special interest | hiking Asia
n WE SUGGEST: Bhutan n WHY: Tis relatively secretive nation, just east of Nepal in the foothills of the Himalayas, has excellent trails and a truly spectacular festival culture. Te quality of the scenery isn’t the only reason for choosing to travel on foot: Bhutan’s tourism is carefully controlled (only a certain number of high-value visas are issued), and if guests travel by vehicle they’ll be steered towards tourist-approved hotels and restaurants. Hiking, albeit along officially-agreed routes, gives them the chance to meet non-tourism professionals and provides a first-hand impression of Bhutanese life. Furthermore, some key sites such as the Tiger’s Nest monastery at Paro, clinging to a rock face, are only accessible on foot. Te mountainous landscape does mean
trails such as the five-day Druk Path from Paro to Timphu can be quite challenging. Most itineraries to Bhutan mix hiking with sightseeing, and the Bhutanese season mirrors Nepal: best from October to May, although snow can be a problem on high ground in December and January. n WHERE ELSE: Te earthquakes of early 2015 damaged some of the infrastructure on the major trails of Nepal — the Annapurna circuit and Everest Base Camp, for example — but it remains a stunningly beautiful place, and it needs tourists to return. n
Tiger’s Nest Monastery, Paro
SAMPLES
n MOROCCO: G Adventures offers the opportunity to climb the Atlas Mountains’ Mount Toubkal, between May and September, from $649 per person. The seven-day itinerary starts and finishes in Marrakech, and includes five days trekking and all meals. Accommodation is in hotels and mountain guesthouses, with one night in tents.
gadventures.com
n ITALY: Backroads’ Ancient Footpaths in Medieval Italy is a six-day itinerary starting and finishing in Florence, from $4,598 per person. Amble through pristine vineyards and pine forests in the heart of Chianti country, enjoying the pace of village life and overnighting in very special hotels, with all meals included.
backroads.com
n ROMANIA: Hiking in Transylvania from Slow Tours Romania is a seven-night small-group itinerary across key cities like Brasov, Sibiu and Sighisoara, plus Saxon villages, bear sanctuaries and mountain lakes, from $1,306 per person. Stays at guesthouses and village houses, breakfasts and dinners included.
slowtoursromania.com
100 | ASTAnetwork | fall 2015
IMAGE: GETTY
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