World ExpeditionsBig Adventures. Small Footprint.https://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog10 Essential Food and Beverage Experiences with Ben Groundwaterhttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/5596/10-foods-try-in-japan-with-ben-groundwaterActivities,Cultural Journeys,Destinations,Asia,JapanMon, 29 Jan 2024 23:31:54 GMT<p><b>Get ready to indulge your senses and explore the rich tapestry of flavours, textures, and traditions that define Japanese cuisine with Ben Groundwater. The celebrated columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, accomplished feature writer, broadcaster, and author of the acclaimed guidebook </b><a href="https://www.hardiegrant.com/au/publishing/bookfinder/book/neon-wonderland-in-tokyo-by-ben-groundwater/9781741177015" style="font-weight: bold;">"Neon Lights in Tokyo"</a><b>, has been exploring <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Japan">Japan</a>, and </b><span style="font-size: 13px;"><b>its</b></span><b> unique cuisine, for over 15 years. </b></p> <p>There is no way you should ever limit yourself to just 10 different dishes when you’re in Japan. This is quite possibly the most exciting, most consistently delicious and most diverse food scene on the planet. Why stick to just 10?</p> <p>Not only does Japan have its own varied and tasty styles of cuisine (many of which are listed below), but there are also extensive options available from around the world, some of which – Italian, for example – have even been improved upon by talented local cooks.</p> <p>However, you can’t eat everything. And so, with just a small amount of time in Japan, here is what you should be sampling. The best of the best. The crème de la crème. The 10 dishes you just have to try.</p> <p><img alt="Sushi chef | <i>Ben Groundwater</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="2972708" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/Sushi-chef-2972708-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/Sushi-chef-2972708-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <h1><strong>Sushi</strong></h1> <p>You can’t skip Japan’s most famous delicacy, even though it’s not quite as ubiquitous in its homeland as you might expect. Still, there is genuine love and respect for sushi in Japan, and also incredible skill, as you will realise upon visiting any high-end, omakase-style sushi bar. The nigiri at these places is mind-blowing in its exquisite flavour and texture, driven by the laser-like attention to detail of the chefs.</p> <p> </p> <img alt="Ramen noodles Tokyo | <i>Ben Groundwater</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="2986753" dynamiccroppedimage="1" flexibleaspectratio="4x3" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/Ramen-noodles-Tokyo-2986753-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/Ramen-noodles-Tokyo-2986753-###width###px.jpg" /> <h1><strong>Noodles</strong></h1> <p>Yes, all the noodles, because you can’t choose between the legends here, between ramen, the noodle of true obsessives, and soba, so pristine and beautiful, and udon, hearty and filling. Or at least, I can’t. When you’re travelling in Japan you should seek out all examples from the noodle world, served hot or cold, with hearty soups or clear broths, with side dishes or given solo starring roles.</p>   <img alt="Delicious yakitori | <i>Ben Groundwater</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="2987653" dynamiccroppedimage="1" flexibleaspectratio="4x3" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Ben-Groundwater-Japan-food-blog-2987653-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Ben-Groundwater-Japan-food-blog-2987653-###width###px.jpg" /> <h1><strong>Yakitori</strong></h1> <p>What is yakitori? It’s chicken on a stick. Bits of chicken, stuck on skewers, grilled over charcoal. However, that basic description sells this style of cuisine well short, because in practice yakitori is a refined art, as chefs take all sorts of interesting cuts of poultry and vegetables and grill them over artisanal binchotan coals to absolute perfection.</p> <p> </p> <img alt="Meats are being cooked on the stove in a Japanese restaurant." class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="2982577" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Japanese-style-yakiniku-2982577-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Japanese-style-yakiniku-2982577-###width###px.jpg" /> <h1><strong>Yakiniku</strong></h1> <p>Here’s another simple concept – grilled beef – launched into the stratosphere. At typical Japanese yakiniku joints, diners gather around small grills and cook their own cuts of wagyu, everything from sirloin and rib to tongue, oyster blade and more. It’s a social, relaxed and enjoyable way to eat, though the beef can be seriously high-end.</p> <p> </p> <img alt="Ika shiokara cattlefish or squid." class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="2982576" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Shiokara-2982576-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Shiokara-2982576-###width###px.jpg" /> <h1><strong>Shiokara</strong></h1> <p>OK team, it’s time to get out of your comfort zone and sample a classic Japanese beer snack that is far greater than the sum of its parts. Though, it’s going to be a challenge. Shiokara means “salty-spicy”: it’s raw squid that’s chopped up and mixed with a paste of salty fermented squid guts. It won’t be everyone’s idea of a good time, but if you do enjoy the taste, you will love shiokara with a cold beer.</p> <p> </p> <img alt="Pasta is extremely popular in Japan. | <i>Ben Groundwater</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="2972719" dynamiccroppedimage="1" flexibleaspectratio="4x3" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Ben-Groundwater-Japan-food-blog-2972719-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Ben-Groundwater-Japan-food-blog-2972719-###width###px.jpg" /> <h1><strong>Pasta</strong></h1> <p>Pasta, in Japan? Is that legit? We are here to tell you this is 100 per cent legit. The Japanese have a great love of noodles, and pasta is simply an extension of that, a style of cuisine that has been mastered, and many would say improved upon, by local chefs. This is actually your entry point into a world of foreign foods made with great skill in Japan, everything from classic French pastries to Valencian paella to Neapolitan pizza and more.</p> <p> </p> <img alt="Japanese pork katsu, served with shredded cabbage. | <i>Ben Groundwater</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="2972720" dynamiccroppedimage="1" flexibleaspectratio="4x3" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Ben-Groundwater-Japan-food-blog-2972720-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Ben-Groundwater-Japan-food-blog-2972720-###width###px.jpg" /> <h1><strong>Katsu</strong></h1> <p>This is an easy sell. Katsu is crumbed, deep-fried meat. You’re in, right? And just wait until you discover tonkatsu, the king of the katsu world, a chunky pork schnitzel that is served with shredded cabbage doused in sesame dressing, with rice on the side, and usually a cold beer. Though, you could also have your katsu with curry sauce (katsu kare). Or, on rice with an eggy sauce (katsudon). Can’t lose.</p> <p> </p> <img alt="Japan has an incredible strong coffee culture. | <i>Ben Groundwater</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="2972721" dynamiccroppedimage="1" flexibleaspectratio="4x3" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Ben-Groundwater-Japan-food-blog-2972721-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Ben-Groundwater-Japan-food-blog-2972721-###width###px.jpg" /> <h1><strong>Coffee</strong></h1> <p>It’s no surprise to find that coffee is a big deal in Japan. The coffee culture here has evolved immensely over the last 100 years or so, though you can still find purveyors of all the historical styles, from the old-fashioned “kissaten” coffee shops, to the American-style chain stores, to the new-wave espresso joints, to the hipster boltholes doing artisanal pour-overs. It’s all good.</p> <p> </p> <img alt="Japanese Sake | <i>Ben Groundwater</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="2972722" dynamiccroppedimage="1" flexibleaspectratio="4x3" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Ben-Groundwater-Japan-food-blog-2972722-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Ben-Groundwater-Japan-food-blog-2972722-###width###px.jpg" /> <h1><strong>Sake</strong></h1> <p>There’s little point trying to properly understand the sake world – unless you have, say, a spare 10 years or so for study and experience. It’s just too diverse and complicated. Instead, just drink this delicious Japanese rice-wine, either at an izakaya – a laidback sake bar with good food – or from the source, by visiting a sake brewery. And don’t miss other boozy Japanese beverages such as local beer, whisky, and awamori.</p> <p> </p> <img alt="Japanese wagashi, often served with green tea, anko and fruit. | <i>Ben Groundwater</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="2972723" dynamiccroppedimage="1" flexibleaspectratio="4x3" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Ben-Groundwater-Japan-food-blog-2972723-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Ben-Groundwater-Japan-food-blog-2972723-###width###px.jpg" /> <h1><strong>Wagashi</strong></h1> <p>It’s nice to finish with a sweet treat, in this case, wagashi. These are the delicate, beautifully crafted morsels that are typically served alongside matcha tea, though also occasionally to end a kaiseki meal. They’re so gorgeous, it almost seems a shame to eat them. Almost.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Join travel and food writer Ben Groundwater on his next <a href="http://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=Ben+Groundwater">exclusive foodie tour</a>.</strong></p> 5596Ladakh: 7 reasons why you should trek this Himalayan regionhttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/5281/some-reasons-to-put-ladakh-on-your-trekking-radarActivities,Cultural Journeys,Destinations,Himalaya,Indian HimalayaMon, 23 Jan 2023 00:09:00 GMT<p>You might know all the popular treks of Nepal—Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit, Annapurna Sanctuary, and others—but Nepal isn’t the only game in town when it comes to truly spectacular treks in the high Himalaya.</p> <p><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Indian-Regions/Ladakh">Ladakh</a> is a wild and mountainous region in northernmost Indian that bumps up against Pakistan’s Karakoram and Tibet’s Changthang Mountains. It’s the highest plateau in India—most of it is over 3,000m—and the ancient Indus River slices through the middle of it. It's an area of exotic beauty, and if you're thinking of trekking someplace, this area might tick a few boxes in your must-visit list.</p> <p><strong>A Different Season</strong></p> <p>Ladakh is unusual because although it’s still part of the Himalaya, the season for trekking is quite different. The best time to trek in Ladakh is during the northern summer months when most of Nepal is under the influence of the monsoon. It means you can plan trekking when most people would be thinking of other activities.</p> <p> </p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="embed-responsive-item" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Duh4qvV1aA8?rel=0&controls=1"></iframe></div> <p><strong>Tibetan Buddhist heritage</strong></p> <p>This part of the Himalaya is often referred to as <i>Little Tibet</i> because of its long-seated Tibetan Buddhist heritage. There are its ancient forts and Buddhist monasteries and cultural traditions run deep. Exchanges between Ladakhi people and Westerners have been far fewer and less frequent than in other areas, so it’s one place in the Himalaya to get a true Tibetan culture fix. </p> <p><strong>Fewer Tourists</strong></p> <p>Trekking in Ladakh also mean skipping the tourists. Compared to the crowded teahouse trail scene in Nepal, in Ladakh you would be hard pressed to meet more than a handful of foreign trekkers. </p> <p><strong>A Geological Wonderland</strong></p> <p>The geology in Ladakh tells the story of the land. While the Indian tectonic slides under the Eurasian plate the resulting force is pushing the land up creating vertical folded layers. Geologists estimate the Himalaya here is rising as much as 1cm/year. It’s possible to imagine the changes taking place just by studying the tilted and folded rocks in Ladakh. If you watch carefully, you can see ancient sea-floor shells in the rocks around villages. Many Ladakhi use these fossilized shells in their traditional costumes and jewelry.</p> <p><strong>Geography and Views</strong></p> <p>Because of the extreme geology, Ladakh is literally a land of high passes that afford unrivalled views across the rugged mountain ranges and deep gorges that extend to the soaring peaks of the East Karakoram.</p> <p><strong>Exotic Wildlife</strong></p> <p>Ladakh has populations of secretive creatures like the Tibetan wolf, the Tibetan argali and the black-necked crane (all three are endangered). It also has the highest concentration of snow leopards in the world. While the chances of seeing a snow leopard in the summer are extremely low, there is a greater chance in the winter when the cats descend to the settlements.</p> <p>Thankfully, Ladakh is a haven for a great number of bird species (many of which are migratory) and wild animals that roam freely in their natural habitat, including the bharal (blue sheep) and the Himalayan golden eagle. You might see any number of wild creatures as you pass through the region.</p> <p><strong>A Stonewalled Land</strong></p> <p>Interestingly, a traveller once wrote that she encountered a local who said there wasn't much in Ladakh except rocks. The visitor laughed and said rocks tell the story of both the landscape and the people. She noted that rocks are used for everything in Ladakh: building houses, making leopard traps, creating stupas (with lime), for rock art and as cairns for communication, and to create pools at hot springs for washing and relaxation. Look around and you'll see rocks used in dozens of creative and sensible ways.</p> <p>Meals, camping and climbing equipment, experienced trekking and mountaineering leaders, as well as sleeping kit are all provided.</p> <p>So, there you have it. A few reasons why this fascinating area should be on your radar as a trekking destination.</p> 5281Best Places To Experience Japan’s Cherry Blossomshttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/5233/package-holiday-japan-cherry-blossomActivities,Adventure Travel,Cultural Journeys,Destinations,Asia,JapanTue, 04 Oct 2022 10:13:00 GMT<p>Spring is special in Japan. Very special. It’s cherry blossom season.</p> <p>Indeed, cherry blossom (aka <i>sakura</i>) season is so special in Japan that the Japanese plan events around the blooming and can be seen out eating, drinking, and celebrating under the spectacular blooms.</p> <p>The nation’s meteorological department has a special service dedicated to predicting the first blooms, and there are daily reports on the news as to where blooms are occurring. Television news in Japan follows the bloom as it moves north up the archipelago.</p> <p>The push for information is for good reason. Cherry blossoms have a great variance in when they pop.</p> <p>Japan’s more than 6,500 islands stretch for more than 3,000 kilometres along the east coast of Asia in a northeast to southwest sweep. Because of the wide latitudes, cherry trees blossom in the south in January while trees on Hokkaido, the northernmost island, don’t bloom until May.</p> <p>Added to that is the simple fact that there are hundreds of species of ornamental cherry trees, each with its own blooming schedule. Typically, late March and early April are the periods that most travellers visit Japan for <i>hanami</i> (aka cherry blossom watching) in Japan.</p> <p>Here are some recommended spots for hanami.</p> <h1><span style="font-size:16px;">Cherry Blossom in Kyoto</span></h1> <div class="dynamicImageWrapper" switchsource="image1"><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1492833" dynamiccroppedimage="1" flexibleaspectratio="16x7" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/Sakura-ride_-Japan-1492833-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/Sakura-ride_-Japan-1492833-###width###px.jpg" /></div> <p>Kyoto is a beautiful and distinctively Japanese city that has the feel of an open-air museum. With its traditional Japanese temples, teahouses, shrines, geisha, streets, and parks dotted with cherry trees, <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=kyoto" target="_blank">Kyoto is a must-visit</a> if you want to include the sakura<i> </i>in your holiday.</p> <p>Places we can recommend to experience hanami<i> </i>are: Maruyama Park with its giant weeping cherry tree; Philospher’s Path, Heian Shrine (in case you arrive after the peak blossoming period), Arashiyama district, and Nara Park with its “natural treasure” of sika deer. </p> <h2><span style="font-size:16px;">Mount Yoshino & Cherry Trees</span></h2> <div class="dynamicImageWrapper" switchsource="image1"><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1492870" dynamiccroppedimage="1" flexibleaspectratio="16x7" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/Yoshino-cherry-blossom-1492870-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/Yoshino-cherry-blossom-1492870-###width###px.jpg" /><span style="font-size:12px;"></span> <p><span style="font-size:12px;"></span></p> <p>When you join one of our spring departures for the <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Japan/Walking/Backroads-of-Japan">Backroads of Japan</a> trip, a highlight will be the hike out of Yoshino. You’ll follow a trail that weaves through mountains thick with cherry trees, then in full bloom, and take in the beauty of the area from wayside shrines and panoramic mountain passes. </p> </div> <h2><span style="font-size:16px;">Mt Fuij in Spring</span></h2> <div class="dynamicImageWrapper" switchsource="image1"><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1492963" dynamiccroppedimage="1" flexibleaspectratio="16x7" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/Mount-Fuji_-Japan-1492963-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/Mount-Fuji_-Japan-1492963-###width###px.jpg" /></div> <div class="dynamicImageWrapper" switchsource="image1"> <p><span style="font-size:12px;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12px;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12px;"></span></p> <p>The Fuji Five Lakes (Fujigoko) area makes for a great backdrop to enjoy two of Japan’s most famous icons: Mount Fuji and the cherry blossom season. Some of our <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=fuji" target="_blank">most popular adventure holidays in Japan</a> take in this experience—and during day hikes in the area, you are likely to have plenty of photo opportunities. </p> <p><span style="font-size:12px;"></span></p> </div> <h2><span style="font-size:16px;">Osaka & Sakura</span></h2> <div class="dynamicImageWrapper" switchsource="image1"><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1493022" dynamiccroppedimage="1" flexibleaspectratio="16x7" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/Himeji-Castle-1493022-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/Himeji-Castle-1493022-###width###px.jpg" /></div> <p>Just outside of Osaka you find Himeji Castle. As is the case with almost all ancient castles in Japan, Himeji Castle is surrounded by cherry trees. Visiting Himeji Castle requires only a short trip from the city centre (less than 1 hour) and it’s possible to visit the castle during your free time on our <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Japan/Walking/Backroads-of-Japan">Backroads of Japan</a> trip.</p> <h2><span style="font-size:16px;">Best Places to See the Cherry Blossom in Tokyo</span></h2> <div class="dynamicImageWrapper" switchsource="image1"><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1492831" dynamiccroppedimage="1" flexibleaspectratio="16x7" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/Rokugien-garden-1492831-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/Rokugien-garden-1492831-###width###px.jpg" /></div> <p>Shinjuku Gyoen is an urban oasis in <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=tokyo" target="_blank">Tokyo</a> and generally regarded as one of the most important gardens from the Meiji era. Built as an imperial garden (only 40 years later it opened to the public), it boasts a certain special grandeur. With the traditional Japanese architecture, bridges and lakes this may well be the picture perfect sakura setting. </p> <p>With a hanami<i> </i>tradition of over 400 years, Ueno Park is one of Japan’s oldest public parks. Join Tokyo residents in celebrating the cherry blossom season before or after your visit to one of the many museums that are housed inside the park. </p> <h2><span style="font-size:16px;">Nachi Waterfalls in Spring</span></h2> <div class="dynamicImageWrapper" switchsource="image1"><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1493025" dynamiccroppedimage="1" flexibleaspectratio="16x7" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/Nachi-falls-and-pagoda-2-1493025-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/Nachi-falls-and-pagoda-2-1493025-###width###px.jpg" /></div> <p>If you walk the <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=kumano+kodo">Kumano Kodo</a>, Japan's famous pilgrimage trail, you’ll enjoy sakura in the forests. You’ll experience the spectacular Nachi-no Otaki falls, the tallest waterfall in Japan (133 metres high and 13 metres wide), and as you reach the ancient wooden Buddhist Seiganto-ji (temple) you’ll go through a small gate and come upon flowering cherry trees and the brightly colored Kumaon Nachi Taisha, one of the three grand shrines of Kumano. </p> <h2><span style="font-size:16px;">Hirosaki Castle</span></h2> <div class="dynamicImageWrapper" switchsource="image1"><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1493023" dynamiccroppedimage="1" flexibleaspectratio="16x7" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/hirosaki-castle-north-japan-1493023-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Japan/hirosaki-castle-north-japan-1493023-###width###px.jpg" /></div> <p>Hirosaki Castle is one of the seven rare Japanese castles from the Edo period, and it’s surrounded by cherry trees. It sits in Hirosaki’s spacious Castle Park, where you’ll get to see some well-preserved Samurai houses and Zenringai. </p> <p>The area boasts 33 Zen temples, reminders of Hirosaki’s historic significance as castle town. It’s a fantastic place to take in the cherry blossoms, and we have set aside for a free day to do just this on our <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Japan/Cultural-Journeys/Japan-Northern-Explorer">Japan Northern Explorer</a> trip. </p> <p>The cherry blossom season brings with it a wealth of colour and an atmosphere that is very uplifting. Both day and at night, the streets of Japan are filled with hanami parties where the Japanese enjoy refreshments and conversation under the cherry trees. </p> <p>Sakura season is one of the best times of the year to <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Japan" target="_blank">visit Japan</a>.</p> <hr /> <p>Want to plan a visit during cherry blossom season? <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Contact-Us">Talk to our team</a> to find out about this year’s blossoming period and to help you choose the <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Japan">right trip in Japan for you</a>. </p> <hr />5233How Hard is it to Trek to Everest Base Camp?https://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/5192/how-hard-is-it-to-trek-to-everest-base-campActivities,Adventure Travel,Cultural Journeys,Trekking/Walking,Destinations,Himalaya,NepalThu, 18 Aug 2022 05:39:00 GMT<p>If you’re like us, you have a mantra: work, save, travel, repeat. </p> <p>And as you repeat that wonderful cycle, a few adventures will naturally drift to the top of your list. These are the big treks – the ones you don’t just save money for but the ones you save your entire being for. Your strength, your motivation, your enthusiasm – and your camera memory cards. And none is higher on the list than the classic Everest Base Camp trek.</p> <p>But how hard is the Everest Base Camp trek? Can the average active person do it? What are the best tips for success? What should I know before I book it?</p> <p>When you travel with a company that has been operating the Everest Base Camp Trek for as long as we have (since 1975) you can succeed. But a well-paced, high-quality trek will only get you so far, you still need to put in the work to be trek-fit. </p> <p>To increase your chances of completing the Everest Base Camp trek there are a few things that you must do, starting as much as three months before you fly to Nepal. Our advice comes from our nearly 50 years of experience helping people achieve their Everest Base Camp goal and introducing them to this beautiful part of the world.</p> <p><strong></strong></p> <h2><strong>The Everest Base Camp challenge in numbers</strong></h2> <p>First, let’s break down the challenge to see if it is something you think you can achieve:</p> <p>• a well paced trek takes a minimum of 13 days, with all the trek days at altitude (altitude is typically anything above 2,440m/8,000 feet). Be wary of shorter treks as in our experience they ascend too quickly or compromise on rest days, which makes the challenge much harder. Remember, you might only get one shot at this;</p> <p>• each day you will walk between 4 to 8 hours at altitude, depending on your fitness (even if you are fit, we advise you to walk slowly);</p> <p>• be prepared for below freezing conditions between December and February at night, especially once you get over 4000m;</p> <p>• the trek distance is roughly 130km round trip, which might not seem long over 13 days, but you are at altitude and some of the 13 days are used to rest and acclimatise; and</p> <p>• you are aiming for the high point at Kala Pattar (5545m/18,193 feet). Kilimanjaro is 5,895m</p> <p>If you feel comfortable with these numbers then you're a good candidate for reaching Kala Pattar, the traditional viewpoint for Mount Everest.</p> <p><img alt="Thyangboche Monastery, the spiritual heart of the Khumbu region | <i>Kelvin Law</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1406616" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Nepal/Thyangboche-Monastery-1406616-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Nepal/Thyangboche-Monastery-1406616-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <h2><strong>Getting fit for the Everest Base Camp trek</strong></h2> <p>If you are of reasonable fitness, you can trek to Everest Base Camp. We define reasonable fitness as being able to walk over rough ground with a daypack for 7 hours with only short stops.</p> <p>The fitter you are the more you can relax and enjoy the trek to Base Camp. </p> <p>The first task for those considering a trek to Everest Base Camp is to ensure your 'cardio’ is in shape. That means doing any type of exercise that increases your heart rate and keeps it up for a prolonged period. We recommend doing any activity that makes you move and do it more often and for longer periods of time.</p> <p>Most people will think of running, cycling, and walking as ways to improve their cardio, but there are many fun ways like dancing, jumping rope, playing sports (e.g., soccer), swimming, boxing, and rowing. Just find the activity you like best and do it more often. We recommend you start at least three months before your trek, better still, six months if you can.</p> <p>You should consider a half hour of gym machine or outdoor training three to four times per week the bare minimum. If you can, strive to make your workouts roughly twice that amount, or at least work towards that goal of an hour of exercise three times per week with a greater goal of five times per week. </p> <p>If you stick to your plan, you should be able to reach this level of fitness within a few weeks.</p> <p><strong></strong></p> <h2><strong>Getting 'trek fit'</strong></h2> <p>As well as a decent level of cardio fitness, you’ll want to work on balance and strength. </p> <p>The trekking route to Everest Base Camp covers ground ranging from dirt and mud to gravel and rocks – maybe even some snow. So, you’ll want to improve your balance and your strength. Most exercises you do for cardio will improve balance and knee/leg strength, but exercises like step ups, squats, heel-to-toe walking, yoga, and tai chi can help specifically with balance and strength.</p> <p>If you’re getting fit in the gym, remember to crank up the difficulty of the running machine or the step machine so it mimics an uphill trail. Do the same outdoors, opting for hills over flats. There is no better training than actually walking up a hill outside, whatever the weather.</p> <p>The truth is that fitness is relative. Some 60-year-olds will have an easier time on this trek than many 20-year-olds. It's important to know your limits and go at your own pace.</p> <p>Also, it’s important to remember that for the most part you’ll be trekking on consecutive days, so being mentally prepared to trek day after day will help your preparation.</p> <p><strong></strong></p> <h2><strong>Get proper footwear - and break them in early</strong></h2> <p>Never underestimate the power of a shoe – their sole job is to take you to where you want to be. They will be your best friends on a multi-day trek so if you have to purchase a pair don't skimp, and then break them in early to avoid blisters on the trail.</p> <p>You need sturdy hiking boots for this trek. Whether they are ankle high or low cut is up to you. Whether a flexible shoe or a stiff boot, they’ll need to be broken in before you begin. You should allow at least a month of training time to get them broken in. <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Blog/how-to-choose-the-right-hiking-boots" target="_blank">You can read some of our footwear tips here.</a></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <h2><strong>Acclimatising correctly</strong></h2> <p>Few of us live at high altitudes so anything above 2500m is a foreign environment for most of us. Done correctly, trekking altitude isn't something that your body can't adapt to.</p> <p>Acclimatising to a higher elevation each day is the goal, and the best way to achieve that is to travel slowly. We schedule our treks to Everest Base Camp for 13 days so you can ascend slowly and have acclimatisation rest days at key points along the trail. The extra day gives your body a better chance to acclimatise and will maximise your chances of successfully completing your trek. </p> <p>For added reassurance, our treks are led by first aid trained local guides equipped with a comprehensive medical kit and portable altitude chamber for safety.</p> <p>Oh, and remember to <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Blog/the-importance-of-hydration-at-altitude-with-dr-ross">drink lots of water at altitude</a>.</p> <p><strong></strong></p> <h2><strong>Eating correctly on trek</strong></h2> <p>Climbing any mountain for many days requires a lot of personal fuel. Our Everest Base Camp trekking staff serve meals freshly prepared by our cooks three times a day on the mountain, and between meals it’s important to snack. </p> <p>Having food included on your trek is a huge bonus for many reasons, you can read the <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Blog/food-costs-on-a-nepal-trek" target="_blank">7 reasons why we include meals on treks</a>.</p> <p>Our guides also stop regularly during the trek to check in on you and see how you’re doing. Our Nepali guides and staff have spent many years working in the mountains of Nepal and know how to travel efficiently. We <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Thoughtful-Travel/Supporting-Communities/Porter-Welfare" target="_blank">employ and train</a> local experts in order to contribute to the local economy, which helps both visitors and local residents.</p> <p>Avoiding dehydration is critical. Your body loses water through perspiration twice as fast at high altitude as it does at sea level. Make sure you carry an appropriate amount of water and keep sipping it.</p> <p><strong><img alt="Yak sighting at Everest Base Camp | <i>Sally Dobromilsky</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1406703" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Yak-sighting-at-EBC-1406703-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Blogs/WEX/Yak-sighting-at-EBC-1406703-###width###px.jpg" /></strong></p> <h2><strong>What will you carry in your daypack?</strong></h2> <p>The most important things you’ll want to bring in your daypack are water bottles (minimum 2), layers of clothing, a sun hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, snacks, and a camera.</p> <p>Clothing you can layer, to take on and off as required, is extremely important. The ambient temperature changes as the day progresses, and your body will work to adjust to the changes and keep you comfortable. So, it’s important to be able to adjust your temperature. We recommend a thick base layer plus two thermal layers and a shell jacket at a minimum. </p> <p>A big down jacket is especially nice when taking sunrise and sunset photos. We provide that on our treks.</p> <p>You don’t need to have all these layers in your daypack, but a couple are welcome as you get higher. Your guide will let you know at breakfast what to carry. <a href="http://worldexpeditions.com/Blog/6-must-read-gear-tips-for-your-trek">Learn more about layering</a>.</p> <p><strong></strong></p> <h2><strong>Choosing a good quality trek</strong></h2> <p>There’s nothing harder than trekking all day and then having to set up a camp and prepare food and water. On our treks, you can relax and enjoy the scenery with like-minded souls and new Nepali friends at the end of a great day rather than doing extra work.</p> <p>Our experience has shown that <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Blog/myths-about-teahouse-trekking-debunked" target="_blank">camping is a more hygienic way to trek to Everest Base Camp</a>, rather than staying at teahouses. Enjoy more privacy at our own private Eco-Comfort campsites, complete with heated mess tents and standing tents which feature raised beds and thick mattresses for extra warmth and comfort. </p> <p>You’ll also save a lot of money on gear by choosing a trek that includes it. Our treks include a souvenir kit bag and a trek pack, which includes a high-quality sleeping bag, a down jacket and more – a US$500 value.</p> <p>Here's <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Blog/trekking-in-nepal-what-to-consider" target="_blank">8 things you should look for in a high quality trek in Nepal</a>.</p> <p><strong></strong></p> <h2><strong>Preparation is key</strong></h2> <p>The reason we suggest approaches to training, boots/shoes, gear, and other things is because these items build your confidence and it’s your confidence that plays as big a role as anything else we've outlined. Just remember the old Chinese proverb: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”</p> <p>With thoughtful and careful preparation, you can successfully take that first step towards your dream <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Nepal/Trekking-Walking/Everest-Base-Camp-Trek-in-Comfort">Everest Base Camp Trek</a>.</p> 5192Top 5 Springtime Cultural Festivalshttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/2397/cultural-festivals-in-worldActivities,Cultural Journeys,Laos,Mongolia,Bhutan,Tibet,India,Peru,NewsFri, 13 May 2022 06:29:00 GMT<p>The spring season sees a lot of cultural festivals being celebrated around the world. We collected the most colourful ones that are a privilege to take part in at least once in your life. </p> <p>Travel to Paro in Bhutan for the Paro Tshechu festival or reach higher spheres during the Hemis festival in Ladakh. Then there are the Buddhist Pi Mai (New Year) in Laos; Mongolia’s annual sporting event, Naadam Festival; and Cusco’s vibrant Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun), all of which are colourful celebrations that are attended by locals and visitors alike.</p> <h3>Inti Raymi in Peru</h3> <p><strong>What is it?</strong> The Festival of the Sun</p> <p><img alt="Inti Raymi celebrations | <i>Nigel Leadbitter</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241343" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/South-America/Peru/Celebrations-Inti-Raymi-Festival-1241343-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/South-America/Peru/Celebrations-Inti-Raymi-Festival-1241343-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>The event traditionally involved the sacrifice of an animal to ensure healthy crops. The sacrifice was banned by the Spaniards, and today the festival involves a procession through the streets with music, prayers, dancing, and scattered flowers. </p> <p>The Inti Raymi Festival or "sun festival" is a religious ceremony that dates back 500 years to the Incan Empire’s heyday. The festival honours one of the most venerated gods in the Inca Empire: Inti. </p> <p>Women with brooms sweep away the evil spirits plus you will see priests and participants dressed as snakes, condors and pumas. It’s the second largest festival in South America with hundreds of thousands of people travelling to Cusco to celebrate the weeklong event.</p> <p><img alt="Local enjoying Inti Raymi Festival in the streets of Cusco | <i>Heike Krumm</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241344" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/South-America/Peru/Cusco_-Peru-1241344-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/South-America/Peru/Cusco_-Peru-1241344-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p><strong>When is it? </strong>It is celebrated on the shortest day of the year, also known as the Winter Solstice, which is generally around June. </p> <p><strong>Want to join?</strong> Time your <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Peru" target="_blank">visit to Peru</a> around June when the festival is set to occur. It's a great way to add more cultural elements while incorporating the magnificent sights of places like <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Machu-Picchu-Inca-Trail" target="_blank">Machu Picchu</a>.</p> <h3>Hemis Festival in India</h3> <p><strong>What is it?</strong> Celebrating the Birth of Guru Rinpoche (or Lord Padmasambhava)</p> <p><img alt="Gathered men at the festival at Hemis, Ladakh | <i>Adam Mussolum</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241336" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Indian-Himalaya/Gathered-men-1241336-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Indian-Himalaya/Gathered-men-1241336-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>Observed at the Hemis Monastery, the festival is situated in a gorge in the north-Indian province of Ladakh and is a colourful celebration in honour of Lord Padmasambhava. </p> <p>The festival is famous for the masked dances that represent the good prevailing over evil and is performed by <em>gompas</em> that follow tantric traditions. </p> <p>The festival is said to originate in the 8<sup>th</sup> Century and other activities include the offering of food, playing traditional music (think cymbals, trumpets and drums), and performing spiritual ceremonies. Joining the festival is believed to give spiritual strength and good health.</p> <div class="dynamicImageWrapper" switchsource="image1"><carouselsource aspectratio="4x3" data-plugin-options="{'items': 3, 'margin': 10, 'nav': true, 'dots': false}"><img alt="Colourful costumes at the Hemis Festival | <i>Brad Atwal</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241337" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Indian-Himalaya/IMG_3620-1241337-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Indian-Himalaya/IMG_3620-1241337-###width###px.jpg" /> <img alt="Several hundred Ladakhi villagers from throughout the Indus Valley attend the Hemis festival. | <i>Adam Mussolum</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241338" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Indian-Himalaya/Gathering-at-Hemis-Festival-1241338-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Indian-Himalaya/Gathering-at-Hemis-Festival-1241338-###width###px.jpg" /> <img alt="Hemis Festival | <i>Adam Mussolum</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241339" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Indian-Himalaya/Hemis-Festival-1241339-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Indian-Himalaya/Hemis-Festival-1241339-###width###px.jpg" /> <img alt="The traditions of the two-day festival at Hemis, Ladakh | <i>Adam Mussolum</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241340" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Indian-Himalaya/Festival-at-Hemis-1241340-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Indian-Himalaya/Festival-at-Hemis-1241340-###width###px.jpg" /> <img alt="Traditional and elaborate masked dancer at the Hemis Festival | <i>Adam Mussolum</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241341" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Indian-Himalaya/Indian-Himalaya-Ladakh-Markha-Valley-1241341-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Indian-Himalaya/Indian-Himalaya-Ladakh-Markha-Valley-1241341-###width###px.jpg" /> </carouselsource></div>   <p><strong>When is it?</strong> The Hemis Festival is celebrated annually in the month of June or July.</p> <p><strong>Want to join?</strong> You can visit the beautiful <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Indian-Regions/Ladakh" target="_blank">Indian Himalayan region of Ladakh</a> in June or July. We often offer special itineraries centred around the festival.</p> <h3>Naadam Festival in Mongolia</h3> <p><strong>What is it?</strong> It is locally known as the 'Three Games of Men Festival'</p> <p><img alt="Spectators looking on during the Naadam festivities" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241345" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Mongolia/outdoor-competition-arrow-sports-jockey-bow-363391-pxhere.com-1241345-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Mongolia/outdoor-competition-arrow-sports-jockey-bow-363391-pxhere.com-1241345-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>The festival is an ancient cultural spectacle that combines colourful costumes and performances with an exciting tournament of three traditional sports: archery, wrestling and bareback horse riding. </p> <p>Travel to Chandman village to experience the festival in a setting of nomadic life. In the capital of Ulaanbaatar, visitors are presented with an incredible opportunity to experience the culture and people of this amazing land.</p> <div class="dynamicImageWrapper" switchsource="image1"><carouselsource aspectratio="4x3" data-plugin-options="{'items': 3, 'margin': 10, 'nav': true, 'dots': false}"><img alt="Locals in the Naadam Festival opening ceremony | <i>Fiona Windon</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241350" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Mongolia/Trans-Siberian-Railway-1241350-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Mongolia/Trans-Siberian-Railway-1241350-###width###px.jpg" /> <img alt="Wrestling, archery and horse riding are the three competitions of Naadam Festival" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241348" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Mongolia/outdoor-running-soccer-mountain-bike-race-competition-443270-pxhere.com-1241348-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Mongolia/outdoor-running-soccer-mountain-bike-race-competition-443270-pxhere.com-1241348-###width###px.jpg" /> <img alt="Spectators looking on during a provincial Naadam archery competition" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241349" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Mongolia/outdoor-sport-camel-arrow-sports-mongolia-239727-pxhere.com-1241349-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Mongolia/outdoor-sport-camel-arrow-sports-mongolia-239727-pxhere.com-1241349-###width###px.jpg" /> <img alt="Naadam Festival opening ceremony | <i>Fiona Windon</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241351" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Mongolia/Trans-Siberian-Railway-1241351-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Mongolia/Trans-Siberian-Railway-1241351-###width###px.jpg" /> <img alt="Wrestlers at the Naadam Festival in Mongolia | <i>Caroline Mongrain</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241352" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Mongolia/Naadam-Festival-Mongolia-1241352-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Mongolia/Naadam-Festival-Mongolia-1241352-###width###px.jpg" /> <img alt="Locals at Naadam Festival | <i>Caroline Mongrain</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241353" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Mongolia/Naadam-Festival-Mongolia-1241353-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Mongolia/Naadam-Festival-Mongolia-1241353-###width###px.jpg" /> <img alt="Naadam Festival in the Mongolian steppe | <i>Caroline Mongrain</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241354" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Mongolia/Naadam-Festival-Mongolia-1241354-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Mongolia/Naadam-Festival-Mongolia-1241354-###width###px.jpg" /> </carouselsource></div>   <p><strong>When is it?</strong> This is the biggest festival of the year in Mongolia and is held throughout the country in midsummer from July 11-15. </p> <p><strong>Want to join?</strong> You have several opportunities to visit the Naadam Festival when travelling on our <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Mongolia" target="_blank">Mongolia trips</a> in early July. <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Contact-Us" target="_blank">Get in touch with our team</a> for ideas on the best trips that include the <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=naadam" target="_blank">Naadam Festival.</a> </p> <h3>Pi Mai in Laos</h3> <p><strong>What is it?</strong> Buddhist New Year</p> <p><img alt="Photographer capturing the History and art at a temple in Luang Prabang | <i>Peter Walton</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241347" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Laos/Photographer-Luang-Prabang-1241347-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Laos/Photographer-Luang-Prabang-1241347-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>Like its neighbouring countries of Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar, celebrations for the new Buddhist year are important for locals. </p> <p>Expect to be celebrating alongside them towards the last days of the festival. Usually, days at the start of the festival are set aside to clean homes and temples and to spend with family. A traditional ceremony is for women to pour on men a cup of perfumed water with flowers. </p> <p>Today, this transformed into a carnivalesque water festival in places like Luang Prabang.</p> <p><strong>When is it?</strong> Celebrations are from 13 or 14 April to 15 or 16 April.</p> <p><strong>Want to join?</strong> Book an April departure to join in on the festivities in <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=Luang+Prabang" target="_blank">Luang Prabang</a>.</p> <h3>Paro Tshechu in Bhutan</h3> <p><strong>What is it?</strong> The Festival of Paro</p> <p><img alt="The magnificent colours of Tatksang Monastery in Bhutan | <i>Liz Light</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1241342" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Bhutan/Bhutan-Paro-Culture-Religion-Monastery-Buddhism-1241342-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Bhutan/Bhutan-Paro-Culture-Religion-Monastery-Buddhism-1241342-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>A tshechu is a religious and cultural festival in Bhutan and, according to the Lunar Tibetan calendar, throughout the year many are held. </p> <p>One of the most popular ones is in Paro valley: Paro Tshechu. Experience the living Bhutanese culture when the local people celebrate Guru Rimpoche who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan. </p> <p>Festivities include masked dances, drums, trumpets, ceremonies and people wearing their beautiful, colourful costumes. One of the highlights of the festival is the unfolding of the thangka, named ‘thnongdroel’ in Bhutan.</p> <p><strong>When is it? </strong>The Paro Tshechu Festival is generally held in March or April.</p> <p><strong>Want to join?</strong> Tie in an exploration of Bhutan with a <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=paro" target="_blank">Paro Valley</a> visit. We incorporate various <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?categories=BTN%2CadventureTouring" target="_blank">cultural journeys into our Bhutan itineraries</a>.</p> 2397Top authentic indigenous experiences in Australiahttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/4965/top-authentic-indigenous-travel-experiences-in-australiaActivities,Adventure Travel,Cultural Journeys,Trekking/Walking,Community,Guides and staff,Destinations,Australia, New Zealand &amp; the Pacific,AustraliaMon, 24 Jan 2022 04:13:46 GMT<p>From bush tucker samplings to cultural conversations, a smoking ceremony to exploring hidden rock galleries, these active travel experiences provide a cultural platform for a beautiful exchange as you learn about Indigenous Australian history.</p> <p>As you delve into their stories and heritage on our immersive adventures, our wilderness guides and Indigenous guests offer a deeper understanding of the need to conserve their culture and respect their place and lifestyle.</p> <p>These top 11 experiences provide a genuine insight into the Aboriginal peoples' continuing connection to the lands and communities across <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Blog/best-australian-walks-and-hiking-trails" target="_blank">Australia</a>.</p> <h2>Follow a 'Dreaming Pathway' or songline on the Jatbula Trail</h2> <p>A culturally significant area, the <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Full-Pack-Treks/Jatbula-Trail" target="_blank">Jatbula Trail</a> follows a songline that has many dreaming story crossroads. The trail is named after Peter Jatbula, a traditional owner who fought hard for the area to be returned to the Aboriginal people in the 1970s and 80s.</p> <p>Tracing ancient passages, the hike through the exceptional Arnhem Land escarpment and Stone Country in the Northern Territory is elevated as you visit ancient rock art sites, which bring to life the Dreamtime stories handed down through the generations.</p> <div class="dynamicImageWrapper" switchsource="image1"><carouselsource aspectratio="4x3" data-plugin-options="{'items': 3, 'margin': 10, 'nav': true, 'dots': false}"><img alt="Exploring the magnificent Jatbula Trail | <i>Larissa Duncombe</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1113701" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Jatbula-Trail-Trek-Northern-Territory-1113701-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Jatbula-Trail-Trek-Northern-Territory-1113701-###width###px.jpg" /> <img alt="Gain a deeper understanding of the local Indigenous culture with visits to ancient rock art sites | <i>Linda Murden</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1113699" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Ancient-Rock-Art-Jatbula-Trail-Nitmiluk-National-Park-1113699-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Ancient-Rock-Art-Jatbula-Trail-Nitmiluk-National-Park-1113699-###width###px.jpg" /> <img alt="Remote trekking along the Jatbula Trail | <i>Holly Van De Beek</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1113700" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Trekking-the-Jatbula-Trail-_9_-1113700-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Trekking-the-Jatbula-Trail-_9_-1113700-###width###px.jpg" /> </carouselsource></div>   <p>Interesting sites include the Jawoyn Aboriginal rock art hidden in the many stony outcrops and overhangs en route to Crystal Falls. You also explore the Amphitheatre, which is a rainforest gorge, with its rock shelters exhibiting the art of the Jawoyn Traditional Owners.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Experience it: <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Full-Pack-Treks/Jatbula-Trail" target="_blank">Jatbula Trail</a></strong></li> </ul> <h2>Admire a secret Aboriginal cave along the mighty Franklin River</h2> <p>The Kutikina Cave is a Tasmanian hidden gem found in the Lower Gordon River. The rock shelter is considered one of the most important archaeological finds in Tasmania – and in Australia – relating to human occupation in the Pleistocene era.<br /> <br /> Only discovered in 1977, the limestone cave was one of the richest artefact deposits. It contained Aboriginal artefacts and deposits that marked the most southerly migration of humans during the last ice age, with evidence of wallaby hunting at the time. Its discovery was also one of the reasons that led to the historic demise of the plan to dam the <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Blog/why-raft-the-franklin-river" target="_blank">Franklin River</a>.</p> <p><img alt="The Pristine Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. | <i>Glenn Walker</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1123976" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Tasmania/GWP_Franklin_River_2015_20150118_1735-1123976-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Tasmania/GWP_Franklin_River_2015_20150118_1735-1123976-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>On our <a href="http://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Raft-Canoe-Kayak/Franklin-River-Rafting" target="_blank">rafting expedition</a>, travellers pass this cave with our guide explaining the significance of the site.</p> <p>In respect to the community's wishes, we do not step foot inside the cave as there are mixed opinions as to whether non-indigenous people should be entering it.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Experience it: <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Raft-Canoe-Kayak/Franklin-River-Rafting" target="_blank">Franklin River Rafting</a></strong></li> </ul> <h2>Taste authentic bush tucker in the Red Centre</h2> <p>Ever tried bush muesli? Well, there are plenty of unique bush foods on the menu on our Central Australian trips.</p> <p>On our <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Trekking-Walking/Classic-Larapinta-Trek-in-Comfort" target="_blank">Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort</a>, local Indigenous specialist, Rayleen Brown leads a cultural talk and presentation along with a bush food platter that showcases a range of dukkhas, native herbs and spices, bush tomato and more.</p> <p><img alt="Food glorious food; our menu includes many native bush foods | <i>#cathyfinchphotography</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1113702" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/20200810_080703258_iOS-1113702-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/20200810_080703258_iOS-1113702-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>The meals served on our Northern Territory tours are sometimes based around the bush foods that she supplies, such as Lemon Myrtle Chicken.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Experience it: <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Trekking-Walking/Classic-Larapinta-Trek-in-Comfort" target="_blank">Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort</a></strong></li> </ul> <h2>Marvel at hidden rock art galleries in the Top End</h2> <p>In addition to the rock art found on the Jatbula Trail, <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/3416/traveller-stories-walking-in-kakadu" target="_blank">Kakadu National Park</a> offers an array of hidden rock art, which recount ancient stories, lore and songs significant to Indigenous Australian culture.</p> <p>Coupled with the vast landscapes and rich wildlife, a visit to these rock galleries adds a unique element to your hike. Over 40,000 years of Aboriginal heritage of both the present and past is on display in the Top End.</p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9" style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="embed-responsive-item" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/m87SCce7Nu4?rel=0&controls=1"></iframe></div>   <p>Joining a guided <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Trekking-Walking/Kakadu-Explorer" target="_blank">walking</a> or <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Cycling/Top-End-Kakadu-Cycle" target="_blank">cycling tour</a> allows you to easily find these harder-to-get-to galleries and gain a deeper understanding of the local culture, with our insightful tour leaders strongly focused on highlighting its importance.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Experience it: <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Full-Pack-Treks/Jatbula-Trail" target="_blank">Jatbula Trail</a> and <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=Kakadu+National+Park" target="_blank">Kakadu trips</a></strong></li> </ul> <h2>Pay respects to those lost during the Wybalenna ‘Aboriginal Settlement’ on Flinders Island</h2> <p>A visit to the fascinating Flinders Island Museum and the historic Wybalenna is a must when on this Tasmanian island, which is a short 35-minute scenic flight from Launceston.<br /> <br /> The infamous site of Wybalenna reverberates a sad history about the disastrous indigenous resettlement scheme back in 1834. Wybalenna is where Tasmanian Aborigines were transported after the 'friendly mission'; that is, the mission to round up and remove Aboriginal people from mainland Tasmania.</p> <p><img alt="The graveyard near Wybalenna Chapel contains unmarked Aboriginal graves. Around 300 Aboriginals were ‘delivered’ there during its time as a mission. | <i>Dietmar Kahles</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1123977" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Tasmania/Wybalenna-Chapel-Flinders-Island-1123977-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Tasmania/Wybalenna-Chapel-Flinders-Island-1123977-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>While the remaining graveyard, housing and chapel are a heavy and melancholic sight to take in, it is an important and historically significant place to learn about.</p> <p>Our guides take care to make sure information presented here is accurate and sensitive and visitors are then taken to the local museum nearby where they are given the chance to learn more about what happened there.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Experience it: <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Walking/Flinders-Island-Walking-Adventure" target="_blank">Flinders Island Walking Adventure</a></strong></li> </ul> <h2>Experience the magic of the Standley Chasm still run by Traditional Owners</h2> <p>A sight to be seen, the beautiful Standley Chasm is just outside the West MacDonnell Ranges National Park and is a private reserve proudly owned and operated by its Traditional Owners as part of the lwupataka Land Trust.</p> <p><img alt="Hiking in Standley Chasm, Larapinta Trail | <i>#cathyfinchphotography</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1113705" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/0U3A1222-1113705-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/0U3A1222-1113705-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>A cultural conversation is led by one of their local guides on our <a href="https://www.larapintatrailwalk.com.au/trail-info/history-culture" target="_blank">Larapinta walking holidays</a>, where you learn about the site’s significance, being one of the areas where Aboriginal land has been passed back to them.</p> <p><img alt="Exploring Standley Chasm on the Larapinta Trail | <i>Graham Michael Freeman</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1113704" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Great-Walks-of-Australia-Classic-Larapinta-Trek-1113704-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Great-Walks-of-Australia-Classic-Larapinta-Trek-1113704-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>Also known as Angkerle Atwatye to the local Indigenous people, the site's rocky slopes rise an astonishing 80 metres above the chasm, which has been carved out over millions of years by a tributary of the Finke River system – purported to be the oldest river in the world.</p> <p>There are even opportunities to immerse with the land by camping overnight on our trips, such as the <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Walking/Best-of-the-Larapinta-Trail" target="_blank">Best of the Larapinta Trail</a> and the <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Trekking-Hiking/Larapinta-End-to-End" target="_blank">Larapinta End to End</a>, for a truly magical experience to connect with the ancient land.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Experience: <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/activities/trekking-hiking/larapinta-trail-treks-australian-walks" target="_blank">Larapinta Trail walks</a></strong></li> </ul> <h2>Visit original ochre sources used in ceremonial rituals</h2> <p>As you explore the fabulous beaches of <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Walking/The-Maria-Island-Walk" target="_blank">Maria Island</a>, visit the ochre pit at Bloodstone Point – one of the original ochre sources for the Tasmanian Aborigines.</p> <p>The natural earth pigment used by Aboriginal people for thousands of years is a fundamental part of their life and culture, and a visit to the ochre deposits gives a fascinating insight into the history of how the land was used by Indigenous Australian tribes.</p> <p><img alt="An Indigenous guide shows coloured ochres during a cultural tour | <i>Tourism NT/Matt Cherubino</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1123978" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Indigenous-guide---Kings-Canyon-1123978-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Indigenous-guide---Kings-Canyon-1123978-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>It was customary for men to dig the ochre, which became a significant commodity for trade with neighbouring nations and clans.</p> <p>Along with the source of thousands of years of cultural connection and expression, ochre is believed to have a spiritual power that is released through ceremonial ritual.</p> <p>You can also view one of the largest ochre deposits in Tasmania in the <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?categories=Trekking&searchKeywords=cradle+mountain+national+park" target="_blank">Cradle Mountain National Park</a> or visit the vivid colours of the mineral ochre pits on the <a href="http://worldexpeditions.com/activities/trekking-hiking/larapinta-trail-treks-australian-walks" target="_blank">Larapinta Trail</a> in the West MacDonnell Ranges.</p> <p><img alt="Exploring the Ochre Pits | <i>Graham Michael Freeman</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1113978" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Great-Walks-of-Australia-Classic-Larapinta-Trek-1113978-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Great-Walks-of-Australia-Classic-Larapinta-Trek-1113978-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <ul> <li><strong>Experience it: <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Walking/The-Maria-Island-Walk" target="_blank">The Maria Island Walk</a>, <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Walking/Cradle-Mountain-Short-Escape" target="_blank">Cradle Mountain Short Escape</a> and on the <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/activities/trekking-hiking/larapinta-trail-treks-australian-walks" target="_blank">Larapinta Trail</a>.</strong></li> </ul> <h2>Connect with the land with a traditional Welcome to Country</h2> <p>A long tradition among Aboriginal Australian groups, a Welcome to Country serves not only as a greeting for visitors but as a symbol that signifies the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' presence in Australia.</p> <p><img alt="Limilngan-Wulna Aboriginal people welcome us to their country | <i>Rhys Clarke, WE Guide</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1113977" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Pudakal-Cultural-Tour-1113977-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Pudakal-Cultural-Tour-1113977-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>When exploring the ancient land of <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Blog/kakadus-6-top-spots-to-explore-on-foot" target="_blank">Kakadu National Park</a>, our active itineraries include a meeting with Wulna Aboriginal elders for a traditional Welcome to Country.</p> <p>It provides a significant introduction to the Aboriginal connection between both an ancient environment and a surviving and celebrated ancient culture that makes this region truly worthy of dual World Heritage listing.</p> <p><img alt="An Indigenous guide shares his knowledge of Aboriginal music during a cultural tour | <i>Tourism NT/Nick Pincott</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1123985" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Cultural-experience-at-Pudakul-1123985-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Cultural-experience-at-Pudakul-1123985-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <ul> <li><strong>Experience it: <a href="http://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=Kakadu+National+Park" target="_blank">Kakadu trips</a></strong></li> </ul> <h2>Better understand Indigenous Australian heritage on a cultural talk at Kings Canyon</h2> <p>Part of the climactic scenes that make up the ancient wonders of the Northern Territory is learning about the significance of each site visited.</p> <p><img alt="Gain insights on Indigenous Australian culture and learn about Aboriginal art | <i>Tourism NT/Archie Sartracom</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1123979" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Gain-insights-on-Indigenous-Australian-culture-and-learn-about-Aboriginal-art-on-tour-1123979-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Gain-insights-on-Indigenous-Australian-culture-and-learn-about-Aboriginal-art-on-tour-1123979-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>Working with the local Indigenous community of Wan­mar­ra, we partnered with a small family-run business at <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Trekking-Walking/Larapinta-Kings-Canyon-and-Uluru-in-Comfort" target="_blank">Kings Canyon</a> that aims to pre­serve and main­tain Lurit­ja and Per­tame (South­ern Aran­da) lan­guage, cul­tur­al knowl­edge and her­itage to empow­er the younger generations.</p> <p>The Indigenous guests offer one of the most informative, professional and interactive cultural tours in the Red Centre.</p> <div class="dynamicImageWrapper" switchsource="image1"><carouselsource aspectratio="4x3" data-plugin-options="{'items': 3, 'margin': 10, 'nav': true, 'dots': false}"><img alt="A tour guide uses a dot painting to talk about Aboriginal culture | <i>Tourism NT/Matt Glastonbury</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1123982" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Aboriginal-culture-talk-on-the-Karrke-Aboriginal-Cultural-Experience-tour-1123982-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Aboriginal-culture-talk-on-the-Karrke-Aboriginal-Cultural-Experience-tour-1123982-###width###px.jpg" /> <img alt="Gain insight into Aboriginal bush tucker during a cultural tour | <i>Tourism NT/Archie Sartracom</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1123980" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Bush-tucker-during-a-Karrke-Aboriginal-Cultural-Experience-1123980-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Bush-tucker-during-a-Karrke-Aboriginal-Cultural-Experience-1123980-###width###px.jpg" /> <img alt="Guides showcasing bush foods during an Indigenous cultural experience | <i>Tourism NT/Chris Tangey</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1123981" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/A-coolamon-holding-bush-flowers-1123981-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/A-coolamon-holding-bush-flowers-1123981-###width###px.jpg" /> </carouselsource></div>   <p>The experience allows visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the need to conserve the Aboriginal cultures and respect their place and lifestyle in Australia, which time and time again proved to be a massive highlight for our travellers.</p> <p>Visits to rock art at Uluru is also tied in with the tour, which is one of the few rock art sites open to the public in Central Australia.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Experience it: <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Trekking-Walking/Larapinta-Kings-Canyon-and-Uluru-in-Comfort" target="_blank">Larapinta, Kings Canyon and Uluru in Comfort</a></strong></li> </ul> <h2>Visit a tribal boundary in the Alum Cliffs State Reserve</h2> <p>Located in the north of Tasmania is the Alum Cliffs, a tribal boundary between three Aboriginal groups and a sacred celebration place.<br /> <br /> The Aboriginal name for the area is Tulampanga and was a common meeting ground and trading location for clans. The place especially holds social and spiritual significance to Aborigines due to the ochre found nearby in the Gog Range area.<br /> <br /> Along the enchanting short walk are wooden art features found to commemorate the area, including sculptures and outdoor furniture pieces – some created by local Aboriginal artists.</p> <center> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQUeCFSB6Qp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:16px;"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQUeCFSB6Qp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQUeCFSB6Qp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Tasmania Parks & Wildlife (@tasmaniaparks)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></center> <ul> <li><strong>Experience it: <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Guided-Treks-Walks/Maria-Island-and-Cradle-Mountain-Experience" target="_blank">Maria Island and Cradle Mountain Experience</a></strong></li> </ul> <h2>Engage in a smoking ceremony before exploring the ancient Takayna region</h2> <p>Another way of welcoming guests to Country is through a smoking ceremony where visitors gather around a smoky fire so that they are cleansed and protected from any dangerous or bad spirits in the land they will explore.</p> <p>You can experience this on our <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Walking/Tarkine-Explorer" target="_blank">Tarkine Explorer</a> trip in the northwest of Tasmania, which is led by a Tasmanian Aboriginal Elder.</p> <p>The ceremony also acts as a way of connecting with Country and culture by speaking to and acknowledging the ancestors, as well as aims to promote the good health and wellbeing of travellers.</p> <p><img alt="Gardiner Point, the 'Edge of the World', near the Tarkine | <i>Sean Scott</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1123984" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Tasmania/130020-56-1123984-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Tasmania/130020-56-1123984-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>A cultural discussion ensues before the walk down to Sundown Point and onto the rugged and gnarly Tarkine coastline. Here is where you can find ancient petroglyphs and spectacular views of the Arthur Heads. There is also the opportunity to stop at a few places for bush tucker and further interpretations about the coastal living sites and protection of the area.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Experience it: <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Walking/Tarkine-Explorer" target="_blank">Tarkine Explorer</a></strong></li> </ul> <p><br /> As part of our <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Thoughtful-Travel" target="_blank">Thoughtful Travel charter</a>, we work with First Nation communities to promote the education of cultural heritage. And, with our knowledgeable wilderness guides leading you through scenic and iconic trails across <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia" target="_blank">Australia</a>, each of these indigenous experiences will add an extra layer of meaning and cultural awareness to your active outdoor adventure.<br /> <br /> <em>World Expeditions respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of all of the areas that it operates in and thank them for sharing this beautiful land with us.</em></p> 4965Seven Unique Immersive Cultural Experienceshttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/5176/seven-of-our-best-cultural-tripsActivities,Adventure Travel,Cultural Journeys,Photography,Trekking/Walking,Water Adventures,Wildlife,Destinations,Africa,Asia,Vietnam,Australia, New Zealand &amp; the Pacific,Australia,Himalaya,Nepal,South America,Bolivia,PeruMon, 10 Jan 2022 00:33:00 GMT<p>Ever heard of the Spider Woman, the helper and protector of people in Navajo lore? Want to see where she lives? How about the art of 'khöömei', or throat singing. Interested in seeing practitioners of this exotic form of song perform during a visit to western Mongolia’s Altai mountains?</p> <p>Immersion in the indigenous cultures of the world is an exceptional way to learn about humanity. We offer excursions with experts and locals who’ll help you get a deeper understanding of what we can learn from other humans as well as the need to preserve many of these cultures.</p> <p>From travelling with members of the oldest horseback-based nomad culture in the world to traversing Botswana and visiting the Kalahari Desert’s San Bushmen, we offer trips that will open your eyes. Here are seven trips we think you might enjoy.</p> <p><b>1. Walk with a Navajo Tribal Member in Canyon de Chelly</b></p> <p>On the summit of Spider Rock in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, are bleached white rocks – the bleached bones of disobedient children that Spider Woman has disciplined, according to Navajo lore. On our Canyons of the Southwest trip in the United States you’ll learn a lot about the importance of spiders across several indigenous cultures while visiting some of the most colourful ‘standing up’ country on earth.</p> <p>We’ll explore the red canyonlands of the Colorado Plateau, including Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands National Parks, and make a stop at Monument Valley, where director John Ford made many classic western films.</p> <p>Our trip ends with a walk into Canyon de Chelly where we’ll explore 1,000-year-old rock art, ancient cliff dwellings, and contemporary Navajo homes with a personal Navajo guide.</p> <p><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/United-States/Trekking-Walking/Deserts-and-Canyons-of-the-Southwest" target="_blank">Learn more about the trip here.</a></p> <p><img alt="The buttes in Monument Valley Navajo Trival Park at sunset | <i>Brad Atwal</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1386934" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/North-America/USA/Monument-Valley-USA-1386934-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/North-America/USA/Monument-Valley-USA-1386934-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p><b>2. </b><b>Camp with Nomadic Tribes </b><b>in Western Mongolia</b></p> <p>Western Mongolia is a vast, high-altitude region, known for its harsh, arid conditions and beautiful cultures, some of which can trace their roots back dozens of centuries. You’ll learn about nomadic life not just by visiting families from several tribes, but by living with them (and travelling by pony, camel, foot, and four-wheel-drive) and seeing their homes and practices first hand.</p> <p>We’ll visit North Tsenkher cave known for its ancient rock art of wild sheep (Argali), Ibex , ostrich, rhinoceros, and human figures. We’ll also visit a nomad family to learn the art of 'khöömei', or throat singing. The singing imitates sounds of nature, simultaneously emitting two distinct vocal sounds along with a continuous drone, thus producing a melody of harmonics. This is an incredible experience that includes 14 nights in camps, many of those nights with members of the tribes who inhabit the area.</p> <p><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Mongolia/Trekking-Walking/Mongolia-Nomad-Explorer-with-Tim-Cope" target="_blank">Learn more about the trip here.</a></p> <p><b>3. Walk with </b><b>Wayeyi</b><b> Tribe Members in Botswana</b></p> <p>Botswana’s 900,000-square-kilometre Kalahari Desert is one of the great geographical expanses in Africa and home to the San Bushmen. Here, you’ll spend several days exploring the desert, changing camps as you watch wildlife and meet locals.</p> <p>You’ll also meet the local he Wayeyi people who will share stories and give insight into their intriguing culture and take us on a walking tour of one of their villages. In the evening you’ll be entertained with song and dance by Wayeyi, performers.</p> <p>We’ll visit the world-famous Okavango Delta and explore this wildlife-rich region both on foot and by mokoro (traditional dug-out canoe). Whether you are a seasoned Africaphile or on your first African safari, there are few places on earth that are as impressive as Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park.</p> <p><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Botswana/Cultural-Journeys/Botswana-Leopard-Trail-Kalahari" target="_blank">Learn more about the trip here.</a></p> <p><b>4. Meet the South American Locals Living on Reed Islands</b></p> <p>The Uros people of Bolivia and Peru inhabit islands made from Totora reeds (like their boats), which they live on in Lake Titicaca. The larger islands house about 10 families; the smaller one two or three families. You’ll meet these people – who predate the Incas – and learn about this unique settlement style in our South American odyssey.</p> <p>The trip arcs from Bueno Aires in the southeast to Lima and La Paz in the northwest, stopping at Iguazu Falls, the largest broken waterfall in the world (it has 275 separate cascades), before jetting to the west coast and heading up into the Andes. We end with a visit to Lake Titicaca and an exploration of the fascinating Uros culture.</p> <p><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Peru/Trekking-Walking/Best-of-South-America" target="_blank">Learn more about the trip here.</a></p> <p><img alt="Prem horseman Upper Mustang, Nepal | <i>Margie Thomas</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1386935" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Nepal/Prem-horseman-Upper-Mustang-1386935-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Nepal/Prem-horseman-Upper-Mustang-1386935-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p><b>5. Upper Mustang Magic</b></p> <p>The Kingdom of Mustang preserves some of the last vestiges of ancient Tibetan Buddhist culture, including traditional amchi healers. Amchi practitioners cure disease through the use of medical herbs that activate self-healing forces. Their therapies include bloodletting, moxibustion, compresses, oil massage and herbal baths.</p> <p>We’ll visit with amchis and learn of their techniques and why there is concern that these ancient practices need to be preserved.</p> <p>As we travel through this magical Kingdom, we’ll follow ancient trade routes to nomad camps, isolated settlements, and Upper Mustang’s oldest gompa at Lo Gekar. Local residents will guide us to monasteries, and we’ll explore the walled city of Lo Manthang, including meeting the restorers of the colorful Thubchen gompa.</p> <p><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Nepal/Trekking-Walking/Tibetan-Heartland-of-Upper-Mustang-with-Margie-Thomas" target="_blank">Learn more about the trip here.</a></p> <p><b> </b></p> <p><b>6. See How Locals </b><b>Thrive in Mountainous North Vietnam</b></p> <p>The people of northern Vietnam live in a rugged land of granite peaks and thick pine forests. To thrive in this topographically challenging area means adapting to the steep slopes.</p> <p>You’ll meet them in the villages and learn how they’ve sculpted the mountainsides and used its runoff to grow rice and vegetables. Hard work and ingenious building techniques have allowed them to live in the higher parts of the mountains. In some places, like the Suoi Nam Valley, we’ll even visit farm houses built on stilts.</p> <p>Later, we’ll ascend Ho Pien Mountain through the tea plantations and bamboo forests, en route to an overnight with a H’mong family. You’ll stay in the homes of local families for three of the five nights of the excursion.</p> <p><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Vietnam/Trekking-Walking/Ha-Giang-Hike-Homestays" target="_blank">Learn more about the trip here.</a><b></b></p> <p><img alt="Stunning shot across Lake Titicaca | <i>Pam Drummond</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="1386936" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/South-America/Peru/Lake-Titicaca-Peru-to-Bolivia-1386936-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/South-America/Peru/Lake-Titicaca-Peru-to-Bolivia-1386936-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p><b></b></p> <p><b>7. Learn about Bushtucker on the Larapinta Trek</b></p> <p>Bushtucker isn’t your average food. It includes meats like kangaroo, emu, possum and crocodile, but it also includes myriad lesser-known foods as well – those grubs, nuts, fruits, and spices that you wonder about every time you go bushwalking.</p> <p>On our Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort, you’ll get to know some of these foods courtesy of Rayleen Brown, who will treat you to a spread of specially prepared bush foods.</p> <p>After a visit to one of the most important waterholes of the area, Simpsons Gap, we stop at Standley Chasm, where you will hear a talk about the area’s culture from a local Indigenous leader. Ever wonder where those historical cave painters got their paint? You’ll find out when travel to an ochre quarry, a sacred Aboriginal site, during this Larapinta trek.</p> <p><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Trekking-Walking/Classic-Larapinta-Trek-in-Comfor" target="_blank">Learn more about the trip here.</a></p> <hr /> <p>Related links:</p> <p><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Cultural-Journeys" target="_blank">Learn more about our cultural journeys here.</a></p> <p><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Blog/is-nomadic-culture-under-threat" target="_blank">Learn more about threats to nomadic culture here.</a></p> 5176Kakadu’s top 6 spots to explore on foothttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/3820/kakadus-6-top-spots-to-explore-on-footActivities,Cultural Journeys,Trekking/Walking,Destinations,Australia, New Zealand &amp; the Pacific,AustraliaMon, 19 Jul 2021 05:28:00 GMT<p>As one of the most diverse and spectacular wilderness areas in the world, Kakadu National Park seems to have it all – waterfalls, canyons, rivers and canoeing plus rich and strong aboriginal culture. Combined with the huge sense of space and remote walking tracks (with tourists few and far between!), the feeling of having it all to yourself is unmatched.</p> <p>Known for its unique ecosystem that receives a deluge of rain in the summer months, Kakadu’s billabongs, stone country, floodplains and low ridges are home to a diverse array of animal and plant species.</p> <div class="dynamicImageWrapper" switchsource="image1"><carouselsource aspectratio="4x3" data-plugin-options="{'items': 3, 'margin': 10, 'nav': true, 'dots': false}"><img alt="Marvel at the incredible landscape when hiking in Kakadu | <i>Rhys Clarke</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="929090" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Kakadu-Walking-Adventure-929090-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Kakadu-Walking-Adventure-929090-###width###px.jpg" /> <img alt="A walk in Kakadu will allow you to explore more of the Top End's hidden gems | <i>Rhys Clarke</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="929092" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Waterhole_-Gunlom-929092-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Waterhole_-Gunlom-929092-###width###px.jpg" /> <img alt="Trekking in the savannah of Kakadu | <i>Rhys Clarke</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="929091" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Kakadu-Walking-Adventure-929091-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Kakadu-Walking-Adventure-929091-###width###px.jpg" /> </carouselsource></div>   <p>Travellers who explore Kakadu on foot are usually treated to an endless series of pandanus-palm fringed swimming holes, crystal-clear waterfalls and spectacular gorges. And with guides who know the area well, accessing secret places few visitors ever see is one of the reasons why it is so relaxing and easy to forget the worries of the world when you are in the middle of a tropical ‘nowhere’. Here are the top six highlights when spending a week walking in Kakadu National Park.</p> <h3>Time-travel at the Nourlangie ancient rock art sites</h3> <p>Nourlangie is a living museum of art galleries, history and spirituality in Kakadu. Some of the art galleries housed in sheltered caves provide insight into the mythology of the traditional owners. Near Nourlangie is the Anbangang Gallery, where the famous Lightning Man is painted; this Dreamtime ancestor is said to control the violent wet season lightning storms.</p> <p>With an Aboriginal heritage dating back at least 20,000 years, a visit to these ancient sites offers a unique chance to discover the history and heritage of the area.</p> <h3>Explore the wildlife-rich Yellow Water Wetlands</h3> <p><img alt="A spectacular sunset experienced on the Yellow Waters cruise in Kakadu | <i>Peter Walton</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="929087" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Kakadu-Photographic-Journey-Northern-Territory-929087-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Kakadu-Photographic-Journey-Northern-Territory-929087-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>One of the highlights of Kakadu is a cruise on the Yellow Water billabong, home to an astounding variety of wildlife. Here you may encounter brumbies, wallabies and goannas drinking from the waterside, saltwater crocodiles and <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/3406/popular-birdwatching-spots-in-australia" target="_blank">thousands of birds</a> including Magpie Geese, Brolgas, Cormorants, Pelicans and Jabiru, Australia’s largest flying bird.</p> <p>Keep your arms and legs out of the water though, as it’s estimated that there are four crocodiles every 100 square metres!</p> <h3>Experience the famous Jim Jim and Twin Falls</h3> <p>Visit Kakadu’s most famous waterfalls, the Jim Jim and Twin Falls, which during the wet season turn into a roaring waterfall that gushes over towering red escarpments. While these reduce to a trickle in the dry season, the towering cliffs are a spectacle in their own right.</p> <p><img alt="Take a dip at Jim Jim and Twin Falls on day 2" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="929095" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Efti/Kakadu-2018/Day-2-Jim-Jim-and-Twin-Falls---30-929095-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Efti/Kakadu-2018/Day-2-Jim-Jim-and-Twin-Falls---30-929095-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>Encircled by 140-million-year-old sandstone cliffs, the Jim Jim Falls has a small sand-fringed plunge pool at the base of the falls. Trek through the monsoon rainforest to reach the falls – a short 900m walk that rewards spectacular views.</p> <p>The Twin Falls, on the other hand, is a cascade waterfall that has breathtaking views into the gorge below.</p> <p><img alt="Twin Falls waterfall in Kakadu National Park, NT | <i>Liz Rogan</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="929094" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Waterfall-Kakadu-929094-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Waterfall-Kakadu-929094-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <h3>Walk to the spectacular Gunlom Falls</h3> <p>Kakadu’s most iconic plunge pool and waterfall is renowned far and wide for its natural infinity-edge pool.</p> <p><img alt="Relaxing in the waterhole above Gunlom Waterfall on the Kakadu Walking Adventure | <i>Rhys Clarke</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="929093" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Gunlom-top-pool-929093-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Gunlom-top-pool-929093-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>Made famous by Crocodile Dundee, the emerald green pool and white sandy beach is a show stopper. Add in the most panoramic views of the southern-most parts of Kakadu National Park and you have a perfect spot to relax.</p> <p>The sunset views from the swimming pool on top of the Gunlom Waterfall are some of the most published images of the NT, thanks to the sweeping views across stone country and woodland to the southern hills and ridges.</p> <p>And no need to worry about crocs, the swimming holes we visit on our <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?categories=AUS&searchKeywords=kakadu" target="_blank">Kakadu walks</a> are safe to swim in and are crocodile-free.</p> <h3>Close encounters with some of the Top End's exotic animals</h3> <p><img alt="A bird perches on a tree in Kakadu | <i>Holly Van De Beek</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="929096" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Experience-Kakadu-National-Park-_10_-929096-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Experience-Kakadu-National-Park-_10_-929096-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>Kakadu is home to a diverse array of wildlife, birds and animals that can rival the diversity of a safari trip in Africa! Home to countless mammals and over 2000 plant species, it is a melting pot of extraordinary local wildlife.</p> <p>The most well-known, of course, is the largest reptile on the planet: the Saltwater Crocodile. This huge, territorial and iconic animal can be found all throughout Kakadu – there are over 10,000 of them in the area! Don’t worry, though, the swimming holes we visit are high on the escarpment, far from the reach of the ‘Salties’!</p> <p><img alt="Salt water crocodile swimming in the Yellow Water Lagoon | <i>Holly Van De Beek</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="929088" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Experience-Kakadu-National-Park-_16_-929088-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Experience-Kakadu-National-Park-_16_-929088-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>While in the wilderness you can also expect to see flatback turtles, mini quolls, snakes, wild pigs, river sharks and buffaloes; however one of Kakadu’s most iconic creatures is actually a grasshopper! Called the Alyurr, or ‘child of the lightning man” it is a local grasshopper that is brightly coloured in blue and orange.</p> <h3>Walk among lush wilderness</h3> <p>One of our favourite things about Kakadu is that after the wet season rains, we are almost guaranteed a breathtakingly lush walking season from April onwards. With up to 350mm of rain per month falling between January to March, the billabongs, rivers and creeks receive a copious amount of new freshwater, cleansing the earth, refreshing the waterholes and encouraging new growth for plants growing in the plains and wetlands.</p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9" style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="embed-responsive-item" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/m87SCce7Nu4?rel=0&controls=1"></iframe></div>   <p>Often, between April to June, the plains are covered with water lilies and lotus flowers- just in time for the trekking season! The conditions during April to September provides the perfect breeding conditions for the huge populations of brolgas, egrets, black-necked storks, eagles, magpie geese and many more bird species, so timing your visits during these months is ideal for nature lovers!</p> <p><strong><big>Experience it yourself</big></strong><br /> Join the <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Trekking-Hiking/Kakadu-Explorer" target="_blank">Kakadu Explorer</a>, a six-day walking adventure to Kakadu’s top spots and best kept secrets! This guided walking tour spends evenings at our exclusive semi-permanent campsites to give travellers creature comforts in the remote Top End Wilderness. <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Trekking-Hiking/Kakadu-Explorer" target="_blank"><strong>Find out more ></strong></a></p> <p>Or join the <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Cycling/Top-End-Kakadu-Supported-Cycle">Kakadu Supported Cycle Tour</a>, a 5-day immersive experience of all of the Top End's highlights. Explore the backroads of Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks by bike, enjoy wildlife cruises, and hear about local culture from Indigenous guides. <strong><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Cycling/Top-End-Kakadu-Supported-Cycle">Find out more ></a></strong></p> 3820The Larapinta Trail: a spotlight on ancient Australiahttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/3455/larapinta-trail-ancient-australia-northern-territoryActivities,Cultural Journeys,Trekking/Walking,Destinations,Australia, New Zealand &amp; the Pacific,Australia,NewsWed, 27 May 2020 01:33:00 GMT<p>Most people lucky enough to have walked all or part of the 223km Larapinta Trail in the West MacDonnell Ranges, near Alice Springs, would agree it’s the combination of stunning scenery and the rich Indigenous history which make the Larapinta one of the most popular multi-day walks in Australia today.</p> <p>There's the physical beauty of the many waterholes and gorges. The spectacular mountain ranges that contrast so sharply with the endless flat nothingness that we traditionally associate with a desert landscape.</p> <blockquote> <p><strong><span style="color:#555555;">Then there's the palpable feeling of ancientness and the knowledge that you are walking in the footsteps of people belonging to one of the longest continuing cultures on the planet.</span></strong><em><strong></strong></em></p> </blockquote> <p>Home to the Arrernte (pronounced Ah-runda) people, whose ancestors have inhabited the region for around 40,000 years, the Larapinta is part of Tyurrentye (as the area is known to the Traditional Owners) and is a living landscape with deep spiritual significance to the 16 traditional estates that make up the area.</p> <p>The whole area abounds with sacred sites, archaeological sites and many dreaming tracks (or 'songlines' as they are commonly known), such as the taye (moon man) dreaming that takes place between Mt Sonder and Glen Helen Gorge.</p> <div class="dynamicImageWrapper" switchsource="image1"><carouselsource aspectratio="4x3" data-plugin-options="{'items': 3, 'margin': 10, 'nav': true, 'dots': false}"><img alt="Guide explaining some of the history of the Larapinta Trail | <i>Linda Murden</i>" class="responsiveImage" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Larapinta-Trail_-Norther-Territory-661629-1100px.jpg" /> <img alt="The breathtaking Glen Helen Gorge on the Larapinta Trail in Central Australia. | <i>Ayla Rowe</i>" class="responsiveImage" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Larapinta-Trail_-Northern-Territory_-Australia.-661625-1100px.jpg" /> <img alt="The Ochre Pits are a special site where Aboriginal people quarried ochre for trade and traditional artist use | <i>Graham Michael Freeman</i>" class="responsiveImage" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Great-Walks-of-Australia-Classic-Larapinta-Trek-661628-1100px.jpg" /> <img alt="Sunrise on Mt Sonder from Fearless's Camp | <i>Rachel Imber</i>" class="responsiveImage" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Larapinta-Trail-MacDonnell-Ranges-Northern-Territory-661626-1100px.jpg" /> <img alt="Ellery Creek swimmimg hole | <i>Latonia Crockett</i>" class="responsiveImage" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Larapinta-Trail_-Northern-Territory-661627-1100px.jpg" /></carouselsource></div>   <p>Perhaps it’s the echo of those Dreamtime stories, told so often over thousands of years that have permeated the landscape, but there’s a palpable ancientness that many find quite moving. Many marine fossils found high on the West MacDonnell Ranges prove that an inland sea once covered Central Australia and provide geological evidence of this ancientness.</p> <p>There’s no doubt that the connection with the land is a big part of what’s special about the Larapinta and leading tour operator, World Expeditions, is a strong supporter of collaborating with the local Indigenous community to help clients gain a deeper understanding of Aboriginal culture.</p> <p>The <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Trekking-Hiking/Classic-Larapinta-Trek-in-Comfort">Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort,</a> for example, allow trekkers to sample delicious locally grown food and learn about their traditional uses by local Indigenous chef, Rayleen Brown, from Kungkas Can Cook. There’s also a chance to hear Dreamtime stories told by a member of the local Indigenous community in a “Cultural Conversation Experience” on some departures.</p> <p>But how did the Larapinta become one of the Great Walks of Australia and named in National Geographic’s 100 Hikes of a Lifetime when, less than 25 years ago, it was largely unknown to non-Indigenous people?</p> <h2>A walk to remember</h2> <p>The transition began with a visit from a humble Himalayan guide by the name of Charlie Holmes, who first visited the region during the early ’90s.  Charlie was mesmerized with the beauty of the Larapinta Trail and immediately recognized its commercial potential. His enthusiasm for the trail was infectious and, fortuitously, he was well respected by the adventure travel company, World Expeditions, for whom he’d guided in Nepal.</p> <p>World Expeditions has a long-established history of pioneering new trips, introducing to the Australian market firsts such as cycling holidays in India (1977) and China (1978) and trekking trips in Mongolia (1980). It didn’t hesitate to support Charlie’s vision to begin operating guided trekking expeditions to the Larapinta in 1995.</p> <p>While Charlie and World Expeditions nutted out logistics of operating those first treks in the remote desert environment, the Trail was still being developed by the forward-looking Parks and Wildlife Commission of the NT, initially to establish a long-distance trail along the spine of the elongated West MacDonnell National Park.</p> <p>By the time the full length of the 223km trail was completed in 2002, many sections by low-security prisoners from the NT Correctional Services, the route had been adapted to take the modern route – and Charlie knew it well.</p> <p>From day one, the Larapinta was popular amongst trekkers, with word of mouth recommendations driving growth. By 2005, the Larapinta Trail had become World Expeditions’ highest-selling itinerary worldwide, establishing a base in Alice Springs and employing a team of professional guides.</p> <p style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px 10px;"><span style="color:#555555;">LARAPINTA TRAIL HIGHLIGHTS:<br />   •  Counts Point – a 5km ridgeline walk that offers extensive views of 100km in every direction<br />   •  The Ochre Pits – a traditional Aboriginal quarry for ceremonial Ochre, in a range of colours from white to yellow, orange and red.<br />   •  Serpentine Gorge – a stunning gorge cut in the red quartzite cliffs near Charlie’s Camp.<br />   •  Ormiston Gorge – widely considered the most spectacular in the West Macs. (The 10km Gorge walk is not officially part of the Larapinta Trail but is one of the best short walks in the NT)<br />   •  Mt Sonder – the summit of which is a wonderful place to witness the sunrise as the sun’s rays spread across the vast folds of the ranges.</span></p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9" style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="embed-responsive-item" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jDibQFLhB70?rel=0&controls=1"></iframe></div>   <h2>Get comfy</h2> <p>The idea of establishing a <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Larapinta-Trail-Semi-Permanent-Eco-Camps">network of semi-permanent, eco campsites</a> to sustainably manage the increasing demand was first floated around this time but, with so many stakeholders involved, the idea remained on the back burner for several years, until the ownership of the West MacDonnell National Park was returned to the Aboriginal Traditional Owners in 2012.</p> <p>With the Park being jointly managed by NT Parks and Wildlife Commission and the Traditional owners, negotiation of an exclusive sub-lease agreement progressed and the eco camps were completed in 2013, allowing World Expeditions’ <a href="http://larapintatrailwalk.com.au/">Larapinta product</a> to meet the criteria to become one of the founding seven “Great Walks of Australia”, supported by Tourism Australia and the state Tourism bodies.</p> <blockquote> <p><strong><span style="color:#555555;">Designed by the late Nick Murcutt of Neeson-Murcutt Architects, the </span><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Larapinta-Trail-Semi-Permanent-Eco-Camps"><span style="color:#555555;">eco campsites</span></a><span style="color:#555555;"> set a new international benchmark by providing superior standards of service and comfort for trekkers in outback regions, thereby opening the experience to greater numbers of people, who may not have been ready to take on a wilderness camping based trek.</span></strong></p> </blockquote> <p>The design incorporates sustainable technologies such as water-free composting toilets, solar lighting systems and a hybrid grey water disposal system designed for the arid environment.</p> <div class="dynamicImageWrapper" switchsource="image1"><carouselsource aspectratio="4x3" data-plugin-options="{'items': 3, 'margin': 10, 'nav': true, 'dots': false}"><img alt="The stars of the desert sky are a stunning backdrop to our unique Semi-Permanent Campsites | <i>Graham Michael Freeman</i>" class="responsiveImage" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Great-Walks-of-Australia-Classic-Larapinta-Trek-661622-1100px.jpg" /> <img alt="Soak up the sounds of the desert around our campfire | <i>Shaana McNaught</i>" class="responsiveImage" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Relaxing-around-the-campfire-661624-1100px.jpg" /> <img alt="Trekkers relaxing on the porch of their campsites | <i>Shaana McNaught</i>" class="responsiveImage" src="/croppedImages/Australasia/Northern-Territory/Fearless-Campsite-661621-1100px.jpg" /></carouselsource></div> <p>The camps are semi-permanent and are dismantled in the off-season, to allow the land to recover, maintaining the idyllic natural setting of these wilderness sites.</p> <p>The lounge is designed to keep occupants comfortable in a climate known for extremes, with a moveable stretch canopy providing a cool shady open-sided haven, while also offering a warm shelter during cool nights with the sides pulled down. Cafe style gas burners along with open fire provide heating at night and a commercial standard cooking area allows guides to prepare delicious meals. Hot showers give trekkers a welcome way to wash away the dust of a good days walk on the Larapinta Trail.</p> <h2>The next step</h2> <p>Today, the Larapinta campsites are operated by <a href="https://www.australianwalkingholidays.com/">Australian Walking Holidays</a>, the domestic brand of World Expeditions and, this year, the company celebrates 25 years on the Larapinta Trail. A testament to the quality of the guiding team and the experience itself, the <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Trekking-Hiking/Classic-Larapinta-Trek-in-Comfort">Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort</a> remains the company’s top-selling trip.</p> <p>According to Australian Walking Holidays’ General Manager, Michael Buggy, long-term partnerships remain at the heart of the Larapinta experience:</p> <blockquote> <p><span style="color:#555555;"><strong>As well as the ongoing collaborations with the Arrernte people and with the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the NT that underpin the whole operation, there have been some very significant contributions from individuals along the way that helped shape the Larapinta experience that we are able to share with people today.</strong></span></p> </blockquote> <p>“The camps have been named Charlie’s Camp, Nick’s Camp and Fearless Camp as a tribute to some of these wonderful people who played a pivotal role in their inception,” says Michael.</p> <p>“Fearless Camp, close to Mount Sonder, seemed a very apt commemoration of the late Sue Fear and her life as a mountaineer and guide, and the fourth and newest of the camps is Sonder Camp, named for its sweeping views of the mountain.”<br /> <br /> The four eco-camps are positioned along the trail, as a kind of moving basecamp, which allows walkers to carry only a day pack, with luggage transported by 4WD vehicles between camps.<br /> <br /> Last season, Australian Walking Holidays employed 23 guides on the Larapinta Trail – 12 women and 11 men, each of whom bring a love of the land and a warmth that empowers people who walk the trail with them.<br /> <br /> “As a participant on the walk, you can expect to have the luxury of being fully present in a way that is not possible in our usual lives; to engage all your senses and be humbled by the beauty of your surrounds and the knowledge that people have preceded you on this walk for millennia,” Michael says.</p> <blockquote> <p><strong><span style="color:#555555;">In addition to being a three times recipient of the </span><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Blog/larapinta-trek-brolga-ecotourism-award-winner"><span style="color:#555555;">NT Tourism’s Brolga Award</span></a><span style="color:#555555;"> for best eco-tourism product, the Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort is a 100% carbon offset trip, with emissions offset by Australian Walking Holidays, as part of our ongoing commitment to sustainable travel.</span></strong></p> </blockquote> <p>“We remain mindful that it’s thanks to the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the Central and Western Arrernte Country, that we have the opportunity to explore and enjoy this ancient landscape,” says Michael, “and we hope that the experience ultimately helps build understanding and respect for their place as Custodians of the land.”</p> <p><em>This edited article was originally published in <a href="https://www.greatwalks.com.au/?utm_source=World%20Expeditions&utm_medium=hyperlink&utm_campaign=Blog&utm_content=Larapinta">Great Walks Magazine</a>, April-May 2020.</em></p> <p><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/activities/trekking-hiking/larapinta-trail-treks-australian-walks"><button class="btn btn-borders world-ex mr-xs mb-sm" type="button">Find your Larapinta Trail walk</button></a></p> 3455Kakadu video diary: day-to-day itineraryhttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/3405/watch-kakadu-highlights-day-to-day-itineraryActivities,Cultural Journeys,Trekking/Walking,Wildlife,Destinations,Australia, New Zealand &amp; the Pacific,AustraliaMon, 04 May 2020 07:56:00 GMT<p>Discover Australia's largest terrestrial national park: <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Trekking-Hiking/Kakadu-Explorer" target="_blank">Kakadu National Park</a>. At almost half the size of Switzerland, the World Heritage Area is huge, covering some 20,000 square kilometres.</p> <p>Our full-day video itineraries below showcase the park's must-visits while taking you beyond the main tourist sites to reveal's magic – perfect for wildlife lovers and active travellers alike.</p> <h2>The highlights</h2> <p>Head away from the crowds on our walking based itinerary, which include a cruise on the Yellow Waters (a favourite haunt of saltwater crocodiles), chasing waterfalls at the red cliffs off the Arnhem Land escarpment, visiting tranquil wetlands teem with animal and birdlife; while 40,000 years of Aboriginal cultural heritage is on display in the numerous hidden rock art galleries.</p> <p>And, after venturing into remote gorges, enjoy overnight stays in scenically located, semi-permanent campsites where you can relax in idyllic tropical surrounds – exclusive to only you and your group.</p> <p>If you're planning a visit to <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Trekking-Hiking/Kakadu-Explorer" target="_blank">Kakadu</a>, here's how to get the most out of it over four days.</p> <h2>Day 1: Traditional welcome to country & Yellow Water Billabong cruise</h2> <div> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="embed-responsive-item" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_WNtGkQS2TM?rel=0&controls=1"></iframe></div> </div> <p><br /> Meet with Wulna Aboriginal elders for a traditional welcome to country; followed by morning tea, damper and a chance to discuss culture, tradition or walk by the billabong. We then get off the sealed roads and travel east by 4WD along the old Jim Jim Road, passing some of the great wetlands such as Red Lily Billabong.</p> <p>In the afternoon, after settling in at our permanent safari camp at Djarradjin Billabong in the heart of Kakadu. During the evening, experience a cruise on the nearby Yellow Water billabong, home to an astounding variety of wildlife. Here you may encounter brumbies, wallabies and goannas drinking from the waterside, salt water crocodile and thousands of birds including Magpie Geese, Brolgas, Cormorants, Pelicans and Jabiru, Australia’s largest flying bird. The flat-bottomed boat is guided by an expert wildlife guide.</p> <h2>Day 2: Massif & sandstone walk</h2> <div> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="embed-responsive-item" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/70485w6y2J4?rel=0&controls=1"></iframe></div> </div> <p><br /> This morning we will experience the extraordinary sunrise over the wetlands with the option to join the famous Yellow Water cruise or just relax around camp. After a relaxed breakfast we drive to Nourlangie massif and begin our stunning walk traversing the crest of this quartzite plateau.</p> <p>The walk reveals the extraordinary diversity of habitats of the escarpment, from cool Monsoon Vine Forest to the rugged stone country on top. This is an active day so be prepared for a 13 km+ walking adventure. We then return to our group campsite at Djarradjin Billabong.</p> <h2>Day 3: Barramundi (Maguk) Falls & Gunlom Plunge Pool</h2> <div> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="embed-responsive-item" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jokljn1Rm68?rel=0&controls=1"></iframe></div> </div> <p><br /> Heading south we will explore some of the most stunning waterfalls and gorges of Kakadu. Barramundi Falls is reached via a walk through the monsoon forest, opening out to deep plunge pool lined with blonde quartzite cliffs.</p> <p>In the afternoon we travel on to the far south of Kakadu and our semi-permanent campsite near Gunlom. This iconic waterfall and plunge pool is ringed by sandy beaches and pandanus palms, the perfect spot to relax. The sunset views from the swimming pool on top of the Gunlom Waterfall are some of the most remarkable views of the NT.</p> <p>Our accommodation is another semi-permanent safari camp adjacent to the main campground. We are just a short stroll from the beach and plunge pool.</p> <h2>Day 4: Southern Kakadu wilderness walk</h2> <div> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="embed-responsive-item" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ebuRyTTSalQ?rel=0&controls=1"></iframe></div> </div> <p><br /> We head deep in to Southern Kakadu, Buladjang Country to take a 14km walk and pay a visit to visit Motorcar Creek Falls areas. The highlight is rock scrambling through spectacular gorges to reach crystal clear, unspoilt rock pools of remarkable beauty and some outstanding views of the surrounding hills and woodland. The pace of the walk and the distance covered is up to the mood of the group on the day.</p> <p>On the way, there are often limpid rock pools lined with ferns and Livistonia palms and within the walls of the gorge, birds and animals find water and shelter from the heat of the plains. It is a wonderful opportunity to explore this magical environment and once again the day can be as strenuous as the group prefers.</p> <p>This is an area that only very few people are privileged to experience, and for many, this day is one of the highlights of the trip.</p> <p style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px 10px;"><strong>Feeling inspired? </strong>Experience this and more on our guided <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=kakadu" target="_blank">Kakadu walking adventures</a>, which take in national park’s best secret spots, while staying at our exclusive and comfortable campsites. The itinerary may vary to make the most of the season by choosing the best walks and times to visit waterfalls as the wet season floodwaters recede and access opens up.</p>   <p><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Trekking-Hiking/Kakadu-Explorer" target="_blank"><button class="btn btn-borders world-ex mr-xs mb-sm" type="button">View our all-inclusive Kakadu Explorer trip</button></a></p> <div> </div> <div> <hr /><br /> <br /> <strong>Explore the Top End by Bike</strong></div> <div>  <div>Join the <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Cycling/Top-End-Kakadu-Supported-Cycle">Kakadu Supported Cycle Tour</a>, a 5-day immersive experience of all of the Top End's highlights. Explore the backroads of Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks by bike, enjoy wildlife cruises, and hear about local culture from Indigenous guides. <strong><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Australia/Cycling/Top-End-Kakadu-Supported-Cycle">Find out more ></a></strong></div> </div> 3405Trekking into the long-forbidden Kingdom of Mustanghttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/3272/trekking-long-forbidden-kingdom-of-mustangActivities,Cultural Journeys,Trekking/Walking,Destinations,Himalaya,NepalMon, 30 Dec 2019 06:29:00 GMT<p><em>A new road to Upper Mustang <em>is near completion</em>, meaning things in the region will change dramatically. Here's why now is the time to visit.</em></p> <p>People from all walks of life are drawn to Nepal to experience the incredible Himalaya but very few have stepped foot into the once-forbidden Tibetan Kingdom, <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Nepal-Regions/Mustang" target="_blank">Upper Mustang</a>.</p> <p>A remote and isolated high-altitude desert north of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna, the small kingdom regarded as Nepal's "Little Tibet", is home to charming rustic villages, farmlands of barley and buckwheat, Buddhist monks, women in beautiful and unique traditional dress, untouched gompas, ancient forts and palaces, nomad camps and rugged mountain landscapes flanked by snowy peaks.</p> <p>“It’s one of the last places to find pure Tibetan Buddhist culture, which makes Mustang a really special destination,” says veteran trekker Margie Thomas, who has been <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=margie" target="_blank">leading treks to the region since 2014</a>.</p> <p>Tourism is strictly controlled and limited, with US$50 a day permits (for a minimum of 10 days) required to enter Upper Mustang. Consequently, you see very few tourists heading up there even at festival times; a rare gem in the Nepalese Himalayas.</p> <p><img alt="Incredible views of the Kali Gandaki as you make your way into Upper Mustang | <i>Margie Thomas</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="590575" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Nepal/Kali-Gandaki_-upper-mustang-590575-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Nepal/Kali-Gandaki_-upper-mustang-590575-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>“I think it makes it for a much more authentic experience. You are very much immersed in the local psyche,” says Margie.</p> <p>“You’re included in what’s going on locally, so nothing’s over-run by Westerners or tourists with big camera lenses pushing locals out of the way, that sort of thing, which to me is pretty special anywhere in the world these days.”</p> <h2>Inside the forbidden kingdom</h2> <p>The greatest attraction, according to Margie, is the fact that very little has changed within the kingdom, which maintains a traditional way of life and unique Tibetan Buddhist culture dating back centuries.</p> <p>“There are three main gompas inside the walled city of Lo Manthang, one of them is called Thubchen gompa. It’s a massive Buddhist assembly hall, and I have never seen anything like it in all my travels in the Himalaya. Thubchen Gompa has been painstakingly restored over several decades, and the wall paintings there are unbelievable,” says Margie.</p> <p><img alt="Private puga at Tsarang Gompa in Mustang | <i>Margie Thomas</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="590577" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Nepal/Private-puga_-Tsarang-gompa-Mustang-590577-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Nepal/Private-puga_-Tsarang-gompa-Mustang-590577-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>“Millions of dollars have been spent on this restoration, and I’ve been fortunate to get to know some of the head restorers and count them as friend, including the wonderful Italian art restorer and conservationist, Luigi Fieni. Luigi is a passionate, enthusiastic Italian who has overseen and driven this project for the American Himalayan Foundation for 20 years. He takes my clients around, gets them up the scaffolds, shows them exactly how all the work’s been done and takes us to the backroom where they’re mixing the paints.”</p> <p>“They use mineral paints so they’re mixing up things like lapis lazuli and other semi-precious stones in the age-old tradition. They buy these stones from all around the world, grind them up and use them to restore these sacred wall paintings – it’s absolutely incredible detailed work which many local Lobas have been trained by Luigi to undertake.”</p> <p><img alt="Loba restorers at Thubchen | <i>Margie Thomas</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="590578" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Nepal/Loba-Restorers-Thubchen-Mustang-590578-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Nepal/Loba-Restorers-Thubchen-Mustang-590578-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>Another highlight is exclusive access into ruins of an old royal palace in Ghami.</p> <p>“It took four years before I was invited to visit  that old palace,” Margie explains, “but when we went in there were incredible paintings on the walls, which have been there for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years… it’s just gobsmacking.”</p> <h2>Travelling by Tibetan pony</h2> <p>Upper Mustang is horse territory, and riding unique Tibetan ponies is the way people in Mustang have moved around for centuries.</p> <p>Beautifully decorated in traditional Tibetan blankets and handwoven bridals, riding the traditional Tibetan ponies does not require previous horse-riding experience and all ponies are sure-footed and beautifully trained. Their pony men bring a wealth of experience with them.</p> <p><img alt="Clients approach pass on horseback | <i>Margie Thomas</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="590638" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Nepal/horses-crossing-pass-Upper-Mustang-590638-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Nepal/horses-crossing-pass-Upper-Mustang-590638-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>“On previous trips, we usually used the horses for the long uphill hauls and get off at the pass and walk down, or when crossing rivers. It really adds an incredible dimension; the colour, the way the horses look and you’re also elevated and relaxed so you’re not watching your feet all the time. You can just daydream a bit, look at the landscape, and take photos. The horses have their pecking order, and they all just calmly trot along in a group.”</p> <p>As described by Margie, riding through that landscape is like riding through rural Tibet a thousand years ago. You take the ponies on a day trip up to Chosar, riding from Lo Manthang to Chosar.</p> <p>“The pony men also add a great deal of richness to the trip because they become your friends along the way and you learn a lot about their life, what their aspirations are and what their families have done. There have been pony men and horsemen in those families for generations,” says Margie.</p> <h2>A new route in Upper Mustang</h2> <p>With a new road leading up to Upper Mustang almost complete, Margie predicts that things in the region will change dramatically. Now is most definitely the time to visit.</p> <p>“That road will run from China to Nepal and beyond to the Indian border, so that’s going to have a huge impact… but still there are ways to get off the road.”</p> <p>“With World Expeditions, we’ve refined the itinerary and instead of following the usual trekking route we are going way out to the east now, via remote settlements like Yara and Luri where there are no vehicles. It’s quite a strenuous trek on the way back, but you are getting way off the beaten track and have the horses as backup on the long uphill hauls.”</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?pageSize=6&sortMethod=durationLowToHigh&searchKeywords=Kingdom+of+Mustang" target="_blank"><button class="btn btn-borders world-ex mr-xs mb-sm" type="button">View Mustang treks <em class="icon-arrow-right-thin"></em></button></a></p> <p><em>Published 31 December 2019 - updated October 2022</em></p> 3272On the couch with Margie Thomas: Nepal’s Upper Mustanghttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/3271/margie-thomas-nepal-upper-mustang-trekActivities,Cultural Journeys,Trekking/Walking,Community,Charity Challenges,Guides and staff,Destinations,Himalaya,Nepal,Thoughtful TravelMon, 30 Dec 2019 06:08:00 GMT<p><em>One of the last places on earth to find untouched Tibetan Buddhist culture is in Upper Mustang. It’s a unique corner of the Nepalese Himalaya. Here’s why this region and its people hold a special place in Margie’s heart.</em></p> <p>Veteran trekker <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Nepal/Trekking-Hiking/Upper-Mustang-Hidden-Tibetan-Kingdom-Pony-Trek" target="_blank">Margie Thomas</a> has undertaken numerous treks in the Nepal and Indian Himalaya, but Upper <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=mustang" target="_blank">Mustang</a> is an area that has captured her heart time and time again.</p> <p>“Upper Mustang is just so different from anywhere else in the Himalaya. It’s sort of similar to Ladakh but is far more untouched, and far, far fewer tourists go there.”</p> <h2>Where it all began: first impressions of Mustang</h2> <p><em>Lonely Planet</em> author Stan Armington, who was one of the first Westerners to go into Mustang when it opened its borders and an old friend of Margie’s, invited her to visit Mustang with him back in August 2013 and it left her spellbound.</p> <blockquote> <p><strong>It was really like one of the last bastions of pure Tibetan Buddhist culture outside Tibet.</strong></p> </blockquote> <p>"Because it’s just 40 kilometres inside the border of Nepal and Tibet, it's remained untouched by the Chinese as there was no way that they could infiltrate and breakdown the culture. So, there’s a rich Tibetan Buddhist culture up in Lo Manthang.”</p> <p>“It was an amazing trek up there," Margie recalls. "We trekked all the way up along the Kali Ghandaki, the deepest gorge in the world, and across a breathtakingly beautiful remote high-altitude desert... The countryside was absolutely spectacular, and we visited many small settlements, villages and nomad camps including the old royal capital of Tsarang, on the way to Lo Manthang.”</p> <p>“It was summer, so the harvest was on. So, in this vast, barren landscape there were fields of pink and green and mustard... it was so beautiful.”</p> <p><img alt="Stunning views are to be found at every turn on our Upper Mustang Horse Trek | <i>Sandra Shrubb</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="590640" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Logos/WWOT-images/Upper-Mustang-Horse-Trek-590640-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Logos/WWOT-images/Upper-Mustang-Horse-Trek-590640-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>Upper Mustang opened its doors to visitors in 1992; however, this isolated and remote northern region still remains largely unexplored by foreigners.</p> <blockquote> <p><strong>I think the great attraction is that, up until last year, you really saw very little change from the 14<sup>th</sup> century.</strong></p> </blockquote> <p>"Lo Manthang and much of upper Mustang is as it was; hundreds, if not thousands of years ago. I just do not see that anymore. It’s also because its cultural horizons focus toward Tibet, rather than Kathmandu. The lack of tourists is another big plus; things have changed slowly up there.”</p> <p>Completely captivated by the culturally rich and deeply spiritual place, Margie was determined to revisit <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Nepal/Trekking-Hiking/Upper-Mustang-Hidden-Tibetan-Kingdom-Pony-Trek" target="_blank">Upper Mustang</a> and within a year she returned for a second time, taking a trekking group with her. This time in the company of Australian/Tibetan musician Tenzin Choegyal, whose family had escaped from Tibet when he was a small child. They retraced her first trip and, at Lo Manthang, arranged for Tenzin to perform for the locals inside the walled city.</p> <p>“All the locals came to hear Tenzin’s concert and they absolutely loved it. It was a beautiful night in the walled city, and the King and Queen were looking down from their window over the village square, listening to Tenzin’s haunting music. It was quite magical.”</p> <p>It was Margie’s extraordinary journeys among these remote communities and her experiences in such a relatively untouched region that inspired her to continue to trek to Lo Manthang with World Expeditions, which she has been <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Nepal/Trekking-Hiking/Upper-Mustang-Hidden-Tibetan-Kingdom-Pony-Trek" target="_blank">leading annually since 2017</a>.</p> <p>Margie is looking forward to returning with a newly devised and rarely trekked route on her <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Nepal/Trekking-Hiking/Upper-Mustang-Hidden-Tibetan-Kingdom-Pony-Trek" target="_blank">Upper Mustang Pony Trek</a> in 2020.</p> <p>“There are some long hard days – eight-hour days – so it’s not a soft option. You’ll get the best of both worlds. You’ll have a remote trek, particularly with this new route coming back through Luri and Yarra and out through Tetang and Chhusang on the banks of the Kali Gandaki. Thankfully, there are no vehicles out there.”</p> <blockquote> <p><strong>The trek is graded a Level 5 by World Expeditions, which is the same as a trek to Everest Base Camp… but you’ll almost have the place to yourself. You might only see a dozen other tourists.</strong></p> </blockquote> <h2>Meeting the royal family</h2> <p>Margie’s connections extend to that of royalty – the nephew of the Last King of Mustang, Tsewang Jonden Bista.</p> <p>“Tsewang, being part of the royal family, has been wonderful in opening doors for us that very few tourist have been opened for, so we’ve had access to all sorts of unique, off-limit places and old palaces.”</p> <p><img alt="Private puga at Tsarang Gompa in Mustang | <i>Margie Thomas</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="590572" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Nepal/Private-puga_-Tsarang-gompa-Mustang-590572-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Nepal/Private-puga_-Tsarang-gompa-Mustang-590572-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>“The experience has been quite remarkable; going into his home and meeting other members of his family. The King – although not recognised by the Nepalese government, is revered by the Lobas in Upper Mustang. We met him and his son on our previous trek, so again, we had an insight into royal life and into many aspects of the villagers’ lives, which just aren’t accessible to other travellers.”</p> <h2>Charitable support for a Chosar school</h2> <p>Behind each trip Margie's embarked on to Mustang, she would <a href="https://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/Margie-34204981" target="_blank">raise funds for a little school out in Chosar</a>, located about two hours northeast of Lo Manthang. The school provides free education and food for around 25 students who are from very poor and disadvantaged backgrounds.</p> <p><img alt="Village women in rarely seen traditional dress worn at festival times, Chosar village, Upper Mustang. | <i>Margie Thomas</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="590573" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Nepal/Upper-Mustang-590573-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/Nepal/Upper-Mustang-590573-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>“I was enamoured by then, and what happened on that trip was I got to know more local people and I could see the need up there for support, particularly for the children and for education. Many of the children just know the local dialects, so no knowledge of Hindi or Nepali, sometimes, let alone English. Without those language skill they really are hampered in terms of employment later on.”</p> <p>“I talked to World Expeditions and said, what can we do? Could I put a group together and raise funds through the <a href="https://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/Margie-34204981" target="_blank">World Expeditions Foundation</a>? And that’s what I’ve been doing every year since."</p> <blockquote> <p><strong>We’ve raised significant funds over the years. We usually average about $10,000 (AUD), but in 2019, we’ve raised more than $13,000.</strong></p> </blockquote> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><a href="https://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/Margie-34204981" target="_blank"><button class="btn btn-borders world-ex mr-xs mb-sm" type="button">Make a donation<em class="icon-arrow-right-thin"></em></button></a></p> <p>“We received one generous donation of $2000 from a family trust and with that money we put solar panels on a hostel (Himalayan Children's Care Home) for children from Upper Mustang. 75 children now have access to hot water. They’re down in Pokhara but believe me, it gets very cold during winter in Pokhara. Previously the children had cold showers or a weekly bathe in the river. So people have been incredibly generous in making this happen.”</p> <p>In addition to these projects, Margie’s philanthropic efforts have helped provide funds for female students at a small nunnery in Tsarang, for Amchis (traditional Tibetan medics and healers) who provide essential support for residents in these remote areas, as well as provide an annual donation to the cave monastic school at Gharpu.</p> <p>“The main benefits I’ve seen is in the confidence in the children at the Chosar school. Their English language skills have grown enormously, because they’ve been able to employ better teachers and more teachers, and bringing tourists there regularly also helps because they’re interacting with Westerners and practicing. The confidence in those children through better education has been really the most remarkable change I think.”</p> <p>So, what's Margie’s advice for travellers to get the most out of their travels?</p> <p>“An open mind, an open heart, along good sense of humour are the top three, definitely. It’s hard not to have those in Nepal because the people are so wonderful… Just open yourself to the experience. To quote Stan Armington, ‘Nepal is here to change you, you’re not here to change Nepal’.”</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Nepal/Trekking-Hiking/Upper-Mustang-Hidden-Tibetan-Kingdom-Pony-Trek" target="_blank"><button class="btn btn-borders world-ex mr-xs mb-sm" type="button">View Upper Mustang trip<em class="icon-arrow-right-thin"></em></button></a></p> 3271UNESCO's newest World Heritage sites: how to see them differentlyhttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/3032/unescos-newest-world-heritage-sites-and-how-to-see-themActivities,Adventure Travel,Cultural Journeys,Destinations,Asia,Myanmar,Europe,Italy,Indian Subcontinent,India,NewsThu, 18 Jul 2019 05:33:00 GMT<p>UNESCO has inscribed 29 new places on the World Heritage list for 2019, among these are Bagan’s monumental architecture and a beautiful Italian vineyard region.</p> <p>The prestigious list has come a long way, with 1,121 cultural and natural sites now tagged as World Heritage-listed. In comparison, the very first World Heritage list in 1978 featured only 12.</p> <p>We list five of the most exciting additions and ways to explore them differently.</p> <h3>Vatnajökull National Park | Iceland</h3> <p>It's a mega park that encompasses almost 14 per cent of Iceland. It's volcanic, ice cap scenery is spectacularly varied with sub-glacial lakes, jagged mountain ranges, and active volcanoes, that haven't erupted in many years.</p> <p>UNESCO describes the landscape as an "interaction between volcanoes and the rifts that underlie the Vatnajökull ice cap takes many forms, the most spectacular of which is the jökulhlaup – a sudden flood caused by the breach of the margin of a glacier during an eruption.”</p> <p><strong>Go there</strong> on a <a href="https://www.utracks.com/Iceland/Guided-Walking/Iceland-Northern-Lights" target="_blank">Iceland Northern Lights</a> experience. Explore an ice cave in the heart of Vatnajökull for a spectacular winter experience before retiring in a comfortable hotel literally in the middle of nowhere, to maximise your chance to view the extraordinary coloured lights streaming through the northern sky, the Aurora Borealis.</p> <p><img alt="Aurora Borealis over Iceland | <i>Tim Gallantree</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="502357" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Polar-Regions/Iceland/Aurora-Lights_-Iceland-502357-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Polar-Regions/Iceland/Aurora-Lights_-Iceland-502357-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <h3>Jaipur City, Rajasthan | India</h3> <p>Known for its iconic architectural legacy and vibrant culture, India's Pink City of Jaipur recently made its entry into the UNESCO World Heritage list. The walled city's finest monuments include the City Palace, Amber Fort and the iconic Hawa Mahal.</p> <p>“The city’s urban planning shows an exchange of ideas from ancient Hindu and modern Mughal as well as Western cultures," states UNESCO. "The grid plan is a model that prevails in the West, while the organization of the different districts refers to traditional Hindu concepts. Designed to be a commercial capital, the city has maintained its local commercial, artisanal and cooperative traditions.”</p> <p><strong>Go there</strong> on a <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/India/Guided-Cycling/Rajasthan-Cycle" target="_blank">Rajasthan Cycle</a> adventure which departs weekly from October to March. At Jaipur, you'll visit the City Palace, bazaars of the Old City and the Palace of the Winds, originally built as part of the City Palace. You'll then cycle the outskirts of Jaipur to your next destination to savour a way of life that is still in harmony with the seasons.</p> <p><img alt="The Palace of Winds in Jaipur is located in the city and is a stunning example of Rajput architecture and artistry with its pink delicately honeycombed 953 sandstone windows known as 'jharokhas' | <i>Fiona Windon</i>" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="502358" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/India/Palace-of-Winds-in-Jaipur-India-502358-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Indian-Sub-Continent/India/Palace-of-Winds-in-Jaipur-India-502358-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <h3>Bagan | Myanmar</h3> <p>No trip to Myanmar is complete without a visit to Bagan, a sacred landscape of Buddhist art and architecture, as well as archaeological greats. Find some Southeast Asia's finest collection of temples and stupas dating back to the 11th-13th centuries.</p> <p><img alt="Mist rises over the enchanting Bagan, Myanmar" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="502359" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Asia/Myanmar/Bagan-502359-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Asia/Myanmar/Bagan-502359-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p>From monasteries and places of pilgrimage to frescoes and sculptures, UNESCO featured the city on its heritage list as it "bears spectacular testimony to the peak of Bagan civilization. This ensemble of monumental architecture reflects the strength of religious devotion of an early Buddhist empire.”</p> <p><strong>Go there</strong> on an all-encompassing <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Myanmar/Adventure-Touring/Myanmar-Adventure" target="_blank">Myanmar Adventure</a> which departs on various dates year round. Explore the ancient Bagan temples <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Myanmar/Cycling/Cycle-Myanmar" target="_blank">by bike</a>, before relaxing in the serene Minnanthu area for a scenic picnic lunch in this historical setting.</p> <h3>Le Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene | Italy</h3> <p>You can probably guess by the name of this Italian region is known for it's wine and beautiful vineyards.</p> <p>As described by UNESCO, its landscape is "characterized by ‘hogback’ hills, ciglioni – small plots of vines on narrow grassy terraces – forests, small villages and farmland. For centuries, this rugged terrain has been shaped and adapted by man. Since the 17th century, the use of ciglioni has created a particular chequerboard landscape consisting of rows of vines parallel and vertical to the slopes.”</p> <p><img alt="Vineyards of Prosecco" class="responsiveImage" cropdataid="502360" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/croppedImages/Europe/Italy/eb-prosecco-san-stefano-panorama-15-502360-1100px.jpg" variablesrc="/croppedImages/Europe/Italy/eb-prosecco-san-stefano-panorama-15-502360-###width###px.jpg" /></p> <p><strong>Go there</strong> on the <a href="https://www.utracks.com/Italy/Cycling/Cycle-the-Dolomites-to-the-Adriatic-Sea" target="_blank">Cycle the Dolomites to the Adriatic Sea</a> trip which departs between April and September. After cycling from the base of the stunning Dolomites, descend onto the Venetian plain and through the picturesque and romantic hills of Prosecco. Gorgeous views of almost never-ending grapevines will certainly build a craving to sample the world famous sparkling wine in the town of Valdobbiadene.</p> <h3>Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, Braga | Portugal</h3> <p>Reach this hilltop sanctuary via a 575-stepped staircase that leads you to an impressive a biblical landing of allegorical sculptures, picturesque gardens, ornate fountains and multiple chapels expressive of Via Crucis.</p> <p>UNESCO says this pilgrimage site is a "sanctuary was developed over a period of more than 600 years and illustrates a European tradition of creating Sacri Monti (sacred mountains), promoted by the Catholic Church in reaction to the Protestant Reformation."</p> <p><strong>Go there </strong>on the <a href="https://www.utracks.com/Portugal/Guided-Walking/Best-of-the-Portuguese-Way" target="_blank">Best of the Portuguese Way</a> tour which depart in April, May, September and October. The visit to Braga will give you the chance to explore the historic town on special pilgrimage walk, the Portuguese Way. Second only to the Camino Francés in popularity with modern day walkers and pilgrims, it extends from the capital Lisbon across to Santiago.</p> <p><em>Published on 18 July 2019.</em></p> 30323 dishes you shouldn’t leave Jaffna without trying: Peter Kuruvitahttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/2536/food-in-jaffna-peter-kuruvitaActivities,Adventure Travel,Cultural Journeys,Destinations,Indian Subcontinent,Sri LankaMon, 08 Apr 2019 23:30:00 GMT<p>Sri Lanka is emerging as the island country to visit, especially after being named as the number one country to visit in 2019 by <em>Lonely Planet</em>.</p> <p>Among some of the unmissable experiences are the tea trails, the gorgeous surf spots, the game reserves, the spectacular birdlife and of course, the food culture – we’re talkin’ food, spice and everything nice.</p> <p>While civil conflict made certain areas of <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Sri-Lanka">Sri Lanka</a> off-limits to tourism in the past, travellers are turning to the regional parts of the country, including the stunning north-west area of Jaffna.</p> <p>“It's an undiscovered area that's still opening up and I think now is the perfect time for anyone to visit,” says TV chef and award-winning restaurateur Peter Kuruvita. “The flavours of Jaffna cuisine are different; they're very spicy compared to the rest of the country.”</p> <p>Kuruvita, who will be returning to the far north and east coast of Sri Lanka when he escorts a <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=peter+kuruvita" rel="noopener" target="_blank">culinary tour</a>, is putting Jaffna in the spotlight and recommends these three must-try foods when in the area.</p> <h3>Jaffna kool</h3> <p>“For me, one of the stand-out dishes of Jaffna would be the Jaffna kool.”</p> <p>“Made with all the amazing seafood that's pulled out of Jaffna Lagoon, it's thickened with something very unique, which is palmyra.”</p> <div align="center"> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BiUcmyFFizO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <p> </p> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; 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font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Curry Field (@curryfield)</a> on <time datetime="2018-05-03T14:58:25+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">May 3, 2018 at 7:58am PDT</time></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p> </div> <p>Palmyra root flour, which is a bit like arrowroot, gives the seafood soup a beautiful, silky feel which Kuruvita likens to a bouillabaisse of Sri Lanka.</p> <h3>Palmyra palm treacle with buffalo curd</h3> <p>Palmyra palm trees are synonymous with Jaffna and the treacle from this variety of palm offers the perfect amount of sweetness when served with silky, smooth curd made from buffalo milk.</p> <div align="center"> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BTqFiiklbrz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <p> </p> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p> </p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BTqFiiklbrz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" rel="noopener" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by AGGIE LAL (@travel_inhershoes)</a> on <time datetime="2017-05-04T04:49:15+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">May 3, 2017 at 9:49pm PDT</time></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p> </div> <p>“Now the buffalo curd comes from down south, from Hambantota, but the palmyra palm is endemic to Jaffna area.”</p> <p>“You can get treacle out of the coconut palm, or you can get treacle out of the palmyra palm. The flavours are incredibly different, so make sure you have a little scoop of palmyra honey as well.”</p> <h3>Ice cream from Rio’s</h3> <p>One point of difference between Sri Lanka’s south and the north are the milk bars which are popular in the north. Families, teens and couples on a date will treat themselves to a visit to a milk bar, so, when in Jaffna, a trip to Rio Ice Cream is a must.</p> <div align="center"> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Biccu5IBr9D/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <p> </p> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p> </p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Biccu5IBr9D/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" rel="noopener" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Kenichiro Okuyama (@green_lanka)</a> on <time datetime="2018-05-06T17:45:48+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">May 6, 2018 at 10:45am PDT</time></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p> </div> <p>“[It] has made it through the war years… so a scoop of ice-cream at Rio's is a bit of an institution.”</p> <p>Located near the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil Hindu temple, the well-known ice cream parlour is a pleasant treat to help you cool off from the heat, especially after taking in the local sights of the town.</p> <h2>Sri Lanka’s other half: why you should visit Jaffna</h2> <p>According to Kuruvita, Jaffna and the east coast are relatively empty of tourists, with a few new hotels starting to open. The main part of Jaffna town still has its original little market that’s bursting with exotic produce, as well as street stalls run by friendly locals who welcome visitors to the area.</p> <div align="center"> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsz0AT9FIjo/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <p> </p> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p> </p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsz0AT9FIjo/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" rel="noopener" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Thineshkumar (@thinesh2009)</a> on <time datetime="2019-01-19T08:33:17+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jan 19, 2019 at 12:33am PST</time></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p> </div> <p>There’s even an incredible strip where old British cars are parked. “It's kind of like a small Havana, except that all the cars are not Chevrolets,” says Kuruvita. “They're more like Austins and Morrises, and most of them operate as taxis.”</p> <p>“There are very noticeable differences between the country's south and the north: the produce, the landscape, the food and the people, so it's an important part of any visit to Sri Lanka,” he says.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Colourful_Temple-medium-55132-1024x1024-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Colourful_Temple-medium-55132-1024x1024-###width###px.jpg" width="650" /><span class="blogImageCaption">Temples adorned with colourful statues in northern Sri Lanka. Photo: Peter Kuruvita</span></p> <p>While many people may think they’ve <em>seen</em> Sri Lanka after visiting the southern areas, the northern half of Sri Lanka is definitely a place to add to your adventure list.</p> <p><span style="color: #949e17;"><strong>Want to spice up your Sri Lankan adventure? Travel with <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?pageSize=6&searchKeywords=peter+kuruvita" target="_blank">Peter Kuruvita</a> and open your taste buds to the delectable cuisines of <u><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=peter+kuruvita" rel="noopener" style="color: #949e17;" target="_blank">Sri Lanka</a></u>, as well as experience the amazing wildlife and cultures of remote villages rarely visited.</strong></span></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?pageSize=6&searchKeywords=peter+kuruvita" target="_blank"><button class="btn btn-borders world-ex mr-xs mb-sm" type="button">View Sri Lanka culinary trips<em class="icon-arrow-right-thin"></em></button></a></p> 25364 reasons to go to Colombia now: George Negushttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/2539/4-reasons-to-go-to-colombia-now-george-negusActivities,Adventure Travel,Cultural Journeys,Community,Guides and staff,Destinations,South AmericaThu, 31 Jan 2019 03:36:38 GMT<p><strong>South America's emerging hotspot, Colombia, is slowly making its way onto the adventure map for the socially, politically and culturally curious.</strong></p> <p>“For more than three decades I’ve travelled to and covered, politically and culturally, a conglomeration of countries in both South and Central America … [but] one South American country I’ve not only never covered as an international journalist is, would you believe, is Colombia,” says George Negus, one of Australia’s highly regarded media professional, who will be leading a trip to Colombia in August 2019 with his latest ‘Travel for the Mind’ itinerary.</p> <blockquote> <p>“I’ve always believed that South America is such a unique chunk of the world that you’d be mad not, at the very least, to keep your eye let alone your mind on Colombia.”</p> </blockquote> <p>While some areas may still be rough around the edges, the turn of this decade has seen the resurgence of cities like Bogotá and Medellín undergo an incredible metamorphosis making the country comparatively safer than it was 20 years ago.</p> <p>Having turned over a new leaf, here are some very compelling reasons (with the help of veteran journalist George Negus) why you should start planning your next trip to <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Colombia" target="_blank">Colombia</a>.</p> <h2>1. South America's newest foodie hotspot</h2> <p>When in Latin America, you know the food won’t disappoint and Colombia’s capital, Bogotá, is no exception. The burgeoning food scene is making waves as it catches up with its southern neighbour, Peru.</p> <p>Food festivals, including some of the largest in Latin America, dot the calendar annually, with new restaurants opening their doors to travellers enthusiastic for more sophisticated dining experiences. Some of Colombia’s chefs are also steadily driving the rise of some of the region’s best restaurants list.</p> <p>An ideal way to try local dishes and sample its cornucopia of fruits are at its fresh produce markets. Street food carts are the epicentres for popular Bogotanian snacks, such as mango biche (salted green mango); maize arepas filled with egg, cheese and ham; caramanola beef pasties and mole de queso (yam and cheese).</p> <p>It also isn’t hard to find a good cup of coffee in Colombia and there are young Colombian entrepreneurs earning reputations on the international stage with business ventures such as the La Palma y el Tucan coffee farm.</p> <p>Bogotá could soon be the capital of cuisine in Latin America – you’ll just have to head there to be the judge.</p> <h2>2. Medellín: a city reborn</h2> <p>Few cities have transformed the way that Medellín has in the past 20 years.</p> <p>As Colombia’s second largest city, Medellín is seen as the ‘greatest urban success story of Latin America’ and has been named as one of the <a href="https://urbanland.uli.org/economy-markets-trends/which-cities-are-worlds-most-innovative-winner/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">most innovative cities in the world</a> – beating New York and Tel Aviv as the finalists for City of the Year in 2013.</p> <p>“Once off-limits to visitors due to security issues, Colombia is enjoying increased political stability and a rise in tourism following the collapse of the key major drug cartels that had previously created security issues that limited access for tourists,” says Negus.</p> <p>Improving the mobility for citizens living in poor communities, steps toward environmental sustainability and its social development programs have allowed the city to move forward from its unsettled past.</p> <p>Their modern underground metro system has greatly reduced pollution and alleviated crowding in the city’s main district, and the construction of gondolas and a giant escalator that shuttle citizens from the mountainside to its valley below reduced commuter time from 2 hours to mere minutes.</p> <blockquote> <p>In addition, new museums and cultural centres have sprung up – and been embraced by locals and visitors alike.</p> </blockquote> <p>“Medellín proves how to get a fresh start against the odds. Finally rid of the city’s most infamous resident, Pablo Escobar and the worst of its drug wars, one of its darkest suburbs now safely shares its barrio streets with travellers like us,” says Negus. “Now, that is a welcome change.”</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="embed-responsive-item" frameborder="0" height="420" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wLUIlGRdY7g" width="560"></iframe></div> <p> </p> <h2>3. Biodiversity and ruins older than Machu Picchu</h2> <p>Picture laidback Caribbean beaches, Pacific surf coast, snow‑capped Andes mountains, lush coffee plantations, spectacular national parks, abundant flora and fauna, misty green hills, the wild Amazon jungle, magnificent coral reefs and archaeological ruins and you are picturing Colombia.</p> <p>Head to the country’s northern tip to the protected Tayrona National Park, which is possibly one of South America's most beautiful national parks. Home to coastal lagoons, a trove of rainforests, secluded beach spots and coconut palms, it’s a gorgeous slice of Colombia's Caribbean coast.</p> <p>The islands of Providencia and Santa Catalina provide access to the third largest coral reef system on Earth, making it an excellent diving spot, and with a third of the country made up of jungle regions, the Amazon is always nearby.</p> <p>Hidden deep in the Colombian jungle and after climbing 1,200 steps you’ll also find Ciudad Perdida, the Lost City of Teyuna. It’s a magical place full of relics and ancestral stories high in the Sierra Nevada mountains that was once home to a thriving civilisation and is thought to be around 650 years older than Peru’s renowned Machu Picchu.</p> <blockquote> <p>This range of environmental extremes makes Colombia one of the world’s most biodiverse countries.</p> </blockquote> <h2>4. Authentic culture, art and historical insights</h2> <p>Colombia’s vibrant and fun cultural vibe means the country offers some of the best theatre, film and music festivals of the region.</p> <blockquote> <p>In the last decade, Colombia has opened a tourism gateway allowing travellers to head to this place which has been off the adventure travel map for so long.</p> </blockquote> <p>The stunning UNESCO listed jewel in Colombia’s crown, Cartagena, is an exquisite clash of past and present, boasting impressive colonial architecture, stunning beaches, colourful party buses and lively salsa scenes.</p> <p>A journey down the Rio Magdalena river to the UNESCO protected site of remote Mompox takes you back to Colombia’s colonial character. The riverside town, famous for its architecture and history, actually inspired Gabriel Garcia Márquez’s magical realism novel,<em> One Hundred Years of Solitude</em>.</p> <p>Traverse the urban innovations that have caught the world’s attention in Medellín, the former home of Pablo Escobar’s notorious drug cartels, where you are never far from Fernando Botero’s art. Immerse yourself in the cutting-edge street art that offers a social and political commentary on this fascinating country’s turbulent history and gives travellers a real appreciation of the changes that have taken place since the 2016 historic Peace Agreement ended a half-century-long conflict.</p> <p>“Explore, question and probe and ultimately leave these destinations with their own story to tell and a greater understanding of where they’ve been and the lives of those they have met,” says Negus on what travellers can expect in his ‘Travel for the Mind’ journey to Colombia and Chile.</p> <p>“These journeys are like journalism without a television camera and a smaller but no less critical audience.”</p> <blockquote> <p>Many people who go to Colombia often plan only a short visit but end up staying much longer, finding it difficult to leave, and with good reason.</p> </blockquote> <p>As the infrastructure improves, Colombia will soon be the destination to visit, so now’s the time to head there, before the crowds catch up.</p> 25399 must-do foodie experiences in Japanhttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/2482/9-must-do-foodie-experiences-in-japanActivities,Adventure Travel,Cultural Journeys,Destinations,JapanThu, 29 Nov 2018 22:00:00 GMT<p><strong>Japan’s food scene is envied around the world. The capital Tokyo alone has a mind-boggling 234 Michelin-starred restaurants—and we mustn’t forget the amazing street food!</strong></p> <p>Japan's traditional cuisine can appear as sublime works of art, prepared with meticulous attention to detail and balanced with rich and delicate flavours made with quality and fresh ingredients. So, it comes as no surprise that Japan is a gastronome haven full of tantalising food adventures. Plus, there are plenty of opportunities to learn cooking secrets from masters so you can truly immerse yourself in Japanese culture, when you join us on an <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/japan" target="_blank">adventure in Japan</a>.</p> <p>Here are some not-to-be-missed culinary experiences.</p> <h2>1. Eat the fish you catch in Osaka</h2> <p>There’s nothing fresher than catching your own lunch and having it served up in deliciously different ways.</p> <p>Located in Osaka's popular sightseeing spot Shinsekai, Tsurikichi offers a noteworthy dining experience where you fish for your food.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="950" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Osaka-fishing-restaurant-1024x662-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Osaka-fishing-restaurant-1024x662-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /></p> <p>The izakaya restaurant is fashioned like a galleon and port, fitted with canals and a large aquarium where fish, such as sea bream, red snapper, and horse mackerel, swim.</p> <p>Once you’re anchored in your seats, you're given a rod and bait and you can start putting your fishing skills to the test. Your catch of the day is then taken away and cooked to order.</p> <p>The restaurant also has a selection of other items on the menu, including kushikatsu, steaks and, of course, dessert.</p> <p>It’s a delight for foodies who are after some fun!</p> <h2>2. Dine like a monk</h2> <p>Looking for more than just a sightseeing experience? Get a taste of life as a monk during your visit to Mount Kōya, sacred to the Shingon Buddhists. After you’ve hiked through the serene Kōyasan forests, unwind during an Ajikan meditation session and try your hand at shakyo—the practice of copying Buddhist sutras.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="950" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Koyasan-Konpon-Daito-Pagoda_cr-Akuppa-John-Wigham-1024x683-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Koyasan-Konpon-Daito-Pagoda_cr-Akuppa-John-Wigham-1024x683-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">Beautiful pagoda structures in Koyasan. Photo: Akuppa John Wigham / Flickr (CC)</span></p> <p>Taking your cultural experience to the next level of enlightenment, enjoy a specialty goma-dohu (sesame tofu) along with other shojin ryori dishes (these cuisines are vegetarian). And to tie it altogether, stay overnight at a temple lodge (shukubo) to get a real sense of a monk’s life. It’s an unforgettable way to experience a traditional side of Japan away from the tourist crowds.</p> <h2>3. Make your own sushi in Tokyo</h2> <p>Taking in the sights of Tokyo city sure builds up an appetite! Venture down Kappabashi Dōgugaib—an area frequented by Tokyo’s chefs and restaurant owners looking for specialised kitchenware—and head to Asakusa Chagohan for a sushi-making class.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="950" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Chagohan-Tokyo-1024x681-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Chagohan-Tokyo-1024x681-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /></p> <p>During this class you'll be taken on a cultural journey in the art of making nigiri sushi and gunkan-maki sushi. Test your skills at making Japanese broth (dashi) and miso soup, as well as the trick to creating perfect sushi rice. Afterwards, enjoy your own creations with a complimentary sake aperitif or tea.</p> <p>Fun and educational, leave with skills to host your own sushi party at home!</p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><span style="color: #949e17;"><strong>Feeling inspired? Check out our <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Japan/Culinary-Tours/Food-Lovers-Japan?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=WE%20Blog&utm_content=Food_Lovers_Japan" rel="noopener" style="color: #949e17;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Food Lover's Japan Trip</span></a></strong></span></p> <h2>4. Taste the famous black eggs of Hakone</h2> <p>Take the Hakone Ropeway to the active volcanic valley of Owakudani where you are greeted by the breathtaking geology of steam vents, hot springs and rivers—you can even catch views of Mt Fuji on clear days.</p> <p>Unique to the Hakone area is the Japanese delicacy, kuro-tamago or ‘black eggs’, which darken to a soot black when cooked in the naturally sulfurous hot spring water. Since you’re in the area, you have to give the egg a try. Once you’ve had a bite, it’s believed to prolong one's life by five to seven years … at least according to local legend.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="950" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/1280px-Hakone_black_egg_cr-David-Monniaux-CC-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/1280px-Hakone_black_egg_cr-David-Monniaux-CC-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">Photo: David Monniaux (CC)</span></p> <h2>5. Create sweets from your freshly farm-picked fruits</h2> <p>It'll feel like time has stopped in the peaceful, rural area of Tanabe in Wakayama. Head inland a few kilometres from the city centre to Kamiakizu Tanabe to the tourism green facility, Akizuno Garten. The two-story complex was formerly an elementary school and is now a hotel and farmer’s restaurant offering a buffet of local, country-style dishes made from regional products.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="950" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Japanese-orange-picking-1024x746-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Japanese-orange-picking-1024x746-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /></p> <p>Go mikan (Japanese orange) or ume (Japanese apricot) picking in the stunning orchards and experience the local agriculture first hand. Using the farm’s local produce, take part in an aromatic, sweets-making workshop and indulge in your dessert creations afterwards. Yum!</p> <h2>6. Enjoy dinner prepared by a high-end chef in a traditional minshuku</h2> <p>Planning a hike in the majestic UNESCO World Heritage site, Kumano Kodo? Complement your countryside trek with a stay in a traditional minshuku, a Japanese style B&B.</p> <p>One special place to stay is at Minshuku Tsugizakura, a simple home turned into a guesthouse that’s located in a beautiful and tranquil forest near the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route. And just around the corner is the Nonaka-no-Shimizu spring, one of Japan’s 100 famous waters.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="950" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Kumano-ancient-road_japan-medium-1024x718-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Kumano-ancient-road_japan-medium-1024x718-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">The ancient cobble lined route on the Kumano Kodo</span></p> <p>The place is owned by professional chef, Mr. Yuba, who worked across the breadth of Japan before returning to his hometown in the mountains to open this family-run minshuku. So, it won’t come as a surprise that the traditional Japanese meals served here are exceptional. Mr. Yuba and his wife host a truly wonderful feast made from the best fresh local ingredients—a real treat after a day’s hike!</p> <h2>7. Join a soba noodle masterclass in Kyoto</h2> <p>Get a hands-on foodie experience when you learn the craft of soba noodle making at Kiyomizu Tei’s workshop using Japanese tools and methods. These thin traditional noodles of choice are made from buckwheat and are prepared in a wide variety of Japanese dishes, either served cold with a dipping sauce or in a hot broth as a noodle soup.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="950" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/soba-workshop-1024x495-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/soba-workshop-1024x495-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /></p> <p>Grinding buckwheat on a millstone, you will make sobe (known as 'sobauchi' in Japanese) with a chef demonstrating the right techniques to create authentic soba noodles. Once made, your soba is cooked and served for your enjoyment, paired with soba sauce and wasabi.</p> <h2>8. Take part in a tea ceremony</h2> <p>When you need a break from all the delicious Japanese food, it's time for some matcha—the ingredient is commonly used in a variety of sweets and drinks, including ice-cream, cheesecake and, of course, tea.</p> <p>Take part in an authentic matcha tea ceremony and sip the delicacy of these specially grown green tea leaves, which are grounded into a fine powder. When in Kyoto, this is a unique cultural activity to try in a beautiful serene setting.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="950" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Tea-Ceremony_v2-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Tea-Ceremony_v2-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">Photo: Janelle William</span></p> <h2>9. Go wine and sake tasting</h2> <p>A winery tour is the perfect break from city crowds, so why not travel to the countryside of Kyoto where you can get up close and personal with Japan’s rural agricultural life?</p> <p>At Tamba Wine House, a small winery located in Satoyama in Kyoto Tamaba Town, sample the earthy Japanese wine made from local grapes, and take a tour of the brewing site to learn more about the craft.</p> <p>Another worthy place to visit is Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum in Fushimi, the city in Kyoto renowned for its tasty sake. Learn all about the iconic Japanese rice wine and relish in the freshness of Gekkeikan’s sake tasting.</p> <h2>Experience it for yourself</h2> <p>From learning the intricacies of traditional Japanese culture to trekking the historic Kumano pilgrimage walk, our programs across <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/japan" target="_blank">Japan</a> give you an insight into the history and art of Japanese cuisine within culturally rich regions—an experience that will truly satisfy your hunger for adventure.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="950" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/japanese-dining-1024x662-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/japanese-dining-1024x662-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">Photo: Janelle William</span></p> <p><em><strong>What’s your favourite Japanese food? Let us know in the comments below.</strong></em></p> 2482Peter Kuruvita’s Sri Lankan food hot spotshttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/2501/peter-kuruvitas-sri-lankan-food-hot-spotsActivities,Cultural Journeys,Community,Guides and staff,Sri LankaWed, 03 Oct 2018 04:02:00 GMT<p>Home to an array of aromatic spices, exotic fruits and the celebrated seafood cuisines, Sri Lanka’s culinary scene can be overwhelming. What should you try first? Where is the best string hopper?</p> <p>From a best-kept food secret in Kandy’s foothills to must-try street eats, celebrity chef, <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=peter+kuruvita" target="_blank">Peter Kuruvita</a>, shares his top tips and foodie hot spots when navigating Sri Lanka’s food trails.</p> <h3>Just arrived in Colombo? Here’s where to find a nice cuppa to relax</h3> <p>“I think a cup of tea is probably best enjoyed at the Galle Face Hotel on the grass or by the seafront," suggests Peter.</p> <p>"If you're there around 5:30, there's a quirky ceremony where they lower the Sri Lankan flag to the sound of a bagpipe, because the Gardiners, who own it, have Scottish heritage. It's the oldest hotel in Asia, so it's been going for four, five hundred years, and that tradition goes on every day. So, a cup of tea or a gin and tonic on the grass there is always a beautiful way to end the day, looking at the Indian Ocean.”</p> <div align="center"> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BmIGoQXlJ9n/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <p> </p> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p> </p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BmIGoQXlJ9n/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" rel="noopener" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by The Galle Face Hotel (@gallefacehotel)</a> on <time datetime="2018-08-06T06:01:04+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Aug 5, 2018 at 11:01pm PDT</time></p> </div> </blockquote> </div> <p><script async="" defer="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p> <h3>Hitting the fruit markets? Try these local produce</h3> <p>“If you're there [around] October: mangosteen. The mangoes are just starting to come out.”</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Fresh_Mangosteen-medium-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Fresh_Mangosteen-medium-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">Fresh local Mangosteen at the Pettah Market in Colombo. Photo: Sophie Panton.</span></p> <p>“Wood apple's another very interesting fruit. It looks a cricket ball, smells like an old rag, but inside when you crack it open is this knotted, brown, stringy mass, which you mix with coconut cream and make a drink or ice cream out of it, which is amazing.”</p> <p>“[Also try] one of the 38 varieties of bananas, guavas... and rambutan,” he adds.</p> <h3>Go-to street food?</h3> <p>For Peter, it’s a godamba roti first thing in the morning.</p> <p>“It’s like a paper roti, and I just have it with egg. Find any street-side stall that's making it fresh and get them to put two eggs into it. They fry it, chop it up, and then give it to you with some gravy and a little bit of coconut sambal. It's just amazing!”</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/IMG_6181_Sri_Lanka_Lexi-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/IMG_6181_Sri_Lanka_Lexi-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /> Also give dodol a try - it's a popular sweet in Sri Lanka made from coconut cream and cashews and cooked for hours. Photo: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/whoislexiconnors/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">@whoislexiconnors</a><span class='blogImageCaption'></span></p> <h3>A restaurant Peter Kuruvita always sees himself returning to...</h3> <p>Ministry of Crab. He recommends the black pepper mud crab, jumbo prawns and kottu roti as some must-try menu items.</p> <div align="center"> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BlcaLZTlwTO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <p> </p> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p> </p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BlcaLZTlwTO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" rel="noopener" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Ministry Of Crab (@ministryofcrab)</a> on <time datetime="2018-07-20T06:45:19+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jul 19, 2018 at 11:45pm PDT</time></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><script async="" defer="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p> </div> <p>“It's modern Sri Lankan, and that's kind of very close to my heart and they use the freshest ingredients, so it's a great way for people to see and taste Sri Lankan food cooked in a modern way, but still keeping to the tradition.”</p> <h3>Stopping over at Kandy? Check out this best-kept food secret</h3> <p>“Kandy has a large Muslim population, and Muslims love their biryani… Pillawoos restaurant does a cracking biryani!”</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a href="http://blog.worldexpeditions.com/destinations/indian-subcontinent/sri-lanka/peter-kuruvita-ridged-gourd-curry-sri-lankan-recipe/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>READ MORE: <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Peter Kuruvita's Sri Lankan Ridged Gourd Curry recipe</span></strong></a></p> <h3>From street stalls to some of Sri Lanka's best restaurants, where’s the best place to experience Northern cuisine?</h3> <p>World Expeditions' <a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/Sri-Lanka/Adventure-Touring/My-Sri-Lanka-with-Peter-Kuruvita" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Sri Lankan culinary experience</a> escorted by award-winning chef and restaurateur, Peter Kuruvita, is your best bet to get the most out of your Sri Lanka food adventure. Yes, you read correctly; Peter himself will be on the tour with you every step of the way for a culinary exploration of the island's remote regions.</p> <p>“People are going to learn a lot, and they're going to think about Sri Lankan food in a totally different way... The first thing people say to me is when they put something in their mouth, is ‘Wow! I thought it'd taste like Indian, and it doesn't at all.’ So, get ready for a really amazing experience,” he says.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Cashew_Nut_Curry-original-1024x682-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Cashew_Nut_Curry-original-1024x682-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">Learning traditional recipes is a feature of our culinary trips to Sri Lanka with celebrated chef Peter Kuruvita.</span></p> <p>The new tour combines Sri Lanka's must-see highlights, exciting culinary experiences and hands-on cooking classes, where you learn to cook authentic Jaffna crab curry from the locals; make tea infused drinks; and grill up your catch of the day at a special beach BBQ prepared by Peter!</p> <p>“We're a small group. It's very personal... [and] I'm with the tour 24/7. I'm actually sitting in the bus, totally engaged, telling stories and chatting with everyone. And at the front of the bus is Jeremy, who is highly knowledgeable, who can answer 99% of any questions that are thrown at him. Between the two of us, we ensure the comfort, the safety, the happiness, and all the rest of it,” adds Peter.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="950" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Delicious_seafood_curry-medium-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Delicious_seafood_curry-medium-###width###px.jpg" width="886" /><span class="blogImageCaption">Enjoy your catch of the day on the exclusive culinary tour of Northern Sri Lanka with Peter Kuruvita.</span></p> <h3>The bottom line: try everything!</h3> <p>The last thing you want to be is over-cautious and miss out on heaps of great food as a result. So, if you’re wary about approaching some street food vendors, Peter suggests checking that the oil they are using is clean, looking for stalls that use fresh ingredients, have a look at the person who's making it and make sure their hands are clean. Peter stresses that Sri Lanka is a very clean country and hygiene is taken seriously.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/IMG_6091_Sri_lanka_Lexi-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/IMG_6091_Sri_lanka_Lexi-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /> A snapshot of some traditional starters for breakfast. Photo: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/whoislexiconnors/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">@whoislexiconnors</a><span class='blogImageCaption'></span></p> <p>“As long as you can see it being made, it's great. Go into the tea houses and have the curry of the day. In the morning, have a string hopper. In the evening, have an egg hopper. Try a Kottu roti. In the afternoon, all you have to do is just follow the sound of the clanging on the griddle.”</p> <p>So, be adventurous, explore flavours you haven’t thought of trying and dive in!</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #949e17;">Peter's culinary adventures regularly book out, so <u><a href="https://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?searchKeywords=peter+kuruvita" target="_blank">secure your place today<span style="text-decoration: underline;">.</span></a></u></span></strong></p> 2501Is Mongolia's nomadic culture under threat?https://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/2461/is-nomadic-culture-under-threatActivities,Cultural Journeys,Community,Traveller Stories,Mongolia,Thoughtful TravelMon, 26 Mar 2018 22:15:52 GMT<p><strong>Mongolia's steppe is home to one of the world's last surviving nomadic cultures, but expansive urbanisation places herder culture at a confronting crossroad. If you want to witness nomad life, you may want to travel to Mongolia sooner rather than later.</strong></p> <p>Late one sunny afternoon in August 2016, I found myself guiding a group down from a high ridge line of Turgen peak in the remote Altai of Western Mongolia. The climb for the day was over and we all took stock for a moment in the safety of spongy alpine grasses awash with wildflowers and the bubble of mountain springs.</p> <p>Directly across lay the Kharkhiraa Massif – a range bristling with glaciers and studded with azure lakes. A golden light rained down and my imagination was set alight by the thought of the hidden wildlife roaming below. Apart from ibex, wolf, deer, and argali sheep, this part of the world is home to one of the highest concentrations of snow leopards on the planet.</p> <p>In the distance, the glint of ice and snow suggested the republic of Tuva in neighbouring Russia. In the middle distance were flecks of white nomad tents, known as gers, that instantly transformed the landscape from a wilderness to a home.</p> <p><img class="responsiveImage" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Ger_tents_Mongolia-original-1024x768-200px.jpg" alt="" width="1024" dynamiccroppedimage="1" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Ger_tents_Mongolia-original-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" largestloadedsize="200"><span class='blogImageCaption'>Traditional ger in Terelj National Park, Mongolia. Photo: Caroline Mongrain</span></p> <p>I recalled that it had been this view twelve years earlier that had inspired my annual return to this part of the world, guiding treks with <a href="http://worldexpeditions.com/?utm_source=Nomad%20culture%20threatened&utm_medium=hyperlink&utm_campaign=WEAU%20Blog&utm_content=WE_homepage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Expeditions</a>. At that point, I was just three months into a journey by horse from Mongolia to Hungary that would eventually take more than three years across the steppe, and which would cement my life passion for understanding and celebrating nomadic cultures.</p> <blockquote><p>Twelve years on, it is the traditional nomad culture that draws me back, especially to the remote lands of Western Mongolia. However, even here – far from the fast pace of life in the nation's capital, Ulaanbaatar, where change moves on at an exponential pace – there is increasingly an ever-present question: what does the future hold for the nomads of Mongolia?</p></blockquote> <p>I was about to spot something that would shed some light on the complexity of the answer. Before standing up to trek on, I quickly scanned the wide expanse of Kharkhiraa Pass for our camel train and our camp for the night. It was then that my eyes caught a fleck of white close to the high pass itself. I had never seen a nomad camp so high up in the mountains and resolved to visit it the following day.</p> <h2>The threat of modernity</h2> <p>Entering the ger in a rainstorm was like entering another time. In the dim interior hung dried curd and mutton. At the back of the ger, lit up by the flicker of the dung stove, was a hand-powered sewing machine and a miniature prayer wheel.</p> <p>Greeting us with a warm smile and a cup of salty, milky tea was the owner, Baigal – a woman in her mid-70s who had spent her entire life living to the seasonal rhythms of nomadic life. She had mothered four children and survived many a <em>dzud</em> – a harsh winter that sweeps across the steppe a couple of times a decade wiping out millions of animals – but this summer, her life we soon learnt, had come to a most confronting crossroad.</p> <p>Her children had all moved away to regional towns and to Ulaanbaatar and her husband had recently died. What was she to do? Sell up her animals and move to be with family in the city, severing millennia of inter-generational nomadic tradition? Or somehow struggle on?</p> <p><img class="responsiveImage" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Local_Mongolian_woman-original-1024x683-200px.jpg" alt="" width="1024" dynamiccroppedimage="1" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Local_Mongolian_woman-original-1024x683-###width###px.jpg" largestloadedsize="200"><span class='blogImageCaption'>Nomadic culture encompasses a long and rich history of raising livestock. Photo: Cam Cope</span></p> <p>Her fate ultimately lay in the hands of her youngest son, Miyaga, who had returned from the city for a few weeks to make the big decision for her. His story, as it became clear, was also one riddled with dilemma. We would meet him later. In fact, he would ride up to us on his horse and greet us in broken English before pulling out an iPhone for a selfie.</p> <p>Traditionally, the youngest son is given the responsibility of caring for parents in their old age and taking over the nomadic herds. However, Miyaga had made his life in the city and was engaged to be married – as it turned out, to a woman who was fiercely opposed to a move back to the nomadic life.</p> <blockquote><p>So, what was he to do? Choose tradition and love for his home country, or the love of his life and a break with the past?</p></blockquote> <p>Baigal and Miyaga’s story burned bright in my mind long after we had trekked out of Kharkhiraa and returned home.</p> <p>The narrative seems to be universal on every continent, in every culture: traditional life prevails until the inevitable lure of the big city lights – neon-lit with modernity, convenience, and the prospect of economic prosperity – draws the youth away.</p> <blockquote><p>That is to say, when the new world brushes up against the old, the former wins out.</p></blockquote> <p>I've resisted the inevitably of modernity replacing traditional life especially in  Mongolia – a country where the nomadic life is still essentially enshrined in the constitution, and the nature of the land and climate means fixed-address farming for the most part is not possible.</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>RELATED: <a href="http://blog.worldexpeditions.com/destinations/asia/mongolia/tim-cope-favourite-mongolian-treks/?utm_source=Nomad%20culture%20threatened&utm_medium=hyperlink&utm_campaign=WEAU%20Blog&utm_content=Tim_C_fav_treks" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Tim Cope’s favourite Mongolian treks – which one is for you?</span></a></strong></p> <p>Yes, Ulaanbaatar is growing fast and there seems to be a streamline towards it but, in my experience, Mongolia is still a country where there is great pride in the nomadic way of life. But was my view about to become unstuck?</p> <p><img class="responsiveImage" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Local_children-original-1024x683-200px.jpg" alt="" width="1024" dynamiccroppedimage="1" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Local_children-original-1024x683-###width###px.jpg" largestloadedsize="200"><span class='blogImageCaption'>The nomadic way of life is usually continued on from generation to generation. Photo: Cam Cope</span></p> <h2>The future of nomads</h2> <p>I had read stories about nomadic families picking up and abandoning city life en masse to move to the city but had remained skeptical.   In all my years of visiting Mongolia, I had never met such a family. There were always some members of the family that moved permanently to the city, and those that stayed, but was this to be the first? And was this, in one of the most remote corners of the country a bellwether for what is to come?</p> <p>It was with this question on my mind that I descended that ridge in the sunny afternoon light in August last year. I had flipped an imaginary coin in my mind a hundred times over.</p> <p>It was hard to see but, as my eyes adjusted from that same spot; by the bubble of the spring, among wildflowers and grasses, I caught sight of that familiar fleck of white in the canvas of the steppe.</p> <p>I would soon learn that Baigal was not alone. Inside the ger, when I entered the next day, sat her son, Miyaga, now the nomad bachelor. For now, at least, the tradition continues.</p> <p><strong>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</strong></p> <p><em><a href="http://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?pageSize=6&searchKeywords=tim%20cope&utm_source=Nomad%20culture%20threatened&utm_medium=hyperlink&utm_campaign=WEAU%20Blog&utm_content=Tim_C_trips" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Tim Cope</span></a> has journeyed over 10,000km from Mongolia to Hungary by horse, rowed 4,500km in a leaky wooden boat down the Yenisey River from southern Siberia to the Arctic Ocean, and cycled from Moscow to Beijing by bike – a 10,000km journey that took him 14 months. He leads <a href="http://worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?pageSize=6&searchKeywords=tim%20cope&utm_source=Nomad%20culture%20threatened&utm_medium=hyperlink&utm_campaign=WEAU%20Blog&utm_content=Tim_C_trips" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">unique exploratory-style treks</span></a> with World Expeditions in the vast Mongolian steppes, encompassing the Altai mountain ranges, the sand dunes of the Gobi Desert, and the Khovd River – West Mongolia’s longest river.</em></p> <p><em><strong>Have you been intrigued by nomadic culture? Share your thoughts in the comments below.</strong></em></p> <p><strong>READ MORE: </strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="http://blog.worldexpeditions.com/destinations/asia/mongolia/summer-mongolia-travelling-among-nomads/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Summer in Mongolia: travelling among nomads</span></strong></a></li> <li><a href="http://blog.worldexpeditions.com/features/disconnect-to-reconnect-tech-free-holidays/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Disconnect to reconnect: take a tech-free holiday</span></strong></a></li> </ul> 2461Traveller stories: What we didn't expect on our Sri Lanka tourhttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/2453/sri-lanka-adventureActivities,Adventure Travel,Cultural Journeys,Wildlife,Community,Traveller Stories,Destinations,Indian Subcontinent,Sri LankaMon, 19 Feb 2018 05:30:43 GMT<p><strong>It hit us like a tuk-tuk driving 100km per hour around a blind corner as we stepped through the doors of Colombo Airport. That smell. The one that took him straight back to the dusty streets of Kathmandu, and me to the back roads of Bangkok. Don’t get me wrong, though; we both love that smell. It was like a hit of adrenaline. We’re back.</strong></p> <p>With jetlag on our side, we woke early and headed to the beach outside our room at Rani Beach Resort, which had been veiled in darkness when we arrived the night before. Greeted with a game of beach cricket, wooden catamarans covered in colourful sails, and some “very good salesmen” trawling the beach, we already felt accomplished. And it wasn’t even 9am.</p> <p>Buffet breakfast. Tick. First shower of the day. Tick. Ready for more action. Tick.</p> <p>After meeting the guide for our <a href="http://www.worldexpeditions.com/Sri-Lanka/Multi-Activity/Sri-Lanka-Adventure?utm_source=Sri_Lanka_LP_winner_post&utm_medium=hyperlink&utm_campaign=WEAU%20Blog&utm_content=Sri_Lanka_Adv" rel="noopener" target="_blank">World Expeditions tour</a> that would start that afternoon, we headed off to the main fish markets via a tuk-tuk that was nicely haggled down in price by him. Thank god he’s here, I’m hopeless at that stuff.</p> <p>We could smell it before we arrived. A stark contrast to the fish markets we’d visited in Tokyo; while store owners lined the road, spruiking their offerings, the beach was covered in meters of hessian topped with neatly arranged fish. I wondered how they stopped the birds from eating it until I saw a bird swoop down and score a small fish. The answer to my question: they don’t.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/sri-lanka-fish-market-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/sri-lanka-fish-market-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">Sellers at Negombo's main fish market. Photo: Emma Breislin</span></p> <p>After a friendly toothless man excitedly told me that I could watch the markets from my television, thanks to a visit from Rick Stein a few years back, we wandered through the fruit and vegetable markets. The only way to describe it was colourful, which coincidentally happens to be a pretty good summation of Sri Lanka overall so far.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/sri-lanka-market-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/sri-lanka-market-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">Colourful fruit and vegetables on display at the markets. Photo: Emma Breislin</span></p> <p>We headed to the Dutch Canal, spanning a whopping 240km for a boat ride with a bit of wildlife spotting. Monitor lizards, kingfishers, herons, owls and the occasional bit of rubbish. It was as if our guide had arranged a meeting place with each bird, as he was able to spot things our amateur eyes simply couldn’t.</p> <p>The banks of the canal were littered with tin shacks sheltering small smiling children, next to large concrete complexes containing the very apparent disproportion of wealth. Breaking into more open water, we headed across the lagoon to the Muthurajawela Nature Reserve, a tropical wetland known to home crocodiles, sea eagles, monkeys, and all manner of birds. While we unfortunately (or fortunately?) didn’t see any crocodiles, we did manage to be boarded by some pirates who liked the look of our afternoon tea.</p> <h3>A life of austerity and meditation</h3> <p>The next morning, we headed off to the rural mountain town of Salgala, to the monastic complex housing 19 Buddhist monks. Leaving the comfort of touristy Negombo, we finally got a glimpse of the real Sri Lanka, in all its nitty-gritty-ness. Streets littered with dogs, the brightest bunches of bananas hanging from the awnings of crumbling straw huts, colourful buses charging down thin streets, and fields of rice bordered by the tallest coconut trees. As the roads got bumpier, the excitement only grew.</p> <p>Once we made it to the monastery, an 88-year-old gentleman, sari-wrapped and thong clad, with only a few teeth and not a word of English, led us around the complex and up through the forest. He explained to our guide, who translated, that there were 18 caves in the forest that the monks reside in, but that they were originally built for the King when he fled to the mountains to avoid Indian invasions in the second century.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/sri-lanka-monk-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/sri-lanka-monk-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">The Salgala Buddhist monastery is a haven for monks. Photo: Emma Breislin</span></p> <p>The monks now use the caves for meditation, of which they perform from 1pm each day until the following sunrise. We walked bare foot and admired temples hidden in stone and stupas entangled in vines, but not so much as our utter admiration for the elderly gentleman who led us, using nothing but the end of an old broom as a walking stick to take him all the way up to the lookout at the top, which swept across from Colombo Harbour all the way out to Adam’s Peak and beyond. I was a sweaty mess by the top, but I swear I still saw a spring in his step up there. Age is just a number, folks.</p> <h3>Elephant Bay Hotel in Pinnawala</h3> <p>That afternoon we headed to our hotel for the night, stepping over the sleeping guard dog through to the grand colonial style entrance. The view directly across the lobby opened onto a magnificent river, dotted with rocks in a way that the water sparkled as it trickled over its obstacles. If you look over the balcony you’ll notice a bright blue infinity pool, overlooking the gushing river. Now look a bit closer and you notice one – no two – no, make that a herd of elephants bathing in the river.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/elephants-bathing-near-hotel-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/elephants-bathing-near-hotel-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">The hotel provided a stunning spectacle of elephants bathing. Photo: Emma Breislin</span></p> <p>The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was just across the road, and a few times a day they walk the elephants across the road, down the small side streets, and into the river for a release from the heat. They eat 300kg of foliage a day and need 250 litres of water. Needless to say, we watched them all night: from our balcony, our bed, the pool and over the dinner table.</p> <h3>Trekking, tea and 'glamping'</h3> <p>Adam’s Peak rests at 2224m above sea level, and with almost 20,000 steps done before 8am, we climbed it for sunrise. Setting out shortly after two in the morning, I must admit, it was a challenge for me. I blame all the curry. But then again, he managed much better than me and he’s had just as much curry. Deciding to put the camera down and just enjoy the sunrise, it was a pretty special moment.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/watching-sunrise-adam-peak-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/watching-sunrise-adam-peak-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">Watching the sunrise from Adam's Peak. Photo: Emma Breislin</span></p> <p>And then we had to go down. With the sun up though, the view of the rolling hills below us was enough to distract me from my shaking knees. If you are thinking of hiking Adam’s Peak, bring a pole.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/adams-peak-vista-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/adams-peak-vista-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">The early morning ascent was well worth the views from Adam's Peak. Photo: Emma Breislin</span></p> <p>We were welcomed back into town like war heroes. It was eggs or eggs for breakfast, as my body needed some radical refuelling.</p> <p>Just out of Nuwara Eliya, we headed for Pedro Estate Tea Plantation. For a staggering R200 (less than two bucks), we were taken around the tea processing factory, which has been in operation since the 19ᵗʰ century. Each day, eight tonnes of fresh tea is picked and processed in the factory, producing two tonnes of the dried leaves we love.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/emma-on-foot-pedro-estate-tea-plantation-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/emma-on-foot-pedro-estate-tea-plantation-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">Trekking through the tea plantation. Photo: Emma Breislin</span></p> <p>Next time you sit down with a cup of the good ol’ green stuff, raise it to those who pull off back-breaking work day in, day out, to get it to you. Absolutely amazing.</p> <p>The next morning, we headed to Ohiya, where we were to embark on our six-hour hike to Bambarakanda Falls, the tallest in Sri Lanka. We stayed at Sri Lanka’s Eco Team Campsite in Beilhuloya. And when I say campsite, I mean glampsite. There were proper beds, pillows, doonas, and some delightful chairs out the front. The bathrooms were all modern concrete and timber, and we were served a four-course meal under the light of the flame torches that surrounded us. It was like a scene from <em>Survivor</em>, but with more food and much more comfort.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/sri-lanka-ecocampsite-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/sri-lanka-ecocampsite-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">Our campsite in Beilhuloya. Photo: Emma Breislin</span></p> <p>Earlier in the afternoon, we’d figured it would be a good opportunity to fly the drone he gifted me for Christmas, and after asking permission, we stood in a clearing metres from our tent, with most of the staff looking eagerly over our shoulders and sent it up. Filming over the tents, trees and down to the glistening lake surrounded by folding mountains, it was breathtaking. The best part, without a doubt though, was that one young staff member was so taken aback by the footage we showed him later, that he asked us to send it to him. He explained, in broken English, that he had lived in the area since he was a small boy. He had hiked all over it and seen it from every angle, but never from the top.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/views-from-the-eco-campsite-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/views-from-the-eco-campsite-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">Taking in our beautiful campsite views. Photo: Emma Breislin</span></p> <p>The standard of service at the camp was absolutely without fault, and so there was no hesitation from us that we would get him the footage. And we did. Watching him stop in his tracks as he walked back to the kitchen, fingers clutching his phone, eyes glued to the screen, was a small but pretty touching moment.</p> <h3>On safari</h3> <p>This may just be me, but when I thought of Sri Lanka initially, I didn’t even realise you could do a safari. But you can, and you should.</p> <p>Picked up in our jeep, fitted out with canvas canopy, weighty wheels and snug seats, we climbed aboard and headed for the national park. Dusty roads and shrub for miles, our driver expertly weaved his way through unmarked roads, over potholes and through low-hanging branches. Not long down the road we saw a herd of buffalo bathing in a swamp, one in particular, was keen to have his photo taken, lolling around in the mud in front of us.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/sri-lanka-elephants-bathing-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/sri-lanka-elephants-bathing-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">A herd of buffalo bathing in the swamp. Photo: Emma Breislin</span></p> <p>Further on we saw our first elephant, once an orphan, now roaming the park freely. Then some lounging monitors massaging each other in a tree. Peacocks strutting their stuff, eagles soaring above us, crocodiles, a snake, a jackal, and the list goes on.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/on-safari-sri-lanka-peacock-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/on-safari-sri-lanka-peacock-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">Spot various wildlife during your safari at the prolific National Parkland. Photo: Emma Breislin</span></p> <p>At one point, our driver turned down a small path, and suddenly we lost sight of any other jeep in the park. In the distance, on the road ahead, we saw a looming grey figure. Before we could make it out, we heard the trumpet of the elephant and saw it running at full pace away from us. Slowly, we rolled forward and it wasn't long until we came upon the most magnificent of moments.</p> <p>Turning the engine off, I sat speechless, and only managed to look over at him to make sure what I was seeing was real. It was. There in front of us, two grown female elephants stood side by side, trunks linked. Between their bodies were two calves, one a few years old and one a newborn calf. Once they were sure we were safe, they slowly unlinked, revealing their gorgeous young to us. It was surreal. It was breathtaking. It was so utterly… human. We sat there for a good 10 minutes watching, seeing what they say about elephant’s emotions in action. They feel love, they feel fear, they feel safety.</p> <p><img alt="" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/wildlife-safari-sri-lanka-elephants-linking-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/wildlife-safari-sri-lanka-elephants-linking-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /><span class="blogImageCaption">A pair of elephants interlinking. Photo: Emma Breislin</span></p> <p>Confident we would not surpass that moment, we drove on, discovering more and more wildlife as we went. We often never went longer than five minutes without spotting something new.</p> <p>And then it happened. ‘STOP!’ ‘GO BACK!’ ‘DID YOU SEE THAT?!’</p> <p>In a flash our guide was on the roof of the jeep. I’m sure it almost rolled as we all threw ourselves over the left-hand side of the vehicle. He‘d seen the face, I’d seen the spots slinking away through the shrubs. It definitely was. No way. It really was. We’d seen a leopard.</p> <p>We had been told outright that we wouldn’t see a leopard. Our guide had never seen a leopard, only tracks. They were incredibly rare and incredibly shy. Plus, there are only about 700 remaining in the country. But we saw one. And it was mind-boggling.</p> <p>Sri Lanka, in a word, you’ve been swell.</p> <p><strong><br /> ABOUT THE AUTHOR</strong><br /> <em>Emma Breislin is a twenty-something who started writing about travel when she was nine – forced to by her mum on family holidays. Now addicted to it, she travels the world archiving her adventures and sending stories home to mum … and anyone else that may want to read them along the way. She was fortunate enough to travel to Sri Lanka as the winner of our co-sponsored Lonely Planet competition.</em></p> <h3>Experience it yourself</h3> <p><strong>Go on a 14-day adventure tour through the remote regions of Sri Lanka and immerse yourself in the country’s rich culture and stunning landscapes. Ascent the famous Adam’s Peak, canoe down the Kalu Ganga and sit in close range with elephants on a wildlife safari. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.worldexpeditions.com/Sri-Lanka/Multi-Activity/Sri-Lanka-Adventure?utm_source=Sri_Lanka_LP_winner_post&utm_medium=hyperlink&utm_campaign=WEAU%20Blog&utm_content=Sri_Lanka_Adv" rel="noopener" target="_blank">View full trip details ></a></span></strong></p> <p><em>Have you been to Sri Lanka? Share your highlights in the comments below.</em></p> 2453Traveller Stories: Cycling my way through Asiahttps://assets.worldexpeditions.com/Blog/PostId/2407/cycling-along-the-mekong-riverActivities,Cultural Journeys,Cycling,Community,Traveller Stories,Destinations,Asia,Cambodia,China,Laos,Thailand,VietnamFri, 05 May 2017 06:46:00 GMT<p><strong>The simple pace of cycling lends itself to meeting the locals, accessing remote monasteries and experiencing the exhilaration of freewheeling in vast valleys. It provides the ultimate immersion into the landscape and culture of a country, and are some of the reasons why World Expeditions traveller, Greg Packer, has been on six group cycling trips with us in Asia since 2011.</strong></p> <p>We sat down with Greg to ask him what it is about cycling in Asia that he loves so much and what makes him keep coming back for more.</p> <p><a href="http://blog.worldexpeditions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Chang-Mai-to-Vientiane-Cycle-2013-18.jpg"><img alt="Greg on the Chang Mai to Vientiane Cycle " class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Chang-Mai-to-Vientiane-Cycle-2013-18-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Chang-Mai-to-Vientiane-Cycle-2013-18-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1000" /></a><span class="blogImageCaption">Greg on the Chang Mai to Vientiane Cycle</span></p> <p> </p> <h3>Where have you embarked on a cycle journey with us?</h3> <p>I have done six cycling trips with World Expeditions since 2011. These include <a href="http://www.worldexpeditions.com/Vietnam/Cycling/Vietnam-by-Bike?utm_campaign=WE Blog&utm_source=Traveller-Stories&utm_content=Vietnam-by-bike">Vietnam by Bike</a> (2011), <a href="http://www.worldexpeditions.com/China/Cycling/Yunnan-Cycle-and-Tiger-Leaping-Gorge?utm_campaign=WE Blog&utm_source=Traveller-Stories&utm_content=Yunnan-Cycle" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Yunnan Cycle and Tiger Leaping Gorge</a> (2012), Thailand to Laos (Change Mai to Vientiane) (2013), <a href="http://www.worldexpeditions.com/Sri-Lanka/Cycling/Sri-Lanka-by-Bike?utm_campaign=WE Blog&utm_source=Traveller-Stories&utm_content=Sri-Lanka-by-bike" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Sri Lanka by Bike</a> (2014), <a href="http://www.worldexpeditions.com/Vietnam/Cycling/Ho-Chi-Minh-City-to-Angkor-Wat-Cycle?utm_campaign=WE Blog&utm_source=Traveller-Stories&utm_content=Vietnam-Cambodia-Cycle" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City to Ankgor Wat Cycle</a> (2015) and <a href="http://www.worldexpeditions.com/Cambodia/Cycling/Along-the-Mekong-River-by-Bike?utm_campaign=WE Blog&utm_source=Traveller-Stories&utm_content=Mekong-by-bike" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Along the Mekong River by Bike</a> (2017).</p> <h3>What was the most memorable moment on your recent cycle along the Mekong River?</h3> <p>The most memorable part was the home-stay in a small village in Cambodia near the Laos border. The food was fantastic!</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox mb-lg" data-plugin-options="{ 'delegate': 'a', 'type': 'image', 'gallery': { 'enabled': true} }"><a class="lightboxThumbnail img-thumbnail d-inline-block mb-xs mr-xs" href="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Chang-Mai-to-Vientiane-Cycle-2013-4-1920px.jpg"><img class="img-fluid" height="110" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Chang-Mai-to-Vientiane-Cycle-2013-4-350px.jpg" width="110" /></a><a class="lightboxThumbnail img-thumbnail d-inline-block mb-xs mr-xs" href="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Sri-Lanka-Cycle-2014-7-1920px.jpg"> <img class="img-fluid" height="110" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Sri-Lanka-Cycle-2014-7-350px.jpg" width="110" /></a><a class="lightboxThumbnail img-thumbnail d-inline-block mb-xs mr-xs" href="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Chang-Mai-to-Vientiane-Cycle-2013-271-1920px.jpg"> <img class="img-fluid" height="110" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Chang-Mai-to-Vientiane-Cycle-2013-271-350px.jpg" width="110" /></a><a class="lightboxThumbnail img-thumbnail d-inline-block mb-xs mr-xs" href="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Ho-Chi-Min-to-Siam-Reap-plus-Mekong-Delta-7-1920px.jpg"> <img class="img-fluid" height="110" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Ho-Chi-Min-to-Siam-Reap-plus-Mekong-Delta-7-350px.jpg" width="110" /></a></div> <p> </p> <h3>You can bike across Europe but you seem to prefer pedalling across Southeast Asia. What is it about the region that keeps you coming back for more?</h3> <p>I do some cycling in the UK but I like Southeast Asia because cycling is reasonably slow and often on backroads, so you get to see things that most tourists don’t. Also, it's close to Australia and good value.</p> <blockquote> <p>Other things that keep me coming back include the culture, the very friendly people, the food and the cold beer. We feel safe on the roads in Asia and every ride with <a href="http://www.worldexpeditions.com?utm_campaign=WE Blog&utm_source=Traveller-Stories&utm_content=World-Expeditions">World Expeditions</a> has been very professionally run.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://blog.worldexpeditions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Vietnam-Cycle-2011-7.jpg"><img alt="Vietnam by Bike" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Vietnam-Cycle-2011-7-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Vietnam-Cycle-2011-7-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /></a><span class="blogImageCaption">Vietnam by Bike</span></p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox mb-lg" data-plugin-options="{ 'delegate': 'a', 'type': 'image', 'gallery': { 'enabled': true} }"><a class="lightboxThumbnail img-thumbnail d-inline-block mb-xs mr-xs" href="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Vietnam-Cycle-2011-14-1920px.jpg"><img class="img-fluid" height="110" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Vietnam-Cycle-2011-14-350px.jpg" width="110" /></a><a class="lightboxThumbnail img-thumbnail d-inline-block mb-xs mr-xs" href="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Vietnam-Cycle-2011-5-1920px.jpg"> <img class="img-fluid" height="110" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Vietnam-Cycle-2011-5-350px.jpg" width="110" /></a><a class="lightboxThumbnail img-thumbnail d-inline-block mb-xs mr-xs" href="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Vietnam-Cycly-2011-buying-clothes-in-Ho-Chi-Min-1920px.jpg"> <img class="img-fluid" height="110" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Vietnam-Cycly-2011-buying-clothes-in-Ho-Chi-Min-350px.jpg" width="110" /></a></div> <p> </p> <h3>What do you like about cycling in a group rather than solo?</h3> <p>Group riding is important because out on the roads it feels safer. You have back-up support with a bus and truck if it’s too hilly, too hot or you don’t feel well. We spend every evening eating, drinking and laughing... and that's hard to do by yourself.</p> <p><a href="http://blog.worldexpeditions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/China-Yunnan-Cycle-and-Tiger-Leaping-Gorge-2012-4.jpg"><img alt="China Yunnan Cycle and Tiger Leaping Gorge 2012 (4)" class="responsiveImage" dynamiccroppedimage="1" largestloadedsize="1100" src="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/China-Yunnan-Cycle-and-Tiger-Leaping-Gorge-2012-4-1024x768-200px.jpg" variablesrc="/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/China-Yunnan-Cycle-and-Tiger-Leaping-Gorge-2012-4-1024x768-###width###px.jpg" width="1024" /></a></p> <h3>Why do you prefer to cycle your way through a country rather than walk or bus?</h3> <p>Most of my friends who come along with me are keen cyclists in Australia so it's our preferred mode of transport. However, my wife Libby has done a lot of walks with World Expeditions and in 2015 we did the Cornwall Coast Walk with <a href="http://utracks.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">UTracks</a>.</p> <h3>What advice would you give to someone who’s never done a cycle holiday but wants to give it a go?</h3> <p>It’s best to be fit, but if you don’t feel fit enough you can always go on the bus and still have a great time. The accommodation is good and is always clean and tidy with friendly staff.</p> <p>I have always organised friends to go with me and usually get 6 to 12 people to go. Not everyone will know each other and we don’t make it private. These sorts of trips are good for new people to join but if they don’t want to mix socially with others then these trips are not for them. On this last trip there were 6 of us and 3 other males from Sydney, Perth and the UK and we all got on really well plus we ensure we swap roommates on all trips to mix it up.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="embed-responsive-item" frameborder="0" height="420" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nFSr_k1ADUU" width="560"></iframe></div> <p> </p> <h2>Embark on your own cycle journey</h2> <p><span style="color: #949e17;">Whether you’re a first timer or an experienced cyclist, our cycling holidays open up a world of adventure and self discovery. <a href="http://www.worldexpeditions.com/advanced-search?categories=regionBorneo%2CKHM%2CCHN%2CregionTibet%2CTLS%2CIDN%2CJPN%2CLAO%2CMNG%2CMMR%2CTHA%2CVNM%2Ccycling?utm_campaign=WE Blog&utm_source=Traveller-Stories&utm_content=Cycle-Asia" rel="noopener" style="color: #949e17;" target="_blank">View our Cycle Journeys in Asia ></a></span></p> 2407