Discovery World Trekking — Attraction in Kathmandu Metropolitan City

Our trek with discovery world trekking is something that we will all remember forever. I don’t even know where to begin with giving gratitude to discovery. We chose this company as it looked extremely organised and covered all bases when it came to what we wanted in a trek and they absolutely outdid themselves. We did the Annapurna circuit trek and our group was a group of 7, we got given guide Dol and assistant guide Bhim, along with the porters Rupesh, Home 1 and Home 2, and Ram, this discovery world team is what made this experience for us. We all were pretty inexperienced hikers and Dol made us so comfortable, always explained everything for the following day in great detail of what to expect, and when everything was happening, and he was incredibly knowledgeable. Every mountain or river or hill we asked about Dol knew the answer, we had a million questions for him every day and he answered them all in detail. Dol and Bhim made so much effort to make sure we were always comfortable, they checked every time we got to a new accommodation or along the trail if we were happy and comfortable, always offering us beverages and food. The best part about the team is that they were all so much fun. They made this trek so fun and enjoyable, they loved to joke around with us, play cards with us and just share so many amazing chats and conversations. My experience was particularly special because it was my birthday a few days into the trek. From the morning I woke up the team made me feel so special making sure everyone wished me a happy birthday, we had an amazing day on the trail and we got to our accommodation and the discovery team was extremely hospitable as always. After dinner Dol disappeared into the kitchen and came out with a beautiful cake that said ‘happy birthday Lucy’ with my age in candles and the entire team sung me happy birthday. I never expected anything from them but they went so above and beyond for me. I later found out the team went as far as to order a cake in the previous town we were in, with my name and age on it, and Rupesh the porter left early, and carried this cake in his hands to the next town (16km away) walking as fast as he could so it didn’t melt, with over 20kg of luggage on his back as well. I can’t express how much this meant to me and it is a birthday I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Another above and beyond experience from this team when we were walking on one of our first days one of the girls hats blew off into the bush which looked like a place we couldn’t climb to, and Home the porter dropped his porter bag, climbed down and retrieved this hat for us without hesitation. Some of the people on our trek were a bit sick just due to being overseas and not being used to the food etc. and Dol was genuinely concerned and made sure that they were looked after, getting what they needed and if we didn’t have what they needed he would go out of his way to get it for us. There was multiple times where he went above and beyond to get medicines, deep heat etc. for us. Paul the discovery world trekking owner kept in contact with us from the day we booked the trek, made sure we had the knowledge and things we needed and also kept in contact with us during the trek. This was a once in a lifetime experience because of the discovery world trekking team and we all can not recommend them enough, it is such a personal experience to go on this journey with these guides and porters and they really make the journey what it is, as you spend so much time together. By the end it really feels like we were just all friends going on a trek together, we would all listen to Nepali music and dance together, the vibes were to happy the entire trek with these guys you can really tell they love their job and have so much passion for it. We talked every day as a group about how amazing these guys, we didn’t know the guides and porters would become such a huge part of the trip but we are so lucky they did, and we cannot recommend Discovery enough. We are all so grateful we had Dol as our guide!...

We had an unforgettable trekking experience on the Annapurna Circuit with Discovery World Trekking. Throughout the trek, we felt safe as both the guide and porter regularly checked on our well-being. The accommodations were generally good, and whenever there was an issue, the guide promptly assisted us. We also appreciated the great food recommendations and the fact that we had no food-related issues.

The trek itself went smoothly—we were clearly guided along the paths, always knowing which route to take. The DWT team adjusted to our pace, and every evening we were briefed about the plan for the next day. They personally took care of our well-being at the accommodations, handled food orders, brought us fresh fruit, and ensured everything was in order.

The company also provided us with necessary gear like duffle bags, jackets, and sleeping bags which we didn’t have. That was a great benefit. As well as the luggage storage which we included in the price. After the trip, our guide even brought the luggage to our hotel which was pretty far from the DWT office. This was great and I really want to thank our guide for that!

However, there are areas for improvement. The private transfer, advertised as a jeep, was actually an uncomfortable minibus that caused back pain and didn’t seem worth the $170 cost. Some accommodations could have been better—one f.e. had mold in the bathroom, although we managed to switch rooms quickly thanks to our guide. The last day in Pokhara we were re-booked to another hotel which was not as nice as the initial one. An unpleasant sound, a not too warm shower and a not too nice looking bathroom was not what we expected. However, after requesting at DWT we got transferred again to the initial hotel. In general, it was sometimes a bit of a hiccup with the hotels and also not fully transparent which hotels we gonna stay in despite the document the company send in advance - the hotels on the website document were different to the ones in our individual document.

Our expectations regarding cultural insights were not fully met; we had hoped for hidden paths and stories beyond guidebooks, but language barriers limited this experience. Flexibility with meals was limited—my girlfriend didn’t have lunch but still had to pay for her drinks, which we found inflexible.

We often arrived at our destinations early in the day, leaving us to plan afternoon activities in small villages, which wasn’t always easy. The first part of the trek followed busy roads with construction, noise, and dust—this wasn’t clearly communicated in the description. Some landmarks listed in the itinerary, like the sacred wall, were not properly explained by our guide. Also we have not really visited the temple in Muktinath but only passed it shortly on our way down from the pass. So, we didn’t really feel like having a proper impression on the temple.

Additionally, while the company provided jackets and sleeping bags, the initial jackets were dirty and damaged, though they were later replaced with better ones. Airport tranfer information was unclear, as it was only available to Thamel, not our accommodation in old Patan. The farewell dinner seemed to be missing, and communication with Paul and the guide was sometimes challenging due to language barriers.

In addition, there was some pressure to leave a positive review, which felt uncomfortable. Already 4 days before the trek ended we both were asked to leave a good review on Google and TripAdvisor. While the importance of a good review is clearly understood, we didn’t feel like we could tell our honest opinion at this point of the trip.

Despite these issues, we had an overall good experience. The dedication of our guide and porter to our well-being made a significant difference, and we truly appreciated...

We hiked the Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake in mid-December 2024 with Discovery World Trekking. The following is an account of our wonderful experience with Discovery.

As a preamble, none of our group had previous experience trekking at the altitude offered by the ACT. Most of us also had little experience trekking in conditions anywhere near as cold as December in the Himalayas. Discovery were fantastic in realising this, and provided us with (incredibly warm) sleeping bags and notified us of what further gear was necessary for the trek.

Beginning in Jagat, and finishing in Ghorepani, our group spent some 16 days on the ACT. The trail itself is marvellous, and one finds themselves working their way from a lush rainforest climate, above the tree-line, to a high alpine environment like no other. It’s not necessary here to summarise the trip’s itinerary, given the vast information one can find online. That being said, I can comfortably say that our guides modified our itinerary expertly so as to avoid weather issues, and to take account of group members who may have been unwell. For the purposes of my review, I’d prefer to focus on the role of Discovery World, and their guides and porters in facilitating what was a magical experience.

Our guides, Aryan and Nabin, made our entire trip for us. They were funny, kind, knowledgeable, and gave us an insight into the trek and Nepali culture that we otherwise would not have had. They organised our food at each and every tea house, and were always there when we required anything at all. Most importantly to myself, however, was their attention to safety, particularly with respect to rough terrain and altitude. Our guides would always pick out the safest path to travel for us when the trail became more risky (though for the most part the trail is incredibly safe and well-marked). They would also check our pulse-ox every night once we began reaching higher altitudes. They offered critical insights into high altitude trekking, like signs and symptoms of AMS, as well as how to prevent these. No one in our group became sick, and I am of the view this is because our acclimatisation was so expertly managed by our guides.

Moreover, our porters, Narayan and Sandip were the heroes of our trip. For guys carrying such weight at such altitudes, never once did I see a smile leave their face. They were always friendly, and keen to answer any questions we had. They also ensured that our gear was accessible at all times, more often than not keeping up with us (if not being ahead of us) on the trail!

I’d also like to thank Paul for facilitating our experience. When we realised we were going to be away for new years, he arranged to move our bags from Kathmandu to Pokhara for us so we had some fresh clothes! Obviously his job involved a lot more than this logistically, but I think it’s a great example of how he, and Discovery World, went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time.

When we began the process of booking our trekking provider, we were overwhelmed by the number of companies there are on the internet, such that making the final decision on which provider to actually choose, was somewhat difficult.

After doing the ACT with Tilicho Lake with Discovery World I can comfortably say they are a fantastic company and I would urge anyone booking a trek in Nepal to choose them as their...