PATAGONIA ADVENTURE

Walks Worldwide’s 19-day Patagonian Adventure guided trek through a wild corner of the Andes, where ice and time have shaped an unbelievable landscape of breathtaking spires, dramatic glaciers, azure lakes and sub-Antarctic forests, should top lots of travellers’ wish lists for 2009! Even more so when you add in seductive Buenos Aires and isolated Tierra del Fuego, the ultimate end of the world experience for true adventure-seekers! Tours depart Buenos Aires every Friday and Sunday from now until March 09. (Fridays only Feb & March).

Sultry, seductive Buenos Aires, kick starts Walks Worldwide’s itinerary, where footwork here is more about seeking out the juiciest steak, and hottest tango venue! Trekking proper begins from El Chalten, gateway to Los Glaciares National Park. From a stunning lagoon campsite, trek through the dense forest to impressive Chorillo Falls and Fitz Roy Base Camp for panoramic views of Cerro Poincenot and Mount Fitz Roy (3,441 metres). Visit magnificent Perito Moreno Glacier and watch giant icebergs crash into aquamarine waters below. Cross into Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, for the next leg of the journey. Trek beneath the majestic Paine massif, a colossus of granite with its hanging glaciers and views of ancient forests and distant Andean ranges. Ascend to Las Torres base camp, an amazing natural amphitheatre beneath vertical granite towers soaring 2,800 metres skyward, and picnic overlooking Grey Glacier, the largest and most spectacular glacier inside the park. On the final part of the journey travellers follow in the wake of early explorers, sailing across the Straits of Magellan to the ends of the earth, Tierra del Fuego.

The tour costs £2,395 p/p (land only) or from £3,195 p/p (with flights) including hotel, hosterias, refuge and camping accommodation, most meals, transfers, camping equipment and expert guiding.

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NEW SRI LANKA - DISCOVER PARADISE ISLAND

Along with sun-drenched, palm-fringed sandy beaches and the azure waters of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka offers an incredible variety of landscapes and cultures, an abundance of plant and wildlife as well as a wealth of historical and archaeological treasures. Watch the sunrise from sacred Adam’s Peak, trek to World’s End and visit the ‘Fortress in the Sky’ during Walks Worldwide’s NEW 10-day, guided Island Paradise Hiking, with daily seasonal departures from London – best time to go - NOW till May 09.

On arrival in Colombo, transfer to Negombo beach resort for an initial night. From here, discover local village life along the coast before climbing to the rock fortress of Sigiriya, ‘The Fortress in the Sky’, and it’s a magnificent complex of geometrically laid gardens, pools and fountains. Next, explore Knuckles Mountain Range (so named since it resembles the knuckles of clenched fist), offering numerous trails amongst 155km² of spectacular mountain scenery - cross crystal clear rivers, walk through dense forest and encounter spectacular waterfalls together with lush tea and cardamom plantations. Next, enjoy the tranquility at Kandy’s Udawattakele Forest Reserve, only 'disturbed' by the sound of tropical birds and the cries of small Macaque monkeys! Later, a pre-dawn ascent of Sri Pada ('sacred footprint') rock formation, and the summit of Adam's Peak (2,225m) - Sri Lanka’s highest mountain, sacred to four of the world's major religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam, offers breathtaking sunrise panoramas - and perhaps some enlightenment! Explore the upper montane forest and wet patana grassland of Horton Plains National Park, situated on Sri Lanka 's highest plateau (over 2,000m), keeping watch for elusive Leopard, Sambar Deer and Bear Monkey, before crossing the desolate plains to World’s End, a spectacular, aptly named precipice plummeting over 1,000m.

The holiday costs £760 p/p (land only) including transfers, beach resort and lodge accommodation, all meals and the expertise of a local guide.

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NEW TOUR - RORAIMA TEPUI & ANGEL FALLS

Walks Worldwide’s exhilarating new 16-day fully guided walking holiday in Venezuela’s Gran Sabana treks to the most famous tepui of all – Roraima, inspiration for Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, and visits the world’s highest single drop waterfall – Angel Falls. Departures from London are available daily, year-round (wet season is May-November, but don’t be put off, wildlife is more active during this time).

The journey begins in tropical Caracas, a city of soaring skyscrapers, old colonial buildings and some of the hottest and steamiest salsa venues anywhere. Depending on arrival time, explore the city before transferring to Puerto Ordaz on the mighty Orinoco River. From here, head south along the Pan American Highway to the savannah lands of La Gran Sabana. This green plateau situated 1,000 metres above sea level, is scattered with dramatic mist-shrouded table mountains known as tepuis. These near vertical formations dominating the surrounding plateau, were the inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic The Lost World. Biologically unique, these mesas are some of the oldest rock formations on earth, boasting distinctive animal and plant life. Four days of trekking through an impressive landscape of savannah and virgin rainforest ensue, before tackling the most infamous of all tepuis, Roraima. Often described as an ‘island in the sky’ due to the frequently mist-enveloped savannah below making Roraima appear to float in the clouds. It’s a five-day round trip to the summit of Roraima and back, and although no mountaineering skills are necessary, it’s nevertheless a challenging trek. The holiday culminates with a visit to the incredible Angel Falls, where a dip beneath the falls surely offers the ultimate in refreshment!

The tour costs from £2,595 p/p including scheduled flights, transfers, accommodation, some meals and expert guiding.

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CHRISTMAS WALKING - MOROCCO’S JEBEL SAHRO

As the pre-Christmas frenzy cranks up, there’s still time to book a festive escape. Walks Worldwide has late availability on its 10-day guided winter walking holiday in Morocco’s Jebel Sahro, departing Marrakech 19th December, just before the ‘big fella’ puts in an appearance!

Visit the relatively low and gentle Jebel Sahro region of the Atlas mountains on the fringe of the Sahara, walking through semi-desert, passing stunning wind-eroded rock formations of Tadout n’ Tablah and Bab N’ Ali, green oases and gently trickling streams. During the winter months when snow turns the High Atlas into a skier's domain, the Jebel Sahro provides a delightfully contrasting walking area with warm daytime temperatures usual in December (no red noses here!). Sparsely populated by the gentle Ait Atta Berbers and infrequently visited, the region offers mostly easy walking terrain with the optional ascent of a couple of peaks, including Jebel Sahro’s highest summit, Amalou n’ Mansour (2,712 metres). Spend a final day in fascinating Marrakech, and as dusk falls, watch the drama unfold when storytellers, acrobats, snake charmers and cooks with their steaming stalls, throng the city’s famous square of Djemaa El-Fna.

The tour costs £575 p/p (land only) including scheduled flights, transfers, gite d’etape, camping and hotel accommodation, most meals and expert guiding. Flights are not included.

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