Traveller Reviews
Read holiday reviews and feedback by Mountain Kingdoms travellers.
Traveller reviews of Mountain Kingdoms
Overall holiday rating: 5
Total number of reviews submitted: 1211
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A truly unforgettable experience
Well, what can we say other than this was a truly fascinating trip and amazing experience. Our main comments are, in approx. order of decreasing significance - Semir was the best guide we have ever had, very energetic, kept the same level of interest in us throughout the trip, knew many locals which led to good local interactions for us too and genuinely wanted us to have the best possible holiday so took account of anything we said - the itinerary is brilliant. High quality walking making the best use of the terrain. Clever use of transfers to avoid road walking or less interesting parts albeit creating considerable logistical challenges given the time it takes to travel up to the high pick up points due to the state of some of the roads. Great to have a chance to see Peja and Decani to give a welcome rest day from the walking - the food. High quality and plenty that was vegetarian for my wife. Balbino Bolje, Doberdol and the meals in Peja and at the Gjakove hotel stand out but all were good - the friendliness of everyone we met. we seemed to be genuinely welcomed - the quality of the walking; lots of long ridges, expansive views, virtually no other people on the trails, good paths in the main - the accommodations, several of which were superb with special mention of the two homesteads Balbino Bolje and Reke e Allages. The choice of hotels in the towns was also appreciated; both were very good - the scenery of which the Doberdol valley excels - the benefits of having a guide, both for route finding which would be difficult in places without excellent notes/map but more importantly for the interactions with the local people and information on the history of the area as well as its fauna. Whilst this was intended to be a group tour, it turn into a private journey and we benefitted from this more than we had expected, mainly because several of the accommodations happened not to be full and so we mainly had a room to ourselves (we would not have expected this for a group) - all transport logistics worked very smoothly, including the use of horses to transport our bags on four of the days - not having wifi for most of the trip meant we could relax completely There was nothing at all that we would suggest could be done differently, which is quite surprising for a trip of this length. The only surprise to us, but perhaps it will not be a surprise for much longer, is that others did not come on this trip with us to enjoy such good walking in a near pristine environment without the crowds typically experienced in the Swiss Alps and elsewhere The message to others is that this is definitely a trip worth considering if you like high level walking, expansive views, alpine flowers, accommodations where you experience delightful local people who go out of their way to please, good food, an excellent itinerary, top notch guiding and the chance to explore an interesting wilderness area in near total solitude. For us, this holiday had it all. Indeed, we are likely to want to return to the area before too long and before it becomes a well known and more appreciated destination, attracting larger numbers of travellers with the ensuing consequences.
The trekking holiday was excellent
We were with a mixed group of people who were of mixed ability and age and everyone enjoyed it and felt good about the challenges and their own personal achievements. The area was breathtakingly beautiful the whole way around and we would do the whole thing again.
Accurately reflects holiday
Trek greatly exceeded my expectations, the mountains although not particularly high are incredibly dramatic and the scenery changes at almost every turn. Excellent route. At this time of year the spring flowers are stunning. The Rifugio's are superb, food and accommodation was exactly right for a week in the mountains, very comfortable and the staff exceedingly friendly. The trek guides were exceptional and made the week very interesting and fun, they did everything possible to look after us so well. A marvellous week in an exceptional area with a lovely client group.
Wonderful walking & wildlife
For a Central American country, Costa Rica defies preconceptions: it's politically stable, peaceful, well developed and has very high standards of hotels and service. But of course it’s the fantastic wildlife that steals the show. We saw so many wonderful birds and animals and yet we seem to have barely scratched the surface. Still, it’s always good to have a reason to return.
Sloths and surprises!
Long on my travel wishlist, Costa Rica didn’t disappoint. From seeing a smiling sloth on my first day to walking through the weird and wonderful landscape of Rincon de la Vieja on my last, it was a trip of constant surprises and delights.
Silk Road to Samarkand
Definitely could have not picked a better trip to go on or company to book it through! The trip was truly spectacular friendly tour guide who was beyond helpful to all of us! Any advice or queries we had were answered straight away! Fantastic accommodation,absolutely stunning scenery! You couldn’t ask for anything better than that really!
Go there before everyone else finds out about the 3 Peaks of the Balkans!
Excellent trek, well graded, with beautiful scenery in between the clouds, and the chance to meet really lovely, warm and hospitable people in countries which till quite recently were only associated with war and strife.
Silk Road to Samarkand
I have wanted to travel the Golden Road to Samarkand since I was very young and the trip did not disappoint. We were a small group (8 people) and got on very well together in the company of our excellent guide. The itinerary was very well planned and I appreciated the 'free days' with time to revisit the best places, explore further and spend time chatting to people.
Fabulous trip in a beautiful country
All the walks were well paced and took us to beautiful spots in the Montenegro. Food, Hotels and Transport was well organised and fantastic.
Very Professional
It is difficult in a few words to express how pleased we were for the very professional way the entire crew and Harry in particular treated us. We could not have wished for a better guide and crew. Everything was very professionally handled. We felt very safe and well treated by everyone.
Moai and geysers
This was a wonderful trip full of amazing experiences from the salt flats and steaming geysers of the Atacama to the iconic statues (moai) of Easter Island. Our special interest in wildlife and especially birds was well catered for with four species of camelid and three species of flamingo in the Atacama along with sightings of vizcachas near the Tatio geysers and Fabian's lizard which is only found on the Atacma salt flats. Our guide was also very knowledgeable about the plants we encountered on our walks and pointed out many different medicinal plants including Riga Riga which is sometimes used in the delicious pisco sour drink which we enjoyed sampling at Happy Hour every evening! Easter Island was all we expected and much more. The walks were exceptional and we visited many incredible places without seeing any other tourists. Equipped with head torches our guide even took us down some of the island's many lava tubes where we spotted endemic ferns and wild guavas growing. We can't recommend this trip too highly and would love to return to explore more of this fascinating region.
Remarkable holiday in Bhutan
The pre-trip information and advice was excellent and very comprehensive. MK staff were very helpful and answered all our queries. The arrangements worked flawlessly and the people who met us for transfers to and from our flights were most helpful and efficient. A very special 'thank you' must be extended to our guide and driver. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the range of aspects and adapted the itinerary to our personal wishes and abilities. His English was excellent and at times we had to remember he was Bhutanese. He certainly went out of his way to show us places that might easily have been missed or not strictly on the itinerary. Altogether, a most remarkable and special holiday. Thank you.
Mountain Kingdoms' comment: Please note - this review was given on return from our non-in-style Thunder Dragon Trails itinerary.
Good itinerary Bhutan
A shorter version of our popular Gentle Walking Bhutan, perfect if you are short on time or want to combine your holiday with another destination.
Mountain Kingdoms' comment: Please note - this review was given on return from our non-in-style Thunder Dragon Trails itinerary.
Silk Road to Samarkand
Excellent. Every day was well detailed and we had time to ourselves from time to time to go around on our own. Very varied itinerary. Good hotels and excellent food and restaurants.
Silk Road to Samarkand - superb!
This tour successfully gives an excellent overview of a large area of Uzbekistan, taking in Tashkent, Khiva, Bokhara and Samarkand. You'll go round the remains of fortresses in the desert from 5th century BC, visit the jaw dropping monuments in all of the the towns, hear tales of Genghis Khan, Tamerlane and many others, stroll through bazaars and haggle with the friendly stall holders for spices, dried fruits, silks, embroidered textiles, ceramics, and so much more! This is a country of extremes, well geared up for tourism with its comfortable hotels yet retaining its ancient charm and mystique in abundance. There are plenty of opportunities in the free time to explore further behind the scenes. And the food............so good! Just do the holiday and experience it all!!
The Quieter Way
A beautiful route through rural northern Spain, the Northern Way has everything: wonderful scenery, fantastic food, great places to stay, friendly locals and an interesting history. This route offers an insight into the rural existence here, that insight being enhanced by our knowledgeable guide. It is worth taking an extra day or two in Santiago either at the outset, as we did, or at the end, taking time to explore the old town area.
Wild Mustang Trek
Attending the Tiji Festival in Lomanthang was a wonderful experience. The landscape north of Lomanthang and also the eastern part of Mustang are truly spectacular and definitely wild. Great mountain views of the snowcapped Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri and Tilicho. The walking is challenging in parts but a very rewarding experience.
A fantastic trip
My time is Japan was amazing; it is an incredible country for so many different reasons. The first thing that struck me was how exotic and different it was in comparison to anywhere I have ever travelled to before. I felt very at home during my time in Japan, the people were extremely welcoming, the culture and history both interesting and fascinating and the scenery was beautiful, unlike any I have ever experienced. All in all, Japan is such a wonderfully diverse country – perfect for an unforgettable holiday.
Mount Kailash Trek
I have given the trip an "excellent" tick since it is hard to criticise an organisation that succeeded in delivering what was, for me, a hugely valuable experience - where the location genuinely transcended my expectation.
Tough but doable
The itinerary is well thought out to ensure acclimatisation to altitude is likely to be successful whilst providing interesting walking on the acclimatisation days. The staff are always friendly and helpful to ensure the smooth running of the trip but clients need to be aware some days are long and hard although the views do provide a welcome respite.