21 tel: 0845 330 8579 (local call rate, UK only) international tel: +44 1453 844 400 www.himalayankingdoms.com Left: End of the Nabji Trail Photo: Seraphina Berry Right: Typical Bhutanese village Photo: Steve Berry We are delighted to offer this newly opened trek in the little visited central area of Bhutan. To our knowledge we are the first British company to offer this route. After a fascinating drive to the interior, the trek visits remote villages in the Black Mountains. We trek through terraced farmland and broadleaf forests, with an impressive array of flora and fauna, to arrive at Nabji, site of the temple containing the sacred relics of the treasure discoverer, Terton Pemalingpa. The present Bhutanese royal family claim direct descent from Pemalingpa. This is the perfect trek for those who want a low altitude trek in a remote, unspoilt area, with plenty of chance to interact (via your guide) with the friendly and hospitable local villagers. The Bhutanese have carefully designed this trek to benefit the villages we pass through. Each village provides a guide to take us on to the next, provides our food, provides our porters, sells its own handicrafts, and manages its own campsite. Each village, in agreement with government, charges Himalayan Kingdoms for these services, and lastly the numbers of groups allowed is strictly controlled. In this way money goes back into the community and we are lucky enough to see an untouched, unspoilt part of the kingdom. The Treasure Discoverer’s Trek – The Nabji Trail £2,695 £2,170 Dates: Thu 07 Feb – Tue 26 Feb, Tue 11 Nov – Sat 29 Nov land only Grade: Moderate On Trek: 6 days In-country Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 9/10 Camping: 5 Lodges/Guest houses: 2/3 Optional: Single Room £195 Single Tent £50 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 19/20 days 1–2 Fly to Kathmandu, at leisure 3–7 Fly to Paro, drive to Shemgang via Thimphu and attend Punakha Festival (February) 8–13 On trek 14–17 Return drive to Paro, King’s Birthday celebrations (February), Visit Taksang 18–20 Fly to Kathmandu, at leisure, fly to London Note: The autumn departure is similar, but also visits the Ha Valley. Guaranteed to run for a minimum of clients Bhutanese ‘Eco’ trek 3 Perhaps, like many Himalayan travellers, you have always wanted to visit the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon. Why not make 2008 the year you fulfil your ambition? After flying to Bhutan via Kathmandu, we will trek between the presentday capital, Thimphu, and the winter capital, Punakha. This four-day walk crosses a pass, visits villages and the grand scenery has a ‘chocolate box’ quality. Arriving in Punakha we will find that the head of the Bhutanese monastic order, the Jey Khenpo, and thousands of his monks, will already have moved from Thimphu to their traditional winter quarters, inside the monastery/fortress there. This year we will continue to Gangtey where the Black-Necked Cranes overwinter. We then trek for three days to Wangdiphodrang, before returning to Thimphu for a New Year’s Eve party. On the return flight to Kathmandu we pass Everest, Kangchenjunga and Makalu. Christmas in Bhutan & the Black-Necked Cranes £2,685 £1,940 Dates: Tue 16 Dec ’08 – Fri 02 Jan ’09 land only Grade: Moderate On Trek: 7 days In-country Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 9 Camping: 5 Lodges/Guest houses: 2 Optional: Single Room £185 Single Tent £50 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 18 days 1–2 Fly to Kathmandu, at leisure 3–5 Fly to Bhutan, sightseeing Paro valley 6–9 Trek Thimphu to Punakha, drive to Gangtey –10 Black-Necked Cranes 11–13 Trek Gangtey to Wangdiphodrang 14–15 Drive to Thimphu, day walks 16–18 Fly to Kathmandu, at leisure, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of3clients Other Christmas treks – see pages 23, 28, 29, 32, 34, 53, 55, 56, 58 & Festival clown Photo: Ann Sainsbury

Left: Marigold seller Photo: Andrew Skeats Right: Trekking to Green Lake Photo: Andy Skeats Kangchenjunga, the Goecha La and Singalila Ridge Combination The Goecha La was the first trek that Himalayan Kingdoms ever ran. Years ago we thought it would be fun to add part of the Singalila Ridge trek to give a longer, more varied trek. We also fly into Calcutta and enjoy an Indian train journey to reach Sikkim. This has proved very popular and both our spring and autumn departures since then have been well-subscribed. Sikkim’s appeal lies in the fact that the kingdom is restricted, making it a little-known destination, combined with an excellent trekking objective – a hike to within 8 miles of the world’s third highest peak. A stay at the British Raj hill station of Darjeeling adds to that appeal. Reaching the Goecha La pass 4,900m/16,000ft is the high point of the trek. Kangchenjunga towers another 3,660m/12,000ft above the pass dwarfing everything. 22 Download detailed itineraries from www.himalayankingdoms.com e: info@himalayankingdoms.com The Kingdom of Sikkim Green Lake and the Zemu Glacier Northern Sikkim has remained a sensitive border area ever since the Chinese invaded Tibet and Sikkim in the turbulent days of the Cultural Revolution. Prior to that only a handful of foreigners managed to climb a few esoteric peaks such as Siniolchu (6,888m/22,598ft) near the Tibetan border. The early Everest expeditions travelled through Northern Sikkim in the 1920s, and the Dalai Lama, fleeing from the Chinese in 1959, also trekked through the north. Northern Sikkim is home to the original Sikkimese people, the Lepchas, and we expect to meet many on trek and visit their villages. Our main focus, however, is to trek up to Green Lake and the Zemu Glacier. Not surprisingly, our first three trips met no other Europeans, and everyone waxed lyrical about the fantastic mountain scenery and remoteness. £2,595* £2,155* *Price excl. permit Dates: Sat 27 Sep – Sun 19 Oct land only Grade: Strenuous On Trek: 12 days European Leader: tbc Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 7 Camping: 11 Train: 1 Lodges: 2 Optional: Single Room £260 Single Tent £50 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 23 days 1–3 Fly to Calcutta, sightseeing, overnight train to Siliguri 4–5 Drive to Kalimpong, sightseeing, drive to Gangtok –6 Travel to Lachen, via Chungthang 7–18 Trek to Green Lake and Zemu Glacier 19–20 Drive to Darjeeling via Gangtok 21–23 Sightseeing, fly to Calcutta, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of6clients The Buddhist kingdom of Sikkim is a remote mountainous region bordering Tibet to the north and wedged between the Himalayan kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan. It is a beautiful lush country, often referred to as the ‘Garden Kingdom of the Himalaya’, and the world’s third highest mountain, Kangchenjunga (8,586m/28,168ft), straddles the border with Nepal. After its annexation by India in 1975, Sikkim became a Restricted Area, requiring special entry permits, and as a result has retained its original Buddhist charm. £2,095 £1,535 Thu 27 Mar – Fri 18 Apr £1,995 £1,535 Thu 25 Sep – Fri 17 Oct Thu 16 Oct – Fri 07 Nov Price TBC: 2009 dates: Thu 26 Mar ’09 – Fri 17 Apr ’09 land only land only Grade: Vigorous/Strenuous On Trek: 14 days Indian Sirdar Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 7 Camping: 13 Train: 1 Optional: Single Room £250 Single Tent £70 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 23 days 1–2 Fly to Calcutta, at leisure –3 Sightseeing and board sleeper train –4 Arrive Siliguri, drive to Darjeeling 5–19 Trek to Goecha La and return 20–21 Drive to Darjeeling, at leisure 22–23 Fly to Calcutta, at leisure, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of clients Himalayan Kingdoms’ FIRST EVER trek in 1988 Another Kangchenjunga trek – see page 25 2 Capital City Town Airport Major peak International Border Road Railway Pass ] [