Intrepid Travel: Connection Through Experience
Once upon a time, two bearded guys who loved independent travelling, decided to make a business out of it by offering it to travellers who were sick and tired of the typical tourist packages and were yearning for an adventure. If you too are thinking about stepping out of the tourist bubble and want to make meaningful travel connections but are nervous about travelling on your own, keep reading. Intrepid Travel offers a variety of travelling styles and themes, all of which will result in a real-life experience. You will truly integrate into the local culture, instead of just observing it from a distant tourist standpoint.
The first thing you need to decide when travelling with Intrepid is the style of the trip. This will depend on two things, your interest and your budget. The Original Intrepid style is a well-balanced trip with a well worked out the itinerary, which keeps you busy for a good part of the day, while still giving you a bit of free time you can enjoy on your own. However, if you are on a tight budget, the Basix style might be something for you. It offers more free time and as you might have guessed, the most basic accommodation and mode of transportation. It is the cheapest style, but might be one of the best ways to make meaningful travel connections. If you are a first timer and just want to dip your toe in independent travelling waters, opt for the Comfort travel style. It is exactly what it sounds like, a travelling style that includes more comfort. This way you can ease into this new way of travelling without too much hassle.
Eating, getting a good workout or even completely escaping civilization
Apart from different styles they also offer different themes. One theme that caught our attention was food. Yup, you read that right. An entire trip focused on trying out delicious food and drinks of the local cuisine. Whether it is food known worldwide, like literally any Italian meal or a lesser known cuisine of which you will get the first taste, this is an adventure for your taste buds. So, if you fancy yourself a foodie, get a head start and be the first among your friends to discover the Balkan delicacies. Feel your throat burn after doing a shot of rakija, enjoy a traditional barbeque that leaves nobody hungry or gets your hands dirty and tries making something yourself. You will meet plenty of local food experts who can teach you. Hungry yet?
If the previous paragraph has you concerned about putting on extra weight, Intrepid has some active trips prepared for you. How about cycling through Vietnam
? Yes, the whole country, north to south. That should burn some calories after which you should be able to enjoy their delicious food without any guilt. This is an active way of enjoying the beautiful Vietnamese landscape. The tour will lead you through cities as well as off the beaten path, so you can enjoy the nature. In case you feel this is still too tame for you then you have the option to go into the wild in Patagonia, for example. It’s perfect if you want to escape the busy city life since Patagonia’s wilderness is one of the most remote places in the world. It’s a perfect way to make another one of the incredible travel connections, in this case with nature. It is quite the challenge, as you will face harsh weather conditions, icy fields and much more. However, the breath-taking views are worth the effort.
A taste of the independent travelling style, with a safety net
Whichever adventure you choose, you will be sharing it with a small group. This is perfect for people who are interested in independent travel but aren’t experienced yet or just enjoy the company of like-minded people. Because the group is small and there is always free time included in the trips, you will certainly get a taste of independent travel. On the other hand, you won’t be wandering around an unfamiliar land completely by yourself. You are accompanied by travellers from all over the world. This means you will not only get to know the culture of the country you are visiting but might also hear stories about life in the Netherlands over a glass of Jenever with your Dutch travel buddy. This is another great example of how travelling brings people together.
When travelling with Intrepid, you will have at least one true new friend by the time you go home. As was already mentioned, the groups are small enough for everybody to get to know everybody. In other words, you will be making meaningful travel connections by sharing new experiences. Instead of being stuck in a large group of random tourists led by a non-native guide telling a story about the most touristy place on the planet that you already knew, because it’s the 21st century and you can look up anything online, you will be creating unique memories with new friends. You will get the most valuable experience because all the guides that will be showing you around are locals. Who knows the place better than them? That’s right, nobody! They can introduce you to more local people, they know all the shortcuts and can tell you the backstory of a lesser known place. They will also be up to date with any events taking place in their town and can give you useful tips on spending your free time there.
Take only pictures, leave only footprints, kill nothing but time
You have heard the saying above. With Intrepid, you can rest assured that while creating these new wonderful travel connections, you are doing it with respect to local cultures and their people, nature and wildlife. You see, Intrepid is a responsible business that encourages its travellers to follow any rules that might be in place, minimise waste during their trips and use local transportation wherever it is safe to do so. This proves you can have a great adventure, without being toxic to your environment, literally or metaphorically.
If you have been convinced to embark on an independent-ish travel adventure, be sure to check out their website and get more information on the styles they offer as well as the destinations and the variety of creative themes.
