In 1996 travel writer Jonny Bealby set out across the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province to follow in the footsteps of his two heroes from English literature, Peachy Carnehan and Daniel Dravot, from Kipling's classic tale, The Man Who Would Be King.
Travelling on foot, on an often gruelling and dangerous journey, he became captivated by a land of harsh natural beauty, political intrigues and a diverse and fascinating population. And when he finally emerged from Afghanistan back into Pakistan and the valleys of the Kalash - the last of the pagan tribes to inhabit the Hindu Kush - he was so taken with these warm and welcoming people that he put down his bags and stayed for three months.
What also amazed Jonny was the near total lack of tourism to what was a relatively stable and accessible region. So, having completed his second book, For A Pagan Song , about this journey, the following year he returned to Northern Pakistan and swapped his travel-writing hat for that of a tour operator. Seeking advice from the Kalash themselves, as well as other ethnic groups along his chosen route, Jonny created the first of his itineraries and a few months later lead his first group... and so Wild Frontiers was born.
Whilst maintaining the same sympathetic approach to the people we visit and the regions through which we travel, Wild Frontiers now takes tourists to a total of 20 countries on three continents. Using passionate and knowledgeable guides we are able to give our clients something different by getting beneath the surface and finding special and secret places. And by teaming up with carefully chosen Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) - the Hope Foundation in Calcutta, the Ladakh Project, the Mines Advisory Group in Cambodia and A-Cet in Ethiopia - we are also able to help local communities come to terms with their ever-changing environment, provide funds for better water, housing and education and ultimately help to put something back.
To give our clients the kind of personal service we know they like, we now have an office in Fulham, West London , where we have full time staff on hand 5 days a week to answer your questions.
While expanding steadily Wild Frontiers maintains the same personal, flexible and deeply knowledgeable service that served us so well in Northern Pakistan .
Our guides
Jonny Bealby (Asia & Africa):
Growing up in England , Scotland and Canada , Jonny developed a passion for travel and upon finishing college journeyed extensively in Australasia and the Far East . Since then he has earned a crust in a variety of ways: singer in a band, stunt horse rider, circus roustabout, motorcycle courier and photojournalist to name but a few. He set up Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel in 1998.
Jonny has visited more than 70 countries, written three books and had articles featured in a variety of publications including the Daily Telegraph, The Observer and Traveller Magazine. He has also lectured to the Royal Geographical Society on Afghanistan & Pakistan.
Benedict Jenks (Afghanistan):
Benedict's career as an accountant (specialising in investigating major fraud for KPMG) has been consistently interrupted by a lifelong obsession with travel. He has now visited over sixty countries for pleasure and exploration as well as on business. He finally left the City a year ago to pursue his travel interests full time, and joined Matthew Leeming on the first organised group from Britain to visit Kabul, Bamiyan, Ajar, Herat and the Panjshir Valley in Afghanistan last March.
As well as Afghanistan, Benedict's recent travels have taken him to India (to trek and climb in Ladakh and to visit Rajasthan) to Tibet (where he climbed Lhakpa Ri, a seven thousand metre peak adjacent to the North Face of Everest), Nepal and Ethiopia.
Benedict has contributed a number of photographs to Afghanistan: A Traveller's Companion & Guide, due to be published later this year, and has had his travel photography published in the UK, the US and Ireland.
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