Wales Beckons

28/07/2026

Regretably our fundraising fishing tour to northern India in support of Ty Hafan Children's Hospice has been cancelled due to the ongoing uncertainties in the Middle East. In the hope that the situation will improve, this amazing tour will now take place in April 2027. The new date will involve different river conditions but equally as challenging as in November. This tour is definitely one for those who are keen on an angling challenge. And, best of all, a wonderful charity will benefit. Contact us for a full itinerary www.walesbeckons.co.uk

24/06/2026

THE MIGHTY MAHSEER Fishing and Fundraising tour.
This could this be the ultimate freshwater fishing adventure.
Join us on an incredible expedition to Northern India in November 2026 to fish for the legendary Golden Mahseer – one of the hardest-fighting fish in the world.
You will fish in mighty Himalayan rivers, stay in safari-style riverside camps and experience India's spectacular wilderness.
Perhaps best of all you will be supporting Tŷ Hafan Children's Hospice
Departure: 21 November 2026
Booking Deadline: 30 July 2026
Places are limited.
You can try to catch the fish of a lifetime and help make a difference to children and families across South Wales.

14/06/2026

THE MIGHTY MAHSEER

The Mahseer is a wonderful combination of breathtaking beauty and sheer raw power – it is renowned for the fight that it puts up, which it enhances using the fast-flowing waters of the Himalayan rivers to its advantage - it is an adventure of a lifetime and definitely not for the faint hearted. A number of books have been written about the Mahseer by anglers during the British Raj, including by the legendary angler/hunter/conservationist Jim Corbett.
The renowned author Rudyard Kipling described the Mahseer as “the Angler’s Right of Passage” – in his immortal words “beside whom the Tarpon is a Herring and he who catches him can say he is a fisherman”.
The Mahseer is highly regarded for its fighting abilities – using the fast flowing waters of the Himalayan rivers even a 15 lb Mahseer can put up a fight that is not for the faint hearted.
The British and the Indian royalty popularised fishing for the Mahseer, and for some it became a rite of passage akin to killing a tiger! Stout tackle was the order of the day and often that too did not measure up to the power and brute force exerted by the Mahseer.

If you are looking for a fishing adventure then there are few others that measure up to the beautiful and combative Golden Mahseer that inhabits the waters of the Indian Himalayan rivers!

The two most important elements that will help to ensure a successful Mahseer fishing trip are the right equipment and knowledgeable guides which is why we have chosen as our partners for this special tour, “The Himalayan Outback”. Their team of fishing guides is amongst the best and they know the behaviour of the hard fighting Mahseer like the back of their hands. From selecting the appropriate fishing gear; taking you to the perfect spot and, then the ultimate prize - our fishing guides are there to actually “guide” and support you!
Since 2004 The Himalayan Outback has been focusing on fishing trips (both Spinning or Fly) for the Mahseer and offers the best Mahseer fishing packages, continuously searching for newer and better locations. Our fishing camps are equipped with the best “safari style” furniture and the team of chefs produce elaborate meals in the wilderness to ensure that you look forward to each meal while you chat about the day’s adventures with your fellow fishers.
At the border of India and Nepal, in the north Indian state of Uttrakhand, lies the sleepy village of Pancheshwar. The Golden Mahseer has put Pancheshwar on the world map for anglers from all over the globe who are keen to pit their wits against the hard fighting Mahseer. Pancheshwar, considered the Mecca for Mahseer fishing, is where the Saryu River meets the Mahakali River and this confluence has invariably rewarded anglers with trophy catches.
The pre-monsoon months of March, April, May, June and then the post monsoon from mid September to end November are the prime season for the Golden Mahseer.

So join us for “an adventure of a lifetime” – a Mahseer fishing trip
Departing the UK, or your home country, on 21 November 2026

22/02/2026

A great littel snippet today from our frends at 'We are Wales' -
The Welsh connection to Kellogg's Corn Flakes;

Kellogg's was founded as the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company on February 19th 1906, by Will Keith Kellogg and on one of her overseas trips in 1922, Nansi Richards, the internationally acclaimed Welsh harpist, visited the home of Will Kellogg, who was looking for a marketing idea for his cornflakes. It is said that Nansi suggested a pun on the name Kellogg and the Welsh word ceiliog, meaning cockerel. Will Kellogg liked the idea and Cornelius Rooster was born and has appeared on packs of Kellogg's Corn Flakes ever since.

Wales has a lot of connection with the USA. Time you visited???

27/09/2025

22/08/2025

Who knew these facts? Now you do why not visit Wales home to the people who invented these things? There is so much to see and enjoy here in Wales. If you are of Welsh descent, our Ancestry tours cannot be beaten. Talk with us about your own family's history in Wales. Our expert genealogist might unearth things about which you had no knowledge. Call us today and let us work with you to curate a tour you will remember affectionately for many years. www.walesbeckons.co.uk

16/08/2025

Many thanks to the Chicago Tafia Welsh Society for this posting this morning.
I had no idea Katherine Hepburn was Welsh or had close connections.
If you also have Welsh ancestors, we can help you find your history and create a tour specially for you to come and see where they lived and worked.
www.walesbeckons.co.uk

“God first made England, Ireland and Scotland. Then, when he corrected his mistakes, he made Wales.” - Katharine Hepburn

30/07/2025

An interesting post from our friends at Welsh Histories this morning. Enjoy!
If you are ready to visit us here in Wales, take a look at our website. We're always ready to help. walesbeckons.co.uk

It is often overlooked that the kings of Wales during the medieval period were tremendously successful at fighting off Viking invaders. So good were they, in fact, that there were no true Viking settlements within Cymru the way there were in England.

Whereas parts of each of Ireland, Scotland and England were subject to Viking settlement (especially in but not limited to the 9th century), the kings of Wales managed to successfully fend them off.

During the 9th century, there were many attempts by Vikings to settle within Cymru but one warrior king above all succeeded in keeping them at bay Rhodri Mawr (Rhodri the Great). There's a reason why he's one of only three European leaders in the 9th century to earn the distinction of "the Great", alongside Charlemagne and Alfred.

While there had almost been a Viking settlement on Ynys Môn, it is known that Rhodri led an expedition there and won a large battle (AD 856) resulting in the Danish Viking leader Gorm's defeat and death in battle. Rhodri himself would die in battle against the forces of Ceolwulf II of Mercia in AD 878, though his sons would secure their revenge three years later at the Battle of Conwy.