Top Trips for Feeling Like a Trailblazing Explorer

Sure there’s nothing trailblazing about Bangkok, or even the elephant sanctuaries of Northern Thailand. In fact much of Southeast Asia has been discovered by just about every English-speaking young adult with a few bucks to spare. That’s where our two-week Rail Trip comes in to breathe new life into this seemingly over-discovered part of the world. Sure, we’ll spend some time in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, but we’ll also go bamboo rafting and camp in the middle of the jungle. Things get really off-grid when we cross into Laos, swapping trains for a boat as we cruise down the Mekong River, deep into the heart of darkness. What awaits is pretty delightful, though, as we stop by in remote indigenous villages, meet whiskey-making locals and discover caves, uncharted rainforests and one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. By the time you take the sleeper train back to Bangkok you’ll feel like a bona fide adventurer.

The vast deserts of Jordan look like they’ve never been traversed by a single soul. The rusty expanse of Wadi Rum will become your playground on this eight-day Middle Eastern adventure, though, as you explore vast swathes of land by 4×4 and spend a night stargazing as we camp in Bedouin-style tents. You’ll also get to sample the otherworldly waters of the Red Sea and Dead Sea – snorkel in the former, float in the latter – and travel back in time by visiting the ancient cities of Amman, Petra and Aqaba.

Have any of your friends been to Georgia? No, not Atlanta, we’re talking about the tiny country sandwiched between Europe and Asia high in the Caucasus Mountains. This is one of the few genuinely under-explored nations left on the planet, but not for long, we fear, as people are bound to start discovering the many joys of this beautiful old land. Our nine-day adventure blends remote mountain excursions with unique cultural discoveries. Hike the lush hilly forests of Lagodekhi, discover the Unesco World Heritage Site of Mtskheta and hike to a gorgeous old church high in the Caucasus. Meanwhile, back in the capital Tbilisi, you’ll learn about ancient bread-baking and wine-making techniques, as well as having a traditional cooking class and spending time soaking in the city’s soothing sulphur baths.

Forget Peru and its bucket-list ruins, or Colombia and its famous cities, if you want to embark on an Andean adventure like a true explorer, then Ecuador is your gateway to the unknown. Much smaller than its famous neighbours, but packing just as much incredible natural scenery, it’s a wonder that this equatorial gem hasn’t caught the eye of the mainstream. Get ahead of the curve and join our eight-day trip, which takes you horse-riding in Cotopaxi National Park, hiking around Quilotoa crater lake and cycling the Baños Waterfall Route. Not to mention the chance to white water raft down the Amazon and fly over an epic valley on the Swing at the End of the World. Now that’s what we call an adventure.