Dear Readers welcome to our testimonial,reviews and feed back page,i tried to collect all of feed back on my different pages and posts of my blog ,and other sites which has a good recommendation of my company ,and some old reviews when internet was not invented.
The Testimonial is 30 june 1930 of my grand father juma pakhtoon.
juma has cooked for us during the past eight weeks first in houseboat then he went pahalgam with us,he is a very hardworking boy and know how to do things well,we have been well pleased and take pleasure by recommending him.
Blanche m. hong
| Jan Kelly, England, July 2008
We had a wonderful time on the Lakes Trek with the brothers Riyaz and Safeen Paktoon. My very first impression upon meeting Riyaz was that he is straightforward and professional, not pushy at all, likeable and genuinely passionate about trekking. This proved to be absolutely correct for both him and his family as we came to know them better. The trek was well organised; we felt well looked after; the food was abundant and of excellent quality (Safeen is a good chef as well as a photographer), The two pony men were also delightful people, funny and helpful, and Riyaz showed a great working relationship with them evidently based on mutual respect and experience. The team worked hard setting up the camp etc. but they all clearly love walking in the mountains and we felt a great rapport with them. We were given plenty of space to walk quietly alone with Riyaz way ahead of us and Safeen following behind us. Riyaz proved capable to deal with the military when they without warning closed off a section of valley that we needed to pass; he walked about 20miles extra to meet with their commander to obtain permission specially for us; when we saw him later his legs were tired but he was full of excitement at the discovery of what sounded like a hidden civilisation isolated lower down the valley. This is an exciting area to explore. The Lakes Trek is strongly reminiscent of the Austrian Tirolean alps. Abundance of wild flowers. Glacial lakes. High mountain passes taking you near the glaciers. Beautiful scenery. Good camping locations. Highly recommended. I wholeheartedly recommend trekking with Riyaz and Safeen.x |
(old reviews from 1974 ) All you want know about kashmir great lakes trek review (Review on Indian mike) bcm touring reviews (other blog reviews) winter trek review
CHECK REVIEWS ON GREAT LAKES AGE
We spent 2 weeks trekking in Kashmir in June 2016. Our trek was in Aru valley; from Aru village we made radial treks along 2 rivers up to the altitudes of 3500-4000 m. The nature there is wonderful: beautiful forests, clean water of the rivers, a lot of flowers on the alpine meadows… And we could enjoy it because everything was organized specially for us by Riyaz Pahtoon. Before this trip we had the experience of different treks in Nepal, Buthan, South America, so we can compare. I can definitely say that our trek in Kashnir was one of the best . Everything from the beginning till the end was done professionally by Riyaz and his team, so we only enjoyed our trekking. We had 4 horses, 2 pony-men with them and a guide- Riyaz brother, who was also a cooker. The food was very good : very delicious Indian food! Our tent was new and big, enough space for 4 people, not only for 2 of us. So we could rest and sleep very well. Every day we walked for 6-8 hours. Our pony- men were very helpful, not only on the trek, but in the camp also.
I’d like also to mention our driver, who was very professional and kindly explain us many things along the way. In addition I’ d like to say that the price was very reasonable for the perfect service we got during our traveling.
We were very happy to visit this wonderful country – Kashmir – and hope to come again.
I can with pleasure recommend Riyaz and his family company for those who’d like to travel in the Kashmir mountains.
Tatiana , St-Petersburg, Russia (these are copy of original feed back are )
Have been during the last week of May on a trekking in Lidderwat and Satlangen area with Riyaz and team. Although we were a bit early in the season (meaning crossing of high passes was not possible because of too much snow) we had a great experience. The area was very quiet with shepherds not having moved in yet, but oh so beautiful. Everything was organized without any hitch from day 1 at Srinagar airport till day 9 when we left Srinagar. The food during the trekking was very varied and very tasty. We plan to make the great lake trekking next year and will use Riyaz again. Stijn and Liza – South Africa
Dr Kothawade Vivek Had been to Kashmir with family and had a great time , and the most memorable ever. Arrangements made by Riyazbhai were good. Our driver Yusufchacha made us feel at home ,& inspite of curfew in many parts of Kashmir he took us safely to all places. As it’s said Kashmir is paradise on earth , you have to see it to believe it. Thanks Riyazbhai for the wonderful experience.
I don’t think there are words to express my gratitude towards Riyaz and his family. First of all Riayz’s family is experienced in the field of trekking for generations now and I don’t know if there are any people who know the mountains better than them. Secondly, I was blessed to find someone as honest, humble and warm hearted as him and his family. I told Riyaz I am low on money these days but am still eager to do a long trek. His price was so humble, comparatively nobody in Kashmir would offer such an understanding price, while he’s also the best in the field. He knows adventure, while at the same time he knows where an adventure ends and where danger begins. Kashmir is not like most popular treks in northern India or Nepal. Kashmir is known to be untouched and its nature is pure. You have to make sure that you get someone who is really experienced, otherwise you may find yourself lost in the forests with wild animals, or in military conflict areas etc. I am confident that you won’t get a better quality and a better price.
But let’s talk more about Riyaz’s family as humans, because that is an experience that will stay with me forever. They invited me to eat breakfast at their home everyday in Srinagar. They made me feel like a family member and made sure that I get a true Kashmir cultural experience, by guiding me through the city, bringing me to one of the major mosques, and consulted me in many other ways. They even called me at night to make sure that I was fine and happy, even today Riyaz checks on me.
I’m already planning my next visit with more friends, and besides the trek itself I am just excited to visit Riyaz and his family again.
Regards from Egypt and Germany,
Hadi
Masoud If you are going trekking in Kashmir, Riyaz and his family and crew are your best friends. My partner and I booked a one week Great lakes trip with Riyaz. It was very easy to communicate with him and organise things in advance. I simply called his number on my whatsapp from Australia. He planned the hike professionally, taking us to great scenery and bringing all those things that will allow us to be comfortable in the mountain (even live chicken for food was brought up).
The price was also fair, and all the people we came across through Riyaz were very nice and professional. This was a dream come true for us!
I wouldn’t hesitate recommending this family business to anybody interesting in trekking in Kashmir
This was our first trek with Trek Kashmir to the Kashmir Great lakes . We were 6 of us from Bengaluru. The hospitality we received on the trek was remarkable. All the support staff were very friendly. The terrain was incredible. We were unfortunate not to cross the Gadsar pass as the terrain was not feesable. But nevertheless it was a very beautiful and a memorable trek. Looking forward to trek with them again.
Cheers ,
Sachin Sogal
Shailesh Chhaya I have been with riyaz and his team twice on two different treks in kashmir. each of these two treks were remarkable. Their knowledge of the terrain
terrain is most impressive.
They are also very hospitable N get good food within limitations. Every evening soup N evening snacks were there by the time we reached camp.
Their houseboat is also a pleasent one and their brother is knowledgeable of botanical N herbs.
A good time in both visits. Me n my friend s enjoyed the overall experience both times.
God bless them N may their humble N hospitality be with them always
Best wishes to them.
I highly recommend them
Shailesh
Meidiani rahayu Hey I been first trek with trekkashmir to aru valley gadivar.is a Himalayan tribe village on north of lidder river .the river offer trout fishing .it is remote seasonal village.lovely peoples beautiful. And the mountains are stunning.it was in 2014 July.the in 2015 I took a group to Srinagar tulip festaval we all enjoyed tulip and sightseeing to pahalgam sonmarg.the service of trekkashmir are great.
Thank you Riyaz ……. You and your team has done a good job !!! we are happy with your arrangement – thank you.
Thanks to Hanif, Chacha (one of the best cook I’ve ever seen in any trek route) and Moibaba – entire team was so helpful and friendly !!! it will be a memorable trip of my life.
If we ever get a chance to come back to Kashmir for another trek I would prefer you to arrange the same for us. I hope soon there will be peace and prosperity in the valley………..
Did this in early October, probably one of the last batches(the dates were not even mentioned on the website). Amazing service and awesome people. Riyaz and his brothers were very helpful; right from answering all the queries to organizing this. We were a small group of five and still the prices were the same. Even though it was almost off season, he had organized everything well.
This place has 10-12 lakes nearby. When time permits I will will be coming for longer ones. They have brilliant knowledge of the terrain and you definitely feel safe.
Looking forward to doing more with you guys. Highly recommended. Thanks for making the trip memorable.
Thanks Riyaz, for being such a good guide during my travel in the breathtaking Kashmir. All about kashmir made my jaw drop. Hope I can come back there again someday.
Thanks Riyaz, Tariq and Abid for arranging very comfortable trip of trekking. Although we planned the trip for Tarsar Lake, we could not reach there due to heavy snow on that side. As per the suggestion of Tariq, we stayed at Lidderwat and went for day trip towards Satlanjan side. The stay was very comfortable and food etc. provided on the trek was great. One should follow the trek routes as per the weather conditions. We will plan for the Great Lakes Trek next time with Riyaz.
We went trekking with Riyaz end of April, in the Aru Valley and had a very nice time altough we couldn’t do the trekking we wanted – no one to blame except the snow that hasn’t melted yet! We stayed in Litterwat, covered with snow; kids have been playing in the snow, building snowmen and building houses with sticks. Riyaz had organised it all very well, including in Srinagar where we visited the gardens, went to Gulmarg and stayed in a nice houseboat. I definitely think I will have to go back during summer time to enjoy the trekking in Aru valley!
I JOINED THE APRIL TOUR TO GULMAG AND PAHALGAM, IT WAS REALLY AMAZED ME AND REALLY REALLY LOVE KASHMIR. HOPE THIS SEPTEMBER WILL JOIN THE TOUR TO LADAKH AND KASHMIR LAKE TREKKING LEAD BY MR.RIYAZ [NICE & COOL]. SPECIAL THANKS TO MR.RIYAZ, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO JOIN THE TOUR.[*****]