Nomadic Skies Expeditions

16/09/2024

Testimonials from our clients Jan and Samir after their journey to Dolpo in NW Nepal. We have a trip scheduled for October 13th to 31st October 2025 - find out more at: www.nomadicskies.com

12/09/2024

𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟏𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝟐𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐚. Discover the historic 'ghost villages' of the Vorotan Gorge, walk trails seldom visited by tourists, explore medieval churches, monasteries and tombs, discover the oldest wine factory in the world and the new modern organic wine production nearby, be hosted by Armenian communities .. on a journey in the oldest Christian nation, within in the cradle of civilization, and in the shadow of fabled Mount Ararat.

Contact us for more details: [email protected]
See: https://www.nomadicskies.com/our-journeys/silk-trade-southern-armenia

11/09/2024

That is our trips to the Gorilla Highlands of Uganda (January and February) now full. But in 2025 we have a confirmed trip to the hidden silk trade and pilgrim routes of Sothern Armenia (11th to 13rd May) and a trip to Dolpo in October (13th to 31st October). exploring indigenous conservation beliefs and practices. We will also be offering tailored tours for small groups (2 to 4) linking directly to our local teams in Nepal. We will soon post more information on all of these.

Contact us for information on any of the above at [email protected]

05/09/2024

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐖 𝐔𝐆𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐀 𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝟏𝟗𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬 ,𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬.

TRAVEL DEEPER AND IN A WAY THAT BENEFITS LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.

- Experience Africa’s most diverse and iconic wildlife.
- Trek through montane cloud forests.
- Learn from the indigenous wisdom of the Batwa (forest) people
- Cross stunning lakes by local boats and dugouts
- Ascend the Virunga Volcanoes to the botanical wonderland of the African Alpine zone.
- Share with elders, healers, musicians and craftspeople of the Abakiga (mountain) people.
- Stay locally – in local and community owned huts, lodges, and camp with local hosts.

For more information check our website: https://www.nomadicskies.com/our-journeys/the-virunga-of-south-west-uganda or message us today.

04/08/2024

Filling up the last few places for February 3rd to 19th 2025 on an amazing trekking journey across the Gorilla Highlands of Uganda and into the Albertine Rift Valley. Led jointly by Nomadic Skies' founder Gavin Anderson, fabulous professional filmmaker James Appleton and most importantly our local guides and with support from local communities and indigenous forest guides..

See: https://www.nomadicskies.com/our-journeys/the-virunga-of-south-west-uganda
Contact: [email protected]

19/05/2024

Just returned from fabulous Dolpo in High Himalayan NW Nepal. Utterly stunning and such an incredible welcome from the communities and our local friends. We tested our fantastic fully local team, were invited to intimate village pujas (festivals), were invited to accompany revered lamas on their journey through the remote mountains, we walked literally in the tracks of the snow leopard ... these journeys change the traveller and the opportunities are clear for our travel to contribute to addressing the challenges communities are facing in this area. I will post more on the journey -and our future plans for travel that will supports our local communities, guides, cooks etc. Finding ways to travel better - is our core journey: Follow us... engage...join us. www.nomadicskies.com

27/01/2024

𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐇𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
We have a very small group heading out to Dolpo in the remote NW of Nepal from 14th April to 2nd May 2024 led by Nomadic Skies' founder and development specialist Gavin Anderson and our local team . It will be s fascinating journey exploring culture, stunning landscapes and the relationship between the high mountain communities with the elusive snow leopard. We will travel with locals and visit remote villages, monasteries, households on local paths far from the main tourism trails. Check our website: www.nomadicskies.com and contact us for more information.

15/08/2023

𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐭𝐢?
"The wild animals are the livestock of the deities.. The deities release Yetis and other rare creatures when the environment is in stress" an explanation provided to us by the head lama of Thasung Choeling Gompa (monastery).

Rumours of a 'yeti' encounter had spread through the valleys of Dolpo and we had managed to meet and interview the herder who had encountered a strange hairy creature moving on 2 feet and capturing and devouring a marmot. He said he had seen bears before ... and this was no bear.

We had been on a journey to the Crystal Monastery (Shey Gompa) and in the back rooms of the monastery we had found the depiction of a yeti among other fantastical creatures of Himalayan spirituality (picture). The US author Peter Matthiessen (The Snow Leopard) had thought he saw a yeti while on his journey to Shey Gompa in 1973. His traveling companion, field naturalist George Schaller, found the very yeti depiction in this picture and sent a drawing to Matthiessen. The collection of information on the yeti and the Sasquatch of North America became one of Matthiessen's passions.

If the lamas of Thasang Choeling are correct - perhaps there will be more sightings of yeti and other strange creatures - a warning that humans are out of balance with nature.

27/07/2023

If anyone is in the Ullapool Area. We are running a film and talk evening at The Ullapool Ferry Terminal Building this coming Monday (31st July doors opening 7pm). Filmmaker James Appleton will be joining us to show us some of the stunning and photos he shot while out with us on a couple of expeditions to Dolpo - a remote series of valleys deep in the High Himalaya of NW Nepal. We will be giving a talk on the area - it's people and cultures to support the films. It is a free event (voluntary donations to cultural preservation in Dolpo). Do join us if you can - everyone welcome

03/05/2023

Join us tomorrow for a free online event; Thursday 6.30pm to 7.30pm (UK):
𝐃𝐨𝐥𝐩𝐨- 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐀 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐥𝐲𝐧
The award-winning Scottish author Cal Flyn (Thicker Than Water, Islands of Abandonment) joined a Nomadic Skies Expedition in October 2022 into the high valleys of remote Dolpo in NW Nepal. Cal was commissioned to write a travel article for the UK Financial Times while also exploring perceptions and understandings of ‘wilderness’. Cal joins Nomadic Skies’ founder Gavin Anderson in a conversation about the Dolpo area, its landscapes, people and spirituality as well as the relevance of travel to our own understanding of the world we live in.

Pre-register at:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oEsRClv6R9iiKaDcHTJJYQ

30/04/2023

The Last Tourist: This 2022 film is so relevant to us all as travellers, tourists and those who are travel professionals. The main message of the film is that it is time to rethink tourism in a world facing an unprecedented decline in biodiversity and ethnodiversity. Travel can be better - supporting environmental conservation, respecting and supporting preservation of culture and heritage and contributing meaningfully to local economies and livelihoods. Mass and corporate driven tourism is the antithesis of better and sustainable tourism.

THE LAST TOURIST explores how we, as travelers, have the opportunity to be the driving force that paves a new way to travel in a more thoughtful way that pro...

28/04/2023

When does cultural exploration become unwanted vo**urism? A provocative question … but such a relevant question when we travel among different cultures and indigenous people.

Our view is that travel becomes vo**urism when it is out of balance with local communities. When there is lack of respect for the culture. Where there is lack of benefit for local communities. Where travel is organised TO local communities and indigenous people … rather than WITH these communities. When local communities have little influence and control over tourism.

Local communities and indigenous people in remote areas are often treated like glamorous backdrops in photos and selfies of travellers passing through but often hardly engaging. Such photos abound on social media! But travel done differently can be hugely mutually beneficial.

Read our recent article on this issue on the Good Tourism blog: https://www.goodtourismblog.com/2023/04/the-batwa-experience/
or on our website: https://www.nomadicskies.com/news-and-blog?news=explorers-or-vo**urs

Follow us at Nomadic Skies Expeditions as we explore how we travel better to remote areas and fragile cultures in the High Himalaya, Equatorial Africa and along hidden silk trade routes of Southern Armenia where we work with, engage with and respond to the needs of local communities and indigenous people: You can sign up to our newsletters and event information on our website: https://www.nomadicskies.com/

26/04/2023

Where is the line between cultural exploration and exploitative vo**urism while travelling among indigenous peoples?

In this “ ” Insight, Gavin Anderson explores the danger and promise of & ’s involvement with people through the lens of his recent work with the of southwest .

Nomadic Skies Expeditions The Stonehouses Ullapool

[Find link in image comments]

25/04/2023

A Nomadic Skies article on the question of cultural exploration with indigenous communities on the great The "Good Tourism" Blog

In this "Good Tourism" Insight, Gavin Anderson explores the danger and promise of travel & tourism's involvement with indigenous people through the lens

14/04/2023

We've uploaded to our website a beautiful new brochure on our journey across the Gorilla Highlands of Uganda. Thanks so much to Bob Still for his creativity and hard work on this.

journey now open for bookings: summer 2024 an extraordinary journey through one of the most stunning and biodiverse areas of africa. a trekking journey combining travel by boat, local dug-out canoe travelling to the african alpine zone of the high virunga (over 3600m), through equatorial and cloud f...

12/04/2023

𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 - 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟑𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟔𝐩𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝟕𝐩𝐦 (𝐔𝐊)
𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫: 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦
Join us tomorrow for a presentation and discussion and on our journeys to remote Dolpo, deep in the High Himalaya of Nepal. Journeys of the beaten track in an area of staggering beauty and among and with fascinating mountain cultures. Hosted by Gavin Anderson and Jigme Lama.

Register in advance for this webinar and we will send through a reminder just before the event:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vyT7ThPWTmG5G92QMU4tAg

04/04/2023

New on our YouTube channel - a presentation explaining our new trekking journey across the stunning Gorilla Highlands of Southwestern Uganda.
https://youtu.be/It1L3uZyOLQ

More details on our website at: https://www.nomadicskies.com/our-journeys/the-virunga-of-south-west-uganda

Contact us at: [email protected]

A presentation exploring our new and unique trekking journey across the lakes, forests, mountains and villages of the diverse and stunning Virunga Volcanoes ...

29/03/2023

Join us on Thursday 30th March (6pm - 7pm UK) for the first of our 3 weekly webinars on our trekking journeys exploring landscape, habitats and cultures of mountain areas. First seminar focuses on our new journey across the Gorilla Highlands of SW Uganda. Pre-register for an access link at following URL:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PMY5MwoxTb-sbYMrZW6hiQ

17/03/2023

https://www.nomadicskies.com/news-and-blog?news=the-batwa-of-western-uganda-conservation-refugees
𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐬’ 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐖 𝐔𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐰𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬
In the early 90s, international and local pressure resulted in the forced eviction of the Twa people (Batwa) from the equatorial forests of SW Uganda. This was part of wider efforts by conservationists and the Government of Uganda to reinforce National Park boundaries. Local farmers who had established fields inside national parks were removed and wood harvesting from forest areas was clamped down on. The Batwa were enticed (with offers of material and financial support), cajoled, and ultimately chased from their ancestral forest homes. Land beside the forest was designated for their relocation and a process of education and reorientation was provided by charitable and often evangelical organisations.
𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

News and discussion on travelling among remote and fragile mountain communities and cultures. not only ethical travel but 'meaningful travel' involving slow tourism, experiential travel and eco-tourism. how to travel in ways that not only change your life but the lives of those who we travel among a...

16/03/2023

Wonderful article from author/journalist Cal Flyn who joined us on our journey to Dolpo. The article will be coming out in print in Saturday's Financial Times:

Far from the crowds of Everest base camp, an ‘ethical trekking’ company offers closer connections with remote mountain communities

10/03/2023

BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST
Our journey in SW Uganda will involve trekking through 3 very different forest areas - Echuya, Mgahinga and Bwindi. In each we will be accompanied by local Batwa guides (indigenous forest people). These photos are from the superb Bwindi Impenetrable Forest on a path that takes us from Nkuringo in the South to Buhoma in the North - through thick forest, across rivers and to the superb Muyaga waterfalls.

05/03/2023

The batwa (indigenous forest people of Central Africa) illstrate how swiftly they can create fire ... for an essential purpose!
Nomadic Skies Expeditons' journeys explores indigenous wisdom and culture and our new journey to SW Uganda is working in collaboration with the Abakiga (meaning lterally people of the mountains), the Batwa (indigenous forest people), and the AbanyaRwanda (people of Rwanda who live in the Kisoro area of Uganda) to create a unique journey exploring amazing landscapes, habitats, mountains, lakes and the cultures of this diverse and beautiful area.
See our website for updates to our Uganda journey which will be posted soon: www.nomadicskies.com.

05/03/2023

The High Virunga are a botanical wonderland - cloud forest and trekking up to the volcanic peaks takes us through distinct vegetation zones- bamboo jungle, virgin forest, bizarre giant heather and lichen forest, and then to the high African Alpine Vegetation of other-worldly giant lobelia, groundsel and high alpine flowers. Pictures are all from our recent scoping on Mount Sabinyo (3634 Metres).

Our SW Uganda Trekking journey will involve 2 days in the Mgahinga National Park among the volcanoes and cloud forests in an area of staggering beauty and biodiversity. There will be options to climb 2 of the volcanoes - Sabinyo (3634M) and Gahinga (3474M).

04/03/2023

Every Nomadic Skies' journey is really about the people - and in Uganda (like Nepal and Armenia) the friendliness, hospitality and wisdom of the local people and is what really makes our journeys special.

03/03/2023

A Ugandan church service or village concert? A fantastic aspect of travelling on foot through villages and communities is the unexpected - and stumbling on this fantastic church service during our recent scoping trip is just one example. Pure joy and exuberance! (Make sure you listen with the volume up!)