On the contrary. If you are coming to Nepal for the first time, your guide will have arranged for accommodations in Kathmandu according to your preferences, pick you up at the airport, escort you to your hotel, and even show you the sights in this remarkable ancient city and its surroundings. He can show you good places to eat, to shop, or where to enjoy the local culture outside the tourist bustle. And since he is not bound by agency preferences, he can help you avoid the “tourist markup” at every step of the way.
Agencies often prefer to stick to prescribed itineraries, assembling their staff at the last minute, and consequently the guide has only rudimentary knowledge of the visitor’s preferences. This approach eliminates a great number of creative approaches, and frustrates travelers and guides equally.
Throughout the journey an independent guide can make his own decisions regarding ad-hoc itinerary changes or emergencies. Some agencies send out their guides with a bare-bones cash allowance, which can result in an unfortunate budget crisis. An independent guide has more freedom to allocate his resources to ensure that such problems never arise.
His extensive experience enables him to choose top-quality staff for your journey, should your group itinerary require it. He will provide porters, kitchen and security staff for camping expeditions, and climbing sherpas for higher peak adventures.
And of course he will ensure that all staff is paid fairly and provided with proper equipment, clothing, and insurance. About Porters