Great experience as a whole Great experience. The owner is very professional, the trek was amazing and the guide was nice, even though we sometimes had misunderstandings about money (what was included or not in the budget) and information sharing (when snow threatened to change the plans, which it finally did not). Only the trekking material shop this company is working with (Himalaya gears) is not good (it sold us a not working head lamp and rented us unchecked sleeping bag, coat and walking sticks that had some issues). As a whole, I would trek with them again (choosing another renting shop) and and I therefore recommend.
A wonderful experience in majestic surroundings This 12-day trek was superb! Upendra (the manager) and Suman (the guide) run a very organized trip amid an often disorganized environment. They were able to quickly rectify issues with late flights and a couple of pretty sick trekkers along the way. Accommodations were bare-minimal (to say the least), which we knew in advance. Food is good and plentiful. We were fortunate to be put with 5 strangers, making an awesome international group of 7 friends! The trek is grueling, and friends help push you to your goal.
Friendly guide, trip catered to our wishes Our guide for this trek, Manish, was very friendly, personable, and knowledgeable about trekking. He offered us an alternative route - to see Mohare Dansa - which would've been more eco-tourism focused, with homestays, villages, and a less populated trail. But because my friend and I didn't know much about it, we opted for the original Poon Hill trek, which was still great. (Next time, I would consider the other option, though). Despite being the easiest trek, it was still quite intense with a lot of stairs, up and down. (Day 2 is mostly just upstairs!!) But the good thing is there are lots of tea houses along the way for you to take breaks. We went in March and the climates vary a lot: 70's and strong sun at lower altitudes to 0 Celsius at the top of Poon Hill. The company allows you to rent a puffer jacket and sleeping bag, and for everything else (backpack, towel, gloves, etc.) you can buy in Kathmandu. For lodging, we stayed in some nice lodges with cots and blankets; you can purchase wifi for 100 rupees (about 1 USD) and fill up water (1L bottles usually 100 rupees). Some highlights were the walk down from Poon Hill (Day 3) after sunrise and Gandhruk - we stayed in a cute lodge called Hotel Asish Aama with the cutest host and best homecooked dal bhat. Some things I'd recommend packing: synthetic or wool clothes, thick/wool socks, quick-dry towel, cap/hat for the sun, hand warmers, and joint care pills (like omega-3).