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People heading to trek in Nepal typically do so to see and experience the magnificent mountains. Many. However, end up discovering Nepal’s greater gem – her people. Their warmth, hospitality and cheerful smiles are unmatched anywhere in the world, in my opinion. And Jagat Lama and his team at Nepal Independent Trekking Guides exemplifies this like no other. Of the 13 trips I have made to Nepal so far, I’ve spent time on 11 of them with Jagat, Chet, Chandra and many others within the cooperative. I consider them among my most cherished friends. As far as leading treks, I wholeheartedly endorse them. They are masters of organization and maintain an unparalleled network of porters and guides. Your safety is their prime concern. They offer flexibility and freedom you won’t find in many, if any, other Nepali outfitters. You’ll never be herded like cattle on tight schedules, forced to push ahead at a pace you’re not comfortable with. They know exactly how to make your trek as outstanding as it can possible be – perfect for you and your companions. They will open a window for you into the most wonderful people, sights, tastes and experiences authentic Nepal has to offer. I highly recommend them.…
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Date of experience: November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Even though I never had the great pleasure of trekking with Jagat Lama or any other of his team, I know some friends who have and were utterly pleased. I met Jagat Lama 9 years ago or so and try to see him every time I come to Nepal which is almost every year. He's always been of great service for anything I needed his help or advice for, took time off his over busy schedule with a smile, and is just a delightful person to be with, speaking excellent English, being always polite, kind and cheerful. 2 years ago he helped organise a trek to Mustang for my son and myself. By the way, Jagat Lama has started out as a porter at a very young age and this is probably the toughest job in the world, having to carry weights sometimes up to 80 kgs, having to deal with high altitude, bitter cold and fatigue, eating poorly in order to save money for their families, getting very low salaries ; such is the tough life of a porter. But Jagat Lama had great vision and talent. So after many years of extremely hard work and thanks to his capacity of having learned English so quickly , Jagat Lama then became a guide taking groups or individual clients all over Nepal. His kindness and proficiency earned him a lot of sympathy and faithful clients coming back year after year. But having experienced himself the hardships as a porter, who very often are ruthlessly exploited demanding them to carry maximum weight, Jagat one day decided that this was enough. He thus created his own Trekking Guide Cooperative working only with locals and making sure that they were treated correctly concerning weights and salaries as well as ensuring them decent conditions during the trek! This makes his company stand apart from many other mostly profit oriented companies, a lot of which are foreign. And in his spare time, which means Jagat Lama has hardly ever a moment for himself, he goes to his native mountain village Kumari, but the many extraordinary achievements Jagat Lama achieved there, are too long to explain here. But you might want to check it out: "healthanded4nepal.org" There you will find out how Jagat Lama struggled all his life to help his remote mountain village Kumari, creating the first school and hospital which were sadly destroyed during the devastating earthquakes in 2015. But instead of moaning and giving up, Jagat just rebuilt everything!!! Yes!! It's truly impressive when you learn about his his story and I'm deeply honoured to have such a compassionate and humble human being as my friend. By the way, you must check out his Kumari coffeee shop not far from Swayambhunath temple, the best coffee (organic of course) of the whole valley!!!…
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Date of experience: November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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+1
This is the real deal. It is the best collection of independent, authentic and experienced Nepalese trekking guides. Jagat met me at my hotel and organised for me to be accompanied by Gopi Lama for a 6 day trek in the Annapurna region. We could stop or go slow whenever I liked and he always got me the best rooms in the guest houses. He was knowledgeable, spoke great english and was great company. And the route we took matched all my requirements to see the best views but not too much climbing at my age of 65. Highly recommended. And not expensive.…
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Date of experience: October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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+1
This review relates to the time I spent trekking in Nepal in the autumn of 2008. I organised the first part of the trek before I left home through Jagat and he was very helpful to get eveything started. I was met at the airport in Kathmandu and later met my guide Kanchha (Pritam) Lama who is Jagat's brother. Kanchha and I spent the next two months hiking together in the Annapurna and Khumbu regions. Kanchha was an excellent guide, knew most of the people in each of the villages, and always found the best accommodations. I will always remember Kanchha and our porter Roj singing along the trails in the Annapurna, playing cards in the evenings, and the parties we had during the Dashain festival. Whilst we hiked, Kanchha taught me Nepali language, some of which I still remember. Even after twelve years, we are still in contact. I highly recommend Jagat and his colleagues.…
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Date of experience: October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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I have trekked solo in Nepal many times from 1989 til recently on classical treks and to more remote areas and from these experiences am pleased to recommend the Independent Trekking Guide Coopérative and it’s founder, Jagat Lama. The guides and porters are experienced professionals, honest and hardworking. I think you will feel safe and well cared for in their company. An added value and joy often to be experienced is traditional Nepali singing and drumming at the end of day.…
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Date of experience: October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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