|
Hi Mohan
I opened your news letter and I could not stop laughing and laughing and two days later I still find it funny, I just hope it encourages some people to come along on your fantastic trips!
Enjoy the rest of your trip!
We'll catch up upon your return
Cheers
Lex
A short note regarding the trek which I trust you view as constructive.
Firstly, we all greatly enjoyed the experience, and would recommend it to others.
The hotel in Darjeeling was very good, the restaurants below, even better.
The Yuksom hotel is pretty ordinary, but acceptable but some rooms did not have acceptable water heaters (never reached a reasonable temperature) which at the end of a trek is not acceptable. (I lucked out, but two of the boys got luke warm showers.)
The drivers that I experienced were both very good and their habits were conscious of the expectations of westerners- safe passing etc (most of our drivers here require considerable attention and 'training'.)
Wangchuk was excellent and speaks pretty good English and has good general knowledge about flora and fauna- a big plus for some (like me.)
Sunder is pretty ordinary and has very limited English. The driver to Kalimpong (I think his name was Pema, young guy short hair and with it clothes/ ear rings) would actually be a better guide for the trip there than Sunder. He speaks good English- but needed some encouragement to use it while Sunder was in charge. He knew Kalimpong well and it was easy to sort out arrangements on where we'd meet after exploring the town or restaurants etc, which is always a bit of a problem in India especially if there is a language or other gap. He was also more enthusiastic to show you places such as the Orphanage/ school in Kalimpong. Worth exploring possibility of using him as guide and driver.
Re the trek- we had amazing weather and I've already sent a load of people emails re the experience.
What worked well- arrangements for huts and tents were generally good and convenient, except you need to provide some decent tent pegs. The ones we used had to be straightened, re-sraightened etc, and had we had some strong winds we would have had real problems. (I think Lex and Andrea did one night anyway.)
The food was good and plenty of it; certainly there were no complaints in our group. The down jackets were necessary, Lex and Andrea did not have the same quality and suffered from the cold.
The sleeping bags were very good quality, but are really only long enough for people shorter than 1.8m (6'). I know that mine said L on the tag, but I think the sizing is a wee bit optimistic. I had trouble if I tried to sleep straight out because my shoulders didn't quite fit in the bag; I'm just on six feet. (We have done a lot of back packing and camping, so it isn't just that we're not used to sleeping in bags- but ours are only rated -5C and are all synthetic so not up to the conditions we experienced.)
For Australian trekkers I think it would be useful to indicate what tipping is expected in India. We talked to Wangchuk, but my original estimate he thought was 'very less' (actually not so very less as it turned out, but a difficult topic for Aussies.) It would have been uncomfortable to end the trek and not be able to tip appropriately for the team, so in general I think people like to know about how much is reasonable- and be prepared with low denomination notes to give each an envelope (provided by Wangchuk in our case which was good). The team we went with was good- one grumpy Dzo could have caused problems, but luckily nothing serious but Adam was 'horned' dangerously close to his crotch.
How tough was it??
Only Evan and Adam in our group could be regarded as very fit, although I do generally walk about 3-5km a day one way or another. No one complained of aching legs (I had some "deep heat" in case) but the walking certainly gets tough at altitude - managed well by Wangchuk with frequent breaks on the high altitude, steeper sections. Jean is very office bound, and a bad asthmatic, so she found it tough from the air availability view point, not re physical exertion. Probably worth indicating that asthma triggered by cold can be problem, so trekkers should have medication with them- Guy also an asthmatic, who did not have his, and Jean's just stretched for the two of them back to Yuksom. I think most people with reasonable level of fitness should be OK.
The cold after finishing walking until bed time was the real challenge for some of us- my feet have never been so cold- despite two pairs of thick woollen socks.
I hope all is well with the Trekking Staff and that you have an enjoyable and fulfilling 2006,
Art Bursle
Dear Mohan,
I was just going through some of our India trip memorabilia and my journals, and I wanted you to know what a terrific trip that you had
planned for us, even though its been a few months. As they say, better late than never.
Of course the trekking experience was one that we'll carry with us forever. The Himalayas are breathtakingly beautiful, and it was simply awesome to view Mt. Everest and the other high peaks. I think Kangchenjunga was my favorite. Wangchuk was a fabulous guide and friend, showing much patience as we walked slowly, slowly on the
trek. Gary had some foot pain, his toes kept jamming against the tip of his boots, causing the nails to loosen, so that slowed him down a
little.That did not dampen his spirit, however, and both of us agreed that the trek was simply outstanding. It was such an adventure!
We loved Darjeeling too, we thought it one of the prettiest places that we've ever seen. Wangchuk was a good guide here too and even
invited us to his home for tea. There was such a aura of peace and gentleness with the people. Although we enjoyed visiting other parts of India, Darjeeling was the favorite.
Everything went off like clockwork, our hosts were gracious and well- informed wherever we went. The hotels were good choices, with the
Heritage Resort being an excellent selection for our day hotel, giving us a chance to rest and relax before the long flight home.
Also, many thanks to you for always promptly answering any of my numerous questions.
I wish you and Shiela the best in the coming year.
Sincerely,
Nancy Stadtlander
Hi Mohan
My first day back at work today - I'd much rather be in Darjeeling or trekking!
Thank you so much for arranging such a great holiday - we enjoyed it all tremendously. I was thrilled by the scenery in Ladahk which was so
different from anything I had seen before but I must admit by the time we got to Darjeeling I was relieved to see green again. The two
areas make a wonderful contrast to each other - both were interesting and wonderful in their own way. I loved Darjeeling with its hustle and
bustle and we trekked through some truly lovely areas there. I suppose one day we will need to do it again to see the spring flowers!
Wangchuck, Sunder and Kalu looked after us extremely well - I think they are all very good at what they do and our holiday wouldn't have
been as successful without them. We enjoyed their company very much and they were very patient and kind to us as were Lalit and Pandu on the
Darjeeling trek. I am not sure if you heard or not but they even made Claire a birthday cake the last day of the Marka Valley trek since she
turned 22 on that day. The cake was iced as well - it was amazing. I still can't get over the fact that they could bake a cake over a fire.
And it was delicious as well. Having Wangchuck travel with us to Darjeeling also made it all so much easier and took the stress out of traveling in unfamiliar territory which I really appreciated. (Another party of trekkers told us we were lucky to have such a good guide like
Wangchuk as they had run into communication troubles with their guide.)
Thank you for all the personal attention - I know that made the trip so smooth and effortless for us. And thank you for checking whether we had
our tickets back to Delhi - by that time I had stopped thinking for myself as we had been so well cared for and I just presumed we would be
handed our next tickets along the way!! (I can imagine the drama if we got to the airport with no tickets. Thank goodness it didn't happen.)
I hope we didn't give you too much worry. It seems unfair as obviously we weren't worried at all!
I can't remember the exact date of your daughter's wedding - I think it was about now - but I hope all the plans are going smoothly and that you and Sheila have had time to enjoy your family get together. It must be a fun time catching up with everyone. I just wish we could have been there to see the traditional wedding.
If you are in Sydney at all and in the Neutral Bay area please come into the store. Otherwise perhaps sometime if I am in Canberra I will
look you up.
Thanks again for all your care and planning. We loved every day of our trip.
best wishes
Helen Aquart
Grok Pty Ltd
Hi Mohan
We're back from our trip and had a great time. The Himalayas are spectacular and it was wonderful to be able to see them, in person, for
the first time. It's been interesting to watch Michael Palin's program and follow his travel.
I wanted to let you know that the trek with your company went very well. Sheila was helpful and welcoming and Sundha (sp?) and Chirring (sp?) were excellent walking companions.
Sundha has a wealth of knowledge which he was happy to share. They both made arrangements at each stop which I am sure would not have all
worked out so well if we were attempting to speak Nepali or Hindi!
We had some great and not so great Kodak moments and I've attached a small selection here. As you know photographic opportunities was one of the main reasons we did this walk.
Hope you enjoy the Christmas break and thanks again for your help in making our trip one we will remember,
Catherine & Tendai
Hello Mohan,
We have finally got around to writing to you to thank you for organizing our trip to Sikkim in April. It was a wonderful experience! Apart from a few minor glitches - like the plane arriving at Kolkata airport earlier than you scheduled and the plane being grounded in Bagdogra - everything went smoothly. We enjoyed the Golden Triangle extension but our highlight was the trek. Sheila and Wangchuk both did a great job in looking after our every need, before and after the trek. Faroukh was worth his weight in gold the way he negotiated for us, translated every detail along the way, and made helpful suggestions to make our trip more enjoyable.
This trek has whetted our appetite for more. If you happen to be organizing a trek for the Easter school holidays next year to either the northern section of Sikkim, or Ladakh, please let us know.
Thanks once again for the experience of a lifetime,
Paul and Margaret Naughtin.
How do you sum up a trip that take you from the bustling streets of Delhi, to the magical hills of Darjeeling, to the heart of the Kangchendzonga massif in the Sikkim Himalayas, to the spectacular vistas of the Singalilla ridge, to the wildlife wonderland of Ngorogoro Crater (Tanzania), to the sweltering plains of Africa, to the top of the mighty Kilimanjaro, to the tropical and exotic island of Zanzibar? With one word: amazing. This was the response both my husband and I gave to anyone who asked us about our trip to India and Africa that Mohan organized for us. We both love to travel and every holiday for us involves lots of walking, lots of mountains, backpacks and tents. So this experience was a bit different for us: someone else carrying our packs, setting up our tents, and preparing our food. I don't know how we'll ever go back to doing it all ourselves! Mohan has spoiled us with wonderful meals served at 4000m, fantastic scenery, new cultures, and service with a smile, the trademark of both Mohan and his trekking company team. We were both so happy with our trip that we can't wait to go on the next one.... To learn a little bit more about our trip follow this link to our photo diaries of the trip. We hope they encourage you to go out and explore the world!
Andrea & Lex
Great trip and we had a wonderful time!!!! The people in the group were fantastic!
The group was small and the people meshed well. We had fantastic views from Goecha La as the weather was clear. The trip was extremely well organized and ran efficiently with Wanjuck Sherpa in charge.
It was a pleasure meeting Sheila and she did some special extras at the end of the trip by sending a cake and gifts which were very much appreciated by all in the group after a hard trip with variable weather with rain, hail, wind and snow.
Again, my congratulations for running a very efficient and personable organization. We were most pleased with the entire trip from start to finish and will definitely mention your company to my friends for possible future travel.
MANY THANKS and send our regards to Sheila.
Lou Lehman and Francois Perrin
Hello Mohan,
We visited Andrea yesterday, and saw her photos from their similar trek last April, and heard only good things about your organisation... it's very exciting, as our turn draws nearer!
Julie
Dear Sheila and Mohan,
I would like to thank you for all the wonderful hospitality in India and for looking after us so well.
We had a lovely trip back on the train.
Hope to do another trek this year. Perhaps in Nepal. Keep me on mailing list. I have been recommending you to all my friends.
Best wishes
Leigh and Geoff
Dear Mohan,
Thank you so much for a wonderful trip to India and Nepal. Even with all the time that has lapsed, whenever I catch up with the other guys from either trip, conversation inevitably turns to the amazing experience that was had by us all.
I have to remark at the beauty of Darjeeling and Sikkim. Being an enthusiast of the outdoors, I especially loved the trek through Sikkim.
Best wishes and kind regards,
Clinton Ross
Greetings from Buenos Aires. We just finished trekking in Patagonia and it was FANTASTIC!!!! Great trip and very well organized. Lewis, the guide, was absolutely great!!!! In short, it was a great trip and many thanks for all your help. It all worked out well. All the best. Cheers.
Lewis and Francois
Dear Mohan,
I have never forgotten our trek in 1973 and often get out the slides. My interest in mountains has always been there and although I have been walking and climbing in the UK since the 60s…..
Very best wishes.
Chris
Chris and I got together in 2005 for a trek around the Cordillera Huayhuash and he was back in the Himalaya with us in April 2006 - and this is the note from him and his wife Hazel:
Dear Mohan and Sheila,
We arrived back safely in the UK yesterday after having had a wonderful holiday. It was full of variety and was also very memorable. We really enjoyed our stay at the Glenburn Tea Estate and the luxurious life style.
We are so grateful to the both of you for putting together such an excellent holiday and especially the stay at the Grand in Kolkata. More importantly, we were able to meet up with you both again and renew old friendships.
Thank you again for all your help and hospitality and we hope to see you both in the UK later this summer. Let us know your plans as and when.
Our very best wishes.
Chris and Hazel
Dear Mohan,
"All in all, it was a fantastic experience for us, and we will be back with you in the future. We have said to each other several times that "If the Trekking Company goes where we want to go, we'll use the Trekking Company".
Kind regards
Steve
|
