With travel to many Asian countries opening up as quarantine and PCR testing requirements are being lifted, luxury tour operator andBeyond is offering some hand-picked itineraries that explore the lesser-known gems of India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, as well as honouring the region's conservation successes.
All itineraries are guided by carefully selected experts who share a wealth of behind-the-scenes knowledge and details with travellers.In Nepal, guests can venture off the beaten track and into the hidden depths of the Himalaya in The Hidden Valley tour. The 11-day itinerary explores the remote and historic valley of Phaplu, following in the footsteps of renowned explorer Sir Edmund Hillary. Staying at a guesthouse he loved, travellers can enjoy a selection of scenic mountain hikes, interact with Buddhist scholars in a nearby monastery and visit community projects founded by Sir Edmund. There is also the option to add a helicopter flight towards Mount Everest or a sleep-out in a traditional Mongolian yurt. The second leg of the trip ventures into Chitwan National Park, exploring some of the region's most iconic wildlife.
An adventurous 10-day itinerary, the Honey Hunters of Nepal combines culture and history with some of Nepal's most magnificent mountain views, including those of Mount Everest, the Annapurna range and the majestic Fishtail mountain. Kicking off in Kathmandu, guests can explore the city's intricately carved wooden architecture, as well as enjoying a mountain flight to view Mount Everest and a tour of the temples, palaces and monuments of the Bhaktapur. Travelling to Pokhara, guests will spend a few days in a typical mountain village of the Gurung community while getting to know the work of Nepal's traditional honey hunters, who harvest wild honey from seemingly inaccessible cliff faces.
The journey continues in Chitwan National Park, home to one-horned rhinos, tigers, gharial crocodile and Gangetic dolphins.
In India, the Iconic Brahmaputra River Cruise is an 11-day river cruise in Assam that combines wildlife, culture and scenic landscapes. Starting off in Delhi, guests move on to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Kaziranga National Park, where they spend two days in search of one-horned rhino, Asian elephant and the elusive tiger. The next week is spent cruising the waters of the Brahmaputra River, one of India's key waterways. Highlights include the opportunity to explore ancient temples, age-old monasteries and remote villages. Travellers will get a glimpse of rural village life, learn some of India's tea traditions at an elegant tea estate and attend an authentic dance performance at a monastery. In addition to the ever-changing scenery, guests can keep an eye out for Gangetic dolphin in the river waters and Asian elephants walking its banks.
The itinerary is hosted by Toby Sinclair, who has lived and worked in South Asia since 1977, spending more than thirty years involved in the production of documentaries on the region's wildlife, culture and history. The Iconic Brahmaputra River Cruise is a set date itinerary that travels from 14 to 24 February 2023 and caters for a maximum of 16 guests.
Iconic Brahmaputra River Cruise
The Endangered Eight Impact Journey traverses three of India's most iconic wildlife sanctuaries, the Kaziranga, Kanha and Gir National Parks, all regarded as conservation success stories. Guided by wildlife expert and naturalist Kartikeya Chauhan, travellers gain a deeper awareness of diverse ecosystems and wildlife behaviour as they search for eight threatened species. These include the Bengal tiger, one-horned rhino, Asiatic elephant, Asiatic lion, wild dog (dhole), barasingha (hardground swamp deer), wild buffalo and the hoolock gibbon, India's only ape species.
Travellers also enjoy the chance to spend an evening with Dr Raghu Chundawat, one of India's leading authorities on tigers, as well as the opportunity to engage with local children at a community primary school, a visit to a wildlife orphanage where animals are rehabilitated and a lesson on the intricate art of tea making. Departure dates are available on request for this 13-day endangered wildlife adventure.
Endangered Eight Impact Journey
Celebrating the efforts made to ensure the future of India's most celebrated big cat, A Project Tiger Expedition marks the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger, one of the world's most successful conservation programs. With a focus on tigers, the journey takes travellers to three national parks set up in India as part of this project – Ranthambhore National Park, Kanha National Park and Kaziranga National Park. The itinerary is guided by award-winning wildlife conservationist, naturalist and photographer Aditya Panda, who introduces guests to work that has been done over half a century to preserve India's tiger population. Travellers also have the opportunity to spend an evening with renowned tiger scientist Dr Raghu Chundawat, who will share his experiences from a lifetime in wildlife conservation.
This 15-night trip is scheduled to run from 1 to 16 December 2022 and then from 12 to 27 January 2023. It is available for a maximum of eight guests.
Prices for the itineraries range from US$5,500 to US$10,712 per person sharing, with the tiger expedition cost including a group donation to Tiger Watch, an initiative that works to ensure the survival of this powerful feline. Full details are contained in the links provided.
A 10-night Wildlife, Culture and Coast itinerary in Sri Lanka is also available as a regular tour.