SW Pyrenees, France
30 Sept - 14 Oct, 2006
8 days/7 nights
2 separate weeks
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A$1625 per person per week or A$1725 per person per week with en suite, joining in France. Single person supplement (available for cheaper rooms only) A$475.

Dave on the Spanish border [ Click to enlarge ]

Add a touch of magic to your holidays in the form of a Pyrenees walking tour and luxury farmhouse stay.

I was formerly the co-owner of the farmhouse, which stands in a large, shady garden and comes complete with ancient oak beams and bears the Basque name Etxexuria. It has been thoroughly renovated to offer all amenities and six comfortable double bedrooms, three with en-suite facilities.

Days are filled with exhilarating walks through majestic scenery. Our repertoire of day walks includes treks along the Pilgrims' Way dotted with medieval abbeys and beautiful farmland, rich valleys with fast flowing streams, beech forests, old villages and other culturally interesting sites.

Each evening after our walk, we return to Etxexuria for a superb 3 course meal with local wines. Freshly made dishes, enjoyed around an oak table or outside on the terrace, use local produce and draw on both French and Basque cuisines.

Etxexuria is located a gentle hour's drive from Biarritz on the French Atlantic coast, and one hour from the Spanish border.

The above tour is in co-operation with Ecotrek whose website is www.ecotrek.com.au

GRADE
Moderate/easy.

Vietnam - hill tribes and coastal towns
10-30 Nov, 2006
21 days/20 nights
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$4587 ex Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or
$3447 plus local taxes, starting in Ho Chi Minh City & concluding in Hanoi

Vietnam is one of Asia's most fascinating destinations. It is an extraordinarily culturally and geographically varied country and is 1800 km from south to north, moving from tropical rice paddies in the south to cool mountains in the north, on the Chinese border, with lots in between.

Mountain Girl, Sapa [ Click to enlarge ]

Our walking program takes you beyond the standard tourist encounter and includes National Parks, rural hill tribe regions, hidden ancient streets, World Heritage locations, and busy local markets. We start in the far south, in the Mekong delta area and go right up to the Chinese border via Saigon, Hoi An, Hué, Hanoi and Sapa.

Lao - Nam Tha & the Mekong
18 Feb - 5 March 2006
16 days/15 nights
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$3343 joining in Lao
$4393 per person, twin share, from Australia return.

Dinner in Vientiane [ Click to enlarge ]

Lao has emerged as one of the exciting new destinations in Asia. Our program is 15 days long and visits the most spectacular regions of Northern Lao by land and river, including the mighty Mekong River and the Plain of Jars.

Lao's small population, tracts of jungle clad mountains, lush valleys and rivers, plus decades of economic isolation, have provided a legacy of vast tracts of natural landscape. Centuries of history await us, from ancient temples to French colonial heritage buildings. A strong culture is evidenced in Buddhist festivals, dance, music and a resurgence of crafts such as silk weaving.

GRADE
Easy with three/four moderate days.

More French pics

Shepherd's hut, morning mist, Spanish border [ Click to enlarge ]

Autumn in a beech forest, Pyrenees [ Click to enlarge ]

Dinner at the farmhouse [ Click to enlarge ]