Intrepid Travel is celebrating 25 years as one of the world’s leading small group adventure tour operators in 2014 by launching over 160 new trips worldwide. With new 2014 destination brochures now in the market, travellers can expect to be taken further off the beaten track in destinations such as Burma and West Africa, and encounter even more ‘real life experiences’ at various homestays, by taking public transport and meeting the locals.
Asia programme
Intrepid ran its first trip in Thailand 25 years ago; in 2014 there are more than 150 trips running in over 20 destinations throughout Asia.
Highlighted new trips:
- Since resuming trips to Burma two years ago, Intrepid has seen sales to the country boom and have increased the range of trips from one to five, including a new Burma Sailing Trip that explores the hard-to-reach islands of the Myeik archipelago by yacht.
- Sri Lanka trips have expanded after sales to the country increased by 60% year on year, and a new Real Food Adventure will serve up multiple delights.
- With Vietnam featuring in five of the top 10 trips in 2013, the new Northern Vietnam Encounter will go beyond the well-worn north to south route to explore the visually spectacular and remote Ha Giang region.
- A unique homestay on the new South China Getaway will give travellers the opportunity to stay with the Hakka ethnic group in traditional toulou villages.
North America programme
All North America Original style Intrepid trips are revitalised, using public transport entirely to get between cities to experience travel like a local. And Hawaii appears as a brand-new destination for the travel company.
Highlighted new trips:
- Public transport gets travellers between cities in over 20 trips, including the Canadian Rockies and from Seattle to Alaska, and between major East Coast cities, for example New York to New Orleans.
- Hawaiian Highlights will take travellers beyond the obvious beaches and shopping meccas to hike in pristine Kauai, the least developed island in the Hawaiian archipelago, get a glimpse into active volcanoes and spot a humpback whale in Maui.
Latin America programme
With the world’s attention firmly focused on the continent with the World Cup in Brazil next year, sales in Latin America are expected to soar.
Highlighted new trips:
- Intrepid’s first trip designed around Music and Dance in Cuba will allow travellers to explore the island’s diverse musical scene from ballet to the Afro-Cuban beats of son music, join salsa and percussion workshops, and even record their own track with local musicians.
- With Colombia in high demand, Intrepid have expanded the range of trips from one to four, including a unique homestay on a coffee plantation on the Café Colombia trip.
- New Real Food Adventures in Argentina and Peru will explore the culinary cultures of each country.
- For those after more of a nature experience, a visit to the Ibera Wetlands in Argentina will offer an abundance of wildlife.
Africa and the Middle East programme
Venturing into rarely visited Algeria, Tunisia and Oman for the first time, the Africa and Middle East program offers a plethora of opportunities to really head off the beaten track.
Highlighted new trips:
- A new Southern Africa Unplugged tour will explore South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique and Zimbabwe almost entirely on public transport, using minibuses, local buses, bicycles, taxis, ferries and traditional dhows – a first for any tour company.
- New Comfort style trips in West Africa are offered for the first time, venturing to Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Togo in style, taking in beaches, voodoo culture and captivating landscapes.
- As well as the new Real Food Adventure – Morocco, which offers the chance to chow down on a camel burger, Intrepid is offering those who want a more active Moroccan experience the chance to trek to the summit of Mount Toubkal, North Africa’s highest peak at 4,167m.
Europe programme
The Europe programme offers an extended active range in France, Switzerland and, for the first time, tiny Andorra, and tasty food will be plated up in Italy.
Highlighted new trips:
- Active in the Pyrenees includes hiking, cycling, rafting and zip-lining to satisfy any adrenalin junkie.
- A new walking trip in the French and Swiss Alps will pass through massive mountains, glaciers and gorges.
- A new weekend break in Iceland caters to the demand from European and North American travellers looking for short escapes to the country, allowing for northern lights viewing from October to March.
- Lovers of food can experience the culinary regional differences in Italy on a new Real Food Adventure taking in Rome, Assisi, Bologna, and Venice.
Alongside the brochure launch, Intrepid have a brand-new app that will make the brochures come to life. Intrepid Triptease allows smartphones to scan photos in the brochures that will bring up a video clip that reveals a little more about the destination in focus.
Intrepid’s brochures can be downloaded at www.intrepidtravel.com/brochures
More of Intrepid’s new trips for 2014 can be found at www.intrepidtravel.com/new-trips-2014