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Definitive Cultural Tour Tibet Traveller Reviews

Reviews of Definitive Cultural Tour Tibet










Interesting trip, let down by poor performance of tour operator
I’ve been a member of Free Tibet for over 20 years and keen to visit, as recommended by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. No regrets about going, but be warned that the sites visited are almost all monasteries and their temple halls: fantastic, but you do get templed-out after a while. We were also disappointed by several aspects of the trip that were in the control of Mountain Kingdoms: 1. Their trip description promised “Best available hotels ...
I’ve been a member of Free Tibet for over 20 years and keen to visit, as recommended by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. No regrets about going, but be warned that the sites visited are almost all monasteries and their temple halls: fantastic, but you do get templed-out after a while. We were also disappointed by several aspects of the trip that were in the control of Mountain Kingdoms: 1. Their trip description promised “Best available hotels in Tibet”, but the hotel in Lhasa was 2-star and for five of the six nights we were in a very tired, grotty room that wasn’t even of that standard. We didn’t expect (or want) 5-star, but this was very poor. 2. There were only three of us on the trip, so we travelled in a small van with cramped seating in the back row. Worse than that, the passenger windows didn’t open and were made with frosted glass – which gave a blurred view of the world outside. 3. Our trip was “Definitive Cultural Tour of Tibet with Shoton Festival”, and the festival day was given as 4 September. On the evening before, I asked our guide about the festival next day and we were told that there were going to be no festivities, as the authorities had banned them after rowdiness the year before. That sounded highly unlikely, so I checked on the internet that evening and discovered that Shoton had been held on 4 August. It turned out that Mountain Kingdoms’ local agent had been aware that he’d provided the wrong date for Shoton sometime around the end of July, at latest. He decided not to own up to his error as he thought customers might cancel if they found out – which is exactly what we would have done. Mistakes happen, but what was really annoying was being lied to, and that wasn’t the only occasion when we were treated to untruths. If you’ve a particular interest in Tibet, please do go. But if you want a much more diverse and interesting trip that includes fantastic Buddhist temples, then I suggest you look at one we did a few years ago: start in Amritsar (Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh, Wagah Crossing), then to Dharamshala (Tibetan government-in-exile and home of the Dalai Lama), then up through Himachal Pradesh (Hindu temples and great mountain scenery) to Leh in Ladakh (Little Tibet). Around Leh there are several Buddhist monasteries that perform extraordinary Cham dances during festivals, and I assume most of the tours that follow this itinerary will take in a festival. If you do go on this tour, it’s worth arriving in Chengdu a day or two early: it’s one of the nicer mega-cities in China and it’s less than an hour by train to Leshan, where there’s the Unesco-listed Giant Buddha. If you’re in Chengdu and feeling bold, try the Sichuan Hot Pot!
Rating for tour operator:




As described above. Very unapologetic when we contacted them after we got back home; blamed it all on their local agent. Claimed the festival date had changed - which wasn't true, it was the local agent who'd come up with an incorrect date. When we threatened legal action, they claimed we could take action only in an English court (we live in Scotland) - this also was untrue. We entered our review on their website, but it never appeared; the only reviews of the trip are from 2007 (two), 2015 and 2016.
Thank you for your feedback, Mr Maughan. We are sorry that parts of your trip did not meet expectations and appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.
1. The Kyichu Hotel in Lhasa was chosen for its Tibetan ownership and excellent location near Jokhang Temple. It has received positive reviews previously, and we have not previously had complaints. It is also given a 4 Star rating on Trip Advisor from 217 reviews. We regret that your initial room was disappointing, it is unfortunate that you did not raise this at the time as a change could have been arranged through the guide, or the hotel management, or via our 24/7 emergency line.
2. We are sorry the transport fell below your expectations, whilst we are pleased to see you enjoyed Tibet.
The transport provided was a modern minibus with ample three row seating. This was confirmed by yourself as 3 + 3 + 2 (driver Guide in front) Tinted windows are common in Tibet, for the comfort of passengers, due to intense sunlight at high altitude.
3. We sincerely apologise for the Shoton Festival date error. Our Tibetan partner failed to inform us of the change, and we only learned of it when you contacted us from Lhasa, which we are grateful for. We took full responsibility and issued you with a refund of £1,700, which you accepted in full and final settlement.
While we regret your disappointment, we are pleased you enjoyed much of your two-week tour, including the hotels in Chengdu and Shigatse. We value your feedback and will use this to continue to improve our services.





Cultural highlights of Bhutan and Tibet
Expensive holiday but worth every penny. 2 bucket list destinations that met all expectations. Very full itineraries with little individual exploration time, but in locations like this you need to see everything in one hit. Great detailed itinerary pack supplied by MK so we knew each day what was happening. If the tour guide missed something one day we saw it the next day. Extremely knowledgeable tour guide in Bhutan who was a storyteller ...
Expensive holiday but worth every penny. 2 bucket list destinations that met all expectations. Very full itineraries with little individual exploration time, but in locations like this you need to see everything in one hit. Great detailed itinerary pack supplied by MK so we knew each day what was happening. If the tour guide missed something one day we saw it the next day. Extremely knowledgeable tour guide in Bhutan who was a storyteller as well as a historian. Beautiful country with amazing temples and the top being The Tiger Nest. I lost 3 pounds in weight due to eating healthy vegetables and rice and walking miles. Tibet was more road travelling and built up areas. The tour was less free as we had to have a security guard who monitored the tour guide. Lots of security checks on the road. The Potala Palace was rushed due to the tour guide only having 1 hour per group to show us around which was disappointing. We did stay in a Tibetan hotel which was fabulous. I would without a doubt use Mountain Kingdoms again and highly recommend them.. Several other members of the tour had been on a few more holidays with them and constantly praised them..
Rating for tour operator:




Organised, informative and approachable
Love this feedback .........many thanks indeed
Again many thanks for your praise!