Anand Thapa

The first week of Nov., 2019, after 2 weeks in Bhutan, I toured Assam with my friend, Linda, and our guide, Anand, who was informative and attentive to our every wish! And our most accommodating driver (graciously stopped for me repeatedly to photograph hay). We saw interesting sights and animals, including plenty of one-horned rhinos, and stayed in fun hotels and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Also learned more about Bhutan from Anand–a bonus.

As world travelers, my wife and I have taken several organized l tours around the world. Most of them are with a big group of people. The itinerary is usually packed with touristy spots.

However, with Wind Horse, it is totally a different level of traveling. It was the experience and culture learning that makes this trip so memorable.

We loved both Assam & Eastern Bhutan. The locals were so welcoming and very friendly everywhere we go.This would not be possible without the excellent service from the Wind Horse team.

The entire trip was so well planned and organised from A to Z. Anand, our Upper Assam tour guide, took all the worries away from us.

Majuli is such a beauty with white sand, marshland and peaceful bamboo bungalow combined with friendly people make Majuli island inviting for a remote retreat. Whereas Kazaranga is a wild life game sanctuary especially the great one-horned rhino.

In Bhutan, our two most memorable experiences are the horse back riding, trotting with Sonam in Bumthang and climbing the Tiger Nest Monastery in Paro with Pema.

There are not many tourists in the East. The road is bad but continue to be improved. Life is simpler and people are friendlier. In addition, the Wind Horse team were so flexible and accommodating.

On the last day in Paro of Bhutan, we forgot to bring our trekking walking sticks. Pema was so nice. He managed to get us 4 walking sticks from the office within a short time of notice.

The team has gone extra miles to WOW their customers. This tour has made an impact on our traveling experience. We will definitely recommend Wind Horse to others. Hope that we will have Wind Horse again on our future tours.

Hello Anand,

Thank you for your email, I received it with pleasure 🙂

The most memorial moment in Assam for me is the magnificent early morning of elephant ride, getting close to the animals under the fogging sunrise . The landscape of Assam looks like Asian countries with the tea plantations and rice fields. Amand, thank you again for your service, you’re really a good guide who had taken care of us in the detail things.

After the passage of border from Assam to Bhutan, the first contact of Bhutan is the smiling and helpful service of another good guide of Windhorse Sonam and of course without forgetting our best driver Dawa.

The Eastern part of Bhutan is still very authentic . The Bhutanese live simply with happiness.The most memorial thing in Bhoutan was climbing the Tiger’s nest, 6h30 of hiking ! We did it ?

One commun thing for both Assam and Bhutan trips is the kindness of the people.

I had had a cultural and fun trip.

Thank you for everything

Best regards

Linh

In my recent Eastern Bhutan tour with WindHorse Tours (the 2nd time with WindHorse), since I had to enter Eastern Bhutan by land through Guwahati, I decided to spend a little time visiting Assam after googling Majuli island and Kaziranga National Park. I was so excited seeing pictures of Majuli island and Kaziranga on the Internet. But I was blown away seeing the places in person, led by WindHorse tour guide Anand.

The 5-day WindHorse tour itinerary was just right, giving the opportunity to see Majuli island in one full day and Kaziranga in 2 days. The two places we stayed were very good, especially in that rural area of India.

The pictures of Majuli island on the internet do justify its beauty. I saw exactly same places as the ones on the internet. White sand, marshland and peaceful bamboo bungalow combined with friendly people make Majuli island inviting for a remote retreat. Majuli was indeed beautiful.

However pictures of Kaziranga National Park on the internet do not justify its real beauty. Early morning fog and sunrise as the backdrop for wild animals roaming the park made Kaziranga mystical. I saw those scenery only in pictures or movies but never in person until now. Marshland with all kinds of birds make the place so peaceful. A thick silence engulfed the place, broken only by bird chipping and ruffling sound of the wind on tall grasses. Kaziranga reminded me of Seregenti National park in Tanzania and the movie Out of Africa.

Around Kaziranga National Park are tea plantations and rice fields which gave a very soothing sight for the eyes. Tea plantation reminded me South East Asia and rice fields also reminded me of my home country, Vietnam. Assam looks more Asia than India as the region is bordered by Bhutan and China in the North and Burma in the South.

Besides the environmental beauty, nothing beat the friendliness of the people who were very simple. Majuli island and Kaziranga are still well kept secrets of the travel world, undisturbed by large tourist herds.

I am glad to extend my trip to Upper Assam, an unexpected magnificent discovery. Anand took us to beautiful sites in Majuli islands, sites that I pointed out earlier to WindHorse that I wanted to see.  Anand took extra efforts to get Elephant Safari tickets which were only available the night before. Anand arranged everything for us, from transport to outings, trying to customize to our needs. Since I like walks, Anand gave us several walks in the village in Jorhat and Kaziranga. The walks and interactions with local villages were so pleasant and memorable. The tour was not only a sightseeing tour. Anand had made the tour to be sightseeing, along with walking with a lot of cultural experiences.

When I booked the Upper Assam trip, I was told by Ugen (WindHorse) that I would not regret the decision. I was then skeptical and did not know what to expect. Now I have to thank Ugen, Anand and WindHorse for giving me such a great experience.

I am looking forward to other off-the-beaten path destinations with WindHorse Tours.

Once again thank you Anand and WindHorse.

Trang

Yes we really enjoyed our trip to Sikkim. Our unusual needs were well met but our guide Anand. He was able to introduce us to ordinary village people. We also visited three schools which was very interesting. We did manage to meet disabled people and their families and talk about their way of life. There was a range of home stays and hotels and most of those were very good. The food was always good. We were a little cold on some nights but Anand gave us hot water bottles which helped. The driver was very friendly and very good at his job so made us feel safe. Anand has a good sense of humour and excellent understanding of English.

I first discovered Wind Horse Travel when I booked a Bhutan trip. A companion and I planned a trip that took us from one end of the country to the other, over challenging but very beautiful topography, literally, in some places, to the very end of the road. We were impressed by the way our interests were accommodated, and, despite the remote areas visited, how very easily the trip went. This being the case, when I was planning a trip to Sikkim and Assam in November 2017, and saw that Wind Horse organized treks in Sikkim; I immediately contacted them to see if they were interested in planning. a trip for a single little old lady traveller whose days of advanced trekking were long over, but who still retained a strong interest in adventure travel, in venturing to places less visited, and in exploring the arts and culture of the people who live there. Wind Horse was up to the challenge, creating an itinerary full of diverse experiences that exactly fit my interests. It was an amazing trip through the tribal areas of the Kashi Hills in Megalaya, the festival on Majuli Island, and the tribal areas of the Garo Hills and the Festival of One Hundred Drums in Meghalaya, then on to Sikkim. It was the experience of a lifetime, as, thanks to my guide, Anand I was able to talk to people from all walks of life, getting an understanding of the cultures and peoples that make up these fascinating areas of India.

It was such an exciting and stimulating trip that I returned 2 months later to explore the rest of Sikkim. I have just returned from 3 weeks spent in Sikkim this February 2018, and am still excited about the wonderful experiences that I had exploring the farthest regions of this fascinating state. These 3 trips that I have taken with wind Horse were exceptional, as they were exactly tailored to my interests. I find Wind Horse an excellent company, one which listens to their clients’ needs, and then goes way beyond expectation to ensure that the client is satisfied. As a Canadian, I also appreciated the 1-800 number that serves all of North America. When planning a trip, it is so much better to be able to talk to a company representative, one who listens carefully and is able to answer your questions and offer suggestions.

Attention Ugen
I wanted to thank you for your assistance in organizing my trip, and for inflicting poor Anand with me. He was the perfect choice, as he listened to what interested me and  went out of his way to make sure that I was able to get the very most out of the trip. I so appreciated his care and concern, as I realize that being inflicted with a little old lady, especially one with rather offbeat ideas about travel ,  is not exactly the job most travel agents would want. He bore up remarkably well, even enduring me dragging him off to museums. He did a truly terrific job and I cannot praise him enough. Without his ability to interact with people , and his sensitivity to a client’s preferences, this trip would not have been the success it was.  I want to thank you both from the bottom of my heart. The only problem that I can see is that now I want to return to Sikkim and see the rest of it as soon as possible.  That is the sign of true success.

With many thanks,

Sincerely,

Janet