TREKKING HEADS FOR NEW HORIZONS

Small group trekking expert Himalayan Kingdoms is constantly seeking out memorable routes in exotic locations off-the-beaten-track and its latest brochure offers even more chances to get away from the crowd.

Its expansion into South-east Asia, which began with Thailand, Laos and Vietnam several years ago, has continued with two adventure tours in Cambodia.

And in South-east Europe the Turkish programme has been extended to include a trek to Mount Ararat and the Kaçkar Mountains, plus a tour which includes boat-based coastal hikes.

In the Buddhist kingdom of Sikkim there is a reconnaissance trek into a largely-unexplored Restricted Area to visit Green Lake and the Zemu Glacier.

Meanwhile Himalayan Kingdoms is helping to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest with eight different treks to the region, including one visiting the Nepalese and Tibetan base camps.

This trek is among nine all-new itineraries featured in Himalayan Kingdoms 54-page 2003/2004 brochure, which details more than 70 adventure holidays in Tibet, the kingdoms of Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim, Ladakh, the Karakoram, Chitral, Northern India, Thailand and Laos, Vietnam, Outer Mongolia, China, Central Asia and Europe.

The 13-day Temples of Angkor Wat and the 18-day Undiscovered Cambodia treks take you beneath the surface of this fascinating country, much of which is virtually untouched by the modern world.

Whether visiting the World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat, sightseeing in Phnom Penh or exploring hidden jungle temples this is adventure travel at its best.

In Turkey serious trekkers can choose the 15-day Mount Ararat and Trans-Kaçkar trek which crosses stunningly-beautiful alpine meadows and culminates on the summit of the country’s highest mountain, reputedly the final resting place of Noah’s Ark.

Meanwhile the 17-day Trails & Treasures of Anatolia itinerary combines gentle treks and boat-based walks on Turkey’s stunning Turquoise Coast with sightseeing tours of the cultural and historical wonders of ancient Istanbul and Ephesus.

Special entry permits from the India government are required for another new itinerary - the 23-day Green Lake and the Zemu Glacier trek into Northern Sikkim, a dramatically-beautiful area that few Europeans have visited. 

In 2003 Himalayan Kingdoms also has two new Everest region treks to help mark the golden anniversary of that epic first climb to the summit by Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay.

The 30-day North & South Base Camps of Everest trek visits both the Nepalese and Tibetan bases used by historic expeditions and culminates in a drive across the Tibetan plateau to Lhasa.

And for those with chidren used to hill-walking there is the 16-day Everest Sherpa Villages Family Trek, on which you can meet the region’s people in their homes and experience the excitement of their famous capital, Namche Bazaar.

In Northern India’s Arunachal Pradesh, the 21-day Lost Pass reconnaissance trek offers a chance to explore an area until recently off limits to foreigners and become among the first Europeans to cross the remote Abroka Pass.

The Himalayan Kingdoms’ programme of new itineraries is completed with the 20-day Birdwatching In Bhutan trek, led by John Sparks, former head of the BBC’s Natural History Unit, and seeking out many of the 700 species that live in the kingdom.