OUR VISION GUIDING US
30 years ago I had a vision to change the way trekking was organized in the Himalaya. I would run it small, I would be at the helm of consistent improvement and change to become the best at what we do.
3 decades later we are still doing what we love to do. We lead not in volume but in quality and attention to detail. We lead in the fact that our same crew are with us since it’s inception, and better yet a 2nd generation is being groomed under the watchful eyes of the 1st.
Come and explore the Himalaya with us. The place where we grew and played. The place that we call home.
THE TEAM
LISTEN, PLAN & EXECUTE
JAGDISH RAI
Founder / Managing Director
PANU LUCKSOM
Senior Leader
ALISTER ADHIKARI
Senior Leader
BINOD RAI
Founder / Director Operations / Senior Leader
PHIL RAI
Director International Sales / Senior Leader
Fitness enthusiast, foodie and a keen photographer, Phil looks after our International Sales. Based in Ottawa he is easily reachable to any one inquiring about a bespoke holiday to any Himalayan destination in South Asia. With his extensive knowledge as a designer of the perfect holiday and the experience as a Trek Leader Phil is always there to make it happen.
PAUL RAI
Senior Leader
OUR MILESTONE
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS 1990 – 2020
30 years ago we embarked on a mission to create an adventure travel company with a vision to
DO IT BETTER
SET NEW STANDARDS
STAY SMALL & NIMBLE
DO WHAT YOU LOVE; RUN IT YOURSELF
Time validated the fact that our hearts were in the right place. Today almost 30 years on we are setting standards for pure bespoke adventures in the Himalaya. Come celebrate with us, we have lots of adventures in store for you. We are just getting started…..
OUR EDGE
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT
30 years of trekking with no fatalities has not come easy. We take safety very seriously. We use more personnel than any other agency, have radios & Satcom for communication and carry comprehensive first aid kit with portable oxygen on all treks.
Our leaders are WAFA (Wilderness Advanced First Aid) trained with experience in identifying and treating AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness).
REAL EXPERIENCE
Authentic experiences cannot be had in well worn busy tourist routes. We take you on trails that have been around for centuries connecting villages and sacred pilgrimage sites where you would not see another tourist and the experience would be special.
PROFICIENT LEADERS
No one comprehends and knows the area better than a local.
Our trips are led by capable, friendly and caring Nepali leaders who have more than 20 years of experience and extensive knowledge to make your holiday safe and special.
SAFE DRINKING WATER
We use Sawyer 0.1 micron Absolute Water Filter Systems for our drinking water allowing us to prepare 100% pure potable water any time, anywhere and help us ensure our clients do not suffer from water borne illnesses that would ruin a holiday.
EQUIPMENT THAT WORKS
Equipment is where we don’t compromise and use the best for our line of business
We use classic A frame, spacious Vango Force 10 ten tents to sleep 2 people that would otherwise sleep 4. Thick Thermarest Airmattress mattress to sleep on with -18*C Northface Sleeping bags, liners and hot water bottles to keep you toasty every night. You can even opt for a walk in tent with a sleeping cot. Our camps have seated toilets, hot showers and heated dining on cold evenings.
WHOLESOME FOOD
Food is one of the most important part of our service which is reflected in the fact of how much our clients look forward to every meals we serve.
We provide well balanced, three course, wholesome meals that are pre plan and prepared fresh on the trail. Our cooks are trained in house and retrained before every trek season on food preparation and hygienic handling.
We travelled to Nepal in November 2019 to experience a trekking holiday in the Himalaya.
We were put in contact with Binod Rai of Insight Himalaya and my dream came true. From the start out emails were responded to immediately, we always received full and factual information and Binod listened to what we wanted and delivered in full.
Following 2 days in Kathmandu we travelled by jeep for 7 hours along bumpy, earthquake-damaged roads, stopping en-route when necessary, to look at the views or have lunch! We then trekked for 13 days up the Langtang Valley starting with 2 nights in lodges but then camping for the rest! Great tents, cosy fleece liners, sleeping bags and hot water bottles. All our porters were friendly and so eager to please, the food was quite incredible and our guides were just brilliant, pointing out so many things we would have happily have trekked past without seeing. Their local knowledge of the flora and fauna was unsurpassed. The views of the snowy-peaked mountains, that we experienced every day, are imprinted in my memory for ever.
We have already recommended Insight Himalaya to friends. They are a family run business with a passion for Nepal and its people.
Our holiday will be remembered for ever and we believe Binod has already instilled in our 21 and 22 year old daughters a love of the mountains – and without doubt a love of Nepal.
GIVING BACK
TREK & HELPA LITTLE HELP THROUGH CLEAN DRINKING WATER
Traveling in the Himalaya makes us aware of issues such as access to clean drinking water which otherwise would be oblivious to us.
The report The Water Gap – WaterAid’s State of the World’s Water 2018, warns that the global population without access to clean water has gone up to 844 million, “which is almost 200 million more than previously counted”. People who spend more than 30 minutes travelling to procure water are to be considered without access to water.
Potable drinking water is one area we have been able to focus through our relationship with Jon Rose and Waves For Water – https://www.wavesforwater.org
Humanitarian support
Our Leaders Paul, Panu & Binod manage Waves For Water programs in Nepal & India. Panu & Paul was instrumental in distributing more than 5000 water filters to those hard hit by the Nepal Earthquake of 2015. Binod founded Waves For Water India which since 2015 have distributed more than 8000 water filters and the work continues to grow
Have fun & help along the walk
Insight Himalaya offers its clients the opportunity to take water filters on a trek and give it out to those in need along the trail. In remote Nepal many people lose lives due to the lack of clean drinking water and no medical help. We have also started this program in Mongolia from 2019.
Saving fuel
Since 2015 we use Sawyer Water Filters to make potable water on the trek and save hundreds of liters of kerosene every season to boil water.