How Can You Find The Best Trekking Agency In Nepal
Do you seek an opportunity to plan an exotic vacation in this small country of Himalayas? If you are trying to escape the regular hustle and bustle of life to enjoy the serene beauty of Nepal, this article would definitely be useful to you. So stay with us till the end as we discover a few facts for finding the best trekking agency in Nepal.
Price obviously plays a major role while you are choosing a trekking agency to simplify your journey. After you have made your mind to go on a trekking journey in the country, it would be practical to do some research rather than selling your dollars to some random companies.
There are thousands of trekking companies in Nepal and choosing the best one is not an easy assignment. There are a few criteria that need to be fulfilled by the company to be called the best trekking company in Nepal. With keeping every other thing under consideration, for you to get a once in a lifetime experience in Nepal, the following factors to are relevant to consider.
Does the agency provide insurance to each of its staff? This parameter is relevant to ensure that the safety is prioritized for not just it’s customers but also for the local staff who will accompany you to the journey.
Are the guides and porters made available to you by the agency properly equipped? Some trekking agencies tend not to provide every sort of equipment to its staff and in a worst-case scenario, this could result in dire consequences.
Are the guides certified? While many factors go along while choosing a great guide to support you in the journey, make sure that the guide is well trained and certified to assist you.
Is the agency licensed with a valid certificate? There are definitely a few agencies operating without certificates on an illegal basis and hence should be avoided.
You can scroll around the company’s website to view the legal documents, if not you can ask the company’s personnel to present the authentication documents before the final booking.
Is sufficient concern put upon your health and safety during the trek? Even though trekking is not generally dangerous but could indeed be harmful if necessary precautions are not followed. It is a prime responsibility of the agency you choose to make sure that it follows up and upgrades its safety standards and trekking equipment.
Given below are some ore useful tips which can help you to choose a reliable trekking company for a successful trekking journey.
Always choose a government authorized trekking agency.
One should always choose a government authorized trekking agency for their vacation tour. Make sure to check the registration validity as some companies might have an old registration certificate and some might be banned from the authorization boards.
The trekking companies in Nepal are compulsorily required to have an active registration with the Nepal government, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) to conduct its services. If the trekking agency offers climbing, then the company must be registered in the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA).
Only a legal trekking agency could be a member of TAAN as the membership checks the validity of the company based on various criteria. The easiest way to verify is to check the TAAN logo in the company’s legal documents and the website.
Tracking the company’s previous operations
There is a maxim that “ Experience makes things work better”. Therefore it would be ideal to know how the company has operated in the past few years. Since, It is an undeniable fact that usually, the better service providers keep continuing in their business field for a longer period, knowing the company’s previous operation would help to answer a few questions about how good the company is.
As the number of years, a trekking company has spent in the service denotes the maturity in the services provided by the company, it is better to know the background of the company in terms of how it has upgraded itself within time. Try checking the reviews on the website and the social media page of the trekking company for additional guarantee.
Besides everything inquiry can be made through calls, emails and social media pages. The contact information can be found on each agency’s website and easily available on the internet. You can use your time to identify the clarity of services and other facilities provided by a trekking company through personal investigations.
However, it doesn’t mean that every old company is 100% fit for your standards because there are a few newer companies that serve better services.
Comparing the Cost and facilities provided by various companies for any kind of excursion around the world, the price has always been the prime subject of attention. It is known that no one would be interested in handing out their money with no expectation of getting something in return.
There are a number of trekking companies that would fit your trekking package conditions, but different companies offer different trekking routes although the destination is the same. So, rather than opting for a cheaper package, read the outline itinerary and choose what’s best for you.
How authorized are the guides?
As mentioned earlier, your trek guide is the most important person during your trek. Any inadequacies in the expertise and experience of the guide can worsen your trek experience. You need to make sure that the guide you have been provided with is properly equipped with every necessary trekking gears and has a valid certification and experience to accompany you in the journey.
How responsible is the trekking agency to the environment?
Since most of the treks take place in the Himalayas, the reserved forests and restricted areas are quite in a verse of destruction. As a social being, we wouldn’t want to destroy nature rather we are here to enjoy the serenity of nature. It is the prime responsibility of the trekking companies to take serious consideration of the environment and cultural ethics.
While choosing a trekking company, make sure that the company takes an initiative on leaving no trace as to protect the environment and its biodiversity and respect the local culture and tradition.
As the best trekking company try understanding the seriousness towards the environment, social and cultural aspect, they are committed to reducing the impact on the environment through efficient information flow among the clients.
Safety and hygiene standards of the agency
The trekking routes in Nepal involves traveling in remote land among the remote people. The prime concern for any tourist on a trekking expedition in Nepal should be notions to cope with this situation of being surrounded by foreign people in a foreign land.
Besides that, trekking is a strenuous task and could be risky if proper gears and equipment are not used.
Here are a few points for you in order to identify a company with decent services and responsibilities.
The guides must be well trained in First Aid procedures and carry a comprehensive first aid kit. We need to ensure that the guides are well experienced and know their way towards mountain conditions, and rescue in an emergency.
Making sure that the company carries oxy-meter devices to check heartbeats and the level of oxygen in the blood in case of an altitude sickness emergency.
The trekking agencies must spare plenty of time to acclimatize trekkers for high altitude adventure. Check whether the company takes weather conditions and trekker’s physical capacity into consideration.
Check that the trekking companies send a checklist of required gears. Since good gears are the means for a safe and successful trek, a good trekking agency provides details about safety gear, camping gear, and warm equipment.
For any company to label itself as the best trekking company in Nepal, it must have a pre-signed contract with a local helicopter as a backup if its clients need rescuing.
Apart from the safety measures, it is to ensure that the company maintains hygiene standards during the camping trek and check if the company has information provided on its hygiene standard policy.
Read the experience of past service users in various internet portals and get an idea of services available. Each agency posts its personal client’s testimonials on the website. You can look at these testimonies to determine whether the agency suits your travel needs and expectations.
Testimonials and reviews are a good foundation of information to know about the agencies, their business strength, and popularity. The overall feedback from the customers is helpful for us to know their services and their drawbacks as well.
If you are clear on these above-mentioned topics, your trip will be successful and full of fun.
We vigorously believe the capability and service level of each trekking company in Nepal deserves praise and respect for their consistent quality services, great management, and qualified guides. Choose the perfect trekking company for your holidays in Nepal.
Have a safe time visiting Nepal. Namaste!