Sylvie Edwards review 29 Apr 2012
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
- being in the Himalayas, learning about the Sherpas, looking around and seeing such amazing landscape
- seeing Everest and climbing Kala Patar
- trekking with fun and caring people (in our group)
- sense of achievement reaching EBC.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
- teahouses are FREEZING at night (especially the higher you go) so you need WARM clothes and a down sleeping bag.
- the paths can be very busy! we were not the only ones trekking!!!
- facilities (wahsing/loos) can be ... very rudimentary (especially in the highest lodges)
- food in the teahouses is good but I ate local dishes and I wasn't ill
- I would not consider taking any medication preventively. I didn't take anything and was completely fine. The trek is designed with some acclimitisation days.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
- I hope that we gave "work" to the porters and guide/assistant guides so that they can support their families.
- During the trek, our group drunk only bottled water and I feel we should have not done this as I know now that all the plastic bottles go in a hole in the ground in the Himalayas. I spoke to other people trekking and they drank tap water and used iodine tablets, and they were fine. I feel that our guide didn't put that across to us at all.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
- Amazing experience
My only slight question is when it came to tipping our porters, assistant guides and guide, I and we all felt that they expect their tip and are not especially surprised and thankful about it. The guidelines about tipping from the tour operator are too high for the head guide as we were meant to give him £2-3 a day per person (we were 16 in our group!) this is not a tip anymore but a salary!!! I wonder how much do they get before our tip? I am very happy to give a tip but this is too much. Our group gave each an equivalent of about £45 and we divided the money between all of them.
