Fresh ideas and new trips for 2016CAMP IN BOLIVIAunder the stars the Airstream way next Christmas! – page 2

ADVENTUREScreating

See what we can tailor-make for you at www.farfrontiers.com and www.arcturusexpeditions.co.uk

Fiona Brijnath, Director

Ninestone, South Zeal, Devon EX20 2PZ

Welcome to 2016 – which isshaping up to be a full

and exciting year. I'm justback from a short break withmy family to Istanbul – you canread about our adventures inthe enclosed flyer. My tripcoincided with the launch of anew collection of itinerariesfor Turkey. These are now onour website, so do browse thenew section on Turkey formore details.

In February I'll be heading toEcuador and the GalapagosIslands, and, in October (withmy polar hat on) I'mattending the four-dayShackleton Autumn Schoolnear Dublin. We’ll becelebrating the centenary ofShackleton's Imperial TransAntarctic Expedition (1914-1917) and the subsequent epicescape from Elephant Islandto South Georgia. Polarhistorian Seb Coulthard whomade history re-enactingShackleton’s crossing will be onboard our Hebridean SkyAntarctic voyages and wehave exciting plans forjourneys with our polarleaders Ann Daniels andRobert Clancy too.

I'm looking forward to hearingfrom you with your ownpersonal travel plans. Let'smake it a year to rememberfor you too!

tel & fax

01837 840640email fiona@farfrontiers.comfiona@arcturusexpeditions.co.uk

update | January 2016

East Greenland UNDER SAIL

on an elegant schooner this summer – see page 3

TOUR BHUTANwith the Royal Society of Asian Affairs in October – page 2

BURMA by boat or overland

» IRAN in vogueSince the re-opening of the British Embassy inTehran in August 2015 we have started to see anincrease in requests for Iran – do please call us foritineraries and ideas.

» PERU Lima directBritish Airways starts a direct service to Lima fromGatwick in May 2016 – perfect timing for the besttravel season which is April to October. We have arich portfolio of itinerary options, boutique hotelsand lodges we can recommend – so do ask.

» BHUTAN in depthJoin the Royal Society for Asian Affairs (RSAA)and come with us on our RSAA Bhutan tour thisOctober. There’ll be many distinctive and specialelements you simply won’t find in standarditineraries – such as unique meetings with localdignitaries, political and religious figures, as well as visits to two colourful stechues (festivals). Meet a fascinating group of like-minded travellersinterested in all things Asia. The group is filling up fast, so call now for a detailed itinerary.

» when « 13-29 October 2016» price « £4,465 per person including flights

» NEW Four countries, one river journey

Breakfast on deck watching elephants bathing onthe banks of the Mekong River and watch themonks of Luang Prabang make their beggingrounds as the sun rises behind temple spires. Thenew Laos Pandaw cruises the Mekong betweenBurma and Laos on its journey from Thailand toChina this February, but hurry as there are only afew cabins remaining. A second ship for Laos isdue to be launched in November which will cruisefrom Ventiane up to the Laos/Cambodia border.Connecting with expeditions on the CambodiaMekong, this will make it possible to cruise fromYunnan all the way to Saigon by Pandaw.

» when « 19 day itineraries UK to UK betweenNovember 2016 and April 2017

» price « From £4,470 per person includingflights

» OMAN top of the worldIn these turbulent times Oman continues to offer a safe option for a holiday with a difference. We propose a lovely property in the mountainscalled Alila Jabal Akhdar, perched 2,000 metresabove sea level overlooking a dramatic gorge. Let us chauffeur you in 4x4 luxury on a discovery tourtaking in Muscat, forts and souqs, the magnificentWahiba Sands, traditional dhow shipyards at Surand Nizwa’s imposing fortress – with a zillionwadis and mountain villages in between!

» offer « Stay 3 nights for the price of 2 with half board (weekdays) between now and 7 February 2016

The elections in Burma last autumn were a shot in the arm for democracy – so now’s the time to put Burma on your map! We offer fully-tailored land-based holidaysand a collection of river and island cruises on the wonderful Pandaw boats, all teak andbrass and colonial character. On certain voyages there is no single supplement.

» NEW Luang Prabang to ChinaThe best of both worlds – this new 10 nightjourney on the Laos Pandaw combines anovernight hotel stay in Luang Prabang and atwo night river journey by local day boat,staying at comfortable riverside lodges, with aseven night reconnaissance cruise from ChiangSaen to Jinghong (or vice versa).

» when « 13 day itineraries March and April 2016

» price « From £3,685 per person includingflights

» BOLIVIA new seasonWith the Dakar Rally passing through Bolivia thespotlight is on this thrilling and super valuecountry. I had a fantastic trip there a couple ofyears back, and urge you to discover it too. Newfor 2016 is the chance to see the Salt Flats in themagnificent wet season (which coincides withour Christmas period). Travel in luxury in one ofour airstream campers for an unforgettablejourney or special celebration – the incrediblereflections of the expansive skies in the floodedsalt pans of Uyuni will stay with you forever.Take the cable car for a bird’s eye view of La Pazand the contemporary architecture of El Alto –the world’s highest major metropolis. Bolivia istruly a holiday of many contrasts.

» NEW Mergui ArchipelagoDiscover the remoter parts of the MerguiArchipelago on a seven night reconnaissancecruise on the coastal expedition ship, the MYDrenec, discovering the old colonial ports onBurma’s southern coast and the stunning whitebeaches and sea gypsy inhabitants of the little-known Mergui Islands.

» when « 16-19 March 2016» price « £4,995 per person including flights

» SUMMER IN THESOLOVETSKIS

We are seeking two more people to join oursmall group tour to the little-visited SolovetskiIslands and the White Sea area of NorthernRussia in June. Call us for an itinerary – thewalking in summer is incomparable!

We can arrange an evening of opera or ballet or

an extension to see some of the treasures of

St Petersburg either before or after the tour.

» when « 5-16 June 2016» price « £2,725 per person including flights

» NORTH EAST PASSAGENorthern Sea Route westbound

This very exciting, brand new 28 day expedition is areal first! The great seaway that the rest of the worldcalls the Northeast Passage is controlled by Russiaand known there as the Northern Sea Route. Only ahandful of expedition vessels have ever transited thispassage, but changes in sea ice conditions have madeit accessible. Join us to explore the history anddevelopment of this fascinating route and the manyislands along the way.

» when « 30 July – 28 August 2016» ship « Akademik Shokalskiy» price from « £15,710 per person including flights

» EAST GREENLANDIntimate sailing voyages

Join the sturdy sailboat Donna Wood or elegantschooner Opal for an amazing week-longexpedition (both just 12 passengers) to experiencefull-on the magnificence of nature in EastGreenland’s spectacular Scoresby Sound fjord.

» when « Weekly from mid July to mid September 2016

» price from « £4,535 per person for a 10 dayitinerary including flights

ARCTURUS news from

» ANTARCTICA XXIThere are three compelling reasons for booking anAntarctica XXI voyage – comfort, speed and style!Flying direct to Antarctica means you get therequickly and avoid the inevitable storms of theDrake Passage and you’ll love the intimate, yacht-like experience that a small ship offers. Have a chatwith Fiona about the available options.

Introducing... Arcturus hasteamed up with some eminentpolar experts and explorers tobring you these uniquely specialvoyages and expeditions. Here’s ataste of what’s in the pipeline.

Join Ann Daniels, one ofBritain’s leading explorers,for an AntarcticPeninsula adventurevoyage on BasecampPlancius. Ann was one ofthe first women to reachboth the North andSouth Poles as part ofall-women teams.

She will lead this 16 day group tour delivering aseries of illuminating lectures on her variousexploits. Camping, kayaking, mountaineering,photography and snowshoeing activities are allavailable at no extra charge.

» when « 26 December 2016 – 10 January 2017» ship « Plancius» price from « £8,595 per person twin cabin with

porthole (private facilities) including flights

See www.arcturusexpeditions.co.uk for more –type Ann Daniels into the search box.

» ANTARCTIC WITH ANN DANIELS our great British adventurer

Seb Coulthard is a polarhistorian who achieved famein early 2013 as one of theteam who re-enacted ErnestShackleton’s epic 800nautical mile crossing fromElephant Island across theSouthern Ocean followed bya three-day mountain crossingof South Georgia in order to get help to rescue hisstranded crew. They achieved their perilous missionusing the same equipment, clothing, and food astheir heroes almost a century before, survivingeverything that the sea threw at them in a faithfulreplica of the 23ft James Caird. It is a story every bitas gripping as the extraordinary journey made byShackleton and his five fellow explorers in 1916. You can read more at www.sebcoulthard.com/shackleton-death-or-glory.html.

Following her multi-million dollar refurbishment,Hebridean Sky (formerly Sea Explorer) will set sailfor the 2016-2017 Antarctic season with SebCoulthard on board the voyages listed here. Seb will be bringing history back to life usingperiod equipment and resources both at sea andduring land excursions. There will be opportunitiesto camp ashore where possible and to kayakamong icebergs and whales.

Type Seb Coulthard into the search box ofwww.arcturusexpeditions.co.uk to find outmore – or lift the phone to Fiona!

Antarctic Peninsula

» when « 18 November – 2 December 2016 11-25 February 2017

» price from « £7,595 per person in a twinporthole cabin (private facilities) including flights

» SEB COULTHARD Bringing polar

Photos: Juan Cristobal Del Pedregal Bravo

Photo: M Kelly

» ROBERT CLANCY Pioneer in many fields

Arcturus has partneredwith Professor RobertLlewellyn Clancy AM, aleading Australian clinicalimmunologist, to offer anexciting 12 day expeditionto the Antarctic Peninsula,Weddell Sea and theFalkland Islands. As a medical student, ProfessorClancy spent many years researching with theAustralian Antarctic Division on the effect ofwintering in Antarctica on immunity. He is aseasoned lecturer and author of a number of polarbooks and is also known as one of Australia's mosteminent map collectors.

North West Passage – Finding Franklin: fromResolute to Cambridge Bay» when « 19-29 August 2016 (voyage only) » ship « Akademik Ioffe» price from « £6,250 per person (flights to be

added to this)

Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea and the Falkland Islands» when « 25 December 2016– 8 January 2017

(voyage only)» ship « Akademik Sergey Vavilov» price from « £9,995 per person (flights to be

added to this)

Read more about these voyages atwww.arcturusexpeditions.co.uk – type RobertClancy into the search box.

Falklands/South Georgia/Antarctica

» when « 24 January – 15 February 2017 21 February – 15 March 2017

» price from « £12,775 per person in a twinporthole cabin (private facilities) including flights

FROM FIRE TO ICEDuring the comingAntarctic season Rob Smallwill embark on his epicFrom Fire to Iceexpedition which wefeatured in January 2015.Rob is making this journeyto the South Pole toconduct medical research and raise money forvictims of serious burns like himself. He will bejoined by Seb Coulthard who will take a shortbreak from his voyages on Hebridean Sky. They now plan to depart on 26th December 2016and return from the Pole in mid-January 2017.Read more about Rob’s exciting plans atwww.fromfiretoice.org.

r history to life

Photo: Fire To Ice Expedition

Photos: Shackleton Epic Expedition

» NON-ESCORTED POLAR TOURS

In addition to the Arcturus escorted polar toursfeatured here, don’t forget we work with around20 ships covering scores of areas in the polarregions so, if you prefer not to travel in a group,call Fiona with your wish list!

» special offer « A discount of £150 per personon the following non-escorted trips for bookingsmade by the end of January 2016. Prices includeprivate facilities and flights.

North Spitsbergen polar bear special onboard Plancius

» when « 22-30 June 2016 » price « £4,135 per person (twin cabin)

Around Spitsbergen circumnavigation with Kvitoya on board Ortelius

» when « 21-31 August 2016 » price « £5,095 per person (twin cabin)

Classic Antarctic Peninsula on board Plancius

» when « 6-20 January 2017 » price « £7,555 per person (twin cabin)

» MAGICAL FAROESFor far-flung adventure, we suggest headingto the Ross Sea on an epic 35 day voyage!However, if you like your excitement a littlecloser to home, then the Faroe Islandsbetween June and August are hard to beat.Accessed by an excellent direct flight fromEdinburgh twice a week, these special landsoffer spellbinding walks, a buzzing foodiescene in the capital Torshavn and acornucopia of small but perfectly-formedhotels! We can tailor a variety of tours fromhiking to chauffeur-driven, all with delightfullocal guides. Fiona’s a big fan of the Faroesand she’s not the only one, so you’ll need tothink about booking sooner rather than later!

Photo: Rinie van Meurs

Photo: Reinhard Pantke

From a seasoned Far Frontiers Travel client!

} I have been to Burma on four previous occasions, each time on the RV Katha. I am writing to say my last trip was, arguably, the best yet. Everything was

wonderful – the food, the care of the passengers, the friendliness of thecrew and our informative and hard working guide. Pandaw's attention to

detail was also appreciated – provision of bananas for theelephants, the lanterns for the Full Moon Festival and everythingelse that helped to make the trip memorable.After we got stuck on the sandbank I even enjoyed clamberingaboard the ‘speedboat’ at 3 am in order to catch my flight fromMandalay to Yangon. Incidentally I missed it but the guide foundme another and then said it would be held until I arrived! Please pass on my sincere thanks to your crew for an entertainingtrip, and for their kindness in looking after me (although,perhaps the deep-fried crickets with chilli and ginger were notsuch a good idea!).~

Marianne Spender, Pagan and Upper Irrawaddy cruise, Burma, October 2015

}Your service was truly exceptional! We have traveled a lot and tried the services of severalcompanies (both in the UK and the US) and you rank right up there at the top (and we

have used some good ones). Your responsiveness was very much appreciated,particularly when the 2014 trip was cancelled. This level of personal service really

makes a difference. This was one of the best trips we have taken – one of those that was arevelation and will always be remembered (like our first trip to see the wildlife in SouthernAfrica, for example). And your service was first rate – we are so glad that we chose you toorganize our trip. We would be happy to be a reference/ resource for you with any futuretravelers (particularly from North America) if you would ever want us to.~

Richard and Christine Holdrup, Arctic Explorer, August 2015

} I had a wonderful holiday. The food on board was very good although there was nochoice. When we were in the far north the two guides each carried a rifle (in case ofpolar bears) and we were required to keep up with them and stay together. Thiswas not always easy, the terrain was often difficult and some of us, including me,were not in the first flush of youth! As to future holidays, I will certainly recommendArcturus and Greenland. I had been to East Greenland on three occasions and it wasinteresting to contrast East with West, they are certainly very different, both veryinteresting in their different ways.~

Elizabeth Lonkhurst, Sail West Greenland, July/August 2015

} First it was Antarctica, then Argentina, and this time India... Another excellent trip organised for me by Fiona, taking in all that I wanted

to do and more. The itinerary was a good cross-section of the old and the new, countryside and city – a jeep safari in Ranthambore, riding an elephant

to the City Palace in Jaipur, the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur and the Taj Mahal. It was amazing to be in India for Diwali, the festival of lights.~

Judi Smith and Claire Macleod Ash, India, November 2015

See our websites for more client comments on trips that interest you – we’re always adding new feedback!

Design: String concept and design 01323 647078

your feedback

Travel with confidence: All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays in this newsletter arefinancially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with anATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights,hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions on our websitefor further information or for more information about financial protection and theATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate.

Total Payment Protection (topp) Policy cover: Incompliance with the UK Package Travel, Package Holidaysand Package Tours Regulations 1992 an insurance policyhas been arranged with Travel & General Insurance ServicesLimited (t&g), to protect customers’ prepayments in theunlikely event of our financial failure. Full details are givenon both the Far Frontiers Travel and Arcturus websitesunder the Your Financial Protection section.

Helpful HolidaysHere in Devon we like to support other localbusinesses, especially if we think they might be ofinterest to our clients! Helpful Holidays is a family-run company offering around 600 self-catering holidaycottages in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset.From cosy coastal cottages and vast converted barnsto impressive historic manor houses, it’s just the thingif you’re either planning a relaxing break or looking forthe perfect top-end location for a celebratory event.Become lord or lady of the manor for a week, treatyour friends to a weekend of jollification, gather thefamily together for a special occasion, Christmas orNew Year, or even tie the knot in a country house witha wedding licence. Many of Helpful Holidays’properties are dog-friendly too. Call 01647 434393,email help@helpfulholidays.com or visitwww.helpfulholidays.co.uk for more information.

» snippets «

} I found the ‘adventure’ both rewarding and educational and also met some interesting people, especially among the English-

speaking Chinese and Russian passengers. Once again thank you for puttingthe trip together for me and therefore making it a resounding success. ~

Peter Wright, the North Pole, July 2015 (see the Arcturus website for Peter’s trip report and more photos)

Prize drawCongratulations to Sue Henning whose feedbackquestionnaire from the Arcturus brochure mailingwas pulled out of the hat!  She wins £250 off aholiday booked with us in 2016.

Don’t miss out!Clients are loving our monthly Dispatches e-news mailings as they get all the up to datenews and special offers as they happen! We can’t email you without your current emailaddress so please do let us have your details.We promise never to pass contact details on to third parties.

» INDIA made easyFor those on a single entry visit to India the newUSD60 online visa is making life much easier.Whilst arrivals procedures are still beingstreamlined, we believe it won’t be long beforethis great incentive for Indian tourism will berunning smoothly. Prepare now by looking at ourdetailed itineraries and planning an incrediblewinter 2016 holiday!

Good guide for wildlife Far Frontiers Travel has been a staunch supporter ofTravel Operators for Tigers since its inception. Oneof their major projectsfor 2015 was their onlineGood Wildlife TravelGuide to India andNepal 2016 in which wehave taken a prominentadvert. Its 200-plus pagesform a comprehensivehandbook for all aspectsof responsible wildlifetourism and we are proudto be a part of it.