Take A Journey

To Fulfill Your Dreams

Expertly guided & curated Himalayan adventures

Take A Journey

To Fulfill Your Dreams

Expertly guided & curated Himalayan adventures

Imagine yourself…

  • Participating in traditional Buddhist or Hindu rituals
  • Visiting remote villages where tourists generally don’t travel
  • Trekking the highmountains fully supported by a camp & kitchen team
  • Being welcomed as an honored guest at festivals and in homes, schools, nomad tents, and communities
  • Understanding the vibrant spiritual iconography and its meaning in modern life
  • Attending private ceremonies and being invited into sacred spaces
  • Bonding with our local team and learning about their lives

Cultural Connection

For over 20 years, I’ve created close relationships with local people and organizations. We go the extra mile to arrange special experiences, participate in rituals, make space for serendipity, and support you in extreme mountain environments.

Unforgettable Experiences

Immerse in the culture and landscape of the legendary Himalayas

Spiritual Adventures

Trekking Adventures

My name is Deana Zabaldo.

Im passionate about the people, culture, history, art, food, and everyday life in Nepal and Bhutan. I’d like to show you this region in a way that few people experience it. I invite you to join me for an unparalleled journey into the heart of the Himalayas.

Expert Leadership & Client Service

  • 24 years experience in the region
  • Winner of the World Guide Awards 
  • “Best New Himalayan Trip” Outside magazine
  • Founder & Director, Changing Lives Nepal
  • Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal
  • Wilderness First Responder  

My name is Deana Zabaldo.

Im passionate about the people, culture, history, art, food, and everyday life in Nepal and Bhutan. I’d like to show you this region in a way that few people experience it. I invite you to join me for an unparalleled journey into the heart of the Himalayas.

Expert Leadership & Client Service

  • 24 years experience in the region
  • Winner of the World Guide Awards 
  • “Best New Himalayan Trip” Outside magazine
  • Founder & Director, Changing Lives Nepal
  • Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal
  • Wilderness First Responder  

I have been on several treks, but the one we took this Spring far surpassed them all. Your compassion for the people and love for Nepal was obvious. From the moment of our first group meeting, you made me feel that we were friends and had known each other for years. Your insights to the culture and history added a unique element to the trip which made it even better. Without a doubt you made this trip unforgettable.

–Bryan Cermak, Illinois

Deana takes the trekking experience to another level. It will be hard to imagine finding on future treks a more organized and knowledgeable guide. Her ability to speak the language and her good relationship with locals in various villages will take you to places most trekkers will not go. I understand why she was selected “Guide of the Year 2013” from Wanderlust Magazine in the UK.

–Brian Bogdanovich, Vancouver

As magical as the climb to base camp is with the most majestic mountains anyone has ever encountered, it would not have been nearly as fulfilling had we not had Deana as our guide. Deana brings the place ALIVE, with her stories of the local people, their lives, their culture, their fascinating history, and their religion. We could not have imagined a better trip or a better guide!

–Jenny & Wayne Miller, North Carolina

Deana was impressive and inspiring. The trek was more of an overall experience with her as she shared the best Nepal and the Himalayas had to offer, and it was clear that her top priority was the “people” aspect of the trek, both trekkers and staff.

–Pam Lattin, Maine

Deana is fantastic.  All of our cultural explorations were amazing.  Her knowledge of Tantric Buddhism was a great help as she identified the figures portrayed in paintings and on altars, and put them into a contextual and historical framework which helped me understand how they all fit together and what it all meant. I also really appreciate her regard for the local people and our trekking crew. She takes care of everyone!

–John Allen, California

Several months after returning home from our spiritual adventure in Bhutan, I still marvel at the fine balance Deana struck between the inner and outer explorations. The combination of tools she gave us for inner practice, along with the meaningful experiences of Bhutan that she led us through with skill and knowledge, continue to produce fruit in my life every day. Perhaps more than anything else in which I’ve participated. 

–Anne Trumble, New Mexico

Connect with the rich culture, staggering geography, and vibrant communities as we bring you into the monasteries, mountains, and magic of the Himalayas. We create experiences and understanding as we participate in rituals and daily life, so that you carry the journey in your heart and in your memory, long after you return home.

Leave the Logistics to Us

Incountry logistics are taken care of.

Transportation problems? Snowstorm? Permit challenges?

We will take care of any issues that might arise, while you sip tea.

Giving Back

I’ve been dedicated to making a positive difference in Nepal for 24 years, first as a Peace Corps Volunteer and now through Changing Lives Nepal. We engage in effective grassroots development and have a long-term commitment to our partner communities.
Projects include:
  • Organic coffee & nut farms to lift rural families out of poverty with long-term sustainability
  • Women’s safe house to shelter and support victims of violence in the remote mountains
  • Children’s education and school repairs

Stories from the Trail

Get in Touch

Will the trip be too hard? Too easy?

What will we eat? Will we see a yeti?

Reach Out For Answers