Hotel Royal Mantra

The hotel was located in the touristy area of Thamel, which is a little rough around the edges. The room had cockroaches (I killed 3), the sheets and towels were grey (the cleaning staff used the towels for wiping the floors), the bathroom was dirty (shelf above the sink, tile and toilet), and the sewer smell from the bathroom was unpleasant, however not unbearable. The staff just hang around playing with their phones, I would NOT recommend this hotel!! I used the services of Sandip to coordinate a guide and permits for my Manaslu trek instead of going through an agency. I would NOT recommend using his services. For $50 USD he provided me with with a rough 10 day plan for the Manaslu trek where I needed a guide and I would then go solo for the Annapurna trek (texting/e-mailing plans and permit requirements). He got the Manaslu Conservation Area Project permit, Manaslu Restricted Area Trekking Permit, and the second ACAP permit, he told me to get the first ACAP from the tourist office in Kathmandu, which I did. He told me I needed an ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit) for my Manaslu Trek and another one for my Annapurna trek. This was incorrect, so I paid 3000 NPR for the second ACAP permit, which I did not need.