The story begins as a dream born in the midst of the mighty Himalayas. The year was 2007 and Krishna Bahadur Gurung (better known to his friends as Kishan) saw a need to reach out to families, young trekkers as well as older visitors who wanted to experience the incredible beauty of the mountains but maybe couldn't do the long, extensive treks.
Having over 20 years experience in tourism and trekking, he knew that there was such a strong need to reach out to such visitors and no one was pursuing it. With this understanding, he opened Swiss Nepal Family Trekking & Expedition. With that dream came a new element in the area of trekking and tourism in Nepal.
Since 2007, SNF Trekking & Expedition has grown beyond just family trekking. Kishan and his dedicated staff have pioneered new trekking areas as well as developed specialty trekking trips to meet the needs of his clients. They offer incredible trips into remote locations that few other companies will serve. But in all of this, they have never forgotten their roots with families and trekkers new to the mountains of Nepal.
Today, they serve visitors with destinations of not only Nepal, but also Tibet, Sikkim, Darjeeling, Bhutan, India and Bangladesh. The company has primarily grown through clients who become friends and bring repeat business. In fact, today, the vast majority of Swiss Nepal Family Trekking & Expedition's customers are clients who return often as well as recommending its service to their friends.
Experience and Company Culture
There is much to be said for having experience. It is also important when you are dealing with someone in a strange land who knows the culture, Kishan Gurung is such a person. With well over 20 years of experience in the tourism field of Nepal, he also brings his own unique perspective. And a lot of that can be attributed to being a Gurung.
The Gurungs are a mountain people who descended from the people of Genghis Khan who came to this land hundreds of years ago. These people have what can be best described as almost an instinct to understanding the unique mountain environment. Kishan's family traces their roots to up into the mountains north of Kathmandu where many of their relatives still farm on the terraced farms as they have for hundreds of years.
The Gurungs were the famed men of the Gurkha soldiers of the British Army whose bravery is well renowned throughout the world. These small people can run up and down mountains like nothing. There is nothing they don't know about the Himalayas, and that knowledge makes them excellent for guides and porters. They can carry huge loads with little to no effort. Strong and tough, they are also extremely friendly and caring of those they work with. There is nothing more loyal than a Gurung!
The philosophy of SNF Trekking & Expedition reflects those precepts which mean you can trust them with every detail of your trek or tour. They are sticklers for detail, which means a lot less for you to worry about when planning your trip into the mountains.
They can handle family tours, long treks, senior tours, cultural tours, religious tours and more. It is a government licensed company, and all of their guides are also government licensed as well as receiving regular yearly training. It will provide the best possible staff at a value second to none.
Mission and Vision
The mission of Swiss Nepal Family Trekking & Expedition is to provide the best possible travel opportunities with the best possible service for the best possible price.
Our mission is our vision, and we leave no stone unturned to make sure that we take care of you with quality care from start to finish. From the moment you begin correspondence with us to the time you leave Kathmandu for home; we make sure that we take care of your needs. We do this through:
Large Selection of Quality Tours and Treks to choose from. Few companies offer as many choices as SNF Trekking & Expedition.
Qualified Staff: Most companies do not have permanent guides, but hire as needed. Not us. We have full time guides who work for us all throughout the year, who are dedicated and loyal. Our guides are professionally trained, receiving yearly additional training in order to serve you to the best of their ability.
Professional Staff: When companies hire temporary guides, you get just that – temporary help. These types of guides as always begging for money and visas while you are trekking. As we pay our staff well, and they have full time jobs with us, you will only get the best kind of treatment. No one is going to be asking you for ci******es and jobs overseas.
24 Hour Hotline: If you have any problem on the trek, you can call us 24/7. That's our commitment to you.
Convenient Location: We are located in Thamel for easy access when you are in Nepal. We are near the major hotels in Thamel including the new Three and Four Star Hotels that are being built in the city.
Connected: We are not only government licensed, but we also belong to much professional organization in Nepal. This is good for you, because it means that we maintain a higher than average standard in order to be admitted to the ranks of some very prestigious organizations. This includes:
TAAN – Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal
Government of Nepal - Ministry of Tourism.
NMA-Nepal Mountaineering Association
GTEAN-Gurung Tourism Entrepreneurs Association of Nepal
Thamel Tourism Development Council-Affiliated Member in Good Standing
Sustainable and Responsible Tourism
While operating hundreds of trips in the magnificent Himalayas, we are also concerned about the welfare of the local people. This is probably because our roots run deep in the mountains. These are our people that live, breathe and work in this beautiful land. Many are subsistence farmers who barely make a living on their ancestral land. With that in mind, we are 100% committed to sustainable and responsible tourism.
We support hiring the mountain people for jobs and providing them training so they can make a good living. We are concerned with the environment and work to maintain the ecology of the mountains. We work with both local and international organizations to maintain the quality of life in the mountains so we can establish good development for the benefit of all.
When you book your tour or trek with Swiss Nepal Family Trekking & Expedition, you find yourself a partner in a responsible trekking company that works to make a positive difference in the life of the people of the Himalayas. Your trek will make life better for families in Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Sikkim, India and Bangladesh.