Intrepid Travel

Highlights

• Walk the walk on the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China (one of the Seven Wonders of the World), watching the stones snake as far as the eye can see. If you’d like, you can even toboggan back down!
• Take a scenic cycling tour through farms and villages in Yangshuo’s karst-dotted countryside. Every turn in the road brings you to another postcard-perfect spot before riding to Moon Hill and taking a short hike that leads to panoramic views of the area.
• Watch rolly polly baby pandas playing, munching bamboo and generally doing their thing at the Panda Breeding Centre in Chengdu – if they’re not already, pandas might just be your favourite animal after this.
• Join a local guide to see the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an – the most famous site in the city – only discovered in 1976 by farmers digging a well.
• Eat your way through China, from Beijing’s Peking duck to the delicious Sichuan pepper – then, maybe challenge yourself with authentic local delicacies like silkworms, spicy rabbit head and beer fish.

Highlights

• Uncover the geothermal wonders of Rotorua during a guided visit to Te Puia, home to hot springs, geysers, mud pools, a Maori art gallery and a kiwi conservation centre.
• Sip your way around Waiheke Island off the shores of Auckland during an Exclusive Experience,cellar doors to learn about their production methods, sample some seriously excellent wine and enjoy a winery lunch.
• Be amazed by Tongariro National Park as you spend the day exploring its volcanic landscapes, then retire to your chateau-style Feature Stay where you can sit back and soak in views of Tongariro’s dazzling peaks.
• Experience some of New Zealand’s most spectacular scenery during your second Feature Stay on Milford Sound aboard a purpose-built vessel.
• Discover the best of the Otago region during your Exclusive Experiences – a food and foraging tour, and an adrenaline-pumping jetboat ride down the Shotover River.

Highlights

• Behold the beauty of Big Sur as you drive along California’s northern coastline, stopping to see the magical McWay Falls located on a beach that’s closed to public access.
• Ride Ferris wheels, rollercoasters and other fairground delights during stops at Santa Monica Pier and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.
• Rub shoulders with Hollywood royalty – or at least their lookalikes – as you begin your journey in the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles, visiting the vibrant Venice Beach.
• Sleep under the stars in Monterey and along California’s Central Coast, getting up close to Mother Nature as you join in on the communal camping experience.
• Join in on the optional food kitty with your fellow travellers and enjoy camp cooking and picnic lunches while keeping costs down.

Highlights

• Discover Taiwan’s food culture by collecting clams in Wangong, sipping black tea at a plantation and cooking farm-fresh spring onion pancakes in Yilan.
• Hike through lush mountain foothills to a 12-tiered pagoda that overlooks Sun Moon Lake, and take a ride around the emerald green waters on a cycling adventure.
• Explore stalls pilled with dried fruits, herbs and medicines on Dihua Street – considered one of the oldest streets in Taiwan.
• Enjoy a special visit to the Indigenous Atayal tribe and spend some time with their community to learn about their forest survival techniques and costumes, then enjoy a hearty home-cooked meal that showcases tradition and Indigenous flavours.
• Ride the Forest Railway train through Alishan’s tropical and subtropical forest, then hike the Sacred Forest Trail to get closer to the old, resident Cypress trees.

Highlights

• Travel into the Thar Desert, spending a memorable evening eating Rajasthani food under the stars in a camp set among sand dunes.
• Cut through the chaos of Jodhpur’s Sadar Bazaar with your knowledgeable local leader, haggling for handicrafts and sipping some of the best lassi in town.
• Snap incredible photos of the immense Chand Baori, a grand ninth-century stepwell in rural Abhaneri that extends over 20 metres into the earth.
• Explore the centre of India’s spiritual heart – Varanasi – on a guided walking tour through the alleyways of the Old Town right to the bank of the Ganges.
• India can be intimidating, but with your local leader there the whole way, you’ll be dodging cows, navigating market stalls, and eating from the best chaat stalls in Delhi in no time.

Highlights

• Take a bite out of the big apple and you kick-start your musical adventure with big city beats in the city that never sleeps – New York!
• Discover the museums, memorials and monuments along the American History trail – from the small-town charms of Philadelphia to the capital-city icons of Washington DC.
• Pump up your camping experience in the jaw-dropping Appalachian Mountains. Share stories around the campfire as you make s’mores (a traditional night-time campfire treat in North America) with your fellow travellers.
• Choose to cruise the murky marshlands of Honey Island and spot resident alligators in what’s considered to be one of the most natural and unspoiled river swamps in the country.
• Get into the groove of Memphis and indulge in the kitschy glamour and over-the-top Southern charisma of this musical metropolis.

Highlights

• Ease into your adventure with a meal hosted by locals Mustafa and Mersiha in their kitchen overlooking the city of Sarajevo.
• Go off-road in search of wild horses in the foothills of Mount Cincar – our expert local leaders and guides know all the best spots to look.
• Explore the historic and off-the-beaten-path town of Jajce, the birthplace of Yugoslavia and home to centuries-old architecture and a fairytale waterfall.
• Step inside Josip Tito’s bunker – a massive and impeccably preserved underground nuclear shelter from the Yugoslav era that just recently opened to visitors.
• Meet Sarajevo’s only female coppersmith while wandering the cobblestone walkways of the city’s historic cultural centre.

Highlights

• Travel along Australia’s most acclaimed stretch of coastline with a scenic drive on the Great Ocean Road. This is one trip where you definitely want to call shotgun on a window seat.
• Take a one-night pitstop in Halls Gap to discover the rugged beauty of the Grampians National Park. Go hiking up to the Pinnacles lookout, and marvel at the stunning MacKenzie Falls.
• Immerse yourself in First Nations cultures with experiences including witnessing cave paintings near Mutitjulu Waterhole at the base of Uluru and viewing Aboriginal rock art at Yourambulla Caves.
• See the best of Australia’s iconic Red Centre on guided walks around Uluru, Kings Canyon and the ancient red domes of Kata Tjuta.
• 'Noodle' for opals, hang out with some rescued joeys and spend the night in a subterranean bunker in the Outback town of Coober Pedy.