The most life-changing trip I've ever taken
I just got back from the Manaslu Circuit Trek, and I'm still processing how much this trip meant to me. I'm a full-time travel photographer and I've been to over forty countries, and this stands out as one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life.
I traveled with my friend Paige, and from the moment we landed in Kathmandu at midnight, our guides Jiwan and Das took care of every single detail. Jiwan grabbed me momos before I'd even gotten to my hotel room because he could tell I hadn't eaten. That was day zero, and the level of care never let up for the next two weeks.
A few specifics that will tell you what kind of operation this is:
On day three, Paige had a small incident on the trail and needed to be evacuated. Jiwan stayed completely calm, coordinated the helicopter rescue, and at no point did Paige or I feel like we were on our own with it. He and Das checked in with both of us throughout the rest of the trek to make sure we were okay emotionally as well as physically.
My camera broke on day two. It was completely my fault, but Jiwan offered to carry my camera bag on his own front through some of the most treacherous sections of the trail so I could keep going. He never once made me feel bad about the gear failure, and he never once let me carry weight I couldn't carry.
Every single morning, Jiwan and Das pre-packed an enormous fruit plate for breakfast — fanned apple slices with a whole de-seeded pomegranate in the middle. Other trekkers literally walked past our table and audibly said, "Dang, I wish my guides did that." At altitude, when your appetite dies, this kind of small thoughtful detail is what keeps you eating, which is what keeps you moving.
Jiwan has been a licensed guide for over a decade and has crossed Larkya La Pass many times. He speaks Nepali, multiple mountain dialects, Tibetan, fluent French, and great English.
Das was our porter and an absolute force. He carried our heavy bag for ten days without a single complaint.
The Manaslu Circuit itself is everything you've read about and more — 90+ miles, 23,000+ feet of elevation gain, crossing Larkya La Pass at 5,106 meters. We witnessed Saga Dawa, the holiest day in Tibetan Buddhism, in Samdo village. The community draped me in a khata scarf and let me participate in the rituals. I will never forget any of it.
If you are considering booking the Manaslu Circuit Trek, do it with this company. Request Jiwan and Das specifically. Tell them Karlie sent you. They will take care of you the way they took care of me. This was the trip of a lifetime, and I owe a huge part of that to them.