The ‘Five Stans’ – Spring Booking Now The next running of our ever-popular tour of the Central Asian states collectively known as the ‘Five Stans’—Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic (formerly Kyrgyzstan)—is currently booking up and, as usual, will likely run at full capacity.

Very few place names conjure images of the exotic quite like Samarkand, Almaty, Khiva, Ashgabat, Bishkek and Turkmenabat, and all are featured in this highlight-packed 21-day sojourn along the fabled Silk Road.

• The Five Stans Tour | CA3 | 21 Days | Departure date: 02 Apr 2016 & 24 Sept 2016 | Details

Taiwan & South Korea — Spring 2016 Now Guaranteed! We’re always delighted when a new tour takes off, and we’re especially excited about this one, which features two fascinating, yet often overlooked, destinations.

Travellers on this highlight-packed tour enjoy the stunning contrast between the ancient and the hyper-modern, as well as some stunning natural landscapes, ranging from plunging gorges to soaring peaks, rich forests, and rugged coastlines.

Especially popular this spring are our combinations of Taiwan, Korea and our perennially-popular rail tour of Japan, timed to coincide with cherry blossom season.

• Taiwan Tour | TA3 | 8 Days | Departure date: 22 Mar 2016 | Details
• Taiwan & South Korea Tour | TA4 | 16 Days | Departure date: 22 Mar 2016 | Details
• Taiwan, South Korea & Japan Tour | TA5 | 28 Days | Departure date: 22 Mar 2016 | Details
• Taiwan, South Korea & Japan (extended) Tour | TA6 | 35 Days | Departure date: 22 Mar 2016 | Details

Malaysia, Brunei & Indonesia — February / March Now Guaranteed! This has become one of most popular offerings in Asia. Our exciting Malaysia trip is a cultural immersion with a visit to a traditional Serawak longhouse, and a natural history odyssey that includes cave tours, jungle walks, and orangutan and sea turtle encounters, and a foray in to neighbouring Brunei.

Indonesia's constellation of islands straddles the divide between the Asian and Australian continental plates; as a result, the islands offer a stunning variety of topographies and ecologies, mist-shrouded volcanoes and mountains, unexplored rain forests, and thousands of miles of beaches.

This is also one of the most culturally diverse nations on earth; both tours can be combined to create a comprehensive regional experience.

• Malaysia Tour | MA4 | 14 Days | Departure date: 29 Feb 2016  | Details
• Indonesia Tour | ID6 | 14 Days | Departure date: 13 Mar 2016  | Details
• Malaysia & Indonesia Tour | MA5 | 27 Days | Departure date: 29 Feb 2016  | Details

SRI LANKA We are delighted with the upswing in interest in Sri Lanka, which is enjoying a touristic comeback after several years of peace and stability.

It is also benefitting from the recent popularity of Southern India, a region still undiscovered by the mass tourism for which the north is known; this is a charming, laid-back and unique part of the country where relatively low prices make it one of the year’s best travel values.

Sri Lanka is a natural and obvious add-on for visitors to the area—consider the “other end of India” and Sri Lanka for your next fall / winter escape!

Your best choices:

• Sri Lanka Tour | LK8 | 8 Days | Departure date: 04 Dec 2016 | Details
• India & Sri Lanka Tour | IA13 | 14 Days | Departure date: 28 Nov 2016 | Details
• Southern India (extended) & Sri Lanka Tour | IA14 | 22 Days | Departure date: 20 Nov 2016 | Details

China & Tibet Our classic Eastern China trip including a cruise on the Yangtze River is just two travellers shy of guaranteed status for spring 2016. China has always been one of the most attractive travel destinations in the world, partly because so much history exists alongside the new, partly because it is still so unknown to outsiders.

Chinese cities have transformed into flashy icons of the market economy, though the people remain rooted in a rich cultural heritage. As it is diverse culturally, with 56 different nationalities, China is also huge geographically, spanning over 49 latitudes from north to south and 5000 km from west to east.

We’re also excited about our new itinerary that includes exotic and stunningly beautiful Yunnan province and neighbouring Tibet—perfect for repeat visitors looking for something a little different.

• China Tour | CN2 | 12 Days | Departure date: 11 Apr 2016 | Details
• China with Hong Kong Tour | CN4 | 15 Days | Departure date: 08 Apr 2016 | Details
• Yunnan & Tibet Tour | CH7 | 15 Days | Departure date: 12 May 2016 | Details

Iceland & Greenland — July 2016 Now Guaranteed Superimposed on Iceland's rugged terrain is a resilient and independent culture, fashioned over the years by the descendants of farmers and warriors who fled the tyranny of medieval Scandinavia.

In the midst of a landscape both terrifyingly harsh and sublimely beautiful one finds friendly, hospitable people with a very distinct culture and unique sense of humour. In Greenland, the midnight sun is a state of mind.

Time makes no sense in this world; you can leave your watch in your suitcase. The ancient culture is still alive in a land blessed with a peaceable people that have never waged war with anyone, and who show great openness to visitors.

We have two itineraries featuring these two wonderful lands — new for 2016, an additional Iceland date, slightly off-season and slightly reduced.

• Iceland Tour | IC3 | 12 Days | Departure date: 30 July 2016 | Details — 6 SPOTS LEFT
• Iceland & Greenland Tour | IC4 | 17 Days | Departure date: 30 July 2016 | Details — 6 SPOTS LEFT

Ladakh – Hemis Festival 2016 Often called `Little Tibet’, this wonderfully remote and culturally distinct region in Northern India features breathtakingly situated ancient capitals, temples, and monasteries, and some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the world.

This June, our 14-day trip includes the many highlights of Leh and the colours and sounds of the annual Hemis Festival, where monks and laymen wearing spectacular costumes and masks perform elaborate traditional dances.

A jeep excursion takes us to the dizzying heights of the Khardung La Pass, at 5470 m / 18,400 feet, the highest drivable pass in the world. The tour continues McLeod Ganj, the home of the Dalai Lama in exile, and the Golden Temple of Amritsar.

Our June 2016 is now guaranteed with limited space available.

• Ladakh: Gem Of The Indian Himalaya Tour | IL4 | 13 Days | Departure date: 19 Jun 2016 | Details

Essential Tanzania — New Tour! We have seen a tremendous increase in interest in Tanzania of late and, with a vast improvement in tourist infrastructure, accommodations and service, as well as ongoing peace and stability, have given rise to a new itinerary that now allows us to cover this culturally and naturally immense country from top to bottom.

We have been covering the northern “safari circuit” for years, but now we are pleased to offer the southern route, which is characterized by huge expanses of wilderness and provides a sense of truly being far away from it all.

Our two yearly departures coincide with the best time to visit overall—visit our site for full details, including a route map and a listing of sample hotels and lodges.

• Ultimate Tanzania Tour | TZ7 | 14 Days | Departure date: 14 Jun 2016 & 05 Oct 2016 | Details