News
New departure - Gentle Trekking Bhutan30 June 2009Our Gentle Trekking Lodges & hotels Bhutan holiday has proved more popular than ever this year. Our existing autumn departures are now nearly all full so we are therefore adding an extra departure on the 5th November. The itinerary includes many delightful walks, visits to the main cultural sights of Bhutan as well as time at a festival. View the full holiday itinerary here or contact the office for further details or to book a place. |
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Kailash kora, Tibet25 June 2009Our spring departure of the Mount Kailash & Lake Manasarovar trek has just returned. Trek leader John Turner said ‘The beautiful trek in from Simikot through a remote and rarely visited part of Nepal ensured that we were all extremely well acclimatised to undertake our circuit. The vast Tibetan landscapes on this trip are just incredible, and we enjoyed perfect blue skies throughout. The trek crew were excellent, in particular our guide, Biswo, who kept us entertained with tales of his Everest Summit success last year.’ Revered by Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and Böns, this remote Tibetan mountain attracts pilgrims from across the world, and a single kora (circuit) around Mount Kailash is said to wipe away the sins of a lifetime. Complete your own kora of this sacred mountain on our next Kailash trek departing on 11th September 2009, now guaranteed to run. The price for the 25-day trek is £3,535 per person including flights, or £2,795 land only. |
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Sri Lankan Summer Special19 June 2009Gentle Trekking, Kandyan Kingdoms, Sri Lanka, departing on the 12th July has been reduced from £1,850 to £1,450 per person flight inclusive, a saving of £400. The 'land only' price is now £995. The itinerary has been carefully designed to combine tranquil walking in the remote Knuckles Mountains with a chance to visit the main cultural sights of central Sri Lanka, staying in delightful character hotels throughout. We are also able to offer private departures of this holiday from just £1,550 per person, flight inclusive, for departures in July and August. This price is based on a minimum of two people sharing and is subject to flight availability. Price may vary by departure date. |
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Himalayan eclipse19 June 2009Tim Eastham and his 6 year old son Arthur are travelling all the way from Thailand to witness the total eclipse in Bhutan on 22nd July. Tim particularly wanted a clear uninterrupted view around sunrise and therefore Mountain Kingdoms have organised a short trek for father and son from Paro to Thimphu. On 22nd July they will be camped at Phadjoding which has clear views east. We are all now just hoping that the weather will be kind to them and that the morning is clear of cloud. Incidentally Arthur will be carried in a specially adapted and padded basket some of the time! Off season discounts make July a cost effective time to visit the country. |
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On the trail of the Yeti - new trek in Bhutan12 May 2009This autumn we are offering a new trekking holiday that provides a thorough exploration of Bhutan from the beautiful Ha Valley in the west to the remote eastern region of Merak and Sakten - re-opened this year after 17 years of being closed to the outside world. The trek travels through two areas renowned for sightings of the Himalayan Yeti (locally known as the Migoi) - the Rodang La and the Migoi National Park in Sektan, which is the only wildlife reserve in the world created specifically to protect the habitat of the yeti. Mountain Kingdoms will be the first company to run a trek to this beautiful, unspoilt and culturally unique region of Bhutan and you could be amongst the first to visit this autumn. Take a look at our new Yeti Trail, Eastern Bhutan itinerary to find out more. |
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A very unusual ceremony!30 April 2009Chipping Sodbury Explorer Scouts have just returned from an expedition to Nepal. The group successfully completed the Annapurna Sanctuary trek, despite deep snow, and even managed to hold investiture ceremonies for two members of their group en-route. Nick Lee (pictured right) became a full Explorer Scout near a very snowy Annapurna Base Camp whilst Tom Mines was invested on the magnificent setting of Poon Hill. The promise ceremonies were witnessed by their fellow Explorers in full uniform and with their company flags. They will no doubt be amongst the most unusual Scouts investitures ever held - as well as a memory to treasure for all present. |
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New Simien Mountains Trek, Ethiopia29 April 2009This autumn we are offering a new trek in an exciting new destination. The Simien Mountains in Ethiopia are a trekker's paradise with stunning scenery, seriously high peaks and abundant wildlife. Our trek has been designed by Operations Manager, Niki Morgan, who travelled to Ethiopia last month and returned full of enthusiasm for this wonderful country. Niki has created a varied trek that takes in the wildlife hotspots of the Simien National Park as well as Ethiopia's highest mountain, Ras Dashen (4,533m/14,872ft) and an unusual walk through remote villages. Our trip also includes visits to the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and the ancient churches of Gonder - two of Ethiopia's must-see cultural sights. View our itinerary to find out more. |
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Machu Picchu Luxury Lodges win eco award06 April 2009Mountain Kingdoms Peruvian partner has won a prestigious eco award for their Luxury Lodges situated along an ancient pre-Inca trade route to Machu Picchu. The international ‘To Do Contest for Socially Responsible Tourism’ was awarded for their involvement of local communities and the use of environmentally sound practices in developing and running the lodges. You can see the award-winning lodges for yourself on our 17-day Luxury Lodges to Machu Pichu trek, with departures on 24th July, 7th August and 4th September. Prices from £3,195 including international flights. |
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Mekong & Minorities Eco Trek - New Itinerary27 March 2009Following Ann Sainsbury's recent visit to Laos, the itinerary for our Mekong and Minorities eco-trek has been thoroughly revised and updated. Now, in addition to time in Luang Prabang and two full days on the Mekong River, we include three village treks in the north and south and a visit to the stunning Khmer site of What Phu. On trek we spend time in village houses gaining a real cultural insight into Laos's remote 'tribes' whilst providing income for the villagers. This really is a holiday that takes you 'under the skin' of this long forgotten corner of Indo-China. |
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Jim Edwards 1935 - 200925 March 2009Jim Edwards, adventurer and conservationist has died aged 74 in Nepal. Jim, a genuine friend of Nepal, settled in the country he fell in love with over 40 years ago and amongst his many tourism ventures established the world famous Tiger Tops Jungle Resort in Chitwan. Jim Edwards was a key figure in promoting tourism to Nepal and will be missed by many. |
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Comic Relief team summit Kili17 March 2009After 7 tough days trekking, the intrepid Comic Relief celebs summitted Kilimanjaro - Africa's highest mountain. To improve their chances of success they chose the longer Lemosho route, the same one that we use in our Summits of Kilimanjaro trek. Our itinerary also includes an acclimatisation trek up neighbouring Mount Meru which really helps prepare the body for the high altitude demands to come, and ensures that our clients have the best possible chance of seeing sunrise from the top of Kili. |
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Mountain Kingdoms wins Wanderlust Travel Award09 February 2009Wanderlust announced the winners of their 2009 travel awards on Thursday and we were delighted to win a Highly Commended award in their Top Tour Operator category. The awards are voted for by readers of Wanderlust and we would like to say a very big thank you to everyone who voted for us. Niki Morgan is pictured here (centre) collecting the award from Wanderlust Editor, Lyn Hughes, at the Destinations Travel Show in London. |
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Ang Tsering Sherpa, 1962-200819 January 2009Popular Mountain Kingdoms guide Ang Tsering Sherpa died late last year. Ang Tsering had led over 200 treks, summited many 6,000m plus peaks and in 1993 stood on the summit of Everest with the Korean Women's Expedition. He also ran a small guesthouse in the village of Khunde with his wife. Ang Tsering was an outstanding guide and his warm and selfless nature ensured that anyone trekking in his company was guaranteed the holiday of a lifetime. Over the years many Mountain Kingdoms clients made a good friend in Ang Tsering and he will be sadly missed. |
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Our Price Guarantee for 200923 December 2008To help reassure clients nervous about rising costs, MK is guaranteeing that no surcharges will be added to any of our trips departing between 1st January and 1st November 2009. To boost confidence even further we are also committing to refunding reductions in airline taxes or fuel surcharges that apply when flights are ticketed. For full details of these offers see our pricing guide. |
Carbon offset funds allocated to school solar project, Ladakh17 November 2008All 2009 Mountain Kingdoms holidays which include flights will be carbon offset through TICOS - the Tourism Industry Carbon Offset Service. We have just received confirmation that our carbon offset funds will be committed to a renewable energy project at a school in Ladakh, India which we have been supporting for many years. The first phase of the project at the Druk White Lotus School near Leh is underway with the installation of an island grid powered by 54 solar panels being mounted on school buildings. The project aims to provide a fully renewable energy supply for the school, which when complete will accommodate 750 students, including 200 residential students from remote mountain villages. All Mountain Kingdoms staff and trek leader flights are also carbon offset. |
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