Well, we are home, slowly getting over our jet lag..and we want to thak you for arranging a memorable trip.  We have so many unusual memories and"pictures" in our minds. Ugen--Santosh may have told you that our flight to Kathmandu on Air India was cancelled so we missed our first day with our kids.  I wonder if we can get a refund for that night from the Crowne Plaza? (Deva from High Asia Travels suggested that I write you)  I do want to tell you how wonderful, kind, considerate and helpful Santosh was to us during a very difficult, frustrating and anxious time.  The people from Air India were so incompetent, inefficient and disorganized that we were going crazy and then he intervened to help us.  We are very appreciative.

Re our trip we have a few comments.. The Radisson in Dehli wasa terrific also the Crowne Plaza and the Shangri-La (and the Fishtail Lodge where we stayed when we returned early fro Jomsom).  The Rhino residency was disappointing and The "Jomson Mountain Resort" was awful.  I had made it clear to you that I wanted to be assured that all places we stayed at would be heated and those 2 were not.  With the hot water bottles in our beds and the space heaters in our rooms at Jomsom we were able to sleep comfortably...butg the hotel was freezing and none of the common areas were heated (the manager placed a space heater under our family table)  We were very uncomfortable and angry and were happy to leave early.  There was a smell of leaking fuel near our rooms and the manager basicaslly lied...WE had no hot water for our stay and we left early because  mainly we were concerned that if the planes didn't fly on the day we were due to leave it would wreck the rest of our plans and reservations.  Indeed, the day after we arrived tghe airport was closed due to high winds and we were told that at that time of year it wasn't such a rare occurrence.  So our wonderful guide Sujan Rai made arrangements for us to return by jeep via the jarring but beautiful rocky road to Pokhara.  Perhaps later in the season the Jomson hotel would be more tolerable...but no hot water!! After all, we were not trekking!

Perhaps deva has filled you in  more

Our tour in Dehli was excellent and we all enjoyed...the Hotel Imperial was needless to say incredible..and we found our guide (Mukais) to be superb.

So again, except for some glitches, we had a memorable trip...Thank you...we'll be in touch further.  Aaron D.

Dr. Aaron D
Highland Park

Drukyul Walking Tour with Jampay Festival : Oct 17 2010   - Oct 30 2010 

Ugen, my wife Carolyn and I arrived safely home last night on our Cathay Pacific non-stop flight from Hong Kong, after a wonderful 45-day trip to Nepal, Bhutan, Bangkok and Siem Reap, Cambodia.  I wanted to send you a note immediately to let you know that all of our arrangements worked out perfectly, regarding flights, tours, hotels, guides, visas and the myriad other details that helped to make it such a wonderful experience for the both of us.  I sincerely appreciate your patience with me as we made all of our arrangements together.  That time and effort ensured that the trip was perfect in every respect.  I have 90 pages of notes in my diary.

We knew going in that it would not be an easy trip and it challenged us both physically and mentally but it was a trip that we will remember for the rest of our lives.  I was very pleased with the hotel choices and the arrangements in both Nepal and Bhutan were just what we were looking for.  Your agent in Nepal was excellent.  We both felt completely safe and well cared for throughout.  We enjoyed Kathmandu and the temple visits there.  Although the climbing, impacted by the altitude, was strenuous at times for us and Carolyn felt the change in water and food during the first few days, our guides were very sensitive to both our needs and to how we were handling the trip.  The routing for the Everest view trek was perfect!  We thought that Tengboche at 4,000 metres was amazing as we sat for 2 hours at dawn in the monastery, watching and listening to the prayer service of the monks.  This was the beginning of a festival and the service was a special one, complete with "yellow hats" being worn by them at one point during the service.  The accommodation there was the most basic of the trip but the impact of the monks at prayer and seeing Everest in the sun as we came out made it very special indeed.

The internal flights in Nepal worked well and the weather cooperated.  Our stay in the remote village at a Ghurka home was totally unique and the warmth of the welcome that we received from the villagers was exceptional.  Being also able to stay at Fishtail lodge and to climb up to the viewpoint to see the sunrise on "Fishtail" was another highlight.  Our room looked out on the lake and up to the mountain and we could see it clearly when we came back down for breakfast.  We also enjoyed our stay very much at the Rhino Residency Resort.  Our guide there was also very good.  Everywhere we went, people were eager to be of help, exactly on time and wonderfully supportive.  We had a great time.

Bhutan worked out very well.  The "A" and "B" groups interacted and we enjoyed each other's company.  The bus for our group of 7 was very spacious and comfortable and our driver was excellent.  We always felt completely safe and his driving skills were amazing.  Our guide was very good as well.  I particularly enjoyed seeing the restored Tower at Trongsa and bought the outstanding book published late last year to bring home.  It is a beautiful souvenir.  I also bought a Dorje (diamond sceptre) and bell at the festival at Bumthang as another very meaningful souvenir.   We were very sorry to hear of the fire there the night after we left and saw the convoy on the road, with the King's father, (K4), the Queen mother and a cabinet minister going to lend aid.  The climb up to Tiger's Nest Monastery was another major highlight of the trip.  The weather that day was absolutely perfect with a clear blue sky and an ideal temperature.  It was a truly gorgeous day and an incredible experience. The only suggestion that I could make re Bhutan is to ensure that your clients take lots of U.S. dollars with them.  With our time in Nepal, I did not have as many as I would have liked and with no ATM's or ability to get cash advances on a credit card I had to watch what I spent.

After leaving Nepal and Bhutan, our trips to both Bangkok and Siem Reap continued to be very special.  We stayed on the river at a very small hotel in Bangkok (the Arun Residence) at the tip of the Royal Island and it was magical.  Our deck looked directly across at Wat Arun and we could sit and enjoy it in the moonlight!  We were 2 minutes from Wat Pho! Our accommodations in Siem Reap were also perfect at a small hotel (Pavillon d'Orient) with outstanding service and touring the Angkor ruins was another major highlight of our trip.  We stayed at the Bangkok Novatel Airport hotel the last night - that hotel and the airport are outstanding.

All in all, a very special trip with enough memories to last a lifetime.  We are now adjusting to the time change and will soon begin to sort out our photos of which there are hundreds.

Ugen, I wanted you to know how much we enjoyed working with you and Windhorse. Thanks again for all of your help with setting this up, p.s.  I found one more souvenir in Bhutan - a copy of a printer's block, that is used to make/print prayer flags.  This one has a "Wind Horse" with the bag of jewels on its back.  Another unique souvenir that will always remind me of your company, our trip and the prayer flags of Bhutan.  k Sincerely, Ken and Carolyn Whiteside.

Ken and Carolyn Whiteside
Toronto, Canada

Himalayan Kingdoms for Desmond & Levin Private : Oct 04 2010 to Oct 18 2010

Dear Ugen, We just got back from our wonderful trip. Your organization was perfect - everything went well, as we expected. Our guides were all very good; knowledgeable, helpful, and responsive to our wishes. Our favorite by far was Dawa in Tibet; he was just outstanding in his desire to educate us about his country and to make our stay there as pleasant and interesting as possible. Above all, he is a wonderful human being whom we were proud to call our friend after just a few days with him.I also want to commend the drivers whose excellent driving skills made us feel safe on the winding roads. The hotels were fine; we especially liked the Dhood Gu Hotel in Lhasa because of its great location in the old city. If anyone asks you for a recommendation, please feel free to give them my e-mail address. I'll be happy to talk to anyone about our great trip - I have lots of good memories. Thank you for organizing a most interesting and enjoyable experience. Tashi Delek.

Jutta Levin
New Jersy, USA

Ugen, This is just a quick email to thank you one more time for the great support and wonderful itinerary you had put together for us. Maximo and I had an amazing time and we shall remember throughout our life!!



Best Regards,  Michele - Tibet, Nepal & Bhutan Private trip Sept 2010.

Michele A.
London, UK

Thank you, Wind Horse Tours !  My trip through Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan was exactly what I had hoped for.  The guides were top-notch and I was thrilled that, since I was traveling alone, they tailored the entire trip in light of my priorities, like photography.  We spent hours chatting with monks and locals, ate incredible food, traveled through spectacular landscapes, stayed away from the tourist traps, and frankly, really experienced all three cultures.  Feel free to use this email as a testimonial.  I would recommend Wind Horse without hesitation.  Keep up the good work."    Sid  ( TID 344; Tibet Everest Base Camp tour with Nepal & Bhutan Tour - Aug 15 till Sep 01, 2010)

Sid Esp.
Palo Alto, California

TID 153: Introduction of India, Bhutan and Nepal (Sept 30- Oct 20, 2008)
Ugen-
Our trip was wonderful. I want to commend you especially for the guides in India (Delhi), Nepal and Bhutan. The insight that each one gave to us on the culture and the country was very personal and very rich. The drivers were all especially good. What roads! Excitement all the time!
Just a couple of recommendations:
There is a photo required for Bhutan entry, and only 1 for Nepal. That created some confusion. Also, in Nepal, every time we went in and out of airports there was a tax. This should receive a general mention in the trip guidelines.
All in all, I loved the whole experience and I would definitely recommend Windhorse Tours to anyone. I have been telling my friends about the trip, but until I get my pictures organized, they will have a hard time understanding. Plus, as you know, unless a person has experienced such travel directly, it is hard to communicate the benefits.
Thanks again.
The hotel in Thimpu was a disappointment, but I know it was hard to book because of the festival. I was guessing that when we added Joanne to our group that there was a change needed in hotels.

Pamela G
Chicago, Illinois, USA

TID 153/187: India, Bhutan & Nepal (Oct 5-20, 2008)
I got back yesterday morning. The trip to Bhutan was fantastic. It is quite different from anywhere else that I have ever been and was well worth the money. Everything in Bhutan ran very smoothly and I would particularly like to mention both Tashi the guide and Dorje the driver, who were both excellent. At one point, I lost the key to my suitcase and by ringing around, Tashi managed to locate it at the place where we had stopped for morning tea and the next day, it arrived via one of the other guides. It is hard to think of anywhere else in the world where such excellent service would operate. The standard of the hotels was far better than I expected (better than Nepal) and the food, though a bit repetitive, was plentiful and quite adequate. Everything that we saw was quite magnificent and would love to be able to see more of the country sometime.

There were a few problems. Please tell other visitors the following:

-One photograph is required for the Bhutan visa and another for Nepal

- Nepalese money cannot be spent in Delhi airport, so anyone with a long layover should keep some Indian rupees for buying food etc. at the airport.

- You did mention that 500 rupee and above notes cannot be used in Bhutan. I had read this but not knowing the exchange rate, assumed that this applied to large amounts of money, not the equivalent of around 13 euros. In fact, i had no difficulty using 500 notes in Bhutan but it's another story in Nepal, where one of our group nearly had a serious problem with customs.

My own experience in Nagakot was not too good. The hotel was fairly full and I was put up in a room that is normally used by the guides. The walls had large damp patches and the towels, though clean, looked as if they had been in continuous use for more than 10 years. It was more like Youth Hostel accommodation than a hotel. In general, this would not matter too much but it was not what I paid for. The restaurant was also poor. I declined the buffet as this kind of food is normally very bland for my taste and I am not a big eater. However, what I ordered off the "a la carte" menu turned out to be buffet food anyway, as I got the same as people sitting on the next table! My guide, Chan was very accommodating and the next day he took me to an excellent local restaurant in Kathmandu.

Finally, as you probably know there were some problems with the accommodation in Kathmandu. Although I was not personally affected, I would like to point out that our guide and Dave did there very best to resolve the situation.

Regards, Joanne
-------
Windhorse response: With regards to the photos for visa: When entering Bhutan from Phuntsholing, some of the immigration officials will demand passport size photo but not when arriving by flight into Bhutan. Nepal visa require one and sometimes 2 photos.
Joanne Foxford
Cuesta Del Cerro, Alcobendas, Madrid, SPAIN

TID 153:Introduction of India, Bhutan and Nepal (Sep30 till 20 Oct, 2008)
What a wonderful trip! Everything was so well coordinated by Windhorse! The guides and drivers were great. We were unhappy with Hotel Manaslu, but our guide and the Windhorse representative, Dave, did a great job of addressing our concerns. Thank you so much for everything.
Karen C
Downers Grove, Illinois USA

TID 153: Introduction of India, Bhutan and Nepal (Sep. 30 till Oct 20 2008)
Bhutan portion of the trip: Guide: Tharpa Tashi, Driver: Dorji Needup

1) Were you provided adequate information about your trip prior to coming here ? What did you need to know more? Should have been informed that we could not cash 500 or 1000 Indian rupee note in Bhutan
02.Were you met at the point of arrival with the maximum efficiency and courtesy? YES!!
03. Did the tour get off to a good start? Yes!!
04. Did your guide fulfill your itinerary?
Yes, an excellent guide. Went out of his way to be helpful considering he was ill with flu. He was also excellent sorting our problem with visas & photos. Helping find lost cameras & broken cameras. Tashi is an extremely helpful person. The guide led my horse all the way up the hill to the Tigers’ lairs because I was so nervous, then continued running back down the mountain to check the walkers. Very good service.
05.Was the itinerary confusing with unnecessary details? No!!
06. Was the service of your tour guide and driver upto the mark?
Yes, excellent guide backed up by a very helpful, friendly & excellent driver. A wonderful team.
07.Has there been any occasion where your guide and driver were not punctual?
No! always more helpful than we expected and always punctual.
08. Please comment on the food, accommodation and the services rendered by the hotels/trekking crew.
Food adequate, all hotels staff have been very friendly and helpful. Mini bus was comfortable.
09. Is this your first visit to Bhutan and do you wish to come back again? 1st visit, would like to return
10.On the whole, how do you rate your trip?
a) Very Satisfying b) Satisfying c) Adequate
d) Not enough e) Very dissatisfying
11. How would you like us to improve our services?
Hotels in Bhutan should improve their quality of mattresses. Also maintenances eg. Light bulbs, showers that flood the floor, toilets that do not work.
Lincoln Munro & Valmai D
Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia