Travel And Trekking Agencies In Nepal

  • Updated on Jan 14, 2020
  • Nirajan Chaulagain
  • 2040 views

There are hundreds of travel and trekking agencies in Nepal, some are well-known and recognized. It doesn't mean that all the well-known are the best and the new agencies are not great agencies.
Why there are many many travel and trekking agencies websites listed?
The first thing we have to clear that Nepal economy depends on tourism and it has a good revenue for the government and also a good income source for local people directly or indirectly. Nepal is an agricultural country but tourism is another biggest source for foreign currency.

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Travel And Trekking Agencies In Nepal

Do you guys know who is the father of travel agency?

  • Thomas Cook was the father of Travel agency and he established in 1841.

Let me go back to the question about the travel Trek websites. Well, it's a bitter fact is not all the travel websites are proper travel and trekking companies. Even if the travel/trek agency is registered some of those agencies have 2-3-4 websites. It sounds crazy but it's a fishing business in unfair competition. It's a business to grab people from different links.
Suppose Rugged Trails Nepal is one name and it has the own website as www.ruggedtrailsnepal.com but if there is a nice keyword then people registered those as companies' websites. So generally most of the companies cover different websites' names. The most important thing is there are many websites but they are not registered as travel/trekking agencies under the government rules. You have to be aware of those kinds of agencies. The website looks nice but it doesn't cost a lot to design a website these days.

You might have been searching which is the best travel or trekking agency in Nepal?

Well, all of the travel and trekking agencies are best and they do their best job because of its a customer service business. If we check before the 1998 Nepal tourism year there were very few tour operators in Nepal. Those days there were very few trekking routes, destinations and people were involved. But being honest they were well-trained people and they preserve and maintain the tourism industry of Nepal. They use to do research and discover places and things that are still ongoing.
Travel agencies want to see their clients happy, all of them try their best to provide the best they can do. Sometimes unexpectedly things go wrong and one review on TripAdvisor or Lonely Planet made a big thing.

Why the trek/tour itinerary is the same but the price is different?

These are the interesting questions which we always have to hear so let us find out why it's different. Even the trip days, places and services look the same but the price will be different, like 16 days Everest Base Camp trekking.
First, let's not forget the value of your holiday, you might have saved money since long to visit Nepal. Whether you join with local agencies or hire a guide and porter it's up to you how you are enjoying your vacations. The price is different because of the hotels, services, time, information, caring, guides, and other teams.
While traveling the most important thing is the person who is with you as a guide, porter or anyone. Their company is the most important because you will not remember and not necessary to remember the height, and stones name while traveling. Their time with you, their expression, how to chit-chat or knowledgeable they are in various parts. We believe and keep saying our guides to improve their nature of traveling in a different way. Guides are not just to show the way and to tell the mountains name or only charm smiling. They must have a general knowledge of politics, cultures, lifestyle, movies, international events, news so they can make a nice conversation. If you are paying less and budget amount then expect just a guide who will show you the way and mountain height and the distance but nothing besides that. They know their cultures but they can't tell details because they can't speak English well. Obviously, they will be experienced with the places and trails because they have been doing the same job for long.

Cheaper Everest Base Camp trek cost might be covered by your Insurance policy!   How?  Connect Rugged Trails experts to know more details.

Cheap price matter in service such as food too, while trekking you will not get enough food or you will be forced to eat less or what guides will provide. It happens because if you have joined with budget or cheaper price trips they try to put margin from every single thing. You won't get proper food, hotels, guides, and information. Imagine how much the companies are paying to guide and porter while being with you. Their daily income will be less than 10 USD because of cheap trip price, and here they can't save the salary and guides will trick on food, hotels because he has to earn money. It's normal to do this because while doing work if they don't get well paid they have to do it. His family depends on his work, he has been walking with you in high mountains.
I hope you guys get it if you choose the standard price you will get a good guide, food, services, and everything. It doesn't mean that if you pay lots you will get the best value among other lower budget people. The value will be the same but the services will be different and don't forget your holiday is helping in some way.

How to pick a right and trusted travel company in Nepal?

Well, it is tricky because as I mentioned above none of the registered companies want to lose their business and want to see their clients unhappy. Check their legal documents, check their client's reviews, and check how they respond to you back. Some companies are not listed on Trip-Advisor, lonely planet book, so it doesn't mean that they are not trusted. Every single day new travel companies are on the registration process or ongoing so some may not have listed some don't want to register with them. These days Trip-Advisor is one of the best places to see the companies reviews but we shouldn't forget Trip-Advisor is also turning into business form.
Some of our colleague's companies put fake reviews to rank higher. The interesting part is while doing adventure in Nepal, without hesitation, we have to accept that we are still in the third old country. Our amenities, infrastructure, technical things are not updated therefore if you expect high and luxury it will not match. In this case, we have to understand the online reviews some clients may write terrible, bad anything it's not that the company is totally bad. Think that somewhere something is missing either from the guide, office staff, or company person but think that there are other staff, guides, and responsible person in the company besides them. A person can be worse in a team but can't compare the whole company because there are other excellent reviews.

Talking about fake reviews, it generally happens on TripAdvisor. Nepalese are outside of Nepal so the travel companies person ask them to put reviews on TripAdvisor and this keeps happening. A good thing is TripAdvisor is removing those kinds of reviews. While looking for an excellent company, excellent reviews it's a good idea because you are paying money to get the best. But think those reviews are based on personal experience with guides, staffs, and also with the places. If it's extremely good then it doesn't mean that you will get some things and you will experience it in the same way. You might have a worse experience, average or much better than that.
Most companies blame to guides or staff if there are bad reviews but let the company be honest if they are seriously open with clients. Companies have to explain each and everything fairly about the places, guides, porters, and the current situation. In underdeveloped countries, things keep changing and clients are unaware of that.

Sometimes complication happens because of not being clear with clients. Promotions are important for business but Nepal travel agencies shouldn't forget Adventure is not like Mcdonald's business. So check reviews, legal papers, and how they respond to you. Some companies reply to you in a professional way some may reply in a friendly like rugged trails Nepal always prefers friendly. We want to befriend you and we want to welcome you as a friend and send you back as a family member. If you join a friendly company you will get to learn more and experience more about everything.

Complications between guides and travel companies.

Companies want the business so they might put some more cheese but they must have to share with guides. Maybe guides were not informed of what the agencies had promised you before signing a trip. Some companies want to earn more money and they give less salary to guides and guides don't give the best what they suppose to give. On budget trips, this is the main problem because guides and staff can't save their salary so they expect Tips from you. Companies don't tell you that guides and staff expect tips from you and it's compulsory. If you had paid enough then it must cover everything but if it's a budget trip companies have to be clear on this, tipping money feed their family, send their kids to school and they save some amount from tips. Rugged Trails Nepal is clear on budget trips please read the above line because it is what it is.
We hope it helps you to know about Nepal travel and trekking agencies. Agencies have their own problems because of unfair competition, government rules, and many fake websites, travel portal sites. It's a big bitter truth message for all clients some of our guides or its the same case with other agencies too. Guides register their own company but they won't share with the companies where they have been working. It's a big issue for all agencies because guides work with various companies to collect clients. Those guides who are not honest with their companies generally give a negative message and want to dominate the company. It makes sense because since the company trusts guide so the company sends them as your guide. Think about it because companies are giving work and trusting guides, companies had invested them for training, their personal insurance. Check how honest is that person with their own companies.
Rugged Trails Nepal requests you to share your travel experience with the team so we can improve and give the best in the future. It's not only with rugged trails Nepal it would be nice to share with your company you experience with because it helps. You totally have the right to tell everything if things didn't work well because you had not only paid for the trip but you had purchased 1000s $ flight tickets to come here. Make your holiday lifetime experience.

We love to hear your feedback and Nepal experience share with us it doesn't matter you had traveled with A, B, C company.

Happy Holidays