Escorted Travel: An indepth perspective

Mongolians descended from Mongol tribes still follow time-honoured traditions, raising livestock, breaking in wild horses, living off the land and moving their portable Ger (yurt) camps from one area to another, in accordance with the changing seasons. This lifestyle is reflected in their outlook, customs, arts and folklore and nowhere is this more evident than at the spectacular Naadam Festival, the main focus of this tour.

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West Timor is the centre of a strong regional textile tradition featuring an extraordinarily wide range of hand loomed textiles including ikat, sotis (songket), and buna (supplementary weft), indigo and morinda dyeing, basket work and pottery. Our aim is to immerse you in these traditions through observation and hands-on demonstrations, and above all by meeting the artists and seeing them at work. In 2012, we also offer the remote island of Flores, known for textiles, scenery and Komodo dragons!

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One of the largest, most rugged and beautiful islands in the Indonesian archipelago, is Flores, located in Nusa Tenggara province. Lying several hundred kilometres to the east of Bali, the island of Flores is dominated by a string of volcanoes and the long-impenetrable mountains have divided the island into many distinct ethnic groups. This escorted tour visits many of the highlights of Flores with a particular focus on the crafts and textiles of the island. We also see the celebrated Komodo dragons!

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Discover the hidden gastronomic gems of Lao and Thailand with Jeff Piper, creator of Canberra's celebrated Anise Restaurant and Thirst Wine Bar & Eatery, as he travels throughout Lao and Thailand. For the Asian foodie, this is a tour not to be missed!

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We discovered Sri Lanka many years ago and loved it. Sri Lanka is not like India. It is a Buddhist country, compact and full of ancient and more contemporary history including wonderful British Raj era relics and nowhere near as crowded. Expect superb and dramatic scenery from mountains with wildlife to be seen.

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Spend a week of walking based in a farmhouse in a secluded valley in the foothills of the magnificent French Pyrenees. Walk up to, along and over the border with Spain. Follow the same paths the mediaeval pilgrims took en route to Santiago de Compostela. Enjoy superb French style cooking washed down with Bordeaux red and white wines. This is Dave's 15th year escorting walking programs to the beautiful Pyrenees.

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This trip has been in the pipeline for many years and promises to be a memorable journey. We not only visit the celebrated cities of Meknes, Fes and Marrakech but our tour encompasses many lesser-known places, such as Chefchaouen, Tetouan, in the far north, and N’Kob, Tamnougalt and Agdz in the south.

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This guided walking holiday with 'Italophiles', Mick and Jackie Parsons - brings you the best of central Tuscany. Experience superb guided hikes taking you off the beaten track. Visit Tuscan gardens and castles, drop in to wine estates, chat to the winemakers and taste their wines and olive oil.

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There is no doubt Bhutan is the magical Himalayan Kingdom closest to fulfilling the image of the mythical Shangri-La. Culturally it is a treasure trove. Scenically it is superb. Spiritually it is beyond comparison. Our programme begins in Kolkata before moving to Eastern Bhutan, rich in textiles and crafts yet sees very few visitors. Then in central Bhutan we see rare and fascinating textiles and textile production. Here we are in time to coincide with two wonderful festivals or ‘tsechu’, where hundreds of people dress in their finest traditional costumes to attend, providing for us a smorgasbord of beautiful weavings.

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Let your taste buds do the walking as we immerse you in the gastronomic wonders of northwest Italy. Barolo wine (the 'king' of wines!), the legendary white truffle of Alba, porcini mushrooms, cured meats and hand-crafted cheeses. Beautiful hotels, stunning walks, fascinating history and culture plus exceptional food and wines. October is the perfect time to discover this superb corner of Italy, in good company and with outstanding guides.

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Over the past decade many of our clients have waxed lyrical about the stunning natural beauty, fascinating history and above all colourful ethnic

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The resurgence of textile and craft skills in Laos has made crafts an important part of everyday life and their economy. Traditional textile skills have been reintroduced along with the adoption of new techniques, skills, and ideas. The result is a fascinating blend of old and new, traditional and modern, formal and innovative. Excellent private collections, expansive markets, traditional village weaving, and export workshops will be visited. This program results from extensive research aimed at developing a worthy itinerary showcasing the highlights of textiles and crafts of Laos and their minority communities.

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This tour will be of interest to people who enjoy train travel, however it’s not targeted at the ‘platform-end’ train spotter! Instead, the focus is on using the train as much as possible to discover Vietnam, its history and culture, as well as learning about the fascinating history of the Vietnamese railway network. Tour host, Tim Doling is a leading authority on the railways of Vietnam and published author on the subject.

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