London to Mongolia
22 March - 13 July 2009
London to Mongolia Overland Expedition
16 weeks
COSTS £2710 + £1150 Local Payment= £3860
HIGHLIGHTS
- Cologne, Germany, Vienna, Austria, Prague and the Czech Republic
- Transylvania, land of gypsies and Dracula's birth place.
- Historic Istanbul and the crazy landscapes of Goreme. Our local guide in Goreme shows us it all. We visit Sumela monastary a wonder of construction with breathtaking frescos.
- Fantastic Georgia, friendly people, the home of fine wine, amazing mountains, great trekking with lots of Christian history. Explore Tbilisi the Georgian capital. Guided tour of Tbilisi.
- Take a dip in the Black Sea.
- Checkout the Stalin Museum in Gori, Stalin’s birthplace.
- Azerbaijan - where the oil oozes out of the soil. Experience the ancient Silk Road caravanserais and the funky city of Baku. Visit the Maidens Tower and the Shirvan Shakh Palace. A trip to the forgotten mountain hamlet of Lahic is a must.
- Cross the Caspian Sea. Ahoy Mateys!!
- Turkmenistan - totally wacky. Visit to the Darvas Gas Crater and explore the surreal Ashgabat. We visit the Sunday market, definitely one of the best in Central Asia.
- Cross the Karakum Desert.
- Explore the ancient Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva and we camp out in the Kyzylkhum desert.
- Stay with local families in Yurts, their local homes get to know the local people and their customs.
- Explore Tashkent, the major city of Central Asia with its modern layout. It’s a great place to go out on the razz Russia style and explore the markets and museums.
- Visit a silk works in the Fergana Valley
- Eat different, tastebud tantalising food, we will live the countries through their food and drink. From a shashlyk (meat roasted on skewers over hot coals) in Uzbekistan to drinking mares milk in Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. Your palate is in for an education.
- Visit the stunning lakes of Song Kol and Issyk-kul in Kyrgyzstan as well as many more mountain lake jewels in Russia and Mongolia.
- Party the night away in the capital cities as we travel along.
- Explore the cosmopolitan city of Almaty and the land of the infamous Borat.
- Expore Southern Siberia and the Russian Steppes, indescribably scenic wild camps through the Tian Shan and Altai Shan mountains.
- Cross into Mongolia with its mythical history and amazing scenery with no boundaries and not much in the way of roads. This is overlanding at its finest. We visit Huvsgul Lake and stay with the local nomadic herdsmen.
- Visit the Ghorgo Terkhiin Lake and the nearby Volcano National Park. Traditional Gers, the felt and wood tents used by the nomadic herders will be our home for our time spent with these remarkable people.
- Free camping in the land of no fences or boundaries – nothing to slow us down
- Explore the Mongol town of Tsetserleg with its fine museums and beautiful setting.
- Visit the Erdene Zuu Khiid Monastery.
- Horse, camel, yak trekking or your own two feet the options are endless and the scenery is everchanging.
- Be in Ulaan Baatar for the Naamdam festival, watch the opening ceremony, attend the wrestling and horse races and a mryiad of other highlights.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Service of an experienced crew to lead the expedition. All are experienced leaders, drivers and mechanics and can cook up a storm with the local food!
- Use of the expedition vehicle and all its equipment, designed specifically for this style of expedition.
- All costs relating to the truck including diesel, mechanics, shipping.
- Ferry tickets for ferries on our planned route.
- All accommodation and meals while camping.
- Local guides for Georgia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakstan, Mongolia (they add a great dimension). As well as specialist guides in Goreme, Samarkand, Bukara and Ulaan Baatar.
- Entrance to national parks and sights highlighted in the section above.
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
- Personal travel insurance.
- Personal spending money.
- Visas (about £400 but depends on nationality)
- Border taxes.
- Optional activities.
- Entrance to sites and parks not included.
- Tips for local guides.
- Meals when in hotels/guesthouses.
- Drinks.
- Any unforeseen contingency route expenses.
- Roll matt, sleeping bag or specialist trekking tent (heavy duty tents included).
- Any flights.
THE COSTS
The cost is split into two simple parts, the Trip Price and Local payment.
- All land transport by expedition vehicle
- All vehicle costs including fuel, tolls, ferries, seaport taxes
- All the vehicle entrances
- Services of two crew
- Back-up, logistical and support from our UK office.
The Trip Price of £2710 is to be paid to Odyssey Overland, in full, no less than 8 weeks before departure. A deposit is required if you are booking more than 8 weeks before departure. Advanced booking is advised as most expeditions are fully booked at least 5 months before departure. A deposit of £500 is required to reserve a seat. This allows us to arrange all the required permits and other vital things for this expedition.
Local Payment of £1150 is the second part
of the price and is paid into a central fund on the day of departure.
It funds accommodation, camp meals, local guides and activities
that are included. This allows everybody more time to gather all the
money for the expedition and reduces the amount of money we have to
source along the route.
So take the plunge, check out the route, do your research on visas etc and book
onto the expedition of a lifetime. Remember with only 20 seats available
(we don’t ‘rackem and pack em’), it’s important to book
early! This is the ultimate holiday, career break or gap year adventure, this
might be the trip that changes your life.