Mountain Kingdoms Traveller Reviews

Having travelled to the 'Golden Triangle' of Northern India in 2008 I was very keen to share the incredible experience of that sub-continent with my wife, Mary. The only concern that I had was that she had not previously travelled East of the Med and so might not, I felt, be ready for the very different experience of travelling beyond Europe (and the 'States). I needn't have worried. From the moment we touched down at Bangalore airport (or Bengaluru to the locals), we were cosseted by our wonderful driver, Manos Manoj, who could not have been more thoughtful or caring about us throughout our hard-earned holiday. Each day Manoj took us to new places, from the historic palaces and forts of Mysore (where he'd arranged a local guy to explain the detailed history of each location), to the incredible fruit and vegetable markets where it seemed that we were the only 'outsiders' there. We stayed in safari lodges (seeing the elusive tigers, as well as elephants, crocodiles etc..), former Colonial bungalows, niche boutique hotels on Tea plantations and luxurious hotels nestling under the coconut palms overlooking the Arabian Sea (as warm as a -warm - bath!). We stayed on a Rice Boat (stunning) and spent our last night with a local family at a 'homestay', where we learned a great deal from the lovely owner, Sumi, about the places we'd seen and the food we had been eating throughout the trip. (On that subject, bringing it down to basics, I didn't even suffer from the dreaded 'gyppy tummy' once, which says something, I guess, for the hotels that Steve and his great team at MK, carefully selected for our journey). In a nutshell, our holiday was absolutely incredible - and Mary is hooked!

As above. Very friendly and interested team. Couldn't have been more thoughtful.

Excellent trip organised as a 'one off' by Mountain Kingdoms

Excellent organisation to provide just what we wanted

Four friends on a private 17 day tour of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The whole experience was fantastic, well designed and varied with a well-researched selection of accommodation, sightseeing, game drives and walks.

Mountain Kingdoms really do their homework and cater very well for their niche clientele. This is the third time I have travelled with them and cannot fault the company in any respect.

We had an excellent holiday visiting the cultural and environmental highlights of Sri Lanka, including Yala National Park where we saw Leopards. All of the arrangements for travel, accommodation and guiding were very efficient

This is the third time we have used Mountain Kingdoms and have always found them to provide a high quality product backed by efficient service

Well organised walking and sightseeing trip to Bhutan, travelling from the less developed east to the west. Wonderful scenery and fascinating temples and other monuments.

Holiday was well organised and we had an excellent guide and driver. Mountain Kingdoms provided a good deal of information in advance and were always happy to answer any questions.

An excellent 24-night tour of Nepal on a private itinerary with a great trek to Annapurna Base Camp and a comprehensive varied itinerary that also included time for culture and history, river rafting and wildlife, all very well organised by Mountain Kingdoms.

Mountain Kingdoms created the itinerary that we wanted and ensured that everything in their control was well organised and went to plan.

I trekked to Everest Base Camp in Nepal with Mountain Kingdoms. The scenery was truly breathtaking and it's an absolute delight to trek through such a beautiful area. The route chosen was perfect and allowed a chance to soak up the atmosphere of the Khumbu region whilst also enjoying the scenery. Due to the altitude the trek is a real challenge, but the itinerary is planned so well and allows adequate acclimitisation to maximise the chance of success. Overall it was such a brilliant and memorable trek that it ranks amongst the best trips I have ever made.

The service Mountain Kingdoms provided was simply fantastic and from start to finish they did everything they could to ensure the trip ran smoothly. The office start in the UK were knowledgeable, professional and did all they could to help. On the ground, all of the staff were excellent and their professionalism and knowledge were highly appreciated. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Mountain Kingdoms to any of my friends or family.

Bhutan is one of those secret places tucked up high in the Himalayas. Who goes there? Well me for a start. I travelled in early November 2014 and took the long flight to Kathmandu. There are various ways of getting to Bhutan, either via Delhi or Kathmandu and depending on what flight you take, there can be a long transfer time. I took one of the longer options but wanted to overnight in Kathmandu both ways mainly because on the way back I would have more time to go shopping in Thamel and visit Kilroys famous bar and restaurant. Whatever option you decide, Mountain Kingdoms are very flexible. The best entry into Bhutan must be the flight from Kathmandu to Paro. I begged the check in lady at the airport to give me a window seat on the left hand side. I wasn't disappointed - the whole range of the Himalayas stood before my eyes and there above them all was Everest. Then you enter the Kingdom of Bhutan and life will never be the same. What a beautiful country steeped in its Buddhist traditions. Everyone smiles a welcome and nothing is too much trouble. I was with a select party of four. All of us good friends who have travelled together for many years. We had a guide Tashi who was marvellous and a driver who used to chauffer the Royal Family until he retired. Good job as the roads are apt to be unmade, very windy and strewn with avalanche debris. I won't give details about my holiday in Bhutan as it is waiting there for anyone to enjoy. I just want to say that Mountain Kingdoms came up trumps. This is the first time I have used them and it won't be the last.

Right from the beginning when this trip was just an idea, Mountain Kingdoms came up with suggested itineraries until everything came together. They have been very supportive and provided top quality staff. They have always been available to answer last minute questions. I think they are an excellent company.

Signed up for East to West, A Journey across Bhutan - with Mountain Kingdoms. Every thing was excellent - itinerary, hotels, meals, transportation, staff team, service from office staff, trip dossier. I would strongly recommend this trip to anyone interested in the culture and having the experience of hiking through the countryside to visit villages and monasteries.

Mountain Kingdoms is a long-established tour operator - originally specializing in the Himalayan region but now offering active trips to many other regions. Their trips are good value, they promote small group travel with a maximum of twelve participants, and they pride themselves on working with and benefitting the local people. I have now registered for nine of their trips, and can highly recommend all of them.

An excellent 5 day trek on the Druk Path in Bhutan. well led by a most interesting and knowledgeable local guide, our group of ten experienced a varied environment and visited many places of cultural interest. The support staff and horses did a great job in transporting our gear and having the camps and hot food ready for us every day. Hotels during the rest of the holiday exceeded expectations to give a great overall experience of a fascinating country.

Information from and organisation by Mountain Kingdoms was first class. From both their website and brochures a great deal of information was provided. Efficient and friendly staff whenever contact was made. Highly recommended!