Amazing Everest View Trek

Wanted to take my wife and young adult daughters to Everest Base Camp since I’d heard so much about it. Being our first time to Nepal , I asked my college friend who is an experienced trekker for advice and he connected me to Third Rock Adventures and the founder Naba Raj Amgai (the founder) who he’d travelled with before. Nabaji was super responsive and shared a lot of information about different options. Since we were short on time we settled on a 6 days customised itinerary just for our family of four including one day in Kathmandu to see some of the places of interest. Nabaji shared a bunch of pre arrival information to help help prepare us which was very comprehensive. Any doubts were raised via WhatsApp and promptly answered by Nabaji. 10 days prior to our departure Nabaji created a group chat on WhatsApp to connect us with our guide and his administrative team for any logistical issues. On arrival at Kathmandu airport (it was a late hour) we were greeted by our Trekking guide Mr. Ganga Bahadur Tamang (Man Bdr) with traditional garlands and taken to our hotel by the Third Rock Adventures vehicle. The next day we had an English speaking guide (Mr. Jaya) arranged by Nabaji / Third Rock Adventures to show us around Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa Kathmandu Durbar Square and Swayambhunath Stupa. Mr. Jaya was highly knowledgeable. That evening we were treated to a fabulous dinner and Nepalese cultural show of music and dance hosted by Man Bdr at Bhojan Graha. He also left duffel bags and trekking poles for us to pack for our trek. On our second day our trekking adventure started. Man Bdr picked us up bright and early from our hotel and we went to Kathmandu airport to catch our private helicopter to Lukla. Unfortunately they were delays in departures but we arrived at Lukla and were greeted by our two porters. We started our trek towards the first far destination of Monju. We stopped for lunch at a beautiful spot on the way chosen by Man Bdr and carried on post towards Monju. Rain slowed us down and we had to stop due to falling light at Phakding. This is where we noticed hiw well Man Bdr and the Third Rock Adventures team anticipated unforeseen issues and made quick adjustments without compromising on safety and quality. They quickly made calls for us to stay at the Mountain Lodges of Nepal (MLN) property and Phakding. It turned out to be our best stay during the trek with good facilities, nice location next to the river, sumptuous dinner and breakfast, and great service by the staff. Being the first day of our trek , the electric blankets and running hot water in the attached bathrooms were very welcome amenities. Man Bdr continued to share his knowledge and insights about the regions, the mountains and the people. He briefed us at dinner in detail about the trek next day as it was going to be a long one and prepared us in advance. We left early from MLN Phakding and made our way up the valley towards Monju with some amazing views thanks to a clear day. 3 hours later we stopped for lunch past Monju and a place chosen by Man Bdr. The food was wholesome. After a short rest we started our way towards Namche Bazar which is an arduous climb up. My wife was bothered by her knees and Man Bdr kept us at a pace that was comfortable to her. About 90 minutes away from Namche, Man Bdr told us that the trek was going to be a hard one and suggested for a horse for my wife for that part. Man Bdr was again spot on in his assessment of the situation and gave the right suggestion. After making some calls, the horse arrived and we all made it to Namche Bazar in good time. The place chosen by Nabaji / Third Rock was MLN Namche Bazar which is set higher up on the valley with great sights and a short 200 metre walk to Tenzing Norgay Heritage Centre. This MLN property lived up to the standard with good facilities and great service. Sunrise next morning, Man Bdr was ready to take us upto to the viewing point. With fantastic clear weather we set spent over an hour admiring the sunrise over Mt. Everest, Lohtse, Ama Dablam. Man Bdr patiently explained in detail about the various peaks and was always gracious during our entire trip to be the official photographer. Rest of that way spent walking around the view points of Namche Bazar, visiting the Bazar and the shopping area. Pizza lunch (venue chosen by Man Bdr) was al fresco on a beautiful day. Next day we made our way upto the well known Hotel Everest View. We took a detour by climbing up the Namche Bazar face towards Syangboche (highest airport in Nepal) and made our way to Khumjung. Man Bdr was his usual helpful, cheerful and talkative self and continued to share his knowledge and experiences. He knew the places to go for good views, good food, when to slow down if we were getting tired and giving us tips on trekking. He is certified for First Aid and helped each of us track our conditions daily (monitored oxygen levels and pulse rate) and gave suggestions for handling altitude sickness. Post lunch we arrived at Hotel Everest View, which has a great location to view the mountains. However, we were unlucky with the weather. We waited for the rest of the day of it to clear but with no luck. The next day we had arranged for our private helicopter trip to Everest Base Camp , Kaala Patthar and viewing the various peaks before flying back to Kathmandu. Luck was not our side with weather up the valley not open for flying. So we had to fly back to Kathmandu where we were picked up by the Third Rock Team and put up in a hotel while waiting for our flight back home. Great trip on the whole. Customised and choreographed by Nabaji and Third Rock Adventures Team. This team is professional, quick, anticipates issues, makes things happen quietly and flawlessly. And with Man Bdr on the trek with the execution was excellent. I would gladly recommend Man Bdr, Third Rock Adventures and Naba.