reviews

Kerala & South India Explorer

What we enjoyed about travelling with Mountain Kingdoms was the small group, excellent guide, good food & accommodation.

Ms D Wing, Yorkshire

Kumano Kodo trek, Japan

As ever the trip was very well planned and researched. The balance between trekking and culture was excellent. The opportunity to stay in traditional Japanese inns and the food they provided was a highlight. Our guide, Yumi, was exceptional. She combined trek leading with information about Japanese history and culture superbly - from past experience we know this is a very difficult balance. In addition her organisation and people management were first class, in sometimes difficult circumstances and always with charm and a smile.

Mr A Tierney, Buckinghamshire

One of the best holidays in our lives

We can honestly say that our Kumano Kodo holiday (2017) has been one of the best in our lives and we enjoyed every minute of our amazing trip. We particularly enjoyed the combination of nature, exercise and culture. We are grateful for the variety of places to stay, from Japanese B&B to large modern hotels to monastery lodgings. We believe that this smart choice of venues to visit and places to stay gave us a unique opportunity to learn about and appreciate the Japanese way of life. And we would like to mention that the trip would not have been the same without our amazing guide, Yumiko. Her attitude to her role has been fantastic. Everything had been organised perfectly and we always knew what to expect. Yumi’s knowledge of Japanese culture and history is superb and she is one of the main reasons why every one of us fell in love with Japan. Yumi went way over and above her duties to make the trip special and memorable for everyone in our diverse group. On several occasions, she even organised an alternative transportation for people who needed to take an easier route. Two people in a group had their birthday during the walk and Yumi had thrown us a surprise party that we would remember forever. We would like to thank the Mountain Kingdom for this amazing holiday and would not hesitate to recommend the agency to all our friends, and our special thanks go to our beloved guide, Yumiko-san.

Mr V Korolev, Berkshire

Spirit of Shackleton, Antarctica cruise

We want you to know that we thoroughly enjoyed it all. The ship was excellent - the team was super, the Captain too, and they all did their very utmost to give everybody the best possible experience, and some of the lectures were outstanding. The general ship’s crew were also excellent and everything was done or provided to a high level, with a smile and obvious willingness. Unfortunately the desserts were irresistible! It was certainly a well-run and happy ship. So many thanks to Mountain Kingdoms - to Jim for his well-timed phone call that put us on a ship with the desired route with only a six-month wait (many on board had booked two years in advance), for April’s efficient flight booking and Liz’s overall organisation and question answering. Mountain Kingdoms have been recommended by us already, so hopefully you’ll get some more bookings. We hope to travel again with you in the future.

Mr & Mrs M, Devon

Lares Trek & Royal Inca Trail

It was great to visit mountain communities and to trek traditional ancient paths once used by the Incas and still in constant use by the local farmers today. The high passes that you cross feel wild and remote, but one of the great pleasures of the trek was meeting locals along the way, herding their llamas and tending to their high pastures. The Sacred Valley, with its amazing Inca remains, can at times feel quite busy, but out on the Lares trek you really do get away from it all.

Seraphina Berry, Mountain Kingdoms

Definitive Cultural Tour of Bhutan, 8th April 2017

We had the most unforgettable holiday in Bhutan. Apart from visiting all the cultural sites, we were invited to join local people having a picnic at the Paro Tsechu, listened to the nuns singing their prayers at the Kila Gompa nunnery set high in the mountainside and even tried our hand at archery, their national sport. Our guide was exceptional and all the arrangements for our stay were excellent. We felt very privileged to have been able to visit this beautiful country and it's people.

Mrs S Welsh, Essex

Our first multi-day trek - a great experience

Despite cloudy weather we had a fantastic time.

C Scott, Wiltshire

An amazing trip to Bhutan

I had an absolutely amazing time whilst visiting Bhutan and really did not want to leave! The country is spectacularly beautiful and the people we met were incredibly friendly and accommodating. The success of the trip was principally due to our guide who (along with his team) looked after us and made sure that we got the most out of our experience.

Mr P Scarf, London

Gentle Walking, Indian Hill Stations - Private Departure

From the quirkiness of Mrs Bandhari's Guest House in Amritsar to the heritage style of Chateau Garli and Grace Cottage in Dharamsala. The food too couldn't be bettered whether masala dhosas or aloo paranthas for breakfast or the river fish cooked three different ways for Alan at the Mayflower Hotel in Manali. Our guide, Sanjay, was very experienced and enjoyed taking us to off- the-beaten track places such as the local farmhouse where we sat on a colourful quilt on the balcony floor and indulged in delicious lemon tea while taking in the fantastic views. The walks were a bit demanding at first due to the altitude and steepness of some but we soon acclimatised and ended the trip feeling very fit. Sanjay was always prepared to accommodate any special requests if at all possible and when I realised we would be stopping briefly in Chandigarh, the home of Nek Chand's Rock Garden, he managed to fit in a fleeting visit - fantastic! The cultural aspects of the tour were fascinating from the hurly-burly of the golden temple at Amritsar to the meditative calm of chanting monks in one of the Buddhist monasteries we visited. Shimla with its wonderful pedestrian mall provided a few shopping opportunities - such fun exploring the colourful stalls in the local bazaars - as did both Dharamsala and our final stop, Delhi. Our driver, Ram, in Delhi was brilliant at locating several book shops for us, quite difficult as so many shops were closed on a Sunday. We visited the Janta Mantar here for the first time and thoroughly recommend it. We felt very safe with Sunam, our main driver for the trip. He was a most careful and courteous driver and greeted us each morning with a lovely smiling 'Namaste'. So all in all a wonderful experience and many thanks to Mountain Kingdoms for arranging things to go so smoothly.

Ms J Howell, East Sussex