It may be most famous as the heart of the Silk Road but Central Asia is ethnically, culturally and geographically one of the most diverse parts of the world – and this summer World Expeditions gets off the beaten track, offering more trips than ever before to the five 'Stans (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan).

Kyrgyzstan - Land of the Nomads and Celestial Mountains
Despite its mystique, landlocked Kyrgyzstan only gets a few thousands of visitors every year. This new trip takes you trekking in the little known Celestial (Tien Shan) Mountains, which cover 80 per cent of the country, giving Kyrgyzstan the nickname 'Switzerland of Central Asia'. Explore the lonely beauty of Son-Kul and Issyk-Kul lakes, situated on a treeless mountain plateau, and learn more about a nation whose lives are shaped by sheer peaks, swift horses and majestic glaciers.
www.worldexpeditions.com/uk/index.php?section=trips&id=2271927
• Kyrgyzstan - Land of the Nomads and Celestial Mountains [NEW FOR 2015] (15 days) departs in August, from £1,590 per person

Uzbekistan by Bike
Joining in Tashkent, Uzbekistan's bustling capital, cross at handle bar level this friendly land of contrasting desert and mountain landscapes. Explore an ancient maze of mud-walled homes, mosques and stone bazaars in Bukhara, admire the grace of the blue-tiled Registan in Samarkand, discover the traditional way of life of the local people in the Nurata Mountains, visit Stone and Bronze Age petroglyphs – all while spending nights in tents and relaxing under a dome of stars!
www.worldexpeditions.com/uk/index.php?section=trips&id=2271926
• Uzbekistan by Bike [NEW FOR 2015] (15 days) departs May-September, from £1,890 per person

In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great
Follow in the footsteps of Alexander the Great as he swept across Central Asia. Visit the fabled Silk Road oases of Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara and marvel at Registan Square, the 'jewel in Central Asia's crown'. Discover some of the oldest towns in the world with ancient mosques and citadels, colourful bazaars and highly-adorned mausoleums, while the spectacular landscapes of Tajikistan include highlights such as the stunning Iskander-Kul lake in the little visited Fann Mountains.
www.worldexpeditions.com/uk/index.php?section=trips&id=2271924
• In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great [NEW FOR 2015] (15 days) departs May-October, from £1,690 per person

Peak Lenin Base Camp
Joining in the 'Stone City' of Tashkent, this new trip will see you trekking off the beaten track on the Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan border: through the Pamir-Alay Mountains, over the Alayski Range and on to the Base Camp of the mighty Peak Lenin… before taking in some of the Silk Road's most famous highlights, such as the largest – and most crowded! – outdoor market in Central Asia, which has been operating since the Great Silk Road period.
www.worldexpeditions.com/uk/index.php?section=trips&id=2271925
• Peak Lenin Base Camp [NEW FOR 2015] (18 days) departs June-August, from £1,990 per person

Mountain Biking Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
Are you looking for an exhilarating mountain biking adventure with a twist? On this trip you will enjoy two days of heli-biking as you cycle across the grasslands of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, once part of the Silk Road, dotted with nomads and yurts. The helicopter will drop you off at altitudes of 3,500m for an unforgettable yet daunting descent (1,300m!) on switchback trails and forest dirt roads back to your base at the remote Karkara Valley, complete with a traditional sauna and a bar!
www.worldexpeditions.com/uk/index.php?section=trips&id=741163
• Mountain Biking Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan (15 days) departs July-August, from £2,850 per person

For more information and bookings please visit www.worldexpeditions.co.uk or call 0800 0744 135. World Expeditions' policy ensures there are no local payments. Prices do not include international flights, however these can be arranged on request.

- Ends -

Notes for editors:
• One of the very first operators in what is now becoming a very popular area in travel, since its inception in 1975 World Expeditions has earned itself an outstanding reputation as a world leader in small group adventure holidays and cultural journeys.
• The two factors that distinguish World Expeditions from its competitors, the number of inclusions and the exceptional value of its trips, can be found today in more than 500 stand-alone itineraries, escorted by expert leaders and meticulously designed for those travellers who want to take the 'paths less travelled'.
• Always innovative, it was, among others, the first operator to offer cycling holidays in India (1977) and China (1978) and trekking trips in Mongolia (1980) and Tibet (1981). In 2013 it launched a dedicated 'World Cycle Journeys' programme, while as of 2011 it is the only company to offer the newly mapped Great Himalaya Trail.
• World Expeditions is independently owned and a truly global company, with nine offices around the world, including London, Sydney and Montreal.
    
For high-res images and PR/media enquiries:
World Expeditions | UTracks | Sherpa Expeditions
020 8875 5060
Tom Panagos pr@worldexpeditions.co.uk
Gordon Steer gordon@worldexpeditions.co.uk