When designing our Silk Road expedition many years ago, I was keen to add a camel experience along the way. Bactrian camels are incredible, they served as pack animals for centuries in Central Asia, have a high tolerance to cold, drought and high altitudes and can go without water for months on end….

Longitude 80 sometimes lead private expeditions retracing parts of the Silk Route across China and Central Asia. Leaving from China’s ancient capital Xian which used to be one of the terminals of the Silk Route, we venture west stopping in oasis towns across the Taklamakan desert and the Tien Shan Mountains. In the 11th and 12th century, the Silk Route not only focused on trade but also stimulated the exchange of ideas, religion, music, languages and of course… food…