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Overall Company Rating 96%

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★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A trek amongst giants !

Everest Base Camp Trek

From start to finish everything was spot on including the weather. Rajendra and his team were great and very knowledgeable, the only down side was the cleanliness of the toilets at some of the tea houses ! So well done KE ! I will be back. (if the wife lets me !!!) Glyn Kent.

By Glyn from Chorley | 10 November 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Burma by bike - brilliant

Burma - The Road to Mandalay

Organisation of the trip was excellent, and made by the support team we had - our excellent cycling guide Ko and the unflappable Mr Win as our driver. Cycling is a good way to engage with Burma - people are charming, friendly, generous and welcoming, especially in the off the beaten track places reachable by bike. The experience is more immediate and intense - this is a colourful country, curious and engaged and we felt welcome pretty much everywhere we went - from a rock concert in Mandalay (no t on the itinerary but inevitable when we found that Burma's biggest band, Iron Cross, were playing in the city during our stay - our guide, mechanic and truck driver came too!) to a ruined pagoda field full of hidden treasures. Markets, temples, roadside cafes - it's a feast for the eyes and we loved it. All round a very big tick from us. Best bits? the people - the little boy who cartwheeled for joy when we stopped to have a giggle with him at a pagoda entrance, the smiles everywhere we went, the unspoilt land. Our guide - a total star. Could do better? Bikes - quality not great and all were less good than they should have been for the hire. The itinerary is a bit restrained - there should be more scope to go off the beaten track and adapt to the moment. The cycling is a bit tame - distances ok but mainly on roads. Hotels generally better than I had expected, restaurants perhaps a bit less adventurous than they could have been - we opted out of an early visit to a pasta/pizza restaurant in favour of a market café with the drivers - no English spoken but a great time had, by us at least. Ko however did a great job with food orders and adapted to our group dynamic very quickly. In two weeks you barely have a chance to scratch the surface, but cycling and taking boats helped balance that; the comfy hotel rooms were always very welcome but I was glad throughout that we were at street level, getting closer to the life of Burma and the people we met than is ever possible from a car. And it says a lot for the magic of the place that despite early fears we might be pagoda'd out in the first week, we chose to spend our free afternoons going back for more. One tip - take quick release cycling shoes if you can - barefoot visits to temples from the bike several times a day can be a right pain if your shoes are lace up. I'd go again, like a shot. Great job.

By Sally from London | 08 November 2016

Kilimanjaro via The Lemosho Route - Sept 2016.

Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route

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By James from HORNCHURCH | 08 November 2016

Levadas and peaks of Madeira images

Levada Trails and Peaks of Madeira

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By Koen from BRUSSELS | 08 November 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Amazing experience

Mera Peak

Just returned from Nepal, where I climbed Mera Peak. It has been a lifelong ambition to climb a high altitude Himalayan mountain, and the trip couldn't have went better. We were met in Kathmandu by the KE representative, Dawa Sherpa; his passion and commitment to KE were obvious and the organisation in KTM was excellent from the luxury Hotel Yak and Yeti to the brilliant meals at The Old House, Kilroys and Le Sherpa. On the trek, our hospitality, the accommodation, the meals, the Sherpa tea m and the porter support were organised by Sona Dendu Sherpa, his experience and expertise made a very complex job look seamless and it was a pleasure to be in his company. Our Sherpas were Dawa, Tshering and Namgyal Sherpa, they were very experienced and their help in getting 9 of us to the summit was invaluable. Our leader/guide was Pasang Tensing Sherpa, an extremely experienced (10 times Everest summiteer) guide, his leadership, support, encouragement, advice, and his passion for Nepal and its mountains were second to none, and it's was an honour to climb with him; and I personally wouldn't have made it to the top without his help and support. The group was great, 9 of us from the UK, one from India, and one from the US, the group cameraderie made what was a tough trek into a very enjoyable and interesting experience. I should also mention the people of Nepal, everyone we met was genuinely friendly and polite and courteous. This was my first trip to Nepal and I definitely would like to return. It has been over a week now since I stood on the summit, with perfect views of Mt Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Kangchenjunga, and loads of other Himalayan Giants, but I am still on a high, and will be for a long time!

By Andrew from South Shields | 07 November 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Hard work but rewarded with fantastic views of Everest

The Ultimate Everest Trek

Thanks KE - an excellent trip, great Sherpa's, great route with amazing views. Yes its hard work, yes 'simple and basic' lodges means that (!) but the effort is well rewarded. For me this was a return visit some 36 years after I first trekked to Everest Base Camp via Gokyo and the Cho La. Much has changed: more trekkers, lodges not camping and glacier melt but Nepal was and remains the world's best place to walk. Nepal needs trekkers

By Peter from Harpenden | 07 November 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A great trek. Highly recommended

Annapurna Sanctuary and Poon Hill Trek

This was an amazing trip, I would certainly recommend it. My daughter and I were very fortunate with our trekking companions; a couple from Sandbach who were the best possible company, very easy going, helpful and fun to be with. I was surprised that the trip went ahead with only the four of us and a support team of three porters, a lead guide and his two assistants. Our sirdar was a Sherpa by the name of Bala Kaji who was a superb leader, very patient, gentle, knowledgeable and extremely suppor tive. I was very grateful that Bala took the time to describe to us so many fascinating aspects of Sherpa culture and life among the mountains of Nepal. This trip was not just about the scenery and reaching Annapurna Sanctuary, we learnt so much along the way from Bala. His support team were also great company and so friendly and cheerful. If I go again, and I certainly intend to, I will make point of trying to go on a trip with Bala as the leader. This was my second trekking adventure in Nepal. Previously I went to Everest Base Camp with a different trekking company, but I am glad I chose KE on this occasion. Better value for money, they seem to care for their in-country staff better than other trekking companies and show genuine concern for the environment. Scenically, I rather thought the Everest trek was the better of the two, which of course included a memorable flight into and back from Lukla and the grandeur of the Khumbu region. But Annapurna was just great, though for me at 63 not an easy trek by any means. The lodges along the way varied in their quality; all basic, but some were cleaner than others. Personally I didn’t take to the local food, but I was alone in our group in that respect – just too fussy! What would I recommend to other trekkers planning to go on this particular trip? I based my packing on the Everest Base Camp experience and so made a few mistakes. The trekking on this trip was much hotter (we went in October), in fact baking hot (up to 30 C lower down) so I wish I had taken a cool pair of shorts. We borrowed a down jacket and sleeping bag each from KE; no cost to us but I wish we had taken our own, they were very bulky. I wrongly assumed that our kit bags would be carried by yaks, as on the Everest trek. Consequently I gave little thought to the weight of the bags, but ended up feeling rather guilty because they were carried by porters not yaks. Remember to take a good stock of loo paper, bottles of hand gel or hand wipes for hygiene and your favourite sweets or perhaps energy gels. We were caught out by the tipping at the end of the trek. KE recommends £50 to £60 each, but with only four of us and six in the support crew, we were obliged to tip more than this. I don’t begrudge the money; it’s just that we hadn’t planned for this. It wasn’t really a problem as we reached an easy agreement with our amiable trekking partners. I would recommend arriving in Kathmandu at least one day before the trek begins, especially if you haven’t been to Kathmandu before. The start of the trip is then less rushed and you have time to relax and get to know Kathmandu. My favourite place in Kathmandu is now The Garden of Dreams near Thamel – just so peaceful, great coffee and apple pie, despite a cheeky chipmunk trying to steal my portion!

By Graeme from Cardiff | 06 November 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Good trekking combined with Tibetan culture

Minya Konka Trek

Good opportunity to do a remote KE mountain trek combined with experiencing Tibet and urban China today. The trek is not demanding in itself although altitude limits quick progress. Trek is quite basic with less frills than on treks in Nepal, for instance. Food is also pretty basic and worthwhile taking some "extras". Sadly the Chinese also think it is fine to leave a large amount of litter on the trails too which is a bit concerning. Remote Tibetan area fantastic and views better than expected which make the long journeys tolerable and interesting too.

By Graham from HARROGATE | 05 November 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A very nice, well run trek

The Laya Trek

The trek was well run. We accomplished everything promised. The food and service was very good.

By David from Vancouver | 04 November 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

bucket list ticked

In the Shadow of Nanda Devi

A great trek in an amazing, scenic and unspoilt area of India. The trek crew were fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed the trek food, we would have been happy with spicier and more Indian style food but understand the need to please different tastes. The day train was a more enjoyable journey than the night train. We thought time to wander and shop in central Delhi would be better than the City Coach Tour!! Tips...leave the thermarest at home, take your Down jacket and poles were definitely usefu l!

By Lesley from Wigton | 04 November 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I've been to Mars or wadi rum in jordan

Jordan's Wadi Rum and Petra

I saw wadi rum on the film the Martian and was blown away with the scenery and it lived upto this image and then some. The day hikes were strenuous and climb on few occasions but brilliant. The desert was just awesome with views that went on forever. Petra was magnificent. The staff were really happy all the time and always helpful they were just great as was Sad am the English speaking leader. Even the wild storm in the desert didn't dim our enthusiasm with wild lightening strikes and stro ng winds. You just gotta see Mars but think on this is a fairly strenuous trip.

By Terry from Abergavenny | 04 November 2016

★ ★ ★ ★

Breathtaking mountain views but.........

Annapurna Sanctuary and Poon Hill Trek

This trek did not reach my expectations. The mountains were amazing the people very friendly, our guide and porters superb and all KE arrangements went perfectly but the Trek itself was disappointing. We arrived on 10th October and it was far warmer than we expected 25C +. You are warned that there are lots of steps in the trip notes and believe me there are LOTS of steps both up and down. I spent most of the trek looking 3 paces in front of me at the floor so as to not fall over. It was very ha rd work in the heat of the day on the lower part of the trek. The accommodation on trek was very basic but generally clean; on 3 occasions we had to share with another couple due a shortage of double rooms at higher altitudes. On the plus side we had rooms with en-suite on 2 occasions. Food was excellent and not set as detailed in the trip notes. You could choose freely from the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner and food was a combination of western and local dishes. Guide and porters were brilliant; could not do enough for you and our guide was very careful to keep us safe from altitude and local food/ water issues. The KE flights were excellent with Etihad and we even got an upgrade to business class on the way back. The short internal flights were excellent and nothing to worry about :). Pokhera we really enjoyed; well worth a few extra days. Kathmandu was a mad place; dusty, dirty and very busy; our 2 extra nights at the end of our trip was probably 1 too many; glad to get away. Hotels in Pokhera and Kathmandu very good.

By Stephen from Sandbach | 03 November 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Nature watching at its best

Amazon Riverboat Adventure

We had a 6 night stay on the Amatista River Boat on the amazon. Its an old boat but comfortable and well maintained with lots of charm. We were a group of 18 so never felt crowded. The upper deck lounge area and bar is lovely and the crew entertained us with great music and Carlos kept us supplied with pisco sours. All the crew were fabulous and worked very hard , nothing was too much trouble. The 2 guides Hulbert and George were so enthusiastic with endless knowledge of the wildlife and plants. They educated us but also entertained us and there was much laughter. We were introduced to many local villagers who made us feel very welcome. We swam with dolphins and caught and ate pirrhana. A truly inspirational trip.

By Susan from Scarborough | 03 November 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Beautiful, stunning Madeira

Levada Trails and Peaks of Madeira

Madeira is beautiful in a stunning, rugged way. I've been on two previous KE trips which have been amazing and this one did not fail to impress. Booking was easy and KE arranged private airport transfers for us no problem at all. On the first evening we got to meet up with the rest of the hiking group (12 of us in all) and the wonderful Roberto our guide. What a character he is - he is clearly very passionate about his home and always took the time to answer questions and give information a bout anything and everything 'Madeira'. Not sure there was anything he did not know and he kept it entertaining throughout. The walks are fantastic and give you a different perspective of Madeira every day. From mountains to Levadas, to forests and tunnels - we had it all. Some of the ascents and descents are steep and challenging however Roberto always gives you the information about what to expect at the evening briefing and everything is included in the KE guide. As expected the weather was mixed, we had some days that were baking hot and others that brought torrential rain. Neither are an issue if you bring the kit that is recommended. Some days the rain was only in one valley or one part of the island. As Roberto knows the island like the back of his hand he was able to adapt and change the routes if it meant that the route would be drier and therefore safer. He was always aware of the ability of the whole group and adapted accordingly. One day he changed the itinerary completely due to weather and previous problems with landslides - the walk he chose for us was incredible and the whole group loved every minute. It was a coastal walk from Boaventura to Beira da Quinta that involved seeing some of the little villages but also included some great climbs and amazing views. All the hotels were comfortable and most had access to swimming pools. Our favourite was the hotel at Paul do Mar where you can go to sleep listening to the sound of the sea - beautiful. Each day there was always plenty of time to relax at lunch and also back at the hotels before dinner. All in all I can highly recommend this holiday and again want to say a huge thank you to Roberto 'el capitan' (as we called him) for making the trip and fantastic as it was. You have an amazing guide there KE

By Gail from Wingate | 03 November 2016

★ ★ ★ ★

geography and wildlife super

Botswana Wildside Lodge Safari

This trip is extremely diverse in terms of its locations, accommodation and experiences. Learning about the culture of the local people is also an important part of the trip and the use of local guides helps you and them.

By Steven from Saltburn-by-the-Sea | 02 November 2016

★ ★ ★ ★

Great wildlife and some good walking

Trek Malawi's Mount Mulanje & South Luangwa

If you want to see some of Africa's best animals then this is a great trip: Lions, Leopards, Wild Dogs, close-up Elephants and some beautiful birds were the stand-out features of the Zambia leg. Approaching the base camp for the Mount Mulanje climb involves some tough but spectacular walking. Those who summitted thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Lake Malawi is beautiful and Chembe Eagle's Nest is a great place to stay.

By Stuart from SURBITON | 02 November 2016

★ ★ ★ ★

Very well led, but too many people in group.

Annapurna Sanctuary and Poon Hill Trek

This trip was hobbled by having 17 people in our group plus two "others" who joined w/o paying at the last moment. Robi, our trip leader, was great at everything, but this was too much. Our group was continually slowed both for meals and on the trail by this army of walkers. Also note that the condition of lodging is quite poor in general. Do not expect hot showers or Western style cleanliness standards. Kathmandu is not worth any extra moments you may have to spare. All said, the moun tains are amazing and well worth seeing.

By Adventure from RICHMOND | 02 November 2016

KE Adventure reply

Thank you for your review. We are pleased that you thought the mountains were amazing. There will always be lots of trekkers coming to this region but we are considering reducing the maximum group size for KE groups to 14. The two 'others' you have mentioned in your review were local Nepal tourists. They made all their own arrangements for food and lodging but apparently enjoyed the company of your group who were staying at the same lodges. Above Chomrong, this trek lies entirely within the Annapurna Conservation Area, which was the first and is the largest protected area in Nepal, rich in biological and cultural diversity. One aspect of the work to maintain this unique area is to severely restrict the amount of new building in the area and a complete ban on the burning of wood for heating water. This does mean that some of the comforts you experience with lodges in other trekking areas are not there once you get higher up the valley, but the pay-off in protecting the environment is mostly considered worth this minor inconvenience.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

An amazing adventure!

Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro Summit Ascents

This challenge had been on my bucket list for quite a while. I found the advice I received from KE very helpful when I visited the office in Keswick and decided to follow the advice and trek an acclimatisation peak before tackling Kili. Meru was worth doing in its own right as it was interesting to climb, providing stunning views and lots of opportunities to see wildlife. A giraffe popped its head out of the bushes next to the path we were walking along. We had a great support crew who were sens itive to our needs, always cheerful and very supportive. The food was varied and nutritious and I particularly appreciated the water filter which was used to make drinking water safe. Our leader, Onyx was obviously very experienced, setting a good, realistic pace and allowing adequate rest stops. We all made it to both summits - credit must go to the wonderful support and leadership from the team! One slight criticism, probably a cultural issue, I had followed the advice of KE and allocated the suggested amount for tips only to find that more was expected! I needed a total of $220 for tips which seemed rather a lot on top of the price of the holiday and left me short on spending money. The holiday was a wonderful adventure and one I will never forget!

By Angela from Chester | 02 November 2016

Beautiful stunning Madeira

Levada Trails and Peaks of Madeira

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By Gail from Wingate | 02 November 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Breathtaking scenery and outstanding activities

Slovenian Family Adventure - Julian Alps

Our family adventure was simply perfect. The scenery throughout the entire trip was breathtakingly beautiful, from the snow capped mountains to the emerald-green rivers and lakes. Our guide, David, was amazing. So friendly, enthusiastic and fun, we all loved him! It was certainly an active week - the high ropes offered several different levels to keep everyone happy, the rock climbing was challenging enough for my 2 who are fairly experienced climbers but David and his brother were so supportive with those of us who were a little less certain on the rocks. The cycling, the white water rafting, the summer toboggan were all brilliant fun as well. Tips....we were lucky with the weather so if you go in October take plenty of layers as it can be very cold early in the morning. No need to take wet shoes for rafting as the company supply proper boots. Also the 'base layer' is actually just a swimming costume for the rafting (though the base layer was useful as an extra layer for the kids on other days). Me and my 2 kids loved every single second of this trip and would wholeheartedly recommend it. Thank you!!

By Adventure from Taunton | 31 October 2016

Latest from our Travellers

Overall Company Rating 96%

A trek amongst giants !

Burma by bike - brilliant

Kilimanjaro via The Lemosho Route - Sept 2016.

Levadas and peaks of Madeira images

Amazing experience

Hard work but rewarded with fantastic views of Everest

A great trek. Highly recommended

Good trekking combined with Tibetan culture

A very nice, well run trek

bucket list ticked

I've been to Mars or wadi rum in jordan

Breathtaking mountain views but.........

Nature watching at its best

Beautiful, stunning Madeira

geography and wildlife super

Great wildlife and some good walking

Very well led, but too many people in group.

An amazing adventure!

Beautiful stunning Madeira

Breathtaking scenery and outstanding activities

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KE 2635 Online Reviews

96%

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Latest from our Travellers

Overall Company Rating 96%

A trek amongst giants !

Burma by bike - brilliant

Kilimanjaro via The Lemosho Route - Sept 2016.

Levadas and peaks of Madeira images

Amazing experience

Hard work but rewarded with fantastic views of Everest

A great trek. Highly recommended

Good trekking combined with Tibetan culture

A very nice, well run trek

bucket list ticked

I've been to Mars or wadi rum in jordan

Breathtaking mountain views but.........

Nature watching at its best

Beautiful, stunning Madeira

geography and wildlife super

Great wildlife and some good walking

Very well led, but too many people in group.

An amazing adventure!

Beautiful stunning Madeira

Breathtaking scenery and outstanding activities

Get our latest articles and promotions straight to your inbox

KE 2635 Online Reviews

96%

Your Wishlist

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