How was your Explore Tour Leader?

KIRAN!! He was amazing, he was so funny and had lots of jokes for us to try and work out. He always made sure we were never hungry and gave us lots of information about everywhere we went and all the extras. He also made sure everything ran smoothly with no hiccups, making sure everyone was safe and taking the kids off the parents hands when needed.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

This tour has a bit of everything from white water rafting to trekking and looking at temples to elephant safari.

Do you have anything else to add?

The hotels and tea rooms were all nice to stay in-even if there wasn't always a flushing toilet!! All part of the fun. the food was all really nice with the opportunity to have a bit of everything, momos are very nice. You will make great friends and have great experiences which will stay with you forever. Highly recommended!

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Our Tour Leader was Kiran. He was just amazing from start to finish. He was great with the kids and played games with them in the teahouses and all day along the trek. He has children of his own and he taught the kids local games that his children play. He was knowledgable, caring, mindful with us all and nothing was too much trouble - even when it came to mealtimes, he was always on hand to help the fussiest of eaters!

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

This is a really great tour for families. We travelled with 2 girls, 6 and 8 and they loved everything about the tour. They enjoyed the trek - and they were always walking at the front of the group. They loved the food and sleeping in the teahouses - which although were basic - they were the favoured accommodation of all the families.The combination of wildlife, trekking and culture - and a little whitewater rafting - made for an amazing family holiday.

Do you have anything else to add?

Kids on a trek are tougher than you think. All the families had taken a short break in the Lake District earlier on in the year, to test the family fitness. The order of the day was that the kids generally walked at the front of the group and we were at the back. The scenery was awesome. There are plenty of stops along the way and opportunities to buy snacks . Nepal is an amazing country for all the family!

We travelled to Nepal with our three sons, aged 14, 12 and 8 in April 2011 and instantly fell in love with the country. For our children, it was a fantastic education especially being introduced to a nation where poverty was so prevalent. They (and we) learnt a great deal about this beautiful country, its culture, rituals and beliefs. It was a real eye opener and it's gift to my children was priceless. We were even witness to a cremation on the river banks (I can only imagine my 8 year old's school diary!).

Kathmandu is a busy and chaotic but charismatic city and just the starter for our fortnight's adventure. We were fortunate enough to take a flight to see Everest - definitely a 'must do' - can't imagine why anyone would want to climb it! For my 14 year old the highlight of the trip was the four day Himalayan trek. There is no denying the breathtaking beauty of the Himalayas. There was far more 'up and down' than I had imagined but it was an unforgettable four days.

We all enjoyed the white water rafting although it was more terrifying that I could have imagined. Possibly a little too so for our youngest son but the elder two and my husband thought it was fantastic.

Chitwan National Park brought about some wonderful encounters with elephants - sitting on the back of an elephant in the river being squirted by their trunks and hanging on for all our worth produced some magical moments. My youngest son's face will hold a place in my heart forever. Pokhara had a wonderfully laid-back charm and is clearly popular with backpackers. This is the place to do all your shopping. Our post-dinner walk was further entertained one evening by stumbling across a snake charmer who produced not one but two cobras out of baskets!

All in all, I cannot fault the holiday. A lovely group of people, a hard working rep and a fascinating country made for a brilliant two weeks.  Bring on the next one! (FDN -1st April 2011)