92 V i s i t www.theculturalexperience.com C a l l 0345 475 1815 Cross Periods XXX! XXX NEPAL AND THE GURKHAS THE LAND OF THE HIMALAyAS 16 – 28 November 2019 16 – 28 November 2019 16 – 28 November 2019 16 – 28 November 2019 16 – 28 November 2019 16 – 28 November 2019 16 – 28 November 2019 16 – 28 November 2019 13 days with Maj Gordon Corrigan with Maj Gordon Corrigan with Maj Gordon Corrigan with Maj Gordon Corrigan with Maj Gordon Corrigan with Maj Gordon Corrigan Activity Level 2 Activity Level 2 ESSENTIALS Return flights from London, 3, 4 and 5 star hotels, all meals, all entrance fees and expert guide throughout. Tour price: £2995 Single supplement: £295 Deposit: £300 Price without flights: £2545 This unique and insightful tour explores the culture and geography of Nepal with an emphasis on the British Gurkha connection. Led by retired Gurkha officer Gordon Corrigan, a fluent Nepali speaker who is well known in the hills, we will tour the ancient capital of Bhaktapur, where buildings eight hundred years old survived the earthquake of 2015 while more recent constructions did not. We will climb up to the Darbar where the King of Gurkha who unified Nepal was born and ruled, visit Gurkha hill villages, ride on elephants, visit British Gurkha centres for briefings on the current Brigade of Gurkhas and Area Welfare Centres to see how the Brigade looks after its old soldiers and widows who have fallen on hard times. Nepal, landlocked between Tibet to the north and India to the south, was for a long time a country where the only means of travel off the main east west highway was ff the main east west highway was ff by foot. This is no longer the case as in recent years the road network, while still not extensive, has improved enormously and it is now possible to explore this fascinating land without expending more than a reasonable amount of effort. Nepal ffort. Nepal ff has few raw materials and she is poor but nevertheless a proud land and the home of the Gurkhas. Wherever possible we work with ex-Gurkhas on this tour: some are assisting with logistics, others own hotels and restaurants. Thus we stay in a range hotels from the 5-star in Kathmandu to the rustic but clean 3-star in Gorkha and Pokhara. A donation to the Gurkha Welfare Trust will be made by The Cultural Experience on behalf of every client booked on the tour. Ethnic Mongolians entered and settled in the hills of Nepal in the distant past and eventually, under the King of Gorkha, unified the plethora of tiny statelets into the nation that we know today as Nepal. After an inconclusive war with the British in 1814-1816 both sides came to the conclusion that they would much prefer to be friends rather than enemies with the result that Gurkhas have soldiered for the British for over two hundred years, fighting in all of Britain’s wars, as they still do, most recently in Afghanistan.Shehasneverbeencolonisednor, despite a long connection with Britain, was she ever part of the British Empire. Combining the culture of Hinduism, Buddhism and ancient Kirat and Bon beliefs, Nepal’s history is a rich kaleidoscope of conquest, expansion and war combined with the magnificent architecture of the various rulers and stunning scenery, with the Himalayas overlooking everything. For long an absolute, albeit benevolent, monarchy, Nepal is now a republic Day 1 - Depart. Late evening departure from London for Kathmandu via Doha. Day 2 - Travel. Arrive Kathmandu late afternoon and transfer to Hotel Shanker, an historic palace and former royal residence, for two nights. Welcome drinks and introductory talk before dinner. Day 3 - Kathmandu. Visit the imposing 6th Century Boudhanath, one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world; the UNESCO temple complex at Pushupatinath, one of the holiest Hindu sites in Asia; and explore medieval Bhaktapur, the ancient capital of Kathmandu. Late afternoon talk followed by curry supper with serving officers and SNCOs at the British Gurkha Camp Kathmandu. Day 4 - Bandipur. Scenic drive through the Trishuli valley with its imposing gorges and raging rapids, to Bandipur a delightful hill village unchanged in centuries except for the comfort of its excellent boutique heritage hotel, the Gaun Ghar, where we have dinner and spend the night. Day 5 - Gorkha. Drive to Gorkha, where it all began. Climb up to the Darbar, where Prithy The Nusseree Battalion, later the 1st Gurkha Rifles , 1857