Exploring Annapurna with Family and Ram - II took my family to Annapurna during spring break and my 13-year-old and 16-year-old kids had the best time. We are a busy family with both parents working and believe that taking time out for adventures is an important part of our family values. Hence, we decided to hire a guide for this trip. Our guide, Ram, was amazing from start to finish. We all leaned on Ram from time to time, and that made the experience culturally rich. Not only did we spend time in an amazing environment, but we also learned so much about Nepal, the people, the mountains, and what makes it so special. Although the trek was our most challenging one so far, our family got through it, and we all had tough times at some point. I highly recommend spending time like this with family, and if you want the best from your time, take a guide. If you are considering a guide, you can't go past Ram. Namaste, Ram.

Family Bonding for busy people ask for Ram; if you want the best - Our family of four with 2 children aged 16 and 13, LOVED this trip. Breath taking and one of the very best family bonding experiences. Ram and mountain mart made our life amazing. Absolutely nothing was too much for them. Ram was on hand to help resolve any matter. Close but not invasive. We did the four day and it was enough for our fit family. Mountain mart made it simple. Having a guide made sure my wife and I enjoyed it and could focus on helping our kids with the moment of struggle that are always going to happen. Highly recommend mountain mart and if you want great look no further than Ram

The Best Guide Ram Bhandari - Mar 2024 • Friends Trekking with Ram Bandhari. Review of Mountain Mart Treks & Expedition Reviewed 10 March 2024 We were planing to go to Poon Hill Trek in March. Ram which was the best trekking guide of the trek. He’s nice, warm and patient.trekking guide. He also knew every peak and he always kept us in good mood. He knew all the best lodges in the mountains and whenever it was possible he provided us with a good bedroom and hot show bathroom. He was always by our side and take care of us during the trek. Susan is a good porter who was really strong and kind. We highly recommend Ram to be your trekking guide in Nepal.

Ram Bhandari - Trekking with Ram Bandhari. Review of Mountain Mart Treks & Expedition Reviewed 23 March 2024 We were planing to go to Nepal in March. Ram which was the best trekking guide of the trek. He’s nice, warm and patient. He take good care of us. He thought us everything about Nepali culture and answered all the questions we had. He also knew every peak and he always kept us in good mood. He knew all the best lodges in the mountains and whenever it was possible he provided us with a good bedroom and bathroom. Every day after dinner we also got fruit from Ram (which he carried for us up to the mountains) and which other guests didn't have. He was really there for us from beginning till the end. We also need to mention our porter Susan who was really strong and kind, and carried all our stuff to the mountains. We would really recommend Ram to guide you in your trek in Nepal.

Annapurna Base Camp trek. - I didn’t realise at the time that I’d fallen on my feet! I booked accommodation in Kathmandu with the intent on finding a local guide/trek, only to realise that the owner of the hotel had a trekking business. Within a short while of talking with Dolakh Thapa I secured an 8 day trek to the Annapurna Base Camp. To the positive I was asked various questions on the clothing/equipment I had and naturally I came prepared. However, it dawned on me whilst on the trek of the professionalism of Mountain Mart Treks & Expedition compared to others, as others on guided treks were not dressed appropriately which would be detrimental to their enjoyment e.g. wearing Vans to walk in the snow!…Dolakh runs a trekking business that I consider to be Top Notch! 👍 Furthermore, I had an exceptional guide from start to end with Ram Bhandari. Exceptional knowledge of the Annapurna circuit, always mindful of my welfare as in appropriately hydrated and fuelled with the typical Tea House culinary delights. Ram also has a very nice personal touch in the manner he would present a drink and wipe the cutlery with a tissue prior to presenting to me. All in all, Ram is exceptional and I’d endorse him as your trekking guide 👌

Exceptional moment ! - We booked Annapurna Valley trek for 3 days with Mountain Mart. We were accompanied by Ram Bhandari. He was very attentive and met our expectations, giving us an exceptional moment. Ram is a very good guide, who explained to us well throughout our journey the Nepalese culture and flora. I recommend 100% Ram for your Trek ;) !

Excellent experience - We went on Mountain Mart’s Annapurna Panorama trek and added on two nights in Chitwan National Park. Bottom line - the trip was spectacular – everything we could have hoped for. Dolakh was very responsive to our requests and our needs in the planning process. When we arrived at the Everest Boutique Hotel (which is owned by Dolakh/Mountain Mart) we were pleasantly surprised. We expected more “Nepalese” accommodations, but found a newly built, clean, and well-appointed room. The day tour around Kathmandu was informative and allowed us learn about Nepalese religious traditions. The next morning, we opted to take a flight to Pokhara (more on this decision later) for the next leg of the journey. As soon as we got above the clouds, we were treated to our first view of the Himalayas, readying us for more to come. The Lakeside Retreat Resort was clean and comfortable, with an excellent breakfast. With our guide, Ram, we took a long stroll around Pokhara lakeside. Ram prepared us for the trek, answering all of our questions about what to expect. We also started to get to know Ram and learn more about him and his family, as well as Nepalese culture and customs. Unequivocally, Ram was an excellent guide and host throughout our entire journey. The next morning, we left early for our trek. We chose this 6-day trek for the anticipated views and because it stayed below 10,600 feet (we know we don’t do well at higher elevations). While the daily mileage was shorter than what we had previously done (4 – 11 miles daily), the climbs were challenging. Let me emphasize that – several days had over 3000 feet of elevation gain – and what we didn’t anticipate was how much of it was on steps. We definitely struggled, particularly as our elevation increased. Ram quickly learned about our strengths and weaknesses as hikers. He encouraged us throughout and never pushed us beyond our capabilities. One day, he adjusted our route to take us around a mountain peak rather than over it, knowing that we didn’t mind the extra mileage. It’s worth noting that our feeling of accomplishment is one of the memories we will cherish from this trip. Thakur, our sherpa, was always ready with a smile on his face and had a few simple English words in his vocabulary. He was consistently ready on time, always the last in our small group to make sure we didn't stray off the trail, and impressed us daily on how he easily maneuvered the same trek but with 40+ lbs of supplies on his back. Two highlights for us were the sunrise from Poon Hill (of course) and our visit to the village of Ghandruk. The teahouses were a mixed bag, as expected. We always had a private bathroom (with western toilets), wifi (although it was slow and intermittent), and plugs for charging. Not all had hot water. We didn’t realize that the trekking route took us past many small villages, so we were never far from a water resupply or a toilet (although these were mostly eastern style “squatters”). After the trek, we spent another night in the same hotel in Pokhara and then got a private driver to take us over the awful roads to Chitwan. At the Rainforest Hotel, we were met by our guide Raj. In the next day and a half, Raj took us into the park 4 times, for two hikes, a dugout canoe ride, and a jeep safari. We did not want to take the elephant ride. Raj is an outstanding naturalist – he knows about the flora and fauna and has an uncanny ability to spot wildlife. We saw several rhinos, both in the water and on land, crocodiles, several types of deer, and dozens of interesting birds. On one hike, we saw fresh Bengal tiger footprints, but didn’t see the tiger itself. We got a private vehicle back to Kathmandu, where we stayed for one more night at the Everest Boutique Hotel, before taking a late night flight back home. Our one criticism is something that was out of Mountain Mart’s control, but we do wish we had known in advance. The roads connecting Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Chitwan are awful – long unpaved sections and construction delays, as well as a free-for-all when there is congestion. Journeys of less than 100 miles can take over 6 hours. The trip included transfers on the “tourist” bus, but this would have taken even longer. On the morning we transferred to Pokhara, Dolakh advised us to fly, as the rains made the roads nearly impassable. We also opted for 6-hour private car service on the next two legs, rather than an 8-9 hour tourist bus. These were our choices and overall ground costs of the trip were otherwise reasonable, so we felt we could afford this. But overall, it did add an additional $450 expense that we didn’t anticipate.

What a landscapes - The trek was insane! We saw a lot of beautiful landscapes and I will never forget it. Our guide Ram was very nice and very hepful. He knows the mointains like the back of his hand and we trusted him 100%. I recommend this trek to everyone!

Annapurna Poon Hill 9 days trek - Great trek, not so expensif and with the really best guide Ram Bhandari. 9 days Trek all include, start from Katmandou. Bus for pokhara. Great walk, best place for point of view not lucky with the weathers unfortunatly (raining season). Ram is the best guide we could expected, he knows the best adress to sleep and eat in the montain and was very friendly and helpfull. He walk at our pace and made everything great. He favored safety and did the very best when my friend got sick, he managed the best plans for our safety ! Great guy, and the best guide !

Mardi Himal 5 days trekking - We booked the trekking during our stay at Dolak’s Everest Boutique hotel - which is great. The trekking was fantastic, Sudip - our guide is very professional, showed us all the best viewpoints and took care of our stays at different locations. He is an experienced trekking guide and definitely someone worth trusting. Definitely recommend this experience!