These new trips and experiences give you the chance to add a little more meaning to your next Intrepid escape.
The best adventures aren’t just about good times. They’re the ones that let you connect with local communities and give back to the places you visit. Like mucking in with elephant lunch prep at a sanctuary in Thailand. Or turning ocean waste into arty creations in the Galapagos. Responsible travel just got a whole lot easier in 2026 with these fresh new ways to make a difference in destinations around the world.
1. Pedal for a cause in Colombia
This new 18 to 35s One Week in Colombia trip combines classic Colombia with lesser-known spots like Barranquilla – a culture-packed city on the Caribbean coast. Visit The Intrepid Foundation partner, World Bicycle Relief, at its factory and see how purpose-built bikes are changing lives in rural communities. Then jump on a two-wheeled tour of the waterfront – including a stop at the famous Shakira statue (yes, the ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ Shakira) – as Barranquilla is the singer’s hometown.
2. Make feel-good souvenirs in the Galapagos
OK, so recycling might not be your kids’ favourite subject, but this new workshop on the Galapagos Family Holiday will have them (and you) looking at rubbish in a whole new light. After spotting penguins and snorkelling above lava tubes on Isla Isabela, join an artist in Santa Cruz who’s doing their bit to upcycle some of the millions of tonnes of plastic that enter the oceans each year. Turn washed-up waste into art, jewellery and even toys for a fun lesson in conservation.
Read more: 10 new ways to connect with Indigenous culture
3. Prep lunch for elephants in Thailand
Animal lovers get a new experience on the Explore Northern Thailand trip with a visit to Sappraiwan Elephant Sanctuary – an organisation supported by Intrepid Foundation partner, World Animal Protection and dedicated to rescuing elephants from logging and tourism. Pitch in with lunch prep (though, be warned: adults consume up to 150 kilograms of food per day), walk alongside these gentle giants and learn how the sanctuary is rewilding the jungle to enable these elephants to thrive.
4. Dine in a secret garden in Malaysia
Fresh off the griddle for 2026, the new Singapore to Malaysia Real Food Adventure includes a three-course dinner at Kafe Basikal Tua – a hidden tropical oasis in Kuala Lumpur. The restaurant was founded by a landscape designer who was left partially blind after a stroke. Inspired by a blind masseuse who helped him recover, the meals are prepped by families from the visually impaired community and the profits go on to fund local social-work programmes.
Read more: 14 new food and drink experiences
5. Trek through tea country in Sri Lanka
This addition on the 18 to 35s Essential Sri Lanka adventure takes you along a section of the 300 km Pekoe Trail, Sri Lanka’s first long-distance trek that winds through centuries-old tea estates. Along the way, you’ll help rural communities benefit from tourism, share a spicy curry lunch with local families and sip piping-hot Ceylon tea straight from the source. You’ll also cross the Ella Forest Reserve and the famous Nine Arches Bridge on foot.
6. Roll up your sleeves at a women-led farm in Guatemala
On the new Acatenango Volcano Hike & Antigua Short Break, you’ll hike along forest trails to meet the visionary women who lead a regenerative farm. Wander fields filled with all sorts of legumes and veggies and discover how they’re healing the soil and reviving indigenous crops. Depending on the season, you might even get to lend a hand with planting. Afterwards, get your hands dirty again – this time with flour – at a Guatemalan tortilla workshop.
Read more: 9 new ways to champion local women
7. Help restore coral in Costa Rica
This new experience on the Best of Costa Rica Family Holiday takes you through the Marino Ballena National Park – home to dolphins, sea turtles and whales – to join a non-profit organisation dedicated to regenerating the park’s fragile reefs. You’ll dive into the weird and wonderful world of these living marine invertebrates and help propagate coral fragments that will eventually be returned to the ocean.
8. Have a brew at a life-changing cafe in Serbia
Borek (flaky pies) and cevapi (grilled sausages) are two of the many delicacies you’ll try on the Explore the Balkans adventure. But the trip now also includes a visit to Zvuci Srca cafe in Belgrade, where young people with developmental disabilities work and create handmade goods. Listen to the story behind the cafe over a drink and maybe buy a bag or t-shirt designed in-house.
9. Share a meal that creates opportunities for women in Turkey
Go beyond the usual suspects of Istanbul and Cappadocia on this new 11-day Eastern Turkey Explorer trip. In between meeting telkari (filigree embroidery) artists, making baklava in its birthplace and exploring the sunken city of Halfeti, you’ll share a home-style lunch at Nahil Guesthouse – a women-run social enterprise supported by Intrepid Foundation partner KEDV – while learning about how they’re working with local co-operatives to uplift low-income women in southwestern Turkey.
10. Stay in a lodge that supports communities in Uganda
The highlight of the new Essential Uganda and Gorilla Trek for 18 to 35s is undoubtedly seeing mountain gorillas up close and personal (be prepared to lose it when you see an infant rolling in leaves). But your lodge, Ride 4 A Woman, in Bwindi National Park is pretty cool too. It supports local women and families by creating jobs, offering training in weaving and cooking, and funding clean water and other community projects.
Find out what else is new for 2026 with The Goods – a collection of new trips and experiences to inspire a year of adventure.
