By John Rozentals.
The ‘Raja Ampat Sailing Expedition’ … island-hopping among remote paradises. Image: Andre Djohan.
Intrepid Travel has released its latest range of expeditions, which cater to the most adventurous traveller looking for the ultimate off-the-beaten-track trip in the most far-flung destination, or for a completely different take on an old favourite.
With 17 new trips added, Intrepid Travel’s expedition range has grown very nearly 170 per cent this year, and the latest itineraries are paving the way for a new era of expedition travel.
“At Intrepid, we’re redefining ‘expeditions’ and opening up this exciting area of travel to more people,” said the company’s Brett Mitchell.
“Our latest range of expeditions are helping to debunk the myths associated with traditional expeditions and what a modern-day explorer looks like.
“An Intrepid expeditioner doesn’t need Bear Grylls’ physicality, the modern-day expeditioner simply needs a lust for adventure and discovery.”
The really adventurous can snorkel in the our islands of the Solomons. Image: Kirkland Photos.
An analysis of Intrepid’s current expedition tours shows that today’s quintessential expeditioner is a female solo traveller, quite likely aged in her 60s.
This data also prompted Intrepid to release a new series of Women’s Expeditions on International Women’s Day this year.
Among the new expeditions on offer are trips to West Papua, the far west of Mongolia and the outer lying islands of the Solomons.
“Our new range of expeditions offers an alternative approach for travellers who want to challenge the status quo,” said Brett Mitchell.
“From ger camps to frontier railways and inland trekking, these tours are a new style of quest.”
Travellers can explore, for instance, a most biodiverse archipelago that’s right on our doorstep.
Don’t just flop-and-drop in Fiji’s coastal resorts … get into the heart of the country. Image: Lukas Warzercha.
Only a stone’s throw from Bali, West Papua offers island-hopping among remote paradises where no other boats anchor.
The highlight of an eight-day ‘Raja Ampat Sailing Expedition’ is sailing in the style of a traditional Melanesian outrigger, snorkelling in the Coral Triangle and spending two days on Pulau Wayag, an isolated beach where the crew sets up a table and campfire on the sand and this becomes a base for some Robinson Crusoe adventuring.
While only the well travelled would argue that the Trans-Siberian is usual, the Baikal-Amur Railway is the alternative less-trodden route across Eastern Siberia.
On this Russian expedition, travellers explore terrain that’s home to the indigenous Nanai and Evenki people, and engage with their culture through performance, food and art.
Highlights include Buddhist sites in the north of Lake Baikal and Stolby National Park with its surreal rocky landscape.
A less-trodden route across Eastern Siberia … the Baikal-Amur Railway. Image: Helga Foto.
Tunisia offers the history and colour of destinations such as Egypt and Iran, with the added bonus of the beautiful Mediterranean and the vast Sahara Desert, which has played host to countless adventures over the millennia.
Highlights of a Tunisia adventure can include the coastal town of Bou Said with whitewashed walls and blue shutters, camping amongst sand dunes that formed the space-like backdrop for Star Wars, spending a night in a Troglodyte dwelling in Matmata, and visiting Le Kef, an authentic village on the edge of the Atlas Mountains.
While many travellers visit Fiji to flop-and-drop in coastal resorts, there is an adventure waiting in the heart of the island.
A trip there can include swimming under one of Fiji’s most majestic waterfalls at Nabalesere, discovering spectacular views of the Coral Coast, hiking through grasslands into remote villages that aren’t even on Google Maps and rafting through Fiji’s highlands at Upper Navua Gorge.
Truly awesome … petroglyths in Mongolia. Image: Christian Kornacker.
And for the really adventurous, there is a journey to the Solomons’ outlying islands where travellers will enjoy homestays, village walks, eco-lodges and farm-to-table dining.
Other highlights include an immersion in Skull Island and its headhunting history, the chance to interact with Barry Paulsen, a local from New Georgia who has spent years collecting war memorabilia in the jungle, and an encounter with the largest arthropod in the world — the succulent giant coconut crab which can be found in a cave by Titiru village.
Phone 1300 797 010 or visit www.intrepidtravel.com/au.
