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Traveller reviews of Mountain Kingdoms
Overall holiday rating: 5
Total number of reviews submitted: 1181
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I really enjoyed this holiday
Excellent route through spectacular scenery and interesting villages. The leader was excellent, informative and helpful. Because it was such a small group we got to know the porters too. Really great experience. Also liked trekking where there weren't too many other people, especially during second half of trek.
Druk Path trek and more
The Druk Path trek was very well organised throughout and we were very grateful for the sleeping bags and down jackets as it was very cold. In Katmandu Khim looked after us very well during our extra day there and the organised tour to the ghats and the Bodnath Stupa and environs was interesting. In Bhutan Bhim, our trek guide, was very good and amenable and the trek support team worked together extremely well. The cook provided amazing meals with many dishes, although I personally did not care for much of the food. However in Paro it was not possible to fit in the Festival on the same day as the hike up to the Tiger’s Nest and I would suggest it would be better to either forget the festival altogether or allow another day for it - what little we saw looked interesting. Sadly there were few rhododendrons out in the forest, just the bushes and pine trees. The visit to Punakha after the trek was particularly enjoyable and the whole group would have loved to spend another day there. Ten years ago my husband and I went on a trek to the Mgoun Massif, ascending Jebel Mgoun 4,068m, in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco. It was graded strenuous. Afterwards I decided I would not trek at that grade again, not because I could not do it; I could but I had to push myself to such an extent that I did not enjoy it. Unwittingly I have just done another trip of comparable toughness, the Druk Path Trek. Even discounting the altitude on this five day trek I feel it was moderate plus, taking the altitude into account I would rate it moderate/strenuous. Admittedly the days were relatively short but the gradients, both up and down, usually steep. Because of the icy conditions on the loop round the lake and the exposure on day three we cut this out. Had we done it it would have been a long day and Bhim told us that one at least one occasion he and the group had only arrived at the camp after dark. On returning from the trek I have looked up the grading given to the Druk Path by the company I went with previously to Morocco and they grade it moderate/challenging (4) which is what I found it.. The group could not think why we had been routed to Paro from Delhi via Kathmandu when there is a direct flight between Delhi and Paro. Doing so meant we spent a great deal of time waiting about at Kathmandu airport, which is no fun at all, and a total waste of our time. Kathmandu, once a delightful town, is now a polluted tip which I had no wish to visit.
Mountain Kingdoms' comment: Thank you for your comments. We are very pleased you thoroughly enjoyed most aspects of your trip to Bhutan. We would like to address your comments and offer some reassurance. Regarding the Paro Festival, there are three chances to attend this event
An unforgettable journey on the Druk Path Trek
This holiday has been unique and special in so many ways... from visiting beautiful monasteries and dzongs, sharing the Druk Path Trek with the friendly nomadic dogs, to experiencing four seasons in one day and camping in snow at night! The hot water bottles and hearty food were much appreciated! I am only sorry I could not have stayed longer and will definitely find a way back one day....
I had a seriously good time on this trip!
Personally the trip exceeded expectations in terms of accommodation, comfort, food etc and every day was just excellent. Bhutan has been a dream for a long time, and I was just in awe of the scenery, the wonderful people and all the special experiences.
Gentle Walking Bhutan
This trip was well structured to provide a very interesting look at a beautiful country. The balance of culture, hiking and being in nature, culminating in the Paro festival and ascending the Tiger's Nest monastery worked well. The walks were challenging but provided the perfect build up to Tiger's Nest.
Namun La, Annapurna Wilderness Trek
It's incredible that a trek so close to the Annapurna Circuit feels so incredibly remote. After you leave the village of Siklis on day 1 of the trek, you really are in wilderness terrain, where you are unlikely to see a soul until you reach Timang at the end. This ancient trading route has fantastic scenery throughout, with many snow-capped Himalayan peaks, a dramatic high pass nearly 5,000m high, a holy lake that pilgrims visit in the summer and fine rhododendron forests. We saw snow leopard prints in the snow descending from the pass in 2017.
This was a most enjoyable trip!
Of course the landscape and the experience with the Huskies were most fascinating. What I enjoyed most was the remoteness and different daily routine. To feed the Dogs, to fetch the water, chop the wood and light the fire in the cabins to cook and keep warm were so different from the usual life at home where to have a shower and breakfast is a matter of 30 minutes, on this trip it was more like 2 hours. To bring down the pace was for me a great and very enjoyable experience.
Many walks on the wild side
What a great holiday! There were just the two of us for the walking in Ecuador so it felt like a private holiday. Whilst a bit damp at times, we enjoyed two different out of the way hotels near Otavalo and some quite challenging but brilliant walking - our guide knew all the birds and flowers. And the Galapagos. Totally unforgettable. The 20 passenger boat was an ideal size and all the passengers got on. We had an exceptional guide and the communications blackout for a week just added to the experience. A truly memorable holiday!
New off the beaten track Dagana Wilderness Trek
This is an exciting new trek that has great contrast in scenery and terrain - from crossing snow-covered passes over 4,000m and gazing at fantastic views of Mount Chomolhari and Kangchenjunga, to descending through the forest with an abundance of birds and wildlife. Dagana is a place totally off the tourist track so you have a real feeling of pioneering on this trek.
Fantastic trek in the Annapurna foothills
Wow what a holiday we loved every second of it. We have to admit that there were more steps than we thought but our family party of four all mid sixties plus managed it well. Everything exceeded our expectation and all ran smoothly like a well oiled machine. Hotels, lodges and staff were fantastic. A special mention must go to the porters who not only carried the luggage of two people but were so attentive in keeping us safe and helping us all when the path became a little more challenging. We cannot recommend the holiday enough and it has given us the appetite to choose another adventure now with Mountain Kingdoms.
Gentle trekking with luxury lodges
A wonderful experience showing many facets of life in Nepal
Very Gentle Walking Laos
A bit too much Gentle and not enough Walking but a very enjoyable tour of Lao PDR with the same excellent level of organisation and customer service we experienced on our first Mountain Kingdoms holiday.
We had a great time!
The trip overall was most enjoyable and Uganda is a destination that pleased beyond expectation.
An excellent holiday, the best I've had for a long while!
The itinerary was excellent. We saw and did so much in the 2 weeks - birds, animals, varied and amazing scenery, plus the highlight was sitting about 2 metres from a gorilla. Most days was packed with activity, which I really enjoyed as I want to see/do as much as possible when I travel.
Gorillas, game, grand scenery, it doesn't get better than this.
A wonderful holiday which showcased the diversity of wildlife, birds, landscape and flora that Uganda has to offer. Savannah, rainforest, mountain, lake, all in a country the size of the UK. Almost every day had a highlight, Murchison Falls, the crater lakes, 4 out of the big 5, spectacular scenery and then there were gorillas. My personal favourites were seeing a leopard close up, Murchison Falls, L Mutanda with the Virunga volcanoes as a back drop and being up close and personal with a Silverback gorilla. If anything, this holiday was several holidays in one.
Husky Dog Safari
As returning customers to Mountain Kingdoms we were delighted with this holiday. Our guide, Katrin was amazing and nothing was too much trouble for her, she worked really hard. We had very cold but clear weather and were pleased at the equipment provided. Cooked lunches in the snow and excellent dinners. The cabins soon became very toasty with the wood stoves and saunas provided a true Finnish experience.The dogs were amazing and looking after them was a great part of the holiday.
Cardamom Mountain Trails
The whole Cambodia experience was exceptional and provided an intimate insight into the lives of its people, the wildlife, villages, landscape, history and culture as well as its shortcomings and problems. Mountain Kingdoms and their Cambodian partners are to be highly commended on producing such a beautifully balanced trip with so much packed into a short period of time without the group members feeling rushed or overwhelmed. The hotels were outstanding and the staff and guides gracious, helpful, patient and so very friendly as were other Cambodians we met. It was touching to be often thanked for visiting their country.
Private Itinerary - Nepal
We had the most wonderful holiday. The use of guides with local knowledge was fantastic. The quality of accommodation and food was superb. Great experience.
Gentle Walking Bhutan
Thank you for a fabulous holiday, my husband and I enjoyed every minute and have many precious memories. We look forward to planning our next trip!
Private Departure - Golden Trails of Burma and Bhutan
Overall an excellent trip which was well organised. The guides were knowledgeable and took great care of our welfare and contributed greatly to our enjoyment of the holiday. The drivers were also very good and drove carefully on difficult roads. We learnt a great deal and now have a much greater appreciation for the 2 countries.