8 tel: 0845 330 8579 (local call rate, UK only) international tel: +44 1453 844 400 www.himalayankingdoms.com Himalayan hideaway… In Nepal on the more popular treks, enterprising villagers have built tea house lodges. In recent years, the standards of food and accommodation have improved enormously. Many would vie in character and comfort with the equivalent European alpine huts. Most now provide twin-bedded rooms. We offer a selection of Tea House Treks, run to a high level of service using the very best lodges available. We carry bed sheets and pillow cases and in addition provide four-season sleeping bags for those cold nights at high lodges. On all our Tea House Treks, all meals are included and we supply supplementary snack food and drinks. We further cover the cost of four hot showers on trek. Through using these lodges, you will have the closest possible contact with the Nepalese people. TEA HOUSES IN NEPAL It sits in two acres of land on the edge of the protected National Park, looking down into the Kathmandu Valley. The cottage sleeps six people comfortably in three separate rooms. Modern flush toilet and shower. Staff are on hand to cook all meals, and keep house. They will also take you on walks in the surrounding villages and into the National Park free of charge (although you will have to pay the park entrance fee). A car and driver are available by the day. Price for cottage: £40 per person per night, full board Minimum: 2 persons Maximum: 6 persons Airport transfers: £10 per person each way, including porterage to the cottage Car & driver: £45 per vehicle per day, includes petrol. Kathmandu Valley only …IN THE KATHMANDU FOOTHILLS This pretty, tastefully decorated cottage is owned by an ex-pat friend of ours. Uma Paro Sitting atop a hill in 38 acres of parkland and commanding panoramic views of the Paro Valley, Como Hotels and Resorts’ Uma Paro consists of 9 Superior rooms, 9 Deluxe rooms, 2 Suites, 8 one-bed villas, and 1 two-bed villa. The main hotel belonged to a Bhutanese nobleman and is built using traditional Bhutanese materials and design. Villas are secluded separately in the grounds. There is an indoor swimming pool, hot stone baths, saunas and steam rooms. Upgrades from £155 per person, twin sharing, high season, all meals and taxes included. Amankora Located at the far end of Paro Valley and near the ruined fortress of Drugyel Dzong, Amankora is conceived as a Bhutanese village. 24 wood-panelled suites are contained in buildings with natural rammed-earth walls. With their kingsize beds, traditional bukhari wood-burning stoves, and terrazzo baths, they are open-plan luxury. Amankora enjoys views of Bhutan’s second highest peak, Chomolhari. Peace and tranquillity prevail. Upgrades from £270 per person, twin sharing, high season, all meals and taxes included. Other Aman lodges are now open in Bhutan. Contact our office for information. New luxury resorts in Bhutan During 2004/2005 two stylish, but wholly different properties, opened in Paro. We have established excellent contacts with both hotels and can upgrade you for one or more nights, subject to availability (see below). Included in our special rates are all meals, all government taxes, and transfers. This applies to both properties. We know that our choice of hotel in capital cities is one of the most important elements in the enjoyment of your holiday. Our policy is to choose hotels of character in main cities and to use the best hotels available in small towns or villages. You will find, therefore, that we often use colonial-style hotels, or boutique hotels, rather than modern concrete and glass. We normally provide bed and breakfast accommodation in the main cities and full board out in the sticks. The hotels you will be using and your meal plan are spelt out in detail on the Detailed Day-by-Day Itinerary for your chosen trek/tour. Dwarika’s Hotel ..... Walking into Dwarika’s is like walking into an ancient Nepalese palace. The hotel has won numerous Heritage awards, and its water spout fountain was inaugurated by HRH Prince Charles on 8th February 1998. The courtyards, with their terracotta work and intricately carved antique doors and windows, lead finally to a very special outdoor swimming pool. A lovely fragrance of lemon grass lingers subtly in its elegant halls, instantly refreshing the weary traveller! The Shangri-La Hotel .... All our Tea House Treks now stay at the Shangri-La. This 95- room property sits in the heart of the diplomatic enclave, a stone’s throw from the British Embassy, and 7km from the airport. The prize-winning garden, and swimming pool built in traditional royal style, are absolutely delightful. It has a range of restaurants, and the rooms are spacious and well-equipped. For many, many years it has held the reputation of being one of the very best hotels in Kathmandu. Hotels in Kathmandu All our brochure treks for Nepal, and those transiting through Kathmandu on their way to Tibet and Bhutan, use one or other of the two hotels below. We judge these two properties to be the best two hotels in Kathmandu. Hotels we use worldwide

tel: 0845 330 8579 (local call rate, UK only) international tel: +44 1453 844 400 www.himalayankingdoms.com Responsible tourism Himalayan Kingdoms is committed to responsible tourism through its policies and practices which permeate all aspects of its business. The company’s policies aim to ensure that Himalayan Kingdoms, and its clients, act in a way which is socially, environmentally and culturally sound. We feel strongly that all our holidays should benefit the local communities, protect the environment by minimising pollution, and respect local traditions, religion and heritage. We tread lightly – low volume, low impact trekking/touring is the best way of preserving the beautiful and fragile places we visit. We work with organisations such as IPPG, TICOS, AITO and various Himalayan charities to help achieve our responsible tourism goals. We continue to provide on-going support to Northpoint School in Nepal. Himalayan Kingdoms has joined the Tourism Industry Carbon Offset Service (TICOS). This is an industry-wide scheme aimed at reducing and offsetting the effects of carbon produced by air travel. TICOS uses revenue raised by scheme to fund projects around the world where there real additional, measurable carbon saving as well as wider social and environmental benefits. HK will be able to choose which projects it would like its clients’ donations allocated and will look to support those in the regions we visit. If you would like to support Northpoint School, Kathmandu, or if you would like to find out more about our commitment to Responsible Tourism, please contact Niki Morgan, our Responsible Tourism Manager – niki@himalayankingdoms.com. A large proportion of our clients choose to have tailormade treks. This applies to individuals, groups of friends, families, honeymooners, schools, clubs and societies, who prefer to fix their own dates and plan their own itinerary. Private treks cost approximately the same, and often less, than our equivalent brochure departures. Many private clients prefer not to have a European leader and are happy to ‘run their own show’ on trek, with the assistance of our in-country guides. This saving offsets the higher in-country costs for small groups. The cost depends on the standard of hotels and airlines used. Again we can tailor arrangements to suit clients’ budgets. In 2007, approximately 33% of the people that travelled with us went on tailor-made itineraries. Over the years we have handled treks and tours for all sorts of celebrities, such as two of Sir Chris Bonington’s Tibet expeditions, and acted as consultants for Michael Palin’s TV series Himalaya. We pride ourselves on being a friendly company, and thoroughly enjoy creating special trips for our clients. Please do give us a ring; with the combined travel experience we have in our office we are very confident we can construct an itinerary that will meet – and exceed – your expectations! Enjoying breakfast in the Peruvian Andes Photo: Hugh Thomson Private tailor-made treks & tours B&B offer One of the best ways to organise your own private itinerary is to come and talk to us in person. To help you plan your perfect tailored holiday, we are offering to host you for one night with bed and breakfast accommodation at the charming Wotton Guest House near our Cotswold offices in Wottonunder- Edge, Gloucestershire. We will then arrange for you to meet a member of our team with whom you can talk through trek options, pore over books and maps and perhaps view some slides of your proposed destination. Please note that this offer is applicable for 1 or 2 people sharing, on a single weeknight only. You may however wish to extend your stay at your own cost to explore the southern Cotswolds and perhaps walk some of the beautiful Cotswold Way. Wotton Guest House Photo: Kirsty Parsons Discovery Expeditions for Schools & Youth Groups. See our website or page 72 for more information on our adventurous tailored trips for young people. Lessons at Northpoint School Photo: Ann Sainsbury