This journey to the ‘Land Of the Thunder Dragon’ will take us into the heart of the Himalayas and its rich cultural and spiritual heritage. We will explore the traditions that underlie the Kingdom of Bhutan’s reputation for ‘Gross National Happiness’ and have the rare opportunity to visit two stunningly beautiful ‘Hidden‐Lands’ (beyul) where the inner practices of Tibetan Buddhism have flourished since the eighth century.

Combining day and overnight hikes through Bhutan’s lush landscapes with stays at traditional Bhutanese-style Lodges and Buddhist monasteries, this exceptional journey encompasses Bhutan’s most revered sites while going far beyond the tourist trail to Explore the mysteriousand rarely seen ‘hidden‐lands’ of Himalayan legend.

Ian Baker designed and led study tours in Asia for the National Geographic Society, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Smithsonian Institution’s Academic Travels Abroad, as well as other educationally oriented travel companies. He served as Academic Director for the School for International Training in India and Nepal and has led numerous research expeditions into the Himalayas. He is a fellow of the Explorers Club and the Royal Geographical Society as well as the Royal Society for Asian Affairs.

Ian studied fine arts, literature, comparative religion, and anthropology at Middlebury College, Oxford University, Columbia University, and University College London and is the author of seven books about Himalayan culture, medicine, and Buddhist tradition, including the forthcoming Tibetan Yoga: Secrets from the Source. He collaborated with the Dalai Lama on a book illustrating Buddhist meditation practices and with Robert Thurman and Deepak Chopra on books on the Tibetan healing arts.

Ian’s most recent book, The Heart of the World: A Journey to Tibet’s Lost Paradise (Penguin Press 2004) has been translated into multiple languages and chronicles his National Geographic sponsored expedition into the world’s deepest gorge and his team’s documentation of a waterfall that had been the source of myth and speculation among geographers for more than a century. Profiled by National Geographic as one of seven “explorers for the millennium”, Ian has contributed articles to National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic Adventure, and Explorers Journal and lectures widely in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Cristy Elmendorp, a former script writer and television host born in Java, was educated in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom and has traveled extensively throughout Europe, the United States, and Asia. Cristy worked for humanitarian aid organizations in southern Thailand for several years and later co-founded Visual Works, producing multi-media presentations for the Thai travel industry. She also runs an independent marketing and consulting agency.

As director of Rare Journeys Films, Cristy produces educational documentaries that explore far corners of the planet and the interfacing worlds of spirit, nature, and human experience.

Trip price of $ 4,750 includes accommodations in double occupancy, all meals in Bhutan, service of our local guide and driver and lectures by Ian Baker and Cristy Elmendorp. Trip price does not include international airfare in and out of Bhutan.

First name Last name Email address

	Burma to Tibet: The Way of Buddhist Alchemy June 3 – 22, 2012
	Wild Mongolia: A Journey along the Cashmere Trail July 7 – 19, 2012
	Tibet and Yunnan, China: A Journey from Lhasa to Shangri-La August 27 – September 20, 2012

Detailed Itinerary Download