Welcome!
My name is Shiva Thapa. Trekking in the Nepalese Himalaya is amazing! I am an experienced and qualified guide who has been leading treks for over 13 years for adventure trekkers with experience and for those who venture into the Himalayas for the first time. My English skills are impressive and I can provide commentary on route in regards to the local environment, flora-fauna, religion, history, culture, geography, and politics of Nepal. My aim is to ensure a positive experience, so I cater to the special interests of the groups I lead while also maintaining a focus on safety. My website offers information to appropriately plan your trekking experience. Please contact me so we can get make your trek a reality!
I invite you to read what others have to say about me:Letters of Recommendation.
Namasté,
Shiva Thapa
My Journey to Becoming a Qualified Trekking Guide
I was born in Pokhara, but grew up in Terai, a small village in the southern part of Nepal.
In 1993, while I was studying at a higher secondary school, I worked at a restaurant for about two years as a cashier. In that time, I realized that the hospitality business was a good way to develop my career. Unfortunately, life changed my path and I could not continue in this field.
I returned to my small village, Terai, and started to teach school. That turned out to be a wonderful experience for me. I really loved teaching kids and I still fondly remember those days.
I could not go to university while I was teaching in the village, so I left in 1997 and enrolled in higher education.
In the meantime I was looking for a job to help support me in completing my studies. I entered into the tourism industry as a freelance porter/guide assistant. When I went on my first trek, it was a completely different experience. Even though I was a university student, it was very challenging for me to communicate. I found that I was embarrassed to talk to people. Slowly, I started to learn English by talking to all the different people on the treks.
My Training and Experience
I decided to enroll in Trekking Guide Training (172 hrs.), which gave me a lot of ideas about the tourism industry as well as about culture, religion, history, geography, anthropology, flora/fauna, first aid, etc.
Right after the training I joined Equator Expeditions as a guide. I worked for them for about five years at the Pokhara office and then worked another 6 years at Three Sisters Adventure Trekking Company. Since June 2008 I worked for myself and started my own trekking company in Kathmandu.
In over 13 years of experience, I have led more than 180 long and short treks in various parts of the country. I love trekking because it is an exciting job! It offers the opportunity for me to experience different parts of my country, the people and the culture. Each time I go trekking I see the places we visit differently and I get to meet people from all over the world.
My Activities as a Union Member
I am an active member of the trekking guide union in Nepal which is known as UNITRAV (Union of Trekking-Travels and Rafting Worker's Nepal). The unions are fairly active among the members as well as in the trekking areas. I was the President of the Western Regional Committee until July 2007 and am presently the Secretary of the Central Committee. We have about 900 trekking workers (guides/ porters) in Pokhara and about 4000 in KTM. We work for the workers' welfare and address issues such as fair wages/salary, insurance, training and equipment. Ten percent of the net profit is allocated for Union fund-raising programs.
I also teach trekking guide training at Empowering Women of Nepal Pokhara and Eco tourism training at western part Nepal. Last year I visited The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy and Belgium for 3 months. It was really educational for me, so now I have a better understanding of the western culture as well as the values and interests of people there.
I was also an English Language Assessor who promotes the advantages of speaking and understanding the English language for Nepali citizens. This included being a language and cultural facilitator.
