Kundenstimmen - Swiss Family Treks and Expedition GmbH

Jolanda and Wil
2 persons (2Adults)
Nederland

Dear SFT Family

A little story in Nepal.

Dr. Shehla Alvi
1 Adult (1pax)
Pakisthan

Dear Stephan 

I also have been thinking to write to you for some time to say thanks and also to express my gratitude to you all and your beautiful country.
I was able to feel and realize what probably I came for At least to some extent.

I really want to say, you have been very professional and prompt in replying to all my mails. Rather been patient dealt to all my constraints.

I believe any tourist wants this kind of patience and promptness to be on the journey.
Your tourist guide has been a very astute and patient person. I experienced peace with his kindness.
I am lucky that you chose him for me.
It has been a great journey and you organized things very promptly and nicely for me.

I also would like to ask you that, it will be more beneficial for you if you do find out from your tourist about his or her trekking experience.
And if possible do give list of mandatory stuff to carry with them on trekking. Also guide them about kind of physical exercises they need to do beforehand and for how long? The new trekker must do in order to stay physically fit. I believe this will give further boost to your services.
All in all it has been the life changing experience for me. And I hope to come for trekking next year too with my kids.
In the end I thank you for all your support and kindness.

Regards
Dr Shehla

 

Ronen Zaidel Bar and Family
2 Adults and 4 Children (6Pax)
Israeli

We are back from Nepal.
How was it? Incredible! Of course it was difficult, and we heard a lot of complaining, especially because of the cold. Everyone had their low points along the way, but we each had our highs too, and more than once all our spirits and bodies were high high on top of the world!

I've considered various ways of telling the story of our 11 day trek in the Everest region on the blog. I wrote a diary during the trek and have over 700 pictures (taken by myself, as well as Hamutal, Uri and Michal). I considered posting by theme, or by personal perspective, but alas, decided to go chronologically.
But before starting with day one, I decided to publish this highlights post, to give an overview flavor of where we've been, what we've seen and done and what we thought about it.

What surprised you most about Nepal?
Ofek: Jupkyu [a cross between cow and yak] and bridges like in fairy tales.
Uri: Me too, and I didn't think there would be a river.
Eyal: That there was donkeys and that the water falls so slow.
Ofek: That animals can walk on such steep and rocky paths.
Michal: So much water in Nepal!
Uri: That the chocolate milk was made with water.



What is fun about playing by the river?
Ofek: Jumping from rock to rock.
Michal: The challenge of having to judge the distance, whether you can jump or not...
Ofek: Climbing up big rocks that Michal can't climb.
Michal: I can dude.
Uri: Throwing rocks high, then platch! in the water.
Hamutal: peace and quiet and sun.



On the evening of day 2, what do you remember from today?
Ofek: I really enjoyed the walking and riding on the horse. I really didn't enjoy taking a shower.
Michal: The hardest part was the end of the steep uphill.
Ofek: I loved the bridges, it was as if we were in a fairytale.
Michal: I thought it was funny when we crossed the bridges and everyone had to hold their hat so it doesn't fly away.
Uri: The hardest part was the steep uphill when I was already very tired and I walked and walked and walked to get to the horse. It was cool when I was on the horse on the long long bridge.
Ofek: The views were really nice.
Eyal: I don't remember anything.
Hamutal: It was harder than I imagined. All day I gave children a hand and helped then up. Seeing snow-capped mountains is what I dreamed of.


What will you miss from Nepal once you are back home?
Ofek: Pemba Sherpa [the 16 year old son of our guide who carried Eyal].
Michal: All of us being together all day long.
Uri: Hira [the horse[ and Sunam Sherpa [our guide].
Eyal: My sleeping bag.


What is it that you miss most from home?
Michal: My bedroom and all my books and Winnie the pooh.
Ofek: Noam and Wii and my dubi.
Uri: Wii and the piano keyboard.
Eyal: All my toys.


On the last evening, how do you summarize our trek?
Ofek: It was hard but fun.
Michal: The difficult minutes were very difficult and the happy moments were very happy. Overall I think it was worth the effort, although it could have been a few days shorter.
Uri: I would do it again, but shorter.
Eyal: I don't know
Hamutal: It was much harder and more challenging than I imagined, mostly because of the cold. We reached our limits. I wouldn't recommend it to families with kids, but on the other hand I don't regret doing it ourselves.
Ofek: I liked the guides and the views.
Michal: Pemba, Sunam and Nima Taman were very nice and I liked Hira too.
Ofek: I would like to do it again, but when I'm older, like a teenager.

 

We had the great pleasure of traveling to Nepal organized by Swiss Family Treks and Expedition. From the first moment, everything was perfectly organized and people were very welcoming. We stayed two days first in Pharping, 1 hour away from the capital, where we got a very nice tour around the temples and the little city from Mikmar. Stephan was so kind to lend us excellent sleeping bags, water bottle etc. so that even as unexperienced trekking people, we were very well equipped. We took a flight to Lukla, which was exciting for itself, and we were picked up right away from the airport from our tour guide Sonam, two extremely helpful and mindful baggage porters, absolutely reliable and always in a good mood. We also had two ponies (and men for them to guide) with us which was a very good idea, since our four years old daughter would have had big troubles to walk all the way andalso my husband and myself rode the other horse, when we needed a rest because the paths are quite steep sometimes and we very much enjoyed the view from the horses. Here everything was perfectly organized, we had excellent experiences with all the accommodations that were chosen for us. There was always Nepali and Western food, all in very good quality and taste. We went along very beautiful paths and a big river, a long different bridges with extreme hight. As already described, for trekking we were absolutely unexperienced and had a four years old daughter, but due to the excellent guidance and a good atmosphere, as well as the opportunity to always take good rest, we were able to manage a long way without any problems or altitude sickness. The ponies were kept in very good shape, and we also had the feeling that this was the case for the guide & porters and the horsemen, too. This mattered a lot to us, since you will also experience agencies were this is just not the case. Great views on the mountains climbing higher every day - it was absolutely stunning. Because of the early time in March after Covid, the paths were almost empty from people and we saw more mules and other animals on our way than people.

Namche Bazar will remain in the best experience since the hotel (Nirwana) hosts where such nice people with extreme rich background of stories from Mount Everest and the first ascent of his father. They prepared very nice drinks and food, we were sitting on the sunny terrace with them. When leaving, they gave white scarves to us (and also Sonam, our guide, gave us holy scarves when we said goodbye at he end).

We will never forget the huge beautiful snowy mountains, uncomparable to anything that we have seen so far among Europe or other countries in the world. We also visited for a tea the Mount Everest view hotel and the way towards it is already very impressive. Mountain goat, eagles, yaks and many pray birds were easy to spot. It is always possibilities of taking good rest, having clean drinks and food available. A unique experience for us was Tengboche, the visit in a temple where we got in close contact with monks and we truly experienced the spirit and religion of Buddhism. Then we went to a completely different place without mountains to Monjo, where we were also warmly welcomed and our daughter had a great chance to find friendship with one daughter of the hosts of the hotel. Going back to Lukla, we were sad to leave the beautiful view of Ama Dablam, Mount Everest etc behind us. It was hard to say goodbye, especially for our daughter to her lovely, save pony Tika. Before flying off, Sonam gave us the great chance to visit his home and he showed us around in the village, where we even went to school with our daughter  - she was able to interact with the children. The next days we spend in Kathmandu, where we had an extremely wise and experienced tour guide with great philosophical and religious discussions. We were able to even see the living goddess. We enjoyed very much to stay in our hotel, which was perfectly located and very comfortable. We also eat in restaurants around the place and in the hotel.

We also spend three days and the beautiful jungle of Nepal, where we had an excellent experience of riding an elephant! We saw a lot of animals, including baby Rhinos and mamas, deers, monkeys playing and all very close to us - By far much better than any jeep safari or walking Safari (even though we also booked this and the experience was very good!). The elephants were treated very nicely and we are also able to feed them. We also visited elephant nursery, which was interesting, of course, but we did not like so much, that the elephants were tied with a leash to the houses. Luckily we were told, they were released every day for a couple of hours to go in the jungle to eat fresh grass. Also here we had a knowledgeable tour guide and also take a boat trip to see a lot of crocodiles! The hotel in Terai Jungle was extremely nice with a big pool, playground and activities. 

All the trips to the locations were organized by Swiss Family Treks with reliable, friendly staff and save cars. Everyone was cheerful and warm hearted. We had the best 21 days that anyone could have wished for!

Thank you for the great time of our life!

Mareike, Luisa, Rasmus from Germany (March 2022)

Dear Stephan, 

I cannot thank you enough for the incredible experience we had in Nepal. I have been with many tour groups across the world and this trip was by far the best organised. 

Sonam was fantastic and gave us a great insight to Nepalese life, he was very considerate of our needs and was always calm and patient. This was the same when we were on the sightseeing tour. We were given enough time to learn and listen carefully to information provided. 

It was truly fantastic and I will remember this trip for many years to come. I will be recommending you to friends and family and will not hesitate to get back in contact if I make a return journey to Nepal. 

Thank you once again, 

Olivia and Luke 

Bristish Citizen (2 Adults) 

"Nepal is well known in Russia as the best place for trekking. However, many people think such travel as extreme and dangerous enough to travel with the family. And your company reveals Nepal as the country is a perfect place for family holidays, including traveling with children. But I would not recommend organizing such trips on their own. Much better to entrust this to experienced professionals. Only in this case, you can be sure and spend time at their vacation on fun, not on the solution of various problems.
 In the first half of December, we had a trip to Langtang. Immediately I must say that we are not experienced trekkers, especially because our son (8 years old) was with us. So we are a little worried before the trip. But the organization and care of your company exceeded our expectations. Since arriving in Kathmandu and to return, we feel your concern, and we thank you for that.
Our route follows the thrilling ride, and we were able to fully enjoy the pristine natural beauty of Himalayas. Like the pioneers of past times we walked a narrow path along the cliffs and wild mountain rivers. We met people whose lives flows as well as it did in the past, in harmony with nature, in accordance with ancient Buddhist tradition. Especially I would like to acknowledge the important role of our guide Shangbu, whose experience and help make our trip safe and comfortable.
We can describe our impressions from this trip, but no description of what can replace personal experience. So I recommend to anyone who is thinking about a trip to leave your doubts, and ready for a trip to the realization of his dream.
I can say that this trip is very united and strengthen the family. So it was a wonderful experience and training for our son.
On the practical side, I would also recommend hiring horses. This variant of travel is not only easier, but also more interesting, colorful.
We thank Swiss Family, and personally, Stefan for organizing a warm attention to our family and we hope to meet again. I would like to recommend to all travelers going on holiday to Nepal, feel free to contact this company.
Best regards, Vlad and Elena Gabayduliny.
December 2012
Russia. St. Petersburg"
 

 

Elisabeth and Family
2 Adults and 2 Children
Germany

Hallo Stephan,
Nun sind wir schon wieder einige Zeit in Deutschland, in unseren Gedanken sind wir aber oft noch in Nepal.
Der Langtang-Trek war wirklich ein Erlebnis, auch für die Kinder. Wir haben uns mit unserer Trekkingmannschaft vom ersten Tag an gut aufgehoben gefühlt.
Die Kinder haben schon von Anfang an zur Mannschaft Vertrauen gehabt. Bereits nach der Jeepfahrt nach Syabru Besi haben sie mit unseren Trägern "Fangen" gespielt.
Begeistert waren wir auch, wie professionell alles organisiert war, und wie gut die Mannschaft auch um das Wohl und die Sicherheit der Kinder besorgt war.
An etwas steileren Stellen wurden unsere Kinder jedes Mal von den Pferden genommen und an der Hand der Träger oder Pferdeführer über diese Stelle geführt, ohne dass wir uns darum kümmern mussten. Man merkt einfach, dass die Mannschaft Erfahrung mit Kindern (auch mit Kindergartenkindern) hat.

Bei Elisabeth wurde leider Zuhause aus dem Husten noch eine Lungenentzündung, die aber mittlerweile fast ausgeheilt ist.

Mit Sorge sahen wir allerdings die ungenügende schulische Versorgung speziell im oberen Langtang-Tal. Viele Einheimische würden ihre Kinder gerne zur Schule schicken, können sich aber keine Privatschule leisten. Wenn es hier ein Hilfsprojekt gibt, lasst es uns wissen. Wir würden gerne dafür etwas spenden.

Im Anhang haben wir ein paar Bilder:
Das Bild mit den Kindern auf den Pferden im oberen Langtang-Tal wäre vielleicht ein schönes Bild für Eure Homepage.
Bei den Gruppen- und Familienbildern haben wir die Bitte, diese entwickeln zu lassen und unserer Mannschaft zukommen zu lassen, wenn dies möglich ist. Wir haben es ihnen versprochen.

Viele Grüße aus Deutschland,

Elisabeth und Wolfgang mit Juliane und Christian.


 

Giovanni Pelloni (1 Adult)
Swiss

Lieber Stephan
Das Trekking in Langtang und zu den Gosainkund-Seen habe ich sehr genossen. Zum einen wegen der wunderschönen Landschaft mit den schneebedeckten Gipfeln, dem tosenden Langtang Khola, den freundlichen Menschen, meinen beiden Begleitern Nima und Tsering, aber auch dank der umsichtigen Planung und Durchführung durch eure Agentur. Alles hat von Anfang an bestens geklappt. Auf den angekündigten Generalstreik bei den Wahlen vom 19. November habt ihr alle sehr professionell und rasch reagiert und das Trekking um zwei Tage vorverlegt. Dadurch hatte ich auch das Glück, in Thulo Shyaphru dem Vollmondfest beiwohnen zu können, ein sehr eindrückliches Erlebnis vor einmaliger Bergkulisse.

Nach der rund sieben-stündigen Fahrt mit dem Jeep von Kathmandu wurde ich in Shyaphru Besi von Nima, meinem Guide, freundlich empfangen. Wie Tsering, der ein paar Stunden später eintraf, ist er gleichentags von Langtang das Tal hinuntergelaufen. Die beiden haben mich während des ganzen Trekking freundlich umsorgt. Bei jeder Ankunft in einer Lodge oder bei den Pausen wurde mir gleich eine Tasse heissen Tees organisiert, für das Essen gesorgt etc.. Alles wurde mir praktisch von den Augen abgelesen und auch kleine Anpassungen beim Tagesprogramm wurden umgehend umgesetzt. Auf meine Wünsche wurde immer eingegangen, immer mit einem freundlichen Lächeln.

Sowohl Nima als auch Tsering haben mir viel über ihr Tal und ihr hartes Leben auf über 3500 m.ü.M. erzählt. Für mich war es manchmal nur schwer vorstellbar, wie diese genügsamen Menschen die harten Winter überleben können.

Das Konzept von Swiss Family Treks, die Guides und Träger immer aus der Trekking-Gegend zu rekrutieren, hat mich voll überzeugt. Sie kannten Guides, Träger, Frauen und Kinder, die wir unterwegs und in ihrem Dorf trafen. Als Hobby-Fotograf boten sich mir dadurch viele Gelegenheiten, Portraits zu fotografieren. Sehr eindrücklich für mich war auch die Begegnung mit ihren Familien, als ich zum Essen in ihre Häuser eingeladen wurde. Das Dal Bhat am Abend und das Müesli mit echter Yakmilch zum Frühstück schmeckten in ihren Häusern einfach köstlich. Die Erlebnisse und Eindrücke auf einem Trekking sind dadurch noch viel intensiver, als wenn man nur vorbei läuft. Sehr gerührt war ich von ihren Geschenken zum Abschied: die selbst gestrickte Kappe, der selbst gewobene Schal und die Kette mit dem schönen Stein.

Ich danke euch allen sehr für die Organisation und Unterstützung bei meinem Trekking und wünsche euch weiterhin alles Gute mit der Swiss Family Treks & Expedition.

Liebe Grüsse
Giovanni aus der Schweiz
 

Mrs. Catherine Isabel Aglibut and Family
1 Adult and 1 Child (2pax)
Austria

Dear Stephan, and SFT team,

We enjoyed our trip to Langtang very much, even if it was raining a lot.
Anyway, we had the possibility to see the mountains on one day and managed to climb the Kyanjin Ri.
We enjoyed the company of our guide and porter, they were very friendly and helpful and gave a lot of information about the valley, nature and people.
Unfortunately I am not able to upload some fotos here in Kathmandu , because I left my cable in Germany, but as soon as I arrive next week , I will send some more text and fotos.

Thanks a lot for the organisation, We felt very comfortable and in good hands with your team!
You will hear more from us soon!

Catherine and Louis

 

Hugues and Family
2 Adults and 3 Children (5pax)
French

Dear Stefan,

First of all, thank you so much for organizing our Langtang trek at the beginning of this month...our experience was even better than expected in most ways.

We particularly appreciated (in no particular order)
- The Nirvana Garden hotel - ideally situated, calm, with just the right level of comfort.
- The professionalism and safety-consciousness of Sanbulama and the porters and horse driver.
- The choice of guest houses along the way. Especially the Lama Hotel and the monastery, our favorites....
- The exceptionally smooth running of the whole operation. Everything was on time, we had what were obviously the best rooms at all of our stops, all communication was clear and easy.
- Sambulama's really excellent level of English and readiness to answer any of our questions about local culture, history, etc etc. I can't believe he never attended secondary school.
- The good quality sleeping bags, liners and the hard hat for our little horse rider.

Best Regards,

Emily, Hugues and Family