You can imagine that Intrepid’s CEO and co-founder doesn’t have much time to sit down and enjoy a good book, but holidays are the exception and Darrell Wade felt compelled to review his latest travel read…
“Earlier this year I was trekking in Nepal with my family. We had three weeks and quickly got into the routine of early rises, wonderful walking all day and finishing mid afternoon at our new campsite. Some afternoons we’d play volleyball with our porters and guides, other days it was badminton – and we even played cricket a couple of times.
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Cambodia has an incredible story to tell and books such as When The War Was Over and First They Killed My Father are powerful accounts of the tragedies endured. Travelling through this country you can’t help but be touched by the resilience of the people and those real life experiences will be your tales to tell, as Intrepid’s Carole Heffernan discovers…
“Battambang is the second largest city in Cambodia and with its French Colonial architecture the city retains a very local provincial atmosphere. It is the final stop on Intrepid’s Road to Angkor Westbound and a visit here is a great way to spend the last day before crossing over to Thailand.
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When a group of people who are passionate about responsible travel and helping local communities get together, you never know which direction their fun activities may lead!
The 6th of November marked our first ever Intrepid Foundation Day and it was a huge success around the globe. The purpose of the day was to increase our staff awareness of all the fantastic projects the Intrepid Foundation is supporting and also stimulate ideas on how they could be more involved…
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Only one mountaineering team has successfully climbed the highest peak of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in China. This stunning massif forms the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge on one side and the views from all angles are worth every step, as Intrepid Express reader Belinda Mortlock discovered…
“As we slowly wound our way up the narrow rocky path through flowery shrubs and pines, I could not believe the drop in temperature compared to when we left the base of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, but even the cool climate could not distract me from the breathtaking views over the countryside looking down to Lijiang rooftops, a beautiful ancient village of the Yunnan province.
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We’re thrilled to announce that Intrepid Travel now has 500 carbon offset trips available in 2010!
The move comes on the back of Intrepid’s successful experiment this year with offering 38 carbon offset trips. Our reports show that there were no significant changes in booking patterns to these 38 trips in 2009, with the increased cost not discouraging travellers (on average less than 50 cents per day per traveller). These trips sold more or held steady against other small group adventures.
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There’s more to Japan than meets the eye and Intrepid leader Aaron Davis explains why the Land of the Rising Sun can also be music to your ears…
“Japan is a photographer’s dream. From the austere beauty of traditional shrines to the vibrant embroidered designs of women’s kimono or the explosive beauty of cherry blossoms in spring, there’s no doubt that this land is a feast for the eyes! But I always advise Intrepid travellers to take time to close your eyes or put down the camera and just listen to the sounds of the country. There’s a lot to hear.
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There’s no need to turn your nose up when you travel, in fact as Intrepid Express reader Paul Lynch explains, follow your nose and you can end up on some unforgettable adventures…
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single sniff” – not exactly the Lao Tzu quote that made the philosopher famous, but it’s close enough. Point being, do cities or countries possess a unique odour?
Travel should broaden the mind but more often dilates the nostrils, depending on the destination. You don’t have to possess the prominent feature of Cyrano de Bergerac to catch a whiff of the Guinness factory in Dublin, nor do you require a GPS to let you know that you have reached Faridabad, a sprawling industrial city north of New Delhi. The schnoz will let you know you have arrived.
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Bear for breakfast, langur for lunch or tiger for tea? We certainly hope these are not on YOUR dinner plate, but sadly these endangered creatures can be found on some menus in Indochina.
Fortunately we have good news that this situation is changing thanks to the work of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and our Intrepid Foundation partners, TRAFFIC.
Choosing a restaurant in Vietnam’s capital city just got a little easier with the help of a tiny green chef. This cheery culinary figure is turning up on posters in eateries around Hanoi as the logo for WWF and TRAFFIC’s Green Restaurant Campaign to end illegal and/or unsustainable wildlife consumption.
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Since Jacquie Burnside joined Intrepid as a group leader many moons ago, she’s seen the company grow to be one of the world’s most respected adventure travel operators. You can pack of whole lot of amazing real life experiences into twenty years, and as Jac has just discovered on her latest adventure, it’s amazing how much fun you can cram into 26 days in Ghana and Mali…
“In 1988 on my very first big trip overseas, I took a five month overland safari from Egypt to Tanzania and then up through Central Africa and across the Sahara to Europe! This was at about the same time that Darrell and Manch were travelling with friends on the southbound route from London to Nairobi, when they conceived the business idea that was to become Intrepid Travel. I joined this fledgling company some 5 years later.
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