerie Parkinson. I wasn't disappointed: she *is* Exodus 
in Nepal and made a great trip into a glorious one. Everything went like 
clockwork without any fuss or bother; she lives and breathes her job; and 
she's happy to share her seemingly limitless knowledge. Full marks, and then 
some!


In no particular order... There's a lot of climbing but the distances aren't 
too far. I wasn't able to do much in the way of appropriate preparation 
walking but I cycle regularly, and this helped build the thighs up for the 
ascents - definitely worth considering if you can't get some prep walks in 
before you go. I took a Steripen with me to save having to buy "mineral 
water" which is effectively only UV-filtered anyway - this helps reduce 
plastic bottle waste and also pays for itself over the course of this one 
holiday. A water bladder for the backpack is better for ensuring you take on 
enough liquid whilst walking, though a bottle is also vital in case the tube 
freezes in the early mornings (happened to me once). I also invested in a 
16,000 mA power pack from RavPower, which, although heavy, was enough to 
recharge my Steripen 4 times, my camera 4 times, my phone once, plus someone 
else's phone and camera, and still have 20% or so left over - much better 
than trying to charge your devices at the lodges, trust me. There's plenty of 
snacking material for purchase in lodges (bars, Pringles, chocolates and the 
like) so there's no real need to bring stuff out with you unless you have 
specific requirements/tastes - this also helps you keep below the 10+5kg 
weight limit on the plane. I managed the whole trek without taking diamox 
(though a couple of Ibuprofen were needed one night to suppress the altitude 
headaches) or using trekking poles (that may just be a personal thing - most 
people used them). Mobile and Internet access is available in most places but 
is sketchy above Namche Bazaar so I didn't bother, and it was liberating. 
Bring a pair of comfortable earplugs if you have difficulty sleeping - there 
can be a lot of snoring at altitude and the lodge walls are mostly plywood so 
don't exactly cut out the noise from neighbouring rooms. I managed with a 
good 3-season sleeping bag since all lodges have blankets/quilts to provide 
extra layers (travelling in March/April). There are more Western-style 
toilets than you might have feared but you will need to use squat toilets 
before the end of the trip, promise... And when you're back in Kathmandu make 
sure you go to Fire &amp; Ice for a pizza/dessert - what a treat!


This was my second Exodus trip and my second 5-star review. If I could have 
given this 6 stars I would have because I enjoyed every minute - yes, even 
the 04:30 wake-ups. This is a special trip in a special country, and if you 
get the weather and a bit of luck like we did, you too could have a trip of a 
lifetime to the roof of the world.

Asia Relaxing Retreat Tours & Packages Tour & Trip Reviews

Nice trip