Beyond the Tourist Traps: Experiencing Authentic Culture in 2024

South Korea has a long and diverse history, so the range of cultural experiences you’ll have on this 10-day adventure is rich and varied. You’ll embrace the modern tradition of karaoke in Seoul and explore recent history at eery military remains on the border with North Korea, but you’ll also get an insight into traditional Korea at a Hanok village in the capital, as well as a visit to Abai Village, a rural community which became a refuge for displaced North Koreans in the 1950s. Things get really immersive near Gyeongju as we head to the Buddhist cave temple of Golgulsa to experience a traditional Korean temple stay. You’ll spend the night in this sixth-century complex, dining on veggie delights, mastering the art of archery and meditation, as well as trying your hand at Sunmudo, a traditional Buddhist martial art.

Morocco’s position, at the westernmost reaches of the Mediterranean and as the gateway to Africa, means that countless cultures have planted their seeds in the nation’s many towns and cities, be it desert nomads or refugees from the fall of Moorish Spain and the remnants of colonial France. Our extensive 11-day itinerary aims to give you a full picture of this myriad landscape, including a series of truly unique cultural experiences. You’ll eat a home-cooked meal and witness traditional storytelling with a local family in Fes, hang out with the Gnawa people of the Sahara and lunch in a Berber village, nestled high in the Atlas Mountains. In our final destination, Marrakech, food is the ultimate cultural signifier, so we think it’s only fair that you sample some snail soup on our street food tour of the old Medina.

You probably associate Vietnam with chaotic cities and the contrasting serenity of Halong Bay, but don’t forget the countless tiny communities living in between. Our 12-day epic here takes in Hanoi, Hue and Hoi An, as well as plenty of giant bays and limestone karsts, but we reckon your most memorable moments will be made in the countrysides of Mai Chau. This lush valley is covered in small villages, rice paddies and farmsteads, and we’ll spend two days here getting an insight into local life. We’ll spend one day at a White Thai village to get hands on with farm life, before tucking into fresh fruit and honey tea with the locals and later dining at a traditional homestay. The following day we’ll visit Na Chao village, where you’ll glimpse inside traditional stilt houses and learn about the history and culture of the White Thai people. You’ll even get to try your hand at weaving bamboo baskets in someone’s home before heading back to the city.