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

This lovely trek utilises the high-quality lodges set up by Ker & Downey in the Annapurna foothills. They have breathtaking views of the Annapurna range, landscaped gardens and are approximately five hours’ slow walking apart. Three years ago Ker & Downey completed a fourth lodge, now incorporated into our slightly revised itinerary. The lodges have comfortable lounges, tastefullydecorated bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, hot and cold running water, flush loos, and electricity. They are run on ecologically-sound principles. In Kathmandu we use the Dwarika’s Hotel, which is part of the architectural heritage of Nepal. We include sightseeing in Kathmandu, a flight down to Pokhara, and some easy rafting. For those not keen on rafting a visit to Chitwan National Park is an option. We can also organise an Everest flight for those who are interested. Grade: Gentle/Moderate On Trek: 6 days Sherpa Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 5/6 Luxury Lodges: 5 River Lodge: 2 Optional: Single Room £80 (Kathmandu) £250 (Pokhara & Lodges) Insurance: £95 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 14/15 days 1–3 Fly to Kathmandu, at leisure, fly to Pokhara 4–9 Trekking in the Annapurna foothills, using Ker & Downey Lodges 10–12 Rafting, visiting villages, return drive 13–15 Sightseeing in Kathmandu, optional Everest flight, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of clients FEATURED ON ITV GENTLE TREKKING IN ANNAPURNA DVD NOW AVAILABLE £1,695 £1,225 Thu 10 Jan – Wed 23 Jan Thu 14 Feb – Wed 27 Feb Thu 13 Mar – Wed 26 Mar Thu 09 Oct – Wed 22 Oct £1,850 £1,225 Thu 06 Nov – Wed 19 Nov Thu 27 Nov – Wed 10 Dec £1,995 £1,250 Fri 19 Dec ’08 – Fri 02 Jan ’09 Price TBC: 2009 dates: Thu 08 Jan – Wed 21 Jan ’09 Thu 12 Feb – Wed 25 Feb ’09 Thu 19 Mar – Wed 01 Apr ’09 land only land only land only Left: Seti River rafting Photo: Ker & Downey Right: Trying it on for size Photo: Linda Deniff First Class Tour of Nepal Our personalised tours, particularly in India and Bhutan, have been so well-received we thought we must design a ‘definitive’ cultural tour of Nepal. Again we felt we should offer the best of everything: the best international airline, an absolutely fabulous hotel in Kathmandu, an Everest flight, bird-watching, village walks, some excellent river rafting and game-viewing from the famous Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge. We finish by spending a night at Nagarkot to see the sunrise and sunset over the Himalaya. In Pokhara we stay at the Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge. This sits on top of a small mountain overlooking the Pokhara valley, from where there are fabulous views of the Annapurna range. Rafting on the Seti River takes us down an uninhabited gorge but is fairly gentle. At Tiger Tops Lodge there will be opportunities to wash elephants in the river before riding on top of them for tiger-spotting in the jungle. Gentle Trekking & Luxury Lodges, Annapurna Foothills 2 Young girl in the Annapurnas Photo: John Turner Other Christmas treks – see pages 21, 23, 28, 32, 34, 53, 55, 56, 58 & £2,295 £1,770 Dates: Thu 20 Mar – Tue 01 Apr, Thu 23 Oct – Tue 04 Nov, Sun 30 Oct – Fri 11 Nov land only Grade: Cultural Tour In-Country Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 5 Lodges/Guest Houses: 7 Optional: Single Room £290 Insurance: £69 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 13 days 1–2 Fly to Kathmandu 3–4 Sightseeing Kathmandu, Everest flight 5–6 Fly to Pokhara, bird-watching walk 7–8 Raft the Seti River 9–10 game-viewing, Chitwan 11–12 Fly to Kathmandu, overnight Nagarkot –13 Fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of clients Other cultural tours – see page 17, 38, 39, 52, 56 & 58 Featured on BBC Holiday programme 2 29 tel: 0845 330 8579 (local call rate, UK only) international tel: +44 1453 844 400 www.himalayankingdoms.com