27 tel: 0845 330 8579 (local call rate, UK only) international tel: +44 1453 844 400 www.himalayankingdoms.com Left: Thorong-La Annapurna Circuit Right: Machhapuchare – the Fish Tail Mountain Photos: Vic Chambers Annapurna Circuit This magnificent trek circumnavigates the huge Annapurna Massif and is widely acknowledged as one of the classic walks of the world. The route starts in Pokhara and follows the Marshyangdi River, giving great views of Manaslu and Himal Chuli to the east. At the head of the valley is the Thorong La, which at 5,416m/17,765ft is the high-point of the trek. Descending to the west we enter the barren Tibet-like valley of the Kali Gandaki. This is the world’s deepest gorge and passes between the giants of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. A few more days brings us to Pokhara, after an unforgettable 200-mile journey. It is often said that if you aim to do just one trek in the Himalaya then the Annapurna Circuit is the one to complete as it has everything. Kathmandu’s bazaars, temples, shopping and famous restaurants can be sampled before and after the trek. Annapurna Sanctuary The Annapurna Sanctuary is a huge cirque of some of the highest mountains in the world, culminating with the awesome South Face of Annapurna. Setting out from Pokhara, we eventually pass between the peaks of Machhapuchare and Hiunchuli, which guard the entrance to the Sanctuary. We spend two days here exploring the ice-bound cirque and visiting Annapurna Base Camp (4,130m/13,550ft). We trek back to Pokhara by a different route, and fly back to Kathmandu. This is often cited as one of the best treks to do on your first visit to the Himalaya, as it takes us close up to Annapurna but does not take us dramatically high. Altitude should not therefore be an issue. £1,595 £975 Thu 20 Mar – Sat 05 Apr Thu 03 Apr – Sat 19 Apr £1,550 £975 Thu 02 Oct – Sat 18 Oct Thu 09 Oct – Sat 25 Oct Thu 16 Oct – Sat 01 Nov land only land only Grade: Vigorous On Trek: 12 days Sherpa Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 4 Tea Houses: 11 Optional: Single Room £75 Insurance: £95 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 17 days 1–3 Fly to Kathmandu, at leisure –4 Fly to Pokhara, begin trek 5–14 Trek into Annapurna Sanctuary, visit Base Camp, return via a different route 15–17 End trek, fly to Kathmandu, at leisure, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of2clients The ‘Mini’ Annapurna Circuit This trek takes us through an incredible spectrum landscape and culture. At the start, we pass through paddy fields and sub-tropical forests, but by the end are on the edge of the semi-autonomous kingdom Mustang, a Tibetan-like region. This is after tackling Thorong La, 5,416m/17,765ft from where the most fantastic views of the Himalaya are to be had, especially those of the entire Annapurna range. Descending from the pass we spend a night at pilgrimage township of Muktinath, where Hindus Buddhists come every year to see the ‘burning’ water. Another day drops us down to Jomsom, on the floor of the Gandaki Gorge, a Tibetan-style township with a small airstrip. You feel like an insect in the small aircraft, as we fly down deepest gorge in the world to Pokhara, and on to Kathmandu. Jungle Lodge/Temple Tiger/Tiger Tops options. Fly or drive. Chitwan’s game park is famous for its wildlife, which includes rhinoceros and tiger. Safaris by elephant and canoe make this a memorable few days. Prices on request £1,695 £1,075 Thu 03 Apr – Sun 20 Apr £1,595 £1,075 Thu 02 Oct – Sun 19 Oct land only land only Grade: Vigorous/Strenuous On Trek: 12 days Sherpa Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 4 Tea Houses: 12 Optional: Single Room £65 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 18 days 1–2 Fly to Kathmandu, at leisure –3 Drive to road head, begin trek 4–14 Trek over the Thorong La to Jomsom –15 Fly to Pokhara –16 At leisure, afternoon flight to Kathmandu 17–18 At leisure in Kathmandu, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of2clients Chitwan National Park Award-winner leads Annapurna Treks TREK EXTENSION FOR ANNAPURNA TREKS Popular Sirdar Shes Kanta (KC) Bhuwan was the 2006 Gold Award winner of the inaugural ‘Wanderlust’ Paul Morrison Guide Award. KC will continue to lead our Annapurna Circuit and Annapurna Sanctuary treks in 2008. £1,725 £1,195 Sun 23 Mar – Tue 15 Apr Sun 30 Mar – Tue 22 Apr £1,825 £1,195 Sun 06 Apr – Tue 29 Apr £1,725 £1,195 Sun 28 Sep – Tue 21 Oct Sun 05 Oct – Tue 28 Oct Sun 12 Oct – Tue 04 Nov land only land only land only Grade: Strenuous On Trek: 19 days Sherpa Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 4 Tea Houses: 18 Optional: Single Room £65 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 24 days 1–2 Fly to Kathmandu –3 Drive to roadhead, begin trek 4–21 Trek the Annapurna Circuit 22–24 Fly to Kathmandu, at leisure, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of2clients

28 Download detailed itineraries from www.himalayankingdoms.com e: info@himalayankingdoms.com Sunset on the West Face of Dhaulagiri taken from Mura Photo: John Turner Christmas in Nepal Why not give yourself a treat this Christmas? Christmas is the one event of the year that should be memorable. You won’t forget Christmas spent in Nepal, in the jovial company of the Nepalese people. We start by flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara and begin an easy five-day trek through the foothills of the Annapurna range. This is a low-level but very scenic route, once trekked by HRH Prince of Wales. Clear winter skies give superb views of spectacular peaks, such as Machhapuchare the famous ‘Fishtail Peak’, and of course Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. After the trek we drive to the Seti River where we board modern rafts and spend the rest of the day floating down the river, bird-watching and enjoying the scenery. We camp on the riverbank before continuing by raft the next morning to Chitwan National Park. From our jungle lodge we can set out on foot, on elephant back or canoe, to photograph the wildlife for which Chitwan is so famous. All that remains of this superb and varied holiday is an exciting drive through the foothills back to Kathmandu where we have time to relax before our return flight home. £1,850 £1,140 Dates: Sun 21 Dec ’08 – Sat 03 Jan ’09 land only Grade: Gentle On Trek: 6 days Sherpa Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 4 Camping: 6 Lodges: 2 Optional: Single Room £160 Single Tent £40 Insurance: £95 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 14 days 1–2 Fly to Kathmandu, at leisure 3–8 Fly to Pokhara, Royal Trek, return to Pokhara 9–10 Raft Seti River, drive to Chitwan 11–12 game-viewing, fly to Kathmandu 13–14 At leisure, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of clients Other Christmas treks – see pages 21, 23, 29, 32, 34, 53, 55, 56, 58 & 67 Other Christmas treks – see pages 21, 23, 29, 32, 34, 53, 55, 56, 58 & 67 2 Dhaulagiri Circuit In the late 1980s and early 1990s the Nepalese Government opened a whole series of new and exciting areas for trekking. The vast bulk of these trekking routes require Special Permits and additional fees. The advantage of the Dhaulagiri Circuit is that it requires none of these things. It is therefore comparatively less expensive but equally exciting, challenging and off-the-beaten-track. The circuit around its more famous neighbour, Annapurna, has become a world classic walk, but we feel the route around the world’s ninth highest mountain, Dhaulagiri, offers a much greater sense of exploration for those who are keen to see a piece of wild mountain country. The views across to the Annapurnas, stretching down to the Terrai are spectacular, and our Marketing Manager, Jude Limburn Turner, rates this trek as one of her all-time favourites. £2,195 £1,675 Dates: Sun 05 Oct – Wed 29 Oct land only Grade: Strenuous On Trek: 19 days European Leader: Sally Johnson Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 5 Camping: 18 Optional: Single Room £130 Single Tent £70 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 25 days 1–2 Fly to Kathmandu, at leisure –3 Fly to Pokhara 4–22 Trek the Dhaulagiri Circuit, finish in Pokhara 23–25 Fly to Kathmandu, at leisure, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of4clients Kali Gandaki Gorge to Jomsom Trek One of this trek’s major advantages is that even the Dhaulagiri ice falls are only 3,962m/13,000ft, and with Muktinath being a little over 3,658m/12,000ft, altitude is not a problem. So it is not ‘Strenuous’ by our definition but there are sections that are testing by any standard. The trek takes us up the deepest gorge in the world giving close up views of two of the world’s highest peaks, Annapurna, 8,091m/26,545ft, the twelfth highest, and Dhaulagiri, 8,167m/26,794ft, the ninth. Because it is a major trade route with trains of laden mules bringing goods down from Mustang, the tea houses are some of the best in Nepal, run by Thakalis, a race of people who have been traders and innkeepers here for centuries. The trek starts in typical lush cultivated farmland and progresses right through to the north of the main chain of peaks to regions that are dry and Tibetlike in character. The flight back from Jomsom is unforgettable! One of the classic treks of Nepal. £1,695 £1,160 Dates: Sun 06 Apr – Fri 25 Apr, Sun 28 Sep – Fri 17 Oct land only Grade: Moderate/Vigorous On Trek: 13 days Sherpa Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 5 Tea Houses: 13 Optional: Single Room £70 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 20 days 1–3 Fly to Kathmandu, drive to Pokhara 4–16 Trek up the Kali Gandaki Gorge to Jomsom & Muktinath. Dhaulagiri ice falls (optional) 17–18 Fly to Pokhara, fly to Kathmandu 19–20 At leisure in Kathmandu, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of2clients Family Trek in Nepal Over Christmas 1999, we ran our first full-scale ‘family’ trek. It was an unqualified success: 8 children and 10 adults enjoyed perfect weather and exciting adventures. It has encouraged us to offer other family treks in Nepal and Bhutan (see pages 17 & 34). Children between 3 and 8 years can be carried in padded, adapted cane baskets by Sherpa porters on trek, and the all-important question of hygiene is carefully controlled by trained cooks. The itinerary itself is constantly moving from one exciting experience to the next, yet it allows time to rest and relax: we do not want exhausted children and harassed parents! The trek is a ‘Gentle’ one in the Annapurna foothills and children may well wish to walk portions of it. There is sightseeing of temples and bazaars, mountain flights, a game park visit, driving through the foothills, gentle river rafting and a swimming pool at the four-star Dwarika’s Hotel in Kathmandu. Adults Children under 12 £1,995 £1,455 £1,450 £975 Dates: Sat 05 Apr – Fri 18 Apr* £2,195 £1,455 £1,550 £975 Dates: Mon 22 Dec ’08 – Sun 04 Jan ’09 land only land only land only land only Grade: Gentle On Trek: 4 days European Leader: Di Ellerton* Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 5 Camping: 4 Chitwan Jungle Lodge: 3 Optional: Single Room £195 Single Tent £30 Insurance: £95 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 14 days 1–3 Fly to Kathmandu, some sightseeing –4 Fly to Pokhara, begin trek 5–7 On trek in the Annapurna foothills 8–11 Rafting and game-viewing 12–14 Fly to Kathmandu, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of4clients Other family treks – see page 17 & 34