For/ before my 50th birthday, I wanted to trek to Everest Base camp. I contacted Himalayan Glacier and was attended to by Sriju Karki, who was professional & informative, arranging a custom 15-day trek with overnight at EBC for our family of 5.
We were met at Kathmandu airpot by Shankar Bhatta, our guide for the duration of our trek. Shankar was fantastic: we clicked and he was always ready with an answer; we spent a lot of time comparing our two countries and exchanging information (Nepal & South Africa). His main concern was to ensure that we reached EBC and therefore he went out of his way to check that we were acclimatising (oxygen & heart RPM taken each evening), well rested & fed and accommodated comfortably. We enjoyed biscuits & nuts for afternoon tea and fresh fruit after dinner (all brought up from Kathmandu) and entertained each other by talking, joking and playing UNO & Ludo.
Having our flight to Lukla cancelled due to bad whether, we opted for a helicopter flight to Surke to avoid cancelling the whole trek (this helicopter flight is something to consider when planning a trek, as most trekkers were stuck at Kathmandu or Ramechhap airport for many days due to bad weather). In Surke, we were joined by Bhakta Rai, our assistant guide. Bhakta lead at a comfortable, acclimatising pace from the start and especially the kids, who were always out in front, bonded well with him. He attended to our every need at the overnight accommodations, making sure our rooms & luggage were in order, taking our food orders & serving them.
Our Sherpa porters Jiban, Charbhadur & Machindra were responsible for our luggage and although seldomly seen, made sure that our belongings were in place when we arrived at our lodgings. When my one son had to leave us due to altitude/ mountain sickness, Jiban guided him and made sure that while he was getting better, he was still entertained with short hikes around Namche Bazaar.
The trek was fantastic and well organised - there was nothing that we needed, as everything was arranged for - the overnight at EBC was amazing! Overall the trek is moderate to difficult, as the altitude does seep one's energy, but the sights & people made this trip unforgettable! Be prepared to take tonnes of photos too!
Thank you again to all involved, especially Shankar and Bhakta, who made this experience one to cherish forever!