I did the Manaslu Circuit in May 2024 with Ace The Himalaya (ATH) and it was excellent. First of all, the trek itself is challenging but amazing. Expect a large diversity of landscapes (forests, plateaus, bushy areas, rocky and icy or snowy mountains, rivers, suspended bridges, hot springs, waterfalls) and wonderful scenery, villages, and people all along the trip. Also, it is important to emphasize that, although accommodation and food remain basic (the trek is not as busy as ABC, EBC, etc.), it is comfortable enough, and we even had sufficient hot water, electricity (and even some Wi-Fi) during the trek.

Regarding ATH, they were perfect. Yes, ATH was pricier than many companies, but they were responsive and more eco-conscious (we didn’t use a single plastic bottle of water in 11 days). In hindsight, considering the extra costs from other agencies and comparing them with ATH’s high-quality services, I actually don’t think ATH is significantly more expensive. If I do another trek in Nepal, I will definitely choose them again.

I would also like to warmly thank our guide, Shyam, and our porter, Govinda, for their dedication. Shyam was extremely knowledgeable, concerned for our safety, and always caring. Here is a non-exhaustive list of his efforts: he made sure that we ate enough, drank more than 2 liters per day, had enough blankets, checked our O2 levels regularly, and filtered our water daily. Honestly, from what I observed during these 11 days, he was clearly a head or two above the other guides. Govinda was systematically helpful and caring as well. Not only did he take great care of our stuff, but he was also always assisting Shyam. He was always positive and even accompanied us during the resting day! Last but not least, both of them were very nice and are pretty good at (Nepali) card games. 🙂