Wanderlust Travel Magazine (UK)
There’s the perfect epic adventure for you out there – whether by foot, wheel, rail or sail
ARGENTINA Off-road through a hidden corner
Join Holiday Architects on its Northern Off-road Adventure to explore a secret slice of northern Argentina via the only way possible: 4x4. First, spend a couple of days wandering the storied corners and neighbourhoods of capital Buenos Aires before flying north, where the adventure really begins. This remote region rewards you with a different landscape to savour every day, including the rugged Toro Gorge, lunching with shepherds at Antofalla, the sweeping salt flats of Salar de Arizaro, flamingo-filled Laguna Grande reserve (summer months only) and leafy vineyards of Cafayate. It’s time to get there before others do…
Who? Holiday Architects (01242 253073; argentinaholidayarchitects.com)
When? September 2020 to May 2021
How long? 12 nights
How much? From £4,890 (including int’l flights)
BELIZE Uncover a Central American gem
From pristine coral reefs, to jungle rainforests and remote Mayan villages, Belize is an ideal active island getaway. Island Expeditions’ Epic Belize trip showcases the best of this compact Central American gem. Your adventure starts in Bocawina National Park at a remote rainforest eco-lodge in the southern Maya Mountains. Travel south for a traditional meal in the Maya village of Santa Teresa and then kayak the rapids and canyons of the Moho River. Enjoy a ‘bean to bar’ chocolate experience at a spice farm near the ancient Mayan ruins at Lubaantum, then head to Dangriga and board a boat to Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve. You’ll spend four nights at this UNESCO World Heritage site, sea kayaking and snorkelling the azure blue waters.
Who? Island Expeditions (0800 404 9535; islandexpeditions.com)
When? Scheduled small group departures from February to April 2020
How long? 9 nights
How much? $2,999USD (£2,300) (excluding int’l flights)
GREECE Reach Corfu by rail
£50 A week in the Mediterranean OFF doesn’t always have to be a whistle-stop, two-hour flight away. Sunvil’s Greece by Train trip champions slow travel and ensures the journey is just as important as the destination, starting at London King’s Cross station rather than an airport. Ride the rails to the continent, where you can pause for a few days in Paris and Milan en route. Hop on the ferry from Bari to Corfu, where you’ll hole up in sleepy Kalami Bay. There, embrace the relaxed vibe by watching the fishermen bring in their daily catch and pleasantly amble through quaint seaside villages.
Who? Sunvil (020 8758 4722; sunvil.co.uk)
When? Year round
How long? 9 nights
How much? From £1,099 (including int’l travel)
SOUTH KOREA Full of soul
Japan’s getting all the attention lately, but South Korea deserves your love too. On The Dragon Trip’s South Korean Adventure, you’ll find out exactly why – one moment you’re getting lost among skyscrapers in neon-lit cities, then you find yourself gossiping with locals at a jimjilbang (traditional bathhouse). The next morning, you could be sipping tea with Buddhist monks, before heading off to sample Korean barbecue. Expect visits to national parks and the demilitarized zone on the agenda, too, where you’ll get the chance to speak with a North Korean defector.
Who? The Dragon Trip (020 7157 9964; thedragontrip.com)
When? Selected dates from March to October 2020
How long? 11 nights
How much? From £1,249 (excluding int’l flights)
JORDAN Steam through desert wonders
Join Ffestiniog Travel on its Jordan: Steam, Petra & The Dead Sea tour for a historic ride on the rails. The rose-coloured city of Petra, sweeping dunes of Wadi Rum and ripples of the Dead Sea need little introduction, but Jordan’s landscapes were made to be ogled from a train carriage. Ride the final two working sections of the Hejaz railway, including one through the barren desert and sandstone arches surrounding Disah. Beef up your trip with visits to Greco-roman Jerash, capital Amman and Bethany-beyond-thejordan, where it’s said Jesus was thought to be baptised.
Who? Ffestiniog Travel (01766 512400; ffestiniogtravel.com)
When? 2 November 2020
How long? 8 nights
How much? From £2,525 (including int’l flights)
OMAN Find fortune & glory
Channel your inner Indiana Jones with Flight Centre’s Essential Oman adventure. Snake your way through the souks of timehonoured capital Muscat, spy its crumbling Portuguese forts and be wowed by the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Break out of the city and head up into the Al Hajar Mountains for panoramas of Oman at its rugged best. Then spend a night in a Bedouin-style tent in the dunes at Wahiba Sands, concluding with hatching green turtles at Sur.
Who? Flight Centre (0808 239 3772; flightcentre.co.uk)
When? Flexible
How long? 7 nights
How much? From £2,135 (including int’l flights)
ICELAND Drive rings around Iceland
£50 On Audley Travel’s Around OFF Iceland’s Ring Road tailored self-drive tour, you’ll explore places that sound straight out of a fairytale. Go for a dip in the geothermal waters of the Golden Circle’s Secret Lagoon, before heading to the Eastfjords and looking out for the queen of the elves in Borgafjörður Eystri. But you’ll also become immersed in local life as you weave your way through small coastal villages and traditional Icelandic turf homes to find inky-blue fjords and whales breaching the waters off Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
Who? Audley Travel (01993 838431; audleytravel.com)
When? Flexible
How long? 12 nights
How much? From £4,390 (including int’l flights)
USA Touch the clouds
Ramblers Holidays’ White Mountains tour will take you up into the peaks of New Hampshire’s White Mountains to hike one of the Appalachian Trail’s most spectacular sections bagging peaks by day, and snoozing in remote huts by night. It’s a challenging pace, but there’s still time for lake swimming and wildlife spotting. Then take a less hilly walk on the Freedom Trail in Boston.
Who? Ramblers Holidays (01707 331133; ramblersholidays.co.uk)
When? 29 August and 12 September 2020
How long? 10 nights
How much? From £2,495 (including int’l flights)
CHINA A celebration of ice
£50 Christmas doesn’t just have OFF to be for a day (or 12) – in northern China, they’ve stretched the festivities until February and Regent Holidays’ Harbin Ice Festival Small Group Tour thrusts you into this real-life Narnia. In its 36th year, the festival in Harbin has evolved into a fantasia of neon-lit snow and ice sculptures. Spend your evenings mesmerised by this winter wonderland and by day, visit the Jinyuan Tourist Area for a deep dive into Jin dynasty culture, wander elegant Harbin Volga Manor and pay a sobering visit to the Unit 731 Museum, which unpicks the Japanese army’s Second World War crimes on the local population.
Who? Regent Holidays (020 7666 1244; regent-holidays.co.uk) When? 2 Feb 2020
How long? 5 nights
How much? From £1,285 (excluding int’l flights)
MUSTANG Celebrate good versus evil
£50 Known as the ‘Chasing of OFF the Demons’, the Tibetan Buddhist Tiji Festival is a vibrant three-day celebration of good triumphing over evil, in the ancient walled city of Lo Manthang. The streets are filled with prayer flags, monks wear colourful, elaborate costumes and masks, and traditional dances are performed to ward off evil spirits. The Road to Mustang & Tiji Festival has been designed by World Expeditions to coincide with the celebrations. If you’re looking for a cultural Himalayan experience without the long hikes, this is the trip for you. Discover the hidden Kingdom of Mustang and its rugged mountain landscapes by Jeep, stroll through quaint Nepali villages and take in the Tibetan and Buddhist culture.
Who? World Expeditions (0800 0744 135; worldexpeditions.com/kot)
When? 13 May 2020
How long? 13 nights
How much? £2,550 (excluding int’l flights)
PAPUA NEW GUINEA Experience a fire dance
Intrepid Travel’s brand new Firedance Festival trip offers visitors a unique way to experience the dense jungles, bright coral reefs and the history and traditions of Papua New Guinea. Immerse yourself in local culture as you’re welcomed into a homestay in Vunga village and experience the spectacular Baining Firedance Festival, where traditional dance is performed around a fire. During your adventure you’ll also get to
visit the Duke of York Islands, meet spinner dolphins and take a historical tour of Rabaul.
Who? Intrepid Travel (0330 808 7328; intrepidtravel.com)
When? Selected dates June and October 2020
How long? 8 nights
How much? From £2,405 (excluding int’l flights)
JAPAN Get in the Olympic spirit
The Olympic Games in 2020 means the world’s eyes are firmly on Japan and Team GB Live’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Trip offers you the unique opportunity to cheer on sporting heroes while exploring one of the planet’s most intriguing cities. By day, you can soak up Tokyo’s past-meets-future skyline, with ancient shrines and temples rubbing shoulders with futuristic inventions. Come the evening, you get behind Team GB via your choice of a selection of sports, from swimming to equestrian and athletics – all under the watchful gaze of Mount Fuji.
Who? Team GB Live (0344 788 4002; travel.teamgblive.com)
When? 28 July 2020
How long? 6 nights
How much? From £7,305 (including int’l flights)
NICARAGUA Be on cloud nine in the rainforest
Following last year’s political unrest, tour operators are finally returning to the land of lakes and volcanoes – and you’ll find out why on Wild Frontiers’ new Nicaragua Explorer trip, which shows exactly what the Central American country has hidden up its sleeve. Think everything from cloud forests to rainforests – and all the wildlife in between. Spy hundreds of green parakeets flitting around waterfalls as you walk the forest trails of bird haven El Chocoyero Nature Reserve, or for a cultural hit, head to the vibrant city of Granada and watch a potter tinkering about at home, before stopping by Ometepe to admire the island’s two volcanoes, framed by Lake Nicaragua. And if you want more, night tours to the Masaya volcano’s crater are also on the agenda, where you get the chance to see lava frothing and flowing before your eyes.
Who? Wild Frontiers
(020 8741 7390; wildfrontierstravel.com)
When? 28 June 2020
How long? 13 nights
How much? £2,995 (excluding int’l flights)
CANADA Discover the Galápagos of the North
Embark on the new-for-2020 Haida Gwaii Islands Expedition with Intrepid around one of Canada’s remotest and wild archipelagos. You’ll be treated to a melting pot of human history, bucketlist wildlife and a magic hat of superb landscapes, beginning with spotting ursines at the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary. Hop around a selection of the isles and watch whales off the coast of Louise Island, paddle on a guided kayaking trip and channel your inner grizzly with some salmon fishing. Just as enchanting, though, are the ethnic Haida people, their legacy writ large in the watchmen who have stood guard here for millennia.
Who? Intrepid (0330 808 7328; intrepidtravel.com)
When? 30 June and 18 August 2020; 29 June and 17 August 2021
How long? 7 nights
How much? From £1,845 (excluding int’l flights)
⊳ AZERBAIJAN & NAKHCHIVAN Fall right off the travel map
£50 Combine a rising tourism OFF star with a place that doesn’t – technically – exist on Regent Holidays’ Azerbaijan & Nakhchivan Uncovered Group Tour. Easy-onthe-eye Baku is the perfect introduction to Azerbaijan, its modern skyscrapers blending with its quaint Old Town, before moving onto the emerald-wrapped mountains of Sheki and the ancient settlement of Lahij. Head to the seldom-treaded landlocked exclave of Nakhchivan (separated from the rest of Azerbaijan by Armenia) and stroll its namesake capital’s plethora of museums and monuments. Cast your net further in this tiny state for more sightseeing, including the woodland, mountains and lakes of the Shahbuz Plateau and Azerbaijan’s answer to Machu Picchu in Alinja Fortress.
Who? Regent Holidays (020 7666 1244; regent-holidays.co.uk)
When? 2 May 2020
How long? 10 nights
How much? From £2,740 (including int’l flights)
CHINA Act as the eyes of a Great Wall trekker
Strap on your boots and embark on a charity challenge with a difference as you hike the Great Wall of China as part of a group of blind and sighted trekkers. On Traveleyes’ Great Wall of China Trek you’ll assist a blind trekker, enabling them to enjoy the challenge, while fundraising towards a charity of your choice. This is an amazing opportunity to spend five days hiking sections of the Great Wall, while experiencing the sights and heights of China with a focus on all the senses.
Who? Traveleyes (01138 346094; traveleyes-international.com)
When? 2 May 2020
How long? 8 nights
How much? £1,900 (including int’l flights)
MYANMAR Stay somewhere new
£50 Over the past few years, OFF a number of new projects, hotels and experiences have popped up around Myanmar. Selective Asia’s Impact Myanmar trip is all about staying at smaller locally owned hotels, community tourism and wildlife conservation. Get away from the crowds of Bagan and central Inle, and instead sleep at Salay River View Inn and experience British colonial charm. The inn is a restored warehouse formerly owned by the Ayeyarwaddy Royal Trading Company. At Inle Sanctuary Phayartaung you’ll stay in stilt houses built on the pier. The ecolodge is the first hotel on Sakar Lake on the southern end of Inle Lake and offers breathtaking views.
Who? Selective Asia (01273 670001; selectiveasia.com) When? Year round
How long? 14 nights
How much? £2,726 pp (excluding int’l flights)
SULAWESI Explore island treasures
£50 Where else would you begin OFF your Adventures in Sulawesi than the bustling port of Makassar? Bamboo Travel’s overland expedition takes you from the Indonesian island’s capital and its melting pot of cultures, to the karst landscapes of the highlands, where you’ll get the chance to immerse yourself in the daily life of the spiritual Torajan people, before rafting down rivers for your next thrill. Rugged mountains and rainforests drape the landscape, but no trip would be complete without a turn around the Unesco-stamped Lore Lindu NP. Spy endemic birds, like the maleo fowl and purplebearded bee-eater, and prehistoric megaliths sculpted into human forms in one of the largest remaining mountain rainforests of Sulawesi.
Who? Bamboo Travel (020 7720 9285; bambootravel.co.uk)
When? May to October 2020
How long? 17 nights
How much? From £3,795 (including int’l flights)
PAKISTAN Discover varied Pakistan
From ancient bazaars and forts to towering peaks, explore Pakistan’s many different faces on Dragoman Overland’s Pakistan Discovery tour. Start your journey in the Old Walled City of Lahore. Browse the bazaars for traditional handicrafts, learn about the city’s Mogul past and take in the bizarre flag lowering ceremony at the Wagah border. Then head to Islamabad stopping at the striking Rohtas Fort on the way. Admire the mountain scenery as you drive along through the Karakoram Highway and enjoy a two-day hike up to Nanga Parbat. Venture through the heart of the Karakoram region and, later, visit Deosai NP, thought to be the second highest plateau in the world.
Who? Dragoman Overland (01728 861133; dragoman.com)
When? 20 June and 4 July 2020
How long? 14 nights
How much? From £1,950 + USD$660 (£504) kitty (excluding int’l flights)