Overland Adventures
Our overland adventures celebrate the world’s most intriguing eco travel destinations. To thoroughly immerse ourselves in these destinations, from India to Namibia, we rely on several modes of travel, from 4x4 vehicles to local motorcoaches/mini-vans and boats. Our overland adventures typically include iconic regional accommodations and world-class urban hotels. In Africa, the camps we choose combine outstanding wilderness experiences with comfortable lodging – imagine strolling from your room to a deck overlooking a watering hole for elephants and rhinos. In Mongolia, you’ll stay in a traditional ger camp, nomadic-style tents set in remote wilderness. And while searching for tigers in India, we find ourselves at a romantic jungle lodge, with modern amenities and proximity to the wilderness we seek.
Come with us as we explore the massive sand dunes of Namibia by quad-bike, or navigate the Okavango Delta bymokoro (dug-out canoe), guided by polers from the BaYei tribe. Ride on elephant back in India’s Bandhavgarh National Park, as we search for leopards and tigers. Scenic drives in Iran take us to the stunning city of Esfahan, one of the pearls of the Islamic world. Whatever you can dream up, our overland adventures can take you there, complete with expert leaders and lecturers to illuminate each day’s discoveries.
The itineraries we offer vary from year to year; below please find our upcoming overland adventures:
Asia
Begin your comprehensive China tour in Beijing with a private rickshaw ride through the old quarters of this ancient town. In Xi’an, visit the world-famous army of Terra Cotta Warriors, a highlight of Chinese adventure travel. Wander through the Kashgar Sunday market which attracts traders from all over Central Asia. Then venture farther west for your Kazakhstan expedition and the cultural capital of the region, Tashkent, and enter the forbidden city of Khiva—a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Upcoming Departures
Bhutan adventure travel is the experience of a lifetime. In a country where they’ve adopted the concept of Gross National Happiness and where snowcapped peaks are set off by ornate temples and colorful houses, we journey where few travelers have gone before. Your Himalayas expedition includes nature hikes, interactions with local people, and wildlife viewing—glimpse the Himalayan black bear and the black-necked cranes from Tibet. This is a pilgrimage back in time to places where determined people live close to the heavens and keep their traditions alive.
Upcoming Departures
Journey with us into some of the least-explored regions of Indochina—Myanmar and Laos—where countless regal temples, lovely minority tribes-people, and stunning gardens await. Your in-depth Myanmar and Laos adventure travel experience includes visits to the Shwedagon Pagoda of Yangon at sunset, a truly ethereal sight; the whitewashed Mon Temple in Bagan; the floating gardens of Inle Lake; and more monuments, temples, and markets than imaginable.
Upcoming Departures
For additional exploration of Myanmar’s many charms, we are pleased to announce this new overland adventure led by Asia expert, Gary Wintz. Spend a full week cruising along the Irrawaddy River, with stops at small villages and local markets seldom visited by Westerners, as well as ancient Tagaung, believed to be the first capital of Myanmar. The medieval capital of Mrauk U possesses a rich collection of temples and pagodas second only to Bagan. Make stops in the bustling cities of Yangon and Mandalay to discover stunning architecture and important religious sites.
Upcoming Departures
This extraordinary Japan expedition blends an array of fascinating wildlife with the exquisite wintertime landscapes of the country. Birders and photographers are in heaven as we visit Arasaki, Kyushu, where nearly 12,000 hooded and white-naped cranes winter each year. We continue on for our snow monkeys expedition, visiting these stirring creatures in Jigokudani in central Honshu, as they soak in the region’s thermal baths.
Upcoming Departures
This fascinating Himalayas adventure travel expedition takes us to spectacular natural wonders and exquisite cultural landmarks. We begin in Delhi, where we visit energetic bazaars, lavish palaces, and stunning British Raj and Mughal architecture. From here, we venture to the picturesque village of Alchi, before exploring Leh’s superb monasteries. Continuing our Himalayas tour, we venture to Palampur, home to one of India’s holiest Sikh temples.
Upcoming Departures
With Zegrahm field director, Kevin Clement, explore the world’s largest intact prairie to search for herds of argali sheep, Siberian ibex, and Mongolian gazelle, as well as the corsac fox, Pallas’s cat, and cinereous vulture. Visit with local families to learn about their traditional nomadic lifestyle that has changed little over the centuries. This is a true expedition traveling well off the beaten path through a diversity of magnificent landscapes, from undulating grasslands to picturesque river valleys. Try fly
Upcoming Departures
- August 20, 2013 - September 8, 2013
- August 2014 (Exact dates TBD)
Upcoming Departures
None scheduled. Call to inquire.
Africa
Heighten your Africa adventure travel experience with one of the finest bush guides on the continent, Lex Hes. We combine three remarkable countries—Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia—on this Africa expedition, enjoying a staggering array of wildlife, from desert rhino to Thornicroft’s giraffe, via chartered aircraft and 4x4 vehicles. Each Lex Hes tour benefits from his 30 years of experience as a guide at the famous Londolozi Game Reserve and his innate knowledge and instincts about Africa.
Upcoming Departures
Join us as we visit the true Africa—Botswana—where the landscape has remained relatively unscathed and offers vintage Africa adventure travel. Here we find all the major wildlife: elephants, buffalo, lions, hippos, plains antelopes, leopards, cheetahs, and more. Well over half of Africa’s most endangered carnivore, the wild dog, is here.
Upcoming Departures
In partnership with our sister company Travcoa, join us as we explore some of east Africa’s most fascinating destinations during our Kenya and Tanzania tour. Experience the massive wildebeest migration across Kenya and Tanzania, savor the view over the Masai Mara on a hot air balloon ride, and descend into Africa’s “Garden of Eden,” the Ngorongoro Crater, to view rhinos, elephants, and rare black-maned lions during your Tanzania adventure travels. Meet your own adopted elephant on a Kenya tour to Dame Daphne Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage.
Upcoming Departures
Uganda adventure travel is alluring and profound—after all, this is one of Africa’s most biologically diverse countries and home to the amazing mountain gorilla. Our experience here focuses on Uganda’s primates, but delves into the natural wonders of the country from the rain forests of the great Congo Basin to the wetlands of Lake Victoria. During our trekking safari tour, we hope to glimpse lions, leopards, elephants, Cape buffalos, and, of course, the 400-pound knuckle-walking mountain gorillas.
Upcoming Departures
This comprehensive Namibia tour reveals the country’s tremendous diversity of scenery, culture, and wildlife. Traverse Etosha National Park with stops at productive waterholes to view abundant wildlife—zebras, wildebeest, Damara dik-dik, white and black rhinos, and a wealth of bird species, which in turn attracts a host of predators, from cheetahs and lions to hyenas and jackals. On this Namibia expedition, track desert-adapted elephants in Damaraland and visit a Himba village with local guides.
Upcoming Departures
Africa’s “best-kept secret,” Zambia presents myriad opportunities for wildlife viewing, photography, and cultural immersion, especially in the company of renowned Africa safari guide, Lex Hes. During our Zambia expedition, we visit three national parks: Kafue, Lower Zambezi, and South Luangwa. We search by day and night for the intense concentrations of wildlife, some 60 animal species and at least 400 species of birds. We boat the Zambezi River, tracking hippos and crocodiles, a highlight of Zambia adventure travel, then spend peaceful evenings at luxury tented camps.
Upcoming Departures
Upcoming Departures
None scheduled. Call to inquire.
South America
Brazil unfolds before us in all its stunning natural glory during this popular South America expedition. We visit several different biomes, see as many as 25 indigenous mammals, study ten times as many birds, and even meet some of the planet’s rarest primates. Of course, no Brazil expedition is complete without Iguaçu Falls; this two-and-a-half-mile-wide cataract is our introduction to this spectacular country. Also, included in our Brazil adventure travel tour is the massive Pantanal, the planet’s largest seasonal wetland area.
Upcoming Departures
- October 2014 (Exact dates TBD)
Your Bolivia adventure travels will lead you to a wonderland of astonishing diversity that stretches from the high Andean Altiplano to the lush and wildlife-rich lowlands of the Amazon. Our Bolivia expedition highlights some of the oldest cultures in the New World, the most dramatic landscapes in South America, the largest lake on the continent, and perhaps the greatest variety of flora and fauna on the planet. Begin in La Paz, at over 11,000 feet the highest capital city in the world, before exploring on our Uyuni tour.
Upcoming Departures
India and Indian Ocean
With more than 5,000 years of human history to its name, India is the perfect setting for adventure travel on a grand scale. Our 19-day India and Delhi tour reveals the dramatic landscapes, varied wildlife, and rich culture of the region, from 1,000-year-old Hindu temples to the increasingly rare Bengal tiger. An in-depth Delhi tour, including sights of both Old and New Delhi, kicks off our India expedition.
Upcoming Departures
A must for nature-lovers, Madagascar adventure travel is ripe with botanicals, birds, and land animals, including the island’s icon—lemurs. The island’s isolation and size (it’s the world’s fourth-largest island) has made for striking biodiversity: 90 percent of all forest flora is endemic and more than half of the 250-plus bird species are found nowhere else.
Upcoming Departures
Home to prolific birdlife, rich marine areas, dramatic landscapes, and a wide range of native species, to participate in Sri Lanka adventure travel is a nature lover’s dream.
Upcoming Departures
Join wildlife expert Mark Brazil on this Western India expedition to discover the treasures of this intriguing region. Prolific wildlife is revealed as you visit several national parks and reserves—including a Gir National Park tour and visits to Velavadar and Little Rann of Kutch. Through a variety of landscapes, from wetlands to desert, we seek unique species such as Asiatic lions, Indian wolves, and the elusive khur, a rare wild ass.
Upcoming Departures
Middle East
For those seeking an authentic immersion into the art, poetry, architecture, and history of Iran, we offer our Iran: Wonders of Persia expedition. Guided by Middle East expert Gary Wintz, this Iran expedition offers an in-depth view of the turbulent and colorful history of Iran. Formerly Persia, the country’s magnificent ruins and ancient cities, architecturally astounding mosques and citadels, and savory cuisine is sure to leave a lasting impression. We also include a Tehran tour, visiting the Sa’ad Abad Palace-complex and the National Museum of Archaeology.
Upcoming Departures
Arctic
Join Zegrahm field director, Kevin Clement, on a Lapland expedition in Norway, a nation within a nation with a unique, semi-nomadic culture based on reindeer herding. Our Lapland tour is timed to coincide with excellent views of the fabled Northern Lights. Explore by boat, snowshoe, snowmobile, and even by dog sled, as we discover sheltered fjords surrounded by majestic mountain peaks, peaceful valleys, and sleepy fishing hamlets. Particular highlights of your Northern Lights expedition include stays in a hotel made entirely of ice and packed snow and in a traditional lavvu.
