Left: Riverside trek Right: Elephant bathing Photos: Clive Hughes £1,595 £1,195 Fri 07 Nov – Sat 22 Nov £1,750 £1,195 Fri 19 Dec – Sat 03 Jan ’09 land only land only Grade: Moderate On Trek: 5 days In-country Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 6 Village Houses/Lodges: 5 Train: 1 Boat: 1 Optional: Single Room £180 Insurance: £95 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 16 days 1–3 Fly to Bangkok, sightseeing 4–5 Complete sightseeing, overnight sleeper –6 Sightseeing Chiang Mai, drive Lisu Lodge 7–11 Hill tribe trekking and elephant trekking 12–13 Visit Lampang, view Sri Satchanalai 14–16 On board converted rice barge from Ayuthaya to Bangkok, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of2clients Gentle Trekking & Comfortable Lodges, NW Thailand Trekking in the northern hill jungles of Thailand, to meet colourful hill tribes, has until recently necessitated staying in village houses with rather basic amenities. However, we have now painstakingly researched a trekking itinerary that utilises comfortable lodges, some of which are air-conditioned, and most have en suite bathrooms. Sightseeing in Bangkok is followed by an overnight sleeper to Chiang Mai, from where an easy day walk is made to the summit of Thailand’s highest mountain, Doi Inthanon (2,565m/8,415ft). We now move west in a 4WD airconditioned vehicle to begin nine days of trekking, elephantback riding and boat journeys. We also visit a tribe of ‘long neck’ people on the Burmese border. There will be bamboo rafting, a visit to a hot spring, and we may meet a shaman in a Lisu village. Return to Bangkok by air. Hill Tribes of Thailand & Laos To begin, we have introduced some ideas to take us away from the usual ‘tourist traps’ in Bangkok. After this go up river on a converted rice barge, mooring overnight next to a temple, before arriving by long-tail boat Ayuthaya. We then fly east to Nan, which until the turn of the 20th Century was a semi-independent kingdom. In fact it is only in recent years that it has become fully integrated with Thailand. Trekking in this north-eastern corner is in its infancy and John Davies, author of the book Touring Northern Thailand, who assisted us with this itinerary, describes some of the tribes as being ‘close to the Stone Age’. Our trek is a varied mixture of jungle walking, elephant-riding and long-tail boat rides, and we stay with many different tribes including the Mlabri, the Hmong, and the Yao. From the border with Laos we take a boat down Mekong to Luang Prabang. From here we will fly to capital, Vientiane, and back to Bangkok. £1,895 £1,365 Dates: Sat 01 Nov – Sat 22 Nov, Sat 28 Feb ’09 – Sat 21 Mar ’ land only Grade: Moderate On Trek: 5 days In-country Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 12 Lodges/Village Houses: 3 Camping: 4 Boat: Optional: Single Room £230 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 22 days 1–4 Fly to Bangkok, sightseeing 5–7 Boat to Ayuthaya, fly to Nan 8–15 Mixture of trekking, elephant rides, boats 16–18 Boat to Luang Prabang in Laos, visit villages along river –19 Sightseeing Luang Prabang 20–22 Fly to Vientiane, Bangkok and London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of2clients 55 tel: 0845 330 8579 (local call rate, UK only) international tel: +44 1453 844 400 www.himalayankingdoms.com Northern Hill Jungles, Thailand Two days of the best temples, street and canal markets, and the Grand Palace in Bangkok are followed by a first class sleeper train journey to Chiang Mai. After sightseeing in Chiang Mai, we will begin our trek, staying with Lisu and Lahu tribes in their village houses. Part of another day will be bamboo rafting down a junglechoked river, including minor rapids, reaching the night stop by elephant. We then drive to Lampang, and visit Sukhothai and Sri Satchanalai, less-visited centres of important Thai kingdoms, before taking a long-tail boat ride to the ancient capital of Ayuthaya. The river journey back to Bangkok for some wellearned free time is on board a converted rice barge with bedrooms and en suite bathrooms. In Thailand we offer treks to rarely-visited areas, where for a short time we live cheek by jowl with genuine hill people. These trips are saturated with fast-moving, exciting adventures, yet also provide a touch of fine living in the main cities. £1,795 £1,395 Sat 15 Mar – Sun 30 Mar Sat 01 Nov – Sun 16 Nov £1,995 £1,395 Sat 20 Dec ’08 – Sun 04 Jan ’09 Price TBC: 2009 dates: Sat 04 Apr ’09 – Sun 19 Apr ’09 land only land only Grade: Gentle Day Walks: 4 days In-country Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 4 Lodges: 9 Train: 1 Optional: Single Room £250 Insurance: £95 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 16 days 1–3 Fly to Bangkok, begin sightseeing 4–5 Sightseeing, overnight train to Chiang Mai 6–7 View temples, day hike Doi Inthanon mountain 8–14 Trek to near Burmese border, elephant-back and boat journeys, visit ‘long neck’ tribe 15–16 Fly Chiang Mai, Bangkok, London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of clients Other Christmas treks – see pages 21, 23, 28, 29, 32, 34, 53, 56, 58 & 67 Other Christmas treks – see pages 21, 23, 28, 29, 32, 34, 53, 56, 58 & 67 Improved itinerary 2 Thailand

56 Download detailed itineraries from www.himalayankingdoms.com e: info@himalayankingdoms.com Left: Bronze Buddha Photo: Jude Limburn Turner Right: Paradise of Four Thousand Islands Photo: Steve Berry Laos The Mekong & Minorities Eco Trek We believe this was the first trekking holiday in Laos to be offered in the UK! With assistance from UNESCO, local tourism offices have organised a number of hill tribe treks across Laos. Guides, porters, produce and handicrafts are supplied from the villages. UNESCO has funded the construction of a few simple lodges, and local families take it in turns to ‘entertain’ visiting trekkers. In this way trekking becomes a positive benefit for the hill tribes and evenings in the company of village elders is an experience not to be forgotten. Staying in colonial style hotels and quality lodges adds to the enjoyment. A cruise on the Mekong and time in Luang Prabang and Vientiane round off a unique experience, meeting people who still believe the world is flat! £1,995 £1,555 Thu 07 Feb – Fri 29 Feb Thu 13 Nov – Fri 05 Dec £2,160 £1,620 Fri 12 Dec ’08 – Sat 03 Jan ’09 Price TBC: 2009 dates: Thu 05 Feb ’09 – Fri 27 Feb ’09 land only land only Grade: Moderate On Trek: 8 days In-country Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 10 Lodges: 6 Village houses/Guest Houses: 5 Optional: Single Room £295 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 23 days 1–2 Fly to Bangkok 3–4 Fly to Chiang Rai, drive to Laos border, begin cruise on the Mekong 5–12 Eco treks from Luang Namtha and Muang Sing 13–16 Boat trip to Luang Prabang, day walks, fly to Vientiane, sightseeing 17–20 Drive to Savankot, hill tribe trekking 21–23 Return to Thailand, at leisure, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of2clients The Indo China Experience This is a really thorough cultural tour of Laos. There is no trekking as such but plenty of day walks. After Bangkok we fly to Chiang Rai, cross the border at the Golden Triangle and cruise down the Mekong for two days to Luang Prabang. Time to enjoy the night market, visit the king’s palace, walk around the old quarter and witness the early morning giving of alms to saffron-robed monks. Driving to the Plain of Jars we spend two days exploring this extraordinary and unique archaeological site. Hundreds of iron-age megalithic stone jars lie scattered across a plain, the largest being two metres high and weighing ten tons. Sightseeing in Vientiane is followed by a flight to Pakse and time to relax in the paradise of Four Thousand Islands. Spot the gangetic river dolphins and enjoy an exceptionally beautiful and unspoilt region of delta, islands and waterfalls. £2,095 £1,560 Mon 04 Feb – Thu 21 Feb Mon 03 Nov – Thu 20 Nov Price TBC: 2009 dates: Mon 02 Feb ’09 – Thu 19 Feb ’09 land only Grade: Cultural Tour In-country Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 15 Lodges: 1 Optional: Single Room £325 Insurance: £75 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 18 days 1–3 Fly to Bangkok, at leisure 4–8 Fly to Chang Rai, drive to Laos border, cruise to Luang Prabang, day walks 9–11 Drive to Plain of Jars, fly to Vientiane 12–16 Fly to Pakse, boat trips at 4,000 islands, elephant ride, sightseeing, return to Thailand 17–18 Sightseeing, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of clients Visits the Plain of Jars 2 The former kingdom of Laos has received few visitors, partly due to the war in neighbouring Vietnam, and partly because of a restrictive communist government. The Indo-China experience of the languid Mekong River, jungle-clad mountains, temples and French villas is a well-kept travel secret. Another Laos itinerary – see page 55 Other cultural tours – see page 17, 29, 38, 39, 52 & 58 Other Christmas treks – see pages 21, 23, 28, 29, 32, 34, 53, 55, 58 & 67 Gentle Trekking in Laos Fly via Bangkok to the former capital, Luang Prabang. Here it is so easy to imagine bygone days when the king occupied his palace on the banks of the Mekong. After two days walking the old city and villages on the opposite bank, we move north to Luang Namtha and Muang Sing. From the Boat Landing Guest House we make day walks to villages whose women wear tribal costumes lavishly decorated with silver. Back to Luang Prabang by boat, and fly to Vientiane to see the tree-lined boulevards and grand temples. Throughout this trek we will be staying in colonial style hotels or atmospheric lodges. £1,850 £1,395 Thu 21 Feb – Thu 06 Mar Thu 30 Oct – Thu 13 Nov £1,950 £1,395 Sat 20 Dec ’08 – Sat 03 Jan ’09 Price TBC: 2009 dates: Thu 19 Feb ’09 – Thu 05 Mar ’09 land only land only Grade: Gentle Day Walks: 5 In-country Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 8 Lodges: 5 Optional: Single Room £250 Insurance: £95 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 15 days 1–2 Fly to Bangkok, at leisure 3–5 Fly to Luang Prabang, village walks 6–9 Drive to Luang Namtha and Muang Sing, hill tribe day walks 10–11 Boat trip on Nam Ou and Mekong rivers 12–13 Fly to Vientiane, sightseeing, fly to Bangkok 14–15 Sightseeing Bangkok, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of clients Other Christmas treks – see pages 21, 23, 28, 29, 32, 34, 53, 55, 58 & 67 2