I was fortunate enough to hike the Manaslu Circuit mid-May 2026, with TrekNepal. Dinesh served as my guide, and Eke as porter. I met with owner Gobs Bassnet, who began as a guide and worked his way up to senior management, and now owning TrekNepal along with a 40-room Lodge, regarding my age, size and physical limitations after a serious motorcycle accident in 2019. Thankfully, I was blessed to trek alone and Dinesh proved to be a gentle, patient, observant guide. I never felt pressured in any way. Having had 12 days to observe other guides, please be aware that not all guides are created equal. Some pushed their groups at a pace which was uncomfortable, some were impatient about trekkers with Acute Mountain Sickness, and sone were rather overbearing. Not so with Dinesh, who is a gem of a guide and human being. As is Eke, who often returned to assist me on difficult days with my backpack. Coming from a background in tourism and hospitality, please spare me saying a few words about tipping. Many have followed the American example to tip generously, to the point that tipping has become expected. Some employers view tips as a means to supplement their employees' income. TIP stands for To Improve Performance, a reward or potential incentive to go above and beyond what your job usually requires. I asked about tipping, and was recommended 10% of package fee. However, it was unclear whether this was to be split between guide and porter, or 10% each? If the anticipation is 10% each, this adds 20% to an already sizeable cost? These days, with every company having our email address and phone numbers, company owners should be encouraging their employees to send a word of appreciation to guests who have provided a tip surely? Having trekked Annapurna, Langtang and Helambu in 1994, I have always dreamed of returning to Nepal. The quieter surrounds of Manaslu, with a guide/porter appealed, and my high expectations were exceeded. I would recommend TrekNepal and in particular Dinesh and Eke without hesitation.