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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Itineraries that go into the back regions, beyond the tourist circuits
Light adventures, cultural immersion, interactive holidays
Experience, sensitivity and passion 
Pockets 
Craft Asian accessories or implements from bamboo, rattan, and other natural materials
