NEW FRONTIERS

Be among the very first to experience these freshly opened countries, trails and itineraries…

THE ’STANS Cross five borders in one trip

£50 The ’Stans are a logistical nightmare OFF to do solo. Unpaved roads and ancient history sprawl across a dizzying landscape that ranges from snow-dusted peaks to lush pastoral scenes. So Travel the Unknown’s Five Stan Odyssey is that rare opportunity to wrap them all up in one visit, ranging from the bombast and curious history of Turkmenistan to the ancient Silk Road cities (Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand) of Uzbekistan and beyond. Journey sawtooth horizons and meet the nomadic peoples of Kyrgyzstan, explore thermal springs and ancient fortresses in Tajikistan, then transfer into the endless steppe of Kazakhstan, where boundless lakes fringed in fir, aspen and juniper glimmer under daunting peaks. A truly epic undertaking. WHO: Travel the Unknown (020 7183 6371; www.traveltheunknown.com) WHEN: 24 Apr & 31 Aug 2018 HOW LONG: 30 days HOW MUCH: From £6,045 (incl intl flights)

OMAN Discover a rising star

As travellers look to the Middle East and its wide open sands, rocky mountains and rich history for new horizons, G Adventures’ timely first foray into Highlights of Oman shines a light on one of its new stars. Oman is a land blessed with rocky ranges, historic fortresses and the kind of landscapes that make you squint for a divine signature. Begin in the 16th-century forts of Muscat before making for the coast, where the shores of Ras al-jinz see waves of green turtles stumble ashore to lay their eggs. From there, search for natural pools in the East Hajar mountains and peer into the arid expanse of Wahiba Sands before exploring the ‘Grand Canyon’ of Wadi Nakhr, climbing into the rises of Jebel Shams to soak up their ethereal beauty. WHO: G Adventures (0344 272 2040; www.gadventures.com) WHEN: 8 days HOW LONG: Selected dates from 23 Sept 2018

ALBANIA The other side of the Balkans

While much of the Balkans now bends under the weight of tourism, its southernmost outpost of Albania remains oddly off travellers’ radars. Yet this mountainous land is riddled with alpine vistas and a fascinating history, easily explored in Ffestiniog Travel’s Albanian Odyssey. From capital Tirana, tours funnel though towering peaks to the emerald waters of Lake Ohrid and on to

the remains of Butrint, a site occupied since prehistory and dusted with traces of its Greek and Roman settlers. Finish among the highs of the Albanian Alps, travelling the Koman Ferry through limestone gorges and craggy rises before heading to Montenegro to hop the train to Serbia – one of the great European rail journeys. WHO: Ffestiniog Travel (01766 772030; www.ffestiniogtravel.com) WHEN: 9 May 2018 HOW LONG: 15 days HOW MUCH: From £1,995 (incl intl flights)

CANADA Discover a remote archipelago in style

Dangling off Canada’s western coast, £50 OFF the national park of Haida Gwaii spans some 150 islands furred with sitka spruce, old-growth forest and the ruins of the indigenous Haida people. Its difficult location sees just a few thousand visitors set foot here each year, but World Expeditions’ Haida Gwaii in Comfort trip offers a chance to explore it in style aboard a six-cabin boat. Crest waters bubbling with humpbacks, orca and sea lions, kayak beneath swooping bald eagles and peregrine falcons, while trips ashore offer a chance to wander the scorching intertidal pools of Hotspring Island, trek forests populated by black bears (the largest in North America) or delve into the island’s fascinating past. WHO: World Expeditions (0800 0744 135; www.worldexpeditions.co.uk) WHEN: Selected dates 25 Jun–14 Aug 2018 HOW LONG: 9 days HOW MUCH: From £4,390 (excl intl flights)

PAPUA NEW GUINEA Cruise into jungle wilderness

Reach some of the most remote £50 OFF tribes on the planet by Cruising the Mighty Sepik River in Papua New Guinea with Discover The World. Sail past coral-fringed islands and the spewing volcano of Manam before diverting up a jungle canal. Here, you’ll visit Sepik villages, visiting local markets and meeting its residents. On your return, keep an eye out for crocodiles and tropical birdlife along the Chambri Lakes. WHO: Discover The World (01737 218802; www.discover-the-world.co.uk) WHEN: 6, 13, 20 & 27 Feb 2018 HOW LONG: 7/9 nights HOW MUCH: From £3,119 (excl intl flights)

MADAGASCAR Wild camp in the north

Thanks to its geographic location, few £50 OFF places on earth can rival Madagascar for its flora and fauna. Undiscovered Destinations’ Endangered Madagascar – Northern Explorer trip brushes the enigmatic far reaches of the main island. Here, trek into the bush of Marojejy National Park – only reachable on foot – one of the last refuges of the silky sifaka, with now less than 200 of these primates found in the wild. Camping and hut stays let you explore deeper, rising up into the mountainside and high-altitude rainforest. From Marojejy, continue north to scramble the great forests of tsingy (craggy pillars of limestone) that puncture the Ankarana Reserve, then on to Amber Mountain NP, where trails lead past tumbling waterfalls and afford the chance to spy several species of lemur. Rack up miles, parks and wildlife sightings in one of the world’s great natural playgrounds. WHO: Undiscovered Destinations (0191 296 2674; www.undiscovered-destinations.com) WHEN: 22 Sep 2018 & 21 Sep 2019 HOW LONG: 18 days HOW MUCH: £2,495 (excl intl flights)

ARGENTINA & CHILE Get under Patagonia’s skin

Audley takes you aboard new expedition £50 OFF ship, the Ventus Australis, to the ends of the Earth on its Grand Tour of Patagonia Across Argentina & Chile. Float past Cape Horn before cruising to the icy, rugged landscapes of Torres del Paine NP, before being awestruck by the toothpaste-blue Perito Moreno Glacier. Bookend your trip with pit stops in buzzing Buenos Aires for culture, cuisine and maybe a spot of tango. WHO: Audley (01993 838630; www.audleytravel.com) WHEN: Year round HOW LONG: 13 nights HOW MUCH: From £6,100 (incl intl flights)

BOLIVIA Explore Bolivia’s lowlands

While most trips to Bolivia focus on its altiplano (high plains) or lofty Lake Titicaca – both clocking in at over 3,500m in altitude – the country’s reputation as nosebleed territory isn’t entirely justified. Geodyssey’s Lowland Bolivia tour flips the cliché by exploring the missions and wildlife of the low-lying east instead. Arrive in Santa Cruz de la Sierra before making

for the Jesuit missions of San Javier, some of which date from the 17th century. From there, the rivers of Trinidad reveal splashing pink dolphins while Reserva el Tumbador, on the shores of Lake Cáceres, signposts treks into its forests to spy on jaguars, monkeys and birdlife. WHO: Geodyssey (020 7281 7788; www.geodyssey.co.uk) WHEN: Year round (but Dec–mar is rainy season) HOW LONG: 12 days HOW MUCH: From £3,990 (excl intl flights)

SRI LANKA Venture to the far-flung north

After 25 years of civil war, Sri Lanka’s £50 OFF far northern provinces are back on the map, yet still rarely trod by travellers who fancy soaking up the busy central highlands and beachy south. Instead, leave the crowds behind on Bamboo Travel’s Undiscovered North of Sri Lanka trip, as you seek out leopards in Wilpattu NP, watch flamingos and black drongos pour through the skies in the bird reserve of Mannar Island and wander the Tamil city of Jaffna, its architecture closer to Southern India than anything else in the country. A whole other side to Sri Lanka. WHO: Bamboo Travel (020 7720 9285; www.bambootravel.co.uk) WHEN: Selected dates, Apr–sep HOW LONG: 16 days HOW MUCH: From £3,195 (incl intl flights)

BRAZIL Discover New Holland

When most travellers think of Brazil, three things spring to mind: carnivals, samba and the Amazon. Few recall that its northern portion (then called New Holland) was once owned by the Dutch. Fleewinter’s Olinda and the Island of Fernando de Noronha trip starts with a visit to Olinda, the pretty town wrapped around forested hills just 6km north of Recife. Its boho vibe invites aimless wandering, with centuriesold mansions, baroque colonial churches

NEW TRIPS 2018

and monasteries recalling an era long past. But the real draw lies off the northern coast on the Unesco-listed archipelago of Fernando de Noronha. Once just a scattering of forts and fishing villages, now trails, 4WD trips and shoreline strolls let you spot dolphins and turtles splashing its waters before strapping on a snorkel to join them. WHO: Fleewinter (020 7112 0019; www.fleewinter.com) WHEN: Year round HOW LONG: 7 days HOW MUCH: £1,190 (excl intl flights)

KAZAKHSTAN An out-of-this-world trip

See a side to Kazakhstan that few witness with Explore’s Across the Kazakh Steppe trip. After exploring the surprisingly green Almaty, in the shadow of the snow-dusted Zailiysky Alatau range, you’ll take in the multi-coloured hills – banded red, orange and white – and eerie ’Singing Dune’ of Altyn-emel NP, before rattling across miles and miles of dramatic barren steppe to the old Silk Road trading post of Turkestan and the blue domes of its beautiful 14th-century mausoleum. Then you’ll make for the Cosmodrome at Baikonur where a tour of the space programme – and the slim possibility of witnessing a live launch blast off – offers stark contrast to the raw beauty of this country’s wilderness. WHO: Explore (01252 884723; www.explore.co.uk) WHEN: 19 May & 19 Sept 2018 HOW LONG: 14 days HOW MUCH: From £3,499 (incl intl flights)

ST HELENA Dive remote island waters

Take advantage of new connections to bag a fly-dive adventure with Dive Worldwide in Untouched St Helena – the far-off British outpost that few travellers have ever set foot on. Spend the week plunging into the swathe of dive sites on the fringes of the island, swimming past mobulas and manta rays, while sparing time to explore on land the house that Napoleon was once exiled to and hike up Diana’s Peak. Then head back into the water to glide through archways onto Long Ledge, encountering swirls of reef fish, impressive wrecks festooned with turtles – green and hawksbill – and to snorkel with whale sharks (Dec–mar only). WHO: Dive Worldwide (01962 302087; www.diveworldwide.com) WHEN: Flexible dates, 1 Dec–31 Jul HOW LONG: 11 days HOW MUCH: From £2,795 (incl intl flights)