Our team of four met at Heathrow to begin our journey to Kathmandu, Nepal. The economy cabin on the Emirates A380 to Dubai really impressed us with its spacious seats, plenty of legroom, tasty meals and endless entertainment on their ICE entertainment system - offering over 6,500 channels, podcasts and live TV. It's easy to see why Emirates economy is up there with the best in the world. 

We had a long layover in Dubai, so a colleague and I made use of the Sleep ‘n Fly pods in the transit area. For around £55 you get a little ‘sleep igloo’ for four hours kip! I highly recommend this for anyone on a long connection. They also offer larger cabins for couples and families!  

Alternatively, if you are just looking to freshen up, you can choose to pay around £25 for a luxury shower here, including fluffy towels and premium toiletries. We then connected onto a FlyDubai flight to Kathmandu and were all pleasantly surprised by the standard of service and meal. You do have to pay to use the seat back TVs with Fly Dubai, so I would recommend having a fully charged tablet/iPad!

TOP TIP: Emirates and FlyDubai sometimes operate out of different terminals, and it can take around 45 minutes to get between the two. Leave yourself plenty of time to get through the airport!

Upon arrival into Kathmandu, we were met by a Trailfinders local representative who took us to our hotel where we had a quick freshen up before heading out to nearby Boudhanath, the most holy of Tibetan Buddhist shrines outside Tibet. That evening we then had a hosted dinner with our team on the ground and learnt a little bit more about Nepal and how Trailfinders and its partners work closely together to deliver excellent experiences for our clients.

The next morning, we began our full day private sightseeing tour of the Kathmandu Valley, often referred to as the 'living museum' of Nepali culture and home to no less than seven UNESCO World Heritage listed groups of monuments and buildings. Stops included Patan, known locally as the 'City of Beauty' and Bhaktapur, which boasts some of the finest religious architecture in the country. We then visited Pashupatinath Temple on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River, Nepal's most important Hindu temple. Similar to India's Varanasi, cremations take place daily in the cremation ghats alongside the temples. We all agreed that Kathmandu, although sometimes chaotic, also had a calmness missing from other large Asian cities. We all felt incredibly safe and would gladly have spent another day wandering around the rest of the city.

The following day we were up early for a long travel day to Pokhara. Nepal is a beautiful country but getting around is not always the smoothest of rides. The journey took us over seven hours broken up by a lunch stop along the river. It is possible to do this journey by flight, but we would have missed a lot of scenery along the way. 

After the long drive, we finally arrived at the wonderful 3★ Temple Tree Resort & Spa, this charming boutique hotel was one of our favourites. It was perfectly located, within easy walking distance to the lake front, local cafes, restaurants and bars. I took one for the team and tried the spa, which was excellent value and just what I needed after a long travel day.

The morning after, we set off on a full day private sightseeing tour of Pokhara. We started the day with a scenic boat/pedalo trip on Lake Phewa, the second largest lake in Nepal. Two of our team put in a decent shift pedalling as the remaining two took in the peaceful surroundings. After the hard workers caught their breath, we then ventured to the World Peace Pagoda, a sacred Buddhist monument, and Bindhya Basini Temple. Both normally offer beautiful panoramic views of the Annapurna range. Unfortunately, due to the annual crop burning, the views were somewhat elusive.

We then stopped at the Gurkha Museum to learn about the connection between the British and Nepalese Army. The museum displays hundreds of photos, uniforms, and medals. We were pleased to see Trailfinders making an appearance! 

Our local representatives were all excellent, they were always on hand if we had any questions and sent regular WhatsApp updates about when to be ready for pickups and any alterations to our travel plans.

On day five of our trip, we were met by our trekking guide and porters before driving to Lumle where we started a short 2.5km hike that would offer spectacular views as you pass along forested trails to Majgaon Lodge, one of the Mountain Lodges of Nepal we offer. I would highly recommend this hotel to those who want to experience a few days moderate hiking with sweeping views of the Annapurnas. The surroundings are so peaceful, especially after a busy few days in the city. Meals are served in the cosy communal dining room, along with a happy hour around the log fires. Although simple, the food was excellent and just what was needed after the hike.

After breakfast we got up early to trek back to Lumle and re-join our driver to transfer to Chitwan National Park where we stayed at the lovely 3★+ Kasara Jungle Resort. This hotel offers a great range of included cultural and wildlife experiences combined with stylish accommodation and modern facilities. After checking in, we headed out to explore a local village and they provided surprise sundowners within the National Park. We were lucky to spot our first rhino right next to the entrance!

The next day we enjoyed a two hour canoeing adventure where we bumped into another rhino enjoying itself in the river to keep cool. After the morning activity, we returned to the resort and chilled by the pool before our afternoon game drive. That morning's game drive reported a tiger sighting, so we had high hopes of seeing one. Unfortunately, the tigers were elusive... but the drive was a successful one and we did spot a huge number of rhinos, crocodiles and lots and lots of spotted deer. Right at the end of the drive we were lucky to see three sloth bears which was a real highlight!

On day eight it was time to check out of Kasara and take the long and bumpy drive back to Kathmandu, our driver took it all in his stride and we felt in very safe hands. Arriving at our final hotel of the trip, 3★ Hotel Himalaya, we saw a peek of the Himalayas, just visible in the distance! With the trip coming to an end, our local representative kindly organised a flight to see the mountains and booked us a morning Everest scenic flight. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, and the flight was cancelled due to poor visibility. Disappointed but philosophical we returned to the city for a final private half day sightseeing tour of Kathmandu which took us to Durbar Square, where we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the 'Living Goddess' at the window of Kumari Ghar, the building which houses a maiden girl who is believed to be the reincarnation of the goddess Durga. We then had a delicious lunch hosted at 4★+ Dwarika's Hotel, a lovely boutique property in the heart of Kathmandu. We all agreed we will be coming back to stay here one day!

Sadly, it was time to say goodbye to our new friends as we parted ways with our local representatives. We checked in for our journey home, already thinking about when we might return. Nepal won us over with its beauty and hospitality, I will be forever grateful for this experience of a lifetime!  

TOP TIP: Part of what makes Nepal so captivating is its breathtaking views. Due to this it is important to consider the local weather and the crop burning season, which may impact visibility. It is hard to predict but March-May is usually when crop burning occurs, with October-November historically offering the clearest skies.

For more inspiration, take a look at our Nepal Holidays pages.