Let’s break down what makes Intrepid’s Basix, Original, Comfort and Premium trips tick.
‘There are two types of people in the world…’, the saying often starts. Intrepid, though, reckons there are at least four.
With its different travel styles – Basix, Original, Comfort and Premium – Intrepid recognises that everyone likes their travel done a little differently. You likely have preferences about the pace at which you travel and the balance of organised vs organic adventures. You may be keen to camp out in nature, but your neighbour might not be able to go without the creature comforts.
So, while they all come with a passionate leader and a bunch of eager travellers, Intrepid trips are grouped into those four big buckets, helping travellers know what to expect when searching for their next adventure.
But what lies behind those labels? I’m so glad you asked. We’ll start simple, then finish off with the flash stuff.
Basix
Basix is, unsurprisingly, the most pared-back of the four travel styles. But, when Intrepid’s involved, basic doesn’t mean boring.
Accommodation is kept simple, clean and centrally located, and you’ll still get the local experience during homestays or the occasional unique stay. Like on Essential Morocco, where you’ll sleep among sand dunes at a private desert campsite in the Sahara, or on Indian Getaway, where you’ll spend two nights at a 16th-century palace.
In terms of getting from A to B, you’ll mostly take public or local transport – which puts money back into the local economy and gives you a taste of local life. Of course, specialised vehicles are used when needed, like a private 4WD when you take on the Wild Kimberley Overland.
And while there aren’t as many included activities as the other styles, there are still a few to keep you busy. On Japan Express, you’ll visit a workshop in Hiroshima to learn how to make a momiji manju (Japanese maple-leaf shaped pastry), and there’s the chance to spend time with Kenya’s Maasai people during a visit to Tepesua village on Gorillas & Game Parks.
It all works out as a win-win. You have a knowledgeable leader with you every step of the way, while having fewer locked-in plans. This opens up your free time to craft an adventure that is truly fit for your purposes.
Basix is the style where most of Intrepid’s 18 to 35s trips reside, because you can still make something special out of travelling on a shoestring.
Original
It might be second on this list, but Intrepid’s Original style of travel was the one that was here first. Original trips are the bread and butter of the Intrepid travel experience; they run at a steady pace, mixing ease (thanks to your expert leader), adventure (thanks to the included activities) and plenty of opportunities to make meaningful connections with the locals.
Like the Basix style, expect 3-star accommodation on average, with guesthouses, homestays and campsites all playing their part. Like on Classic Costa Rica, where a homestay in Santa Rosa de Pocosol comes with a cooking lesson from your hosts. The fan-favourite Vietnam Express Southbound even includes a night spent under the stars in World Heritage-listed Halong Bay, aboard a junk-style boat.
The Original style uses all manner of transport modes to get you around. You’ll board a boat to see the Best of Galapagos, travel by songthaew in northern Thailand and take a traditional gulet (sailboat) in Turkey.
The on-trip inclusions ramp up a bit here, too, including a few meals (perhaps some plov cuisine during the Five Stans Express?). But you still have plenty of time to do your own thing.
If you really want to understand what the Original style is all about, Expeditions are a good place to start. Believe me, they’re a story in and of themselves.
Comfort
There are times when having a few rough edges to your travels makes for a good story, and then there are the times when you’d prefer just to cruise on through. Enter, Comfort.
The accommodation gets bumped up to the 3-to-4-star level (often with private bathrooms), but it doesn’t lose the local flair. You’ll experience a night of traditional Bedouin hospitality in Wadi Rum as you Discover Jordan, for example, or spend two nights in a nature lodge in the Amazon on Inca Encounter.
Getting around also becomes a bit more bespoke, with private transport being your main mover. Again, though, ‘more comfort’ doesn’t mean ‘less fun’. How about a cruise down the Kinabatangan River with the family in Borneo? Or zipping around Japan on the iconic bullet trains?
The comforts extend beyond activities and accommodation – they colour how it’s crafted from the ground up. Arrival transfers are included on most trips, while durations are generally longer than the Basix and Original styles, creating a more relaxed pace of travel.
On New Zealand’s South Island, for example, you can carve a pounamu (greenstone) pendant and then carve out time to unwind in local hot springs. In Italy, there’s a full free day to explore Florence’s rich Renaissance history.
All in all, you’d be mistaken if you think this all means the ‘adventure’ part of adventure travel is being left behind. Antarctica‘s pretty out there, right?
Premium
And just like that, we arrive at the Premium pinnacle of Intrepid’s style offerings. This is for those wanting to take their travels up a notch and upgrade their experience, all without losing what it means to travel with Intrepid.
Take the accommodation. While you’re now staying mainly in hotels with an average rating of 4 stars, all Premium trips also include a feature stay in a unique property chosen for its historical significance, to showcase the local architectural style or to provide an unusual and exceptional local experience. There’s also more time spent in each location, with two- or three-night stays being more common, allowing you to take in your surroundings at your own pace.
Premium Nepal will have you staying in a jungle oasis on the banks of the Rapti River, opposite Chitwan National Park. In Portugal, you’ll spend a night in the rolling vineyards of the Douro Valley, and in Greece there’s a mansion in the medieval village of Dimitsana awaiting your arrival.
The activities get amped up too, in all the right ways. Premium trips include exceptional – and sometimes even exclusive – experiences.
Premium Peru with Ica Valley offers two, with a sunset tour of a wine and pisco vineyard and two guided visits to remarkable Machu Picchu. In Costa Rica, travellers visit a project focused on promoting sustainable agricultural practices while preserving ancient traditions. And in Vietnam, there’s a rare Hat Xam (a type of folk music) performance to look forward to.
On top of all that, travellers will be guided by our most knowledgeable and experienced leaders, and more of the admin is taken care of too – including tipping and arrival transfers, while departure transfers can be arranged.
Which Intrepid travel style is best?
That’s rhetorical.
No one style is better than the other, and you might even find that your preferences change with each new trip that comes up. Maybe it’s been a busy time, and all the extras of a Premium adventure are just what you need to switch off. Or you might be the type to figure things out on the fly, so the more free time the better – hello Basix!
Intrepid’s not kidding when it says it has an adventure for every traveller. So, instead of ‘which is best’, the better question is – where to next?
Learn more about Intrepid’s trip styles and find the right adventure for you.
