Steppes Travel Expert Led Group Tour Brochure

Steppes Travel 2016

BEYON D THE OR DIN AR Y

EXPERT-LED GROUP TOURS

Welcome OUR2016 2016 brochure BROCHURE SHOWCASES A SELECTION OF Our showcases a selection of our journeys, OUR JOURNEYS, EXPERT-LED HISTORICAL whether expert-ledWHETHER historical tours or insightful wildlife TOURSto OR INSIGHTFUL WILDLIFE GROUPS groups every corner of the world. Each tour isTO handEVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD. EACH TOUR IS crafted with expertise, enthusiasm and attention to detail HAND-CRAFTED WITH EXPERTISE, ENTHUSIASM to ensure the most inspiring of experiences in comfortable AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL TO ENSURE THE MOST accommodation giving you the very best value for money.

INSPIRING OF EXPERIENCES IN COMFORTABLE What is more, our average group sizeTHE is typically 8 – 10 ACCOMMODATION GIVING YOU VERY BEST people, smaller than the largerISgroup tours typically offered VALUE FOR MONEY. WHAT MORE, OUR AVERAGE -GROUP a factorSIZE which many of you, our clients appreciate.

IS TYPICALLY 8 – 10 PEOPLE, SMALLER THAN THE LARGER GROUP TOURS TYPICALLY

The breadth- A and range ofWHICH holidaysMANY is impressive - from OFFERED FACTOR OF YOU, OUR CLIENTSto APPRECIATE. Armenia Alaska, from Greece to Guatemala - and includes new tours such as a Trans-Siberian safari and a THE BREADTH ANDtoRANGE OF HOLIDAYS private boat charter Papua New Guinea. IS

IMPRESSIVE - FROM ARMENIA TO ALASKA, FROM GREECE TO GUATEMALA - AND INCLUDES NEW For more itineraries and details please TOURS SUCH AS A TRANS-SIBERIAN SAFARI AND A visit our website www.steppestravel.co.uk PRIVATE BOAT CHARTER TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

or better still, call one of our experts on 0843 634 8045 FOR MORE ITINERARIES AND DETAILS PLEASE WE LOOK TO YOU JOINING US IN 2016.

VISIT OURFORWARD WEBSITE WWW.STEPPESTRAVEL.CO.UK OR BETTER STILL, CALL ONE OF OUR EXPERTS ON 0843 634 8045 WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU JOINING US IN 2016.

September Tibet: Ancient Culture and Civilisation China: The Mongol Empire Israel & Palestine: The Cradle of Christianity Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan & China: Scenic Stans Greece: Classical Peloponnese EUROPE Wildlife Photography 6-7 Canada: RUSSIA: THE JEWELS OF Tour ST PETERSBURG Georgia In Depth 8-9 RUSSIA: TRANS SIBERIAN SAFARI 10-11 GEORGIA: LANDS OF TRANSCAUCASIA CongoARMENIA & Central&African Republic Adventure 12-13 GREECE: Eastern Turkey CLASSICAL PELOPONNESE

42 - 43 26 - 27 20 - 21 30 - 31 12 - 13 88 - 89 14 -15 74 -75 See Website

14-15 GEORGIA IN DEPTH October MIDDLE EAST China: Guizhou Textiles See Website 18-19 THE SULTANATE OF OMAN Namibia: Big Cats, Desert Rhinos and Desert Elephants 76 -77 20-21 ISRAEL & PALESTINE

November CENTRAL ASIA India: Textiles & Artisans of Gujarat and Hyderabad 50 - 51 24-25 UZBEKISTAN: BEYOND THE OXUS Myanmar: Hidden 38 - 39 26-27 CHINA: THE Burma MONGOL EMPIRE 28 Papua -29 New CHINA: QINGHAI FESTIVALS TEXTILES Guinea: Luxury Cruise & with Chris Packham 58 - 59 30Bhutan -31 KYRGYZSTAN, UZBEKISTAN & CHINA & Nepal: Mountains, Myths & Monasteries 40 - 41 32-33 CENTRAL Roman Algeria ASIA: THE FIVE STANS See Website North India Sketchbook Tour See Website INDIA & THE FAR EAST Ethiopia Uncovered 64 - 65 36-37 CAMBODIA: TEMPLES & KINGDOMS 38-39 MYANMAR: HIDDEN BURMA December 40-41 BHUTAN & NEPAL: MOUNTAINS, MYTHS & MONASTERIES Sri Lanka: Tea Trails CULTURE & CIVILISATION 54 -55 42-43 TIBET: ANCIENT 44 -45 INDIA: KASHMIR & LADAKH 46-47 SNOW LEOPARDS IN THE ULLEY VALLEY 48-49 INDIA: FLYING SAFARI IN THE LAND OF THE TIGER 50-51 INDIA: TEXTILES & ARTISANS OF GUJARAT & HYDERABAD 52-53 SRI LANKA: LEOPARD & WHALE SAFARI 54-55 SRI LANKA: TEA TRAILS 56-57 INDONESIA’S BIG FIVE 58-59 PAPUA NEW GUINEA: LUXURY CRUISE WITH CHRIS PACKHAM 60-61 TONGA: SWIM WITH HUMPBACK WHALES

See our website for new tours

WE ARE ALWAYS SEARCHING FOR NEW TOURS THAT OFFER YOU AN

AFRICA IN-DEPTH INSIGHT. SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR DETAILS OF ALL THE TOURS 64-65 ETHIOPIA UNCOVERED 66-67 MOROCCO SKETCHBOOK WE OFFER INCLUDINGTOUR THOSE NOT FEATURED IN THIS BROCHURE. 68-69 KENYA: ELEPHANT INSIGHT & LAKE TURKANA 70-71 UGANDA: FESTIVAL OF PRIMATES India: North East Wildlife with Lee Durrell 72-73 ZIMBABWE: PREDATORS & BIG GAME Lee Durrell for a very personal journey 74-75 CONGO & CENTRAL AFRICAJoin REPUBLIC ADVENTURE into wildlife conservation, visiting the Durrell 76-77 NAMIBIA: BIG CATS, DESERT RHINOS & ELEPHANTS Foundation projects 78-79 SOUTH AFRICA: FLORAL KINGDOMS OF THE CAPE in Assam. Meet expert wildlife OF researchers 80-81 RWANDA & DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC CONGO: at the Pygmy Hog Basistha

PRIMATES & VOLCANOES Centre and go on safari in search of the Asian

one horned rhino in Kaziranga National Park.

THE AMERICAS 84-85 AMAZON JAGUARS AND PANTANAL WILDLIFE Chad: Zakouma, Elephants & Nomads 86-87 GUATEMALA & HONDURAS: THE MAYA WORLD Discover the frontline conservation work of the 88-89 CANADA WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR 90-91 COLOMBIA UNCOVERED African Parks team in Zakouma National Park.

See the rising herds of wild elephants and other

wildlife on this authentic safari guided by expert ABOUT US local guides and meet the nomadic communities 92 WHY CHOOSE STEPPES TRAVEL 93 STEPPES TAILOR-MADE living on the borders of the park.

94-95 TOURS CALENDAR

Galapagos Private Charter with Monty Halls In conjunction with Telegraph Tours, Steppes has chartered the MV Evolution for a luxury seven night cruise around the Galapagos. Hosted by Monty Halls along with exceptional naturalist guides, this promises to be an outstanding voyage.

Europe “THE WORLD IS A BOOK AND THOSE WHO DO NOT TRAVEL READ ONLY ONE PAGE.” ST.AUGUSTINE

06 RUSSIA 08 RUSSIA 10 ARMENIA & GEORGIA 12 GREECE 14 GEORGIA

RUSSIA SWEDEN

FINLAND

ESTONIA

Saint Petersburg

RUSSIA

LATVIA LITHUANIA

POLAND

Moscow

BELARUS

DAY 1 LONDON/ST PETERSBURG

Free evening.

DAY 2 ST PETERSBURG Take a guided city tour,

including the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Mining Institute, home to the world’s finest gem collections and St Isaac’s cathedral.

In the afternoon visit the highlights of the Hermitage Museum.

DAY 3 ST PETERSBURG Today you will be guided

through the Hermitage’s Golden Treasury and Diamond collection, followed by lunch at Pushka Inn. In the afternoon return to the Hermitage to visit the contemporary wing. Afternoon tea at the Galitzine library.

DAY 4 ST PETERSBURG Morning guided tour

of the Russian Museum, which contains over 30,000 exhibits. After lunch at the Yeliseyev café, visit the vaults of the Ethnographic Museum to see many of the national jewels of Russia, followed by a visit to the Fabergé Museum.

DAY 5 ST PETERSBURG/ LONDON Morning

drive to Tsarskeo Selo to see the Amber room at Catherine Palace and the Agate pavilion. Lunch at Podvorie before transfer and flight home.

The Jewels of St Petersburg LED BY KATYA GALITZINE 24 - 28 FEBRUARY 2016 £1,970 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•See the hidden treasures of The Hermitage •Discover the Fabergé Museum •Catherine Palace and the magnificent Amber Room Discover the splendour of the Tsars with Katya Galitzine, focusing on some of the jewels and treasures of preRevolutionary Russia. Explore some of the vaults within the Hermitage and uncover exceptional gems and marvel at the riches of Russia at the Mining Institute, see the fantastic private collection of Fabergé eggs in the new Museum at the Shuvalov Palace, showcasing a collection of over 1,500 pieces.

Katya Galitzine travelled to the former USSR in 1989, to learn Russian and study sculpture.

St Petersburg became her home for the 10 tumultuous years of political change. In 1999, her book St Petersburg - The Hidden Interiors was published. Recently Katya has worked closely with the Hermitage Museum as the Chief Executive of the Hermitage Foundation UK.

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N RUSSIA

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RUSSIA

Moscow

Ulan Ude Krasnoyarsk Irkutskk

Perm

KAZAKHSTAN

MONGOLIA

Vladivostok

CHINA

DAY 1

LONDON/ MOSCOW Fly to Moscow

DAY 2 MOSCOW Visit the Kremlin Museum, Red

Square and Novodovichy Convent.

DAY 3 MOSCOW/PERM Fly to Perm. Drive to the 36

Gulag Camp.

DAY 4 PERM, EKATERINBURG Visit the Perm Local

Lore Museum. Train to Ekaterinburg.

DAY 5 EKATERINBURG Visit The Church of All

Saints and Ganina Yama.

DAY 6 EKATERINBURG/KRASNOYARSK Morning

flight to Krasnoyarsk.

DAY 7 KRASNOYARSK Boat trip to Divnogorsk.

DAY 8 KRASNOYARSK, IRKUTSK Visit the Stolby

Nature Reserve. Overnight train to Irkutsk.

DAY 9 IRKUTSK Visit Spasskaya and Bogoyavlensky

Church.

DAY 10 IRKUTSK Visit Znamensky Cathedral and

Volkonsky House Museum.

DAY 11 IRKUTSK, LISTVYANKA Visit Baikal Museum.

Ferry to Port Baikal and tour by railway.

DAY 12 IRKUTSK, ULAN UDE Train to Ulan Ude. DAY 13 ULAN UDE Sightseeing including Old

Believers Village singing demonstration.

DAY 14 ULAN UDE Visit the Ethnographic Museum

and Ivolginsk Datsen.

DAY 15 ULAN UDE Fly to Vladivostock.

DAY 16 VLADIVOSTOCK Visit the Funicular Railway

and Vladivostock Fortress Museum.

DAY 17 VLADIVOSTOCK/ MOSCOW/LONDON

Return to London via Moscow.

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Russia Trans Siberian Safari LED BY MASHA NORDBYE 6 - 22 JUNE 2016 £5,000 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Travel from European Russia to Russian Far East •Ekaterinburg and Ulan Ude •The world’s oldest and deepest lake - Lake Baikal An epic journey across Russia following the route of the world’s most iconic rail passage. Travelling by road, air and rail, the more unusual places along the Tran-Siberian railroad are made accessible and brought to life by Masha Nordbye’s expert guiding. Learn about the final hours of the Romanov family in Ekaterinburg and visit a former gulag to understand the terror of Stalin’s rule. See unusual stone sculptures in Krasnoyarsk and learn about the Old Believers in Ulan Ude.

For over 25 years, Masha has travelled extensively throughout Russia and the former Soviet republics. She speaks Russian and has produced numerous documentaries about Russia and her latest 785-page book is on Moscow, St Petersburg & The Golden Ring.

Other assignments have taken her along the Great Siberian Tea Road, rafting the Altai region of Siberia, and participating in the first car race across Russia (10,000 kilometres from Murmansk to Vladivostok).

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ARMENIA & GEORGIA GEORGIA

RUSSIA Kutaisi Tbilisi

Signagi

Alaverdi

TURKEY

Yerevan ARMENIA

IRAN

DAY 1 LONDON/ YEREVAN Fly to Yerevan.

DAY 2 YEREVAN Full day city tour.

DAY 3 EREBUNI, ECHMIADZIN, KHOR VIRAP

Visit the Urartian fortress of Erebuni.

Continue to Khor Virap.

DAY 4 GARNI, GEGHARD Visit Garni’s 1st

century AD Roman temple and the rock-cut monastery at Geghard.

DAY 5 SAGHMOSAVANK, HOVHANNAVANK

Explore these 13th century complexes amid dramatic mountain scenery.

DAY 6 LAKE SEVAN, ALAVERDI See Lake

Sevan,before visiting the monasteries at Hagardzin and Goshavank.

DAY 7 SANAHIN, HAGHPAT, TBILISI Visit the

monastic complexes of Sanahin and Haghpat before crossing into Georgia.

DAY 8 TBILISI Full day city tour.

DAY 9 GAREJA, SIGNAGI Head east to the wild,

dramatic landscapes of Gareja.

DAY 10 GREMI, NEKRESI, SIGNAGI Visit the

monasteries of Gremi and Nekresi.

DAY 11 TBILISI Drive back to Tbilisi to explore the

capital further.

DAY 12 MTSKHETA, GORI, KUTAISI Travel to

Georgia’s ancient capital, Mtskheta and visit Gori, birthplace of Stalin.

Ancient Lands of Transcaucasia LED BY WILLIAM TAYLOR 6 - 19 JUNE 2016 £3,145 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Exceptional Christian art and archaeology •Unspoilt mountain and desert scenery •Good food and renowned hospitality From the shadow of Mount Ararat travel through Armenia’s dramatic mountain scenery to the vineyards of Georgia, the land of Jason and the Argonauts. Follow the rich trail of Christian traditions and art evident in the superb architectural heritage of the region’s churches. En route, sample fine local food and wine, enjoying Georgian hospitality.

William Taylor is a writer and broadcaster on the Islamic world and Orthodox Churches. He has travelled extensively throughout the Balkans, Middle East and Central Asia and speaks Syriac, Arabic and Turkish. His publications include Light from the East, Christians in the Holy Land and Antioch and Canterbury. His PhD was on Orthodox Churches in the late Ottoman period.

DAY 13 BAGRATI, TBILISI Visit the splendid Bagrati

Cathedral before returning to Tbilisi.

DAY 14 TBILISI/ LONDON Return flight to London.

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GREECE Delphi

GREECE

Olympia

Athens

Nafplion

Pylos

DAY 1 LONDON/ATHENS, NAFPLION Arrive in

Athens and board the coach to Nafplion.

DAY 2 NAFPLION Visit Tiryns before heading to

Argos and then on to Corinth.

DAY 3 NAFPLION Visit to Epidauros to see the

famous theatre and nearby sanctuary of Asklepios. Travel on to Mycenae to visit the museum. There will then be optional visits on arriving back in Nafplion.

DAY 4 NAFPLION, PYLOS Depart Nafplion and

visit Mystras en route.

DAY 5 PYLOS Visit Nestor’s Palace in the morning

and Neokastro in the afternoon.

DAY 6 PYLOS, OLYMPIA Depart for Olympia. En

route visit Messini.

DAY 7 OLYMPIA Tour Olympia, home of the

Olympic Games. The tour will include the temple of Zeus.

DAY 8 OLYMPIA, DELPHI Depart for Delphi via

Patras. Visit the temple of Athena and the temple of Apollo.

DAY 9 DELPHI, ATHENS/LONDON Depart for

Athens for the flight to London.

Classical Peloponnese LED BY CAROLYN PERRY 12 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2016 £2,215 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•The fortress city of Mystras •The ‘Treasury of Atreus’ at Mycenae •Temples of Zeus, Hera and the stadium of Olympia The Peloponnesian peninsula is home to many of the most famous cities of ancient Hellas, including Mycenae, Corinth and Olympia. This tour visits the crucial sites of the Peloponnese and travels across millennia, from Mycenaean times though to the Classical and Roman periods and into the Medieval age. The Greek landscape, characterised by its mountain chains, gorges and jagged coastline, provides a spectacular backdrop to the history.

The tour ends with the quintessential pan-Hellenic site of Delphi.

Following a degree in Classics and Archaeology, Carolyn lectured in Ancient History and Mythology at Queen Mary College, University of London. She later moved to the Education Department of The British Museum before managing the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology at UCL. She continues to work in museums and education, lecturing on various aspects of the ancient Mediterranean and Islamic world and is currently Chair of the British Foundation for the Study of Arabia.

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13

GEORGIA RUSSIA Mestia Gudauri

Kutaisi

GEORGIA TURKEY DAY 1

Bakuriani

Tbilisi

ARMENIA

Signagi

IRAN

LONDON/ TBILISI Fly to Tbilisi.

DAY 2 TBILISI City sightseeing tour.

DAY 3 TBILISI, KUTAISI Visit Mtskheta, Georgia’s

ancient capital en route to Kutaisi.

DAY 4 KUTAISI, MESTIA Drive through the

foothills of The Caucasus visiting Zugdidi and Mestia.

DAY 5 MESTIA, USHGULI See the UNESCO

village of Ushguli, purportedly the highest inhabited village in Europe.

DAY 6 MESTIA, BAKURIANI Drive to Bakuriani

seeing some of the best frescoes in Georgia en route.

DAY 7 BAKURIANI, VARDZIA Drive along

the Kura Valley and visit the cave town of Vardzia.

DAY 8 BAKURIANI, GUDAURI Visit Stalin’s

birthplace, Gori. Explore the cave city of Uplistsikhe, before the arriving in Gudauri.

DAY 9 GUDAURI, KAZBEGI Walk up to Trinity

Church then drive to the Gveleti waterfall.

DAY 10 GUDAURI, TBILISI Visit the Ananauri

Fortress, continue to Tbilisi.

DAY 11 TBILISI, SIGNAGI Visit the monasteries of

David Garedzhe en route to Signagi.

DAY 12 SIGNAGI, TELAVI, TBILISI Drive to Telavi

for the Palace of King Irakli II and visit the local market.

Georgia In-depth LED BY DR IAN COLVIN 18 - 30 SEPTEMBER 2016 £2,595 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE 6-15

•Mtskheta, Georgia’s spiritual heart •Magnificent mountainous Kazbegi •The food and wine of the Telavi region Georgia has a unique Caucasian culture, a rich Christian Orthodox heritage, dramatic mountain scenery, excellent food, superb wines and a deep rooted tradition of generous hospitality and song. This tour provides ample opportunity to experience all of these elements alongside fascinating insights provided by tour leader Dr Ian Colvin.

Dr Ian Colvin began research on Georgia and the South Caucasus in 1991 with an undergraduate thesis on Late Roman, Byzantine and Sasanian (Iranian) involvement in Georgia (Oxford University). As part of this doctoral research he studied modern and classical Georgian, which he now reads and speaks fluently. Since the late nineties he has headed up an Anglo-Georgian archaeological expedition which is still in operation today.

DAY 13 TBILISI/LONDON Return flight.

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15

Middle East “FROM AFAR OFF THEY HAD SEEN THE WISPS OF GREYISH GRASS WHICH DISTINGUISHED THIS HOLLOW FROM OTHER HOLLOWS THEY HAD PASSED ON THEIR WAY ACROSS THE FLINT-STREWN PLAIN, AND HAD TURNED ASIDE TO STOP. LUCKILY, CAMELS HAD GRAZED HERE YEARS BEFORE… THEY WERE BEDU, AND THESE EMPTY SPACES WHERE THERE WAS NEITHER SHADE NOR SHELTER WERE THEIR HOMELANDS.” SIR WILFRED THESIGER, ARABIAN SANDS

18 OMAN 20 ISRAEL & PALESTINE

THE SULTANATE OF OMAN UAE

Muscat Jebel Akhdar

SAUDI ARABIA

Wahiba Sands

Duqm

OMAN YEMEN Salalah

Al Fatah

DAY 1 LONDON/MUSCAT Fly to Muscat DAY 2 MUSCAT Arrive in Muscat and transfer to

the hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

DAY 3 MUSCAT In the morning visit the Sultan

Qaboos Grand Mosque. Afterwards, visit Muttrah Souq and Bait al Baranda. In the afternoon enjoy a dhow cruise.

DAY 4 MUSCAT, JEBEL AKHDAR Visit Nakhal

Fort and then travel on to Jebel Akhdar.

DAY 5 JEBEL AKHDAR Visit the Nizwa Market in

the morning and take a leisurely walk in the afternoon.

DAY 6 JEBEL AKHDAR, WAHIBA SANDS Spend

the morning travelling and sightseeing en route to Wahiba Sands.

DAY 7 WAHIBA SANDS, DUQM Travel to

Wahiba Sands before travelling to Duqm.

DAY 8 DUQM, AL FATEH – Spend the day

travelling to Al Fateh with sightseeing en route.

DAY 9 AL FATEH Spend the day travelling to

Salalah with sightseeing en route.

DAY 10 SALALAH Visit al-Baleed, Haffa Souq and

the Prophet Jobs Tomb.

DAY 11 SALALAH Explore the Frankincense

trees and Musayl beach.

DAY 12 SALALAH/MUSCAT/LONDON Transfer to

the airport at Muscat for the flight back to London.

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The Sultanate of Oman LED BY TONY WALSH 22 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2016 £3,590 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Visit the dramatic Wadi bani Auf •Walk through the mountain villages of Jebel Akhdar •Visit UNESCO sites in Salalah on the Arabian Sea This tour traces the best of Oman’s 1,000 mile coastline and traverses spectacularly varied scenery, where mountains meet with the desert and large oases surround medieval fortified towns. Wander through Bedouin souqs and take a dhow cruise around Bait al Baranda. Drive through the rolling Wahiba Sands and stop at the deserted coastal areas on the south-eastern coast.

The journey culminates with three days in Salalah in the Dhofar region, home to frankincense, wadis, lively fishing harbours and archaeological sites.

Tony has been resident in Oman since 1986 and frequently leads tours in the Gulf. He regularly gives lectures on the region and has given talks to Harvard and Stanford alumni. Tony is a keen photographer and has had a wide range of written articles published on Oman. Having lived and worked in the Gulf for almost 30 years he provides a very personal and informed perspective of the region.

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ISRAEL & PALESTINE

Galilee

Tel Aviv

SYRIA

JORDAN Jerusalem

GAZA

EGYPT

WEST BANK

ISRAEL

DAY 1 LONDON/TEL AVIV On arrival, welcome

dinner and culinary workshop.

DAY 2 JERUSALEM Tour of the Old City of

Jerusalem and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

DAY 3 JERUSALEM, MASADA, QUMRAN Explore

Masada’s mountain top ruins, Qumran and swim in the Dead Sea. DAY 4 JERUSALEM, BETHLEHEM Visit The

Temple Mount and cross into the West Bank for the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

DAY 5 JERUSALEM Visit Yad Vashem, the Holocaust

History Museum, the Children’s Memorial and the Hall of Remembrance. Visit the Mahane Yehuda market and the Israel Museum, home to the Dead Sea Scrolls.

DAY 6 JERUSALEM, GALILEE En route to Galilee,

see Zippori’s Crusader fortress and Roman theatre. In Galilee, visit Caperrnaum and sail on the Sea of Galilee.

DAY 7 GALILEE Visit Tel Dan, Mount Bental and

Hazor.

DAY 8 GALILEE, TEL AVIV Sightseeing en route to

Tel Aviv. Visit the Old City of Acre, explore the Arab market and the Underground Prisoners Museum.

DAY 9 TEL AVIV Visit the Mahon Ayalon, the Neve

Tzedek. Visit Rothschild Boulevard and see the Independence Hall.

The Cradle of Christianity LED BY GARTH GILMOUR 8 - 17 SEPTEMBER 2016 £3,990 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Visit the remarkable sites of Jerusalem •Explore Bethlehem and vibrant, Tel Aviv •Travel north to the sea of Galilee This tour packs serious punch, each day bursting with historical and biblical highlights. Visit the old city of Jerusalem, one of the most atmospherically compelling cities on earth. Walk the secret tunnels of the crusaders in Acre and celebrate the eve of Shabbat with a local Jewish family.

Explore the Sea of Galilee by boat and wander amongst the lush greenery and biblical remains of Tel Dan.

Garth Gilmour is a biblical archaeologist who has worked in Israel and the eastern Mediterranean for over 20 years. He has graduate degrees from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Oxford, and has participated in excavations in Israel, including the Philistine capital cities of Ekron and Ashkelon, as well as in Turkey and Cyprus. He has been leading tours to the region since 1997.

DAY 10 TEL AVIV/LONDON Return flight to

London.

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Central Asia “THEN SHALL MY NATIVE CITY, SAMARCANDA…BE FAMOUS THROUGH THE FURTHEST CONTINENTS, FOR THERE MY PALACE-ROYAL SHALL BE PLACED, WHOSE SHINING TURRETS SHALL DISMAY THE HEAVENS, AND CAST THE FAME OF ILION’S TOWER TO HELL” CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE, TAMERLANE THE GREAT

24 UZBEKISTAN 26 CHINA 28 CHINA 30 KYRGYZSTAN, UZBEKISTAN & CHINA 32 THE FIVE STANS

UZBEKISTAN BEYOND THE OXUS Aral Sea

Kazakhstan

Uzbekistan Khiva

Kyrgyzstan

Urgench

Tashkent

Bukhara

Turkmenistan

Samarkand Shakr-i-sabz

Tajikistan

DAY 1 LONDON/ TASHKENT Fly overnight DAY 2 TASHKENT Arrive Tashkent. Afternoon

tour of the 16th century sector of the city.

DAY 3 TASHKENT, SAMARKAND Train to

Samarkand then drive on to Urgut to attend the local bazaar.

DAY 4 SAMARKAND Full day sightseeing

including Registan Square, the most spectacular architectural ensemble in Central Asia.

DAY 5 SAMARKAND Tour of the remarkable

Shah-i Zinda complex before visiting the Afrosiab Museum.

DAY 6 SAMARKAND, SHAKR-I-SABZ, BUKHARA Drive to Bukhara via Shakr-i-

Sabz, birthplace of Timur.

DAY 7 BUKHARA Explore Bukhara the former

capital, and religious centre of Uzbekistan.

DAY 8 BUKHARA Further exploration of the city

including a visit to the Arc Citadel.

DAY 9 BUKHARA, KHIVA Drive to Khiva across

the Kizilkum Desert.

DAY 10 KHIVA Full day at the UNESCO Ichan

Kala. Also visit the carpet and silk making workshops.

DAY 11 KHIVA, URGENCH/ TASHKENT

Time at leisure before your evening flight to Tashkent.

Uzbekistan Beyond the Oxus LED BY CHRIS ASLAN ALEXANDER 8 - 19 APRIL / 26 AUG - 6 SEPT 2016 £2,745 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Turquoise domes of Timurid architecture •Samarkand’s Registan Square •Bazaars of Bukhara with traditional artisans Delight in the art and archaeology of the fabled UNESCO cities of Samarkand and Bukhara, two of the oldest cities in the world. Important for their position on the western Silk Road, their traditional textiles and crafts survive to this day. Visit the vibrant city of Tashkent, the restored desert oasis town of Khiva and journey across the Kizilkum Desert to see the major monuments from Timur’s reign.

Born and raised in Turkey and Lebanon, Chris travelled to Uzbekistan in 1998 to work on content for a guidebook. He was adopted by a local family, fell in love with the place and people, and ended up staying for over seven years. His book A Carpet Ride to Khiva – Seven years on the Silk Road tells this story. Chris then went on to live in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and speaks fluent Uzbek.

DAY 12 TASHKENT/ LONDON Morning

sightseeing before return flight.

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N CHINA

MONGOLIA

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Zhenglanqi

Hohhot Ordos

Etuoke

NORTH KOREA Beijing

Yinchuan Y Shapotou LLiupanshan

CHINA

Xian

DAY 1

LONDON/BEIJING Fly to Beijing.

DAY 2 BEIJING Arrive Beijing. Day at lesiure DAY 3 BEIJING Visit Tiananmen Square, The

Forbidden City and Beihai Park.

DAY 4 BEIJING, ZHENGLANGI Drive to Zhenglangi,

en route visit the Juyongguan Section of the Great Wall and the Cloud Terrace.

DAY 5 ZHENGLANGI, HOHHOT Visit Xanadu

and Yuan Shangdu Ruins Park. Drive on to Hohhot.

DAY 6 HOHHOT Visit the Mongolia History

Museum and the Jokhang Temple.

DAY 7 HOHHOT, ORDOS Drive to Ordos. Visit

the Ordos Museum and the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan.

DAY 8 ORDOS, ETUOKE Drive to Etuoke. Visit the

Arzhai Cave Painting.

DAY 9 ETUOKE, YINCHUAN Drive to Yinchuan.

DAY 10 YINCHUAN Visit Ningxia Historical Museum

and Western Film Studio Castles.

DAY 11 YINCHUAN, SHAOPOTOU Drive to

Shaopotou. Visit the Gaomiao Temple.

DAY 12 SHAOPOTOU, GUYUAN, LIUPANSHAN

Drive to Liupanshan visiting Kaicheng.

DAY 13 LIUPANSHAN, XIAN Morning in the National

Forest Park. Drive to Xian.

DAY 14 XIAN, BEIJING Visit the Army of Terracotta

Warriors and the burial site. The tour passes the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shihuang.

DAY 15 BEIJING/LONDON Return flight to London.

26

The Mongol Empire LED BY JOHN MAN 5 - 19 SEPTEMBER 2016 £5,645 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Trace the history of Genghis Khan •Arzhai cave painting depicting the funeral of Genghis •Stay in a yurt and experience Mongolian hospitality A rare insight into the roots of modern China, tracing the outer reaches of Genghis Khan’s empire to the heartland of Kublai Khan. Escorted by historian and biographer of Khan’s life, John Man, explore the cities of Zhenglanqi and Hohhot in Inner Mongolia and see the shining city in the desert, Ordos.

Visit the Mausoleum of Gengis Khan, the Tombs of the Tangut Emperors and finish the trip with a fascinating tour of the Army of the Terracotta Warriors and the Warriors of the Han Dynasty.

John is a British author specialising in Central & North Asia. He has travelled extensively throughout the region, exploring the valley where Genghis Khan died, the Mongolian mountain on which he may be buried, and Xanadu, Kubla Khan’s first capital.

His book, Genghis Khan: Life, Death and Resurrection is a best-seller in 21 languages and he has recently advised on the Oscarnominated film Mongol.

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N CHINA MONGOLIA

EW

TO

UR

Beijing B Xiningg Tongren Henan

Lanzhou Xiahe X Linxia Hezuo

JJone

Machu

DAY 1

CHINA

LONDON/BEIJING Fly to Beijing.

DAY 2 BEIJING Arrive in Beijing.

DAY 3 BEIJING/LANZHOU/LINXIA Fly to Lanzhou,

drive to Linxia.

DAY 4 LINXIA/JONE Visit Jone Tibetan monastery.

DAY 5 JONE/HEZUO Visit Amchok monastery,

attend the Molam festival.

DAY 6 HEZUO Return to Amchok Monastery for a

masked dance. Visit a Tibetan household.

DAY 7 HEZUO/XIAHE Drive to Xiahe.

DAY 8 XIAHE Tour of the monastery. Visit the cloak

makers and walk part of the Kora.

DAY 9 XIAHE Visit Ganja, en route stop by Narang

La Pass. Visit a Bon monastery and a local weaver.

DAY 10 XIAHE/MACHU Drive to Machu.

DAY 11 XIAHE/HENAN Drive to Henan.

DAY 12 HENAN Spend a day with a nomadic family

on the grasslands.

DAY 13 HENAN/TONGREN Drive to Tongren. See

the making of applique and painted thangkas.

DAY 14-15 TONGREN Spend two days at the annual

Shaman’s Festival.

DAY 16 TONGREN/XINING Drive to Xining. Visit the

Tibetan Culture Museum.

Qinghai Festivals & Textiles LED BY GINA CORRIGAN 7 - 24 JULY 2016 £3,570 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Tibetan “Yellow sect” Labrang Monastery •Annual Shaman festival at Tongren •Visit the homes of Tibetans, Hui, Tu and Mongolians Gain a fascinating insight into the culture and traditions of China’s minority tribes. Visit Tibet’s revered Labrang monastery with its famous Buddhist philosophy school, experience the hospitality of a Mongol nomadic family and spend time at a Shaman festival. Much of the emphasis on this trip will be on textiles, learning about traditional weaving techniques and discovering the meaning of the varied and historic costumes still worn by the local people in Qinghai.

Gina first visited China in 1972 and has been working in the region since. She specialises in Southwest China and the Tibetan Cultural Region and has collected and documented the Miao, Dong, Shui and Bouyei textiles of this region. In 1999, Gina’s collection of over fifty costumes from China were acquired by the British Museum and by the National Museums Liverpool.

DAY 17 XINING/BEIJING Visit the Tibetan market in

Xining. Fly to Beijing.

DAY 18 BEIJING/LONDON Fly to London.

28

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N CENTRAL ASIA

EW

TO

UR

Almaty p Ata Cholpan

UZBEKISTAN

Tashkent Khujand

Bukharaa

TURKMENISTAN Ashgabat

DAY 1

Karakol

Bishkek KAZAKHSTAN KYRGYZSTAN

CHINA

Samarkand TAJIKISTAN h Dushanbe

Mary

LONDON/ TASHKENT Fly to Tashkent.

DAY 2 TASHKENT Arrive in Tashkent. Visit the Art

Museum and Chorsu Bazaar.

DAY 3 TASHKENT/FERGANA Drive to Fergana, en

route visit Kokand Palace Museum.

DAY 4 FERGANA/OSH Visit the silk factory and the

outdoor ethnographic museum. Drive to Osh. DAY 5: OSH Full day sightseeing including Suleiman

Mount.

DAY 6 OSH/KASHGAR Drive to Kashgar via

Irkestem Pass.

DAY 7/8 KASHGAR Two days sightseeing including

Id Kah Mosque, the tombs of Muhammad Kashgari and the animal market.

DAY 9 KASHGAR/NARYN Drive to Naryn, enroute

visit Tash Rabat Caravan Serai.

DAY 10 NARYN/KARAKOL Drive to Karakol along

Lake Issyk-Kul, stopping in Bokombaevo en route.

DAY 11 KARAKOL Visit the Djety Oguz Gorge, the

Dungan Mosque and timber houses.

DAY 12 KARAKOL/LAKE ISSYK-KUL Drive to Lake

Issyk-Kul. En route, visit the Prezalski Museum and the petroglyphs at Cholpan Ata. DAY 13 LAKE ISSYK-KUL/BISHKEK Drive to Bishkek

and visit Burana Tower en route.

Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan & China LED BY CHRIS ASLAN ALEXANDER 11 - 25 SEPTEMBER 2016 £3,275 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Travel through Uzbekistan’s Fergana valley •The Kashgar Sunday Market - the greatest in the world •The stark landscapes of the Torogart Pass This is a journey like few others, a bold statement but for those of you familiar with the regions (not just the countries), undoubtedly true. Unique in both landscapes and cultures; spectacular the one common denominator. Away from the touristic sights, discover a side of Central Asia much romanticised about but where few tread. This is for those of you who treasure the experience and journey above all else.

Chris was born in Turkey but moved to Uzbekistan in 1998 to work on a guidebook. He was adopted by a local family, fell in love with the place and people, and wrote A Carpet Ride to Khiva – Seven years on the Silk Road which tells this story. After his time in Uzbekistan, Chris went on to live in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and now speaks fluent Uzbek and passable Kyrgyz, Tajik and Pamiri.

DAY 14 BISHKEK Visit the Presidential Palace and

Victory Monument.

DAY 15 BISHKEK/LONDON

Overnight flight to London.

30

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N CENTRAL ASIA - THE FIVE STANS

EW

TO

UR

Almaty p Ata Cholpan

UZBEKISTAN

Tashkent Khujand

Bukharaa

TURKMENISTAN Ashgabat

DAY 1

Karakol

Bishkek KAZAKHSTAN KYRGYZSTAN

CHINA

Samarkand TAJIKISTAN h Dushanbe

Mary

LONDON/ALMATY Fly to Almaty.

DAY 2- 3 ALMATY Visit the Zenkov Cathedral, State

History Museum and St Nicholas Cathedral.

DAY 4 ALMATY/KARAKOL Drive to Karakol.

DAY 5 KARAKOL Travel to Djeti Oguz gorge.

DAY 6 KARAKOL/CHOPLAN ATA Visit Preshevalsky

Museum and the Scythian burial mounds.

DAY 7 CHOLPAN ATA/BISHKEK Drive to Bishkek via

the 13th century Burana Tower.

DAY 8 BISHKEK/DUSHANBE City tour of Bishkek.

Fly to Dushanbe.

DAY 9 DUSHANBE Sightseeing.

DAY 10 DUSHANBE/KHUJAND Drive to Khujand.

DAY 11 KHUJAND/TASHKENT Drive to Tashkent.

DAY 12 TASHKENT/SAMARKAND High-speed train to

Samarkand. Visit Registan Square.

DAY 13 SAMARKAND Visit Bibi Khanum mosque,

Afrosiab Museum, Tamerlane’s mausoleum.

DAY 14 SAMARKAND/BUKHARA Visit the Mogaki

Attari and Balakhauz mosques.

DAY 15 BUKHARA See Khan’s Summer Palace .

DAY 16 BUKHARA/MARY Cross the Amu Daryr River.

DAY 17 MARY Visit Ancient Merv, Kiz Bibi Mausoleum

and Great and Little Kiz Kalas.

Central Asia The Five Stans LED BY WILLIAM TAYLOR 28 JUNE – 17 JULY 2016 £5,645 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Travel through all five of the Central Asian Stans •Tread the ancient trade routes of the Silk Route •Discover the world of intrigue that was the Great Game A congregation of mountains, steppe grasslands and deserts. A feudal mix of khanates and nomadic peoples and a crossroads of trading routes.

The sights and sounds, people and personal encounters make this journey a mosaic of experiences. Each ‘stan’ is quite different both in its physical geography and in its own character.

This is a journey full of contrasts, full of individual highlights that make a remarkable whole.

William Taylor is a writer and broadcaster on the Islamic world and Orthodox Churches. He has travelled extensively throughout the Balkans, Middle East, Africa and Central Asia and speaks Syriac, Arabic and Turkish. His publications include Light from the East, Christians in the Holy Land and Antioch and Canterbury. His PhD was on Orthodox Churches in the late Ottoman period.

DAY 18 MARY/ASHGABAT Desert excursion to visit

Margush. Fly to Ashgabat.

DAY 19 ASHGABAT Explore the city.

DAY 20 ASHGABAT/ISTANBUL/LONDON Return.

32

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India & The Far East “ASIA IS NOT GOING TO BE CIVILIZED AFTER THE METHODS OF THE WEST. THERE IS TOO MUCH ASIA AND SHE IS TOO OLD” RUDYARD KIPLING

36 CAMBODIA 38 MYANMAR (BURMA) 40 BHUTAN & NEPAL 42 TIBET 44 INDIA 46 INDIA 48 INDIA 50 INDIA 52 SRI LANKA 54 SRI LANKA 56 INDONESIA 58 PAPUA NEW GUINEA 60 TONGA

N CAMBODIA

EW

TO

UR

THAILAND Preah Vihear Banteay Chhmar

CAMBODIA Siem Reap

DAY 1 LONDON/ SIEM REAP Fly to Siem Reap.

DAY 2 SIEM REAP Arrival. Welcome dinner.

DAY 3 SIEM REAP Guided by Dr Evans, explore

the temples of the forest and Angkor Thom.

DAY 4 SIEM REAP Explore Angkor Wat at sunrise.

Discover the rural skills of the rice harvest, thatching and fishing. Evening speech by Nick Butler.

DAY 5 SIEM REAP Explore Banteay Srei and the

Sacred Kulen mountain guided by Nick Butler.

DAY 6 SIEM REAP Visit Tonle Sap Lake’s stilted

houses and the temple of Beng Mealea.

Meet and greet with John Sanday.

DAY 7 SIEM REAP/BANTEAY CHHMAR Drive to

Banteay Chhmar. Explore the temples and village silk centre.

DAY 8 BANTEAY CHHMAR/PREAH VIHEAR

Visit Preah Vihear temple.

DAY 9 PREAH VIHEAR/SIEM REAP Travel to Koh

Ker for the pyramid-shaped Prasat Thom.

DAY 10 SIEM REAP See the impressive Angkor

National Museum. Explore local markets and visit the Artisans d’Angkor Centre.

Farewell dinner.

DAY 11 SIEM REAP/BANGKOK Fly to Bangkok.

DAY 12 BANGKOK/LONDON Fly to London.

Temples & Kingdoms LED BY DR DAMIAN EVANS, NICK BUTLER, JOHN SANDAY OBE 26 FEB - 8 MAR 2016 £2,995 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•The temples of Angkor without the crowds •Authentic Khmer hospitality at a homestay •Go beyond the temples to experience rural Cambodia Visiting the temples of Angkor is all about timing to avoid the crowds and travelling with experts who know the sites of Angkor’s more remote and less frequented temples. Sunrise at Angkor Wat, sunset at Angkor Thom and the views across Cambodia and Thailand from Preah Vihear are a must for photographers. Equally rewarding is the lesser known ancient capital of Kho Ker and the pyramid shaped temple, Prasat Thom. Exquisite dining and exceptional hotels complete the experience.

Different experts will join the group during the trip. Explore Angkor with one of the world’s leading academics on the archaeology and reconstruction of the temples, Dr Damian Evans, a founding member of the Greater Angkor Project. At Banteay Chhmar, meet British architect, John Sanday OBE (pictured) Project Director for Banteay Chhmar and Director for Asia at the Global Heritage Foundation.

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37

N MYANMAR (BURMA) Monywa

Pyin Oo Lwin Hsipaw

EW

TO

UR

Mandalay Bagan

Inle Lake

MYANMAR THAILAND Yangon

DAY 1 LONDON/ YANGON Overnight flight DAY 2 YANGON Arrival. Yangon Heritage Walk.

DAY 3 YANGON See the Shwedagon pagoda. Visit

the war cemetery and the National Museum.

DAY 4 YANGON/LASHIO/HSIPAW Fly to Lashio.

Drive to Hsipaw. Afternoon walk through Shan villages.

DAY 5 HSIPAW Discover the history of the Shan

Kingdom.

DAY 6 HSIPAW/PYIN OO LWIN Take the train over

the Gokteik viaduct to Naung Cho, continue by car to Pyin Oo Lwin.

DAY 7 PYIN OO LWIN Sightseeing including a horse

and cart trip to the Botanical gardens.

DAY 8 PYIN OO LWIN/MANDALAY Drive to

Mandalay. Sightseeing of Mandalay’s monuments.

DAY 9 MANDALAY/MONYWA Drive to Monywa.

Sightseeing in and around Monywa.

DAY 10 MONYWA/PAKKOKU/BAGAN Visit Pakkoku

before travelling by boat to Bagan.

DAY 11 BAGAN Full day tour of Bagan’s pagodas.

DAY 12 BAGAN/HEHO/INLE LAKE Fly to Heho

and continue by road to Inle Lake. Visit the floating gardens.

DAY 13 INLE LAKE Visit to the Indein temples.

DAY 14 INLE LAKE/HEHO/YANGON Travel to Heho

and fly to Yangon.

DAY 15 YANGON/LONDON Return flight to London.

DAY 16 LONDON Arrive London.

38

Hidden Burma LED BY RORY MACLEAN 5 - 20 NOVEMBER 2016 £3,745 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Explore little-visited Hsipaw in Shan state •Travel by rail over Gokteik Viaduct •Serene Inle Lake and Bagan’s pagodas This tour has been thoughtfully designed to showcase both the must-see jewels of the country as well as some lesserknown but equally fascinating places.

Alongside author Rory MacLean, explore northern Shan State and visit local village schools and monasteries.

Visit the Shan Palace and learn about the intriguing royal history of Myanmar’s former kingdom. Travel by rail to the former British Hill Station of Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo), visit Bagan’s plain of pagodas and float across Inle Lake’s glassy waters.

An acclaimed writer and broadcaster, Rory Maclean is author of eight travel books about his journeys in Burma, including ‘Under the Dragon.’ Rory’s books have won awards and were shortlisted twice for the Thomas Cook Travel Book Prize. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and as a seasoned traveller to Myanmar, is an ideal companion to help unlock this beguiling country.

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N BHUTAN & NEPAL

EW

TO

UR

CHINA Punakha Paro Kathmandu

Gangtey Thimphu

BHUTAN

NEPAL INDIA

DAY 1 LONDON/KATHMANDU Fly to

Kathmandu.

DAY 2 KATHMANDU Arrive in Kathmandu.

DAY 3 KATHMANDU/PARO/THIMPHU Fly

to Paro, then drive to Thimphu. Visit Taschichho Dzong.

DAY 4 THIMPHU Explore Thimphu.

DAY 5 THIMPHU/GANGTEY Drive from Thimphu

over the Dochu-la pass to Gangtey.

DAY 6 GANGTEY Visit the Gangtey Goemba and

black-necked crane festival.

DAY 7 GANGTEY/PUNAKHA Drive to Punakha

and visit the Punakha Dzong. Afternoon walk to the Khamsum Yuelley Nagyal Chorten.

DAY 8 PUNAKHA Visit Chorten Nyingpo and

have butter tea in a village house. In the afternoon visit Nalanda Buddhist College.

DAY 9 PUNAKHA/PARO Drive to Paro via Chimi

Lhakang. Afternoon exploring Paro.

DAY 10 PARO/BUMDRA 3 - 4 hour moderate trek

to camp near Bumdra Monastery.

DAY 11 BUMDRA/PARO 5 - 6 hour moderate trek

including a visit to the Taktsand Monastery.

DAY 12 PARO/KATHMANDU Fly to Kathmandu.

DAY 13 KATHMANDU/LONDON Return flight to

London.

Mountains, Myths & Monasteries LED BY ZARA FLEMING 11 - 23 NOVEMBER 2016 £5,895 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Phobjika Valley’s breath-taking views •Majestic Bumdra Monastery •Stay at the renowned Gangtey Goenpa Lodge For centuries Bhutan has been isolated from the forces of change by its inaccessibility and is the last surviving kingdom in the Himalayas. Our tour lecturer, Zara Fleming will reveal a side of Bhutan unseen by regular tourists, knowing as she does the people and the special places intimately. Travel through the beautiful Phobjika Valley, visit ancient temples and monastic fortresses (dzongs) and take a two day trek with a night spent camping in style amidst spectacular mountain scenery.

Zara Fleming is an art historian specialising in Tibetan and Himalayan art, and has travelled extensively throughout these mountain regions.

She’s led tours to the Himalayas and beyond for many years and first visited Bhutan in 1976. She is Vice President of the charity The Tibet Relief Fund.

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41

TIBET QINGHAI

Shigatse

TIBET

Lhasa

Chengdu

Tsetang

Gyantse

BHUTAN

SICHUAN

INDIA YUNNAN

DAY 1 LONDON/ CHENGDU Fly to Chengdu,

rest of the day at leisure.

DAY 2 CHENGUA/LHASA Fly to Lhasa.

DAY 3 LHASA Explore two of Tibet’s major

Gelugpa Sect monasteries.

DAY 4 LHASA Visit the imposing Potala Palace,

former residence of the Dalai Lama.

DAY 5 LHASA Visit the Drak Yerpa Monastery.

DAY 6 LHASA Visit the Tibetan Traditional

Medicine Hospital.

DAY 7 LHASA/GYANTSE Drive west into the

Tibetan countryside.

DAY 8 GYANTSE/SHIGATSE Visit Gyantze

Kumbun and Pelkor Chode Monastery.

DAY 9 SHIGATSE Visit Tashilump Monastery DAY 10 SHIGATSE/TSETANG Travel to the city of

Tsetang located in the Yarlung Valley.

DAY 11 LHASA/CHENGU Visit the Yungbulagang

Monastery.

DAY 12 CHENGDU/LONDON Return flight to

London.

Ancient Culture & Civilisation LED BY SIDDIQ QAHID 4 - 16 SEPTEMBER 2016 £4,095 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Explore Lhasa’s imposing Potala Palace •Nam Tso Lake, the largest lake in Tibet •Atmospheric Shigatse and Gyantse Often referred to as ‘The Roof of the World’, the Tibetan Plateau towers above the rest of China. Separated by more than just altitude, Tibet possesses a unique culture and rich heritage.

Learn about the deep-rooted Buddhist beliefs that permeate through all levels of society. Journey into the depths of the Tibetan Plateau and encounter winding mountain passes, deep valleys and azure snow-fed lakes. Visit places of religious, historical and architectural significance.

Tibet is changing fast and you need to go now.

Siddiq Wahid is a historian of medieval Central Asian political history, with a focus on Buddhism and Islam.

He is presently part of the Borderland Project of the India China Institute at New School University in New York and is a visiting lecturer at universities in South Asia, Europe and USA. An academic by temperament, a historian by training and an activist by compulsion, Dr Wahid is fascinating company.

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43

N INDIA Gulmarg Kanji

Khima Leh

Srinagar

EW

TO

UR

CHINA

INDIA

Delhi

DAY 1

NEPAL

LONDON/DELHI Overnight flight to Delhi.

DAY 2 ARRIVE DELHI Transfer. Day at leisure.

DAY 3 FLY TO SRINAGAR Transfer to your

houseboat. Explore Dal Lake by shikara.

DAY 4 SRINAGAR Guided tour of Srinagar,

visiting Mughal Gardens and the old city.

DAY 5 SRINAGAR & GULMARG Explore the

villages overlooking Srinagar.

DAY 6 FLY TO LEH Transfer to hotel with the rest

of the day to acclimatise.

DAY 7 KANJI Drive to Kanji, en route stop for the

monasteries of Alchi and Lamayuru. Stay at Kaafila.

DAY 8 KANJI Visit the village and monastery of

Kanji on foot.

DAY 9 KANJI TO LEH Visit the old city of Leh.

Stay at Stok Palace.

DAY 10 LEH Explore the monasteries of Leh. DAY 11 LEH TO KHIMA Drive over one of the highest

roads in the world, Khardung La, through the Nubra Valley to the village of Khima.

DAY 12 KHIMA See the treasures of Khima

including a 1,000 year old Buddhist statue.

DAY 13 KHIMA Visit the village of Digar, a way

station on one of the silk routes out of Leh. DAY 14 LEH Drive to Leh. DAY 15 DELHI Fly and overnight in Delhi.

DAY 16 DELHI/LONDON Return flight to Delhi.

44

Kashmir & Ladakh LED BY DAVID SONAM 5 - 20 AUGUST 2016 £6,500 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 8-10

•Discover Srinagar and cross the Khardung La •Explore remote Ladakhi villages - Kanji and Khema •Stay at the exceptional Kaafila mobile camp Stay on a traditional Kashmiri houseboat and explore the ‘Lake City’ of Srinagar and its labyrinth of waterways. Fly to Leh and drive to the little explored villages of Kanji and Khema where home will be the luxurious, mobile camp of Kaafila, far from the well-trodden tourist trails.

Drive through Nubra Valley, visit ancient Buddhist statues and see remote and beautiful villages, brought alive by the knowledge and enthusiasm of your extraordinary guide, David Sonam. In Leh, stay at the exquisite 14th century Stok Palace.

David Sonam is one of Ladakh’s most distinguished residents.

His great grandfather was a renowned sculptor and artist whose work can be seen in many of Ladakh’s major monasteries while his grandfather was Ladakh’s first ordained Moravian priest. This legacy gives David an extra insight into the history and culture of his Himalayan homeland which, combined with his modest genial demeanour, makes him the perfect host.

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N

INDIA LADAKH Ulley Valley

EW

TO

UR

Leh

CHINA

INDIA

Delhi

NEPAL

Snow Leopards in the Ulley Valley LED BY DAVID SONAM 26 FEBRUARY - 9 MARCH 2016 £3,770 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-8

•Best chance of snow leopard sightings in Ladakh •Exceptional leader from Snow Leopard Conservancy •Traditional homestay accommodation Ulley is in the centre of three interlocking valleys that support between eight and ten snow leopards according to the last census.

Sightings of “The Ghost of the Himalaya” are not unusual here, especially when tracking is handled by Tchewang Norbu and overseen by David Sonam from the Snow Leopard Conservancy. Explore this less frequented corner of Ladakh, looking for snow leopards, blue sheep, ibex and Ladakhi urial by 4WD and on foot and then return to the warmth of a traditional homestay.

David started work as a naturalist for Tiger Tops before becoming a founding trustee of the Snow Leopard Conservancy India (he is now the Managing Trustee). A keen ornithologist and photographer, David has led numerous wildlife expeditions in Ladakh, collaborating with well-known photographers such as Steve McCurry (National Geographic Magazine). His understanding of the snow leopard’s behaviour gives unparalleled insight into the world of this big cat.

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47

INDIA Delhi

INDIA

NEPAL

Bandhavgarh National Park

Kanha National Park

Flying Safari In the Land of the Tiger LED BY KARAN RANA 12 - 21 APRIL 2016 / 16 - 24 APRIL 2016 £5,345 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-8

•Private air charter between Delhi and national parks •12 game drives for maximum wildlife viewing •Optimum time of year to see tigers Getting to India’s national parks has always taken time and patience and usually means losing a few day’s holiday to travelling by road. Not anymore. Steppes has chartered a Cessna Grand Caravan to allow a group of up to eight wildlife lovers to fly directly from Delhi to Bandhavgarh and Kanha, giving maximum time on safari and minimal time in transit. Escorted by a brilliant naturalist and staying at beautiful lodges, the emphasis is on maximising your time on game drives in search of tiger and other wildlife.

Karan worked with Tiger Tops in Chitwan and Bardia for over 15 years before moving to India where he spends most of his time in Bandhavgarh and Kanha.

He has been a key exponent of implementing mobile and walking safaris within these parks and continues to be a champion of community based tourism. He splits his time between leading specialist wildlife groups and being head naturalist at Kanha Earth Lodge.

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49

N INDIA Bhuj

Dasada

EW

TO

UR

Ahmedabad

INDIA Mumbai

Hyderabad

DAY 1 LONDON/MUMBAI Overnight flight DAY 2 MUMBAI Arrival and orientation tour DAY 3 MUMBAI Guided sightseeing of Mumbai.

DAY 4 MUMBAI/BHUJ Fly to Bhuj. Drive to Nirona

village for Rogan art.

DAY 5 BHUJ Visit a traditional embroiderer’s

cooperative and Banni villages.

DAY 6 BHUJ Visit Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya, the

first Design School for Tradtional Artisans.

See the traditional port of Mandvi. Visit Ali Mohammed Isha.

DAY 7 BHUJ, DASADA Drive to Dasada to see the

crafts of block printing and natural dyeing.

DAY 8 DASADA Take a wildlife safari across the

Little Rann. Visit local tribal villages.

DAY 9 DASADA, AHMEDABAD Drive to

Ahmedabad visiting Patan en route.

DAY 10 AHMEDABAD Visit the Calico Museum,

Mata Ni Pachhedi painters and the Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi.

DAY 11 AHMADABAD/HYDERABAD Fly to

Hyderabad. Explore the Nizam’s Museum at Purani Haveli. Visit Chowmohalla Palace, the Jagdhish and Kamala Mittal Museum. In the evening take a private tour of the Falaknuma Palace with the resident historian.

DAY 12 HYDERABAD Visit the weaving village of

Pchampally, drive to the Golconda Fort and Qutub Shahi Tomb. Evening farewell dinner with a Qawwali performance.

DAY 13 HYDERABAD/LONDON Return flight.

50

Textiles and Artisans of India LED BY ROSEMARY CRILL 5 - 17 NOVEMBER 2016 £4,620 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Visit Gujarat, home to 400 year old Rogan art •See the mirror work of nomadic Rabari tribes •Stay at the exquisite Falaknuma Palace This tour offers fascinating insights into the superbly varied textiles of India, within the broad context of its rich cultural and spiritual traditions.

Travelling through the semi-barren regions of Gujarat in India’s north- west, meet the people of Bhuj. The artisans here have produced some of India’s most creative folk embroidery and gorgeous bandhini. The tour ends in Hyderabad with a stay at the former residence of the Nizam of Hyderabad, now one of the most ornate and exquisite hotels in India.

Rosemary Crill has spent her career as a curator of the V&A Museum’s Indian collections, specialising in textiles and paintings. She has published many books and articles on these subjects and has travelled widely in India.

She was co-curator of Colours of the Indus (1997), The Indian Portrait (2010) and The Fabric of India (2015-16).

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SRI LANKA Trincomalee

EW

TO

UR

Wilpattu National Park

Knuckles Mountain Range Negombo Colomboo

SRI LANKA Yala

Leopard & Whale Safari LED BY NOEL RODRIGO & VIMUKTHI WEERATUNGA 10 - 24 MARCH 2016 £4,630 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 8-12

•Explore Wilpattu, Knuckles Ranges and Yala •Capture data for a leopard conservation project •Encounter blue and sperm whales in Trincomalee A hands-on safari carefully crafted to visit Sri Lanka at the optimum time for seeing leopards and whales. Track wildlife in the company of renowned naturalists, Noel Rodrigo and Vimukthi Weeratunga before returning to luxury accommodation for a high level of comfort. Noel will deliver privileged insight into ongoing leopard research projects while Vimukthi and his colleagues will showcase the whale research being done in Trincomalee.

During March, large congregations of blue whales and sperm whales are often seen side by side in the waters of Trincomalee.

Noel Rodrigo, also known as the ‘Leopard Man’ of Sri Lanka has gathered over 35 years of experience of tracking leopards in Sri Lanka. He works closely with the Wildlife and Wilderness Conservation Trust’s (WWCT) Leopard Project. Conservationist, researcher and photographer, Vimukthi will lead the group in Trincomalee, alongside a marine naturalist with over 300 whale watching tours under his belt.

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53

N SRI LANKA

Ulagalla

EW

TO

UR

Sigiriya

Kandyy Hatton

SRI LANKA

Galle

DAY 1 LONDON/COLOMBO Fly to Colombo.

DAY 2 COLOMBO, KOTUGODA Arrive Colombo and

transfer to Kotugoda.

DAY 3 KOTUGODA, COLOMBO Meet photographer

Mark Forbes for a city walk around Colombo.

Meet the founder of Tea Eli, Dush De Silva.

DAY 4 KOTUGODA, SIGIRIYA/ULAGALLA Fly to

Sigiriya for the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

DAY 5 ULAGALLA Travel to Anuradhapura with Jeff

and Ajith Fonseka. Return to Ulagalla.

DAY 6 ULAGALLA, KANDY Take the spice route to

Kandy. Lunch at the home of batik artist Ena de Silva. High tea with rare teas from Jeff’s private collection.

DAY 7 KANDY Visit the Peradeniya Royal Botanical

Gardens and take a walk around Kandy. In the evening, visit the sacred site of the Temple of the Tooth.

DAY 8 KANDY, HATTON Train to Hatton, in the

heart of tea country. High tea with Jeff and Andrew Taylor.

DAY 9 HATTON Visit Tea Trails Norwood Tea

Factory for an insight into the growth and manufacture of tea. Visit the villages of this valley.

DAY 10 HATTON, GALLE Travel to the south coast

and Galle.

DAY 11 GALLE Private tour of Virgin White Tea

plantation with owner Herman Gunaratne.

Guided tour of Galle Fort with Shahira Ifthikar. Evening farewell dinner with Jeff and Henrietta Cottam at Why House.

DAY 12 GALLE, COLOMBO/LONDON

Return flight to London.

54

Tea Trails of Sri Lanka LED BY JEFF FUCHS 2 - 13 DECEMBER 2016 £4,680 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Sigiriya fortress and the sacred city of Anuradhapura •Visit the Virgin White Tea plantation in Galle •Stay at Sri Lanka’s finest luxury boutique hotels This journey encompasses a past-topresent exploration of the cultures and landscapes that have shaped Sri Lanka’s tea story. Sample single estate teas and visit Sri Lanka’s most dramatic UNESCO sites, guided by Jeff and leading local historians and experts.

Take the train from Kandy to the heart of Sri Lanka’s Tea Country - one of the most scenic train rides in Asia.

Jeff Fuchs recently authored ‘The Ancient Tea Horse Road’, becoming the first westerner to travel and document the extraordinary six thousand kilometre tea trade route in its entirety – a journey that National Geographic Traveller Magazine listed among ‘50 Trips of a Lifetime’ edition.

He is drawn to Sri Lanka not only for its tea but “the hands, the care, and the soils that provide and produce it”.

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XXX INDONESIA MALAYSIA Rimba Lodge

Way Kambas

INDONESIA

Jakarta Denpasar

Labuan Bajo

Indonesia’s Big Five LED BY DR CLAIRE OELRICHS 11 - 25 JUNE 2016 £4,575 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 4-12

•Orangutans, tigers, rhinos, elephants and dragons •Explore the rainforests of Sumatra & Borneo •Search for dragons on Komodo island From the rainforests in Sumatra where tigers prowl to the land of dragons in Komodo, this tour is for intrepid travellers looking to discover a part of Asia where few tourists have ventured. Our exclusive partnership with Saving Indonesia’s Endangered Species allows us to meet with local communities and to explore regions well off the beaten track. Led by Dr Claire Oelrichs, founder of SIES, learn about the initiatives being taken to conserve wildlife habitats and go in search of Indonesia’s Big Five.

Dr Oelrichs is the scientific advisor for S.I.E.S, veterinary surgeon, conservationist and coordinator of the Ecolodges Indonesia Conservation Fund. She travels regularly in Indonesia, working closely with the national parks and the Guides’ Training Courses to raise awareness of protecting Indonesia’s wildlife and habitat. With a no nonsense Aussie sense of humour combined with an infectious passion for Indonesia, she is the perfect leader for this trip.

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57

N

PAPUA NEW GUINEA Sepik River

TO

UR

Bagabag Island

Madang

PNG

EW

Umboi Island

Jacquinot Bay

Tufi Ferguson Island

Soloman Sea

Alotau Cairns

Luxury Cruise with Chris Packham LED BY CHRIS PACKHAM 5 - 21 NOVEMBER 2016 £11,995 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 26-32

•Explore PNG’s coastline by luxury boat •Dive or snorkel the crystal clear waters of Tufi •Spot birdlife and wildlife in the jungles of Papua Join an exclusive charter with Steppes Travel to Papua New Guinea, hosted throughout by naturalist and BBC presenter, Chris Packham. This 12 day expedition cruise on board the luxury small ship True North, sails around the remote islands of Papua New Guinea and goes up the Sepik River to explore the fascinating interior of the country. This voyage also has an ‘expeditionary’ element to it as this itinerary explores parts of the New Britain coastline that True North has previously never visited.

An accomplished photographer, cameraman, writer, conservationist and presenter, Chris Packham has become synonymous with natural history in the UK. His photography is innovative and thought-provoking and his views on conservation and the environment are always expressed in an entertaining, pragmatic and occasionally controversial manner. He has a large back catalogue of TV work but has more recently gained popularity for BBC2’s Springwatch, Autumnwatch, Winterwatch and Nature’s Weirdest Events.

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59

N

TONGA SAMOA

EW

TO

UR

FIJI Vava’u Tongatapu

TONGA

Swim with Humpback Whales LED BY DOUG ALLAN 2 - 15 AUGUST 2016 £4,750 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-8

•Visit the beautiful island paradise of Tonga •Snorkel alongside one of the world’s largest mammals •Learn from wildlife photographer Doug Allan As wildlife lovers strive for the ultimate encounter with big mammals, the bar is constantly being lifted higher and higher.

We would like to think that we’ve raised the bar another notch. This trip gives you the opportunity to swim with humpback whales in the warm, crystal-clear waters of the Tongan Pacific, escorted by a BBC cameraman who is famous for some of the most spectacular underwater footage of humpback whales ever filmed.

Doug Allan is one of the world’s best known and respected wildlife cameramen. He has worked for BBC, Discovery and National Geographic, filming for series including ‘The Blue Planet’, ‘Planet Earth’, ‘Life’, ‘Frozen Planet’ and ‘Ocean Giants’. He’s filmed whales in almost all the seas of the world and has twice won the underwater category in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

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61

Africa “IF YOU HAVE MEN WHO WILL ONLY COME IF THEY KNOW THERE IS A GOOD ROAD, I DON’T WANT THEM. I WANT MEN WHO WILL COME IF THERE IS NO ROAD AT ALL” DAVID LIVINGSTONE

64 ETHIOPIA 66 MOROCCO 68 KENYA 70 UGANDA 72 ZIMBABWE 74 CONGO & CAR 76 NAMIBIA 78 SOUTH AFRICA 80 RWANDA & DRC

ETHIOPIA SUDAN Gorgora Lake Tana

Adwa

Axum Gondar

Bahir Dar B

Lalibela

ETHIOPIA Addis Ababa

DAY 1 LONDON/ ADDIS ABABA Fly overnight.

DAY 2 ADDIS ABABA Full day city tour including

Mount Entoto.

DAY 3 ADDIS ABABA Further exploration of

the city.

DAY 4 ADDIS ABABA/ AXUM Fly to Axum.

Explore the stelae park (burial place of 3rd and 4th century kings).

DAY 5 ADWA, YEHA Visit Adwa where Emperor

Menelik II defeated the Italian Army in 1896. Continue on to Yeha.

DAY 6 AXUM/ LALIBELA Fly to Lalibela and

explore the exceptional 13th century rock-hewn churches.

DAY 7 LALIBELA Travel north to the remarkably

preserved church of Ymrahanna Kristo.

DAY 8 LALIBELA/ GONDAR Fly to Gondar and

explore its many forts and castles.

DAY 9 GONDAR Full day to explore Gondar.

DAY 10 BAHIR DAR Drive to Gorgora on the

northern banks of Lake Tana, take a boat to Bahir Dar. DAY 11 BAHIR DAR Visit the source of the Nile and

the Tis Abay monastery.

DAY 12 BAHIR DAR/ADDIS ABABA Fly to Addis.

DAY 13 ADDIS ABABA/LONDON Return flight.

Ethiopia Uncovered LED BY WILLIAM TAYLOR 13 - 25 FEB 2016 / 6 - 18 NOVEMBER 2016 £3,145 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Explore the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela •The auspicious and enigmatic stelae of Axum •Fortresses of Gondar, known as the ‘Camelot of Africa’ With immense scenery and a remarkable culture, Ethiopia is a front-runner for Africa’s most unique country. The history is ancient, yet alive and vibrant, with places like Lalibela, Axum and Gondar possessing a captivating and almost supernatural aura. When combined with Ethiopia’s remarkable people, it is little wonder that the country leaves an indelible impression on all those who visit.

William Taylor is a writer and broadcaster on the Islamic world and Orthodox Churches. He has travelled extensively throughout the Balkans, Middle East, Africa and Central Asia and speaks Syriac, Arabic and Turkish. His publications include Light from the East, Christians in the Holy Land and Antioch and Canterbury. His PhD was on Orthodox Churches in the late Ottoman period.

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65

MOROCCO

Marrakech

Essaouira

Mountains A Atlas

MOROCCO

DAY 1 MARRAKECH, ATLAS MOUNTAINS

Arrive in Marrakech. Transfer to the Atlas Mountains.

DAY 2 ATLAS MOUNTAINS Day at the Kasbah

sketching.

DAY 3 ATLAS MOUNTAINS Visit the local village

of Armed.

DAY 4 ATLAS MOUNTAINS Visit the local village

of Imlil, spend the afternoon sketching.

DAY 5 ATLAS MOUNTAINS, MARRAKECH

Transfer back to Marrakech. Spend the afternoon touring the city.

DAY 6 MARRAKECH Visit the Majorelle Gardens.

DAY 7 MARRAKECH, ESSAOUIRA Spend the

afternoon exploring the town.

DAY 8 ESSAOUIRA Spend the day sketching

around the town.

DAY 9 ESSAOUIRA Transfer to the airport for the

flight back to London.

Morocco Sketchbook Tour LED BY MAXINE RELTON 8 -16 MAY 2016 £2,495 PP EXC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-10

•Learn the art of sketching from a professional artist •Explore Berber villages in the Atlas Mountains •Souqs of Marrakech and galleries of Essaouira Combining the vitality of Marrakech with the fresh air of the mountains and the dramatic Atlantic coastline, this trip will prove the perfect muse for any would-be sketcher. Paper and pencils at the ready, explore the picturesque Atlas Mountains and isolated villages which dot the landscape with the Berber people as your hosts. Stroll through the vibrant old quarter and colourful souqs of Marrakech and finish at the small fishing port of Essaouira with its whitewashed walls and artisan galleries.

Maxine is a full-time artist working out of Gloucestershire. She is an elected Academician at The Royal West of England Academy, teaches and lectures at home and abroad, exhibits widely and has been leading overseas sketchbook tours with Steppes for many years. The feedback we receive from clients travelling with Maxine is always the same – patient, enthusiastic, energetic and knowledgeable.

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67

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KENYA Lake Turkana

KENYA

EW

TO

UR

Samburu

Lake Naivasha

Nairobi

Elephant Insight & Lake Turkana LED BY SABA DOUGLAS-HAMILTON 12 - 22 FEBRUARY 2016 £9,670 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-10

•Led by BBC presenter, Saba Douglas-Hamilton •Safaris with researchers from Save The Elephants •Helicopter safari over Lake Turkana The contribution made to elephant conservation by the Douglas-Hamiltons is legendary and so to spend a week in their company, on their home soil of Samburu and Naivasha, is the opportunity of a lifetime.

Take walks and game drives in Samburu escorted by Saba Douglas-Hamilton and Elephant Watch’s Samburu guides. Meet with researchers from Save The Elephants who will introduce you to the resident elephant herd. The trip is broken up by a full day’s helicopter safari into Kenya’s Northern Frontier, staying overnight at Desert Rose.

Saba Douglas-Hamilton is an award-winning wildlife filmmaker, TV host and conservationist. She is a key member of the Save The Elephants team in Kenya, where she helped set up a research station in Samburu that now monitors a population of over 900 elephants. She is an accomplished TV presenter and her best known work is Secret Life of Elephants and Big Cat Diary.

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69

N

UGANDA

Kasese

EW

TO

UR

Entebbe

Queen Elizabeth NP

Kihihi

UGANDA

Bwindi NP

Uganda Festival of Primates LED BY DAVID LLOYD & PRIMATE EXPERTS 19 - 27 JUNE 2016 £4,395* PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 10-14

•Meet the world’s leading primate experts •Track mountain gorillas and chimps •Photographic workshops with David Lloyd We have used all our experience, connections and contacts to bring together the world’s leading primate experts. In between gorilla trekking and tracking chimpanzees, you’ll have the chance to meet Gladys Kalema and researchers from Gorilla Doctors, Uganda Wildlife Authority and local community projects. Award-winning photographer, David Lloyd will join gorilla and chimp treks to help with capturing memorable photographs.

Award-winning wildlife photographer David Lloyd, will be with the group to help photographers, from beginners to experts, to capture memorable images of Uganda’s primates and other wildlife.

Throughout the tour, primatologists and experts will join the group to give extra insight and narrative to the experience – people like Gladys Kalema (Conservation Through Public Health), Gorilla Doctors and Uganda Wildlife Authority

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71

N

ZIMBABWE

EW

TO

UR

ZAMBIA Victoria Fallss

BOTSWANA

Hwange

ZIMBABWE

Predators & Big Game LED BY PETER BLINSTON 27 MAY - 6 JUNE 2016 £4,295 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-10

•Patrol with the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit •Safari with Painted Dog Conservation trackers •Meet researchers from the Hwange Lion Project Our tour goes beyond the conventional safari by joining forces with anti-poaching units and conservation projects to give insight into the work being done to protect Zimbabwe’s wildlife. Canoe the rivers that feed Victoria Falls, go on patrol in Zambezi National Park and track herds of elephant, packs of wild dog, solitary black rhino, big cats and the rare Sable and Roan antelope in Hwange National Park.

Peter read Dr Greg Rasmussen’s research on wild dogs and felt compelled to contact him to see how he could help. He worked as a volunteer in England for two years and then moved to Zimbabwe, where he has worked with Painted Dog Conservation for over a decade, translating Greg’s research and vision into a project that is securing a long term future for wild dogs in Zimbabwe.

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73

N

CONGO & CAR CAMEROON

C.A.R.

Dzanga Sangha

EW

TO

UR

Nouabale Ndoki

GABON

Owando

D.R. CONGO

CONGO Brazzaville

Congo & CAR Adventure LED BY JEAN CLAUDE MOLUNGU KONDE 30 SEPT - 16 OCT 2016 £6,350 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-8

•Track lowland gorillas •See the forest elephants of Dzanga Bai. •Join the indigenous Ba’Aka tribe on a forest walk Follow in the footsteps of Africa’s most illustrious explorers to the wilds of the Congo Basin, where lowland gorillas and forest elephants outnumber tourists. Join Ba’Aka tribes as they hunt and sing in the shadows.

Travel on wild jungle roads, through hard to reach remote outposts and river villages by 4WD and small wooden pirogues. Highlights include Nouabale-Ndoki National Park and the prehistoric Dzanga Sangha Special Reserve.

This trip is escorted by the friendly, tireless, and extremely capable Jean Claude, who grew up in Kinshasa. JC (as he is known) has a wealth of local connections which are vital when travelling in this part of Africa and speaks fluent English, French, Lingala, and Portuguese. In Nouabale-Ndoki you will also be escorted by National Park guides.

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75

N

NAMIBIA

Hobatere Lodge

Desert Rhino Camp EHRA Camp

EW

TO

UR

NAMIBIA Okonjima

Windhoek

Erongo Wilderness Camp

Big Cats, Desert Rhinos & Elephants LED BY NAMIBIA’S LEADING CONSERVATIONISTS 27 MAY - 10 JUNE 2016 7 - 21 OCTOBER 2016 £4,795 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-12

•Track desert lions, rhinos and elephants •Meet those at the forefront of conservation in Namibia •Stay at Desert Rhino Lodge and Okonjima If you love seeing wildlife in its natural habitat and have a yearning for an insight into the efforts being made to conserve the animals and habitat of Africa, then this trip is for you.Track leopards and cheetahs with the team at AfriCat; travel with Tammy Hoth around western Etosha to see the work being done to protect desert lions; track desert rhinos with Save the Rhino Trust and join Elephant-Human Relations Aid (EHRA) to learn about the world of desert-adapted elephants.

As the group visits distinctive regions of Namibia a specialist guide who knows the region, the wildlife and the conservation work being done, will take over. Donna Hanssen from AfriCat at Okonjima; Tammy Hoth from AfriCat North around western Etosha; Simpson Urikop or Dr Axel Hartmann from Save the Rhino Trust and Chris Pitot and/or Matthias Kangumbe from Elephant-Human Relations Aid

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77

N SOUTH AFRICA

EW

TO

UR

Cederberg

SOUTH AFRICA Cape Town Hermanus

DAY 1 LONDON/CAPE TOWN Fly to Cape Town.

DAY 2 CAPE TOWN Arrival in Cape Town and

remainder of the day at leisure.

DAY 3 CAPE TOWN Full day hike of Table

Mountain, city tour and Kirstenbosch Gardens.

DAY 4 WELLINGTON Day visit to Bainskloof Pass.

DAY 5 CAPE TOWN Cape Point, Peninsula tour.

DAY 6 CAPE TOWN, CEDERBERG Full day drive

to the Cederberg area with en-route stop at Waylands Reserve.

DAY 7/8 CEDERBERG Two full days to explore this

region in search of indigenous plant life including the Drosera Cistiflora ‘Eitz’.

DAY 9 CEDERBERG, HERMANUS Full day’s

drive down to Hermanus and the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve.

DAY 10 HERMANUS Visit Fernkloof Reserve

where 1,475 plant species have been collected and identified.

DAY 11 HERMANUS Full day guiding around

Grootbos Nature Reserve with some of the best land based whale watching in the world.

DAY 12 HERMANUS, CAPE TOWN/LONDON

Depart via Cape Town for overnight flight to London.

DAY 13 LONDON Arrive London.

Floral Kingdoms of the Cape LED BY STEWART MCPHERSON 29 AUGUST - 10 SEPTEMBER 2016 £4,990 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Visit Table Mountain for 2,200 plant species •Private guided tour of Kirstenbosch Gardens •Grootbos Private Nature Reserve Join Stewart McPherson for a journey through the Cape’s Floral Kingdom.

The Cape’s Floral Kingdom is home to nearly 20% of the African continent’s flora, with a large proportion being endemic. See the magnificent King Protea and the small carnivorous Cape Sundew with Stewart and other experts on hand to explain the life cycles of the region’s extraordinary plants. Stay in top end hotels and make the most of the Cape’s celebrated hospitality.

Stewart is an awardwinning author of natural history books, and presenter of numerous wildlife documentaries.

He ha s studied carnivorous plants extensively over the last decade, and climbed 300 mountains across the world to study and photograph carnivorous plants to complete a series of 20 published books. He has discovered and named 35 new taxa of carnivorous plants, including two of the largest pitcher plants currently known.

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79

N

RWANDA & DRC Virunga NP

EW

TO

UR

Mt. Nyiragongo Goma K Kigali

Bukavu

Nyungwe

Primates & Volcanoes LED BY ETHAN KINSEY 4 - 15 FEBRUARY 2016 £4,795 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 8

•Track eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega •Track chimps and mountain gorillas in the Virungas •Climb the volcano of Nyiragongo This pioneering trip explores two UNESCO World Heritage sites in the heart of Africa: Kahuzi Biega and the Virungas. Trek eastern lowland and mountain gorillas, visit the world’s only orphan mountain gorilla sanctuary, search for chimps and overnight on the crater’s edge of Nyiragongo, home to the world’s largest lava lake.

Ethan Kinsey was born and raised in a small village on the outskirts of Arusha, and his family has lived in Tanzania for over three generations.

He has managed safari camps, trained guides across Tanzania but has recently followed his passion for private guiding (especially on foot) across Kenya, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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81

The Americas “FOLLOWING THE LIGHT OF THE SUN, WE LEFT THE OLD WORLD..”

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

84 BRAZIL 86 GUATEMALA & HONDURAS 88 CANADA 90 COLOMBIA

BRAZIL Uakari Lodge

Manaus

BRAZIL

Cuiaba

BOLIVIA

Araras Lodge

Rio

Amazon Jaguar & Pantanal Wildlife LED BY JAGUAR RESEARCHERS & LOCAL GUIDES 10 - 22 MAY 2016 24 MAY - 5 JUNE 2016 £5,100 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 4-6

•Join jaguar researchers in Mamiraua reserve •Stay at Uakari floating lodge, deep in the Amazon •The Pantanal’s diverse wildlife species Explore the Pantanal by boat, on foot and through night drives. Join specialist researchers, tracking jaguars in the Mamiraua Reserve, deep in the Brazilian Amazon. The reserve is part of the world’s largest protected tropical rainforest corridor and has one of the highest densities of jaguar on earth, including the rare black jaguar. Spend four days here with jaguar researchers, travelling by boat around submerged trees. During the flooded season jaguars sleep and hunt in the treetops, an adaptation only seen in this area.

In the Pantanal local naturalists from Araras Lodge lead the group. Once in the Amazon a naturalist from Uakari Lodge and jaguar researcher Emiliano Esterci Ramalho take over. Monies from this trip are used to fund scientific research in which jaguars are monitored by means of GPS collars to help better understand the behaviour of the animals, the area they occupy and their impact on local communities.

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85 P85

GUATEMALA & HONDURAS Tikal T

MEXICO

GUATEMALA

Lake Atitlan

DAY 1

Iximche A g Antigua

Copan Guatemala City G

HONDURAS

LONDON/MADRID/GUATEMALA CITY

Fly to Guatemala and arrive in Antigua.

DAY 2 ANTIGUA Walking tour of Antigua.

DAY 3 CHIMALTENANGO, ANTIGUA Visit to

School project.

DAY 4 SOLOLA, LAKE ATITLAN Tour the Maya

market at Solola’s . Drive to Lake Atitlan.

DAY 5 LAKE ATITLAN Full day boat tour visiting San

Juan and Santiago villages.

DAY 6 IXIMCHE, ANTIGUA Archaeological site visit

and Shaman ceremony at Iximche en-route to Antigua. See the Semana Santa processions.

DAY 7 COPAN Drive to Copan. Presentation by David

Sedat on his archaeological work at Copan.

DAY 8 COPAN Full day exploring Copan’s ruins,

famous for the carved stelae and royal tombs.

DAY 9 COPAN, QUIRIGUA, LIVINGSTON Visit the

Maya site of Quirigua. Travel by boat to the port of Livingston.

DAY 10 TIKAL Boat trip through Rio Dulce Canyon

before driving to Tikal.

DAY 11 TIKAL Sunrise at the archaeological site of

Tikal followed by full day tour of the ruins.

DAY 12 YAXHA, TOPOXTE, FLORES, GUATEMALA CITY See the ancient Maya sites of Yaxha and

Topoxte (by boat) before lunch in Flores and evening flight to Guatemala City.

DAY 13 GUATEMALA CITY/MADRID/LONDON Visit

Ixchel and Popul Vuh museums. Overnight flight to London.

DAY 14 LONDON Arrive London.

86

The Maya World LED BY DR DIANE DAVIES 27 FEB - 11 MARCH 2016 £4,470 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•Explore the great Maya cities of Copan and Tikal •Colonial Antigua and volcano-fringed Lake Atitlan •Meet modern shamans and the Maya deity Maximon This exclusive journey focuses on the legacy of the ancient Maya in Guatemala and Honduras, including impressive ancient cities and a modern culture that draws much from the traditions, religion and heritage of the past. Visit some of Central America’s most scenic locations including the historic Spanish colonial city of Antigua and the ethereally beautiful Lake Atitlan. Our expert tour leader will be joined by eminent archaeologist, David Sedat, in Copan, who will present on his archaeological work here and lead a tour of the site.

Dr Diane Davies is an archaeologist specialising on the Maya. She lectures in archaeology and anthropology at the City Literary College London and is an honorary research associate at the Institute of Archaeology, UCL. She has played an active role in putting together this itinerary and will be introducing the group to many of her friends and colleagues from the Maya world.

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CANADA Tweedsmuir

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CANADA

Vancouver

Canada Wildlife Photography Tour LED BY SUE FLOOD 15 - 22 SEPTEMBER 2016 £4,995 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-8

•Expert tuition from wildlife photographer Sue Flood •Photograph grizzlies at the height of the salmon run •Join naturalists from Tweedsmuir Lodge During the salmon run in British Columbia, grizzly bears are drawn to the rivers to feast on spawning salmon. For the best opportunity to photograph one of the world’s most exceptional wildlife spectacles, float along the river in specially designed, non-motorised boats, with Sue Flood on hand to help with capturing the action. The naturalists at Tweedsmuir Lodge will join the group on all activities, giving insight into the bears’ behaviour and taking guided walks to see black bears, wolves, cougars, mountain goats and an array of birdlife.

Sue was Associate Producer on the BBC series ‘The Blue Planet’ and more recently worked on ‘Planet Earth’.

Both programmes featured animal behaviours which were filmed for the first time and Sue obtained unique images for the series. But above all, Sue is great fun to be with and while you will doubtless hone your photographic skills under her tuition, you are also guaranteed a fun and rewarding time in her company.

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N COLOMBIA S Santa Marta

Cartagena

PANAMA

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VENEZUELA Villa dee Leyva Le Sogamoso S Bogota

San Augustinn

COLOMBIA San Jose del Guaviare

DAY 1 LONDON/BOGOTA Fly to Bogata.

DAY 2 BOGOTA/SOGAMOSO City tour including

the Gold Museum.

DAY 3 SOGAMOSO/VILLA DE LEYVA Visit Eliecer

Silva Celis Museum and the Monquira Archaeological Park.

DAY 4 VILLA DE LEYVA/BOGOTA Visit Sutatausa

Church, Zipaquira and the Salt Cathedral.

Meet Gaspar Morcote, an expert on the people of the Amazon basin.

DAY 5 BOGOTA/SAN JOSE DEL GUAVIARE Fly to

San Jose del Guaviare. Visit Cerro Azul.

DAY 6 SAN JOSE DEL GUAVIARE Travel by boat to

the Raudal del Guayabero wall painting site.

DAY 7 SAN JOSE DEL GUAVIARE/BOGOTA/ NEIVA/SAN AGUSTIN Fly to Bogota, on to

Neiva, arrive in San Agustin.

DAY 8 SAN AGUSTIN Visit San Agustin

Archaeological Park.

DAY 9 SAN AGUSTIN Visit Alto de Los Idolos

archaeological park and Alto de Las Piedras archaeological site.

DAY 10 SAN AGUSTIN/SANTA MARTA Fly to Santa

Marta. Meet Tayrona expert.

DAY 11 SANTA MARTA Visit Publito archaeological

ruins and Cabo de San Juan beach.

DAY 12 SANTA MARTA/CARTAGENA Guided city

Colombia Uncovered LED BY JUAN ORTIZ & LOCAL EXPERTS 19 AUG - 1 SEPT 2016 £4,275 PP INC FLIGHTS | GROUP SIZE OF 6-15

•San Agustin’s ceremonial statues and burial mounds •Amazon basin river trip to see ancient wall paintings •Tayrona National Park’s archaeological ruins Visit remote archaeological sites in the Andes, Amazon and northern tropical forests to see exquisite stone sculptures, paintings and tombs and to learn about the indigenous cultures that crafted this legacy. Explore Spanish colonial heritage in Bogota, Villa de Leyva and Cartagena as well as taking the opportunity to view wildlife in the Llanos/Amazon region.

We’re not sure what the collective noun is for Colombian academics but we’ve managed to gather an impressive lineup of Colombia’s leading experts for this tour: Juan Ortiz - Tour Leader for whole trip; Byron Leon Mendez - Bogota, Zipaquira, Sutatausa; Margarita Silva Montaña - Sogamosa, Villa de Leyva & San Agustin; Gaspar Morcote – Guaviare; Luis Manuel Salamanca - San Agustin and Claudia Vidal Fortich – Cartagena.

tour of Cartagena.

DAY 13 CARTAGENA/BOGOTA Visit Fort of San

Sebastian. Fly to London.

DAY 14 LONDON Arrive London.

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Why Choose Steppes Travel

Steppes Tailor-made

In the Company of Experts Our long association and friendship with the British Museum, academic institutions and wildlife conservation charities worldwide means we have an enviable pool of expertise from which to choose our tour lecturers and expert guides. We carefully select our leaders based on their expertise, unparalleled knowledge, companionship and general affability. While travelling in the company of these experts quite often their influence can facilitate private access to sites and museums not typically open to the public.

Tailor-made For those travellers who wish to take the opportunity to extend their tour and explore more, we can easily arrange this for you, on a tailor-made basis. Our detailed country knowledge and local contacts means we can provide extension suggestions and seamlessly add additional arrangements to your itinerary.

Small is Beautiful Our average group size is typically 8 – 10 people, far smaller than the larger group tours typically offered by our competitors, a factor which many of our clients appreciate. Travelling as part of a smaller group provides a more intimate, personalised and relaxed atmosphere, while making the logistics of visits to sites and museums that much easier.

24 hour Emergency Service We do not believe in answer machines so 24 hours a day, 365 days a year your call will be answered by a person who can connect you to one of our team in case of emergency.

Financial Protection Steppes Travel is a fully bonded tour operator (ATOL 6945) that complies with the Civil Aviation Authority bonding ensuring that your booking is fully protected.

Many of the flights and flight inclusive holidays in this brochure are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL certificate then the booking will not be protected by ATOL. If you do receive an ATOL certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate. If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us, the travel agent (or your credit card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme.

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Private Tours As well as tour extensions, we also have an impressive track record in organising private tours for societies, schools, colleges and other interest groups, as well as for groups of friends. The same meticulous attention to detail goes into the planning of these private bespoke tours as with our own group tours. We can even arrange these to be led by one of our expert lecturers if you wish. Organisations who we’ve arranged private group tours for in the past include: •Christie’s Education •The Victoria and Albert Museum •Oxford Alumni •Eton College •The Saudi British Society •The Roman Society •The English National Opera •Current World Archaeology •The Egypt Exploration Society •Sudan Archaeological Research Society Steppes Travel Heritage Our group travel heritage stems from the former tour operating department at the British Museum and the pioneering wildlife tours of Discovery Initiatives. We have over 26 years experience of travel that goes beyond the ordinary. A team of 45 people in the UK office, plus worldwide partnerships in destination countries makes us one of the most knowledgeable team of specialist travel experts in the UK. Furthermore, our experts venture each year to their region of specialisation, ensuring they are fully up to date with new developments and new places of interest.

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2016 Calendar January Page Guyana: Travels into the land of the giants See Website Chad: Zakouma, Elephants & Nomads See Website India: Jaipur literature festival See Website

February Ethiopia Uncovered 64 - 65 Rwanda & DRC: Primates & Volcanoes 80 - 81 Kenya: Elephant Insight & Lake Turkana 68 - 69 The Sultanate of Oman 18 - 19 Russia: The Jewels of St Petersburg 6-7 India: Snow Leopards in the Ulley Valley 46 - 47 Cambodia: Temples & Kingdoms 36 - 37 Guatemala & Honduras: The Maya World 86 - 87 India: South India Sketchbook Tour See Website Kenya: Masai Mara Photography Safari See Website India: North East Wildlife with Lee Durrell See Website Chad: Zakouma, Elephants & Nomads See Website

See our website for new tours

September Tibet: Ancient Culture and Civilisation 42- 43 China: The Mongol Empire 26- 27 Israel & Palestine: The Cradle of Christianity 20- 21 Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan & China: Scenic Stans 30-31 WE ARE ALWAYS SEARCHING FOR NEW TOURS THAT OFFER YOU AN Greece: Classical Peloponnese 12-13 IN-DEPTH INSIGHT. SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR DETAILS OF ALL THE TOURS Canada: Wildlife Photography Tour 88-89 Georgia In Depth 14-15 WE OFFER INCLUDING THOSE NOT FEATURED IN THIS BROCHURE. Congo & Central African Republic Adventure 74 -75 June Eastern Turkey See Website Russia: Trans Siberian Safari 8-9 India: North East Wildlife with Lee Durrell

Armenia & Georgia: Ancient Lands of Transcaucasia 10 -11 Join Lee Durrell for a very personal journey October Central Asia: The Five Stans 32 - 33 into wildlife conservation, visiting the Durrell China: Guizhou Textiles See Website Indonesia’s Big Five 56 - 57 Foundation projects in Assam. Meet expert Namibia: Big Cats, Desert Rhinos and Desert Elephants 76-77 Uganda: Festival of Primates 70 - 71 wildlife researchers at the Pygmy Hog Basistha

Namibia: Cheetah Kingdom See Website Centre and go on safari in search of the Asian November Georgia: Sketching Tour with Amanda Cooper See Website one horned rhino in Kaziranga National Park.

India: Textiles & Artisans of Gujarat and Hyderabad 50 - 52

Myanmar: Hidden Burma 38-39 July Chad: Zakouma, Elephants & Nomads Papua New Guinea: Luxury Cruise with Chris Packham 58 -59 China: Qinghai Textiles 28 - 29 Discover the frontline conservation work of the March Bhutan & Nepal: Mountains, Myths & Monasteries 40 -41

African Parks team in Zakouma National Park.

Sri Lanka: Leopard & Whale Safari 52 - 53 Roman Algeria See Website August See the rising herds of wild elephants and other Kenya: Wild Dog Photographic Safari See Website North India Sketchbook Tour See Website Tonga: Swim with Humpback Whales 60 - 61 wildlife on this authentic safari guided by expert

Ethiopia Uncovered 64 - 65 India: Kashmir & Ladakh 44 - 45 local guides and meet the nomadic communities April

South Africa: Floral Kingdoms of the Cape 78 - 79 living on the borders of the park.

India Flying Safari: In the Land of the Tiger 48 - 49 December Colombia Uncovered 90 - 91 India: Tiger Safari See Website Sri Lanka: Tea Trails 54-55 Uzbekistan: Beyond the Oxus 24 - 25 Galapagos Private Charter with Monty Halls Uzbekistan: Beyond the Oxus 24 - 25 In conjunction with Telegraph Tours, Steppes has chartered the MV Evolution for a luxury 7 night cruise around the Galapagos. Hosted by Monty Halls along with exceptional naturalist guides this promises to be an outstanding voyage.

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May Morocco: Sketchbook Tour 66 - 67 Zimbabwe: Predators & Big Game 72 - 73 Namibia: Big Cats, Desert Rhinos & Desert Elephants 76 - 77 Amazon Jaguar & Pantanal Wildlife 84 - 85 Romania -Transylvania: The Land Beyond the Forest See Website Galapagos Private Charter with Monty Halls See Website

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Steppes Travel 2016

BEYON D THE OR DIN AR Y

EXPERT-LED GROUP TOURS