• Ellison Roberts announces a bespoke tour of remote and mysterious Eastern Bhutan for November/December 2014
• Timed to coincide with the ‘tsechus’ – religious festivals – in both Trashigang and Mongar.

Ellison Roberts, a travel company specialising in the Indian sub-continent, announces “Far Shangri La 2014”, an Eastern Bhutan tour for experienced travellers. The 10 night tour runs from 21st November – 4th December 2014 and is timed to coincide with the ‘tsechus’ (religious festivals) in Trashigang and Mongar. Ellison Roberts’ guests will be among a very select group to witness these events.  This tour takes visitors deep into the Kingdom, going much further than most tour operators.
 

The tour starts in Delhi and is followed by a flight across the face of the Himalayas (viewing Mt. Everest) to Paro in Bhutan. The itinerary includes Samdrup Jongkhar, Trashigang, Mongar, Bumthang and Paro. Included are visits to remote villages, temples and monasteries plus some optional hill walking (though no special fitness is required).  A guide and driver accompany guests at all times and accommodation has been carefully selected by Ellison Roberts’ experienced team.

Prices start at £4,000 per person (including return flights from a choice of UK airports). Ellison Roberts piloted this tour in November 2013 and guest Judy Crompton commented: “It was a truly wonderful experience.....neither of us could believe the detail involved in the way that we were looked after or the quality of the experiences....It was so much over and above our expectations”.

Bhutan is slowly opening up to western tourists with approved itineraries.  Those visitors can now experience a country emerging slowly from its past, steeped in religion and tradition. Ellison Roberts’ guests will visit the little-known regions of Mongar and Trashigang at the time of the ‘tsechus’ – annual religious festivals.  The ground where the tsechus are held is purified and consecrated by lamas.  The dancers, whether monks or laymen, are in a state of meditation and they transform themselves into the deities which they represent. Tshechus are not pageants or entertainment and are not held as tourist attractions. They are religious traditions thousands of years old involving the whole community, which outsiders are given the privilege of witnessing.

Full itinerary - pdf

Full Eastern Bhutan itinerary is here:
http://www.ellisonroberts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/FAR-SHANGRI-LA-2014.pdf

Photographs attached

Two photographs of the Trashigang ‘tsechu’ by “Far Shangri La” traveller Nicky Garrett.

Readers’ contact

For more details contact Graham at graham@ellisonroberts.co.uk  or call 01924 374293

About Ellison Roberts

Ellison Roberts is based in Yorkshire.  It offers bespoke, luxury and special interest holidays in the Indian subcontinent and south east Asia.   It specialises in destinations that staff have visited many times and have come to know very well. Using this personal experience and in depth local knowledge it provides exceptionally well tailored holiday itineraries. Together with a team of hand-picked local agents it designs personalised holidays incorporating the very best accommodation and local guides.

It is ATOL and TOPP protected.  www.ellisonroberts.co.uk 

Press contact - Nicola Prior, MCIPR on nicola@nicolaprior.co.uk or 0113-266-1526 

ENDS