reviews
Read holiday reviews by Mountain Kingdoms travellers.
A truly amazing experience from start to finish. The itinerary was well thought out, balancing tougher days with "easier" days afterwards and giving us plenty of time to savour the key base camp destinations. Our guides were first rate and were able to be flexible depending on the group dynamic. Luckily we had a group that gelled together from day one and I have memories that will last a lifetime.
A splendid trek - outstanding views plus tough challenges. Kangchenjunga is remote - you won't see many crowds here!
I loved every minute of this tour. The weather was great. It was cold but pleasant in Khiva and warm everywhere else. Its the architecture that was mind blowing! I've never seen anything like it. The tiling was exquisite and the colours were so beautiful. Even up on the domes was all tiled! The work was just incredible every place we went. Shaknoza our guide was great and so helpful. She gave us a wonderful history of the country and the important people that ruled Uzbekistan. The hotels we stayed in were very good .Very comfortable and the food was excellent.I did the extra tour of Shakhrisabz and Langar and it was wonderful as it was so different again! We went up into the mountains. Very rural and saw how people lived there.
We loved the opportunity to see such a wide variety of sights with an expert guide and likeminded companions. The colours of the buildings and tiles blew us away and the history was fascinating. The tour fulfilled all my hopes.
This tour opened up the magic of Uzbekistan for us. We learnt so much about the country and its history. The most amazing part was that as we progressed around from Tashkent to Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand, the beauty of the buildings and the skills of the builders surpassed each other until we could no longer envision anything more stunning. Our guide Shakhnoza was so knowledgeable and had us all fascinated despite the history being so complex. We enjoyed the free days which enabled us to revisit places or to shop and which, as part of an intense tour, let us have time to consolidate everything. We also particularly enjoyed the day out to the desert forts which added variety.
After an introduction to Kathmandu and the colourful whirl of Thamel and then exploring Pokhara and its marvellous setting, mountains beckon. Don't be put off by a hair-raising ride in a four by four up the valley from Tatopani. Close your eyes if needs be or pray if needs be. Don't look down. Within a couple of hours you are safe and sound at the start of a three-day walk up. This is a new trail for most western trekkers. Much of the route up the gorge and valley is over well constructed stone steps, though they have been swept away in places. A week's walking in total, on a route that is at times over loose moraine, landslides and rockfall but you are rewarded by a top camp set in a stunning bowl, by a stunning lake, ringed by massive mountains. Here at about 4000m you are surrounded by Nilgiri, Tilicho and Annapurna's peaks sweeping down to Lake Nachang with the Annapurna glacier dominating the far shore. This campsite setting is magnificent and well worth the approach. Climb further and the views are good as you can find in central Nepal. The campsites on route are untidy at best. This short trek is used mostly by young Nepalese who it seems who have much to learn about litter and great trails deserving great care. At times their consideration of others on site can be lacking! It is however worth the moans about the environment and the neighbours as the days spent around the lake are breathtakingly beautiful.
Everything about the trek was amazing from the flights, hotel in Kathmandu our guides, porters tea houses and the food excellent from start to finish.
A great experience with a lovely group of strangers who quickly became friends. All of us are experienced trekkers and the trail was a bit tougher than we expected, but it was nevertheless very enjoyable and our excellent guides and porters looked after us very well. Food and accommodation was of a consistently high standard.
I urge you to consider this trip, the highlands are beautiful. The trek is very rewarding but, although I think the grading is probably about right, the heat and humidity are factors you should consider. Accommodation were all fine, ranging from high class hotels down to simple inns, but all had good views, decent food and helpful staff. Take the opportunity to communicate with the local people. Some do not speak much English, but everyone will smile and try to be helpful. Eat the Sri Lankan food, even the breakfasts. Finally, a nod of appreciation to the organisers both Mountain Kingdoms and the local agent and its staff. One thing I think is certain. If this is your first visit to Sri Lanka you will want to come back.
“We have just returned and we had an absolutely wonderful time. The choice to do the Lingshi Laya trek was definitely best – the longer trek really got us into the mountains – the scenery and ambiance were brilliant and the pace and knees were fine. Bhutan really is a most fascinating place. Your team in Bhutan were extremely good. The lead guide (PT) was highly knowledgeable and entertaining and the team looked after us extremely well – I don’t know how they managed to produce such good food consistently in that environment but they did!”