◦ RECENT AWARDS
◦ New Trips Just Added!
◦ Upcoming Events
◦ MTS in the News
◦ Be Prepared for Enhanced Airline Security
◦ GuideLines: Brian Weirum - Changing the Fate of the Tiger
◦ GuideLines: Letters from the Field!
◦ RECENT AWARDS
 - Travel & Leisure, July 2008 - Once again, MTS is honored to have been chosen by Travel & Leisure Magazine as one of the Top 4 Tour Operators & Safari Outfitters in the World! Learn more in the July issue of Travel & Leisure in stores now!
November, 2007 - National Geographic Adventure Magazine has selected Mountain Travel Sobek as one of the top 3 “Best Outfitters on Earth” among those that “do it all!” In this same issue, our 9-day Glacier Hiking the Swiss Alps adventure was honored with top placement as one of the “25 Best New Trips” for 2008! Be sure to pick up the November issue in newsstands today!
Other Recent Awards:
- Travel & Leisure, July 2007 - We are honored to have been chosen as one of Top 3 Tour Operators & Safari Outfitters in the World by Travel & Leisure magazine! Read all about it in the July issue of Travel & Leisure!
- SmarterTraveler.com, October 2007 - Our new Bosnian Adventure, Hiking the Heart of the Balkans, has been selected as one of the best new adventure trips of 2008 by SmarterTraveler.com! Read all about it!
- National Geographic Traveler, October 2007 - Once again an MTS adventure has been selected as one of National Geographic Traveler Magazine's 50 Tours of a Lifetime! This year our Montenegro: Jewel of the Adriatic adventure has been chosen! Read all about it when the second annual Tours of a Lifetime issue hits newsstands on October 2, 2007!
 - Outside Magazine, March 2007 - Mountain Travel Sobek wins another Outside regional Trip of the Year award! This year the award goes to our new Nicaragua: Volcanoes, Lakes, & Rainforest adventure as the Trip of the Year in the Bahamas, Mexico and Central America regional category. Read all about it in this month's issue, in newsstands today!
More Outside winners from MTS:
The Great Walk of Africa ~ 2006 Trip of the Year!
The Upper Mekong River ~
2006 Asia Trip of the Year!
Trekking the Georgian Caucasus ~ 2005 Eastern European & the Caucasus Trip of the Year!
Lost Islands of the Solomons ~ One of Oceania's Best Trips in 2005!
The John Muir Trail ~ 2004 North America Trip of the Year!
- Men's Journal, December 2006 - We are honored to have been selected as the #1 Best Outfitter by Men's Journal!
- Men's Journal, December 2006 - Our Alsek River Adventure was also chosen as the #2 Best River Trip (reader's choice)!
- National Geographic Adventure, November 2006 - Our exciting new trip Montenegro: Jewel of the Adriatic has also been honored as one of National Geographic Adventure's 25 Best New Adventures in 2007! Check out the November issue online now!
- National Geographic Traveler, October 2006 - our Upper Mekong River rafting trip in China and is featured in "50 Tours of a Lifetime."
Check out the October issue on-line!
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◦ New Trips Just Added!
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◦ Upcoming Events
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Mountain Travel Sobek is pleased to invite you to special events with world renowned photographer Art Wolfe.
TRAVELS TO THE EDGE
An Evening Presentation
Art will present Travels to the Edge, a multimedia show with video and stories from behind the scenes of his American Public Television series, Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe.
CREATIVE SESSIONS
A Two Day Intensive
Join Art as he offers 35 years of knowledge and insight in a series of compelling and inspiring multimedia lectures. The Creative Sessions Tour will enhance your VISION, expand your KNOWLEDGE, and provide the TOOLS to achieve your photographic goals.
Art will present a two day intensive program on the Art of Seeing. Composition, color, balance, perspective, creativity, inspiration, practical tips, Q&A, with hundreds of images and a selection of video clips designed to teach, entertain, and inspire.
WHEN & WHERE:
Sarasota, FL ~ May 9-11
Portland, OR ~ June 7-8
Los Angeles, CA ~ September 19-21
Charlotte, NC ~ October 17 - 19
Toronto, Canada and London, England ~ TBA
And check back for additional dates in Toronto, Canada and London, England!
For Registration and additional information visit www.artwolfe.com.
About Art Wolfe
Over the course of his 30-year career, Art Wolfe has worked on every continent and in hundreds of locations. His stunning images interpret and record the world's fast-disappearing wildlife, landscapes, and native cultures, and act as a lasting inspiration to those who seek to preserve the very subjects recorded in Art's images. His photographs are recognized throughout the world for their mastery of color, composition and perspective.
"Art Wolfe's photographs are a superb evocation of some of the most breathtaking spectacles in the world."
- Sir David Attenborough
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◦ MTS in the News
Men's Journal - July, 2008 - Our exciting new hiking adventure in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hiking in the Heart of the Balkans, is noted by Men's Journal as one of this summer's great fixed-price European adventures that won't break the bank even as the value of the U.S. dollar continues to drop.
Travel & Leisure, January, 2008 - The 54 MTS Private Adventures itineraries we now offer in 33 countries around the world are given special note in Travel & Leisure magazine's Guide to Going Off the Grid. Pick up the January issue today!
LA Times, October, 2007 - Our Nicaragua: Volcanoes, Lakes, & Rainforest adventure is highlighted in the November 30, 2007 edition of the LA Times as one of the most interesting countries where the US dollar can still "go the distance." Check it out!
- Esquire, October, 2007 - Our Mountain Gorilla Expedition received high praise in this month's special edition of Esquire, "The Big Black Book". Check it out!
- USA Today, September 20, 2007 - Our new Follow-the-Leader Adventure to Gabon with Allen Bechky was featured as one of "6 global adventures [that] span the extraordinary" in the USA Today!
- AARP Magazine, September/October 2007 - Learn more about why group travel can be the best way to experience some of the most remote destiations in the world in the September & October issue of AARP Magazine. Highlighted trips include our Trobriand Island & Papua New Guinea!
- The New York Times, August 12, 2007 - Mountain Travel Sobek's Machu Picchu Inn to Inn trek was featured in the Sunday Travel section!
- USA Today, August 11, 2007 - Our Galapagos Adventure and other MTS family-friendly adventures are noted in today's issue of the USA Today!
Pink Magazine, Jun/July 2007 - Mountain Travel Sobek is recommended as a world class adventure tour operator in regions around the world. Check out this month's issue!
Outside Magazine, April 2007 - Learn more about our exciting rafting adventure The Great Bend of the Yangtze and the many conservation efforts tied to this exciting program in this month's Outside Magazine!
Alaska Magazine, April 2007 - Our world class Glacier Bay Escape kayaking adventure is highlighted in this month's this month. Alaska Magazine. Check it out!
Concierge.com, March 2007 -
Our Kuna Yala Explorer is featured as one of the world's best "Totally Active Beaches" by Concierge.com this month. Read all about it!
Vogue Magazine, March 2007 -
Two of our exceptional adventures in Patagonia and Antarctica are featured in this month's Vogue (along with many other exciting destinations we currently travel to).
Check it out!
The New York Times, March 4, 2007 - The increase in travel to Nepal as a result easing tensions and political unrest in that country are highlighted in The New York Times today (along with the many adventures we currently offer in Nepal). Read more about it!
National Geographic Adventure Magazine, March 2007 - Our unique Swedish Dogsledding to the Ice Hotel, is featured in this month's issue of National Geographic Adventure Magazine (in newsstands February 13th)!
Men's Journal, January 2007 - Our exciting new European adventure Montenegro: Jewel of the Adriatic has once again received top honors, this time by Men's Journal who has rated it one of the "World's 50 Greatest Adventures This Year." Read all about it in the January issue!
New York Times, December 17, 2006 - Our work to combat dams and deforestation by developing river-based ecotourism in China's Yunnan River Province (in conjunction with the Nature Conservancy) was highlighted in today's New York Times. Read the entire article "Ecotourism: Traveling the World to Help Save It" and learn more about the excitig river adventures we currently offer on the Mekong and the Yangtze.
USA Today, December 8, 2006 - Check out this edition of USA Today where our exceptional new trip Montenegro: Jewel of the Adriatic has been noted as one of "Five Adventures to Get Your Blood Rushing" in 2007.
Men's Journal, November 2006 - Our Mountain Gorilla Expedition! with Allen Bechky has been featured as one of the World's Greatest Safaris! by Men's Journal this November. Read all about it !
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◦ Be Prepared for Enhanced Airline Security
If you are booked on an upcoming Mountain Travel Sobek adventure, we strongly advise the following:
1) Please be sure to check with your specific carrier for information on when you should arrive at the airport for all flights.
2) Wear shoes which are easy to remove quickly at check-points.
3) Review the complete list of
Permitted and Prohibited Items
on the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's website. You may need to plan to check much of your baggage, including many of the items you originally planned to carry on the plane with you. In particular, please note there are now many restrictions on liquids. For a complete list, please visit the TSA Website.
4) Pack lightly, without clutter, to facilitate easier screening. Also, please be advised that passengers traveling from the U.K. to the U.S. may be subject to a more extensive screening process.
DO NOT FORGET YOUR FINAL BULLETIN when traveling, as this has essential contact information in the event of a delay. If you have misplaced this document, please contact us at (800) 282-8747.
If you are delayed en route, we request that you send a message by email or telephone to your guide or our in-country partner at the address listed on your Final Bulletin. Please know that our partners abroad are already fully aware of the situation, and are ready to assist in the event you miss a connecting flight.
If your departure is over the weekend and you experience delays or an emergency, and you cannot reach the our in-country partner, please leave a message at Mountain Travel Sobek’s off-hours number at 1-800-282-8747 or 1-510-594-6000 and follow the instructions. Leave your name, details of your new arrival plans and if possible a telephone number where you can be reached. Your message will signal a beeper, and be received by an on-duty Program Director at Mountain Travel Sobek, who will forward your information on to your guide, and make every attempt to contact you to confirm we have received your message.
To see the most recent U.S. Transportation Security Administration announcements regarding air travel security procedures, please click here.
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◦ GuideLines: Brian Weirum - Changing the Fate of the Tiger
One of the most awe-inspiring sights on the planet is a wild tiger walking through the jungles of Asia. In 1994 I created the Save the Tiger trip with Mountain Travel Sobek in an effort to provide clients with this experience, to educate them about what was being done to help prevent the tigers’ disappearance, and to help contribute to efforts aimed at saving them. Today, after 13 departures of Save the Tiger, Mountain Travel Sobek has raised over $165,000 for tiger conservation, funds that go to India and Nepal via the California-based Fund For The Tiger, a non-profit public charity I founded in 1995.
There is no question about it. Those who are lucky enough to travel to the jungles of Central India or Nepal in search of wild tigers with us will quickly come to understand the incredible power of these majestic beasts and the great need for the world to invest in saving them.
A Day on the Road ~ Bandhavgarh National Park, Central India
It’s early morning and the dappled sunlight is just breaking through the trees of the deep Bandhavgarh forest. We’re driving down a small dirt lane between Sera and Rajbera Meadows, behind the massive plateau from which Bandhavgarh takes its name. Our road is suddenly blocked by the massive grey bulk of Gautam, the lead elephant used for patrols, tiger monitoring, and traveler forays into the jungle. Atop Gautam is Kuttapan, the renowned mahout who has worked at Bandhavgarh for 24 years and who knows more about its tigers than anyone.
Kuttapan gets my attention and points to something on the road. It’s the distinct impression of a tiger which has recently lain down on the road. The imprint—torso, forepaws, and tail—lies clearly over any tracks or disturbances which came in the night.
Off to the right we hear a distinct “bleep-bleep”—the alarm call of the chital, or spotted deer, announcing the presence of a predator. Kuttapan and Gautam go off to investigate and we drive around to intercept them on the other side of the forest. Not ten yards down the road, we hear a loud “varoom”—the call of the tiger—and we slide to a halt on the dusty road. Walking directly towards us at a distance of 100 yards is a large male tiger. We sit in stunned silence as cameras whir and click and knuckles whiten as travelers tighten their grips on the seats and roll bars of the jeep. The tiger continues his insouciant stroll directly towards us. About 20 yards from our jeep, he walks into a small clearing off the road, marks a tree with his scent, then comes back out onto the road and walks within 3 feet of the jeep.
When the tiger is about 50 yards past us, our reverie is broken by a commotion in the forest across the road. Anil, our Nepali naturalist, whispers loudly, “WOLVES!” There, in a clearing in the forest, are two Indian grey wolves. Rigid, alert, clearly in a state of alarm, they begin yelping at the tiger. The tiger spins around on the road and charges off into the forest after them.
We drive down the road where, in a clearing, stands the tiger, looking around as if to ask “Where’d they go?” We park the jeeps and watch an incredible silent drama unfold.
As the tiger walks away, out of the forest comes the larger of the wolves, probably the male, who scampers up to within a few yards of the tiger. The tiger turns his head and the wolf scampers back into the forest. The larger wolf again walks up to within a safe distance from the tiger. This time the tiger turns around and glowers at the wolf, assessing the distance between them and the speed it would take to catch him. They stare at each other, the muscles of the tiger begin to twitch, and off goes the wolf into the forest again. Finally, after one more of these encounters, the tiger moves away and the wolf disappears one last time into the forest. We can only assume that the aggressive behavior of the wolf meant he was protecting some pups and wanted to be sure he drove the tiger off his territory.
The tiger, now left in peace, continues his stroll. He moves off the road into a patch of golden grass ablaze with sunlight, marks the spot with his spray, crosses the road in front of our jeeps, and disappears into the forest. This marking of territory was not whimsical. A few hundred yards down the road, Kuttapan and Gautam have found the tiger they were looking for, relaxing in the dry leaves of a bamboo forest, his nose still visibly scarred from a fight.
Rudyard Kipling could not have scripted this better: Shere Khan and the wily wolves in a taunting, even mocking, dance of survival. Though Kipling never visited the forests of Central India, his fabled jungle stories took place in these hills—what is now Madhya Pradesh and the forests of Kanha and Bandhavgarh.
A Day on the Road ~ Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal
The sound of a vehicle announced it was time to drive back to the lodge for a much-anticipated cold beer. We slithered, lumbered, and fell off the elephants to get into the waiting jeep. If there is a graceful way to get on and off an elephant, I haven’t mastered it. Chuck McDougal was driving. Chuck is a long-time friend who has lived in Nepal for over 30 years and is world-renowned as THE tiger expert there.
On the road back to the lodge we slowed to cross a small stream just before entering a massive sal forest. The setting sun was now a massive ball of flames balancing on top of the distant trees. A langur monkey was perched above us cradling a small baby in her arms. A spotted deer drank from the stream. We passed a small lake where the day before I had seen a tiger cub swimming. A massive one-horned rhinoceros stood nearby, loudly chomping grass. Its prehistoric appearance was beautiful glistening in the late afternoon sun. Far off on the edge of the forest, the Indian Cuckoo was singing its melodious refrain. All was becoming very still. The jungle was preparing for the night.
As we approached the park boundary, a large shadow moved out of the grass and crossed the dirt road several hundred yards in front of us. It was too poised and majestic to be anything but a tiger.
I gazed upon a face of incredible beauty—not more than 30 feet away—and looked up to the North. The Annapurna Himalaya, only 50 miles away but more than 26,000 feet above us, was turning alternate shades of pink and grey in the fading light. My reverie was broken by a whisper from the back seat. “Is there any chance this tiger will charge?” asked Robert. “There is always that chance,” I replied.
Out of the grass came the tigress! In one powerful motion, with incredible speed, grace, and a total absence of malice, she cut the distance between us in half, then turned off into the tall grass. Before I could even begin to mouth the words “Oh, ____!” she was gone. We looked at each other and it took a moment for our eyes to go back into our heads and our mouths to close into big smiles.
To those who are indifferent about the fate of the tiger, to those who think extinction is inevitable, I invite them to sit with me at the foot of the Himalayas and watch this magnificent animal move through the forest.
Brian Weirum
MTS Guide on Save the Tiger, Trekking Mongolia’s Altai Mountains, and other MTS adventures
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◦ GuideLines: Letters from the Field!
Read guide letters from MTS Guides working all over the world!
ARCHIVE - GuideLines
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