TRAVERSE Issue 03 - December 2017 | Page 71

ASIAN OVERLAND A C o m pa s s E x p e d i t i o n Compass Expeditions is excited to announce its newest addition to its major expedition program, the Asian Over- land Expedition. “Due to public demand we have created this new exciting 103 day expedition that begins in Darwin and ends in Beijing”, says co-­‐founder Mick McDonald. “We have many clients who have done all of our major expeditions, some doing the same expedition twice, and it was with these people in mind we have decided to launch this new amazing expedition that traverses two hempheres and promises to become one of our most epic journeys”, continues Mick. This extraordinary journey visits one of the world’s new- est countries of Timor Leste before island hopping some of the 17,000 islands that make up Indonesia, islands such as Nusa Tenggara, Lombok, Bali, Java & Sumatra. We cross onto the South East Asian mainland at Ma- laysia, reknowned for its superb food, and ride north into stunning Thailand; an impossibly beautiful landscape of white beaches bordered by limestone “Karsts”, mega cities & mist-covered mountains. We enter remote landlocked Laos and ride amongst its forests and visit the legendary Buddhist complex of Luang Prabang. From Laos we enter the magnificent China and spend 47 amazing days in China. The ride includes the sensational passes of the Sichuan TRAVERSE – Tibet & Qinghai – Tibet highways to & from Lhasa expe- riencing one of the most spectacular viewpoints on earth, Everest Base Camp. Ancient cities, Terracotta armies, hanging monasteries, impossibly green rice terraces and endless mountains are only a part of what makes our time in China breathtaking. The ride eventually enters triumphantly into Beijing after travelling over 20,000km across two hemispheres at the completion of what has been one of the world’s greatest long distance rides. If rarely visited islands, rare wildlife encounters, smol- dering volcanoes, dense forests, towering mountain peaks, ancient antiquities, superb food & some of the best riding on earth is your thing then the Asian Overland is your ex- pedition. For more information contact: info@compassexpeditions.com or visit the Asian Over- land Expedition webpage or call 1300 887 327 (within Aus- tralia) or +61 3 9747 2379 (outside Australia) or visit www.compassexpeditions.com. 71