Tour Operators - Mountain Kingdoms

I have to add a note of caution. We were delayed in Kathmandu by the volcanic ash. In spite of me thinking that Mountain Kingdoms were a Package Tour operator, we had to pay the costs of hotels and meals during our enforced delay. Mountain Kingdoms advised a flight rebooking back to the UK which would have caused me a further delay of 8 days. I found, and paid for, an alternative flight leaving the next day. Mountain Kingdoms have declined to reimburse me any of the additional costs I incurred, in spite of lengthy correspondence.

I am the General Manager at Mountain Kingdoms Ltd. We are a UK based Tour Operator governed by UK legislation regarding Package Travel holidays. During the volcanic ash incident this year our actions not only met our legal obligations but as one would expect of a small specialist travel company, we exceeded them. We received many letters, emails and gifts from clients thanking us for the service they received. Unfortunately Mr Ayles chose to abandon his holiday before UK air space re-opened. The return travel we organised for our clients, after UK air space reopened, did not require them to pay any additional flight costs. I would be happy to clarify our actions and policies in regard to this type of incident to anyone who might otherwise be concerened about travelling with Mountain Kingdoms.

I would just reply to Steve Harbert's comments: 1. I did have to pay my own hotel costs and subsistence for the delay in Kathmandu. Steve is right that MK met the 'legal obligations' in MK's terms and conditions. However other tour operators were more generous in the way they handled the 'ash incident'. 2. I did not 'abandon my holiday'. My holiday had finished and I needed to get back to UK for business reasons. UK airspace was not closed when I flew back on the flight I organised myself, as I flew into Heathrow! 3. MK's subcontractor in Nepal, who actually did all the organising locally, were very good.

I completed two trekking tours with the company in Nepal, covering Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Sanctuary over a one month period. As a solo traveller I was really nervous about this holiday so I valued the one day pre trek hike in the Cotswold 3 months before my actual trek so that I could meet fellow trekkers and this was followed with a slide show in a local pub and a meet and greet with all of the company's employees including the company's MD. Great family company and fantastic trip. I would highly recommend this company.