The
areas of South Asia, which include Pakistan, India,
Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri
Lanka and Tibet have been the seat of many aspects
of life which have intrigued and fascinated those
living outside this micro-world. Religions like
Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity have
all had, and still do have, a role to play here;
Traditions and beliefs that may sound superstitious
to many are followed even today. Many modern writers
and philosophers have dwelled in this area gaining
insight and inspiration from this fascinating
area. The subcontinent offers, for all travellers
and people in pursuit of knowledge, a world that
is so unique and diverse yet homogeneous. This
is a destination that you will want to explore
many times. Come see for yourself on one of our
South Asia tours.
Our South Asia tours provide you with an experience
of the culture, people, practices and beliefs
as well as the scenery and history of the region.
Bhutan,
also known locally as Drukyul (Land of Thunder
Dragon), is one the most exotic destinations we
offer. Located to the North of India and South
of Tibet, it is the last surviving Mahayana Buddhist
Kingdom, with a breathtaking Himalayan landscape
as a backdrop. The country was never colonized,
and thus survived the influences of accelerated
and thoughtless modernization; which makes our
Bhutan tours some of the rarest and most unique
travel destinations.
With population of little more than 600,000, you
will experience a very different lifestyle to
the world that we live in. Bhutan has maintained
a very traditional culture, yet has adapted what
it needs from the modern world. Thus you will
find monks saving their text in a computer and
traditionally dressed archers using the most modern
high-tech bows and arrows in their archery tournament.
The size of Switzerland, it is a country of rolling
hills and towering crags, with only small patches
of cultivation and very little deforestation,
rich in flora and fauna.
Be among the few lucky ones to visit the pristine
and nature loving Kingdom of Bhutan on one of
our Bhutan tours..
Welcome
to China Travel and Tourism page
Cultural
Tours and Travels to China
For detailed itineraries, prices and dates, please
select from one of the following cultural tours
we offer to China...
China
is not so much another country as it is another
world. The only foreigners it saw were visiting
merchants from far-flung shores or uncivilized
nomads from the wild steppe: peripheral, unimportant
and unreal. Apart from a few ruling elites of
Mongol and Manchu origin, who quickly became assimilated,
China did not experience a significant influx
of foreigners until the late nineteenth century,
something which still colours the experience of
today's visitors to China.
It's a land of towering mountains and epic landscapes
- background scenery to the fall of dynasties,
the rise of emperors and the turning of the revolutionary
wheel.
From the exquisite palaces of Beijing to mysterious
Tibet; from Xi'an's magnificent army of terracotta
warriors to the epic landscapes along the legendary
Silk Road; from the mighty Yangtse River to the
modern cities on the East Coast, China is simply
put irresistible.
The swiftness of transformation is visible in
every part of Chinese life; travellers who visited
China as little as ten years ago are amazed to
hear how much the country has opened up and how
many more liberal trends have emerged as a result
of a free market economy. For whatever reasons
you are attracted to China - its history, art,
culture, politics or simply its vastness - the
speed at which things are changing will ensure
that your trip is a unique one.
Welcome
to India Travel & Tourism page
Cultural
Tours and Travels to India
For
detailed itineraries, prices and dates, please
select from one of the following cultural tours
we offer to India...
Home
of one of the world's oldest civilizations,
and several of the world's great religions,
India has been changing and re-shaping itself
for as long as anywhere on earth, forever producing
new forms of culture and absorbing new influences.
Visiting the subcontinent, you'll see spectacular
carved temples and gleaming marble palaces,
lonely Himalayan lamaseries and far-flung dusty
villages where council meetings are held under
the shade of a banyan tree, plodding camels,
holy cows, snake charmers and wild-haired sadhus;
you'll also find a dynamic state racing into
the twenty-first century. The boundaries of
modern India, fixed some fifty years ago, are
merely the latest in a four-thousand-year sequence
of redefinitions that have produced one of the
most heterogenous societies in the world. The
land where the Buddha lived and preached, and
where the Moghul Muslims erected the Taj Mahal,
has recreated itself as both a majority Hindu
nation and the world's largest secular democracy,
home to almost one thousand million people.
The best Indian itineraries are the simplest.
To imagine that there is some set list of places
you must go, or things you must see, is a sure
way to make your trip self-defeating. You couldn't
see everything in one expedition, even if you
spent a year trying. The best way is to think
of India is in terms of her tourist Regions:
The North, East, West, South and the Himalayas
and plan your trip accordingly with our help.
Welcome
to Nepal Travel & Tourism page
Cultural
Tours and Travels to Nepal
For detailed itineraries, prices and dates, please
select from one of the following cultural tours
we offer to Nepal...
Landlocked
between India and Tibet, Nepal spans terrain from
subtropical jungle to the icy Himalaya, and contains
or shares eight of the world's ten highest mountains.
Its cultural landscape is every bit as diverse:
Nepal has a dozen major ethnic groups and two
of the world's great religions, Hinduism and Buddhism,
overlap and mingle with older tribal traditions,
testimony to the Nepalis' great tolerance and
good sense of humour
Founded on trans-Himalayan trade the kingdom of
Nepal is a land of sublime scenery, time-worn
temples, and some of the best walking trails on
earth. It is a multi-faceted destination with
something for everyone from the avid hiker or
mountaineer to the eager cultural tourist.
Welcome
to Pakistan Travel & Tourism page
Cultural
Tours and Travels to Pakistan - Guaranteed Departure
Tours in Pakistan
For detailed itineraries, prices and dates, please
select from one of the following cultural tours
we offer to Pakistan...
Pakistan
contains some of Asia's most awe-inspiring landscapes,
amazing trekking and a multitude of cultures with
a long tradition of hospitality. The country offers
a vast archaeological heritage, with sites such
as Moenjodaro & Harappa and Taxila & Takht-i-Baht,
seats of the Indus Valley and Gandhara civilizations
respectively. In addition to these sites, Pakistan
boasts a wealth of architecturally significant
buildings, many dating from the Moghul Empire
in places like Lahore, Multan & Peshawar.
The legendary Khyber Pass is the most important
pass connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan. Invaders
have used the pass to reach India since the times
of Alexander the Great.
The Hunza Valley, also known as "Shangri La" from
James Hilton's novel "Lost Horizons", is an area
of stunning natural beauty. Down in the valley
the Hunza River thunders along; rising above that
are endless terraces of orchards irrigated by
the water from the glaciers nestled in the huge
Karakoram Mountains towering above.
Pakistan is a land of high adventure and nature.
Extraordinary trekking, mountaineering, white
water rafting, mountain & desert jeep safaris,
are just some of the few activities which make
the country so enticing.
Welcome
to Sikkim Travel & Tourism page
Cultural
Tours and Travels to Sikkim
For detailed itineraries, prices and dates, please
select from one of the following cultural tours
we offer to Sikkim...
Sikkim
was an isolated, independent Buddhist kingdom
until it joined India in 1975. Now a fully fledged
Indian state, it is predominantly Hindu, with
a population made up of 75 percent Nepalese Gurungs,
and less than 20 percent Lepchas - its former
rulers. Nepali is the lingua franca and the Nepalese
are socially and politically the most dominant
people in the state. culturally, historically
and spiritually, Sikkim's strongest links are
with Tibet, who gave the state its name - sukh-im,
"happy homeland".
The landscape ranges from sweltering deep valleys
a mere 300m above sea level to lofty snow peaks
such as Kanchenjunga, which at 8586m is the third-highest
mountain in the world. The capital city, Gangtok
at 1870m follows the extreme contours of the land
and all roads snake around its precarious slopes.
It has good facilities and magnificent post-monsoon
views.
There are over two hundred monasteries, mostly
belonging to the ancient Nyingmapa sect. Pemayangtse
in west Sikkim is the most important historically;
Tashiding, is another important and active Nyingmapa
monastery, surrounded by prayer flags and chortens
and looking across to snow-capped peaks and Rumtek,
near Gangtok is probably the most influential
monastery in Sikkim, as it was the home of the
sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa.
Welcome
to Sri Lanka Travel & Tourism page
Sri
Lanka Tours
For detailed itineraries, prices and dates, please
select from one of the following Sri Lanka tours...
Sri
Lanka, or Ceylon as it was known for many years,
is an ancient land with a recorded history that
began around 4th century BC when people settled
in Anuradhapura. The country boasts Seven UNESCO
World Heritage Sites, all exquisite in the refinement
of their art and architecture, influenced largely
by Buddhism.
History, however, is just one small part of what
this country has to offer: Beautiful beaches and
some of the most sumptuous retreats anywhere are
found here. Head for the hill country to escape
the heat of the plains, where the coast fades
away to reveal gorgeous rolling hills carpeted
with tea gardens. The entire island is teeming
with bird life and exotics like elephants and
leopards are not uncommon.
Breathtaking landscapes, a calm yet dynamic culture
and warm hospitality, are what you can experience
on this island off the coast of India on our Sri
Lanka tours.
The civil war that raged in Sri Lanka since 1983
is finally coming to an end, due to bipartisan
support for peace talks by the island's main political
players. Southwestern Sri Lanka is safer now than
it has been in years, and the rest of the country
is re-opening to tourism quite quickly. Come experience
the beauty of Sri Lanka on one of our Sri Lanka
tours.
The
areas of South Asia, which include Pakistan, India,
Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri
Lanka and Tibet have been the seat of many aspects
of life which have intrigued and fascinated those
living outside this micro-world. Religions like
Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity have
all had, and still do have, a role to play here;
Traditions and beliefs that may sound superstitious
to many are followed even today. Many modern writers
and philosophers have dwelled in this area gaining
insight and inspiration from this fascinating
area. The subcontinent offers, for all travellers
and people in pursuit of knowledge, a world that
is so unique and diverse yet homogeneous. This
is a destination that you will want to explore
many times. Come see for yourself on one of our
South Asia tours.
For
detailed itineraries, prices and dates, please
select from one of the following cultural tours
we offer to Bangladesh... 
Bhutan,
also known locally as Drukyul (Land of Thunder
Dragon), is one the most exotic destinations we
offer. Located to the North of India and South
of Tibet, it is the last surviving Mahayana Buddhist
Kingdom, with a breathtaking Himalayan landscape
as a backdrop. The country was never colonized,
and thus survived the influences of accelerated
and thoughtless modernization; which makes our
Bhutan tours some of the rarest and most unique
travel destinations.
China
is not so much another country as it is another
world. The only foreigners it saw were visiting
merchants from far-flung shores or uncivilized
nomads from the wild steppe: peripheral, unimportant
and unreal. Apart from a few ruling elites of
Mongol and Manchu origin, who quickly became assimilated,
China did not experience a significant influx
of foreigners until the late nineteenth century,
something which still colours the experience of
today's visitors to China.
Home
of one of the world's oldest civilizations,
and several of the world's great religions,
India has been changing and re-shaping itself
for as long as anywhere on earth, forever producing
new forms of culture and absorbing new influences.
Visiting the subcontinent, you'll see spectacular
carved temples and gleaming marble palaces,
lonely Himalayan lamaseries and far-flung dusty
villages where council meetings are held under
the shade of a banyan tree, plodding camels,
holy cows, snake charmers and wild-haired sadhus;
you'll also find a dynamic state racing into
the twenty-first century. The boundaries of
modern India, fixed some fifty years ago, are
merely the latest in a four-thousand-year sequence
of redefinitions that have produced one of the
most heterogenous societies in the world. The
land where the Buddha lived and preached, and
where the Moghul Muslims erected the Taj Mahal,
has recreated itself as both a majority Hindu
nation and the world's largest secular democracy,
home to almost one thousand million people.
Landlocked
between India and Tibet, Nepal spans terrain from
subtropical jungle to the icy Himalaya, and contains
or shares eight of the world's ten highest mountains.
Its cultural landscape is every bit as diverse:
Nepal has a dozen major ethnic groups and two
of the world's great religions, Hinduism and Buddhism,
overlap and mingle with older tribal traditions,
testimony to the Nepalis' great tolerance and
good sense of humour
Sikkim
was an isolated, independent Buddhist kingdom
until it joined India in 1975. Now a fully fledged
Indian state, it is predominantly Hindu, with
a population made up of 75 percent Nepalese Gurungs,
and less than 20 percent Lepchas - its former
rulers. Nepali is the lingua franca and the Nepalese
are socially and politically the most dominant
people in the state. culturally, historically
and spiritually, Sikkim's strongest links are
with Tibet, who gave the state its name - sukh-im,
"happy homeland".
Sri
Lanka, or Ceylon as it was known for many years,
is an ancient land with a recorded history that
began around 4th century BC when people settled
in Anuradhapura. The country boasts Seven UNESCO
World Heritage Sites, all exquisite in the refinement
of their art and architecture, influenced largely
by Buddhism.