Trekking

Embark considers treks to Ladakh in northern India

Embark is exploring trip options to Ladakh, a trekking region in northern India that borders Tibet and Pakistan. Ladakh plays peaceful host to Indians, Pakistanis, and such a great number of Tibetans that the region, so strongly influenced by Tibetan culture and religion, is called “Little Tibet.”

Embark adventurer Ken is currently reporting from the city of Leh in the Ladakh region, which is surrounded by the giant Himalayas. His colorful blog includes great photos and personal observations, including: You land at 11,580 feet and the affects of the altitude are immediate (headaches, chills); every other bag at baggage claim on arrival is a 50-pound bag of rice brought in by locals returning after a bitter winter; and the hotel provides a hand bucket for the toilet and a red bucket for bathing.

Clearly Ladakh is no tourist trap–in fact it is one of the most sparsely populated regions in Kashmir–which makes traveling there both hard (not as many restaurants, easy-to-read maps, etc.) and luxurious (no tourists). Embark is excited to continue to explore this rugged terrain in the hopes of offering up an affordable but breathtaking step off the beaten path.

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Exploring ‘The Tibet of South America’

CNN has released its 10 best trips for every type of traveler in 2011–described as Foodie? Adventurer? Beach bum? No matter what type of traveler you are, here’s the perfect vacation for 2011–and one of our hot new treks is on it.

Exploring the Andes through the mountains and people of the High Antiplano and Lake Titicaca along the border of Peru and Bolivia, we enjoy the city life of some of the highest cities in the western hemisphere and trek deep into the mountains, where the stars have a dazzling quality and angle unique to the region. We even devote a few days to grade 5 climbing deep into our trek, but this it optional, and there are routes for any level, including first-timers and experts alike.

Interested in this trip? Have any questions? Send us your thoughts through our contact page.

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Even with daily travel fee, Bhutan offers affordable trip of a lifetime

Aside from its expansive serentiy and Gross Domestic Happiness agenda, what sets the Kingdom of Bhutan apart from the rest of the world is its $200 daily travel fee required of all visitors.

The fee is essentially a permit, and it is a flat fee charged to any visitor regardless of income level, length of stay, etc. There is, simply put, no way around it. And the Bhutanese government plans to raise the rate to $250 a day in 2011.

But what many outsiders do not know is that this fee covers all the in-country basics: food, lodging, permits, etc.

Bhutan’s economy, incidentally, is the second-fastest-growing in the world, due in large part to a big hydroelectricity project. Even still, as of March 2006, the country’s per capita income was $1,321, so your incoming travel dollars go far.

Embark will be announcing more trips to Bhutan soon, but for now, our existing trip provides a great outline for what you’ll get out o f a trek through this magnificent, well-preserved, and tranquil landscape. The base cost covers the daily travel fee.

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“As It Happens”: Dispatches from the trek

In January 2010, artists and adventurers Renan Ozturk and Corey Richards packed up their bags and headed to the Khumbu region of Nepal to tackle Tawoche, a 21,463 foot peak that stands in the shadow of Ama Dablam.

But they decided to send their own dispatches, with their own footage, writing, edits, and production, literally as their journey happened, instead of relying on experts back home to take all their footage and compile it into a third-person narrative months after the action.

The result is stunning and intimate, not to mention all the more thrilling knowing that even they do not know what will happen next. Check out the compiled mini dispatches below. It’s well worth the 16 minutes.

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Trekking far off the beaten path in Nepal

Of the 120,000 or so trekkers who visit Nepal every year, only 5 percent go beyond the Annapurna, Langtang, and Everest regions. That’s just 6,000 trekkers actually trekking off the beaten path.

Since we at Embark are always seeking out the path less traveled (i.e. we climb the least-traveled Lemosho Route up Mt. Kilimanjaro), we are thrilled to announce that Nepal is about to open both the world’s longest and highest alpine trekking route as part of their Nepal Tourism Year 2011 initiative.

Called the Great Himalayan Trail, this route–officially opening in January 2011–will spread out across 2,800 miles (4,500 kilometers), allowing adventurers to explore the far reaches of the Himalayan region. Eventually, this trail will connect several countries:

“The long-term aim is to connect the six Asian countries of Pakistan, China (Tibet Autonomous Region), India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar via a route covering more than 4,500 km of the Great Himalaya range,” said Lisa Choegyal, consultant to the project and Honorary Consul designate for New Zealand in Nepal.

Highlights of the route include views of the world’s 14 highest peaks, winding along the sacred headwaters of the Ganges in India, traversing the entire length of Nepal in the shadows of Annapurna, Everest, and Kanchenjunga, and dabbling in Myanmar and Tibet as well.

Technically the GHT, as it is being called, already exists in the form of several old and new routes. This recent unveiling and naming is the result of better connecting and mapping these routes for the world’s most ambitious trekkers.

See pics and stories from various portions of the trail here, and learn more about the Nepal section through trekker Robin Boustead’s stunning documentation of his journey in 2008, when he covered an upper section of 1,000 miles, a high-altitude portion that mixes high passes with alpine valleys. His guidebook is set for a 15 November 2010 release.

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Trekking to Namche Bazaar

Trekking to Namche Bazaar | Nepal Trekking Tours, Nepal Trek Tours, Nepal Trekking Trips

One of our favorite adventure writers, Kraig Becker of The Adventure Blog, has published his latest Himalayan High musings on Gadling today, and this time it’s about trekking to Namche Bazaar.

One of the most popular pockets of civilization on any trek through the Himalayas, Embark spends days 3 and 4 on our trek to Everest Base Camp in and around Namche as we acclimatize at just over 11,000 feet, resting and explore the hamlet. We also spend a night at Namche on our way back to Kathmandu on day 11.

Perched high on the steep slopes of the Khumbu Valley, Namche Bazaar has some of the best tea houses in the region, although as Becker points out, making your way around Namche does require stair climbing. But we don’t think of it as a hassle; getting around Namche Bazaar is a fun way to keep your legs moving in one of the most beautiful and quaint settings anywhere in the world.

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Tanganyika Wilderness Camps: On The Move

Tanganyika Wilderness Camps, Tanzania Safaris, Tanzania Safari Tours, Tanzania Safari Lodges

One of our clients’ favorite tented safari lodges are run by Tanganyika Wilderness Camps. From mobile tented camps to farm houses and full-on lodges, these are ideal for people who want what we’ll call luxurious rustic.

The mobile camp option moves during the migration, perched in private areas rich in fauna and wildlife and alongside local tribes and farmers. The company’s focus is on long-term conservation, and they’ve seen up these lodgings to ensure that the locals and the environment are benefited by tourism without resulting in communities that feel “touristy.” Check out more photos of different lodging options here.

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