Intrepid trip

South Africa’s Garden Route – from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth – encompasses everything from white-sand beaches to mountain passes to endless vineyards.

I’d never heard of Xi’an until I joined Intrepid’s China Experience tour. We went there, of course, for its proximity to the Terracotta Warriors, but the city turned out to be so much more than that…

By the end of the Best of Turkey tour I was broke and owned more Turkish towels than clothing, but I’d experienced a country so comforting to a solo female traveler that I felt broken-hearted getting on the flight home.

One of the greatest perks of group travel is having ready-made friends to explore and do activities with, which – for me – is a lot more enjoyable than traveling solo.

Stepping outside of your comfort zone doesn’t always have to be dramatic. For me, it was choosing to finally book a group tour, to travel with strangers, on someone else’s schedule.

And as I watched the fireworks with my husband and our new friends, I made a promise to myself that I would someday return to this beautiful country.

“There’s a leopard up ahead,” said our safari guide, with no fanfare at all. He quickly maneuvered the truck off the road and tried to get closer.

On my island hopping tour, having Angela as our local leader was like having a friend with endless recommendations. Whether it was restaurants, shops or beaches, she always knew where to go.

For most travelers, myself included, it’s the highlight of visiting Peru. This ancient Wonder of the World exceeded all my expectations, mostly because I got to do and see everything I’d hoped.