Intrepid Travel – Real Life Experiences…

Founded in 2005 to celebrate 100 years of making movies, the China National Film Museum is a fascinating way to step back in time in Beijing. Intrepid’s Bob Golodets gives you tips to enjoy the world’s largest professional film museum…

“This museum is entertainment for anyone who enjoys going to the movies. It’s a real house of cinema and well worth a visit, even though it will take you some effort to get there. It’s reminiscent of a shopping mall in Russia: built outside the border of the city where the taxes are lower and similar in size. There is a huge reception hall, plus kiosks selling magazines and souvenirs, the cinema ticket office and more than 20 big halls displaying a collection of over 1500 films and 4300 still images from works of 450 filmmakers!

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We know that without museums we risk losing vital information about the culture, traditions and lifestyles of our ancestors. This is especially true in places like Peru, where Silvia Rodrigues discovered that natural history museums are piecing together the lives of those who no longer have a voice…

“Included in the many highlights of my Intrepid Peru trip were visits to the obscure museums that you find around the country. Fascinating keepers of precious artefacts of Inca and pre-Inca cultures, such as the Paracas, Tiwanaku and Nazcas.

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In Japan you’ll find an anime museum dedicated to the creator of Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion, and there’s even a museum that celebrates the invention of the two-minute-noodle. Tracking down these hidden gems is all part of the fun and Aaron Dodson enjoyed toying around in another Tokyo museum…

“Ueno Park is famous for many world-class museums, but it was the small Shitamachi Museum that proved the most interesting and fun for everyone in our Intrepid group. Shitamachi was the traditional downtown area of Tokyo, but this changed with the rebuilding of the city following the end of the Second World War. In an attempt to preserve some of the spirit of the bygone era, this small museum was created by a few dedicated locals.

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As part of the third year of the ‘Stop Sex Trafficking of Children & Young People’ campaign, Intrepid Travel, Child Wise and The Body Shop ran a competition to help protect the children of Cambodia from travelling sex offenders. The winner was the person who came up with the best idea for a Child Wise billboard in Phnom Penh.

Congratulations to Isobel Shearman for her winning entry:
“Have you packed your Moral Compass? It doesn’t matter where you are – child sex trafficking is wrong.”

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We are thrilled to announce that Intrepid’s Bruno Dawsan has been heralded as the world’s greatest tour leader at the 2011 Wanderlust World Guide Awards!

Last year’s Bronze Award winner, this year Bruno won Gold after receiving even more support, with heartwarming and impassioned testimonials from travellers who told of rescuing people from a fire and helping to make a marriage proposal special. Born into a Tamil tea-picking family, he has become a true “cultural ambassador for his country.”

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All is not as it seems in Venice in the weeks preceding Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Mystery and intrigue lurk around every corner, as everyone from lawyers, teachers, carpenters and dentists by day, unleash their alter egos by night. Intrepid’s Chotie Moloney discovered that throughout history orderly conduct has given way to indulgent behaviour during this flamboyant festival…

“Venetians adorned in black costumes with white masks and black tricorn hats would promenade through the streets and easily be mistaken for ghosts in the moonlight. The air was filled with excitement and anticipation. Thus was the magic of Carnevale di Venezia.

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Few festivals can rival the after dark displays of Lunar New Year celebrations. In China and Chinatowns across the globe, merrymaking is in full swing as soon as the sun sets. It’s a fabulous event and Shannon Cormick was in Hangzhou when the festivities went off with a bang…

“It’s late, it must almost be midnight. But I have a craving for some spring onion pancakes. I know the little old lady down by the river will still be there. Offering her home cooked deliciousness for only one yuan. It’s worth braving the February chill, so I head outside. I’ve walked only a few paces when suddenly I hear a BANG! Startled, I turn and look around, just in time to see an eruption of sparkles, crackling in the night sky before falling gracefully down, fading gently, leaving wisps of smoke in its wake. The Spring Festival has begun!

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If you’ve followed Intrepid’s journey then you know that an integral part of our trips is our Responsible Travel philosophy. It’s not something we only talk about, but something we do every day, and seeing this in action made Viv Frost’s Kenya Wildlife Safari all the more special…

“As soon as you set foot on African soil there is something that captivates you, heightens your senses and makes you fully aware that you are somewhere magical. Arriving in Nairobi after a long arduous journey from Auckland, my husband and I felt relief as well as a sense of excitement.

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There are so many reasons to celebrate being in India, but if you want to join in the country’s most vibrant festival then find out from Christine Wilson why you’ll want to plan your trip around 26 October, 2011, or 13 November, 2012…

“I had the time of my life on Intrepid’s Unforgettable India trip, and to top it off my adventure luckily coincided with Diwali – the Festival of Lights. It is a 5-day celebration and the most important festival of the year. The days leading up to the main festival date were shopping madness. The markets were teeming with locals buying gifts for all their friends and family and the streets were lined with strings of lights and decorations. Everything was just so colourful.

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