Swap the cookie-cutter hotel rooms for some pretty cool digs to rest your head in on these new accommodation options on Intrepid trips for 2024.
Where you stay when you travel can be so much more than a place to sleep – it’s a chance to connect with the locals, see the culture from a new perspective in a part of the country you wouldn’t have had access to otherwise.
Whether it’s meditating before bed with local monks in a temple that’s stood for hundreds of years or watching the sun go down behind the mountains from a guesthouse in the centre of a valley – Intrepid’s new and improved trips for 2024 offer some incredible places to spend the night.
1. Delve into the history of a medieval monastery in Sweden
Every Intrepid Premium trip includes a feature stay, and on the new ten-day Premium Sweden and Norway trip, that means two nights in a medieval monastery. This family-run Klosterhotel is home to some of the oldest buildings in Sweden. History buffs will relish sleeping quarters behind centuries-old thick walls. Klosterhotel’s stone floors and high-cross vaults were once home to the St Birgitta Monastery in the 14th century and the Palace of Prince Birger in the 13th century. All guests will also be treated to dinner and breakfast in the restaurant, as well as a walk through the monastery grounds.
2. Make like a Skywalker in a Tunisian cave-dwelling
You don’t need to be a Star Wars fan to get excited about this unique stay. In southern Tunisia, near Tatouine (yep, the inspiration for Tatooine, Darth Vader’s home planet), a local family-run gite (cave dwelling) sits in the heart of Douiret Mountains. This property is part of a very old Amazigh village, and the troglodyte rooms are carved into the mountain’s rock. From the gite’s high vantage point, you can watch the sunset over the desert landscape and reflect on your off-the-beaten-track Tunisia Expedition.
3. Find peace in South Korea’s Haeinsa Temple
If you’re looking for tranquillity, Intrepid’s new Premium South Korea trip has a lot to offer – including a night in a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Mt Gaya. Within Gayasan National Park is Haeinsa Temple (which means reflection on a calm sea). This is an exclusive feature stay in one of the Three Jewels Temples, which represent Dharma (or the Buddha’s teachings). During your stay at Haeinsa, you will live with the local monks and follow the temple’s daily rituals. This includes sharing tea with one of the monks to learn about their life here, a tour of the temple with a local guide and an evening meditation after dinner to align your mind and body for a peaceful night’s sleep.
4. Learn how to cook Georgian delicacies in a Kist guesthouse
If you love traditional food, mountain scenery and interacting with the locals, you’ll adore the Georgia Real Food Adventure. This eight-day adventure takes you into the heart of the Pankisi Valley, once home to the original highland Chechen people. New for 2024, you’ll stay in a guesthouse below the Caucasus peaks run by a family of Kists – original descendants of the Chechens who have lived in Jokolo for the last five generations. In these quiet, scenic surroundings, you can take part in a cooking class and soak up the warm hospitality of your hosts.
5. Explore a fortified mountaintop village in Portugal
The Coa Valley is a region in Portugal known for its passionate locals – who have committed to rewilding the area and as a result, its excellent local produce. All foodies on the Portugal Real Food Adventure, featuring Galicia, will spend a night in a historic guesthouse in a fortified mountaintop village. Here you can explore Castelo Rodrigo (the surrounding village), hike in the countryside and sit down for a home-cooked dinner of the freshest local produce, traditionally prepared and served by your welcoming hosts.
6. Wind down in the wilderness of Finnish Lapland
Lapland, in Finland’s north, is a true winter wonderland. Snow-dusted woods, scenic frozen lakes and night skies painted with dancing lights combine to cast a spell over travellers. Now, families get to stay in the heart of it on the new Finnish Lapland Winter Family Holiday in an eco-lodge in the heart of Hossa National Park, latitude 65° North. Hossa means a distant place in the Sami language (Huossa), and you’ll feel like you’re a world away from home here.
7. Bunk down like a miner in Tasmania
Tasmania, the island off the south coast of Australia, had a gold rush in the mid-19th century, attracting prospectors from around the world. The little town of Corinna in the northeast was born out of the gold rush that took over the area in the late 19th century. Today there are remnants of about 600 historic mining sites in the area, and on day three of Tasmania’s Tarkine & Cradle Mountain Explorer, you can sleep in a miner-style cottage by a riverside village. With no phone reception, your time here will be gold.
There’s so much more to look forward to in 2024 – check it all out on The Goods.
