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Traveller reviews of Mountain Kingdoms
Overall holiday rating: 5
Total number of reviews submitted: 1179
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Spectacular mountain scenery
The trek was a very enjoyable week in spectacular mountain scenery. It was a small group of 5 people. The guide Marco was excellent and the itinerary involved quite demanding but manageable days mostly on pretty good paths. The accommodation and food and drink was good- better than those on other treks I have been on. I feel very fortunate to have been able to visit the high mountains again after three years when I have not been able to.
Beautiful Claree Valley
A beautiful unknown valley. We discovered so many wild flowers - new ones each day. Our guide, Stephanie, was very knowledgeable and friendly, adapting our itinerary due to changeable weather. The hotel was very good - excellent food and friendly staff.
A fantastic trip
A fantastic trip, very well organised in every aspect to a culturally interesting country and a well guided journey through spectacular landscapes. You need plenty of energy and to be very sure footed to trek a number of consecutive days on demanding glaciated terrain. I nearly wore out new soles on my boots in just over a week! It may help to bring yaktrax or similar to help with some icy sections. Peak day is tough but rewarding. Food at camps is tasty and plentiful and tents are large and comfy.
Breathtaking scenery
The Tien Shan is one of the world's great mountain ranges, and the scenery at the heart of it is utterly breathtaking, well worth the challenging glacial trekking to get there. The view from up Pesnya Abaya is particularly amazing. In addition, the people were friendly, the culture interesting, and the food excellent.
No crowds
No crowds, great guides and companions, beautiful scenery and an interesting blend of Kyrgyz and Russian culture. Not forgetting the dramatic exit and entry by helicopter.
Safe and secure
Friendly, knowledgeable and highly competent guides in both the city and trekking sections of the trip meant that I had full confidence in the conduct of the holiday and felt safe and secure at all times, especially in negotiating the ice slopes and Pesnya Abaya summit section with harness and crampons. A great feeling of achievement thanks to the unfailing support of our excellent guides and porters. Well chosen hotels and restaurants ensured an enjoyable apres- trek recovery before flying home.
Silk Road
Chance to explore all the main Silk Rd sites in Uzbekistan with with a knowledgeable guide and on our own (a good mix).
Awesome time
Magnificent scenery on trek. We had an awesome time Very well organised from beginning to end. Trek staff were helpful & very friendly. Acclimatisation was well considered. The final days descent and the river crossings are not for those of a nervous disposition.
Very interesting itinerary
A very interesting itinerary which I felt covered the most important aspects of Uzbeki history. Sometimes I felt that there was too much talking and not enough walking but I modify this comment by admitting that I wasn’t always up to the walking.
Well organised tour
A well organised tour, but with a little bit of the old "Intourist" feel of the Soviet Union - some places you go to because they are what the local tour company have on their list rather than their intrinsic interest (eg could have visited the Ulugh Beg Madrassa in Gi'jvodun rather than the ceramics workshop).
A great short trip
A great short trip that met all my hopes and expectations despite a change of itinerary.
Recommended - Silk Road tour
Wonderful friendly people who we really enjoyed meeting and talking with. Stunning architecture. All the places we visited had something different to offer and we had enough free time to explore further. We really enjoyed seeing traditional Uzbek skills such as silk and paper making. A wonderful country with incredible people. We will recommend this trip to all our friends.
Intro to Alpine Mountaineering
The Introduction to Alpine Mountaineering is set in an ideal Swiss valley with picturesque scenery. Kevin was certainly very familiar and well experienced with the area. Polly, an experienced guide herself added in a positive and fun flair to the learning experience.
Well organised tour
Well organised programme with plenty to do. Nice balance of organised v free time.
A great experience
I think that the main thing that made this trip special was the client group dynamics. A range of ages and experience but we all got along great. This was obvious by the post days climbing beer we enjoyed and the banter and laughter we shared as a group. The itinerary changed due to avalanche threat at the trail head of Weissmies, but although we climbed Barrhorn at 3,610 mtrs, some 300 mtrs or so less in altitude, it was a tougher climb due to the varying terrain. It was a great experience.
Incredible trip!
What an incredible trip! An amazing experience from start to finish. The guides and the porters were excellent and the Nepalese people are so friendly. Trip was well planned to maximise our time there
The Silk Road brought to life
Amazing sights which really brought the history of the Silk Road to life. Plus: excellent food, comfortable accommodation and a genuinely warm welcome from the local people we met. And our guide, the lovely Shahnoza, was outstanding! We also thoroughly recommend the Fergana Valley extension - we will never forget the sight and sound of silk worm larvae munching their way through a bowl of fresh mulberry leaves!
One of my best ever holidays
This was a real cultural experience, one of my best ever holidays. Contributing factors included a brilliant bunch of guests, our very hard-working tour guide and exposure to a wide variety of food styles at dinner times. Uzbek people are incredibly friendly and I felt very safe wandering about Tashkent and Samarkand As a result, I stayed an extra 2 nights on my own in Samarkand.
Amazing monuments and mountains
This trip gave a really good insight into the history of Uzbekistan and the key role it played when the Silk Road was at its height. I loved the city tours where we visited some amazing monuments which our tour guide introduced us to in an interesting and informative way. I also enjoyed the opportunity to visit the villages in the mountain areas as that allowed us to see completely different parts of the country, and see how people in those areas live.
Silk Road Mountains & Monuments
A nice balance of sightseeing and hill walking.