Soul Himalaya Treks &Tours Reviews

Find another company I have thought carefully about writing this review for a few months now. I’ve kept the details down to the key points, but believe me when I say I have far more issues with this company than what I have detailed in this review. I booked Soul Himalaya for an Everest Base Camp trek with one companion. I am a 38-year-old male living an active lifestyle. I go to the gym 2-3 times a week, combining cardio and weights, and I train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at least once a week. I frequently engage in outdoor activities, including day hikes, and I had summited Mt. Kilimanjaro a few years ago, so I am no stranger to trekking. I consider myself a relatively active, healthy person. I had been looking forward to this trek as a bucket list item for quite some time. I booked the trip with a friend who regularly hikes with me and had previously used Soul Himalaya with the guide Balu. From the start of the trek, we maintained a very fast pace, which was somewhat surprising. Perhaps Balu, being familiar with my friend (who is a personal trainer and a very fit individual), assumed the pace would be fine. To put this in perspective, on day 2 we completed what was scheduled to be an 8-hour hike in under 5 hours. This included an elevation gain of 1000m, and we did it without a lunch break. By the time I reached Namche, it was evident something was wrong with my health. I couldn’t recover my breath, and there was an audible crackling/bubbling when I breathed. Balu attributed this to pollen, allergies, and had even suggested it was a lack of fitness. Either way he assured me I would likely sleep it off. The next day, I had not recovered. I was extremely short of breath, especially with minor exertions such as walking up stairs. I visited the hospital in Namche, where it was confirmed I had high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) in one lung. While this is always a risk at high altitude, the risk increases significantly when ascending too quickly. I was frustrated because I was only at around 3400m and had another 2000m elevation and several days to climb to base camp. The doctor suggested an extra day of acclimatization, but Balu took control of the conversation, speaking to the doctor in Nepali and essentially excluding me. Balu then told me we could continue the trek if I paced myself slowly. When I asked the doctor, he advised I needed to look after myself. The hike to the next checkpoint was gruelling. Scheduled for 6 hours, it took me around 8. Along the way, I watched significantly older and less fit individuals pass me with ease. comparatively, it was quite clear to me that I was not in good shape. Upon reaching Phortse, a guide from another trekking company noticed my condition, checked my blood oxygen with his portable device, which was something that my guide did not have in his kit. He not only expressed concern that my blood oxygen was extremely low, but he also expressed concern over my guide Balu and his competency. The next leg to Dingboche was equally difficult, and upon arrival, I insisted on visiting the hospital despite Balu's attempts to convince me to rest instead. At the hospital, I was diagnosed with HAPE in both lungs, with blood oxygen around 80%. The doctor was alarmed I had gotten as far as I had and warned that continuing further could result in cardiac arrest. He recommended helicopter evacuation to Kathmandu for treatment, as hiking my way back to Lukla airport would take several days and would be risky. The helicopter flight was several thousand US dollars; I was lucky I had good travel insurance. Once in Kathmandu, I was then advised to reschedule my flight home cutting my holiday short. The entire trip was a disaster from start to finish. To make matters worse, it took around 6 weeks for my lungs to recover. I can only speculate how everything went so wrong, but one thing I am certain of is that I would NEVER recommend this company. TL;DR: I was diagnosed with HAPE very early in the trip. My guide was either inexperienced or apathetic to my illness. Following his instructions, I continued the hike, leading to severe health deterioration requiring a helicopter evacuation and a long recovery. I believe I would have been better looked after with an alternative company.

Soul Himalaya - my No 1 choice We have a group of 25 friends trekking to the Mardi Himal Base Camp around Easter holiday. Our group have a big range of ages (several are around 65) and experience of trekking. Soul Himalaya arranged everything for us from flight touch to departure at the Kathmandu internal airport. The whole arrangement (including hotel/mountain huts, transport, meals, schedule, guides and porters etc) are perfect. The key is attention to details, caring, knowing what we want, and observing our ability (or inability), etc. I would rate Soul Himalaya the very top mark in all these areas. I would certainly and strongly recommend friends who are interested to trek the Nepal mountains to engage Soul Himalaya as the tour organizer.

Mardi Himal Basecamp Trek I have joined many trips before with various travel agents and I must say Soul Himalaya truly is one of the best agents I have had the pleasure to interact with. We thank you very much for all your work and dedication to make this trip happen, especially for a group with 25pax! It’s really a challenging task for them. Congratulations, mission accomplished !

Pike Peak Nepal. - outstanding views Visited Kathmandu and booked a Trek to Pike Peak with Soul Himalaya Treks and Tours. It was absolutely fantastic. The views were breathtaking, the guide Sarki was knowledgeable, helpful and a wonderful person to be around. This is a short trek with outstanding views. If you don’t have a lot of time, this is a very achievable trek. Highly recommend this trekking guide and company.

Sin duda la mejor compañia de trekings en Nepal!!! Sin duda los mejores en trekkings en Nepal. Es la segunda vez que hemos contratado sus servicios y cada vez se superan en todo lo que hacen. Hicimos el trekking al Campo Base del Everest y de regreso hacia Cho La pass y Gokyo, simplemente espectacular! Increible! Super precioso! Nuestro guia Pemba Sherpa, una autentica pasada! Siempre atento con nosotros, los mejores lodges , explicando todos los lugares por los que pasabamos, siempre vigilando que estuvieramos a gusto y contentos. Veiamos a otra gente durante el trekking con guias que pasaban un poco de ellos y nos sentimos afortunados de haber contratado a Soul Himalaya! En fin, podria decir mil cosas buenas de ellos y me quedaria corta. Si quereis que vuestro trekking quede en vuestra memoria no dudeis… Soul Himalaya treks and tours son los mejores!!