Intrepid

At a glance…

Small groups (maximum 12 travellers)
Character-filled accommodation and mostly local transport
Experienced, knowledgeable leaders
Low impact, responsible travel
More trips and more styles

The folk at Intrepid list a "yearning to explore, a sense of fun and a wish to get off the beaten trail" as the motivation behind their touring options. If you’ve got a flexible and relaxed attitude and a real desire to experience a country and its people, they’re a good bet, because they emphasise the journey itself, not just the destination.

They also know that having a rigid itinerary when you’re dealing with a group can spell disaster, so they have a range of 6 styles of travel to choose from, with a whole lotta flexibility and freedom within those. Each has a mix of arranged activities and sightseeing, and the all important dose of free time to pursue whatever strange things you’d like to do without a group traipsing along.

Intrepid trips are great because these guys really like to mix it up – everything from transport choices to sight-seeing schedules highlight variety. You might stay at a hotel, or a homestay, a tribal village or a national park lodge and you might make your way somewhere by train, plane, automobile, bus, riverboat or elephant. You’ll definitely see something new and different every day, with some days devoted to travelling between destinations and others to getting to the nitty gritty of a country and its culture.

And they like to give you independence along with security - they’ll leave you to explore sights on your own but with the security of group leader close by, likewise organising small groups (around 9 to 12) for each trip, so you feel like you’re traveling with friends, rather than a tour. The small size of the groups also means you get to use all sorts of transport and accommodation that might be rather impractical for bigger groups.

Oh, and did we mention value? There are heaps of extras in the deal, and by organising accommodation that’s central as well as planning great schedules they can save you money by using your time efficiently.

Intrepid has a pretty cool ethos about travel too – they are sensitive to fragile cultures and believe in blending in rather than dominating, while you get out there and experience the real world. They seem to attract a wide mix of folk ranging in origin and age, with all sorts of weird and wonderful interests.