Bold Kiwi travellers like adventuring off the beaten track

FACE TO FACE: Seeing gorillas in their natural habitat in a Rwanda forest has been a major highlight for Andy Weenink despite being punched in the shoulder. PHOTOS/SUPPLIED

Andy Weenink has been punched in the shoulder by a gorilla in a Rwanda forest and he swam with sharks at the Galapagos Islands.

The 56-year-old said both holiday experiences were "absolutely amazing" and his ideal adventure.

An intrepid traveller, Mr Weenink "did not want to follow the normal tour-bus type of thing" but went on guided trips organised by Keystone Journeys and House of Travel Papamoa.

"Last year I went to Africa to see the gorillas. It was wonderful being face-to-face with them and we were very lucky ... basically ex-poachers were the rangers and they did a good job of guarding the gorillas and us.

"I was asked to sit on a log and managed to get my photo taken three times before the gorilla reached over and punched me, the next lady got a kick in the backside after three photos. You know these are wild animals, they are not trained and it was just fantastic."

Despite being one of the poorest countries in Africa, Rwanda was incredibly clean, he said.

"They did a brilliant job of looking after the place. The government makes its people clean the streets and their environment three days a month and have banned plastic bags."

Mr Weenink thought that excursion would be hard to beat but he may have topped that already, he said.

A tour to South America included walking on glaciers and camping in freezing conditions in Argentina and eating guinea pig.

"The scenery is totally unbelievable with mountain peaks, volcanoes and waterfalls. I had never eaten guinea pig in my life but you have got to try these things."

Snorkelling at the Galapagos Islands among sharks was another highlight.

"I couldn't believe it. We were told to get your snorkel, fins and shorts and if you see a shark at the bottom have a good look because they sleep at this time of the day."

Being off the beaten track did not bother Mr Weenink either as he felt safe and had already booked a guided tour to Boutan in 2015.

Keystone Journeys' partner Jemma Wilson said while some destinations it covered often had a history of political unrest or war, "they are safe for travel and provide a unique experience far from the norm".

"We took a tour of 10 people to Iran last year, and didn't see another tourist until the 12th day." People signing up for the tours were typically active, mature travellers who didn't mind pushing a few boundaries or stepping out of their comfort zones, she said.

Tours on offer included Kashmir in India, the Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Haiti and Myanmar.

Harvey World Travel Tauranga director David Cull said Kiwis were still going everywhere and anywhere because "they aren't intimidated", and were adventurous by nature. However, they were not going to Ebola-outbreak areas or Somalia or Sudan where there was no tourism infrastructure.

House of Travel Tauranga owner/operator Shane Kennedy said Kiwis had an intrepid spirit but were smart when it came to staying away from trouble spots in the world. "We don't not go, we shift our attention to another part of the world that is just as interesting."

But he had noticed an increasing trend in guided tours.

"Often when destinations are a little bit leftfield people will go on a guided tour because of the benefit of having someone with you and duty of care so you are safer."