Five ways to really discover the world

Escorted adventure specialists Worldwide Expeditions has launched its top five picks for 2013, with some very special itineraries:

Mark the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest

2013 is the Jubilee anniversary of the first ascent to Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay and to celebrate there will be  five treks in May that will culminate at the 3,800m Thyangboche Monastery (the most important Buddhist spiritual site in the Nepal Himalayas) on May 29 2013, exactly 60 years after that very first successful ascent to Everest.

The five treks range from introductory to challenging level and departing May 22 they cost from £1,690 per person.

Discover the real Madagascar

Now famed for Disney’s cartoon antics, Madagascar is one of the world’s fastest growing destinations for adventure travellers. The world’s fourth largest island not only has evolved a landscape that is as bizarre as it is unique but is also a biodiversity hotspot, with over 80 per cent of its plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth,

A three-week tour taking in the island’s rich ecosystem costs from  £2,290 per person, with departures from April 27, 2013.

Climb an Ecuadorian volcano

Led by famed mountaineer Simon Yates, this trip  takes in jungle ‘cloud forests’ and alpine ‘paramo’ tundra ecosystems before climbing the highest volcano in the world, Cotapaxi.

Departing November 9, 2013, the cost of a trip that takes in five peaks is from £2,490 per person.

Tour de France centenary 

New year sees the famed French road race reach its 100th anniversary and this trip for cycling enthusiasts takes in several stages of Le Tour with a chance to meet some of the riders and members of the pro-team BMC. The eight-day trip departs July 6  and costs from £2,190 per person.

Back to Burma

With the tourism embargo to Myanmar lifted, there are now monthly departures for the 12-day Highlights of Myanmar tour which costs from £1,450 per person.

See www.worldexpeditions.com to book