untamed borders brochure 2014

ABOUT US

Untamed Borders offers bespoke trips and small group tours

to some of the most interesting regions of Central and South

Asia. We specialise in trips to Afghanistan, Pakistan, India,

former Soviet Central Asia and the Caucasus but also arrange

private trips to other off the beaten track destinations.

Untamed Borders uses specialist local guides to allow access

to some of Asia’s harder to reach places. In the past few years

we have taken our guests skiing in the Hindu Kush mountains

of Afghanistan and arranged the fi rst commercial trips in

recent years to Chechnya, Dagestan and Mogadishu. We have

arranged meetings with retired head-hunters in Nagaland

on the Indian/Myanmar border and stayed with descendants

of both Alexander the Great’s and Genghis Khan’s armies in

Central Asia.

In this booklet we introduce some of our favourite guiding

destinations. If you are interested in taking a trip with

Untamed Borders please get in touch.

Happy travels,

The Untamed Borders crew

AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan has been a crossroads of civilisations for millenia.

From Darius the Great to Alexander the Great, Marco Polo to

George Bush. They have all been here and left their mark.

It remains a place of world interest for both nervous politicians

and intrepid tourists alike, renowned for its legendary hospitality

to guests and equally legendary hostility to invaders.

Any trip here is an adventure. Sights like the remains of the giant

Buddha statues of Bamian, the Lapis Lazuli blue of the lakes at

Band e Amir or the fi rst sight of the almost unreachable Minaret

of Jam are incredible. However, most people’s lasting memories

of Afghanistan will refl ect a more human scale, whether it be kids

fl ying kites over Kabul, drinking tea with ex-mujahedin or

chatting with catapult wielding Hazara children.

A trip to Afghanistan offers the opportunity to see a country

that has been off the tourist map for 30 years, to visit a place

that is starkly beautiful and to interact with people and places

mainly recognisable from news reports. Whether your interest

in Afghanistan is its ancient or its modern history we know what

you experience in this striking and hospitable country,

recovering from decades of confl ict, will stay with you for a

lifetime.

AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan is a paradise for those with a love of the mountains

and mountain people. The Hindu Kush mountain range bisects

the country and is one of the least explored ranges in the world.

The opportunities for adventurous ski touring, trekking and

climbing are almost unlimited. The mountains are also home to

a number of peaceful minority groups. The Hazara of Bamian,

the Wakhi of the Wakhan and the Kyrgyz of The Afghan Pamir are

all extremely hospitable and live in a world far removed from

the troubles affecting the rest of the country.

We are the fi rst company to take commercial skiers to

Afghanistan – a feat that was recognised when Untamed Borders

received a letter of commendation from Afghanistan’s fi rst female

governor for our work in promoting ski tourism in Afghanistan.

We have arranged for climbers to make the fi rst ascents of

previously unclimbed peaks and organised logistics for the fi rst

Afghan snowboarding fi lm. We now offer a full range of outdoor

mountain activities in Afghanistan from fi rst ascents of peaks in

the Hindu Kush to ski touring on vast frozen lakes.

The combination of skiing, climbing or trekking little known or

brand new routes, and an immersion into the timeless Afghan

mountain culture makes for a heady mix.

Afghan trip options:

• Join our annual cultural trips to Kabul, Bamian, Herat and

Mazar e Sharif each Spring and Autumn.

• Join our ground breaking ski touring trips to Bamian and the

Koh e Baba mountain range.

• Join our annual trekking trip to the Wakhan and Afghan Pamir

region.

…or contact us to arrange something special for you and your

friends.

For information on our Afghan trips go to the website

www.untamedborders.com

PAKISTAN

From the burning plains of Baluchistan to the top of K2, the

world’s second highest mountain, Pakistan is the link between

the steamy subcontinent and the wild mountains of Central Asia.

Four of the great mountain ranges of the world collide in the

north and the scenery is matched by an eclectic collection of

people and cultures.

The north is the area we know best and the area which, we think,

holds most interest to visitors. Remains of the ancient Buddhist

civilisation of Gandhara sit side by side with the sights and smells

of the chaotic Pashtun capital of Peshawar. Walking on, around or

up glaciers in the Karakorum, crossing rope bridges in the Pamirs

and meeting isolated animist tribes in the Hindu Kush are just

some of the things we pack into trips here every summer.

Access to these areas has been made easier since the building of

the remarkable Karakorum Highway 20 years ago but it is still an

unexplored and overlooked destination for anyone wanting to

experience real adventure. However, the incredible scenery takes

second place in Pakistan to interactions with some of the most

hospitable and generous people in the world.

Pakistan trip options:

• Join our annual trip to the north of Pakistan taking in the

Shandur Polo festival, the Kalasha valleys, the Hunza valley and

the Karakorum Highway.

• Join our annual trekking trip to K2 base camp and Concordia

• Ask us to arrange a private trip to our home town of Peshawar


friends.

For information on our Pakistan trips go to the website


NORTH EAST INDIA

Wedged between Tibet, Myanmar and Bangladesh the North

East of India is a treasure trove of tribal groups, remote Tibetan

monasteries, nature reserves and tea plantations.

Many of the states require permits to visit them, both for

foreigners and for other Indians. This restriction combined with

its remoteness from the rest of India results in an outstanding

area to visit, almost devoid of international tourists.

As with our other destinations we believe that interaction with

people is key to a memorable trip. Our relationship with local

people allows us to join Adi tribesmen on a traditional jungle

hunting trip, stay over night at a monastery with Buddhist nuns,

meet a Bon Shaman and dine with men who were once

head-hunters.

North East India trip options:

• Join our annual edge of India trips to explore Arunchal Pradesh,

Assam and Meghalaya.


friends in any part of India.

For information on our India trips go to the website


RUSSIA

Russia. The world’s largest country. Stretching across two

continents and nine time zones, much of Russia remains as cut

off from western visitors today as it was under the Soviet Union.

With dozens of mountain ranges, taiga, tundra, desert, steppe,

a 37,000km coastline, shamans, a multitude of indigenous tribal

and nomadic groups and vast areas of the country completely

unconnected to any road or rail network - there is much more to

experience in Russia than St Petersburg, Moscow and long

train rides.

Tapping into our guides’ many years experience we take our

guests into parts of Russia that are rarely seen by Russians,

let alone outsiders. We show you life in Europe’s only Buddhist

Republic, explore Persian fortresses and delve into the taiga,

a forest so vast it would envelope the USA. As always it is the

people that make these trips unforgettable and our guests

fondest memories are often the time spent with the nomadic

Nenets reindeer herders of Arctic Siberia’s Yamal Peninsula

or enjoying the warm hospitality of Chechens, Dagestanis and

Ingush in Russia’s much misunderstood Caucasus states.

If you are looking for travel inspiration and want to get truly off

the beaten track then join us on a trip into Untamed Russia.

Russian trip options:

• Join our annual ground breaking trip to Chechnya, Dagestan

and Russia’s deep south.

• Visit the pagan Nenets. Nomadic reindeer herders of the Yamal

Peninsula, north of the Arctic circle.


friends in any part of Russia.

For information on our Russia trips go to the website


UZBEKISTAN

Lying at the heart of Central Asia, Uzbekistan is the cradle of

civilisation for the region. Timur ran his vast empire from here in

the 14th century and architecture buffs will be in heaven when

confronted by the epic scale of his legacy.

The medieval cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva are the

jewels in the crown of Uzbekistan. Blue tiled mosques, towering

minarets and grand palaces leave the visitor awed and humbled.

A trip through Uzbekistan is a trip through the land of the silk

road, passing bactrian camels, lonely forts and windswept desert

landscapes.

However, Uzbekistan is not just a Timurid museum. Modern day

Uzbekistan is a balancing act between it’s traditional Islamic past

and it’s post soviet future. Atmospheric markets selling prayer

mats and Baltika beer, endless cotton fi elds and the sobering

sight of the now nearly dry Aral Sea stand testament to the

impact of those years. Viewing these sites is what makes a visit to

Uzbekistan so memorable.

SOMALIA

Sitting on the horn of Africa, Somalia is a link between the Arab

world and the African. Isolated for two decades due to severe

instability in the region, Somalia offers unique experiences.

We currently take small groups to the capital, Mogadishu where

our guests can explore the fading Italian architecture, explore the

legendary Bakara market but above all feel the atmosphere of

this city slowly recovering from years of neglect.

Contact us for further information.

SET ITINERARIES

We offer a small number of fi xed itineraries each year. As well as

visiting places of outstanding natural beauty, cultural interest and

ensuring we meet and mix with the local population, we time

these trips so they coincide with festivals, events or are simply

the best time of year to visit.

Each year we dedicate countless hours designing the next year’s

itineraries and because the same people who conceived these

adventures lead the trips, we believe our guests receive an

exceptionally personal service. All of our set itineraries are

designed for small groups and carried out by experienced guides.

PRIVATE ITINERARIES

Do you have a very specifi c interest and want to delve a little

deeper into a region? Do you have a fi lm, photography or

research project and need logistics, guiding and assistance?

Are our set itinerary dates inconvenient or do you simply like to

travel alone? If the answer to any of these questions is yes then

contact us and we will offer options for a private trip.

The majority of the trips we run are private trips with bespoke

itineraries. You will have the freedom to do what you want when

you want, and by travelling with our local guides you will get

a much greater chance to mix with local people and immerse

yourself in the culture.

Have a look at our website, facebook page or contact us for

more ideas.

…AND BEYOND

Our network of guides, journalists, travellers, translators and

fi xers spreads far and wide. If you are seeking an extra special

trip ask us to arrange a personalised visit to one of the below

destinations:

Kazakhstan • Camel herders, space launches and Mongol tombs

Tajikistan • Take a ride on the Pamir highway through the home

of the Ibex and the Snow Leopard.

Iran • The world’s most beautiful square at Isfehan, the 2,500

year-old centre of the ancient Persian world at Persopolis and

mud bricked Yazd.

Xinjiang • Kashgar, K2 and the Taklamakan desert.

Kyrgyzstan • Eagle hunters, alpine lakes and fermented

sheep milk.

India • With over a billion people, India offers so much more than

the Taj Mahal and Goa.

Iraq • Babylon, Baghdad and skiing in Kurdistan.

OUR COMMITMENT

Our commitment to adventureUntamed Borders is the antithesis to the mass-market travel industry. We take individuals and small groups to destinations that see very

few visitors and we work closely with local people from those regions. This allows our guests a truly authentic experience of the regions,

people and cultures they meet. When our guests pick tea in Assam, dance at a Kalasha wedding or spend time with Afghan shepherds

they are getting a 100% unadulterated experience.

Our commitment to the regions we visitBecause we only visit places that receive few tourists we have a special responsibility to these regions and the people in them. We only

travel in small groups, we use local guides and we encourage lots of interaction between our guests and the people of the places we

visit. This approach ensures as much money as possible reaches the local community by utilising locally owned restaurants,

accommodation, shops and hiring local people as guides, drivers and translators. We also believe in trying to make every guest

interaction a cultural exchange. In short, we believe in a minimum impact maximum benefi t approach.

Our commitment to safetyAs well as offering some incredible adventures for the intrepid traveller, some of our destinations offer equally unique risks and dangers.

We take our guests security very seriously, staff frequently check safety reports and ensure they are aware of any potential problems.

We take advice from many sources ranging from governments and independent security advisers to tribal chiefs and bus drivers.

All of which allow us to make your trip memorable for all the right reasons.

Text © 2013 • James Willcox

Design & lay out • Britt Das | Maria Carrilero | www.brittdas.com

Photography © 2013 • All photos by Untamed Borders and Chad Dear

All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be copied, used, reprinted or sold without the written permission of the author.

CONTACT

Website www.untamedborders.comFacebook www.facebook.com/untamedbordersE-mail [email protected]

Phone UK +44(0) 7532 139504

Address UK 12 Harnet Street, Sandwich, Kent, CT13 9ES

United Kingdom

Phone Pakistan + 92 (0) 91 - 5262251

+ 92 (0) 345 9397639

Address Pakistan 1st Floor Samdani Plaza, 12 Saddar Road,

Peshawar, Pakistan

Untamed Borders is a England and Wales registered company.

Company Number 6748438

untamed borders brochure 2014

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