Chhewang Lama
I am from the remote Nyinba Valley, located in Simikot-Humla, West Nepal where the people are of Tibetan origin. I believe the rich cultural heritage of where I am from is what connects me to my passion for the mountains. I have worked in the tourism industry for over 17 years. It is my close relationship and commitment to the many indigenous communities that gives Responsible Treks our unique signature.
To this day I remain inspired by the magic of the mountains and our people. I am passionate about both my work & sharing the amazing experiences of Nepal, Tibet, Sikkim& Bhutan with others.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"Nepal, Tibet & Boudha-Kathmandu. Our specilazion is trekking in the remote areas of the Trans Himalayas : Mustang, Manang, Dolpo, Humla, Mugu, Kailash and Tibet. I remain passionate about preserving the traditional heritage of the Tibetan/Himalayan culture and creating more opportunities for the younger generations. My hobbies is hiking, so I have started leading weekend eco-hikes around Kathmandu every Saturday and a regular Thursday walk to Pullahari and Kopan Monastery. I want to encourage more people to hike and be healthy. #HikeforHealth"
How did you get involved in travel?
"I was born in a very remote area in Humla, West Nepal. As a young child, I studied hard knowing that the future would take me further than my small mountain town. After Grade 3, I first moved to Kathmandu to pursue further studies, then to Chandigarh, India. After completing a college degree in business, I returned back to Kathmandu. I was pursuing continuing my education in then USA in 2004, In between I began to work part-time at one of the leading trekking company based in Thamel, Kathmandu. Back then there was a maoist insurgency, I was so desperate to go abroad.
Meanwhile a trek to the Tamang heritage trails and Langtang in November 2005 changed my life. After that, there was no turning back- I found my true passion. It’s the magic of the mountains and its people that still inspires me today."
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"There are so many unique experiences, Among them; when I first established my own company I went with a British friend on a 25 days expedition starting from my village in Simikot to the Limi valley and crossed the border into Tibet to Mount Kailash. We then headed towards Everest's North Face before returning back to Kathmandu. That was an epic. I lost 10 kg! Our adventures were featured in popular British travel magazine and also in Nepal ECS. It was hard, but very memorable."
Chhewang's favorite itineraries and travel advice
Top itineraries and travel advice
Discover Nepal's majestic region of Dolpo. This remote area, made famous by Peter Matthiessen’s book 'The Snow Leopard,' has only been open to trekkers since 1989. Its most...
Go on an adventure at the top of the world and let ancient Tibetan myths and mysteries enchant you. This 6-day tour includes a thorough cultural and historical exploration of...
Few trekkers make their way to the base of spectacular Mardi Himal and the beautiful and imposing Machapuchhre, but this stunning route is quickly gaining popularity. Less...
Luxury itineraries
Recent trip reviews for Chhewang
easy/efficient planning for great trip
Nepal
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Apr 25 - Apr 30, 2023
Chewang was easy and efficient to work with. He listened to what we wanted and booked exactly the type of trip and experiences we were looking for - a mix of city/culture, trekking, nature, and some down time. He is the coordinator who meets/greets you throughout the trip to ensure everything is going great. He set us up with 2 excellent guides - one for the city tours who was an expert in the history, culture, etc., and one for the light trekking. If we return to Nepal to do more trekking, I... read more
Many Thanks Julie. Looking forward to arrange your another adventure soon.
Awesome trip. Great staff!
Nepal
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Apr 6 - Apr 14, 2023
Chhewang and CT were the best companions and guides you could ask for.
Many Thanks Boss. Looking forward to arrange your another adventure soon.
Once in a Life-Time Trip
Nepal
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Apr 6 - Apr 14, 2023
This was an incredible, once in a life time trip. We took a 7 day Everest trek, with our last day being Ama Dablam base camp and then a helicopter ride over Everest basecamp. This enabled us to get a closer view of Everest. The views were amazing and the food was great. The trekking was difficult at times, but they did a good job balancing the level of difficulty. The places we stayed were definitely above average for the area.
I am 59 years old and in moderately good shape. I had no... read more
Hi Kim and Jeff
Thank you very much. It was indeed great fun trekking with you both. We had a wonderful time and good weather.
CT and I- we are very much looking forward to greeting you again and host you to Annapurna and Chitwan Trip soon.
Best wishes
Chhewang
My trip was amazing!
Nepal
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Mar 31 - Apr 3, 2023
My trip was amazing! Chhiring greeted me at the airport and we had tea on a rooftop with Chhewang. From there I started my short hiking trip and Chhiring was an amazing guide! I stayed in beautiful hotel selections thanks to their planning and they were both very helpful. I’m forever grateful to them for the amazing trip they planned and the beautiful spots and culture in Nepal they showed me! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!
Hi Halima
Thank you very much for your positive feedback. It is indeed our pleasure to host you. Although it was short but Amazing you saw Everest so Close !
Rest assured we are very much looking forward to greeting you again and host you to Nepal or Bhutan trip in near future.
Best wishes
Chhewang
Trekking and tiger safari
Nepal
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Mar 12 - Mar 22, 2020
We did a semi custom trip (11 day) for three with some moderate trekking in Annapurna region, tiger safari in Bardia NP, with some cultural activities in Kathmandu. The trip was well organized and flexible. I only provided some general guidance on my desires and Chhewang made suggestions and tied it all together after some feedback from me. We all enjoyed the trekking and the tiger safari, where we we able to see 4 tigers in the wild over 2 days.
Our trip was interrupted by the covid-19 virus... read more
Hi Christopher
Thank you very much for your positive feedback. It is indeed our pleasure to host you and your daughters to Nepal. Amazing you saw Tiger! Thanks for sharing those pic. And videos. Those were awesome. it was sad during the end of your trip due to covid-19. However, we are happy that you made it safe Home.
Rest assured we are very much looking forward to greeting you again and host you to Nepal or Bhutan trip in near future.
Best wishes
Chhewang
Fantastic experience with kimkim's team in Nepal
Nepal
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Jan 20 - Jan 24, 2020
Our party of 4 adults from Thailand were in Nepal for our first time for 4 nights and we all had a safe and wonderful time thanks to kimkim and the team. As the organizer, it wasn't easy to choose a local tour company because there are so many to screen, but I was very happy to have chosen kimkim and this team. Pre-trip, the entire coordination process such as emails back and forth, queries, payment etc was very smooth. I love kimkim's email communication system which basically makes life... read more
Dear Adithep
Thank you very much for your positive feedback. It is indeed our pleasure to host you, your wife and friends to Nepal. Happy to know that you had a wonderful time and that our service reach your expectations: D
Rest assured that your kind words have been relayed to Sonam and Gyaljen - all our staff and we are very much looking forward to greeting you again and host you to Nepal for a longer trip in near future.
Best wishes
Chhewang
Fantastic Flexible visit to Nepal
Nepal
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Nov 28 - Dec 5, 2019
We had a wonderful experience with Chhewang and his driver in Nepal. They were so flexible when our flights from Lumbini were delayed and adjusted to every little request we sent through - including transporting our luggage between Namobuddah/Balthali/Panuti so that we could do our own 'wandering' between villages. The transport was the best we had anywhere in Nepal. We would highly recommend them for any type of assistance in Nepal from fully catered to independent travelers like us. Thank you so much for making everything flow smoothly!
Many Thanks Terry. We look forward to arranging more trips in future -May be to Tibet !
Seamless experience of beauty, culture and exploration
Nepal
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Oct 26 - Oct 31, 2019
From start to finish my tour organised by Chhewang was seamless and for me effortless. I was very well looked after by my guide Keshab and can’t thank him enough. The responsible trek team communicated everything clearly and consistently where I never felt a worry or not looked after. The trek itself was created and catered specifically to my wishes and the time I had available. I loved every experience, and was lucky to observe many cultural customs as it was the time of the festival.
Many thanks for traveling with us. It was great fun meeting you Georgia!
We look forward to hosting your future trip to Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet - Namaste !
Trip to Nepal
Nepal
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Jul 19 - Jul 26, 2019
We had a wonderful time in Nepal. The attention of Chhewang and our guide, Chhiring was absolutely great. They were always on time, absolutely dedicated to us. There were no surprises, hidden costs or bad experiences. The hotels that were booked for us were of excellent quality and the overall attention and quality of the tour was outstanding.
Chhiring is really a very professional guide and a wonderful person. He didn't only guide use through our trek, we learned so much from him and from... read more
Hi Luis,
Thank you so much for taking the them to write a review for us! your are one of our special guest from Mexico. Happy to read that you had a good time and enjoyed the treks with Chhiring.
All the best and welcome back for next Nepal Adventure !
Chhewang
Lower Mustang Trek - 9 Days
Nepal
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Jul 22 - Jul 26, 2019
Such an amazing trip - my guide Sonam was wonderful. He thought of everything and went out of his way to make sure I enjoyed the trip. He took me to see some breathtaking sights and gave me the exact trip I wanted. I would recommend KimKim and Responsible Treks and Sonam to anyone I know.
Thank you!
Many thanks for trekking with us. We look forward to hosting more adventures around Nepal in future. My brother Sonam had a great time as well.
Cheers !
Trip to Nepal
Nepal
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Apr 21 - Apr 24, 2019
From the beginning of contacting Kimkim till the end, we had an amazing trekking experience in the Annapurna region. Thank you to Chhewang for the preliminary interaction and for responding to all our queries in a timely and informative manner. We were lucky to have Rikzin Lama as our guide. He was helpful, knowledgable, professional and very easy going. Our porter Bharat was a great travel companion and helped us at every occasion he can. We are ever grateful to Rikzin and Bharat who have... read more
Hi Ziyad and Atif ,
Thanks so much for your review, and extremely glad that you had an amazing trekking experiences with our guide Rikzin and Bharat.
Hope you come to Nepal again ? May be for Everest !
Cheers !!!
Trekking - 10 Days
Nepal
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Oct 17 - Oct 30, 2018
We went to Langtang for 14 days in October and we had fabulous trip. We had not tried trekking before but Chhewang was very helpful in the planning of the trip and answered all our questions with short response time. We had a guide, Keshab, and two porters, Michael Bro and Ganesh, and they were also fabulous: very friendly, professional and with a good sense of humour. Langtang was beautiful and it was not overly crowded with other tourists. We can highly recommend Langtang, Kimkim and the whole package.
Dear Charlotte, Elisabeth and Catrine
Many thanks for trekking with us. Our guide and porters really had good time with you all. We appreciate your support to Langtang for an effort to revive tourism, as you said its a beautiful trek, your visit have also provide vital support for local livelihoods.
We look forward to arrange more trekking holidays in Nepal !
Cheers- Chhewang & Team
Trip to Nepal
Nepal
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Oct 16 - Nov 1, 2018
We trekked the Langtang-Gosaikunda-Helambu route for 2 weeks with our Nepalese guide Dawa and porter Renjen. The trip was absolutely amazing: stunning views, friendly people, interesting culture! We felt safe and welcome from day one until the end.
Thanks Emma for taking the time to review . Glad to hear that you had an amazing trip. We look forward to hosting your another adventures in Nepal in future.
Cheers- Chhewang & Team
Nepal Holiday with Trekking
Nepal
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Oct 17 - Oct 30, 2018
We had a wonderful time with Responsible Treks!
Responsible Treks is a great touring company with a respectable business model and mission. By mainly hiring employees from a single, impoverished village high in the Himalayas, they are providing a way for members of the village to earn a living outside of the mountains. Our guide was Sonam and our porter was the famous dancing and singing Nirmal.
Our trek was a 7-day/6-night hike through the south Annapurna Conservation area. The highlight... read more
Hi Amanda and Richard - thank you so much for your feedback!
Really happy to read that your trip was wonderful. We were all happy to meet and host you.
We wish you all the best for your world tour !
Namaste And Tashi Delek !
Trip to Nepal
Nepal
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Oct 20 - Oct 27, 2018
We were having company trip to Nepal and we are really satisfied with the service provided by Nima and Chhewang. We couldnt describe how wonderful and how professional this travel company is. Firstly the recommended travel plan was suited to our group of people. And both Nima and Chhewang always give fast response before and during the trip. They answered our thousands of question patiently. During the trip, our tour guide Nima was good at forming a joyful atmosphere and able to identify our... read more
Many Thanks Chloe for taking the time to review . Glad to hear that you had a wonderful trip. Hope to see you and your company friends for your next holiday!
Cheers- Chhewang & Team
Jomsom Muktinath Trek
Nepal
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Jul 29 - Aug 6, 2018
My wife and I recently traveled to Nepal on our honeymoon to explore part of the mustang region. We were looking for adventure, culture and scenery. Our guide Thinley and the whole team from Responsible Treks gave us a wonderful adventure. Nepal is such a beautiful country rich in history, culture and spirit, and the mustang region was just as breathtaking as we had hoped it would be. Even with the monsoon weather providing us with a range of obstacles, the Responsible Treks team worked... read more
Hi Shawn,
Thank you for your sincere and marvelous review.
On behalf of the entire Responsible Trek team, I thank you for taking time to share your kind opinion of your trip. It was such a pleasure to read that you had a great service experience with us. Our priority is to always make our guest’s holiday smooth and relaxing in as far as possible, even in the most difficult situation. Sorry as I was not there at the end to meet you.
Be assured that your warm review has been relayed to... read more
Trip to Nepal
Nepal
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Jul 16 - Jul 30, 2018
We had a wonderful experience in Nepal, and I can't say enough great things about Chhewang and Sonam from Responsible Treks. This was our first time to Nepal, and Chhewang was extremely helpful in designing the perfect itinerary for us. He assessed our capabilities and interests, and proposed several options. He was patient and responsive with our questions and flexible to meet our needs at every step.
We trekked the remote region of Nar and Phu, and then part of the Annapurna Circuit. We... read more
Hi Chris and Sophia,
Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed feedback. It was indeed pleasure hosting you both. It was our good karma to meet you though KimKim.
Great to hear that Sonam was super guide, he is still learning and will do even better. I shared your review with all of our office team and we are all inspired.
Once again! Many thanks for the honest review, looking forward to host your another adventure in the Himalayas, all the best!
Cheers,
Chhewang
Trip to Nepal
Nepal
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May 11 - May 18, 2018
I cannot say enough about the awesome Nepal trek we recently competed that was booked through KimKim with Responsible Treks. From our first interactions, KimKim identified the type of trip we were interested in, the specific dates we were available and matched us with a trekking company and a trek that fit our skill level and expectations.
The trip itself exceeded our expectations on all fronts. The communications we received via KimKim's platform helped us plan our trip, get a great... read more
Hi David & Michael
Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed feedback. It was indeed pleasure hosting you both. Despites bad weather, we are delighted to learn that you fully enjoyed your overall trip to Nepal.
Rest assured that your kind words have been happily shared with our entire team especially to our lead guide Sonam and C.T. Lama
Thank you once again and we look forward welcoming you back soon ... maybe for another adventure in the Himalayas
Namaste and Tashi Delek !
Chhewang