10-day tour of Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan- Kaveen Kumar Suriakumaran
My grandmother and I went on a 10-day trip to Nepal, covering important areas such as Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan. Our trip was extremely pleasant, right from the day we stepped foot into Nepal, where we were greeted with a warm Nepali-style welcome, followed by complementary dinner and a cultural show. Our driver Ruben even gave us his spare SIM-card free-of-charge to prevent us the hassle of applying a SIM-card using our foreign passports - such was the hospitality of this local travel specialist. Even during the booking phase, communication with Mr Khum from the agency was very hassle-free as he was fast to respond, and immediately altered the existing package to customise as per our preferences. for example, I had wished to visit Bhkathapur, which was not initially on the package, and he immediately added it in and re-arranged some other destinations to make for a smoother journey and got back to me about the new package, all within half-a-day. The company also included all guide expenses, travel expenses, accomodation and breakfasts, as well as entrance fees in their package price - which made the trip itself very hassle-free, without me having to worry whether there was enough money to see certain attractions. Our first 2 days were spent on travelling around cultural sites in Nepal, such as Pashupathinath Temple and Durbar Square in Kathmandu, as well as Bhaktapur. These were extremely beautiful places, rich in culture and heritage. Our guide Mr Ram was very knowledgeable and friendly, and was not rushing us to move from one site to another. Instead, he allowed us the luxury of time to slowly explore the structures, and was always willing to answer extra questions we had. He also helped to bridge our language gap by helping to communicate with shopkeepers, priests etc., as well as teaching us how to engage in certain religious rituals which we had interest in. Following this, we were driven to Chitwan in the same vehicle, where we stayed in Hotel Park Land and engaged in jungle activities. Again, excellent service with buffet for all 3 meals, and knowledgeable guides bringing us into the forests for walks and safaris. We managed to spot a black bear and 2-3 rhinos during our Jeep Safari, which my grandmother and I were very excited about. Furthermore, the hotel was very accomodating with elderly people such as my grandmother, as they had a guide who brought them on a slower walk and made sure they were well and safe throughout the forest activities. It was because of responsible people like them that I was able to go ahead and enjoy myself without having to worry about the safety of my grandmother.
Chitwan was followed by Pokhara, with a 3h stop at the beautiful town of Bandipur. Although the package had initially only included a 1h stop at Bandipur, I liked the beautiful hilly-town so much I wanted to spend a few more hours there. I made this known to Mr Khum and our driver, Ruben, and they were extremely accomodating and flexible, allowing us the few more hours at Bandipur. This is unlike other tour agenices, which often force their iterinary down your throats. Upon arriving in Pokhara, I realised there were many adventure activities which I wanted to do that were not included in the package. I tried booking these activities, such as paragliding, ultralight flight and horse trek, by myself, but was unfortunately unable to do so. I then escalated my concerns to Mr Khum, who immediately helped me book these activities at no extra cost other than the cost of the activities themselves. This really elevated my experience in Pokhara. Following all this, we headed back to Kathmandu for a couple days’ rest and shopping before flying back to our country. We had chosen to stay in a homestay in the village area for the last 2 nights. While the host was very pleasant and the bed was comfortable, the toilet unfortunately had a musky odour to it, which made showering and even being in the room very difficult. We mentioned this to Mr Khum, who then immediately apologised for any inconvenience caused and upgraded us to a hotel for free. All-in-all, it was a very pleasant experience travelling around Nepal with them. Mr Khum would constantly and tirelessly update my mom back home about our safety, and special credits to our driver Ruben, who took very good care of my grandmother and went above and beyond in many instances, such as preparing my surprise birthday party, telling me stories about different Nepali villages and so on. I will be sure to return to Nepal with this local travel specialist in the future.
