Wow, Botanical Treks is one of the BEST trekking companies I’ve ever
used (and I’ve used a few, everywhere from Japan to the USA). From the
very beginning, BT was quick to respond to email inquiries and concerns
and always provided full information; they even let me pick which
airline to fly out of Kathmandu to Lukla on because I am scared of
flying! When we met our guide, Ramesh, we were immediately greeted as
old friends. Ramesh met us at the airport and accompanied us to our
hostel and then out to somewhere good for lunch. He ensured we felt
happy and safe and knew exactly what we needed to get and do, before we
set off for Lukla. Our flight from Kathmandu was cancelled due to bad
weather, but Ramesh organised a new flight and also contingencies to fly
into other parts of the Himalaya so that we had peace of mind we could
still complete the three passes trek. When we started on the trek I
could NOT believe the amount of knowledge Ramesh had. He was able to
name every mountain we saw, tell us the height and even who had ever
climbed it. He educated us on Nepalese politics, food, history, culture,
religion and so much more. In addition, even though it was just me and
my husband on our trek, when we met other people travelling, Ramesh was
more than happy to let them accompany us on our hikes. He welcomed them
like they were paying guests and continued to share information and look
after us all. We did the Three Passes Trek, arguably the hardest out of
all the hikes you can do in the region. Ramesh handled it with ease. He
is fit and strong, carried my camera pack for me when I struggled and
always ensured we were safe and arrived at our accommodation in plenty
of time. Ramesh was also FUN! We played card games, he sang, we posed
for amusing photos, experimented with coffee … Overall it was a
wonderful experience. We would NOT have achieved that hike had it not
been for Ramesh and his skills, local knowledge and extraordinary
patience he had with us. We will be forever friends and we don’t
hesitate to recommend him and Botanical Trek’s services to anyone we
know. Thank you
