For the third year in a row, Myths and Mountains President Toni Neubauer has been named Condé Nast Traveler’s Top Travel Specialist for Nepal. The experts included on this prestigious list represent what Condé Nast’s Director of Consumer News and Digital Community, Wendy Perrin, calls “the best blend of destination knowledge, insider connections, user-friendliness, and value for your dollar that I’ve found in more than two decades of scrutinizing the travel industry for this magazine.”
Inclusion on the list is a true honor. As Perrin notes on the Condé Nast website, “Of the more than 10,000 travel agents and tour operators who have tried to break onto this list since its inception 13 years ago, only a tiny fraction have made the grade—this year, 150 specialists. Getting into this group is, statistically speaking, tougher than getting into Harvard. Staying on it is tougher still: It requires not only an absence of valid reader complaints but also ongoing positive assessments from readers.”
Toni’s inclusion reflects her decades of experience in Nepal, but she says, “The award is not only an honor for me, but also for the many people in Nepal who have been my gurus – teaching me their language and rich culture. It’s also an honor for those with whom we’ve worked in READ Global. READ is truly changing Nepal, and our involvement plays a part in the specialist award. That we have built libraries in so many remote areas has been a way for me to intimately get to know a Nepal seen by few travelers.”
This close relationship with the people of Nepal is what makes Myths and Mountains trips so extraordinary. Toni explains, “Myths and Mountains has a special place in the hearts of many, many Nepalis, and they will go out of their way to spend time with our people and make their experience very personal. In addition, it is not just Myths and Mountains, but also our travelers who have helped build READ, and people in Nepal know this. The locals will bring you into their homes and make things happen that wouldn’t happen on an ordinary trip.”
Toni knows Nepal intimately and is committed to making a difference in the lives of Nepali people and communities. But, she emphasizes, “Although I personally treasure the award, it is also a tribute to everyone in Nepal who has helped us, and to Myths and Mountains for being the kind of company that it is.”
