{"id":58337,"date":"2023-01-02T22:36:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-02T11:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=58337"},"modified":"2025-03-27T01:45:19","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T14:45:19","slug":"offbeat-trips-to-escape-the-crowds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/offbeat-trips-to-escape-the-crowds\/","title":{"rendered":"8 offbeat trips to escape the crowds in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There\u2019s a big wide world out there. And while the classic spots are popular for a reason, it\u2019s often the quirkier, eyebrow-raising destinations that get our hearts beating the fastest. Better still, it can benefit people and the planet when you choose to visit them too. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, as part of our Travel Goals for 2025, we\u2019re urging adventurous travellers to find fresh experiences in lesser-known destinations. Ready to take the plunge? Dive into the unknown with these new, improved and far-from-the-norm trips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Find an unknown island paradise in Comoros <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve never heard of this tiny island nation<\/a>, you\u2019re not alone. This little archipelago off the east coast of Africa<\/a> sits between Mozambique and Madagascar, but receives very few visitors compared to its more popular neighbours. In 2020, UNESCO designated the island of Moheli and its surrounding waters a biosphere reserve, acknowledging the diversity of flora and fauna that makes the area such a draw for wildlife lovers. Join our brand-new Comoros Wildlife Expedition<\/a> in 2023 to spot sea turtles, humpback whales, endangered flying bats and more. All while helping to conserve their pristine natural habitats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Experience rural life in Northern Cyprus<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cyprus<\/a> is a sun-drenched Mediterranean island, so naturally, it\u2019s not short of tourists. But only a fraction of its visitors venture beyond the UN-controlled buffer zone that splits the country in two to explore the Turkish Cypriot North. Join our Highlights of Northern Cyprus trip<\/a> that\u2019s relaunching in 2025 and you\u2019ll be one of the adventurous few, admiring Ottoman architecture and soaring minarets in Nicosia, Europe\u2019s last divided capital; relaxing on quiet, resort-free beaches on the Karpaz peninsula; and staying in a traditional rural village where locals are working together to preserve their culture and heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

3. Go beyond the obvious in Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the 1990s, Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/a> was making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Today, years after the conflict ended, war is still the first thing that springs to mind for many people considering a trip here. But the country has come a long way since those days<\/a>. And Intrepid, in partnership with USAID, are working to support sustainable tourism development \u2013 showing travellers a surprising side of Bosnia and Herzegovina on a brand new expedition<\/a>, departing for the first time in May 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Blaze a (sort of) new trail in Bhutan<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After a four-year restoration project, centuries of history are coming back to life on the newly launched Trans Bhutan Trail<\/a>. Follow in the footsteps of traders, pilgrims and monks as you venture through untouched landscapes, with plenty of history, culture and encounters with local people along the way. Trust us \u2013 hiking these revamped ancient byways is the ultimate way to see Bhutan<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

5. Tackle a lesser-known trek in Peru<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Inca Trail gets all the love \u2013 and therefore all the crowds. While the journey to Peru<\/a>\u2019s crowning glory, Machu Picchu, tends to live up to the hype for travellers, there are other, equally astonishing hiking routes and Inca ruins that have yet to be discovered by the masses. In 2023, we\u2019re launching our brand new Great Inca Road expedition<\/a> \u2013 a 12-day trek along sections of a 25,000-mile ancient highway featuring epic Andean landscapes and under-the-radar ruins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Dive into a one-of-a-kind adventure in Vanuatu<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are cultural festivals, and then there\u2019s Vanuatu\u2019s land-diving festival. This spectacle \u2013 often described as the \u2018original bungee jumping\u2019 \u2013 is practised by the indigenous community of Pentecost island and is unlike anything you\u2019ve ever witnessed. Jumpers throw themselves off a high wooden tower with nothing but vines attached to their ankles in a ritual that both marks the coming of age of local young men and blesses the earth for upcoming harvests. Now Intrepid travellers have the privilege of attending one of these events, and learning more about <\/a>Vanuatu<\/a>\u2019s unique history, culture and landscapes on our Land Diving Festival Expedition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

7. Heed the call of the mountains in Pakistan<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Long-touted as the \u2018next big thing\u2019 in adventure travel, Pakistan<\/a> remains one of the last places most people think to go. But with our new 15-day expedition<\/a>, we\u2019re hoping to change that. Travelling north from Islamabad to the Hunza Valley, you\u2019ll get a feel for what life is like in the region\u2019s most remote mountain villages, visit cafes and projects that support local women and tackle high-altitude hikes to reach glittering glaciers, otherworldly lakes and astounding valley views. What are you waiting for?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Explore an underrated region in Italy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Italy<\/a> is hardly ‘off the beaten track\u2019 \u2013 just look at Rome\u2019s Colosseum or Venice\u2019s waterfront in the peak of summer. But that\u2019s all the more reason to seek out its quieter corners. Umbria<\/a> may not have the flair of Florence or the glamour of Milan, but its medieval towns, farmstays and distinct regional cuisine will show you a different, quieter side of Italy. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a big wide world out there. And while the classic spots are popular for a reason, it\u2019s often the quirkier, eyebrow-raising destinations that get our hearts beating the fastest.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15098,"featured_media":58342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3109],"tags":[49,3072,3080,19,3078,37,3090,3073],"class_list":["post-58337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-good-trips","tag-bhutan","tag-bosnia-and-herzegovina","tag-cyprus","tag-italy","tag-pakistan","tag-peru","tag-travel-goals","tag-vanuatu","ipf_theme-expedition","ipf_theme-walking-trekking","ipf_region-bhutan","ipf_region-bosnia-and-herzegovina","ipf_region-cyprus","ipf_region-italy","ipf_region-pakistan","ipf_region-papua-new-guinea","ipf_region-peru","ipf_region-tunisia"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n8 offbeat trips to escape the crowds in 2025 | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We\u2019re urging adventurous travellers to find fresh experiences in lesser-known destinations on these offbeat trips. 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