The first interview in our series of Nepal Trekking Guide Interviews has to be with our one and only Krishna! Founder of Nepalorama Trekking and known for being ‘probably one of the best guides ever’! There’s no doubt that in our mind, Krishna is THE best trekking guide in Nepal. I first met him trekking to Ghorepani Poon Hill and we became instant friends. Krishna was very kind, friendly, easy-going, knowledgeable and funny! No wonder so many of our clients love him! Today I asked the man himself a few questions…
How did you become THE best trekking guide in Nepal?!
“I don’t know about THE best but I know clients think I am a good guide! Haha! I was really impressed by my older brother who worked in the trekking industry. An opportunity came up to be a trekking cook back in 2000 and so I decided to follow in his footsteps. Then I asked him if I could go trekking with him as a porter.
He sat me down and gave me some brotherly advice! After he explained that being a porter is really difficult – you have to carry very heavy loads and walk for 6-7 hours per day – I could have been disheartened. But instead I made a decision. I wouldn’t lose heart and I’d carry the load no matter how heavy.
So, I became a trekking porter and spent several years doing this.
Over time, I found many opportunities to learn about the industry, culture and tradition. I spent time with people from the mountain region of Nepal and learned to understand their manners and how to build genuine relationships with them. Furthermore my experiences whilst trekking helped me to build my knowledge and ability to deal with lots of different situations. Above all, I improved my English. I love chatting with clients and it really helped me. It wasn’t long before someone suggested I complete the official course to become an authorised trekking guide. That’s what I did!”
What do you like most about being a trekking guide?
“It’s really hard to say! Since I started guiding and leading groups of clients, I’ve had so many opportunities to share my country and my knowledge. I love meeting new people and talking about Nepal and it’s really interesting for me to learn about other countries and cultures. Sharing the natural beauty of the mountains whilst talking about our culture, traditions, way of life and beliefs, is what I like most.
In Nepal, we believe in receiving clients ‘as God’. I want to make sure our clients have the most enjoyable and authentic experience possible when they trek with Nepalorama!”
Trekking Nepal is a big deal! You put your complete trust in a stranger to guide you in the mighty Himalaya. Not a decision to be taken lightly. If you trek with a guide that isn’t very good or that you don’t get along with, it could ruin your trip. That’s why we think it’s crucial for you to trek with an experienced guide, who is very caring and has a great personality! Luckily, because our founder is THE best trekking guide in Nepal, he’s in a great position to select and train our other guides!
I asked Krishna how he selects our Nepalorama trekking guides. He told me:
“I choose the very best guides who are just like me! They all have lots of experience trekking all over Nepal. They are very professional, but they are also very kind, friendly people.”
What’s your favourite trek in Nepal and why?
It was extremely tough pinning Krishna down to this question. He’d really rather not pick a favourite as he believes all 50+ trekking trails in Nepal are stunning! He’s not wrong, but when forced to choose, this is what he had to say!
“It’s obviously hard to say! All of them have their own beauty! But if you’re going to make me say one, I’d say the Annapurna Circuit. It’s considered to be one of the best treks ever because of the amazing and diverse mountain views and landscapes. Also, because it’s very accessible, although crossing the Thorong La is difficult!”
I asked about his favourite view on this trek, having trekked the Annapurna Circuit with him I already knew the answer!
“The view from the 100 rupee cave near Manang that overlooks the Gangapurna mountain, glacier and lake.”
He’s talking about this view!
When Krishna and I stood together soaking this up, we saw a huge avalanche on the Gangapurna glacier. Luckily, there were no trekkers or mountaineers on the glacier at the time. It was Krishna’s first big avalanche sighting. Bizarrely, we witnessed another big one (his second) together on Langtang Lirung five years later!
If you could be a trekking guide anywhere else in the world, where would you guide and why?
Krishna’s sincerity and commitment to Nepal was apparent from the day I met him. That’s why I knew this would be another tough ask!
“All things considered, I really love being a trekking guide in Nepal. Obviously, this is my country! I’m really proud to have been born in Nepal, which is so full of natural beauty. That’s why, if I could be a trekking guide anywhere, I’d have to say right here in Nepal! I love guiding here and teaching my clients all that I know, because I know a lot!”
When I pushed Krishna to choose a country he’d like to visit for trekking, he told me that for ‘fun trekking’ he loves Upper Mustang in Nepal. Yes, Nepal – again! I asked again giving him no choice other than to choose a different country!
“Oh really? I have to choose a different country? Hahahaha! Well I’ve heard Peru is full of natural beauty where you feel like you’re in heaven. So, I think I’d go trekking there.”
What advice would you give to clients preparing to trek in Nepal?
“I’d love to answer this question, which everyone who treks Nepal has to think about. There are so many things I would advise. But the most important things are as follows. I’d start by asking:
- How physically fit are you?
- Have you done any treks before?
- How high have you trekked and do you have any concerns about altitude sickness?
Based on the answers, I’d suggest doing some appropriate treks and hikes before coming to Nepal, so that you can easily do the trek you want to do!
I’d also recommend having all the right trekking equipment, whether you bring it from home or buy it in Nepal. Such as warm clothes, trekking poles, raincoat, trekking boots and socks, sun glasses, a good first aid kit with lots of supplies. Also snacks like dried food, because it’s not unusual to get hungry before reaching the destination!”
Krishna and I share a love for Nepali coconut biscuits that melt when you dip them in tea! Last time we trekked, Krishna pulled out a packet every day to enjoy with our favorite masala tea, as a reward for reaching our destination!
How do you spend your time when it’s not trekking season? What do you do?
“When I’m not guiding treks or organising treks from our office in Kathmandu, I go home to my family. We live in a tiny village in the district of Nuwakot, near the Langtang region of Nepal. We have a small farm and grow our own food. As well as helping my wife Parbati with our two children, I work on our farm.”
I had the pleasure of staying with Krishna and his family at his village earlier this year. Read more about Krishna’s village and my experience in this blog.
Finally I asked Krishna…
If you could guide any person in the world to trek Nepal, who would you like to guide and why?
This was another tricky question. Krishna’s not keen on picking a favourite anything because he believes there’s so much value in trekking with each and every person. Given a choice between Michael Jackson and Sir Edmund Hillary, obviously Sir Edmund got the vote. Being the first man to summit Everest alongside Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and making Nepal famous around the world!
When I asked about a favourite singer or actor, he told me:
“Well, I’m not into it, but of course I would like to trek with a singer so that they can also teach me how to sing 😀😀😀“
A perfect response to my final question!
🙏
To Trek With the Best Trekking Guide in Nepal, Choose Nepalorama
We’ve been there and we understand how important it is to have the very best trekking guide in Nepal. Your guide needs to speak good English, be very experienced, knowledgeable and friendly. If he’s no fun to be around, your trip won’t be the same!
That’s why Krishna carefully selects all our guides himself.
We know our clients love Krishna, they’ve said so in many client reviews on our website and on Trip Advisor! So, we know all the things that make THE best trekking guide in Nepal and we make sure all our guides tick these boxes!
Krishna has known our guides for many years. In fact one of our guides Ramesh is Krishna’s brother! Krishna has trekked with each and every one of our guides, so he knows exactly how they operate. For us, service is everything. Both before and during your trek. It’s really important that your guide provides great service, as well as being experienced, knowledgeable and fun!
Our Commitment to You
We guarantee that with us, you’ll trek with THE best trekking guide in Nepal or one of the very next best! You’ll be in the safest hands and your Nepalorama guide will do everything possible to make sure you have an amazing, authentic experience!
Get in touch with us for a quote to trek with one of our amazing guides!
We want to thank Theeranit Wongwutthichot from Thailand for the great cover photo of Krishna with Nepalorama guide Dupsang and our porter!