Myanmar Hill Tribes

18 days : commences Yangon 7th Jan 2010

This adventurous style journey takes us into the remote Chin Hills of Myanmar for an easy trek and some village stays among the spectacular rhododendron cloud forests of Nat Ma Taung National Park. On the Shan plateau our easy “Monastery trek” takes us to Palung hill villages in a region of stunning scenery, and authentic indigenous cultures. Our itinerary in ‘up country’ Myanmar includes the pagoda fields of ancient Bagan and stunningly picturesque Inle Lake with its artisan villages and colourful markets.

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Persian Trilogy

22 days : commences Tashkent 15th April 2010
We think the Persian Silk Road is one of Central Asia’s great unsung journeys. This region is rich in archaeological treasures and diverse cultures dating back to the age of Central Asia’s greatest civilisations. Our itinerary commences in Tashkent and traces the western extension of the Silk Road to the great historical cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, Merv and Nissa. In Turkmenistan we get right off the beaten track to visit the newly excavated city of Gonor-Tepe and in Iran we explore ancient Persepolis and visit the exquisite ornate cities of Esfahan and Shiraz; the historic centre of Islamic culture in Central Asia.

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Continue with our Anatolia Silk Route journey joining at Van

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Anatolia Silk Route

23 days : commences Istanbul 7th May 2010
Explore stunningly scenic Eastern Anatolia with us as we trace the western most extension of the Silk Road to ancient Trebizond - Trabzon - and to Antioch - Antakya. We commence in Van, via Istanbul, and explore the ancient kingdom of Urartu - the biblical Ararat– as we wind our way through spectacular volcanic mountainscapes to Mt Ararat and beyond to historic Ayni. Our journey takes us to Trabzon on the Black sea, to the cliff hugging Sumela monastery and idyllic Ayder. In south east Anatolia we include Diyarbakir, the region’s most histotic centre, Ufra and the biblical village of Harran. No journey in Anatolia would be complete without a visit to ancient Antioch and the stunningly scenic Cappadocia. We complete our journey in Istanbul amongst the museums and monuments of this great cultural centre.

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Commence in Tashkent with our Persian Trilogy journey

Continue with independent Mediterranean Anatolia

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Journey Beyond the Clouds - Guilin to Kathmandu

24 days : commences Guilin 10th May 2010

Join us in beautiful Guilin, China’s ‘number one under heaven’ scenic destination and explore the heartland of minority Miao, Dong and Zhuang nationalities before taking a Yangtze Three Gorge cruise and catching the train to Lhasa. Our route will take us ‘off the tourist trail’ to explore stunningly authentic southern Guizhou. Then by Three Gorge cruise on the Yangtze River to Chongqing before boarding our soft sleeper class train for the journey to Lhasa. At Lhasa we have time to explore the city and visit key cultural sites before resuming our journey towards Kathmandu. Our route takes us via Yamdrok Lake to Gyantze, Shigatse, Xegar and Zhungmu across the Himalaya mountains to Kathmandu where we have time to explore the rich heritage of this fascinating city

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Continue with independent Pokhara - Chitwan Safari

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Mongolia and Siberia

18 days : commences Ulaanbaatar 9th June 2010

Discover Mongolia and Siberia on this unique 4x4 trip across Mongolia’s grasslands and gobi to the remote Western Bayan Olgii province of the strikingly picturesque Altay Republic of western Siberia. Along the way we visit Mongolia’s historic capital Kharkorin and Tsagann Nuur Volcanic National Park. In Siberia our route tracks across the rolling Chuysky steppe through the forests and peaks of Siberia’s spectacular Altay Republic to Kurai, nestled beneath the Altai mountains , and beyond to Chulyshman River gorge and Teletskoe Lake in the Altaian Nature Preserve.. Along the way we explore the archaeological stories of ancient Scythian kingdoms and enjoy a few easy treks before concluding at Novosibirsk.

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Continue with independent Moscow / St Petersburg Trans Sib railway

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Textile Arts of China

24 days : commences 20th June 2010
Join Raglan based fabric artist and designer Jean Carbon on this relaxed introduction to China’s textile arts. Our south east China programme includes the stunning needlework art resist and indigo-dyeing of the Miao, Naxi and Dong nationalities in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces. We commence in Shanghai and Suzhou in the Yangtze delta to visit the silk embroidery workshops of the delta water villages before moving to Yunnan province, to Dali, Lijiang and Zhogdian where Naxi and Tibetan styles provide insights into resist dyeing, weaving and embroidery techniques. In Guizhou province we take the back roads to Guilin to sample the intricate tribal embroidery and fabric working methods. We conclude in Beijing with a short programme to the ‘must see’ sights.

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Continue with China Beyond the Wall - Xinjiang Textiles

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West Indus Trails

18 days : commences 1st July 2010
Join us for this stunningly scenic safari across the Hindu Kush from Chitral to Hunza . Commence midst the pandemonium of historic Lahore with its spectacular Moghul heritage then travel the historic Grand Trunk Road to Rawalpindi-Islamabad. Fly to colourful Chitral and explore the mysterious Kalash Valleys before joining the locals at the outrageously authentic Shandur Pass Polo festival. Wind through the breathtaking gorges and valleys of the Hindu Raj to the spectacular mountain kingdom of Hunza. At Karimabad spend a few cruisy days and a bit of easy walking midst the high peaks and easy going people of this spectacular region. We have a short programme in Baltistan, ‘little Tibet’ in Pakistan before flying out to Islamababad and concluding.

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Continue with independentChina Beyond the Wall

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Journey to the West

20 days : commences Xian 20th July 2010

Follow the footsteps of traders and pilgrims as we trace China's Silk Road from ancient Chang'an (Xian) to historic Kashgar. Our journey will take us from the heart of the Qin Empire to the 'wilderness' beyond the Great Wall. We get away from the standard routes to explore the rich heritage of those who settled in the shadow of the Great Wall and we trace the origins and history of nomadic people who inhabited the land beyond. We will experience the influence of the great civilisations that ebbed and flowed across this region of stunning landscapes, great archaeological treasures and fascinating people.

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Continue with our Pamir Highway journey at Kashgar.

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Tajikistan's Pamir Highway

22 days : commences Kashgar7th August 2010
Join us as we explore the legendary Pamir Highway from Tajikistan’s mountainous heartland to Samarkand’s ‘Golden Road’. On this itinerary we get away from the ‘standard’ routes to discover remote regions and stunning landscapes. Mountains and seriously big rivers are highlights on this journey into the headwaters of the mighty Amu Darya River and the knot of great mountains beyond the Hindu Kush. We enjoy the hospitality of local Pamiri homestays and the opportunity to experience Pamiri culture. Our itinerary will take us to the Wakhan corridor, Dushanbe, Iskandarkul Lake in the Fan mountains, Samarkand and Tashkent.

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Join from our Journey to the West itinerary in Kashgar

Continue with our Great Silk Road journey at Samarkand

Continue with our Pamir Highway Uzbekistan Extension

Continue with independent West Asia Explorer

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Great Silk Road

27 days : commences Tashkent 24th August 2010
Explore the world’s greatest land trade route from Bukhara and Samarkand to Tashkent, Bishkek, Issyk-Kul, Karakol, Kashgar, Turpan, Jaiyuguan, Dunhuang and Xian on this relaxed journey following in the footsteps of Marco Polo. In Kyrgyzstan we explore the picturesque Issy-Kul region, take some easy walks and enjoy a yurt stay out on the Kyrgyz steppe. Our China itinerary commences at historic Kashgar; ancient trade hub on the Silk Road and site of the legendary Sunday market. We include the old Silk Road oasis of Turpan and Dunhuang as well as Jiayuguan, site of the most western extent of the Ming dynasty great wall and conclude in Xian; ancient Chang'an where Emperor Qin Shihuang's great tomb and its army of terracotta warriors was constructed.

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Join from our Pamir Highway itinerary in Samarkand

Conclude in Kashgar and continue with our Indus Silk Route itinerary from Kashgar

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Indus Silk Route

19 days : commences Kashgar 10th September 2010
Journey from China’s ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar to the heart of the magnificent Karakoram mountains. Follow the footsteps of trade caravans and pilgrims across the lofty Khunjerab Pass to Pakistan’s idyllic kingdom of Hunza . Enjoy easy village rambles and spectacular alpine scenery then trace the thin ribbon of the Indus highway through the Indus river gorges to Skardu in picturesque Baltistan , Pakistans ‘Little Tibet’. Fly to Islamabad and conclude in ancient Lahore amongst the great monuments of the Mughal princes.

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Join from our Great Silk Road itinerary in Kashgar

Continue with Colourful Rajasthan itinerary

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Majestic Himachal Pradesh

23 days : commences Delhi 7th September 2010
This small group itinerary explores India's majestic Himachal Pradesh by less travelled routes. Our goal for the first stage of this trip is the Nanda Devi Sanctuary with its abundant wildflowers and spectacular scenery. We include a mix of historic hill resorts and remote regions tucked along the flank of the Indian Himalaya mountains. Our ultimate objective is the stunning Spiti district with its clear running rivers, craggy peaks and cliff top monasteries. The journey also includes picturesque Manali, stunning mountain-scapes and a classic Raj era heritage hotel stay.

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Continue with Colourful Rajasthan

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Colourful Rajasthan

12 days : commences Delhi 28th September 2010
This tour of colourful Rajasthan’s opulent palaces and imposing forts, natural diversity and fascinating culture is a rewarding insight into India’s ‘land of Palaces and Princes’. Colourful bazaars, pink palaces, glistening marble mausoleums and the diverse wildlife at India’s best known tiger reserve, Ranthambore National Park, are combined to make this short journey into Rajasthan’s ‘golden triangle’ a memorable experience.
We commence in historic Delhi and travel to Agra, Ranthambore, Jaipur and Jhodpur.

In late October– early November this itinerary can be extended to include the Pushka Camel Fair.

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Join from our Indus Silk Route itinerary

Join from our Himachal Pradesh itineray

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India: Delhi, Agra, Ranthambore, Jaipur, Jhodpur

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Western Approaches

22 days: commences Kashgar 18th September 2010

We start our journey at historic Kashgar in far west China then head east towards Yarkand to climb into the KunLun mountains and reach the great Aksai Chin plateau. Our route along highway 219 will take us to the headwaters of the Indus River where we make a side trip to explore the historic Guge Kingdom. With our trek crew in support we make the 3 day pilgrims ‘Kora’ around Mt Kailash before heading east down the valley of the Yarlung Tsangpo River (Brahmaputra) to reach Lhatze at the junction of the Tibet-Nepal highway. At Tingri we make a day excursion to Rongphu Monastery and Everest base Camp before continuing south to wards Nepal. We conclude in Kathmandu after a short sightseeing programme.

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Continue with independent Lhasa Express

Continue with our Tea Horse Route itinerary

Continue with indepdendent Pokhara-Chitwan Safari

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China: Kashgar, Yarkand, Ali, Lake Manasarovar, Mt Kailash, Lhatze, Everest Base Camp, Kathmandu

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Tibet Tea Route

15 days : commences Lhasa 06th October 2009 
Get well and truly off the beaten track in Tibet’s remote south eastern region on this cross-country exploration of the historic Lhasa-Kunming Tea - Horse route. From Lhasa our journey takes us up to Namtso Lake and across the grasslands into the headwaters of S.E. Asia’s great rivers where follow the spectacular Mekong gorges through the valleys and plateaux of Tibet’s Kham region where western travellers are still a novelty. Big rivers, ancient pine forests, azalea shrub lands, rhododendron groves and spectacular grasslands combine with magnificent scenery, authentic cultures and vast open landscapes to make the trip a classic journey

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Join from Lhasa Express

Join from our Western Approaches

Continue with our South-east Asia Silk Route group from Zhogdian-Shangri La

Continue with Yunnan Explorer

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Iran: North to South

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SE Asia Silk Route

21 days : commences Kunming 18th October 2010
Discover Yunnan’s wonderful cultural heritage and stunning scenery as we trace two historic routes from the edge of the Tibet plateau to the ancient Burmese kingdom of Pagan. Follow the Burma Road from Dali to provincial Tenchong and the China-Myanmar border where we take the WWII Ledo link road across the Kachin hills to Bhamo on the Ayeyarwaddy river. We cruise down to Mandalay by ‘family’ charter boat to explore the “Golden Land” of Myanmar (Burma) with its spectacular archaeological heritage at Bagan and the handcrafted silks, silver and wood carvings at Inle Lake’s magical floating villages.

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Join from Tea Horse Route

Continue with independent Ngapali Beach

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Indo China Empires

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Vietnam: Ha-Noi, Ha Long Bay, Mai Chau, Hur, Da Nang, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong cruise,

Cambodia: Phnom Penhm, Ankor Wat, Siem Reap

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