ANTARCTICA – our precious heritageWill 2017-18 be your Antarctic year? News from some of the polar societies we support – see page 4

BURMA UNVISITED Cruise the land of the sea gypsies, the magical Mergui Islands – page 3

ADVENTUREScreating

See what we can tailor-make for you at www.farfrontiers.com and www.arcturusexpeditions.co.uk

UNMISSABLE INDIAColourful festivals and incredible wildlife – page 3

Fiona Brijnath, DirectorNinestone, South Zeal, Devon EX20 2PZ

tel & fax

01837 840640email fiona@farfrontiers.comfiona@arcturusexpeditions.co.uk

update | January 2017

Happy New Year!

I’m hitting the ground running– aiming to get my travelling

done early in 2017 with a trip toJapan this month. It’s exciting tobe visiting a new destinationthat’s so different from the restof Asia. A number of you haveexpressed a desire to explore thisintriguing corner of the world,so keep an eye out for my reportin our Spring issue, or call me ifyou are keen to know morebefore then.I am delighted to say that 2016was our busiest year to date!Many clients have beenincredibly kind and referredme to friends, family andcolleagues and I thank yousincerely. Solid referrals enableme to concentrate on offeringthe most personalised service Ican. Time and again this is themessage I receive – who wantsto be just a number on adatabase? There are someareas of life where it is reallynice to be treated as anindividual! I hope this issue will be a tasterof just some of the excitementon offer from Far FrontiersTravel and Arcturus. Don’thesitate to pick up the phone ifyou want to chat throughpossibilities and options, and doalso keep an eye on ourwebsites for our latest newsand offers.

» Morocco – hidden beaches and desert camping

Encounter nomadic Berbers from your exoticSahara Desert sand camp and feel your cares drift away at romantic coastal hideaways – we’vefabulous new camps, lodges and beach cottages tobuild into your own magical Morocco odyssey. Theview of the Atlantic from our cliff-top Kasbah is todie for! Ask me for a sample itinerary.

» Ecuador and theGalapagos – world of wonders

I recently attended an informal lecture given by naturalist, author and broadcasterTony Soper. Among his fascinating slides wasone of him with Peter Scott, son of Scott ofthe Antarctic, on his first assignment in theGalapagos Islands, which brought backmemories of my wonderful trip there last year.

If you love nature and wildlife, then Ecuadorand the Galapagos truly are paradise. Let mebuild your own private itinerary, includinghistoric Quito, condors at Cotopaxi volcano,the Amazonian rainforest, white coral sandbeaches and, of course, the myriad animalwonders of the Galapagos Islands. To experience them in true style, I wouldsuggest that the 20-passenger MV Origin isthe ultimate craft: The quality of their guidedland excursions, lectures, activities, comfortand cuisine is second to none.

Ring in the

» Australia – do the incredibleDon’t just do the obvious sights! How aboutswimming with humpback whales at Ningaloo Reefor heli-tours of North Queensland? Tasmania hasfantastic scenery – I suggest four days/three nightswalking on beautiful Maria Island. Exciting luxuryaccommodation is coming on line all the time; from uber-modern to contemporary colonial andincredible wild bush ecolodges. Give me a call to find out more.

NEW FOR 2017

West MacDonnell Ranges

Awasi Lodge, Torres del Paine, Patagonia

Fall for Patagonia on our four night cruise throughthe fjords of southern Tierra del Fuego. Experiencethe extraordinary natural beauty of wildlife-richAinsworth Bay, the massive Pia Glacier andGlacier Alley, Wulaia Bay and Cape Horn on thissurprisingly spacious small ship. In 2018 an excitingnew ship will sail this itinerary: Combine it with aland-based exploration of Patagonia or theAtacama Desert, staying in outstanding lodges –there’s a gorgeous new Awasi lodge currently beingbuilt at Iguazu Falls that I can suggest!

» Chile and Argentina from fjords to falls

» India – fantastic fairs,festivals and fauna

Did you know that there are more than 100 national parks in India? We can build your itinerary around the best places for seeingparticular wildlife and plan the timing of your trip to include some of India’s many vibrantfestivals and fairs.  I have a number of superlativelodges and camps that will delight you.

Jawai Conservation Reserve –excellent for leopard and perfect

for a Rajasthan itinerary

Discover the islands, floating villages, beaches,caves and pearl farms of Vietnam’s spectacularHalong Bay in sublime comfort on board abeautifully appointed Paradise boat. New for2017 is this sumptuous new addition to the fleet (see inset).

We’ve some great new trekking options andaccommodation in Northern Laos – how aboutwildlife hiking in the jungle with overnight stays in cosy spherical baskets hanging from the trees? Call me for more details!

» Sri Lanka – new hotel options

Recently voted ‘Best Destination off the BeatenTrack’ in the Conde Nast Traveler Middle EastReader’s Choice awards, Sri Lanka has an enduringappeal. We can recommend some lovely boutiqueand heritage properties strategically placed aroundthe country that are perfect for building into avaried, restful and restorative break; for example inthe cultural capital Kandy, in the heart of the teacountry and centrally located in Colombo.

» Central Asia Uzbekistan’s Silk Road cities

Samarkand is so glittering and beautiful, evenAlexander the Great was impressed! Since lastAugust, the new trains between Samarkand andBukhara have cut the journey time from fourhours to just one and a half, making the journeymuch more comfortable.

For a feel for the glories of Central Asia, ask mefor our Classic Uzbekistan itinerary which takesyou to Tashkent, Khiva, Samarkand and Bukhara.

» stop press « From 1 April 2017 visas will not be required for British citizens

Chindwin River

There’s still availability on a few Pandaw riveradventures north beyond Homalin to Nagaland,famous for its fierce and distinctive Naga warriorsand ethnic communities. Your journey takes youpast dense jungles, high cliffs and deep gorges andyou’ll visit remote villages, each with a unique wayof life. The boat is equipped with quality mountainbikes for guests’ use.

» when « July to September 2017» offer « Book by 31 January 2017 – and save 20 per cent. No single supplement! New price from£4,255 per person for 11 days including flights

» New for Vietnam and Laos

Call me as there are various discounts and waivers on single supplements to tell you about!

» Myanmar magic the best of Burma by Pandaw

Andaman Explorer – Mergui Archipelago

We've discounts on six night cruises exploringsome of the 800 islands that make up the MerguiArchipelago, much of which has remainedunvisited since colonial times. The local populationof sea gypsies, erstwhile pirates who controlled thesmuggling routes during the Burmese socialistperiod, has reverted to fishing and fish curing. Meetthese people who live on the sea. Your ship carriesZodiacs, kayaks and snorkeling equipment.

» when « August and September 2017» guide price « From £4,745 per person for 10 days

including flights» offer « Save from £640 per person off a week’s

sailing on the Irrawaddy River with two nightsmoored at Bagan and three at Mandalay if youbook it in combination with the above

» UPCOMING VOYAGESPolar Pioneer –still time to book

At the time of going to press we have availabilityon these voyages on small ship Polar Pioneer:

Wild Scotland – 13 -23 June 2017Across the Arctic Circle – 23 June – 6 July 2017Jewels of the Arctic – 17 Aug – 1 Sept 2017

» Iceland, Norway andSpitsbergen –Reykjavik, western Spitsbergenand the Norwegian coast

We’ve exciting news that the guest lecturer on our new adventure in Iceland and Norway inJune will be Dr. Huw Lewis-Jones – historian,author, ex-Director of the Scott Polar ResearchInstitute and a dynamic speaker. Call me formore about the voyage.

» ship « Sea Spirit» when « 15-29 June 2017 » price guide « £9,265 per person based on

twin cabin (private facilities)

» The Northern Sea RouteBe among the first of the new generation to makethis historic and fascinating 30 day voyage on thegreat Russian seaway, the Northern Sea Route(Northeast Passage). Only a handful ofexpedition vessels have ever transited this routeconnecting the Atlantic and Pacific – recentlymore accessible with changes in the sea ice.

» ship « Akademik Shokalskiy » when « 28 August – 26 Sept 2017 eastbound» price guide « £18,755 per person based ontwin cabin (shared facilities)

» East Greenland – Arctic sights and Northern Lights

Join this round trip expedition voyage fromReykjavik, around Scoresby Sund includingIceland’s Westfjords and Snaefellsness Peninsula.

» ship « Sea Spirit » when « 10-22 September 2017» price guide « £7,935 per person based ontwin cabin (private facilities)

ARCTIC 2017 Polar news and offers

PHOTO: Rinie van Meurs

ANTARCTIC 2017 late offers

Did you know…?Ernest Shackleton’s boat Endurance wasoriginally named Polaris and wascommissioned to run the first commercialpolar cruises ever! Ownership problemsforced her sale and she was sold toShackleton and renamed. As the centenary of Ernest Shackleton’s life draws to a close, I am reminded of his family motto: FortitudineVincimus – ‘by endurance we conquer’!

» VOYAGE DISCOUNTSHurry and you might still get 20 per cent offremaining berths for the following voyages onPolar Pioneer:

South Georgia and Antarctic Odyssey – 19 January – 8 February 2017Weddell Sea explorer – 5-19 February 2017In Shackleton’s footsteps – 6-26 March 2017

Call us about availability on these and our Polar Pioneer voyages for the 2017-18 season

» Ross Sea voyages – but hurry!

Between January and mid-March we’ve aspectacular 32-day discovery voyage to the Ross Sea. Cross the Polar Circle, set foot on Peter I Island and sail the southernBellingshausen and Amundsen Sea to the Ross Sea, where you can see the originalbasecamps of Scott and Shackleton. Fly to theMars-like terrain of the Mc Murdo Dry Valleysand, near New Zealand, visit Campbell Island,the most important breeding area of thesouthern royal albatross. This voyage will notbe offered again before 2020, so it will beworth the rush to book!

» ship « Ortelius» when « 12 February – 18 March 2017» price guide « From £17,985 per person based

on twin cabin (private facilities)

» Antarctica, Falklands and South GeorgiaAudience with kings – late offer

Cabins have recently become available on thispreviously sold-out voyage. It’s a comprehensiveexploration of the Southern Ocean starting inUshuaia, Argentina and ending in Montevideo,Uruguay.

» ship « Sea Spirit » when « 22 February – 18 March 2017» price guide « £1,250 per person reductionand free kayaking for superior suiteaccommodation. New price £14,325 per personbased on twin superior cabin (private facilities)

PHOTO: Jan Weisheng Lin

}Thank you for yet another excellent trip and all your efforts to make lifeeasier for me to travel up to Spitsbergen and spend a few days in Copenhagen on the

way back to Switzerland.~ Peter Wright, Spitsbergen and Greenland,September 2016. Take a look at the Arcturus website

for Peter’s full trip report and photographs!

} This holiday went beyond all that I wanted. I foundthat Bhutan has not really changed that much: If I would change anything

I tried to fit too much in one month and of course the Tibet border changedthe route taken there. Everything was handled in the manner I have become

used to using Far Frontiers Travel, with nothing being too much trouble.~Ian Stubbs, Nepal, Bhutan, India and Tibet, September/October 2016

}The Bhutan holiday was very good…we had an exciting trip out on the road to Bumtang, four landslides which were cleared fairly quickly. The tripto the farm was also very good as we saw some of the Bhutanese in theirhome environment. Meeting part of the royal family and some ministers ofstate was a bonus and they were very open to discussing issues that wereaffecting the country which I found very enlightening.~

Allen Cooper, RSAA tour of Bhutan, October 2016

}We loved Ecuador, and the Ecuadorians were charming. The jungle lodge was very comfortable and wellmanaged, with good food and excellent guides. The hacienda was beautiful, and the food absolutely

delicious. Our horses were responsive and well trained, and our guide charmingand helpful. The views from the high mountains above the Zuleta valley were

stunning. Notably, we were able to visit a local cemetery to mingle with theindigenous community on the Day of the Dead on 2nd November, which was

really fascinating.

The Galápagos Islands didn't disappoint and we enjoyed them hugely. There wasperhaps rather too much snorkelling for those who didn't fancy it or weren't strongswimmers, but the staff were excellent and the food all plentiful and delicious….Taken as a whole the holiday was a really wonderful and very well planned trip.~

Julia Loxton and Di Fisher, Ecuador and the Galapagos, October/November 2016

See our websites for more client comments on trips that interest you – we’re always adding new feedback!

your feedback

Travel with confidence: All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays in this newsletter arefinancially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with anATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights,hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions on our websitefor further information or for more information about financial protection and theATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate.

Total Payment Protection (topp) Policy cover: Incompliance with the UK Package Travel, Package Holidaysand Package Tours Regulations 1992 an insurance policyhas been arranged with Travel & General Insurance ServicesLimited (t&g), to protect customers’ prepayments in theunlikely event of our financial failure. Full details are givenon both the Far Frontiers Travel and Arcturus websitesunder the Your Financial Protection section.

Preserving our Antarctic heritageI’d like to draw my fellow polar enthusiasts’attention to the work of the UK AntarcticHeritage Trust (UKAHT). The trust manages thephysical heritage of human endeavour inAntarctica through a sustainable conservationprogramme and uses the stories held by itshistorical sites and monuments to inspire people todiscover, enjoy and respect our Antarctic history.Become a ‘Friend of Antarctica’ and support theirimportant work! See more at www.ukaht.org.

The James Caird – see her for yourselfWhen I was in Ireland I met the curator of theships models collection at Royal MuseumsGreenwich – who told us all about his workmoving the James Caird around the world forvarious exhibitions – fascinating! The JamesCaird is now in her new home in DulwichCollege, a great piece of history – go see her!Visiting times at www.jamescairdsociety.com.

» snippets «

}An amazing experience of seeing so many animals up close in such a diverse ecosystem. The highlight was watching a sea turtlefinish laying her eggs at dawn on a deserted beach and thenreturning to the sea exhausted. The trip went without a hitchand every aspect was superbly organised thanks to Fiona.~

Andrew and Anne Brightwell, Ecuador and the Galapagos, March 2016

» Shackleton Autumn SchoolLast autumn I attended the16th ShackletonAutumn School in Athy, County Kildare, Ireland, birthplace of Sir Ernest Shackleton. The Shackleton Museum, where the event is held,is the only permanent one in the world dedicatedto the great explorer, and well worth a visit.

As well as fascinating polar-related lectures we heard news of a new book, When Your LifeDepends on It, co-authored by Brad Borkan andDavid Hirzel. Based on the harrowing life anddeath decisions made by early Antarcticexplorers, it offers lessons to help us makebetter decisions in our lives today. More at www.extreme-decisions.com

We’re making a unique, in-depth exploration ofJordan this coming April with the Royal Society for Asian Affairs (RSAA). It’s a friendly, welcomingsociety, and worth joining just for this trip.

If you are interested in Middle Eastern history andcurrent affairs, this is a chance to get under theskin of this biblical and extraordinary country. Find out more at www.farfrontiers.com undernews or call me for the low down. There’ll befantastic access to major and lesser-visited sites,meetings and discussions with senior figures fromgovernment departments, political and otherexperts and Bedouin and Syrian refugee families aswell as plenty of different trekking options.

Jordan – Join us on our journey

}A really good and memorable trip. It worked really well having a national guide throughout Myanmar. We particularly enjoyed the elephant washing, handicraft demonstrations, cycle trip, trek and the train journey.~Hugh and Ann Kersey, Cambodia and Myanmar, January 2016

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