The remote southern tip of South America is a region rich with tales of conquerors, pirates, resilient natives and brave adventurers. It’s also the setting for our legendary Patagonia Wilderness trip and Emily Mitterhuemer loved spending time in the world’s most southern city…
“Ushuaia is located right on the tip of Argentina on the island of Tierra Del Fuego. It’s not far from Antarctica and the cold is proof of that. A panorama of snow capped mountains hug the town, which sits on the Beagle channel. Wind whips across the channel at high speed and causes the weather to change within hours. It is a place where adventure is in the air and where people flock for a spectacular outdoor experience. Be it hiking, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, horse-riding or wildlife watching, you can find it all here.
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Many of Cambodia’s myths and legends are based on stories about Buddha’s previous lives, therefore some of the country’s most famous folklore have an Indian lineage, as Mikey Leung explains…
“The Reamker is a Cambodian version of an ancient myth called the Ramayana, that originated in India and first made its appearance in Khmer art as early as the 6th century. Like any good myth passed from generation to generation, it has endured through the ages because of its treatment of human experiences universal to us all: those of love, trust, betrayal and forgiveness.
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So often you’ll hear people talk of the amazing colours of Asia – the lush greens of verdant rainforests, the bright pinks and yellows of incense sticks, the spectacular blues of warm tropical waters. It’s also the brilliant reds that stand out, and Sam Buck explains the colour’s significance…
“Red is a very powerful colour, in terms of human emotion it represents rage and anger and passion. Each of these emotions are incredibly strong and potentially dangerous. Red is also a colour that signals danger and warning. Just look in the animal kingdom, where the colour red warns off attacks from predators and symbolizes that the animal in question is toxic!
So red then is a colour of power and danger in some aspects of life. However in some parts of the world, especially South East Asia, red can be far more foreboding and more of a political symbol.
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A good book can whisk us away from our daily grind and take us into the pages of the author’s journey. A powerful novel can also inspire our own adventures, as Giuseppe Gabusi discovered after reading A Fortune Teller Told Me…
“I strongly recommend the book which made me discover Asia. It is written by Tiziano Terzani, an Italian journalist from Florence who died in 2004 after spending an entire life in Asia as correspondent of the German magazine Der Spiegel. This book, written in mid-90s, is probably his masterpiece.
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When you arrive in a big city, getting a local feel for the place and learning how it ticks can be tricky. That’s where Intrepid Urban Adventures can step in and help you connect with the city, plus give you the confidence to then go exploring on your own, as Rodger and Gwen Elliot recently discovered in Barcelona…
“We flew into Barcelona on Tuesday April 28th and the next morning we met our Intrepid Urban Adventures local guide, Andrico, as planned, near the entrance to the Town Hall. We were looking forward to our three hour walk around the city, but didn’t really appreciate how truly memorable it was going to be.
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Mt Kinabalu, as the ubiquitous t-shirts point out, is the highest peak in South East Asia. And although it was working for Intrepid and road-testing a trip that initiated her climb, it was Angela Zuniga’s own will that helped her take each slow step to the top…
“My local guide made sure I had enough water, that I got my permit and that I was relayed onto an experienced mountain guide. Then with my daypack weighed down with warm clothing and slightly unaware of what I was getting myself into, I took my first steps. As had been the advice, I was intent on establishing a slow and steady pace. I told myself my priority was to tackle the climb at a pace that would allow me to appreciate the beautiful Borneo vistas.
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Sure, you can plod up a mountain path to get a great view, but Julie McMackin discovered that there is another way to get high in Slovenia…
“I love the reward of the stunning views when I walk a mountain path and climb through the various levels of vegetation to be up in the clouds, where trees shrink and bend with the challenges of living at that height. Sweating and panting every step, the view seems all the better for the personal challenge.
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How did 11 mates end up making tracks across Africa with Intrepid? They must have friends in high places! Well, not exactly. But as friends of Intrepid on Facebook they entered our African Adventure comp in January – and won!
So it came to pass that these adventurous amigos recently embarked on our Road to Zanzibar trip, and kept us all entertained (and more than a little jealous) with tales from the trail. Here are their Top Five highlights from the trip…
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When passing through Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport, you may notice posters of animals, including a bizarre-looking scaly anteater. The animal in question, a pangolin (te te in Vietnamese), is one of six species featured in the “Don’t Buy Trouble” anti-wildlife trafficking campaign in Vietnam.
This unusual looking creature is covered in protective scales that are reminiscent of an artichoke and feeds on ants and termites. Pangolins are found throughout Southeast Asia, with two species native to Vietnam, but sadly they are heavily threatened by habitat loss and excessive hunting.
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