At home we often fall into the trap of not being able to see beyond the world in which we live. We know what we don’t like, but spend too little time discovering new things to enjoy. Tina Jensen’s story is about her journey of discovery in Vietnam, where the things that she would never do at home became her guilt-free pleasures abroad…
“Intrepid’s promise of “discovering worlds beyond your own” conjures up images of new places, faces, experiences, the excitement of the unknown. It gets people thinking. Gets people dreaming. Gets people wanting to get out of the confines of their every day lives and see more of the world. I love it!
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Stepping out of our comfort zones can so often lead to our most amazing real life experiences. For Julie-Anne McMackin you couldn’t get much more uncomfortable than stripping off in front of strangers, but she mustered the courage on her Intrepid Morocco trip…
“I loved getting lost in the chaotic, crowded splendour of the Medina in the imperial cities. I lost my heart to a blue-eyed Berber who would have given Aladdin a run for his money and learnt how to wrap my head in the traditional Berber headdress to protect my face from the windblown sand that shapes the dunes as it races towards the endless horizons of the desert. But the most boundary-stretching, confronting and life-affirming experience of my time in this wonderful country was my visit to a hammam, or local bath.
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Bathing in an outdoor onsen (hot spring bath) in Japan is one of those very memorable real life experiences. But mustering the courage to shed your inhibitions could end up a travel blooper rather than a holiday highlight, so David Atkinson helps us take the plunge…
“Bath time had never been so tricky. Here I was, tackle out and goose bumps spreading like a bad rash, prancing between the centuries-old dipping pools of a pristine hot springs resort in Japan. Set against a serene backdrop of mountain scenery, autumnal forests and tiny shrines, the resort oozed a sense of almost Zen-like calm. But inside I was stricken with fear. I mean, what’s the etiquette when getting naked with a bunch of total strangers?
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So often it’s our first travel experiences that we remember most fondly and it is no exception for Margy Stevenson. Her overlanding adventures as a young woman may now be worlds away from her daily routine, but wow, what an incredible journey to look back on…
“The year was 1971, the place was Kathmandu, it was January 24th and it was my 18th birthday. Of all the fantastic places to be in at that time. Nepal had only been open to the rest of the world since about 1953 – the year I was born.
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Sharing a meal with a family who live on the shores of Lake Titicaca in Peru remains one of Julio Padilla’s fondest memories. This is a place where people’s passions and priorities are clear and the opportunity to break bread together and take part in their daily lives is a privilege…
“Arriving on the island community we were welcomed with a delicious homemade lunch and enjoyed the chance to get to know our hostess, Viviana. This lovely 54-year-old woman, who invited us to call her Vivi, exudes a gentle charm and it touched our hearts to hear her moving story.
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When Alison Meredith took up the challenge to travel the world for over a year, she probably never expected to be berated by border police, forced to ask strangers for help to get cash from an ATM or touching down in someone’s front yard in a hot air balloon. But all this and more happened in the first country she visited…
“The following is an email account of my initial experiences in China. It was the first destination of a life changing, 15-month journey through over 30 counties and still remains at the top of my list of favourites. I travelled with a German girl whom I met en route and despite the absolute chaos of China, or perhaps because of it, we had a fantastic time. I can’t recommend China highly enough if you’re after an eye-opening, all sense-assaulting, entertaining and thoroughly worthwhile travel experience.
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Intrepid’s Skye McIver discovered that there are few experiences more poignant or humbling than seeing the pain that other people have had to go through for their gains, and realising what we too often take for granted…
“At the age of 14 I walked the Kokoda Track, an experience that changed my outlook on life forever and ultimately led to me working for a company like Intrepid. Yes, it was physically and mentally challenging, but it was actually meeting the local people and experiencing their way of village life that put things in perspective for me as a teenage girl. Fifteen years on, I had another of these life-altering experiences – I travelled to Cambodia.
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Trying to learn enough of the local language to help you get around can really be a challenge for your comfort zone. What’s more unnerving than being warned that a slight mispronunciation can be the difference between saying “thank you” and swearing profusely? But locals really appreciate visitors making an attempt to use their language and will often help with a little coaching, as John Kirk discovered in Vietnam…
“Our group had some time to chill out in Nha Trang, so I decided to hire a bike and explore the surrounding countryside. It was a fantastic way to take in the local sights, but being a scorching hot day I took a break under the shade of a large tree next to the railway line to Ho Chi Minh City. Nearby was a railway crossing attendant’s hut. Its occupant was having a blissful siesta, obviously not expecting either trains or guests, as he had shed most of his uniform in the heat!
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As the famous Bobby Troup 1946 song says, “If you ever plan to motor west, travel my way, the highway that’s the best. Get your kicks on Route 66!” And that’s exactly how Intrepid’s Barbara Glanz decided to see a different side of the fascinating United States…
“It’s true that I have seen most national parks in North America, I know many American cities, I’ve explored hidden jewels, such as narrow slot canyons in Utah, and I have manoeuvred my sea kayak between Orca whales up in Alaska. However one big thing was missing: the incredible U.S. Route 66, known as the Main Street of America or the Mother Road, it’s certainly one of the most famous roads in the world.
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