Myths & Mountains | Luxury Adventure Travel

Lo Manthang & the Tiji Festival with Dr. Antonia Neubauer

Travel with Dr. Antonia Neubauer as honored guests…a rare treat.

Every spring, at the palace in Mustang, there is a colorful Buddhist festival called Tiji that is hosted by the King of Mustang.

This year you have the opportunity to attend the festival with READ Founder, Dr. Antonia Neubauer, as honored guests who will dedicate the first READ Library in the entire area of Upper Mustang.

The three day festival is a celebration of color, costumes, and culture. Visit medieval forts and palaces, and see villagers living as they have for centuries. Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Jomsom on your route, as are monasteries, museums, magnificent mountains, and the wonderful Nepali people.

A rare treat indeed.

ACTIVITY: Walking & Hiking Vacations, Eco-Travel & Cultural Exploration
WHERE: Nepal, ASIA
AVAILABILITY: May, June
FROM: $4,350.00
DURATION: 19 days
AUDIENCE: For Groups: Adventure Travel With the Experts!

Mountains and Monasteries: A solu Explorer

The Solu area of Nepal boasts beautiful views of Everest, Shorung Yu La (the holiest mountain to the Solu Sherpas), and Kanteiga; some of Nepal's most interesting monasteries (Chiwong, Tuptencholing, and Tragshindu); friendly Sherpas; and trekking routes with few tourists. Explore Junbesi, site of the first READ library. Trek along the Himalayan range, down to the banks of the Beni Khola, and then up to Dudh Kund, a 16,000 glacial lake at the base of Shorung Yu La, an important pilgrimage site to Hindus and Buddhists.

ACTIVITY: Walking & Hiking Vacations, Eco-Travel & Cultural Exploration
WHERE: Nepal, ASIA
AVAILABILITY: April, October
FROM: $2,395.00
DURATION: 12 days
AUDIENCE: For Groups: Adventure Travel With the Experts!

Around Annapurna

Trek the Annaurna massif

This trek travels around the entire Annapurna massif, visiting the Tibet-like country on the northern slopes of the Himalaya and the dramatic Kali Gandaki Gorge. Much of the trek is through lowland country, but there is one high pass, Thorung La.

The pass is not difficult, but this is still a long trek at high elevation. The change of scenery at the limits of Thorung Pass and the remains around the sacred area of Muktinath are also extremely interesting. The many hotels and tea houses along the course make camping equipment unnecessary.

We have also combined this trip with Ghale Gaon. A unique experience of Nepalese Culture and lifestyle, Ghale Gaon is home to Ghales, the famed Gurungs, the legendary mid-hill people of western Nepal. As people say, they come to Nepal for the mountains, but return for the people. Besides the extravaganza of the peaks, the warm and sincere hospitality of the Gurung, Manangi and Thakali people you meet along the way is also bound to captivate and touch you.

Comfortable rooms with clean restrooms are available at selected Gurung houses and other lodges along the way.. There are a few Pahuna Ghar (Guest Houses) belonging to the Aama Samuha (Mother´s Community) that also provide accommodation.

ACTIVITY: Walking & Hiking Vacations, Eco-Travel & Cultural Exploration
WHERE: Nepal, ASIA
AVAILABILITY: March, April
FROM: $2,395.00
DURATION: 20 days
AUDIENCE: For Groups: Adventure Travel With the Experts!

Nepal: Portrait of a Country

Enjoy the many faces of Nepal without trekking. Meet pilgrims at Buddhist and Hindu temples, sit down with a Living Goddess, and visit the palaces of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. Fly to Pokhara and the new Tiger Mountain Resort in the shadow of Machapuchhare, walk to Gurung villages, take boat rides, and ride horses. Drive to Tiger Tops Lodge in Chitwan Royal Animal Park, where you'll search for tigers, ride elephants, and visit some of the holiest places in Nepal Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, and Janakpur, birthplace of Sita, and home to the renowned Janakpur Woman's Craft Development Center.

ACTIVITY: Walking & Hiking Vacations, Eco-Travel & Cultural Exploration
WHERE: Nepal, ASIA
AVAILABILITY: February, November
FROM: $2,895.00
DURATION: 13 days
AUDIENCE: For Groups: Adventure Travel With the Experts!

Hill Tribes of Northern Thailand with Don Wilcox

Don Willcox takes you inside Northern Thailand to meet his Lahu, Akha, and Hmong friends. Chat and dine in their homes, learn about their way of life, crafts, and religions, wander the night market in Chiang Mai, and ride elephants. This is Northern Thailand as it should be seen. 8D/7N $2,150 pp

ACTIVITY: Eco-Travel & Cultural Exploration
WHERE: Thailand, ASIA
AVAILABILITY: Contact us for availability
FROM: $2,150.00
DURATION: 8 days
AUDIENCE: Solo Adventure Travel and Singles Vacations, Family Vacations & Adventure Travel, For Groups: Adventure Travel With the Experts!, Vacations for Couples & Partners

Thailand and Laos for the Connoisseur: Village People and their Lifestyles

Sit down with the Hmong, Akha, Lahu, Lisu, and other people in the tiny villages of Thailand and Laos. Learn how they live, celebrate their festivals, and raise their families. Explore their markets and visit their temples. Travel through the famous Golden Triangle, Doi Mai Salong, and Chiang Mai. Roam the exotic cities of Luang Prabang and Vientiane in Laos, as well as the surrounding hill tribes and communities. This is one of the few trips that is off the main road, and yet includes stunning hotels along the way.

ACTIVITY: Walking & Hiking Vacations, Eco-Travel & Cultural Exploration
WHERE: Thailand, ASIA
AVAILABILITY: February, March, November
FROM: $5,295.00
DURATION: 15 days
AUDIENCE: For Groups: Adventure Travel With the Experts!

Archeology and Nature in Northern Thailand

With beauty all its own, and archeology dating back to the Bronze Age, Northern Thailand will stir your imagination and charm your heart. Bathe in the magnificent waterfalls and forests of Khao Yai, wonder at the archeological finds of Ban Chiang, explore the Khmer temples of Phimai and the graceful architecture of Sukkothai. Cross into Laos to see Vientiane and Phu Hin Rongkla Park.

ACTIVITY: Walking & Hiking Vacations, Eco-Travel & Cultural Exploration
WHERE: Thailand, ASIA
AVAILABILITY: February, October
FROM: $3,195.00
DURATION: 11 days
AUDIENCE: For Groups: Adventure Travel With the Experts!

Hill Tribes and Halong: The Colorful North

Wander charming Hanoi and its Old Quarter. Then drive north to the hill tribe town of Sapa and visit with Dzao, Dzi, Hmong, and other tribespeople, learning how they live, farm, and play. Shop the vibrant markets in Sapa, Cocly, Bacha, and taste extraordinary foods. Returning to Hanoi, head to Halong Bay for three magnificent days on a private boat. Lie back and let yourself be paddled into tidal lagoons where jellyfish twinkle in the sunlight, flowers bloom on the sides of cliffs, and brightly colored birds fly overhead.

ACTIVITY: Walking & Hiking Vacations, Eco-Travel & Cultural Exploration
WHERE: Vietnam, ASIA
AVAILABILITY: March, July, August, September, October
FROM: $3,795.00
DURATION: 13 days
AUDIENCE: For Groups: Adventure Travel With the Experts!

Saigon, Central Highlands, Coast and Hanoi

Discover Vietnam's diverse ethnic variety

This special trip is a cross section of Vietnam's best - its diverse ethnic groups, a variety of different crafts, the traditional medicines of the land, and some of the best scenery in the country. Arriving in Saigon, you will tour the city on cyclo bicycle, as well as visit some of the craft markets. Then you will head to one of the last remaining remnants of the Vietnam War, the Cu Chi Tunnels.

Traveling through Dalat, Buon Me Thuot, Pleiku, Kon Tum, and Hoi An you will visit museums, villages and markets in the area. Throughout your trip, you interact with many different ethnic groups, learning their traditional lifestyles by staying overnight in a village. Wrap up the trip exploring the charming city of Hanoi.

ACTIVITY: Walking & Hiking Vacations, Eco-Travel & Cultural Exploration
WHERE: Vietnam, ASIA
AVAILABILITY: March, April, November
FROM: $3,695.00
DURATION: 15 days
AUDIENCE: For Groups: Adventure Travel With the Experts!
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Vietnam and Cambodia: From the Mekong Delta to Angkor Wat

A superb trip for families and individuals, this is a marvelous blend of the Vietnamese Mekong world and the magnificence of the Cambodia's Khmer civilization. Beginning in Saigon, explore the markets, peek into the Cu Chi Tunnels, and marvel at the Cao Dai religion. Flying to Con Dao, once an infamous French prison, enjoy the beach and sun before returning to the shore and taking a boat from Vietnam's Can Tho along the Mekong to Phnom Penh. Your journey finishes in Siem Reap, exploring the temples of the Angkor Civilization.

ACTIVITY: Walking & Hiking Vacations, Eco-Travel & Cultural Exploration
WHERE: Vietnam, ASIA
AVAILABILITY: January, October, December
FROM: $2,995.00
DURATION: 13 days
AUDIENCE: For Groups: Adventure Travel With the Experts!