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ASIAThis nine-day trip will continually immerse you in unique elements of Georgian life, from the Old Quarter in Tbilisi to the High Caucasus Mountains. You’ll mingle with locals in the farmers’ market as you buy spices to create feasts in a local chef’s home. Snap photogenic Unesco-listed monuments before breaking bread at a family meal. Taste the traditional wine as you see it made, staying steady enough to hike in Lagodekhi National Park, a protected wildlife reserve. Your walk to remote villages will be rewarded with a local wellness tradition – a steamy, therapeutic sulphur bath, followed by an exfoliation and a massage.
How many people can say they’ve explored the tunnels of the Korean Demilitarized Zone or practised martial arts in a Buddhist temple? Or seen Squid Game locations in real life in open-all-hours Seoul, for that matter? On our 10-day exploration of South Korea, you’ll hike and cycle around treasured temples and tombs. Hungry? Nothing says authentic travel like local cuisine, so you’ll cook like the Koreans and witness the etiquette of a traditional tea ceremony. Visit the largest seafood market in the country, Jagalchi Market, then tuck into your chosen catch of the day.
You’ll be amazed at how much of Nepal you’ll see in this 11-day whirl through the Himalayan peaks and wildlife-rich jungle – although the culture is as beautiful as the scenery. Starting in Kathmandu, you’ll learn how to cook at an educational charity for disadvantaged women and tour the narrow streets, lined with Hindu temples and Buddhist stupas, in a rickshaw. Immerse yourself in rural Nepalese life as you hike through remote villages and rice terraces. Learn how to make traditional momo dumplings at a Tibetan refugee camp. But for most of us, the real treat will be sighting a Bengal tiger on a wildlife safari.
Travel doesn’t come much more authentic than stargazing with an expert astrologer in the Sahara. Our 13-day whirl through Morocco will peel back the layers of this alluring country, from camel riding in the desert to seeking out the spices and smells in the medinas in Fez and Marrakech. The architecture in Casablanca will charm you, as will walks along lesser-known trails in the Atlas Mountains. Fancy some sea air? Haggle in the Old Kasbah in coastal Tangier before soaking up that North African sun from the terrace of your hilltop hotel.
Jet-lagged caffeine fans will perk up as they sip the best cup of coffee in the world in the Zona Cafetera. Other highlights on this eight-day delve into this diverse country include a tour of the La Candelaria graffiti district in Bogotá, picking out craft-beer bars for your evening entertainment. You won’t snooze on the mountainous journey up into the Andes, with a lesson on local folklore, making it one of the most authentic travel experiences out there. Then on to tour the sprawl of post-Escobar Medellín on foot, where a balmy climate suits this city on the rise, and there’s an empanada (a savoury pastry) seller on every corner.