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Country: AZERBAIJAN, CHINA, EGYPT, GEORGIA, JORDAN, KYRGYZSTAN, SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC, TUNISIA, TURKEY, UZBEKISTAN
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| Oasis Overland |
The Marsh
Somerset
UNITED KINGDOM
BA8 0TF
Phone: 01963 363400
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Program description: |
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Join Oasis Overland's first ever Tunisia to China overland expedition! This overland trip to China departs from Tunis in early March '08, it is the first time Oasis have overlanded this route, and as such is a trip of an exploratory nature. The Oasis Crew leading this trip are some of our most experienced and our expedition vehicle is equipped especially for this trip. Please also be aware that as stated above this is an exploratory overland expedition and as such anyone booking on this trip should expect that there will be times that things do not go according to plan and there WILL BE hold-ups and some unexpected hassles along the way. But this should be regarded as part and parcel of being among the first to partake in such a ground breaking expedition!
Over the 20 week duration of the trip we will be camping approximately 50% of the time, some of which will be in the extreme heat of deserts or the cold of mountainous regions. The hotels we use will be small locally owned pensions and bed and breakfasts and may often be of a very basic standard.
Days 1 - 6, Tunisia:
Tunis (the capital) is a safe and very easy city to explore. It has a fascinating old walled city, more commonly called the Medina, and is thankfully ignored by most of the package holiday tour operators. Tunis has a strong medieval Arab past and well worth spending a couple of days here before your trip begins. Also, the legendary city of Carthage is only a 30 minute bus or taxi ride from Tunis with it's Greek and Roman past.
Dougga, the largest and most dramatic Roman site in Tunisia, and possibly North Africa.
Le Kef, a mountainous village dominated by it's fortified Kasbah. We have a free day here as there are many short hikes and places of interest and Le Kef itself is a great place to relax.
Roman city of Haidra, close to the Algerian border
Oasis towns of Nefta and Tozeur where we have some free time to explore
Gabes - our first day on the Mediterranean coast. Unlike most of the Northern Tunisian coast, we hardly see any tourists; so we can enjoy the long palm fringed sandy beach in peace!
Matmata, well known for it's troglodyte villages.
Days 7 - 15, Libya:
Ghadames - UNESCO World Heritage site (there is believed to have been a town here for 5000 years. You can feel perfectly safe as you get lost in its labyrinthine alleyways, or venture out of town and climb one of the sand dunes to view the spectacular sunsets).
Nalut (small town which has an exceptional Berber Granary, or Qasr, clinging to a steep hillside)
Gariyat
Leptis Magna (one of the finest preserved Roman Cities and one of the few where you can actually still picture a living city. It is well worth investing in a local guide to enjoy exploring the city.
Drive along the Mediterranean coast with time to take a dip from one of the many deserted beaches.
Ancient Greek city of Cyrene. (established in the 7th Century BC it has an outstanding history)
Tobruk (scene of some of the most important and viscous battles of WW 2 and visit the graves and 25kms of fortified trenches)
Days 16 - 19, Egypt:
El Alamein (visit the excellent War Museum, which also houses much of the abandoned tanks and other armour)
Alexandria (visit the old coffee houses or enjoy some of the excellent seafood or take a trip to the Catacombs in the eerie subterranean Roman Necropolis full of bizarre carvings)
The beaches and diving here are also excellent with wrecks of Roman Galley's, French Warships, German U-boats and Cleopatra's Palace
Cairo (our base for the next few days)
Visit the Pyramids with an Egyptologist guide (but you will also have enough free time while here to travel by overnight train to Aswan and Luxor to visit the Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbel or take a felucca trip on the Nile, or if you prefer to chill out on the Red Sea coast you can travel ahead of us to Dahab where you can do a PADI dive course, snorkel or relax on the beaches or spend longer in Alexandria and join us in Cairo later
Those on the 19 day trip from Tunis finish here in Cairo.
Days 20 - 27:
Cross the Suez Canal and enter the Sinai Desert (home of the Bedouin), camp out at Mt Sinai, the site of God's revelation of the 10 Commandments and you will have the opportunity to climb it early in the morning to view the sunrise over the desert
St Catherine's Monastery where Moses heard God speaking from the burning bush
Dahab on the Red Sea where we relax for the next 4 days. Here we have the opportunity to snorkel or scuba dive to some of the best coral reefs in the world, go desert quad biking or just chill on the beach
Day 28 - 31, Jordan:
Wadi Rum (where we camp overnight & where you can take a camel ride or a jeep ride out deep into the desert)
Petra (the stone-carved city was only uncovered about 60 years ago after being forgotten for over 1000 years)
The Dead Sea (lowest point on earth), therapeutic mud baths and not so therapeutic mud fights are followed by an unusual swimming experience in this highly buoyant salt sea!
Mt Nebo (where we camp for the night overlooking Israel before we drive to the Syrian border)
Day 32 - 38, Syria:
Damascus (we spend three nights in the capital, the oldest inhabited city in the world. There is the option of taking a one day guided tour into Lebanon and Beirut here)
Crac de Chevaliers (an 800yr old Crusader Castle - perched on top of a mountain)
Palmyra (sleeping out in this vast wilderness, the night sky dazzles with stars, satellites and shooting stars)
Aleppo (visit the huge crusader castle & a very relaxing and friendly atmosphere pervades the town)
Days 39 - 48, Turkey:
Khata, (we climb the 2150m Nemrut Dagi where at the summit the solid rock statues of the gods of antiquity lie scattered)
Cappadocia (we spend a few days in this region where over the centuries houses, churches, fortresses and even underground cities have been carved into this eerily eroded volcanic rock
Sumela mountain monastery (an awe inspiring location clinging to a cliff face 1,000 feet above the Altindere Valley)
Trazbon on the Black Sea coast (well known for its historic frescos in its old mosques and Ottoman buildings)
Days 49 - 56, Georgia:
Kutasi (visit the 1000yr old ruined Bagrati Cathedral that overlooks the town)
Sataplia Nature Reserve (the location of the world's largest collection of dinosaur tracks, as well as wolves and bears)
Gori (we visit Stalin's old house, now a museum. No doubt there will also be the chance to try the local drop, Khuachkara a sweet red wine said to be one of Stalin's favourites which is traditionally drunk from a ram's horn)
Historic churches of Mtskheta (former capital of Georgia and a World Heritage Site)
Tbilisi (Georgia's capital city, stroll along narrow cobbled streets, relax in the warm waters of the historic sulphur baths and visit some of the city's key historical sites; Metekhi Church, Narikala Fortress, Sioni Cathedral and Anchiskhati Church)
Those on the 54 Day trip from Tunis finish here in Tblisi
Day 57 - 67:
Wine tasting at Telavi & 6th century ruins at Gremi
Azerbaijan:
Sheiki, which is famed for its silk production and was an important stop over on the silk route
Baku - The capital (which is a bustling city that has made its fortune from oil, but it has a number of historic sights such as the old fortress and Medieval Old Town. There is an opportunity to go on a day trip to visit the mud volcanoes at Gobustan. These small cones emit cold mud, water and gas almost continually)
Ferry journey across the Caspian Sea to Turkmenistan
Day 68 - 75, Turkmenistan:
Bakharden (where there are caves to explore and hot springs)
Geok Tepe
Ashgabat (the capital, on the southern rim of the Kara-Kum (black sand) Desert. The sprawling Sunday market in Ashgabat is the best place to buy Turkmen carpets amongst the livestock and household goods)
Desert crossing camping out at night in one of the world's most remote environments
Day 76 - 87, Uzbekistan:
Khiva (world heritage site and one of the most noteworthy cities in Central Asia, explore the ancient madrassahs, medinas, mausoleums and museums)
Bukhara (an attractive city on a sacred hill, and was founded in the 13th century BC)
Kyzylkum Desert
Samarkand, (second largest city, explore the city and its treasures such as the 15th century BibiKhanum Mosque which when built was considered to have the largest dome in the Muslim world)
Tashkent (the present capital of Uzbekistan where there is the opportunity to sample some of the excellent Russian restaurants in the city)
Days 88 - 102, Kyrgyzstan:
Fergana Valley (dramatic and rugged scenery)
Osh (here there are good views of the town surrounded by tobacco and cotton fields from the Sulayman Rock in the middle of town)
Song-Kul Lake (at an altitude of 3013 m with the surrounding glaciers reflected on the still water)
Kochkorka Valley (visit a carpet shop and it may be possible to go horse riding)
Lake Issyk-Kul (in the northern Tien Shan Mountains, at 6,300 sq km this is considered to be one of the largest mountain lakes in the world)
Karakol (attractive town on the southeast shores of the lake shadowed by the Terskay Ala-Too Mountains, an unspoilt wilderness populated only by nomadic shepherds and only then during the summer)
Colpon Ata (we stop here on the northern shore of the lake and enjoy a mud cure at one of the many spas and health-resorts here)
Djety Oguz Valley (the famous hot springs and red rocks)
Bishkek (the capital is a largely Soviet-built city, and along Ulitsa Sovietskaya, are the Kyrgyz State Opera and Ballet Theatre and the State Art Museum. Other attractions include the Lenin Museum and an hour's drive from Bishkek the Ala-Archa Nature Reserve which offers spectacular scenery for trekking and skiing)
Those on the 74 Day trip from Cairo and 14 week trip from Tunis finish here in Bishkek.
We spend a few days driving south through the mountains to reach the border with China. This is a difficult journey along rough roads and at high altitude so expect cold temperatures and a challenging time.
Torugat Pass in the Tien Shan Mountains is one of the highest passes in the world and is where we cross into China.
Days 103 - 111, China:
Kashgar (we visit the local market which attracts a rather staggering 60,000 shoppers!)
Takla Makan Desert (one of the largest moving bodies of sand in the world, stretching west from Kashgar for over a 1000 kms to the mysterious desert of Lop in the east, its dunes conceal the ruins of numerous ancient civilizations)
Hotan (best known for its carpet making, silk production and jewellery made from the local jade)
Korla (situated at the foot of Mount Tianshan)
Bosten Lake (surrounded by the beautiful scenery of the Gobi Desert & here we take a boat ride or water-ski)
Urumqi (where we visit the nearby Tain Chi 'heaven lake' beneath the mighty 6000 m high Bogda Feng mountain. Here you can choose to stay in yurts with the semi nomadic Kazakh population)
Turpan (one of the hottest places in the world.) Visit the town's old mosques and take a tour to the ruins of Goachang City
Visit the Thousand Buddha Caves which were dug out and painted by monks from the 4th century
Days 112 - 119:
Gobi Desert crossing
Dunhuang (we visit the famed Mogao Grottoes, one of the world's richest treasure houses of Buddhist sutras, murals and sculptures)
Min Sha Hill and the Crescent Moon Pool (where spring water trickles up into a depression between huge sand dunes, forming a crescent-shaped pond. There is the opportunity to take camel ride on a two-humped camel over the sand dunes)
Great Wall of China (take a walk along the wall and visit the Jiayuguan Fort which was the last outpost of the Great Wall. We also visit the Wei Jin Tombs which have early rock art on the walls and the mummies unearthed at the tombs can be seen in the adjacent museum
Wuwei (places of interest include the Haizang Temple, Loshi Pagoda, Confucian Temple, Leitai Taoist Temple and the most famous object, the Han-dynasty Flying Horse of Wuwei)
Lanzhou (a city that has a 2,000-year history and is capital of Gansu Province)
If time allows we make two short excursions:
Lanzhou to Maijishan Grottoes (a steep rock face with 194 cave-shrines chiselledout of it that provide shelters to 7,200 stone and clay figurines and 1,300 square metres of murals)
Bingling Grottoes (also known as the Bingling Temple, a series of Buddhist caves on a cliff face, some 80km from Lanzhou and accessed by boat across the Yellow River)
Days 120 - 134:
Xiahe
Tibetan style Buddhist Labrang Monastery (tens of thousands of gold Buddha statues decorated with ivory & jade)
Huanglong National Park (also known as Yellow Dragon Valley, it is studded with terraces and waterfalls, coloured limestone ponds of blue, yellow, green and white)
Chengdu (a great place to see giant pandas, we visit the Panda Breeding & Research Centre, where nearly 50 Pandas have been born and successfully reared)
Emeishan (one of the four mountain ranges in China that Buddhists consider sacred and there are a number hiking trails punctuated by Buddhist temples that offer food and beds to pilgrims and tourists alike)
Leshan (we visit the 71m high Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest stone sculpture of Buddha in the world)
Chongqing (here we embark on our three day boat trip down the Yangtze River)
Days 135 - 144:
Wuhan & Luoyang (world-famous Longmen Grottoes and World Heritage Site (there are 2345 caves, 100,000 massive Buddhist images, more than 2800 inscribed tablets, and 43 Buddhist pagodas)
Shaolin (thought to be the birth place of Kung Fu)
Xi'an (there are an abundance of relics and sites to see, of these the vast Terracotta Army is probably the most famous
Beijing (after a 15 hr train journey we are ready to explore China's capital and soak up the atmosphere. We include a guided city tour on our last day of the trip, before enjoying our last night party in some of the many bars and clubs in the city)
There is so much to see in Beijing so we recommend staying on for a few days to see all the main sights and also to relax. Well known places to visit here include - Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven. You will also see the towering skyscrapers and the endless stream of traffic. Nowhere else on earth will you find such a variety of gourmet Chinese restaurants. Then there is of course the shopping and the nightlife too!
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General program information: |
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Program open to: Everyone
Is opportunity more independant or group orientated: Group
No. in group: 20
Living arrangements on the program: Tents/Rustic Accommodation
How long does the program last?: 3-6 months
What are the dates of this program: Departs Tunis 15th March 08 -
Ends Beijing 5th August 08; Departs Tunis 15th March 09 - Ends Beijing 5th August 09
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Cost or price of this program: |
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£3650 + US$2130 local payment
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