Swap your Cappuccino for a Vietnamese drip-filtered coffee<\/h3>\n![\"inna](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/inna-dee.jpg\")
Photo courtesy of Inna Dee, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n
Coffee is the juice that ordinary runs on. It\u2019s our life-blood, our caffeine-pumping, creativity-generating stimulant of choice. But there\u2019s a big wide world of it out there, and most people only wind up drinking the same cup over and over. Vietnamese coffee is drip-filtered slowly onto a soft bed of creamy sweetened condensed milk. Trust us, after one sip you\u2019ll think regular cows need to really lift their game. Best enjoyed on a busy Hanoi<\/a> street corner as the afternoon sun starts to dip behind the rooftops.<\/p>\n\u00a0Swap your train commute for a Thai tuk tuk ride<\/h3>\n![\"laurence](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/laurence-king.jpg\")
Photo courtesy of Laurence King, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n
Public transport in Asia varies in quality from place to place, but many (many) locals choose to make their daily journeys via moped. Whole families often pillion on one bike, stacked smallest to tallest with not a helmet in sight. Mopeds are cheap, fast and \u2013 surrounded by hundreds of other motorists \u2013 thrilling. But don\u2019t worry, you don\u2019t have to brave peak hour in Bangkok to experience this slice of Thai life. Head to Koh Samui or Chiang Mai<\/a> in the north, hail down a tuk tuk and start exploring. Catching the tube in to work will never have felt so dull.<\/p>\n\u00a0Swap a visit to the cinema for a Bollywood extravaganza<\/h3>\n![\"prayitno\"](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/prayitno.jpg\" "\\"Photo")
<\/a>Photo courtesy of prayitno, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n
There is a magical land out there, a land where moustached men and belly dancing women live happily ever after, where groups of strangers break into song, and where everyone is followed around by their own personal wind machine. That land is Bollywood. A trip to a Mumbai multiplex is nothing like your standard cinema: Bollywood here is more of a religion than a diversion, and you\u2019ll be expected the cheer the hero (and whistle during the dance numbers) along with everyone else.<\/p>\n
Swap football on the tellie for ringside Sumo tickets in Japan<\/h3>\n![\"Nakatani](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Nakatani-Yoshifumi-.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo courtesy of Nakatani Yoshifumi, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n
There\u2019s nothing wrong with an afternoon watching your football side on TV. But for something a little more extraordinary, nothing compares to ringside seats at one of Tokyo\u2019s sumo bouts. Part religious ritual, part spectacle, and part two giant guys in towels pushing each other around a small circle, this is one of sport\u2019s great contests. If that didn\u2019t wrestle ordinary into submission, we\u2019ll take you behind the scenes<\/a> at a genuine sumo stable \u2013 just don\u2019t get between them and their dinner.<\/p>\nSwap a night in bed for a night under the stars in India<\/h3>\n![\"idreamlikecrazy\"](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/idreamlikecrazy.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo courtesy of idreamlikecrazy, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n
We spend nearly 300,000 hours in bed during our lifetimes \u2013 that\u2019s a lot of time dedicated to ordinary. Sleep is so repetitive we\u2019ve sort of become numb to it. Each night follows the same old pattern. So why not swap that ceiling with the weird patch where the roof leaked for an open sky and a galaxy full of stars on the sands of Osiyan<\/a>? Feel the Indian desert winds around you, stay up late and listen to the thundering silence. Who said bedtime had to be boring<\/p>\n <\/i>Swap wildlife for a wild life<\/h3>\n![\"NOAA\"](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/NOAA.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo courtesy of NOAA, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n
Most of us come into contact with wildlife every day. But no matter how much dignity and grandeur truly exists in the average street-side pigeon, rat or seagull, not many people would label them extraordinary. Moths and beetles also tend to rank pretty low on the \u2018Spectacular Scale\u2019. Enter Asia. Swap those everyday critters for egg-laying Giant Sea Turtles, friendly orang-utans and over 4,500 species of plant and animal life in Borneo\u2019s Sabah region<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u00a0Swap your cereal and toast for a bowl of Vietnamese pho<\/h3>\n![\"Pho](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/thatwelike.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo courtesy of Pho Chu, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n
It\u2019s meant to be the most important meal of the day, but most of us tend to waste breakfast on buttered toast (usually burned on one side), soggy cereal and perhaps an apple. Not a menu to inspire. But swap these cereal offenders for a steaming fresh bowl of Vietnamese pho, and you\u2019ll wake up a different person. A clear noodle broth, flavoured with aromatic star anise, cinnamon, cloves and ginger, it\u2019s Vietnam\u2019s traditional wakeup call. Pull over at one of the busy streetside stalls in Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi, order a big bowl and watch the world go by.<\/p>\n
Swap a walk in the park for a walk through the Himalayas<\/h3>\n![\"les](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/les-haines.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo courtesy of Les Haines, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n
It\u2019s a proud weekend tradition: the walk in the park. Dogs running through the trees, old men playing chess, kids crying over spilt ice-creams. There\u2019s nothing like it. But perhaps it\u2019s time to mix things up: swap that stroll along the bike track for a stroll through the snow-capped peaks of the world most famous mountain range: the Himalayas. Trek through flame-red rhododendron forests<\/a>, visit alpine hot springs, sip local brews in ancient cliff-side Tea Houses and fill your lungs with the glorious scent of fresh mountain air.<\/p>\nDo you want to avoid the ordinary? Check out our Intrepid itineraries to Asia<\/a> and you’ll be half way there.<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n
Photo courtesy of Inna Dee, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n
Coffee is the juice that ordinary runs on. It\u2019s our life-blood, our caffeine-pumping, creativity-generating stimulant of choice. But there\u2019s a big wide world of it out there, and most people only wind up drinking the same cup over and over. Vietnamese coffee is drip-filtered slowly onto a soft bed of creamy sweetened condensed milk. Trust us, after one sip you\u2019ll think regular cows need to really lift their game. Best enjoyed on a busy Hanoi<\/a> street corner as the afternoon sun starts to dip behind the rooftops.<\/p>\n Photo courtesy of Laurence King, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n Public transport in Asia varies in quality from place to place, but many (many) locals choose to make their daily journeys via moped. Whole families often pillion on one bike, stacked smallest to tallest with not a helmet in sight. Mopeds are cheap, fast and \u2013 surrounded by hundreds of other motorists \u2013 thrilling. But don\u2019t worry, you don\u2019t have to brave peak hour in Bangkok to experience this slice of Thai life. Head to Koh Samui or Chiang Mai<\/a> in the north, hail down a tuk tuk and start exploring. Catching the tube in to work will never have felt so dull.<\/p>\n Photo courtesy of prayitno, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n There is a magical land out there, a land where moustached men and belly dancing women live happily ever after, where groups of strangers break into song, and where everyone is followed around by their own personal wind machine. That land is Bollywood. A trip to a Mumbai multiplex is nothing like your standard cinema: Bollywood here is more of a religion than a diversion, and you\u2019ll be expected the cheer the hero (and whistle during the dance numbers) along with everyone else.<\/p>\n Photo courtesy of Nakatani Yoshifumi, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n There\u2019s nothing wrong with an afternoon watching your football side on TV. But for something a little more extraordinary, nothing compares to ringside seats at one of Tokyo\u2019s sumo bouts. Part religious ritual, part spectacle, and part two giant guys in towels pushing each other around a small circle, this is one of sport\u2019s great contests. If that didn\u2019t wrestle ordinary into submission, we\u2019ll take you behind the scenes<\/a> at a genuine sumo stable \u2013 just don\u2019t get between them and their dinner.<\/p>\n Photo courtesy of idreamlikecrazy, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n We spend nearly 300,000 hours in bed during our lifetimes \u2013 that\u2019s a lot of time dedicated to ordinary. Sleep is so repetitive we\u2019ve sort of become numb to it. Each night follows the same old pattern. So why not swap that ceiling with the weird patch where the roof leaked for an open sky and a galaxy full of stars on the sands of Osiyan<\/a>? Feel the Indian desert winds around you, stay up late and listen to the thundering silence. Who said bedtime had to be boring<\/p>\n Photo courtesy of NOAA, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n Most of us come into contact with wildlife every day. But no matter how much dignity and grandeur truly exists in the average street-side pigeon, rat or seagull, not many people would label them extraordinary. Moths and beetles also tend to rank pretty low on the \u2018Spectacular Scale\u2019. Enter Asia. Swap those everyday critters for egg-laying Giant Sea Turtles, friendly orang-utans and over 4,500 species of plant and animal life in Borneo\u2019s Sabah region<\/a>.<\/p>\n Photo courtesy of Pho Chu, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n It\u2019s meant to be the most important meal of the day, but most of us tend to waste breakfast on buttered toast (usually burned on one side), soggy cereal and perhaps an apple. Not a menu to inspire. But swap these cereal offenders for a steaming fresh bowl of Vietnamese pho, and you\u2019ll wake up a different person. A clear noodle broth, flavoured with aromatic star anise, cinnamon, cloves and ginger, it\u2019s Vietnam\u2019s traditional wakeup call. Pull over at one of the busy streetside stalls in Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi, order a big bowl and watch the world go by.<\/p>\n Photo courtesy of Les Haines, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n It\u2019s a proud weekend tradition: the walk in the park. Dogs running through the trees, old men playing chess, kids crying over spilt ice-creams. There\u2019s nothing like it. But perhaps it\u2019s time to mix things up: swap that stroll along the bike track for a stroll through the snow-capped peaks of the world most famous mountain range: the Himalayas. Trek through flame-red rhododendron forests<\/a>, visit alpine hot springs, sip local brews in ancient cliff-side Tea Houses and fill your lungs with the glorious scent of fresh mountain air.<\/p>\n Do you want to avoid the ordinary? Check out our Intrepid itineraries to Asia<\/a> and you’ll be half way there.<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a0Swap your train commute for a Thai tuk tuk ride<\/h3>\n
\u00a0Swap a visit to the cinema for a Bollywood extravaganza<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Swap football on the tellie for ringside Sumo tickets in Japan<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Swap a night in bed for a night under the stars in India<\/h3>\n
<\/a> <\/i>Swap wildlife for a wild life<\/h3>\n
<\/a>\u00a0Swap your cereal and toast for a bowl of Vietnamese pho<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Swap a walk in the park for a walk through the Himalayas<\/h3>\n
<\/a>
![\"blog-800x150-ASIA\"](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/blog-800x150-ASIA-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"