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Traveller reviews of Mountain Kingdoms
Overall holiday rating: 4.9
Total number of reviews submitted: 1448
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A very special adventure
Bhutan was a place like no other. Our time there was especially moving as the innate spirituality, the peacefulness, the welcoming and wonderful people, and their love for the King and his family made the trip one we will always cherish. The touring, the hiking, the temples, the Dzongs, and the colorful Paro Festival will all leave lasting memories for us. Also, our hike to the Tiger's Nest was everything we imagined it to be. All of this contributed to a very unique and special adventure, so much that we hope to return in the next couple of years. We also added an extension in Nepal which was equally fabulous. Kathmandu and the surrounding areas were so full of history, Pokhara and the Annapurna mountain range were stunning, especially the morning sunrise over the mountains, and the Safari Camp at Chitwan National Park had outstanding service, excellent food and a wide variety of activities available for the guests. Not to mention, we have never seen so many Rhinos in one Park in just a few days!
Special trek
Thanks for a very special trek. It was a great route.
Loved this trek!
I loved the trek, a fantastic contrast of scenery and walking conditions.
Everything we hoped for
This trip was everything we hoped it would be. The guides, especially our head guide Binod, were exceptional; friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We trusted them implicitly, and all 9 of us in our group made it to Everest Base Camp with very few problems. If we did have any itinerary or health problems, Binod sorted them efficiently and with good humour. He’s a star. And our other 2 guides, Prem and Lakpa, were excellent too, setting the pace perfectly in line with everyone’s abilities and wishes. Needless to say, the scenery is magnificent from the very start of the trek. And Binod gave us great insight into the culture and history of his country. Although the communal areas in the lodges and tea houses have stoves for heating, be aware that the bedrooms aren’t heated, and are freezing!
Wonderful Uzbekistan - well worth a visit
Uzbekistan is a wonderful country, well worth visiting, with beautiful cities and fascinating history. The country felt safe and friendly. We thought our group size of eight people was ideal. Our guide Shakhnosa was really excellent. Full of interesting facts and stories, very friendly and a great sense of humour. All the hotels we stayed in were well-located, had good facilities and were comfortable. We liked eating together as a group. We appreciated having a free leisure day in each of the three cities we visited.
All the major sites.
Good organisation which took in all the major sites. We were well informed of the history and culture of Uzbekistan by our excellent tour leader Shaknosa.
Brilliant holiday
Absolutely brilliant holiday everything went so smoothly.
Nice trip
A nice trip in general; there were cultures. There was natural scenery.
A genuine trip of a lifetime
Everything was brilliant - it really was the trip of a life time. Karma, our guide, with his intimate knowledge of Bhutan, friendly persona and adaptable attitude helped to make us feel very special. We felt like guests, rather than tourists. (private itinerary)
Five equally interesting countries
A very busy trip involving long days and lots of travelling but fascinating to visit five very different, yet equally interesting, countries and to meet such friendly and welcoming people.
All excellent
The pace was fast, the accommodation clean and superb, and the guides varied and all excellent.
Perfect tour for first-time visitors to Japan
A fantastic holiday covering a wide range of cultural and tourist highlights, excellent organisation, great food and accommodation, faultless, perfect for first-time visitors to Japan, highly recommended.
A happy group on the Silk Road
We joined three other couples, who all made a happy group. Our guide Shakhnoza is brilliant. Her anecdotes brought to life the history of the region, while her humour kept us all in good spirits. Her knowledge is considerable, and she could answer all our questions interestingly. Her advice on buying skills for the bazaars was also helpful. The itinerary of the trip is well planned with a good mixture of rural and city as well as desert locations. Travel by car and train enabled us to see much of the country, which in places are spectacular. Our day trip to Shakhrisabz and Langar with Alexander as guide was a good extra, as this enabled us to see the rural and non touristy region. A busy day, but the visit to the ruins of "the white castle" was special. The 2 day extension to the Fergana Valley was fascinating. Alone the train journey through the mountains was an experience.
Loved every minute
Excellent holiday. Itinerary was well planned with introduction and guided tours in every place we visited and then a free day to explore further. Hotels were good, and the food was traditional. Our guide Shaknosa was excellent with her information on history, culture and general aspects of life in Uzbeckistan. Really enjoyed visiting all the places and the architecture was stunning. Small group was good fun. Loved every minute of it, apart from the longish coach journeys which could not be avoided, but our driver also excellent. Second holiday with Mountain Kingdoms just as good as the first (Bhutan).
A highly recommended tour
Fantastic trip. Lots of interesting places to visit and no unnecessary visits to 'tourist shops' and the like that spoil many guided tours. We loved that we used public transport everywhere. Our guide was absolutely terrific, and did her very best to accommodate our wishes whenever possible. Despite struggling with Japanese food and the traditional style hotels, we are glad we tried them. It was intensive and tiring at times, but we prefer that to lots of 'free time'. Highly recommended.
A trip with great variety
We loved the variety of this trip. Five different countries, all linked by geography and history yet each with its own personality. We visited modern cities, ancient cities steeped in history; landscapes from deserts, to fertile farmland, to snow capped mountains. We knew so little of this part of the world. We visited hard to get to places and learned a great deal about their history, their culture and their place in the world. We could never have packed in so much and learned so much on our own.
I didn't want to come home!
The most incredible experience ever. Our guides Purna and Nordan were fantastic and the Sherpas Lama, Sukram and Raju were so friendly and just lovely. The views were outstanding. The food delicious. The trek… Nepali undulating. I went entirely off grid. No contact with the outside world for the 3 weeks I was there and I didn’t want to come home. I didn’t want to take my phone off airplane mode. We added a Chitwan safari for a bit of luxury at the end, and Barahi lodge was just out of this world exceptional. And the safari amazing.
A good value holiday and a great way to see Bhutan
This is a great way to see Bhutan while getting away at times from festival-time tourist crowds on some walks in the nature. The sights visited were well selected and all fascinating in different ways. The guide (Tshering) and driver (Tshewang) were absolutely superb, as was the vehicle. With one exception (Bumthang/Jakar) the accommodation was great. The food was very good, including for vegetarians. I thought this was good value, compared with other tours of Bhutan I considered. Please note that 'gentle walking' means by Himalayan high altitude trekking standards and it's definitely not equivalent to walks in the English countryside!
An exceptional experience
This was an exceptional experience which far exceeded expectations. The organisation from Mountain Kingdoms was great and we were extremely well looked after by Rojit in Kathmandu and by our trek guide Namgel and the porters, Bijaya, Dipak, Tanka and Jit. The trek is strenuous although we reached most destinations in time for a late lunch giving a welcome rest in the afternoon. The mountains are magnificent and each day was full of interest. Dwarika’s Hotel in Kathmandu was a wonderful, comfortable hotel. We added an extension to Poon Hill wihch we would highly recommend.
An amazing country
Bhutan is an amazing country and this trip allows one to see many parts of it and learn about the history, culture and people. At times the walking can be more than ‘gentle’. The accommodations had some disappointments but were generally just fine.