Hi,

The beauty of email is that you can delete my efforts with a deft click of the mouse and I'm gone until the next time. However, if you do this, you'll miss out on the various goodies that could be yours. A recent trip to Europe has enabled me to bring back a lot of new photos of the Pyrenees and the Amalfi Coast. Please note that you can get straight to the relevant bit of my website by clicking on the holiday in which you're interested.

Next year I'll be going to

Bhutan (19 April - 1 May) [ http://www.besttravels.com.au/bhutan.htm ]

Amalfi (25 August - 1 September) [ http://www.besttravels.com.au/italy.htm ]

Turkey (4 - 18 September) [ http://www.besttravels.com.au/turkey.htm ]

Pyrenees (25 September - 9 October) [ http://www.besttravels.com.au/france.htm ]

* * * * *
Dave

I have e-brochures for each of the holidays, if you'd like further information. I do hope you can join me somewhere

On the Franco/Spanish border

(This tour will be carried out in co-operation with Active Travel - www.activetravel.com.au)

25 September to 9 October, 2010
(2 separate weeks)
8 days/7 nights
Price (from Dax):
$2180 per person twin-share with shared bathroom or $2285 twin share with en-suite

Spend a week of walking based in a farmhouse in a secluded valley in the foothills of the magnificent French Pyrenees. Walk up to, along and over the border with Spain. Follow the same paths the mediaeval pilgrims took en route to Santiago de Compostela. Enjoy superb French-style cooking washed down with Bordeaux red and white wines. This is Dave's old stamping ground and he has many years' experience escorting walks in the western part of the beautiful Pyrenees.

Our 2010 Pyrenees walking tours will, as always, be based in our 18th century renovated Basque farmhouse in the foothills of the Western Pyrenees. This is the area known as the Pays Basque, a quiet corner of France on the Spanish border, and within an hour's drive of the Atlantic Ocean. Combine unbeatable walks, superb cuisine and Dave's unrivalled knowledge of the Basque region of France, and you've got a holiday to remember. The region is sparsely populated and is a bastion of the ancient and unique Basque culture which maintains its own language and customs. The small group program is limited to just 12 guests per week.

Program includes:

-	Accommodation for seven nights in our restored farmhouse (twin share)
-	All breakfasts, lunches and six dinners
-	Local wines with evening meals
-	Comfortable vehicle for transport to walks and attractions
-	Professional driver/guides
-	Comprehensive walking and touring program with Dave Best
-	Transfers to and from Dax (starting point of the trip)

GRADE
Moderate/easy.

Dave & Peter on track (Photo Anne Kaleski)



"Etxexuria" - your home for the week

HIDDEN BHUTAN

The Last Shangri-La

Mountain Monastery

This tour will be carried out in co-operation with Travel on Q (www.travelonq.com.au)

19 April - 1 May, 2010 for the core section of the tour (12 nights)*.

Cost from Kolkata is USD 3850 per person (single supplement USD 300).

* We are offering the option of a safari in an Indian National Park either before or after the main Bhutan segment of the tour. It will also be possible to head west from Trongsa instead of south to the border with India at Gelegphug, thereby visiting the capital Thimphu and exiting the country by air from Paro at the end of the holiday. There are differing costs involved with these various options.

Bhutan, bounded by India, Tibet and China has, throughout most of its history, survived as a result of its independence and the inhospitable nature of mountains to the north rising to over 7000 metres, and jungles on its southern - i.e. Indian border. Bhutan is a small country - population 650,000 and was closed to foreigners for centuries. It has always been a place of mystery, its lack of contact with and influence from the outside world resulting in a unique culture.

This will be my fifth tour of Bhutan. We enter the south east corner of the country by road from Assam in India.

Firstly we will be spending time in Trashigang, the centre of the Bhutanese textile industry, before heading west. Bhutanese textiles are absolutely gorgeous, justly famous and look fantastic on your living room walls. Retail opportunities exist!

We will drive across fabulous mountain ranges, visit a few of the Dzongs or fortified monasteries, still very much used by monks and take frequent day and half day walks through cool pine woods, by fast flowing rivers, up to lonely places in amazing scenery, soaking up the local culture all the while. We spend a day at the Ura Yakchoe Tshechu, a colourful Buddhist festival. On our way back to the border south of Trongsa, we will spend a few nights camping and walking in very remote landscapes and soaking ourselves in the local hot springs prior to crossing back into India.



Our group takes a break



Wangdi Phodrang market

ITALY - Amalfi Coast



Dave and Vincenzo with Positano in the background

This tour will be carried out in co-operation with Active Travel (www.activetravel.com.au)

25 August - 1 September 2010
8 days/7 nights
A$2150 per person twin share joining in the Amalfi.
Single person supplement A$380.

The Amalfi Coast is a world within a world, an area of great physical beauty and natural diversity. It offers history, tradition and breathtaking views along with modern comforts and delicious food. Its origins date back to the first century AD when Roman aristocrats built luxurious villas in this area and in time a number of wealthy towns were established, such as Ravello, Sorrento and Positano - one of the most beautiful and oldest of the Roman settlements. Positano was 're-discovered' in the early 20th century and its pastel coloured houses cling to impossibly steep cliffs.

One of the beauties of the Amalfi coast is that the many sites of interest are all within easy walking distance of each other, so there is no need to move hotel. We are therefore based, for the whole week, at a charming little 3 star hotel in Scala, high in the hills, overlooking Ravello and the surrounding valleys. Our day walks, though not long in terms of distance, can be strenuous at times as we either ascend - or descend - old stairways that have been used, for many years, to traverse this picturesque region. In the second half of the week there's a free day, allowing time to visit Pompeii, relax, read, swim, or make your own discoveries.

Rainbows over Ravello

TURKEY - Ephesus & Walking the

Aegean Coast

Hagia Sophia Church (now a museum), Istanbul

(This tour will be carried out in co-operation with Active Travel - www.activetravel.com.au)

4-18 September 2010
15 days/14 nights
A$3300 joining in Istanbul. Single person supplement A$550.
Maximum 12 people

This is a 15 days/14 nights tour starting and finishing in Istanbul. After spending a couple of days exploring this wonderful old city largely on foot, where Europe meets Asia - well, sort of -we set off down the Aegean Coast, via Gallipoli across the Dardanelles to Ephesus, Troy and other historical sites. We continue on to that beautiful corner of the country where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean. From then on, we'll be doing a lot of walking, mostly on the famous Lycian Way, rated by the Sunday Times as one of the 10 Best Long Walks in The World. Its paths, goat trails and tracks thread through Lycia and open up the ancient and modern history and culture of a stunningly beautiful region among some of the most hospitable people in the world.

We hike through forests, along the route of an old aqueduct, usually with stunning sea views to enjoy. Basing ourselves in Kas for 3 nights, we spend a day kayaking (or walking if you prefer) and another day visiting the stunning city of Arycanda, the most impressive of the Lycian cities.

From here we move to Olympos for a night, prior to taking a flight back to Istanbul.

Tour highlights include:
- Topkapi Palace, Haghia Sofia, Blue Mosque
- Anzac Cove & the Gallipoli Peninsula
- Troy, Pergamom, Ephesus
- Caunos and the 'ghost village' of Kayakoy
- The Lycian Way
- Stunning coastal scenery
- Kas & the sunken city of Kekova

Grandeur of Ephesus