3 independent reviews for Volunteer travel in Nepal

Natacha Wilson review 24 Jan 2011

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

We had an amazing time. My husband, my son and I decided to take a month off and travel to the Himalayas in Nepal and Tibet. This operator organised our trip to Nepal and they were fantastic. We managed to do a lot in our time there but it never felt that we were rushing anywhere. In Kathmandu, we had the chance stay with a Nepalese family for a week, help at an orphanage and visit some beautiful Hindu and Buddhist sites. We then went to Bandipur, a beautiful village on a hill, before travelling to Pokhara where we discovered the lakes and the Annapurna mountains range.

We also managed to fit in a safari at Chitwan National Park which was a fantastic experience for us all. We enjoyed the possibility to discover the diversity of landscapes Nepal has to offer. We also travelled to Lhasa and Gyantse in Tibet, a breathtaking experience...literally at 4,000 meters above sea level!

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

I read a few guide books and contacted some friends who had been to Nepal and this was really useful to know more about customs, everyday life. Pace yourself! Make sure to have enough time to enjoy the beauty of the country and its regions. We found that a 3 nights stay was a minimum to be able to fully appreciate a place. Our accommodation were selected by the operator and it was a great choice all along! We decided to do day treks with our son and we probably walked on average 2 to 3 hours a day.

Looking back, we would have benefited from a few rest days half way through the holiday and also at the end as the trip was tiring at times. We had two medium sized rucksacks around 12Kg each and that was fine but we never carried them for a long time. It was handy for packing. We invested in light thermals and had lots of layers which worked very well for the cold evenings and nights (no heating!). We brought Harry Potter with us and read at least an hour a day before dinner, which was a way to re-centre ourselves. Coming back to the UK was extremely hard due to the culture shock so I would recommend that you take a few days extra holiday to ease the transition!

And of course, you need to check for vaccinations 6 to 8 weeks before departure.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

Well, yes. All our guides were local people. We stayed in accommodations who were ran by and employed local people. Due to water shortage we didn't have that many showers and got used to it! Living with a Nepalese family for a week and helping at the orphanage made us feel part of the community and we all learnt from each other. We ate local food as much as possible, bought local crafts and shopped at Fair Trade cooperative in Kathmandu.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

My son summarised it when he went back to school and said to his friends: " It
was awesome!"