ArcticTropic arrived in Namibia on Saturday, but only now has adequate ( but still very slow ) bandwidth to upload photos. We also have excellent video , which will be impossible to upload until at least South Africa at the end of this week.

A pleasant two hour flight form Johannesburg to Windhoek.

We are here for ATWS 2013 where the top Adventure Travel companies in the world gather to do business and explore the countryside. Here delegates ride horses in the desert.

Oryx on the open range.

While officially half in the tropics, Namibia’s climate is extreme. We went from baking sun in the desert to cold fog on the coast.This past August much of the country was buried in heavy snow.

In Windhoek, local Himba tribeswomen sell handicrafts in the marketplace.

Our hosts were Jargalsaikan and his wife Tuya. We stayed with them in the yurt ( ger ) on the left for two days and nights. The encampment is in Bulgan Aimag ( an Aimag is similar to a province or state ) about 15 kilometers from the village of Gurvanbulag,where they spend the winter.

With two children of the encampment.

The inside is very comfortable. A video of daily life will be uploaded shortly.

A word from a sponsor …………

All Points East has been offering exciting small group and family adventure holidays to South East Asia for over 10 years.  Whilst we recognise there are ‘must see places,’ we also realise that the modern day traveller has a desire to uncover each country’s best kept secrets – off the beaten track.

With exciting itineraries to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Yunnan, Malaysia, Borneo and Sri Lanka, All Points East has a proven philosophy – to provide small group tours that ensure genuine interaction with local people.

Winners of the 2010 Tourism Authority of Thailand Green Award, we have a commitment to local communities and to ensuring that our tours have respect for the people and places we visit.

As much as possible we stay in smaller, locally run hotels and guest houses, eat in local restaurants and use local style transport.  Guides and agencies used are considered friends rather than business contacts.  In keeping with our commitment to the communities we visit, our group sizes are usually a maximum of 10, very occasionally 12.

If this style of travel is for you and you want to get to know the real South East Asia, we would love to show it to you.

Sarawak is a Malaysian State on the island of Borneo – home to lost tribes and as yet undiscovered flora and fauna. Besides the Sarawak River, the Baram River, along with the Lupar and the Saribas, are the only way to penetrate the hot and hostile jungles. The Iban tribes, while modernizing, still live mostly in traditional villages.

ArcticTropic currently features 3 Malaysian destinations, with room for many more. Click HERE to visit the Malaysian page directly.

Mali is the true West African Adventure. The ancient cities of Timbuktu and Mopti are early African civilization centers. The Dogon and Tuareg tribes are fascinating to travel with.

ArcticTropic currently features 3 Malian destinations, with room for many more. Click HERE to visit the Mali page directly.

Long Lost Laos was cut off from the world for nearly 20 years after the Communist occupations. The country had never changed much before that – a great advantage if one is looking for the Old Southeast Asia – much like Thailand might have been 40 years ago. Jungles, mountains, Holy villages, the limestone forest of Khammouane and caves such as Xe Bang Fai are all part of Laotian Adventure.

ArcticTropic currently has three locations in Laos – with room for many more! Go HERE to visit the sites directly.

Gabon is quickly becoming a new frontier for African Safaris. The Loango Region is spectacular – with jungle wildlife along the pristine Atlantic Coast. There are daily flights from Paris. ArcticTropic has three links to Gambian destinations right now.

Just across the Congo River is Congo-Brazzaville. Amazing jungle adventures await intrepid explorers. ArcticTropic is open to any suggestions for exploration leaders.

A drive into the Heart of Darkness. The Congo is one of the few areas of the world that is becoming LESS developed , as the jungle reclaims Colonial development – hence all the better for exploration. ArcticTropic is open to any suggestions for listings of exploration leadership enterprises.

It’s hard to find much video footage from Chad, other than fund raising type roll from relief agencies. The best aerial shots are provided by the French Air Force via YouTube. ArcticTropic has two links – neither of which are really providers of accommodations or adventure travel services. Obviously this nation is not on the top tourist circuit these days.

We welcome anyone who has recently ( past 5 years or so) traveled to Chad to share their experiences,suggestions of places to stay and video via YouTube.