Tibet - Group travel to Mt. Kailash in September 2008 and trekking tours into the Kang Shung Valley in May 2008. Cultural journeys to Lhasa and central Tibet. Jeep safaris through Amdo and Kham.
India - Adventure travel to Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Assam in November 2008, group travel to Rajasthan in February 2009, insight journeys to Orissa, Karnataka and Kerala, cultural journeys to Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, trekking tours in Ladakh, Uttaranchal and Sikkim.
Myanmar / Burma - Group travel to Myanmar in January 2009. Discovery trips to Mrauk U, Inle Lake and into the Chindwin valley. Cultural journeys to Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan and Bago.
China - Silk Road travel in August 2009. Group tours to Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai, Xinjiang and Guizhou. Discovery trips to Lugu Lake, the Red River Valley and Kaili. Cultural journeys all over China.
Cambodia and Laos - Cultural journeys to Angkor Wat and Luang Prabang in April 2009, trekking tours and boat trips in northern and central Laos. Discovery trips to Mondulkiri and Ratanagiri in eastern Cambodia.
Vietnam - Cultural journeys and discovery trips to Hanoi, Halong Bay, Sapa, Hue, Hoi An, the highlands around Dalat, HCMC and into the Mekong delta.
Indonesia - Group travel and adventure travel to Borneo / Kalimantan and to New Guinea / Irian Jaya. Cultural journeys and discovery trips to Java, Bali and Lombok.
The size of each group is restricted to 4 - 7 participants. And we accompany all these journeys ourselves.
Tibet - Sacred Mount Kailash and BeyondAn exceptional journey to Asia's most sacred mountain, worshipped by
Buddhists, Hindus, Animists and Jain alike. This is the journey each faithful dreams to complete once in a lifetime.
Situated high up on the Tibetan Plateau, Mt. Kailash is the mythological Mount Meru, the 'Navel of the World', a place
where the divine takes earthly form. Mt. Kailash rises in the Ngari region of Western Tibet, one of the highest, loneliest
and most desolate places on this planet. Nearby Lake Manasarovar and Lake Rakshas Tal, the representations of the power
of consciousness and subconsciousness complete the trilogy and are inseparable from Mt. Kailash. Placed in a landscape
stripped to earth, water and sky, far from impoverishing it, creates the space for a certain essentiality to shine
through, which vanishes when things, material or mental, begin to pile up. We follow an archaic pilgrimage on the sacred
3 day Kora (circumambulation) of Mount Kailash. Drolma La ,the Kora's climax, is the site of mythological death and
rebirth at almost 5800m. The experience of the extreme will change our life. After spending a few days in Lhasa exploring
the most important of the holy city's palaces and temples, we encounter the cities and villages of the upper Brahmaputra
on our wild drive west. At ultimately remote Tsaparang, we explore stunning remains carved into the rock and outstanding
early Tantric murals of the ancient kingdom of Guge.
We complete this epic journey by crossing the mighty Himalayas and
cruise down through one of the most intoxicating landscapes of this world into the lush valleys of Nepal.
India - The Tribal North-EastA fascinating journey into the remote North-East of India, into the lands
of towering mountains, huge valleys, endless forests, vast rivers and charming inhabitants living in
accordance with the cycle of nature. Starting off at Guwahati, capital of Assam, we travel through the almost unknown Eastern
Himalayas, cross the mighty Brahmaputra river valley and enter the long closed Naga Hills, exploring Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Nagaland.
Only accessible with special permits and in a group, we encounter a world, which hardly could be more different
from ours, but still will bring us close to our own roots.
We discover archaic tribal societies and enchanted sacred places, experience warm hospitality, the serenity of high mountains, dense jungle,
endless tea plantations and the fascinating hills in the borderlands to Burma. Accommodation will vary from government guesthouses
to a traditional hut in a tribal village. This journey is a true
adventure and will involve some inconveniences, but the reward in terms of insight and lasting impressions
will be enormous.
The group will meet at Guwahati / Assam or Bangkok.
Vietnam and Cambodia - High-lightsOn our journey we discover
Vietnam and Cambodia, learning about their lovely people and their ways of life, encountering their historical past and
present.
We start the journey by diving into the atmospheric alleys of Hanoi's old quarter, my favourite city in
Vietnam, wind down in old grand Cafes, and enjoy the colonial style ambience as well as experience the awakening
of modern Vietnam.
We explore My Son, the ancient city of temples of the once mighty kingdom of Champa, stroll through impressive
Hue, Vietnam's last imperial city, and follow the steps of early Asian traders in Hoi An's fascinating
old Chinese environment.
From Ho Chi Minh City, the old Saigon, synonym for hustle and bustle and fuming activity, we fly into Phnom
Penh, Cambodia's capital, a city in a country in search. Over the serene waters of amazing Tonle Sap Lake we reach the
remains of incredible Angkor, one of the world's most outstanding archaeological sites.
This journey is designed as an introduction to Indochina's people, culture and history in a relatively short
period of time, not missing out on ambience and comfort. Assistance is available if participants wish to extend
their vacation for a few days on Thailand's beaches.
Myanmar - Country in TwilightThere is always the scent
of something fairytale and ancient oriental in the air ....
Myanmar / Burma works as a time machine.
After experiencing colonial reminiscent Yangon we spend a few days in the extremely remote west of the country
exploring the ancient city of Mrauk U, overgrown by jungle, on a journey by boat up a mighty river.
We relax on a tropical paradise beach in the Bay of Bengal before travelling north and discovering Pagan, the
enchanting golden City of Temples, spread out along the vast Ayeyarwady River.
High up on the Shan plateau the serenity and peacefulness of the Inle Lake and the ethnic diversity and culture of the
local inhabitants will delight us as well as the joyful boat-rides through lush vegetation.
In and around bustling Mandalay we encounter Myanmar today as well as the remains of ancient royal cities, religion,
and a unique array of still performed traditional local craftsmanship.
India, Rajasthan – Land of Legends and SplendourA journey to magical Rajasthan, the fabled lands of 1001 nights, a country of charming and proud people, of
vast deserts dotted with oases, stunning palaces and towering castles.
We encounter the legendary legacy of Mughal architecture in Delhi and Agra and enter at Jaipur a world of fairy tales,
vibrant colours, heroism, and the breathtaking palaces of the Rajputs.
Moving deep into the extremely barren Thar desert, we reach the incredibly spellbinding city of Jaisalmer. We explore
villages, culture and ways of life of a long forgotten time, enjoy the relaxing atmosphere at the beautiful temple town
of Pushkar, discover mediaeval Bundi, impressive Chittaurgarh Fort, synonym for Rajput chivalry, the ancient Jain
temple complex at Mt. Abu and finally end up again in bustling Delhi back into the 21st century.
Rajasthan is one of the dry areas of the subcontinent. In February / March we experience the local spring with moderate
temperatures and one of the nicest seasons of the whole year.
Cambodia and Laos - The High-lightsA journey combining the high-lights of Cambodia and Northern Laos.
We experience the stunning Temples of Angkor in the western part of Cambodia, learn about
their culture, then and nowadays, indulge in grand architecture and the famed art of a once
mighty empire, and encounter the lovely Cambodian people of today.
The north of Laos are the lands of wild mountains and rivers, tribal societies, sacred places
and endless jungle.
A fascinating Buddhist culture, charming people and a unique atmosphere blended with a
touch of French Colonial style architecture is what sleepy Luang Prabang is all about.
Strolling through the alleys, meeting the local people and visiting the countless calming
temples and monasteries of the old royal city will be an experience remaining with us forever.
Charming people, amazing cultures, fascinating archaeological sites, grand landscapes and
selected, beautiful hotels.
Tibet - Sacred Cities and Towering MountainsAn outstanding journey discovering the 'Roof of the World' combining
Tibet's sacred cities with one of Tibet's most scenic treks, the Kang Shung Face Trek. We explore magical Lhasa and
surroundings, Tibet's heart and soul, dive into it's fascinating culture, experiencing the past and present. After
crossing sky-rocketing passes and driving along romantic Yamdrok Lake we encounter the medieval past of Gyantse and
Shigatse, seat of the Panchen Lama.
Tibet's fabulous gilded monasteries, bustling cities and monuments stay behind now, while we turn to Tibet's stunning
nature and approach the ultimate North Face of the Great Himalaya Range.
For 11 days we embark on an exceptional expedition into the extremely remote Kang Shung Valley. Trekking along the base
of some of the word's highest mountains we walk through scenic villages and spectacular landscape with sensational views
of Makalu (8470m), Lohtse (8153m), Everest (8862m) and Jomo Jong Zo (7780m). At 5240m Lang Ma La is the highest pass
we master accompanied by our Yak caravan. The renowned Everest Base Camp North will be our last major site in the thin
air of the Tibetan plateau.
We complete this epic journey by crossing the mighty Himalayas and cruise down through one of the most intoxicating
landscapes on earth into the lush valleys of Nepal.
China - The legendary Silk Road and the Tibetan culture of AmdoSince millenniums the Silk Road has triggered mankind's imagination. The Chinese section stretches from the
city of Xi'an west through the vast lands of Gansu and Xinjiang. Endless deserts, lush oases, an amazing ethnic
mixture, history emanating ruins of Buddhist culture, Islamic art and monuments of imperial might are dotting
the way.
The former Tibetan province of Amdo, now the Chinese province of Qinghai, is home to some of the most important
monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism. The population is ethnic Tibetan and the current Dalai Lama was born here. For a
full week we embark on a jeep safari through mesmerizing landscape, meeting local people and exploring amazing
cultural places.
We start our journey at the tea-houses of Chengdu in Sichuan Province, fly to Urumqi and experience stunning sites
around the distant oases of Turpan, Dunhuang and Jiayuguan at the edge of the great Taklamakan Desert. Next we
enter the lands of Tibetan culture visiting the monasteries of Xiahe/Labrang, Wendu, Longwu und Kumbum (Ta'er) and
last not least vast Kokonor Lake up on the Tibetan plateau. The last station on our journey will be the old
imperial city of Xi'an, beginning and end of the fabled Silk Road, known in the West mainly for the tombs and the
terracotta warriors.
