Nepal has forever been amongst the top travel destinations for adventure enthusiasts and true nature lovers the world over for experiencing their one-of-a-kind cultural exploration and adventurous trekking journey. And Nepal deserves the glory in every means since the country flaunts a rich cultural diversity and scenic landscape.
From low lands to the Mt. Everest peak, Nepal is beautified by lush green forests, mountain peaks, villages, and truly-welcoming people. The beauty and enigma of Nepal inspire travelers to visit here over and over.
However, when travel enthusiasts decide to visit Nepal for their next adventurous and cultural tour, they experience a sense of dilemma in terms of choosing an ideal travel agency amongst the hundreds of available options. Travelers forever aim to find a travel agent that can offer them a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience in a very affordable and comfortable way.
Therefore, to simplify your search for an ideal travel agency in Nepal, we have compiled some of the essential things to consider before choosing a travel agent in Nepal.
1. Make sure that the travel agency is authorized
As such, legal authorization of the agency must be the topmost consideration for any tourist ahead of choosing a travel agency in Nepal. In Nepal, each travel agency requires registration with the Government of Nepal, the Trekking Agencies’ Association (TAAN), and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) ahead of providing their services to tourists, trekkers in particular.
In case you are searching for additional adventure expedition that includes climbing, the travel agency you pick must also be registered with the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA). You can search for the official TAAN website that can help you figure out if the travel agency you are considering for your Nepal tour is registered or not.
2. Customers testimonials and reviews reflect it all
Not every registered travel agency provides the best service features to the tourists. Therefore, to be on the safer side and ensure that you get the right blend of services, make sure you review the testimonials and feedback of the agency’s former clients. Their views will help you figure out the reality of whether or not they had a pleasant experience with that particular travel agency.
While most travel agencies have their official websites featuring customer reviews, most of them are canned and unreliable. Therefore, to avoid last minute surprises, you should prefer neutral third-party online review portals that provide genuine and authentic client testimonials you can bank upon to make a wise decision.
Considerations from reputed third-party websites such as Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor can be taken for getting authentic reviews of the travel or trekking agency.
3. Make sure you double check on facilities and costs at different agencies
Though the facilities and trekking routes offered by various agencies are more or less the same, the pricing of the tour or trekking package may vary from agency to agency. However, it doesn’t mean you must search for the cheapest travel package, but you should seriously make a comparison of the pricing in terms of the facilities they provide within the cost.
In simple terms, we recommend you to choose a package based on the “value for money” instead of the pricing itself.
4. How experienced is the travel agency?
In general, the user experience offered by a travel agency in Nepal increases exponentially with the number of years the travel agency has been in the business. Therefore, it makes sense for you to do a bit of research regarding the
- The age of the travel agency
- The number of employees it has
- The number of locations or offices it has
More often than not, the better these numbers, the more chances you have to get served with best-in-class services at the most competitive market prices.
5. Safety and health standards are a must
There are no second thoughts that the traveling or trekking in Nepal is indeed a demanding bustle which may get strenuous at times and can be extremely dangerous as well if the required precautions and care are not taken in the nick of time.
Hence, before booking your Nepal adventure tour, always ensure the travel agency you choose put hygiene and safety of the travelers or trekkers as the utmost priority. Also, make sure the travel agency has all the safety equipment and standards in place to cater to an emergency.
6. Making an early inquiry is does no harm
Contacting a few travel agencies through mail or phone call to clear any doubts you might be having can make you double-sure before booking the right agency. Ask for any available discounts they provide, the best services they offer, the facilities and amenities they have onboard, any add-on services they offer, etc.
Most travel agencies are highly active on social media these days and, therefore, you can also contact them by dropping a message on their Facebook or Twitter page to get more information. Knowing as much as you can about a travel agency helps make a wise decision and avoid last minute surprises.
7. Are their guides adequately insured, bonded, and well trained?
Traveling or trekking in Nepal with no professional guide can be insanely hectic and, therefore, most travel agencies recruit professional guides and trekking professions who are entirely familiar with the valley and trekking routes.
As such, it won’t be wrong to say, they’re the ideal people to guide you through the trek safely and that they are the ones accountable for whatever experience, ‘pleasant or unpleasant,’ you get; from your voyage. The better the guide, the more pleasant you trekking experience tends to be.
Therefore, you must never forget to ensure that the agency you choose has certified and professional guides onboard to make your trekking experience in Nepal a joie-de-vivre
The bottom line
Traveling and trekking in Nepal is undoubtedly one of the most pleasant experiences you can ever get in your lifetime.
Choosing the right travel agency is the key. While most travel agencies in Nepal claim to deliver world-class service, but not all of them live up to the expectations.
As a result, picking the ideal travel agency gets exceptionally chaotic. Therefore, we recommend you to ponder over the vital points discussed in this article before choosing a travel agency and, rest assured, you won’t be disappointed.
