WILD INDIA observe tigers in the wild in the company of conservation expert Julian Matthews – page 3

ADVENTUREScreating

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

Fiona Brijnath, Director

Ninestone, South Zeal, Devon EX20 2PZ

I’m certain you won’t needreminding that it’s been a

long, wet winter, so you’reprobably well aware that it’snow time to book your newadventure! I’m recently backfrom India and, with a rousingstart to 2014, I’m hard at workon a number of new trips and projects.

August sees us in Plymouth as one of the sponsors of theShackleton 100 Exhibitionso if you are a polarenthusiast, do visit us there —more details of the eventinside. I’m also very proud to behelping the British AntarcticMonument Trust get theirmembers down to Argentinafor their trip ‘South’ in early2015. In September, we’veanother fascinating CentralAsian journey to explore theWakhan Corridor region fromTajikistan for a number ofintrepid members of the RoyalSociety for Asian Affairs –so there’s plenty going on!

This issue showcases some ofour new travel concepts so, ifyou see something interesting,do contact me for informationand inspiration for your nexttrip. Best wishes for a veryHappy Easter!

tel & fax

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

update | April 2014

LUXURY IN NORTHERN KERALA

beachside retreat and rice barge experience – page 2

RAINFOREST RIVER TRIP OF A LIFETIMEin the Ecuadorian Amazon – page 4

BURMA BY BALLOONa new perspective on Myanmar’s

temples and lakes – page 3

SHACKLETON CENTENARYpages 4 and 6

» WESTERN MONGOLIARide and camp the nomad trail

Ride in the far west of Mongolia exploringKazakh culture and the snow peaks of the Altai Mountains. This trip offers 10 days ofcomfortable camping with five days onhorseback, and two days staying at beautifulborderland lakes.

Our trek first takes us to a largely unexploredarea around Tsambagarav Mountain in the farwest between the borders of China and Russia.On horseback, we follow the route the nomadstake when moving from their winter tosummer camps along high mountain trails. Onreaching the spectacular Namarjin Valley wewill spend a few idyllic days in their company.

Then we continue by vehicle to the provincesof Bayan Ulgii and Uvs. We visit the Kazakhswith their golden eagles and on to thebeautiful Lake Uureg, Lake Achit and Lake Uvs.

» when « Ride dates 2 – 15 September 2014 » price guide « £2,300 per person (ride only)

based on a group of more than nine » Fiona’s tip « I did this trip coming in by

train from China but we can also organisethe Trans-Siberian from Russia or flights viaEurope or China.

» AUSTRALIAOutback paradise

Catering for just 10 guests, Crystalbrook Lodge isa remote outback oasis 180km west of Cairns inthe Atherton Tablelands overlooking a picturesquelake. Arrive either by helicopter or charter flight,taking in the rugged scenery below. This naturelovers’ paradise is home to a huge range of birdlife,as well as freshwater crocodiles and fish.

In addition to heli-fishing you can visit incredibleMungana rock art and limestone caves at Chillagoebefore having lunch in a quintessentially Aussie pub.

» Fiona’s tip « We can combine this and otherluxury lodges into your tailored tour of Australia sodo ask to see our sample 16 and 21 day itineraries.

» SOUTH INDIAGlorious getaway

Neeleshwar Hermitage is a gorgeous collection ofthatched huts on the beach in Northern Kerala withplenty to do. The food and the spa are sublime, thetailor is ferociously copying guests’ clothes andcreating his own designs, and Bekal Fort orbackwater cruises make fabulous excursions.

» Fiona’s tip « Incorporate this into our 18 dayBackwaters of Kerala itinerary.

Rice barge experienceThe deliciously comfortable Lotus – a superb ricebarge operated by Neeleshwar Hermitage – hasresumed its two or three day 65km journey fromNeeleshwar to Sultan Canal. Cruise gently throughan area of sublime beauty visiting remote templesand coir factories, swim or take gentle cycle ridesthrough the sleepy villages and paddy fields – or just relax and enjoy the view whilst the crewsees to your every need (see cover for photo).

FARAWAYfreedom

We’ve pulled out all the stops this spring with an array of amazing tripsand activities in astonishing locations.Explore new frontiers by horse, 4WD,river boat, ice-strengthened ship,hot air balloon or helicopter!

» JAPAN Horses for coursesWe’ve a new and unique excursion in Japan takingguests on an hour’s horseback tour of Karuizawa – aspectacular year-round mountain and ski resort townclose to Tokyo at the foot of 2,560m Mount Asama.It boasts historic architecture such as the KaruizawaKogen Church and the Kyu-Mikasa Hotel as well asnatural attractions like Kumoba Pond.

» Fiona’s tip « Incorporate this into our 16 day Best of Japan itinerary – call for details.

» CAMBODIA AND VIETNAMMekong unexplored

The 16 cabin RV Angkor Pandaw has a shallow draft and is low enough to get under the many newbridges being built up river in Cambodia. Now backfrom her inaugural expedition up the Mekong Riverand circumnavigation of the vast Tonle Sap Lake,she is proving very popular. On her first 10 nightexpedition from Saigon passengers witnessed calfdolphins being trained by their mothers and theentire village of Krakor, which had never seentourists before, met the ship on their canoes!

» Fiona’s tip « Demand for these longer Mekongcruises is high and many departures are alreadyfull. September has better availability, so call for details.

» next sailing « 2 September 2014» price from « £1,910 per person (voyage only)

» CENTRAL INDIASpecialist tour in select camps

We’ve a wonderful escorted wildlife group tourin Kanha and Satpura national parks inMadhya Pradesh. It’s led by Julian Matthews,founder of an award-winning nature andconservation-based travel business wholaunched TOFT (Tour Operators for Tigers) in2004 and, more recently, Tiger Nation. Thecombination of Julian’s charismatic leadershipand the carefully chosen camps will make for avery special experience. We would welcomeindividual bookings onto this trip.

» when « 27 November – 8 December 2014and 19 – 30 March 2015

» price guide « £3,995 per person based on a party of 10 including flights

» MYANMARBurma’s ancient Arakan

Not many visitors have seen the monumentsof Mrauk-U up the Le Myo River as it has beenimpossibly difficult to get to, accommodationis challenging and the river is the only meansof access. There is an enormous amount to seewith several temples as historically significantas the great South East Asian Buddhist sites ofBagan, Angkor or Borobadur.

Fly from Yangon to Sittwe and then join a newweekly river cruise departing on Fridays on the16 cabin Katha Pandaw. You’ll explore theKaladan River up to Kyauktaw with itsimportant shrine and visit the tattoo peoplecountry. Indian influences abound, particularlyin the local cuisine.

» when « Numerous voyages October 2015 –March 2016

» offer « 10 per cent early bird discount onselected voyages booked before May 2015

» price from « £2,030 per person (voyage only)

We’ve also 20 per cent discounts on selectedvoyages this August on the Irrawaddy andChindwin rivers – prices from £2,265 perperson for 14 nights on the river. In all caseswe will add flights and pre/post cruisearrangements as required.

» My beautiful balloonThe Oriental Ballooning Company is about tolaunch pleasure flights across Myanmar.Lasting approximately 45 minutes (dependingon conditions) they will take in scenery such asthe templed landscape of Bagan, the oldcultural and religious capital of Mandalay, thescenic beauty of Inle Lake and the rolling hillsof Shan state. They include breakfast uponlanding and transfers to and from passengers’hotels (see cover for photo).

» Creature comfortsWe’ve a new day cruise between Mandalay andBagan. The MS Hintha, a traditional Myanmarteak river vessel, will sail twice weekly in bothdirections and now includes options such as footand body massages and the hire of private cabinswith en-suite showers at an additional charge.

» CHILEAN PATAGONIAIce fields made easy

When the MV Origin makes her appearance in lateAugust 2015 she will be the most comfortable 20passenger yacht in The Galapagos. Her 10 luxurydouble staterooms on the main deck all have largewindows and private bathrooms. On board will betwo expert naturalist guides and a cruise director.

» offer « For a limited time we are offering cruisediscounts of between five and 15 per cent offselected departures from mid-August to mid-December on the MV Origin’s sister ships Eric,Flamingo and Letty. We also have a women-onlydeparture (sailing dates 26 October – 2 November2014). Contact us for details.

» SOUTH AMERICANew Galapagos vessel

Join the 45 cabin MV Skorpios III for afascinating three nightKaweskar cruise throughinterior channels and fjords to the glaciers ofChile’s southern ice field.This 380 nautical mile tripdeparts from and finishes in the charming Patagoniantown of Puerto Natales.

It’s an experience of alifetime and perfect if yousuffer from sea sickness ordon’t want to journey allthe way to the Antarctic.

» SUB ATLANTICBouvet Island 2015

This truly unique voyage on the 106-passengerexpedition ship Ortelius includes the uninhabitedNorwegian sub-Antarctic Bouvet Island in thewindswept South Atlantic Ocean. Bouvet is avolcanic island at the southern end of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It was discovered in 1739 by Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier,commander of the French ships Aigle and Marie.

Bouvet is not completely inaccessible, a landingwas made in 2006 with some very adventurouspassengers. The first leg of this new discoveryvoyage starts in Ushuaia, Argentina on 24 March2015. It includes the South Shetlands Islands,South Sandwich Islands and Bouvet Island, endingon 22 April 2015 in Ascension. The second legcontinues for a further six nights to the CapeVerdes. This special trip is proving very popularwith 60 per cent of the berths already sold.

» when « 24 March – 22 April 2015 (first leg),22 – 28 April 2015 (second leg)

» price guide « Leg one £8,175 per person (voyage only)

Photo: Vidar Bakken

Wild tigers withJulian Matthews

» ship «Akademik Vavilov

» when «1 – 22 November 2014

» price guide «£12,580 per person in twin private cabinincluding flights UK to UK

» ship « Plancius » when «

29 November – 20 December 2014

» price guide «£11,380 per person in twin private cabinincluding flights UK to UK

» offer «£150 per person offthe published price forbookings receivedbefore 15 May 2014

» ECUADOR Amazonian AnakondaAfter a 30 minute flight from Ecuador’s capital Quito to Colca, join a three,four or seven night river trip of a lifetime. You’ll visit remote ecosystems thatfew have seen while enjoying the comforts, commodities and services of a5-star boutique river hotel.

The new 18 suite Anakonda Amazon River Cruise is the only luxury shipin the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest. Three canoes and 10 kayaks provideguest transportation to land excursions and activities.

» Fiona’s tip « Why not combine the Amazon and The Galapagos in onebig adventure? Call for a tailor made quotation.

» ANTARCTICShackleton Centenary voyage

2014 marks the 100th anniversary of Sir Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-AntarcticExpedition, one of the most epic adventures inAntarctica. Disaster struck when his shipEndurance became trapped in pack ice and wasslowly crushed. It’s a story of survival,leadership, cameraderie and heroism.

On this expedition to the islands of the SouthAtlantic Ocean and the Antarctic mainland,you’ll visit places of great historicalsignificance, see humpback whales, busybodypenguins in rookeries by the thousands andbehold behemoth icebergs reflecting startlinggreens and blues.

Our two voyages plan to visit an old whalingstation at Grytviken and Shackleton’s grave.Passengers on the 110 passenger Plancius mighttry to follow in his footsteps and hike over toStømness Bay, while those on board AkademikVavilov (96 passengers) will visit the grave ofShackleton’s right hand man Frank Wild.

» MOROCCOAristocratic riad

Les Jardins de la Medina is a magnificentbuilding, with high cedar ceilings, loftyskylights, tinkling fountains and thickwalls to keep it cool during the summermonths. The swimming pool is heated inwinter and the many terraces andsolariums offer spectacular views of theKasbah and the Atlas Mountains.

» Fiona’s tip « Why not combine a stayin Marrakech with a few days in thetranquility of the Atlas Mountains? We have lots of ideas for gentle andmore strenuous trekking in the ToubkalNational Park, Ouirgane and Imlilvalleys and the High Atlas.

» Fiona’s wish list «Here’s my pick of the bunch for this summer’s Arctic travel – one or two different trips alongside the ‘classics’:All prices are UK to UK.

North Spitsbergen – Basecamp Plancius Including photography workshops, diving, hiking and kayaking options» when « 30 June – 10 July 2014» price guide « £5,350 per person in twin private cabin including flights

South Spitsbergen – Bear Island Aurora BorealisAboard Plancius disembarking in Tromsø » when « 17 – 22 September 2014 » price guide « £1,960 per person in twin private cabin including flights

Around SpitsbergenOn board Ortelius, a classic 11 day trip » when « 17 and 26 July 2014 and 4 August 2014. The August departure

has extra hiking » price guide « £5,350 per person in twin private cabin including flights

West Greenland Disko Bay bowhead whale safari A glorious 10 day sailing trip on the 36 passenger Rembrandt Van Rijn » when « 14, 21 and 28 May 2014» offer « Free charter flights within Greenland » price guide « £3,520 per person in twin private cabin

Last call for the Solovetski IslandsA number of you have asked to see the itinerary for this June’s trip toRussia’s remote Solovetski Islands. If you have not yet made up yourmind now is the time to commit. Do call!

» CENTRAL ASIAWakhan Corridor from Tajikistan

» ARCTICROUND UP

We’ve recently put together a 4WD journey with trek and riding possibilitiesto a remote area of South Eastern Tajikistan for members of the RoyalSociety for Asian Affairs (RSAA). The tour, later this year, will run close tothe Afghanistan border and explore the Wakhan Corridor region with itsglorious mountains, scenic villages and hospitable people. If you’d like tobecome a member of the society and join the tour, contact us or visit theirwebsite www.rsaa.org.uk.

The RSAA exists to promote greater knowledge and understanding of Central Asia and countries from the Middle East to Japan. It hosts lecturesand encourages debate on literature and the arts, exploration and theenvironment, cultural, military and political history and current affairs.

» when « Tour dates 10 – 25 September 2014 » price guide « In the region of £2,195 per person including flights

Photo: Amos Nachoum

}This was truly a trip of a lifetime; wonderful land and seascapes,masses of penguins, albatross, and other species of birds and accessing Scott’s Hut - which was the highlight for many. Regretfully, despite hours ofeffort, in bitter conditions, we were only able to land three people atShackleton’s Hut at Cape Royds. Next year! Orion and her crew werefabulous, and the food outstanding - I put on five kilos in three weeks!~Fergus O'Gorman, group leader, Orion’s Ross Sea voyage to Scott’s Hut, February 2014

Shackleton 100The Devon and Cornwall Polar Society is staging Shackleton 100 inPlymouth from 7-8 August 2014 to celebrate the centenary of the departureof Endurance. There will be a black tie dinner, lectures, music, films, displaysand plays as well as a re-enactment of the departure with a tall ship fromMillbay Dock – see www.devonandcornwallpolarsociety.org.uk.

Arcturus is one of the sponsors of the event and will be exhibiting so docome and see us. In celebration we are showcasing two winter 2014 voyageson board Plancius and Akademik Vavilov to South Georgia, the Falklandsand the Antarctic Peninsula. If weather permits, the captain may attempt tostop at Elephant Island. If you would like to follow in Sir Ernest Shackleton’swake, ask to see a copy of our itineraries.

» special offer « £150 per person off the published price for bookings received before 15 May 2014

Travel with confidenceAll the flights and flight-inclusive holidays in this newsletterare financially protected by the Civil Aviation Authorityunder the ATOL scheme. Our ATOL number is 9270. When youpay you will be supplied with an ATOL certificate. Please askfor it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights,hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see ourwebsite for our booking conditions or for more informationabout financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to:www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate.

In some cases, clients will wish to book their own internationalflights, in which case they are financially protected by theTotal Payment Protection Policy (topp) scheme. Incompliance with the UK Package Travel, Package Holidaysand Package Tours Regulations 1992 an insurance policy hasbeen arranged with Travel & General Insurance ServicesLimited (tagis), to protect customers’ prepayments in theunlikely event of our financial failure and paid in respect of:

• non-flight inclusive packages commencing and returning tothe UK

• the ground handling aspects of packages where thecustomer is responsible for arranging travel to thedestination offered in this newsletter (subject to the termsof the insurance policy), for:• a refund of such prepayments if customers have not yet

travelled, or• making arrangements to enable the holiday to continue

if customers have already travelled, or The topp policy is provided by tagis, registered number02527363, and underwritten by the International InsuranceCompany of Hannover Limited(Inter Hannover), registerednumber 01453123. Tagis and InterHannover are authorised andregulated by the Financial ConductAuthority. A copy of the topppolicy is available on request.In the unlikely event of financialfailure please contact the claimshelpline on 0870 0137 965.

}You provide an easy to use customisation of our itinerary – our favourite aspects of the trip were the hill tribes, trainjourney, elephant camp and, of course,

the people. The holiday was a delight.~Nick and Ellen Maunder, Myanmar, February 2014

}My favourite time was at Scott’s Terra Nova Hut. The ship was extremely comfortable and wellappointed. The expedition team and crew were all veryprofessional, friendly and helpful.~ Gerry Pearce,Orion’s Ross Sea voyage to Scott’s Hut, February 2014

}All your information was detailed and clear. The guides were excellent,especially in Siem Reap. Quite the best holiday we have ever had!~ Mr and Mrs Nigel Paton andfamily, Vietnam and Cambodia, December 2013

Demand for ATOL protectionLast year, market research by the Civil AviationAuthority showed that 76 per cent ofholidaymakers want to protect their next holidayfinancially but that some are confused about howto do it. Once ATOL protection was explained tothem, three quarters of consumers said that theywere likely to book an ATOL protected holiday and90 per cent said they would like to receive an ATOL certificate with their booking.

We are delighted to see how important our ATOLprotection is to our clients.

British Antarctic Monument TrustWe are proud to be involved with the BritishAntarctic Monument Trust which was set up in2007 to celebrate the achievements of the menand women whose scientific exploration in BritishAntarctic Territory has led to new understandingof our planet, and to honour the 29 who did notreturn. For more details visit www.antarctic-monument.org.

New brochure underwayThis summer we’ll be revising our Far FrontiersTravel tailored travel brochure. The new edition will include itineraries for Australia, Japan andMyanmar as well as the extraordinary Yamal Polar Express train journey in Siberia. If you areinterested in these regions do ask us to reserve you an updated copy.

» snippets «

Allen Cooper, The Falklands, South Georgia,South Sandwich Islands, Antarctic Peninsula discoverycruise, October/November 2013

}It was a very special holiday and the activity of dog sledging is

amazing. The break was exactly the right length of time for

beginners and our Norwegian hosts and guides were excellent.~

Stephen and Elaine Bailey,Dog sledging in Dividalen, February 2014

}We had a wonderful time in Sri Lankathanks to Far Frontiers Travel/Fiona’s

careful forward planning, arranged afterour somewhat spontaneous whim to

holiday in January/February. Queries wehad whilst there were speedily and

effectively dealt with and we enjoyedevery minute of the winter sunshine.~

Dr and Mrs Robin Ashworth,Sri Lanka, January 2014

}The holiday was great and met all myexpectations – all the connections workedlike clockwork. The cruise was fantastic andwe landed on all except the South Orkneyswhich were ice bound. Food was very goodand plenty of it – Iguazu was really good andconnections etc worked well – the room wasfantastic with Falls view as specified – at theend of the day it was good to relax by thepool and enjoy the Bacardi and coke as youdo. Thanks for organizing the trip – it wasone in a lifetime.~

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