Travel is about seeing, feeling, touching and most importantly, tasting! And where better to get culinary advice from a local than in Italy. Lea Barlow took time out to find out this traditional recipe and the result is a favourite and easy dish she enjoys making at home…
“This is not exactly a recipe. In Italy we stopped for lunch at a great little restaurant. They served their great crusty bread with a dish of spread that we all fell in love with. We asked about it and how to make it and discovered that it was very simple.
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You’ve seen shows on TV where family trees are traced back and relatives are reunited, but how often does this really happen? When Tony Bloomfield booked an Intrepid trip in Croatia he had one special wish, to find out more about his father…
“Firstly a bit of background to my story. My father came from Korcula (family name Stanisich) to New Zealand in the middle 1930s and later married my mother. Unfortunately he was killed in a work-related accident when I was very young and my mother eventually remarried. In 2005, my mother, older sister and I went to Croatia. We visited Korcula and the village of Pupnat, where my father was from, in hope of meeting family members. We had an interpreter organised, but he failed to show up and sadly we left without making any contact.
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The iconic Trans-Siberian Railway is on so many travel wish lists, and rightly so. Intrepid’s Chimene Barrett gives Intrepid’s new Classic Trans-Siberian trip the big thumbs up for anyone wanting to experience a fascinating overland adventure…
“Armed with packet noodles, bread, pickles and an obligatory bottle of vodka, we boarded the train out of Vladivostok with a little trepidation. Our Trans-Siberian journey would mean 3 nights non-stop to Irkutsk!
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Porters: we’d have a much tougher time getting up those hills without them! They play such an important role in the success of trekking operations in many mountainous regions, including of course the mighty Himalayas, so Intrepid and The Intrepid Foundation are very proud to support the Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP) Porters’ Clothing Bank (PCB).
The PCB was established in 2009 to provide ill-prepared porters with improved clothing, suitable for treks in a mountain environment, and KEEP has no doubt that supporters of the PCB have helped save hundreds of porters from extreme cold, frostbite, amputation and even death. PCB’s latest report tells that nearly 1000 porters, representing different trekking companies as well as individual porters, have benefited from the PCB. Aside from helping porters with clothing items, the KEEP’s PCB assists with education and awareness amongst porters, the tourism industry and with trekkers. So what can travellers do? Here are some tips from KEEP’s Porters Code, to guide you…
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Mongolia is one of those amazing places that can really get under your skin. Our new Mongolia Overland takes you deep into the heart of this intriguing nation and as Intrepid’s Boris ‘Bob’ Golodets reveals, it’s a country rich in real life experiences…
“Only a few hours by the car from Ulaanbaatar there is a national park – Terelj. Here we get to camp out and go horse riding, hiking and rafting if we wish, but the best thing about being in the national park is the nature itself. The alpine scenery is magnificent and it’s a precious opportunity stay in an area that’s yet to be developed or invaded by humans.
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The temples of Angkor and their mystical quality is what attracts many travellers to Cambodia. But what Intrepid’s Anya Hodson discovered on her trip to this beautiful kingdom, is that it’s the everyday people of Cambodia who make this country so special…
“During a recent conference trip, our Intrepid group was able to schedule a visit to a local project supported by The Intrepid Foundation. Green Gecko is an organisation in Siem Reap for street kids of all ages. As a place of refuge from life on the streets, Green Gecko is somewhere that children can go to receive shelter and education, but also have fun with other kids.
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Intrepid has a legacy of bringing travellers to some of the world’s most intriguing regions and with this in mind we are very excited to recommence trips in Burma. Before opting to return it was important that we could ensure as much money as possible would go directly into the pockets of the locals and fortunately Intrepid’s grassroots trip style lends itself to targeting where tourist dollars are spent. A great deal of research has gone into planning our first Burma trip since 2003 and Intrepid’s Cathy Walken was amongst our advance party…
“Going to Burma was a tough decision. I’d been putting-off travelling here until it was considered more appropriate to do so. Recent changes in the country have meant that there’s been some ‘relaxing’ of the attitude about travelling to Burma and I’m pleased, as it was such a delight to travel here. Though there were too many highlights to mention, I wanted to share some of them here…
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One of Intrepid’s newest trips has you cruising into stunning Santorini by yacht. It’s postcard-perfect Greece with white and blue villages clinging to cliff faces and as Danielle Watts discovered, it is an ideal place to drop anchor and explore on foot…
“I had a picture in my mind of Santorini and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Located in the Cyclades group of the Greek Islands, in the shimmering blue waters of the Aegean Sea, Santorini is one of the most beautiful and popular islands to visit. On arrival you may be overwhelmed by the crowds at the port, vying for the attention and business of arriving tourists. But then it’s time to board the local bus, which slowly winds its way up the cliff face to the main town of Fira.
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