Asia Local Immersion & Homestays Tours & Packages Tours & Trips

Highlights

• Learn about Pakistan – its turbulent past, fascinating present, and hopeful future – from a local leader who knows and loves the country best.
• Discover the jagged snow-capped peaks, bright blue lakes and traditional culture of the Hunza Valley, a little touristed but unbelievably beautiful region of northern Pakistan.
• From its ancient museums, gardens and forts to its fantastic food scene, Lahore has so much to offer. Spend three days discovering this dynamic city.
• Travel to the incredibly remote village of Shimshal where you’ll meet the local families who live in this challenging environment and hike through the surrounding mountains.
• Visit a women’s group supported by the Aga Khan Foundation to learn about their projects and have lunch at a cafe run by local women.

Highlights

• Hike to Taktsang, commonly known as the Tiger's Nest, the small monastery clinging to a rocky cliff 900 metres above the valley floor, and soak in its magnificence.
• Discover the 15th-century fertility temple of Chimi Lhakhang, and visit the magnificent Punakha Dzong, an ancient fortress and religious centre that sits at the confluence of two rivers.
• Feel the heat of Bhutanese cuisine when you tuck into traditional meals made with red rice, local cheese and lots of tastebud-tingling chillies.
• Experience Bhutanese hospitality in the Paro Valley when you enjoy a homecooked meal at a rustic farmhouse and opt to take a soak in a traditional hot stone bath.
• Spend a day exploring Thimphu, from the city to the woodlands, visiting the Cheri Dorji Dhen monastery, National Memorial Chorten, Simply Bhutan and the National Textile Museum.

Highlights

• Cruise a sea of limestone karsts, blue-green waters, mysterious caves and ancient jungle on an unforgettable boat trip in Lan Ha Bay, a less-touristy but equally stunning area to Ha Long Bay.
• Get a different view of Vietnam from the back of a motorbike. Take a two-wheeled tour around Hue and enjoy a special lunch spot at a convent or Buddhist monastery for a delicious vegetarian feast.
• Visit a local master of martial arts with a family visit in Quy Nhon. Learn how they’ve been practising martial arts for three generations, the benefits on well-being and health and then learn some moves yourself!
• Watch the sun rising over Angkor Wat as it did over 800 years ago with your leader. Wander through the amazing ancient temples on a guided tour and with a three-day Angkor pass to cover your whole time in Siem Reap, you can explore this incredible temple complex as much and as often as you like.

Highlights

• China is a land of contrasts. From soaking up the bright city lights of Shanghai’s waterfront to exploring the unearthed Terracotta Warriors outside of Xi’an, you’ll get to see it all for yourself!
• Spend two nights at the base of the Great Wall in a locally run guesthouse, and follow in the footsteps of soldiers from hundreds of years ago when you trek the lesser-visited Gubeikou to Jinshanling section.
• This adventure offers plenty of opportunity to get active among the wonders of China. Explore city laneways on walking tours, climb the steps of the Yellow Mountain, trek the Great Wall and cycle countryside lanes in Hongcun.
• Two overnight trains means you'll maximise your time in each destination, get to know your fellow travellers over a game of mahjong, and have a real sense of the vast size of the country.
• We’re all about authentic experiences, so go local every step of the way with an experienced local leader, public transport, and family-run guesthouses and lodgings wherever possible.

Highlights

• Beginning and ending in Kathmandu, there's more than enough time to discover the Nepali capital's staggeringly rich cultural and artistic heritage.
• Take a jeep safari with a local guide in Chitwan National Park – a beauty brimming with exotic wildlife – and you may be lucky enough to spot rhinos or elusive leopards and tigers.
• Visit a Tibetan refugee camp and get to know the community before taking on a cooking demonstration to learn how to create traditional momos (steamed dumplings).
• Discover world-class mountain scenery and explore the hill-perched Buddhist Peace Pagoda of laid-back Pokhara.
• This is the perfect trip for those who want a cultural insight into Nepal without strenuous trekking, with plenty of inclusions, free time and comfortable accommodation in each destination.

Highlights

• Sail through Ha Long Bay’s limestone karsts and island caves, visit a centre that turns the bay’s discarded trash into treasures and spend the night checking out the stars on an overnight cruise.
• Travel like a local on a motorbike tour, riding pillion and taking in the historical pagodas, bridges and villages of Hue.
• Watch the sun rising over Angkor Wat as it did over 800 years ago with your leader. Wander through the amazing ancient temples on a guided tour and with a three-day Angkor pass to cover your whole time in Siem Reap, you can explore this incredible temple complex as much and as often as you like.
• Discover the countryside around Battambang on a bike ride around rural farms to meet with local producers, through an Intrepid partner and social enterprise that supports the local communities.
• Experience life on water on a boat tour visiting the floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake and understand the deep bond between the late and the local communities.

Highlights

• Rise in the cool half-light of dawn and watch the sunrise while you glide over the River Ganges on a small riverboat.
• Stay in a riverside jungle lodge in Chitwan National Park, then embark on a safari in search of rhinos, Bengal tigers, monkeys, and more.
• Join pilgrims during a visit to the birthplace of Gautama Buddha in Lumbini, where evidence of a shrine dated before 550 BC was uncovered in 2013.
• Enjoy a relaxing evening at a community homestay in the Madi Valley, a lush Nepalese valley bordered by forest and river.
• Immerse yourself in the holy city of Varanasi, exploring the Old City by day and soaking up the atmosphere of a candle flower ceremony as the sunsets.

Highlights

• You may have seen hundreds of photos of it already but laying eyes on the Taj Mahal for yourself during a guided tour is bound to leave a deep impression.
• From hitting up a local cinema for a Bollywood movie to desert camping – this trip will show you Rajasthan from every angle.
• In addition to your local leader, connect with local guides at historical sites and upon arrival in cities to add unmatched regional knowledge to your experience.
• Enjoy two home-cooked meals with local families and sample Jain cuisine at a temple while sharing local culture, stories and traditions with new friends.
• Taste the snack highlights of Jaipur and get to know your female driver on a tour with the eco-friendly Pink City Rickshaw Company, a non-profit providing employment and economic independence to women from low-income households.