KE Adventure travel

Having started out as Karakoram Experience way back in 1984, KE Adventure Travel has become one of the most well-respected of adventure tour operators. From our very first treks to K2 and Snow Lake in Pakistan, the KE world has expanded exponentially. We are now proud to offer a range of trekking, walking, climbing, biking, discovery, family and other adventures to all corners of the planet. Our website showcases a selection of the more than 300 holidays on offer, including 60 brand new adventures for 2013.  Whether you are looking to climb amongst the world's biggest peaks, trek into untamed wilderness areas, or witness at first hand the wildlife and culture of far-off lands, we're sure we have the perfect holiday for you!

NEW - Discovery Holidays

New for 2013, is a range of Discovery holidays that we hope will appeal to those wishing to take life at a more relaxed pace! Using our knowledge and experience of the world's best places, we have set up these holidays in the KE-style. Whether you want to Discover Albania, Land of the Eagles or go east to Mongolia, In Search of Genghis Khan, we are sure these new holidays will not disappoint.

Why Travel with KE

With almost 30 years' experience of organising adventure travel holidays around the world, our expertise is second to none. A reputation for innovation, quality of service and value for money means a growing number of people choose to travel with KE every year. We know that your holiday time is precious and each of our adventures has been carefully crafted to enable you to enjoy the best of your chosen destination.

Service

Our office team of experienced travellers, who know our holidays inside out, are here to help you and to offer a more personal level of service. Working with first-class local agents and skilled and knowledgeable leaders, we can ensure that our trips run smoothly. Each year, the simple fact that most of the people who travel with KE are repeat bookings is the best possible testament we could have.

Safety

Your safety is our highest priority and you can rest assured that KE has at its disposal the best available back-up and rescue facilities in each area we visit. The premium we place on professional standards of leadership also helps to ensure safety and security throughout your trip.

Inclusive Approach

Wherever possible, we try to include the cost of the majority of meals in the price of our holidays. In Morocco, India and Nepal, for example, we include ALL meals. This can be a considerable saving, so make sure to check the small print of our competitors before you book!

A Sustainable Ethic

Since the beginning, it's been second nature to us to preserve and protect the people and places we visit. We aspire to make a positive contribution wherever we travel and continue to be involved in a range of projects via our connection with the Juniper Trust. Recent projects have included a new library classroom for Gitare School in Kenya and KE veteran leader Val Pitkethly has helped install more solar-powered lamps to remote villages in northern Peru. Our continued work in the field of Sustainable Tourism means we hold the top 5-star rating from AITO. We've been proud to be winners and runners-up in the AITO Achievement in Responsible Tourism Award scheme over recent years. Read more about our approach to Sustainable Tourism.

Small Group Travel

Limiting the size of our groups to 16 enables us to be more creative in the setting up of our adventure itineraries, as groups of this size can take advantage of travel and transport opportunities which would be impractical for large groups. Small groups also allow for easier interaction with people we meet on the trail and leave fewer footprints in a world where it is increasingly important for us all to be environmentally aware. Around half of our clients are solo travellers, whilst others are either couples or groups of friends. There is usually a mix of male and female travellers, with a range of different ages.

KE Leaders

A professional leader or a local guide who has been selected on the basis of his or her experience and leadership skills accompanies each KE trip. Your leader might be a seasoned traveller and mountaineer on a classic Nepalese trek, an IFMGA Guide on a climbing trip in Europe, a wilderness specialist in North America or an English-speaking local expert in Patagonia or Peru. No matter who your leader is, you can be sure that they will meet the high standards expected by us and by our clients. Your KE leader is there to ensure your holiday runs smoothly.

Accommodation

The accommodation we use is as varied as our range of trips and destinations. Within one trip you might overnight in a comfortable hotel, a mountain lodge and a riverside camp. You’ll find information on the accommodation to be used in each holiday description and our dossiers give further details. On trips involving camping you’ll camp in comfort, usually with a dedicated support team to transfer baggage and equipment, help set up camp and prepare your meals.

Food and Health

It is our primary concern that you should remain in good health throughout your holiday. When camping we make sure that food is expertly and hygienically prepared and we serve a mixture of local and European-style dishes. We aim to provide substantial meals with as much variety as possible and routinely cater for vegetarians.

Health and Vaccinations

Ultimately it is your responsibility to ensure that you are fit enough to join a KE adventure holiday. In line with this, please complete the relevant section of our booking form fully and honestly. You should also have a thorough medical and dental check up before the holiday. You may need specific vaccinations when visiting some countries and this is explained in the information that we send to you when you book. For recommended and compulsory health requirements for each country, please see the DoH leaflet Advice on Health for Travellers, or talk to your doctor. A very good online resource is the National Health Travellers website at fitfortravel.nhs.uk

Know Before You Go

KE has joined the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Know Before You Go campaign. Know Before You Go aims to make sure that all travellers abroad are properly prepared before setting out overseas and have independent advice.The emphasis is on:

• Seeking the FCO's advice about the countries to be visited before departure
• Having adequate travel insurance
  
• Following local laws
  
• Avoiding taking risks with money and possessions whilst abroad

To make the most of your trip abroad check out the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website for essential travel advice and tips.

Trip Pricing

Many of you choose to book flights through KE, whist some book flights independently. For this reason, we show both Flight Inclusive and Land Only prices on this website. For destinations where it makes sense for you to book your flights directly with low-cost carriers (such as Geneva and Marrakech) we ONLY show the Land Only price. 
Read more about KE Pricing.

Travel Insurance

It is a condition of booking a KE Adventure holiday that you have appropriate mountain sports travel insurance.  Specialist insurers, like Snowcard, BMC and Travelex, issue suitable policies.
Read more about Travel Insurance.

KE Private Groups

If you would like to travel independently, perhaps with a group of friends or colleagues, KE can help to bring your holiday plans to fruition. This could be an entirely separate holiday arrangement or an extension to a regular KE trip. Whatever your preference, we can help you to devise the ideal itinerary and provide a value-for-money quote.
View our Private Groups page for details.

Explore More

You will find a selection of holidays which feature the Explore More logo. Amongst the finest adventures on the planet, these are also specialist trips and not likely to appeal to everyone. Running these in conjunction with our friends at Allibert and Hauser (France and Germany’s leading adventure travel operators) allows us to gather viable groups for these radical trips. All have English-speaking leaders and operate in the style of international expeditions, which is part of the Explore More experience!

Download Dossiers

Detailed day-by-day dossiers for all of our trips can be downloaded from the individual trip pages and they are also available through the KE office. Our dossiers include a comprehensive itinerary, trip photographs and lots of useful information, such as the nature and difficulty of the terrain, climatic conditions, equipment requirements, as well as a reading list and details of available maps.

Visit the KE Office in the Lake District

If you visit our Keswick office, we'll be happy to entertain you with an in-depth, individual presentation about any of our holidays. Please contact us in advance to arrange a time and we'll put the kettle on and be ready to talk you through your chosen trip.

When to Book

To be sure of a place on your chosen holiday, you should make your booking as soon as possible. Booking early helps you to secure the lowest fares for scheduled flights and enables us to obtain any special permits that may be required.  Please note: there are no discounts for late booking. For further details go to How to Book.

Late Availability

If you do find yourself looking for a holiday at short notice, check out the Late Availability.

Financial Protection

KE Adventure Travel is a fully licensed and bonded tour operator. We hold an Air Travel Organiser's Licence (ATOL 2808) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority and we are also a member of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA W4341).  Membership of these organisations means that you can book in complete confidence that any money paid to KE is fully protected.
View details of all our Licensing and bonding.

IMPORTANT WARNING

This is ADVENTURE travel, and many of KE's holiday destinations are in remote areas, within under-developed countries, where events are less predictable than is usually the case in, for example, Western Europe or North America. The unexpected is the norm in these areas and, despite painstaking planning and organisation, our adventure holidays can never be taken for granted like regular holidays. Many of the places that we visit do not have the same quality of emergency health and safety services that we are used to in the developed world. Internal flights can be cancelled, road transport is generally uncomfortable and unreliable, and hotels often do not approach the standards of the West.

IF YOU ARE NOT PREPARED FOR THIS, YOU SHOULD NOT TRAVEL WITH US.

This unpredictability also means that the itineraries that we put forward for each of our holidays should be seen as statements of intent, rather than as contractual obligations. A variety of factors, including weather, transport difficulties and political instability, might dictate that we change any itinerary. The trip leader will make any changes that are necessary, after consultation with the group. Only rarely will such changes be significant, and we will always do everything within our powers to minimise the effects of the enforced changes. We cannot be held responsible for the results of changes or delays, irrespective of how they are caused.