“I give Binod the highest recommendation there is. Also, I want to say that I never felt in the least bit unsafe in Nepal because I trusted him to keep me safe. I would be happy to share my experiences with Binod with anyone who has questions.”

If you want a personal, comprehensive experience of Nepal, it’s mountains, it’s valleys, it’s religions, it’s people, it’s animals, (domestic and wild), arranged around your personal needs and desires, Binod Mahat is the guide you need. I found him on the internet, in an attempt to find alternatives to the big group, expensive, tour-type treks with pre-planned itineraries. I was going alone, and didn’t know the first thing about how to plan something like this. My first surprise after emailing an idea of what I was looking for, was a phone call from Binod. It only got better after that. He sent me an itinerary almost immediately, along with a price that astonished me. We communicated for several months and I changed my plans several times, and Binod showed himself to be totally flexible and very willing to take the time and trouble to give me everything I wanted. After arriving in Nepal, I found Binod to be a joy to be around. He took care of every aspect of the trip, including finding other guides to show me (and sometimes him, as well) the sights that he wasn’t as familiar with. I never once felt alone on the trip, and never once worried that I wasn’t being taken care of. I did the trek to the Annapurna Base Camp, came back through Gandruk, went down to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, and to the Jungle Island Resort, where I rode elephants and got to see some of the native wildlife. In all this, I also met people in the cities, the villages and the mountains, and felt like my experience was much more intimate because of Binod’s understanding of his people and country. I don’t want to forget my guide, Shri, who took me around Kathmandu, and gave me an intimate experience of the city, it’s religions and people; and our porter, Bimal, an adorable young man who never stopped smiling, in spite of having to carry a 70 pound backpack up the mountain.

I give Binod the highest recommendation there is. Also, I want to say that I never felt in the least bit unsafe in Nepal because I trusted him to keep me safe. I would be happy to share my experiences with Binod with anyone who has questions.

My email address is: bugzyo@hotmail.com.

Chris Olson
USA (4434 Lick Branch Road Harrison, AR 72601)