What is trekking?
A trek is a mountain walk from place to place, rather than just rambling or day walking from a fixed base. A trek is not necessarily more arduous or uncomfortable than centre-based sojourns; we believe they are more interesting and rewarding. Trekking appeals to different people for different reasons. Most are drawn to the healthy exercise and magnificent mountain scenery, both of which are fully guaranteed. Because of the type of treks we operate, Siniolchu Tours and Travels particularly appeals to those who are seeking unspoiled areas and an opportunity to experience the indigenous culture, history and traditions of a region. For some- certainly not everyone the lure of trekking is the desire to take on a strenuous, testing high-altitude route. Trekking is a way of life in the mountains-one needs to walk to live.

How long is the trek and how far each day walking?
Generally the trek duration depends on your interest and location of trek. Your trek can last anywhere from 2-3 days to an entire month or longer if you wish. We can accommodate day hikes, cultural visits to local villages, and relaxing rest days on your trek. The decision is up to you. It is difficult to reply you when you ask how far each day walking but it is best answered in terms of time rather than distance, as mileage is dictated by altitude and terrain. Walking time, including rests, ranges from four to eight hours but there is no hard and fast rule.

How difficult are the treks?
The difficulty of our treks depends on where you want to trek and how long you want to go. The shorter Treks tend to be easier while the longer ones require some physical fitness. Be prepared for some steep trails leading to amazing views. The pace at which you hike is up to you. We have friendly and dependable porters to assist you with your personal gear.

Where do we stay on trek?
Where acceptable Trekkers Huts facilities exist, we normally use them. Tea houses are a way of life for almost all trekkers. They are the combination of guest house, restaurant, and social hang out. We encourage all trekkers along the Dzongri, Goechala, Jholomolari, Everest, Langtang, and Annapurna treks to try our routine treks and tea house treks. Our many years of experience along these routes have helped us find the friendliest, cleanest, and most enjoyable camps/huts and tea houses with the best views.. Many have hot water available for bathing. But we discourage our groups from using water heated by wood fires due to lack of firewood in most villages and Himalayas. Deforestation is a big environmental concern in OUR HIMALAYAS. These are also great way help support local villages. In remote terrain, we camp in tents. Even if you've never camped before, you don't need to worry: the tents we provide are roomy, the sleeping pads/mattresses are comfortable. On all of our treks there is a bathroom tent and a dining tent with tables and camp stools, providing a cozy, comfortable atmosphere to eat and chat with fellow trekkers during the evening.

Where and what type of food is served?
If you are on a tea house trek you will eat breakfast and dinner at your tea house. We will stop for lunch at one of the various trail side for mid lunch prepared by our cooks. If you are on a camping trek we will prepare all meals and snacks. Almost every tea house serves the traditional meal, Dal Bhat (rice and curried lentils).. Some have versions of western food such as pizza and French fries too. The choice is yours.

How safe is the food?
Food safety is always a big concern when visiting a foreign country. This is why we do our best to choose tea houses and restaurants with clean and sanitary kitchens . On our lodge treks, we provide a cook to prepare safe and tasty meals with our own set of cookery as well as hygienic cleaning facilities. The food we serve on camping trips is completely safe. Our cooks have undergone high altitude diet preparations trainings to minimise the usage of excess fuel and combined cooking.

Where do we get water during the trip?
All tea houses have boiled water for trekkers. Your guide will provide you with all the water you need during your trek. We discourage the purchase of bottled water while on the trail. The plastic bottles are difficult to dispose off and have become an environmental problem. In a camping trek, we boil water in the morning and you will have enough boiled water in your bottle (Highly practiced in Sikkim).

Is the water safe to drink?
Your guide will be in charge of all your water needs. He will make sure all water is boiled and treated with iodine. Iodine is 100% effective in killing the bacteria in water. We recommend you get your own water cleaning tablets if you feel so about it.

What equipment should I bring?
Choosing the right equipments is very important. You want to have enough clothes to stay warm or cool yet not over pack. Usually you will have warm days and cold nights. A warm jacket either fleece or down can be nice for the evening. Long under wear and woolen socks are good for warmth too. We encourage people to bring a light pair of pants and shorts for hiking. Sun screen and glasses are a must. Rain and hail can appear on a trek so we suggest a Gore-Tex jacket. Most gear can be purchased in Kathmandu or Pokhara at one of the many outdoor gear shops. The proper foot wear depends on the trek. Shorter treks can be done in comfortable running shoes while longer ones require sturdy but light weight hiking boots. Shoes and boots are best purchased before arriving in Nepal/Sikkim/Bhutan. Proper fit is a must for boots. And we encourage wearing your boots before the trek to wear them in.

What happens if there is an emergency?
Siniolchu Tours and Travels prides itself on being prepared for any emergency situation. Our guides are trained in first aid and can deal with most of the basic ailments that occur during a trek. But if a serious emergency occurs, then outside help is needed. Every client should have their own insurance before coming to Our Himalayas incase an emergency occurs.

Is there a doctor on the trek?
We can't guarantee a doctor on every trek, but we do try to encourage suitably experienced medical personnel to join our high altitude treks by offering a discount in return for looking after the medical needs of a group. In addition to trek doctors, our group leaders are trained in first aid.

Could you tell me how much money do I need?
This is bit of difficult to explain to you without knowing your proper holiday plan. But you can make always easy with explaining about your interest- that you like to do tour, trekking, rafting, wildlife safari, shopping etc. or with explaining about the categories of hotel that you're going to accommodate and nature of tour you're going to do, and total days for HIMALAYAS. We will tell you want cost for what! Then you will know the how much money should have to bring with you! Be sure while you're in trekking or in tour- we have a safe in our office where plane tickets and money can be kept and other stuffs on our store.

What sort of experience do your guides have?
Siniolchu Tours and Travels has some of the most dependable and experienced guides in Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan and Darjeeling. All of our guides have spent years exploring the mountains and countryside of Our Himalayas. All guides speak English and have a deep knowledge of the various trekking routes. Our guides are trained in first aid and know how to react in any situation. And most importantly our guides are friendly and enjoyable and want to share with you the true beauty of Our Himalayas.

What would be when I am single or with my family?
On your interest, we do the both single guided trek/ tour and group tour. If you are alone and willing join with other people, this is always possible. On your request we will give all the details of the member and size of the groups that you're joining. People traveling with us may be of any nationality, either sex, alone or accompanied, experienced travelers or complete beginners. Groups are always small (in general 10 or less). English is the common language, and there can be a wide age-range. We apply no upper age limit, though we ask those over 70 for their doctor's confirmation of their fitness to participate. Generally speaking, we regard our trips as being for adults: unaccompanied minors are not accepted, but of course we will accept accompanied minors. Our family Trek is designed to accommodate younger children.

Will we have private rooms and bathrooms?
Private rooms are available in most tea houses except for those at very high altitudes in Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Darjeeling, toilet tents will be used. Most bathrooms are shared. On our lodge treks we also provide someone to clean all bathroom facilities for our groups. Our lodge treks also include bed and pillow covers.

How difficult is the trek?
We can absolutely assure you that you do not have to be young, very experienced, or super fit to enjoy most of our treks. Our trekkers range from 17 to 70. Previous walking experience, though useful, is not essential: the great majority of our treks could be undertaken by anyone who is in good health, enjoys outdoor life, and is reasonably fit. Many of our guests casually participate in a sport such as swimming, cycling, tennis or golf.

What we do every day in trekking?
A trek day begins around 6 a.m. with a mug of coffee or tea served through your tent flap. Hot water is provided for washing and shaving, followed by breakfast. Water is provided for your water containers. We strike camp and begin walking in the pleasant cool of the morning for 3-4 hours before stopping for lunch. This two-hour break offers an opportunity to write in your diary, read and relax. The full meal typically includes fresh fruit, tinned meat, cheese, rice chapatis or biscuits, cooked vegetables, and tea or coffee. We usually reach our campsite by 4 p.m. and have tea and biscuits shortly afterwards. There is time to rest or explore before our evening meal at 6 p.m. This is the social event of the day. It begins with an appetizer and soup, followed by the main course and dessert with tea or coffee. The variety and quality of our "camp" food will delight you. Guests keep threatening to take our cooks home with them! As we mainly camp near villages, there is usually plenty of time to visit with the locals before or after dinner and sample their home brews. As night approaches, most people retire to their warm sleeping bags and are fast asleep by 9:30 p.m.

Environmental awareness?
Our approach is to raise environmental awareness in visitors to Our Himalayas. We also give information to our valuable customers on how to minimize the negative effects that their ignorance may have on Our Himalayas. We guide and help them how to trek gently and to support positive effects at culture and environmental conservation. We are also trying to protect the fragile environment and indigenous cultures of the Himalayas. We cook food by kerosene stoves, suggest you to stay in lodges that use kerosene or fuel efficient stoves/LPG's and advise you to take hot showers when the water is heated with solar energy or hydroelectricity or black coal stove etc. We always take one extra porter to carry and manage all the garbage that our groups make in their campsite. Yearly we invest 20% of our net profit for above purpose and further more social work in the different approach of Our Himalayas. We always hearty welcome and enchant your comments and suggestions for a better way to serve our customers, environment and nature.

Why should I travel with Siniolchu Tours & Travels and Treks?
There are many reasons. In a nutshell, we go out of our way to make sure your experience is a positive one, there will be no negative impact on the region we are visiting: after all, we live here. We give you more for your money than anyone else. And our safety record is unsurpassed. We also provide warm clothes, good walking shoes and other necessary trekking equipment for our Guide and Porters. They will get good accommodations along the way and food same as you are having on the way. All our trekking staffs are insured.

What is Altitude Sickness (AMS)?
Altitude sickness, often known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is a particularly important medical consideration while trekking in Nepal. Altitude sickness means the effect of altitude on those who ascend too rapidly to elevations above 3000 meters. The initial symptoms of AMS are as follows:
1. Nausea,
2. vomiting
3. Loss of appetite
4. Insomnia/sleeplessness
5. Persistent headache
6. Dizziness,
7. light headedness,
8. confusion Disorientation,
9. Drunken gait Weakness,
10. fatigue,
11. lassitude,
12. Heavy legs Slight swelling of hands and face
13. Breathlessness and Breathing irregularity

Reduced urine output
These symptoms are to be taken very seriously. In case of appearance of any of the above symptoms any further ascent should be reconsidered; otherwise more serious, even life-threatening problems can occur. The only cure for Altitude Sickness is to descend to lower elevations immediately. Acclimatization by ascending to no more than 300 to 500 meters per day above 3000 meters, and the proper amount of rest and re hydration are the best methods for prevention of AMS.
If you follow the simple advice of our trained guides, you won't have to worry about complications from mountain sickness. We design our tours to ensure clients are ready for high altitude, and arrange alternative itineraries for those at risk.

Happy and safe trekking in sikkimdarjeeling.

Surendra K.Pradhan
(Mg.Director-Siniolchu Grp)