Top 5 Off The Beaten Track Tours | Bales Blog

India– Cruising the Brahmaputra – River and Rhinos

One of the largest rivers in the world, the Brahmaputra charts a course that takes it from the glaciers of south west Tibetto the sparkling waters of the Bay of Bengal. Our journey takes us across the plains of Assam, aboard an elegant riverboat that cruises through a landscape of spectacular beauty and cultural diversity. 7 night cruises start at Guwahati and terminate at Silghat near the temples of Tezpur.

Assamis probably best known for its tea and silk yet it is also rich in biodiversity having successfully conserved the one-horned Indian rhinoceros from near extinction. Lying on the banks of the Brahmaputra and visited on this cruise, is the world Heritage Site of the Kaziranga National Park. This park is a magnificent expanse of swamps and grasslands that boasts an astonishing diversity of animal and birdlife, including the one-horned rhino, elephant and a collection of birds of prey.

An early rise is rewarded with a cruise up a tributary to the Orang National Park. Here in this rarely visited park, visitors can take part in elephant back or jeep safari through forest and grassland in search of rhino, deer and other wildlife. Cultural pursuits abound with the opportunity to visit a tea plantation or to wander through a Mising tribal village noted for their distinctive houses raised on stilts. Tezpur, with its 6th century Da Parbatia temple ruins, offers the opportunity to explore the town by cycle rickshaw, stopping at Cole Park with medieval stone carvings saved from sites from all over the region.

This cruise, on the reaches of the Brahmaputra, highlights the unique culture of this less trodden area with its fusion of Indian and south east Asian influences.

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China – Journey through Yunnan

The staggering scenic and cultural variety of China’s southwest provinces reveal a quite spectacular wealth of treasures, from the remarkable limestone forests of Kunming, through to the lush tropical plains of Xishuangbanna.

First stop on any visit to Kunming should be the remarkable Stone Forest at Shilin, an intriguing collection of limestone formations, adorned with trees and vines, paths and pavilions that cover an area of some 400 square kilometres. Next head to Dali which lies in the heartland of the Bai people and was once a major trading centre for the caravans plying the route fromIndiaandBurma. A boat trip on the Er Hai Lake, set against the beautiful backdrop of the Cang Sang Mountains and visit to the Three Pagodas, dating back over 1,000 years, should be on any agenda. 

Lijiang, amidst the spectacular peaks of the Jade Dragon Mountains, is home to the Naxi people and boasts a well-preservedOldTownwith a history dating back 800 years. The ancient capital of the Naxi Kingdom, Lijiang is home to one of the most unique ethnic cultures inChina. The remarkable Naxi Orchestra combines Naxi and Han cultural and religious beliefs in a fascinating repertoire of ancient Taoist music dating back to the Han dynasty. Played on a collection of ancient instruments and passed down through successive generations this is a culture all but lost to the rest of China. A popular excursion from Lijiang is to one of the deepest gorges in the world, Tiger Leaping Gorge, where the river is so narrow that, legend tells us, a hunted tiger made his escape to the other side in a single bound.

Lying on a high plateau with a picturesque setting amidst lakes, villages and prayer flags, the town of Zhongdianis located 100km south of the spectacular Tiger Leaping Gorge. The town is also home to the 300 year old Ganden Sumtseling Gompa, the most important Tibetan monastery in south western China, where some 600 monks still worship.

In close proximity to the borders withLaosandMyanmar, Jinghong is the power base for the Dai minority culture. Distantly related to the people of northernThailand, the Dai have been the dominant tribal group in this area since the 12th century. Any visit to a local village affords the opportunity to learn something of the unique culture and history of these indigenous people. Jinghong also boasts the Menglun Botanical Gardens which are the largest tropical botanical gardens in China. Visitors can view many rare exotic and endangered plant species here including the " Clock Flower " that opens and closes along with the sunrise and sunset, the " Dancing Grass " that responds to sound and the "Mystery Fruit" able to turn sour to sweet, then sweet to sour.

Traversing a landscape that encompasses magnificent snow capped mountains, plunging river canyons and ethnic diversity,YunnanProvinceis an ageless land of quite breathtaking contrasts and easily accessible with Thai Airways flights connectingKunmingtoBangkok.

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Brazil  - Brazilian Wildlife Odyssey

Brazilis blessed with a wealth of natural attractions, and offers some of the best wildlife viewing anywhere on the continent. This itinerary showcases several of the country’s natural highlights, beginning in show-stoppingRio, where you visit the Tijuca Rainforest and the superlative Botanical Gardens. In addition to housing some of the rarest species of plants from Brazil and other countries, it is also an excellent leisure option where visitors can stroll along the pathways of the park to the sounds of native birds.

Continue to the Amazon, one of the last great wildernesses on earth, an area of untamed jungle the size of Europe. From a lodge base, there are endless opportunities to marvel at some of the areas formidable flora and fauna from jungle trails, fishing for piranha and nocturnal walks to visiting the Amazon Primate Rehabilitation Centre. Not to be missed is a trip to the fascinating ‘Meeting of the Waters’, where the Amazon andRio Negrorun side by side for many kilometres.

This wildlife adventure continues with a visit off the beaten track to the Pantanal; a vast natural paradise boasting 64,000 square kilometres of wetland with a density of wildlife unknown outsideAfrica. It is an important migratory bird stopover with up to 700 species having been recorded. Caimans and capybaras are particularly abundant whilst the Pantanal remains one of the best places to see jaguars, armadillos, marsh deer, monkeys and many more mammals and reptiles.  

Journey’s end is at the glorious thundering Iguassu Falls which are arguably the most impressive waterfalls in the world.

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Oman – Sultanate of Oman

Closed to the outside world for many years, the historic Sultanate of Oman has now opened up to international tourism yet there retains an air of mystery and romance and has much to interest the avid traveller.  The rugged beauty of the interior creates dramatic contrasts between mountains and plains, deserts and verdant valleys. 

Discover the delights of this hidden corner ofArabia, home to one of the oldest nations in the world.  For thousands of years the focus of the frankincense trade route, Oman reveals a land of friendly people and dramatic landscapes of deserts, mountains, and beaches peppered with forts and souqs. This journey starts in Muscats and takes in the Grand Mosque, one of the largest in the world before venturing to the shores of Sur where an evening is spent witnessing Latherback Turtles hatching and scurrying towards the sea. Your journey heads inland towards the desert where an unforgettable night will be spent amongst the dunes underneath the stars; following this we discover one of Oman’s most engaging cities, Nizwa, the countries religious and cultural heartland. After returning toMuscatwe fly south to the seldom visited area of Salalah, the traditional home to the Queen of Sheba this stunning sub-tropical region nestles along the shores of the tranquil Arabian Sea. The tour concludes with a relaxing stay on the beach in Muscat before your flight home.

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South Africa – Journey through the Kingdom of KwaZulu Natal

South Africain microcosm, the fascinating lands of KwaZulu Natal present us with some of the richest cultural and scenic diversity in the country. Following the Indian Ocean, from theEastern Capeto Mozambique, its heartland is littered with the famous battlefields of lore that signified the bloody struggle between the Zulu, Boer and British armies for control of this region. One ofSouth Africa’s most culturally and scenically diverse regions, KwaZulu Natal offers a superb destination for a self-drive itinerary inSouthern Africa. From the imposing grandeur of the Drakensberg Mountains, this odyssey takes you through the emotive battlefields that played such a pivotal role in the country’s development, into the Zulu homelands and finally to the coastal city of Durban.

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