Autumn 2013 Updates & 2014 Synopsis
Although the year is almost drawing to an end, the autumn is one of the best times of the year to travel to distant shores and to capture the glorious autumnal hues in southern Europe. We have a great selection to offer you and are in full swing with their imminent departures.
We’re also busy putting together a different selection of inspirational and motivational trips and events for 2014.All will be wildlife, painting or walking encounters of a different kind ……. bespoke and led by world-class experts.
PAINTING HOLIDAYS
2013
David Bellamy has just returned from the Canadian Rockies with a party of artists who painted the lakes and mountain scenery in Banff and Jasper National Parks and saw a bear! Hazel Soan and her party of students are painting the wonderful Roman Arena and other architecture in Verona and the glorious shores of Lake Garda.
2014
There are some new and exciting artists and destinations for you to chose from for next year.
Ken Howard RA is in excellent spirits and relentlessly painting. He will be inviting painters to work alongside him in Venice next June – a place he is probably most famous for. We are very excited to be working for the first time with Peter Brown – a highly respected figurative artist very much in the style of Ken and indeed a good friend of Ken’s. Peter is heading off to Cuba to paint the dynamic street scenes of Old Havana. Hazel Soan is hosting three painting holidays – one is an Out of Africa Painting Safari – capturing the wildlife on Africa’s greatest plains in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, and the other is painting the Sahara & Sea en plein air in Kairouan and Sidi Bou Said, in the land of a Thousand and One Nights. The exotic and contrasting subject material is surprisingly close to home – lying just across from the Mediterranean in Tunisia. She will also be heading to Italy in late May to capture the roses in the gardens of Tivoli and at Ninfa and of course the villas including d’Este and Adriana. Lucy Willis will be working in Paris and Giverny in August when the Parisians vacant their beautiful city. The Seine and gardens will feature strongly in this painting holiday.
WILDLIFE & JOINT-VENTURE CONSERVATION SAFARIS
2013
Simon King is hosting a BIG CAT DIARY SAFARI to the Masai Mara in Kenya – following the lives of individual Big Cats and updating you on Notch, the Marsh Pride (lions), Olive & Binti (leopards) and Malaikahe, the cheetah regularly seen jumping on the roof of vehicles! A private luxury mobile camp in a secluded setting near the Talek River in the heart of The Mara, will ensure this is an exclusive and intimate bush experience that you can be sure Simon will make very special with lots of fun.
Stephen Mills is taking customers on a Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti Safari – firm favourites with him, particularly because there is a chance of seeing wild dogs. This vast and spectacular ecosystem never fails to deliver lots of quality sightings and a huge variety of species including of course the ‘Big Five’.
A handful of adventurous travellers will be joining Professor Claudio Sillero to see wolves in the Ethiopian Highlands on one of our very special joint-venture safaris, which is a great way for you to personally contribute to the sustainable future of the natural world and enjoy wildlife encounters of an extraordinary kind. You’ll be helping him and the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation team collate data on new pups and get to observe denning behaviour. Joint venture safaris connect you directly with the day-to-day operations of programmes in the field, visiting project sites and meeting the key field officers and they support specific conservation programmes through donations and employing local field staff, providing added benefits of helping to increase public awareness and support, building loyalty and long term financial commitment. They are mutually beneficial, achieving a balance between tourism and conservation.
2014
Following the success of the tiger safari in February 2013 – 7 different tigers seen on 11 occasions, Stephen Mills is inviting customers to join him on a Tiger Safari to Bandhavgarh (definitely the best place for seeing tigers in India) and Kanha, also good for tigers but also for wild dogs, sloth bears and a wider range of species. In June, finally we’ll be doing the first African Wild Dog joint venture safari with Painted Dog Conservation – PDC. It will be led by their Patron and TV Vet Steve Leonard. You’ll help Dr Greg Rasmussen locate new dens in Mana Pools and then spend time with the field staff in Hwange and observe Steve start the annual vaccination programme. You’ll also spend time at Victoria Falls – one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and observing Zimbabwes fabulous wildlife. As with all our joint venture safaris PDC will receive a contribution to help sustain the brilliant work they do. In September join Stephen Mills on three tracking forays in Uganda and Rwanda to see Mountain Gorillas and Silverbacks and Golden Monkeys. In November you can accompany Prof. Claudio Sillero of the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme – EWCP, in the Bale Mountains as he monitors Ethiopian wolf packs and observe the emergence of new pups typically born in October. This is a joint-venture conservation safari supporting the work of EWCP and helping the survival prospects of this endangered species. Plans are in the making for Simon King to host some special wildlife experiences – watch this space…….
CULTURAL WALKS
2014
The hike in Upper Mustang to one of the remotest places on earth has to be done before the 4×4’s bring the western world to Lo Manthang. Upper Mustang is a hidden kingdom in Nepal adjoining Tibet. The Chinese are building a track through Mustang along the old caravan route that will pass through Lo Manthang. Little known or visited Lo Manthang was completely isolated and closed to visitors until the 1990’s. Even today special permits are required and restricted, so that you can only enter the city of Lo Manthang as an organised group. Inside the walled city there are approximately 200 households governed by the King of Lo. The hike commences from Jomsom and is easy as it follows the Kali Gandaki River. There is plenty of time to acclimatize over the first few days. Overnights are in local teahouses, which offer basic comforts and shelter from the elements. Just a handful of lucky people will be joining veteran walking leader Pete Hawkins on this awesome hike that is sure to have a huge impact on your life. I urge you to go before it’s too late……