On holiday

We get asked lots of questions by our clients about what they should expect on their holiday, here are some of the most common queries and our answers.

What size will my group be?

Each of our group departures has a minimum number of travellers required to get the trip up and running as well as a maximum number for the group. In most cases the maximum group size is 12 people. The only trip which exceeds this is Gentle Trekking & Luxury Lodges, Annapurna Foothills (as the lodges each have 8 rooms), and on a handful of other trips where we are limited by accommodation capacity, for example some walking safaris, there may be a lower maximum number.

Minimum and maximum group sizes can be found on each individual holiday page, as well as on all our downloadable holiday itineraries. If you want to find out how many people have booked onto a specific trip then just contact the office.

Who travels with Mountain Kingdoms

Here are some statistics about our group composition, based on holiday bookings in recent years:

Male - 52% Female - 48%

Ages
0-19 yrs old = 2%
20-29 yrs old = 3%
30-39 yrs old = 6%
40-49 yrs old = 9%
50-59 yrs old = 27%
60-69 yrs old = 40%
70-90 yrs old = 13%

Who will lead my trip

The majority of our holidays are led by English speaking Local Leaders; exploring in the company of a local, being one of the best ways to really discover the culture, heritage and everyday life of a new destination. On well travelled trails in Bhutan, India and Nepal you're likely to be led by a Sirdar or Sherpa guide such as KC Bhuwan, winner of the Wanderlust Paul Morrison Guide Award, or Phura Dorjee Sherpa, an Everest summitteer. In other parts of the world your Local Leader may be a qualified naturalist, a professional mountaineer or a cultural expert. They are all great company.

In destinations with limited tourist infrastructure, and on long treks into very remote regions, you will be led by a Mountain Kingdoms Appointed Leader . We also have western leaders who are experts in their fields or specialists in a particular region. They usually work alongside a local guide. For instance, Sue Lawty, who is a textile specialist leading our textile holidays in India and Bhutan, or Michael Rutland who has spent many years living in Bhutan.

Please see individual holiday pages to find out whether you will have a Local or Mountain Kingdoms Appointed Leader.

Medical matters

We will give you lots of information before you travel about inoculations and physical preparation for your trip. We will also ask you to complete a medical questionnaire covering general health and fitness. Occasionally we may refer these to our company doctor for review, or ask a client to confirm their fitness to travel with a letter from their own doctor. If you are aged 75 years and over you will need to submit a letter from your doctor confirming your fitness to travel.

If you have Covid specific queries please take a look at our Book & Travel with Confidence policy, or give us a call and we'll be happy to help.

Altitude concerns

Our high mountain trekking holidays are designed to allow gradual height gain, spread over a number of days. There is no way of predicting who will suffer from altitude but, for the vast majority of people, a slow ascent to height will produce minimal effects. On a few high altitude treks we carry a Gamow Bag as a precautionary measure.

The dossier pack that we send to you when you book your holiday includes comprehensive advice on safe travel at altitude. If you would like to find out more about the effects of altitude and the best preventative measures, then please visit the website of the research charity Medex and download their excellent booklet called 'Travel at High Altitude'. For treks involving travel above 4,000m/13,120ft, we'd strongly recommend that you read this booklet before you travel. You can also call our office and speak to an experienced member of our team.