Everest Base Camp Trek - Nepal Trekking Holiday

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

Average Review Rating: from 114 reviews.

Bryan Street

EVEREST BASE CAMP

Written April 2009
A really brilliant holiday. Exceed my expectations. The hardest trek that I have ever done, but enjoyed every second.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The city of Kathmandu. (Across between the gates of Hades and a three ring circus.)
Watching the scenery changing as we trekked higher, Then finally arriving at our goal. Everest Base Camp.
What did you think of your group leader?
Excellent.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Be prepared, and realise that it is a very tough trek. Think about the altitude you are ascending to.
Then just enjoy it
Is there anything else you would like to add?
As I had been to Kathmandu before, I knew where to go in our free time, but had it been my first visit I would have been dissapointed with the so called city guided tour, that I thought was rather poor , and we were then left for the afternoon without any real guidance apart from suggestions from the tour leader.
Exodus Response
With reference to Bryan Street's review . Great to read that you enjoyed every second of the trek. Sorry to hear that the Kathmandu tour was somewhat disappointing. The tour is aimed at being a general introduction to the main sights of Kathmandu. We chose to leave the afternoon of this day free for clients as many people like to go back and revisit some of the sights, do some shopping or even take it easy before their trek. To this end the leader is always happy to advise clients and provide guidance
- Exodus Staff
Jeanette Evans
EVEREST BASE CAMP

Written March 2009
An excellent all round holiday. The quite diverse group (both in terms of background and trekking ability) got on extremely well, Shillash our Exodus guide was a true professional and the scenery and weather were excellent. I would recommend this holiday to anyone who has some previous trekking experience and who is in good physical shape.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The most inspirational moment of the trip was reaching Everest Base Camp on Friday 13th March and standing on the glacier. Due to high winds the previous day, the only poor weather day on the holiday, the trip to EBC was postponed until the Friday, however, it was well worth the wait.
A second highlight of the holiday was the flight into and out of Lukla airport in the Biggles-like Sita Airways plane. Lukla is a short take off and landing airport with a rather short runway; the aircraft appear to need every metre of runway that was available (or so it appeared to us at the time!)
What did you think of your group leader?
Shillesh was excellent, very calm and professional throughout. He looked after us throughout the holiday, always making sure that everyone had their food, were safe and coping well with the altitude / the trip in general. In the end he needed to make a difficult call about who could go to Base Camp, (which members of the group could safely manage to get to Base Camp and then back down to the lodge in daylight) and who would be unable to go because of fitness issues.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
My advice is as follows:
Do not underestimate this holiday, although it is only a C grade (perhaps undergraded a bit, C / D may be more appropriate), make sure that you are in good shape before you go to give yourself every possible chance of reaching Base Camp. Trekking in the UK does little to prepare you for altitude, consider distance running as a good way to get in shape.
Make sure you budget about £350 for the 13 day trek side of the holiday (this is what our Exodus Leader recommended) as our group found that they spent more than anticipated / suggested in the trip notes. In the lower lodges prices are more reasonable but costs go up in line with the altitude. For example at Lukla a litre of water cost around 100 rupees (just under a £) but at Gorak Shep this was about 250. Mars Bars / Snickers cost 80 rupees in Namche Bazaar but about 150 higher up. You also need to factor in the holiday only includes breakfasts in Kathmandu, so you need to pay for absolutely everything and it all mounts up. For instance showers, battery charging, hot water (either boiled or bottled and you will need about 5L of the stuff) all need to be paid for at tourist prices. In many of the lodges there was a lack of access to water, so you cannot rely on been able to put iodene into your own water.
Take the following items with you:
A large supply of energy food (either take from the UK or buy in Kathmandu) as this will save quite a lot of money. They are not precious about the weight of your kit bag on the way out (within reason of course) as long as the zip can be fastened on the trek then this appeared to be fine. When you are buying the junk food also stack up on some toilet rolls as this will save money and get you a better class of loo roll!
Take a buff headscarf with you as this will be needed to cover your mouth; the trek is extremely dusty.
The group appeared to get through several packets of Strepsils / throat sweets because of the dust, take some supplies.
Take a duvet jacket, warm hat that covers your ears and a good pair of gloves. You will need to wear the duvet jacket in the evenings as heating is very limited.
Don't take heaps of clothes, washing facilities are available in at least a couple of places (reasonable prices).
Bring a headtorch and a good book, there isn't much to do in the evening and the porters tend to want you out of the living areas quite early in the evening so they can go to sleep.
Finally don't put micropause tape / sticky tape in your hand luggage from Kathmandu to Lukla and v.v. as they are considered dangerous and ours were confiscated! Aerosol sprays (even under 100ml in size) are also on the banned list.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Book a single room for the first two nights in Kathmandu, it only costs about £10 per night. I failed to do this and ended up sharing with a lady who had the cold from hell, so no sleep for me for two nights and this was then followed by the lurgy which nearly ruined my holiday. Don't risk it get your own room.
Don't rely on using a hydration pack for the trip to EBC, buy a Sigg / Nalgene bottle as well. The tube of the hydration pack froze on the way to Base Camp and also one night in the lodge it was so cold in the bedroom.
Also remember to take two passport photos for your trekking pass, most of our group appeared to miss the small print on the joining instructions and forgot (me included), not a big thing though as we were able to get our photos taken in Kathmandu.

Finally, go for it!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gareth Davies

EVEREST BASE CAMP

Written November 2008
A life changing experience, seeing all the mountains and places that had fascinated me since I was twelve years old in 1953. That year all schoolchildren had to see "The Ascent of Everest" and "A Queen is Crowned" in the cinema (In colour !!).
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
1. The first night in the Royal Singi Hotel in Kathmandu thinking "I'm really here, this is wonderful."
2. The flights into and out of Lukla. Straight out of Biggles or Indiana Jones.
3. Taking beautiful pictures from the upper summit of Kala Pattar in crystal clear weather. (after needing oxygen from Lakpa to recover from the final effort)
4. Reaching Everest Base Camp the next day and seeing the climbing expedition's tented village.
5. Yak sizzler steaks, yeti footprints & jollity at the "Rum Doodle" farewell dinner.
What did you think of your group leader?
Lakpa was experienced, decisive and user friendly, with so many contacts wherever we went. Showed patience & encouragement when I trailed on the climbs daily at the top end.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Do not underestimate the challenge. I walked thirty miles a week for the last month before the trek, with twenty of them in boots and backpack, the other ten climbing a local crag in trainers. At 67 yrs of age I was still struggling against the youngsters, but just managed all the objectives.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Altitude sickness struck much earlier than I expected. One of us had to return to Namche & Kathmandu with what turned out to be pulmonary oedema from only 12,500ft (3757m). Breathlessness is a minimum here.
The energy expended in achieving objectives at the top end leaves little left for exhilaration, only relief. The realisation of what you have achieved comes on the way down when you stop gasping for breath. It feels even better when you reach home & see the pictorial evidence on your computer, which leaves all your friends gobsmacked. No pain , no gain. Or as Francois Pinnaer said when winning the rugby World Cup for South Africa -- Every man did the hard yards.
James Grant

EVEREST BASE CAMP

Written November 2008
Nine of us travelled. We were tremendously impressed by the EXODUS planning and execution and staff on the ground.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The whole package was good, I wouldn't want to separate any particular moment from the other experiences, of which there was a great variety.
What did you think of your group leader?
Very good. Diplomatic. A nice sense of humour.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Don't forget to take IMODIUM
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Chitwan acommodation was good. The expeditions into the forest lacked some inspiration. It seemed to be just a bit too like running exactly the same programme as has run for years. Some novel ideas, such as salt licks with tree houses over them, and expeditions right into the forest, and up to date intelligence as to the whereabouts of game would hugely improve the experience.
Georgina Hand

EVEREST BASE CAMP

Written November 2008
After a plane crash and bad weather at Lukla, we didn't think that were going to have enough time to complete the trek. However the Exodus team were absolutely amazing - whether it was getting us onto the first airplane that they could, showing infinite patience as we crawled towards Base Camp or simply bringing us an extremely welcome cup of hot tea every morning - nothing was too much for them. A really excellent trip with stunning scenery and the obvious excitement of getting so close to Everest itself. Only marred slightly by a bout of "mild" altitude sickness (it didn't feel mild at the time!) but I think we wouldn't have suffered so much if we hadn't had to miss both of our acclimatisation days. More than anything, I was impressed by the professionalism of the guides and their ability to arrange (and re-arrange) things for us, whatever the circumstances. I would definitely recommend Exodus to friends who are considering trekking in Nepal.
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What did you think of your group leader?
Keishar (I'm not sure if that is how it is spelt). He was faultless: always willing to answer any question, however inane; nothing was too much for him to organise/sort out; and he somehow seem to effortlessly arrange everything so we didn't have to think about anything ourselves! Perfect for a holiday!
My husband and I spent a few more days in Nepal after the trip ended and Keishar really kindly invited us to his family home for lunch - we were so touched by his hospitality which was WAY beyond anything we would have expected from our guide.
Daniel Styler and Lindsey Ackers

EVEREST BASE CAMP

Written November 2008
An excellent trip with some inspirational views. Would recommend it to anyone who feels they have the energy.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The most inspirational part of the trip was reaching the summit of Kala Patthar and the gathering clouds parting to reveal excellent views of Everest, could not have timed it more perfectly. Also had a fantastic time when we reached basecamp and got to talk with an Italian expedition preparing to ascend. This was just two highlights though and everyday provides great walking with some excellent views throughout.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our group leader Lakpa was fantastic, couldnt have asked for more. He was well informed, had a great sense of humour and was very caring when members of the group found things a bit tricky. The rest of our guides were excellent aswell working tirelessly to ensure everyone had the best possible holiday as well as providing some entertainment when we had a few beers on the way down!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Ensure you have plenty of Alcohol gel with you for washing your hands as this was an invaluable commodity. Would also recommend lip balm as the lips get rather dry at higher altitudes. Do a bit of training before you go as this will pay dividends and ensure you get the most enjoyment out of the trip.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Get it booked and go on this trip, well worth every penny and Exodus and the guides were fantastic throughout.
Joseph Winkler

EVEREST BASE CAMP

Written November 2008
We have been on a few trips with Exodus and this ranks up there with the best of them. The brilliant organisation, lovely Nepali people, amazing scenery and sense of achievement make this a trip that will live long in the memory.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
There were many such moments. In no particular order of preference -
The flights to & from Lukla - spectacular, thrilling and frightening all at the same time
Watching the sun set on Nuptse - stunning
The walk from Dingboche to Lobuche and onwards to Gorak Shep the next day. New, superb views open up around nearly every corner
Walking amid the desolation of the Khumbu glacier, reaching Everest Base Camp and fulfilling a long-held ambition
Looking at Everest from the top of Kala Pattar on the clearest of days - simply breathtaking
Watching the monks from Thyanboche monastery performing an open air ceremony, followed by sunset on Lhotse & Everest, now so far away
What did you think of your group leader?
We were in the same group as Georgina Hand, who has also posted a review this month. We fully endorse everything George has said about our group leader, Keshar and his team. They were outstanding - a top crew.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you can do a week's walking in the Lake District, or the Scottish or Welsh hills, you can do this trip. The walking is not technically difficult, but it is made harder by the altitude.
This was our 4th time over 4000 metres & second time over 5000 metres, but this trip does spend longer at higher altitudes - approximately 5 days above 4000 metres, of which approximately 2 days are above 5000 metres. It would have been 7 days above 4000 metres if we had not missed out on the 2 acclimatisation days due to delays getting to Lukla! So far, my wife and I have managed to avoid serious altitude problems. Maybe we have been lucky, but we try to help ourselves as much as possible by -
1. Drinking at least 5 litres a day - water, tea, soup etc, but avoiding alcohol!
2. Eating as well as we can, even if we don't always feel like it
3. Taking part in all the acclimatisation walks on offer
4. Walking slowly & within our capabilities at all times
5. Accepting the headaches, breathlessness and other discomforts, retaining our sense of humour & interest in our surroundings and adopting a strong, positive, mental attitude
Never postpone climbing your favourite mountain - or even visiting its base camp!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
At closer to 60 than 50, if we can do it, you can do it. This really is the most wonderful trip.

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Everest Base Camp

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