15 telephone: 0845 330 8579 ( local call rate, UK only) international telephone: + 44 1453 844 400 www. mountainkingdoms. com The Himalaya Bhutan I n less than two weeks London to London we take in monasteries, markets and a three- day trek through classic Bhutanese countryside. Both departures attend popular and lively festivals where monks perform masked dances in front of crowds of Bhutanese dressed in their festival finery. Our time in Bhutan starts in Paro, exploring the town, visiting the dzong and walking up to the spectacular Tiger's Nest Monastery. We have plenty of time to visit the main sights of the three valleys which lie at the heart of Bhutan; Paro, Thimphu and Punakha. The Samtengang trek is a lovely low altitude trek, which passes through pristine pine, oak and rhododendron forest, and villages where centuries of tradition have been preserved. Weather permitting on the first day there may be views of distant snowcapped peaks, including Mount Chomolhari. O ur time in Bhutan begins in Paro where we walk up to Tiger's Nest Monastery before starting our first trek to the modern day capital, Thimphu. En route there are views of Chomolhari, Bhutan's second highest peak, and our walk on mountain paths gives an insight into Bhutan's remoteness prior to the first roads being built. After a rest in Thimphu, a second four- day trek again takes us through glorious countryside to the old capital of Punakha, set in a verdant valley. The spring departure attends the most important religious festival in the Bhutanese calendar, the Paro Tsechu. Here we see the unfurling of the three- storey high ' thangka' early in the morning. Direct rays of sunlight must not touch the sacred image that people from all over Bhutan travel once a year to see. T o our knowledge we were the first British company to offer this fascinating trek in the little visited central area of Bhutan. A real highlight is the opportunity to interact ( through your guides) with the friendly and hospitable local villagers. After a memorable 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. This trek is carefully designed to benefit the villages we pass through and each village provides a guide, porters, food and handicrafts. Mountain Kingdoms pays the villages for these services, ensuring that money goes back to the community. The Bhutan Festival Trek The ideal condensed trip to Bhutan for those who don't have weeks to spare. The Chorten Path, Bhutan Follow the original Chorten Path to reach the least-visited of all the Himalayan capitals, Thimphu. The Treasure Discoverer's Trek - the Nabji Trail A delightful low altitude community trek in a remote, unspoilt area. Wangdiphodrang Dzong, Neil Sloman £ 1,695 £ 1,695 £ 2,395 £ 2,450 Land Only Land Only Flight Included Flight Included Fri 19 Feb - Tue 02 Mar Sat 27 Mar - Wed 07 Apr On Trek: 4 days Local Leader Accommodation: Hotels: 7 Camping: 3 Optional: Single Room £ 155 Single Tent £ 50 Insurance: £ 95 Typical Itinerary ( 27 March) 1- 2 Fly Kathmandu, at leisure 3 Fly Paro, sightseeing 4 Attend Paro festival, view Taksang temple 5- 9 Drive Punakha, on trek, drive Paro 10- 12 Fly Kathmandu, at leisure, fly London Trek | Duration: 12 Days Guaranteed to run for a minimum of 2 clients Grade: Gentle/ Moderate Festival 19 Feb departure has a different itinerary and visits the Punakha festival. £ 2,325£ 3,095 Land OnlyFlight Included Fri 26 Mar - Tue 13 Apr Tue 05 Oct - Sat 23 Oct On Trek: 9 days Local Leader Accommodation: Hotels: 10 Camping: 7 Optional: Single Room £ 230 Single Tent £ 75 Insurance: £ 149 Typical Itinerary ( 26 March) 1- 3 Fly Kathmandu, fly Paro 4- 5 Attend Paro Festival, visit Taksang temple 6- 10 On trek 11 Rest and sightseeing in Thimphu 12- 16 On trek, visit Punakha, drive Paro 17- 19 Fly Kathmandu, at leisure, fly London Trek | Duration: 19 Days Guaranteed to run for a minimum of 2 clients Grade: Moderate/ Vigorous Festival Mar departure only 05 Oct departure has different itinerary and visits Ha Valley £ 2,350 £ 2,350 £ 3,075 £ 3,125 Land Only Land Only Flight Included Flight Included Tue 16 Feb - Sat 06 Mar Tue 09 Nov - Sat 27 Nov On Trek: 6 days Local Leader Accommodation: Hotels: 9/ 10 Camping: 5 Lodges/ Guesthouses: 2/ 3 Optional: Single Room £ 270 Single Tent £ 50 Insurance: £ 149 Typical Itinerary ( 16 Feb) 1- 3 Fly Kathmandu, Fly Paro, sightseeing 4- 6 Drive Punakha, attend festival, drive Gangtey 7- 12 Drive Shemgang, on trek 13- 16 Sightseeing Thimphu, Tongsa & Paro. Visit Taksang temple. 17- 19 Fly Kathmandu, at leisure, fly London Trek | Duration: 19 Days Guaranteed to run for a minimum of 2 clients Grade: Moderate Festival Feb departure only 09 Nov departure varies slightly and visits Ha Valley

16 Download holiday itineraries from www. mountainkingdoms. com e: info@ mountainkingdoms. com Bhutan The Himalaya B ack in 1988 Mountain Kingdoms was the first UK company to take people exploring in the Dalgala Mountains, and we have returned many times since. Having trekked into our base camp next to one of the largest lakes, we have a couple of days to ascend some peaks, including the highest in the range, Um Jomo 5,050m/ 16,568ft. For the less energetic there are some fine walks, and the chance to go trout fishing or plant hunting. A memorable highlight is the early morning climb to a nearby ridge top to watch the sun rise over the eastern Himalaya. On a clear day we can see all the major peaks of north Bhutan, and to the west the world's third highest mountain Kangchenjunga. From Labatama Lake we trek through valleys and along ridges with magnificent views, before dropping down into the capital city of Thimphu, nestling in the valley below. E ven today there are still parts of Bhutan that remain closed, and this was the case for the Ha Valley until 2001. Our MD, Steve Berry, who made a reconnaissance trek through these mountains, that border Sikkim and Tibet, is wildly enthusiastic about the region. Up against the border is a huge valley, known as Lolithang, that is a traditional summer grazing ground for yaks. At the head of the valley stands the impressive peak of Chundugang, believed to be the guardian deity of Ha. The trek twists and winds its way through the mountains, ridges and lakes that look down into Lolithang. One of the lakes we visit has a curious supernatural legend attached to it, and it is believed that magic cymbals flew from the lake to Paro Dzong and you can still hear them played at the Paro festival. F rom Ha in the far west to recently re- opened Merak and Sakten in the far east this is an exceptional opportunity to explore Bhutan, and perhaps spot the ever- elusive Yeti as we trek through areas renowned for Yeti sightings. One of these Yeti hot- spots, the Rodang La, was featured in a British Channel 4 film, ' Yeti: Hunt for the Wildman'. They failed to capture footage of the Yeti, and to date we have not spotted the creature either! After trekking from Bumthang over the Rodung La to Lhuntshi we will then proceed eastwards to enter Merak and Sakten. In 1989 Mountain Kingdoms organised the first British groups ever to visit these two unique villages. The people here migrated from Tibet centuries ago and their language, costume and hats are quite distinct. In 1992 the region was closed to outsiders, some say to protect the last remaining habitat of the Yeti, and it has only now re- opened. Secret Valleys & Sacred Mountains of Dagala A superb two- week trekking holiday through the mountains of a ' thousand lakes'. The Old Smugglers' Route - Ha Valley Be one of the few westerners to enter this beautiful, remote and unspoilt wilderness. The Yeti Trail, Eastern Bhutan Travel the breadth of the kingdom, and step back in time in mystical Eastern Bhutan. Early morning village views, Neil Sloman £ 2,095£ 2,875 Land OnlyFlight Included Sat 03 Apr - Sun 18 Apr Sat 02 Oct - Sun 17 Oct On Trek: 8 days Local Leader Accommodation: Hotels: 7 Camping: 7 Optional: Single Room £ 170 Single Tent £ 75 Insurance: £ 145 1- 2 Fly Kathmandu, at leisure 3- 4 Fly Paro, sightseeing, view Taksang temple 5- 11 Trek in Dagala mountains 12- 13 End trek, sightseeing in Thimphu, drive Paro 14- 16 Fly Kathmandu, at leisure, fly London Trek | Duration: 16 Days Guaranteed to run for a minimum of 2 clients Grade: Moderate/ Vigorous £ 2,525 £ 2,725 £ 3,295 £ 3,495 Land Only Land Only Flight Included Flight Included Wed 31 Mar - Sat 17 Apr ? Wed 06 Oct - Sat 23 Oct ? On Trek: 8 days Day Walks: 3 days Appointed Leader Ann Sainsbury ? Bart Jordans ? Accommodation: Hotels: 7 Lodges: 2 Camping: 7 Optional: Single Room £ 210 Single Tent £ 75 Insurance: £ 149 1- 2 Fly Kathmandu, at leisure 3- 5 Fly Bhutan, view Taksang temple, walks in Ha Valley 6- 13 Trekking the Old Smugglers' Route 13- 15 Thimphu Sightseeing & walks, drive Paro 16- 18 Fly Kathmandu, at leisure, fly London Trek | Duration: 18 Days Guaranteed to run for a minimum of 4 clients Grade: Moderate/ Vigorous £ 3,695£ 4,395 Land OnlyFlight Included Thu 23 Sep - Sun 17 Oct On Trek: 9 days Day Walks: 3 days Appointed Leader Ned Kelly Accommodation: Hotels: 9 Camping: 9 Lodges/ Guesthouses: 5 Optional: Single Room £ 365 Single Tent £ 75 Insurance: £ 149 1- 3 Fly Kathmandu, at leisure, fly Bhutan 4- 7 Explore Ha Valley, Thimphu & Punakha 8- 15 Drive Bumthang, trek to Tangmachu over Rodang La, drive Tashigang via Mongar 16- 22 Merak & Sakten trek 23- 25 Drive Gauhati, fly Delhi, fly London Trek | Duration: 25 Days Guaranteed to run for a minimum of 5 clients Grade: Vigorous