Guest Reviews
Thank you - we were delighted with our trip and the excellent guiding from Norbu, Kencho, and excellent driving from Kuensang. I hope they got back intact, as they had a very long way to get back in poor conditions, and a tight timetable.
Once again we were delighted with your superb country, its people and culture, and enjoyed some excellent bird watching. We have some photos which might be of interest, and will send a few if you would like them. The organisation was faultless, but as anticipated the accommodation in the East was a little less sophisticated (Trashigang). The camping experience was excellent. The festival was very interesting, and we felt privileged to be allowed into the Temple.
We will be happy to recommend NAT to anyone wishing to visit, and may well be back for a trek if we can get fit enough. Best wishes
Michael and Angela
Dr Michael F M Bamford
Dear Namgay
Our trip to Bhutan with you still is in my soul; it was one of the most moving and uplifting times of my life.I have no problematic feedback; only good. It was an amazing mixture of hiking, meeting people, temples, food,and stories of night hunting. It was a perfect trip.I'm spreading the word about NAT, and I'm positive you'll see friends of mine.I will be giving to your temple soon as well.And I expect to see you in California Namgay,when you visit. You're welcome to stay at my home.
Dacher
Dear Namgay and Dorji,
I would just like to say a huge thank you for looking after Mark so well on his trip and for putting all the arrangements in place. I met up with him at the weekend and he said that he had a fantastic time and could not speak more highly of NAT, this is great to hear. Thank you very much for all your kind help. I look forward to working with you both on many future enquiries.
Many thanks and best wishes,
Alice
Hi Dorji,
Sorry it has taken me so long to reply to your message, and give you the very positive feedback about our trip to Sakten.
First I want to say that the organisation was truly excellent. I am most grateful for your careful attention to the detail of the trip. The following points may be useful:
It was most reassuring to meet with Namgay in Gauharti. Travelling into Bhutan would have been stressful without him, but because he was there to meet us, all of the tension was removed and we could relax knowing that he was in charge!
The journey from Gauharti to the campsite in Wamrong was perfectly smooth. I love the campsite on the hill, but appreciate that water can be difficult. The campsite we used on the way back, in the monastery grounds, was also splendid.
All the campsites that Namgay and Ugyen had identified on recce were absolutely beautiful. I particularly liked Tharakthri and Miksha. Camping with Lama Yonten at his monastery, and participating in the blessing of the fields was a real honour, and one which I will never forget. Also worth mentioning is Ranjung monastery guesthouse, which I have now visited three times and very much love!
As you are most aware, I know Ugyen very well now, and I am always delighted to see him. He is an excellent cook and camp superintendant! I believe he is a real asset on any trek, and hope to see him again soon! The entire crew were excellent, and special mention should go to Sonam, who I believe works very hard and to an extremely high standard. Santosh and Tandin were also very good. I did not see much of Sangay, but thought he might not have been too happy on the trip. Dophu is brilliant! Tshering is a truly outstanding driver, and is also a great person: I would be very sad if he was not my driver for all the treks!
The trail to Sakten is quite easy, and the trekking days are short. I think this is very good because it gives plenty of time to appreciate the beautiful surroundings. The forest is spectacular, and it would be a shame to rush the journey. Having a few rest days was a great opportunity to meet the local people - and this makes the trek a unique cultural experience. The tempo of the trek was therefore perfect - very well worked out by Namgay and Ugyen - all congratulations on the itinerary!
The weather did not dampen my enjoyment at all! The equipment that you provide is of a very high standard, so it does not matter what the weather does! The tents, mess tent, chairs, lights, tables, and loo-tents were all of the highest possible standard, which made the trek very comfortable. The food was plentiful and tasty, good variety and very well cooked. No one got sick, which demonstrates excellent food preparation and food-handling methods.
I thoroughly recommend NAT to all the people I meet who express an interest in travelling to Bhutan! NAT has such high standards in every area, and the organisation is very well run by both you and Namgay. I really can not fault any aspect of the trek at all, and I can not even think of any constructive criticism which would help you to improve!!
Kadinchhe to you, Namgay, Ugyen and all the crew. If there is anything that I can do to help your business, or your families, please just let me know. I would love to repay some of the kindness and generosity that you have shown me over the years.
Very best wishes
Sarah
PS: I have downloaded GPS data onto a website called everytrail (http://www.everytrail.com) if you have a moment, search for JDRL Sakten, and you should find details of the routes we walked. If possible, you can download the data onto Google Earth - the detail that you can see is phenomenal! If you manage to do this, you could also search for the Snowman trek under JDRL Snowman!
PPS: Please let Namgay know that the flag he gave me is flying outside my house - and I totally love it because it reminds me of you and Bhutan every day! The Buddhist house flags are also flying, one here in London with me and the other at my parents house: perfect! Thank you so much.
Hello Namgay,
We have been home about 10 days now...and we are sharing our wonderful photos and stories of Bhutan with our friends and family. We tell each of them that they should travel to Bhutan...and travel with Namgay!
We enjoyed every one of our ten days in Bhutan, and thank you for your professionalism, your expertise, your knowledge, your humor, and your flexibility....all making it so special for us.
In particular, we loved our hike to Tiger's Nest, and the lunch at the restaurant on the trail. That was our favorite day! We enjoyed all of the other hikes...especially along the river in Thimphu, and through the fields to the temple of the Divine Madmen.
We will always remember fondly our special day at the Royal Thimphu Golf Course, the Saturday market, the celebration of the King's birthday, the tour of the Folk Heritage Museum, the festivites at Punakha, the view from Dochula pass, the hillsides and villages we passed, and especially the warm and friendly people of Bhutan.
With regard to accomodations...they were all different....but we enjoyed all three. Zhiwaling was so beautiful, so comfortable, and so nice to meet with Brent. Bhutan Suites was very comfortable and in the perfect location for us to walk around town and still be away from the noise. Meri Puensum Resort was our favorite because of its views and setting, its wonderful staff, and its delicious food.
We felt the pace of the trip was ideal, with the transfers and services impeccable.
But mostly we feel that your services made it perfect. You had everything beautifully arranged and planned, yet you were so flexible to our needs. You also shared so much of your vast knowledge of the history and religion of your country...as well as making us aware of the current concerns and issues. This was all so interesting for us. We think Bhutan is such a special country and we enjoyed learning all we could about it.
As we told you when leaving, we truly enjoyed every moment, and thank you so much for making it so special for us.
We wish you well.
Warm regards,
Janet and Tucker
July 9, 2007
Dear Prospective Traveler to Bhutan,
This letter is to highly recommend Namgay Tshering as a guide for anyone interested in a wonderful visit to Bhutan. We and five friends booked our trip directly with Namgay. We all very much enjoyed and appreciated his very capable and close personal attention to every detail, his knowledge of hard-to-find trails, familiarity with the culture and history, eagerness to share his stories, success in getting us entry permits to hard-to-access monasteries (such as Tiger's Nest), and his overall desire to make our visit special, even adding two events that we had not arranged previously - a conversation with a Buddhist expert (and father of the now twelve year old reincarnated Chief Abbot of Bhutan) and a private outdoor dance and musical performance. Namgay has a very fine support staff, who uniformly reflected his desire and ability to always make us welcome and our visit comfortable.
Namgay is deeply kind, warm and sincere, and has prior experience that makes him a very unique guide. His previous employment as a national government surveyor gave him unique knowledge of remarkably beautiful trails, which he loved to show off. And, his three years in the Bhutanese Parliament gave him experience and insights into the nation's fascinating and evolving political structure, which he also enjoyed sharing with us.
He helped us design our tour from a wide variety of trip options and to suit our hiking preferences. Overall, he delivered on his promise to make our visit "worry-free" right from the beginning, where our Druk Air tickets were waiting for us at the Bangkok check-in counter.
Our group left Bhutan feeling that we had made a good friend in Namgay, and through him discovered the distinctive beauty and personality of Bhutan.
David & Helen Dornbusch
Nov. 9th, 2001
Dear Prospective Traveler,
I am writing this letter to recommend Namgay Tshering as a guide par excellence for anyone interested in a unique, open-hearted experience of Bhutan. My husband and I were lucky to have Namgay as one of our Leaders on a recent Backroads hiking trip through Paro, Punakha, and Thimphu, and we feel his presence elevated our experience from an interesting vacation to something we will cherish the rest of our lives.
Namgay has the prior experience and personality required to make him an exceptional guide for both trekking and cultural tours. His past employment as a surveyor for the government of Bhutan gives him an extensive knowledge of the terrain, which resulted in our hiking along beautiful trails that were definitely off the standard tourist track. As a former Member of Parliament and well-respected person in the community, he was able to take us into temples and monasteries that are not frequently open to Westerners, arranging for us to spend time with chanting monks and, at one temple that is very special to us, to receive fertility blessing. On one occasion when the Bank of Bhutan was closed, his word and reputation were reassurance enough for a local shopkeeper to put a credit card sale through without an authorization number for a group member who otherwise would not have been able to make her purchase.
Namgay skillfully handled the sometimes complicated logistics of travel in Bhutan, including reconfirming our flights multiple times with Druk Air, so that our trip felt seamless and worry-free. His solid understanding of English and openness about sharing his culture led to lively, informative, and often very discussions about life in Bhutan. He was enthusiastic and helpful without being intrusive, consistently going the extra mile to make our trip special: carving a pumpkin centerpiece of dinner Halloween night, patiently leading us on various shopping expeditions (he knew where to go for the best prices and has excellent taste in Kiras!) and even mailing a special-order thangkha back to the States post-trip. Finally, perhaps most importantly, Namgay is a man of deep kindness, impeccable professionalism, sincerity, and integrity: it is a pleasure and inspiration to be with him.
If you would like further details or have specific questions, we would be happy to speak with you personally at 415-457 4723 (home phone number) or 415 451 7070 (Catherine’s work voicemail).
Have a great trip!
Catherine Le Fevre and Bob Trigg
November 18, 2004
Mr. Rowan Paterson
Dear Mr. Paterson,
I have just returned here from London following our wonderful version of the Snowman Trek in Bhutan and wish to thank you and your staff for all of the many arrangements on our behalf.
Of special note were the many services of Namgay Adventure Travels.. Our leader, Ugyen and his team were commendably dedicated and resourceful particularly during some of the more trying situations encountered on the trek.
I recommend with great enthusiasm Namgay Tshering’s organization to you for any of your future requirements in Bhutan.
Sincerely,
Jason Bacon
10 October 2005
Namgay,
Thank you very much for leading us on a wonderful trip of your country. This has been a most meaningful trip for all of us.
Namgay I look forward to trading e-mails and sending you a CD-rom of all the pictures I took----further, please come visit us in Colorado. We look forward to it. Let us know your plans and our guest room is open for you and your family.
Lyle Latvala
Namgay-you’re so full of information and your love of Bhutan. Thanks for sharing your country with us. It’s been an amazing experience. We look forward to seeing you in Colorado.
Karen Latvala
7 November 2005
Dear Namgay,
Thank you for a truly spectacular Bhutan adventure. Your knowledge of the area and the culture made this very special.
I also appreciate all your help with my travel documents. The true wonderful nature of the people got my passport returned. However you safeguarded my travel with the important documents and your contacts with the government were very valuable.
See you again.
Mary Ann Crotty
Namgay,
Thanks so much for a great trip! You were a wonderful guide! Thanks for sharing your beautiful country and its most interesting culture with us. We loved the scenery and the lovely people. We wish you all the best in your future. We will tell all our friends about you and NAT. You and your staff did such a great job making us feel welcome and well taken care of. And thanks for making my birthday so special. Come visit!
Mary Ross
Linda Pettie
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