ANNAPURNA GHOREPANI POONHILL
Langtang Ri was the agency our tour agency from Singapore worked with, and we can see why they trust this agency so much! Everything was organized at a reasonable price (of course, things are always cheaper when you organize it yourself but for us first timers, it really took the hassle out of planning the trip and we were very well taken care of throughout!).
Our trip involved quite a few aspects: 3 days in Kathmandu, then a 6 day trek, 2 days in Pokhara, 1 day in Bandipur, then back to kathmandu for another 2 days in Kathmandu again. Everything was well organized and we were also fortunate to be flying off after the Turkish airline incident, so our flight wasn't affected at all.
Tip for the visa on arrival: Use the online machines at one end of the room, and then take your issued ticket straight to the shortest queue where you just have to present your ticket, pay for the visa and cuts your waiting time tremendously. Do not join the longest queue you see!
We were warmly greeted at the airport by Bebik, who brought us to the hotel (see my review on Hotel Holy Himalaya) , gave us time to freshen up and rest, before bringing us to meet the lovely staff at Langtang Ri agency. We were briefed and then any queries answered, before being brought to get our money exchanged, some last minute hiking gear bought and then more rest time before a cultural dinner with our guide, Syangbol.
We also had 2 half day city tours with another guide. He was knowledgable however when it came time for lunch, we were not aware that we had to pay for the guide's lunch as well (and he ordered quite a bit of food and drink). So it's probably better to clarify that beforehand. It isn't meant to be the norm and we were a bit taken aback.
The Poon Hill trek itself was tiring but fantastic, mostly thanks to our guide, Syangbol. He ensured we were well taken care of and was also adaptable to the changes in weather and itinerary. The first 2 days were raining and on the day of our ascent up Poon Hill it was snowing but he kept a watchful eye on us and I'm pleased to say no injuries were sustained by our group thanks to his quick reflexes! We were also able to do a bit of a detour and visit the hot springs one evening which was fantastic for our tired and aching legs. He took care of us from the time we left Kathmandu to the time we returned, never rushing us and pointing out local flora and fauna to us too.
I would definitely recommend this agency to others and seeing as the boss Pampfa has been in this industry for almost 20 years I would trust them with future trips!
cam