Expeditions are the trips that put the ‘intrepid’ in, well, Intrepid. Learn what goes into putting one together and why there’s such a big appeal in wandering the path less travelled.
Intrepid’s Expeditions are essentially a bottle of the secret sauce that kickstarted the company 35 years ago.
‘They’re our most Intrepid trips,’ says Tara Kennaway, Intrepid’s senior product manager responsible for Expeditions. ‘They’re the trips that really hark back to the origins of our business in the late 80s when our founders travelled across Africa, exploring as they went, really engaging with local communities and really getting under the skin of destinations.’
‘Maybe there were a few surprises along the way, but by the end it was like, “Wow, that was a trip.”’
Intrepid’s Expeditions are about doing something you’ve always dreamed of (or something that never even occurred to you). These trips serve up adventures like trekking in Pakistan’s Karakoram Mountains, visiting spectacular architecture and desert landscapes in Tunisia and travelling to islands off-beaten-track like Timor-Leste.
‘They might be the only trip that we run in a destination,’ Tara says. ‘Even just hearing the destination’s name might conjure thoughts like, “Wow I wonder what that’s like” or “I’ve always wanted to travel there.”’
Given the far-flung nature of Expeditions, they’re tailormade for leader-led, small group travel. There’s a chance you’ll need permits to access certain areas or specialist knowledge about local communities, whether that’s advice on what to wear or social customs. Not to mention the tourism infrastructure itself might be far more limited than what travellers are used to.
As a result, exploring these places on your own might not be possible in the first place. But with a passionate leader and eager adventurers alongside, you’re able to leave the admin aside and focus on the moments that matter.
That’s where the Expedition label comes in handy. Tara acknowledges that Expeditions are ‘a space for us to try something out, test something new and see if it grows’. They’re not specifically limited edition, but ‘they might not be something that stays in our range for very long.’
And for travellers, it sets the tone for the trip to come. It says that while there might not be hot showers, well-paved roads or cell reception, other rewards await. Spotting humpback whales in the Comoros Islands or taking a moment to yourself in the tranquility of Bhutan’s Tang Valley don’t happen every day, after all.
These adventures are more concentrated in one country, region or even just a particular route, so ‘you might not explore as far, but you can explore a bit deeper,’ says Tara. That might look like spending 16 days exploring northeastern India, or spending five days thoroughly immersed in Australia’s Red Centre with the Traditional Owners of the land.
The remoteness of some of these destinations, however, comes with a sense of responsibility.
‘It’s important to do tourism in our way – making sure it’s community based, that local people are getting employment [and economic benefits] from our trips,” says Tara.
‘Pakistan’s a really good example. For both the Expedition and the Women’s Expedition we met an amazing woman who started her own tourism business employing and training women leaders. She’s a real trailblazer. She really got what we were trying to do, which made it easy to work with her and we’re running amazing trips there as a result.’
After her own expedition to Vanuatu, Tara learned that this style of trip really does give you a different lens into a destination.
‘I’d thought Vanuatu was so much more touristy than it actually is. I thought people just go to the beach, they go to the resorts, they maybe do some day tours from the resort – because that’s all I’d seen. In fact, that was just because there wasn’t anybody else doing trips like us outside the popular areas.’
‘The other travellers were completely blown away too. The feedback was all “it’s just us here, hey!”’
‘It’s very personal, in that way. It’s a very personal moment when you’re not experiencing the same thing as thousands of other tourists. It becomes your experience. When you return home, people’s reactions aren’t “Oh, I did that” or “I’m doing that later this year.” They say, “Oh wow, you went there?”’
If you’re into trekking distant terrain or sailing to remote islands, Intrepid Expeditions will help you to find your inner adventurer. Or dive into an empowering travel experience with Women’s Expeditions.
