TIBETAN CLANS

Tibetan enclaves that are scattered in the dense mountains at the eastern fringes of the Himalayas display a bewildering variety in customs, dialect, architectural style, and deities. These clans or subgroups are also among the most accessible in the entire Tibetan plateau.

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THE PANDA TRAIL

Giant pandas and other impressive animals roam some of the most pristine mountain valleys on earth. Panda habitats are now protected in a network of nature reserve that we journey to, and in the valleys outside the reserves we also visit ethnic enclaves of small isolated minorities.

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ALTAY MOUNTAINS

Alpine mountains with distinct Euroasian bird species, taiga forest and Asian exoticness coalesce at the southernmost fringes of Siberia’s Altay mountains. The inhabitants range from Mongol nomadic herders in yurt encampments to indigenous Tuwa, an ethnic group who live in rough-log farmhouses in three villages. 

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GOLDEN TAKINS

Up at the cloud level at grasslands near the source of the Tangjia river the mythical takins retain one of their strongholds, and in the lower valleys the Han peasants toil the fields in farmhouses set among rich forests that hold the largest variety of pheasants in the world. 

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CALAMIAN TRIBES

The Tagbanua tribes live in bewitching islands where they forage underwater with wooden home-made harpoons and goggles, and climb the karst forests in search of bird’s nest. Other mariner tribes live in bamboo huts in villages set on beaches, and the mystical dugongs roam in the shallows off the beach. 

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WONDERFUL SAHARA

The central Sahara Desert is full of surprising contrasts: sparse woodlands of acacia trees, desert nomads on camels, gorges alternating with plateaux of baked rock, towering mountains of broken black earth, undulating ridges of sand, brackish lakes fringed by date palms, villages of mud-brick buildings, prehistoric rock art… 

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HEART OF BORNEO

Tropical rainforest rich in endemic species, communal longhouse living, delectable forest food, hunters toting blowpipes and spears, and insect-guzzling pitcher plants are just some of the sights awaiting visitors in the Kelabit Highlands, the rarely-visited mountains in Borneo’s interior. 

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STEAM & WHISTLE

Juddering and hissing and rattling like an old dragon, a steam train in Sichuan navigates a meandering line in subtropical mountains and comes to the end of the line at the defunct mining town, which feels like a world trapped in a time before the advent of motor vehicles – the steam train is the only way in and out. 

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SICHUAN DISCOVERY

In a road trip that cuts a loop around central Sichuan, the terrain is as varied as the ethnic makeup and on some days it feels like time-travel. The road snakes through dense mountains and rises to passes or ridges that have some of the most spectacular mountain vistas in the world. 

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TWENTY FLAVOURS

The textured flavours of Sichuan cuisine are a result of the natural diversity found in the mountains of the province, and today’s food scene spans a wide spectrum, ranging from exquisitely creative dishes in modern restaurants to the hearty rural cuisine of peasant villages. 

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DIVINE SEASCAPES

Clear and azure sea, desolate beaches, and happy fishermen in quaint outrigger canoes and homes built of bamboo are just some of the things we encounter during our island-hopping trip in Palawan, one of the best destinations for island travel in Asia.

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CELESTIAL MOUNTAINS

The densely forested mountains here are often shrouded in heavenly mist. It makes an ideal habitat for tea plantations, but the greatest allure in the valley is the village: an old-style Chinese village home to wooden houses and folks who are both hospitable and outlandish.

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GOZO BLU FISHING

The romance of Malta’s traditional fishermen is visible in the main fishing ports and much-photographed vernacular boats. With Pepper Mountains you can get closer to the fishermen by going out fishing with them on a real fishing trip.

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SUBLIMINAL LEAVES

Tea is iconic at the place where it was first discovered thousands of years ago. Cultivating and preparing tea is an art and science, and brewing tea and sipping it is a way of life that Sichuan’s inhabitants enjoy to the full. A tea served ceremoniously induces serenity.

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YEAR OF THE TIGER

Chinese new year celebrations in China’s heartland cities are more meaningful and traditional, without much contrived performances. In the city where Pepper Mountains has its office, new year’s celebrations revolve around the family, and every family goes to the temple to pay homage to the deities and ancestral spirits.

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