Dear Friends,
For 15 years, our team at Snow Lion Expeditions has dedicated itself to crafting a company that offers the best of Asia to a discerning clientele. We consider ourselves masters in “The Art of Asian Travel.” As our enterprise celebrates this anniversary, we reflect on how Asian cultures have changed since 1992––in some degree. Behind the dynamic foreground of human society, however, the timeless landscapes of the Himalaya, the Mekong River system, the steppes of Mongolia, as well as the stately monuments and temples of past centuries still remain larger than life.
I just returned from a private jet tour of China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. This was the third trip that Snow Lion had customized for a special return guest and personal friend. Incorporating meetings with government and business leaders, and peppered with sightseeing, the trip was fine-tuned to maximize every moment during our 11 days. Among the many highlights of the journey were a meeting with the president of Mongolia and an audience with the highest-ranking Buddhist lama of this nomadic country. In China, we met with Foreign Service staff from the US Embassy at a Starbucks in Beijing, underscoring the profound changes occurring in the People’s Republic.
Before leaving China, we witnessed a funeral in which a rich man’s money was burned so he could take it with him into heaven. It is a curious funerary tradition, but I took personal pause in that moment about the impermanence of our own lives. Yet, this moment personifies that life is to be lived and that we all need to make the most of every moment. Travel provides not only personal paradigm shifts, but also a priceless and enduring wealth of great memories and profound education.
Whether you are planning an epic adventure spanning the continent or just want to hunker down in a sleepy Bhutanese village for a week of personal discovery–—we urge you to create your itinerary in tandem with our savvy team of Asian travel experts.
Embark this year on a Snow Lion expedition and discover where your unique existence intersects with the Asia that is larger than life.
In the spirit of enlightenment through travel,
Best Wishes,
Ron Barness
President