Our Team

Dipasha Dhakal founded Sama Yatra as the pilgrimage arm of Trek Mania Nepal, the trekking company her father built, and leads it as CEO. Before Sama Yatra she wrote Trek Mania Nepal's content, ran its social media and answered its guests' emails.

Devaraj Dhakal is the founder and Managing Director of Trek Mania Nepal. Born in Baseri, Dhading District, below Ganesh Himal and Manaslu, he has guided since 2002 and has led treks, tours and expeditions across Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and India. He organises climbs of peaks below 7,000 m such as Island Peak, Mera Peak, Lobuche and Chulu. He also runs a hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu.

Yubaraj Bastakoti is a PhD scholar at Tribhuvan University, a hospitality manager and a director of Trek Mania Nepal. He has written research on Nepal's tourism trade and writes on the safety of tourists and the promotion of tourism in Nepal. He knows the country's culture, ethnic diversity and heritage sites in depth.

Bhimsen Banjara was born in Gorkha and grew up in sight of the mountains he now guides in. He has worked in trekking since 2000 and has been a qualified guide since 2007.

Guides in English and Korean

Tika Dhakal started in 1999 as a porter and assistant trekking guide and is now a fully licensed trekking guide. He leads treks in the Himalaya and tours of Nepal's cultural cities, and has guided travellers from all over the world.

Prem Bastakoti, from Gorkha district, is a trained, government licensed trekking guide with a long record in the trekking trade and letters of appreciation from his guests. Years of guiding Russian travellers have given him some Russian.

Tara Nath Bhatta is one of the younger guides on the team. He has guided for a few years, makes sure every guest is comfortable with his guidance, and has been thanked by many of them.

Hem Prasad Banjara was born in Gorkha district, in the Manaslu region, and has more than 15 years of guiding behind him. He speaks Korean fluently and has guided many Korean travellers.

Guides in English and Korean