Get off the beaten path in Japan on a Northern Soul tour. Photo / Inside Japan Tours
Get off the beaten path in Japan on a Northern Soul tour. Photo / Inside Japan Tours
Think escorted tours are a slow-moving snooze? Think again, writes Tamara Hinson
Gone are the days when escorted tours meant supersized groups and box-ticking itineraries which rarely stray from the beaten path. A growing number of operators aren’t just limiting the size of groups and offering tours of lesser-known destinations – they’re offering experiences that provide unbeatable insights into the place in question.
By relying on local knowledge and trusted contacts, these nine tours create meaningful, enjoyable experiences that enhance our understanding of the wider world.
A cycle around North Korea
Cycle around North Korea with Uritours. Photo / Uritours
Cycled Otago’s Central Rail Trail? Pedalled the length of the West Coast Wilderness Trail? Perhaps it’s time to venture further afield, and North Korea takes the biscuit for offbeat cycling destinations. Uri Tours is one of the few escorted tour companies offering pedal-powered explorations of North Korea, in this case, a seven-night adventure of Pyongyang, waterfall-dotted Chonnae County, the scenic Mount Jangsu area and the coastal city of Wonsan. Meals, accommodation and bicycle hire are included, and you’ll be accompanied by Western and North Korean guides (which will probably come as a huge relief if you’re wondering where on earth you find a puncture kit in Pyongyang).
A dog sled adventure on Lake Khuvsgul. Photo / Al Donatio
There’s more to mushing than simply attaching a clutch of canines to a sledge and expecting them to drag you up the nearest mountain. Sign up for KE Adventure’s Lake Khuvsgul dog sled adventure and you’ll spend eight days mushing your way across Mongolia, driving your own dog sled along a route that includes a circumnavigation of frozen Lake Khuvsgul. Accommodation is a combination of yurts and cabins, and additional activities include fishing masterclasses, during which you’ll learn how to catch and cook your very own seafood supper.
Voodoo, it turns out, is very much misunderstood. The predominant religion in much of West Africa, it’s rooted in animism, and the belief that everything – from animals to places – has a spirit. Book Wild Frontiers Travel’s Voodoo Explorer escorted tour through Togo and Benin and you’ll learn about voodoo traditions by attending ceremonies, meeting practitioners and visiting a fetish market in Lomé, Togo’s capital. Think of these as a Togolese Unichem – open-air markets where stalls are stacked with dried animal parts, ranging from crocodile heads to gorilla hands. Visitors consult healers before being prescribed traditional remedies to cure ailments or enhance certain characteristics – for example, gorilla hands are especially popular with those wishing to improve their football skills.
Walking in the Maasai Lands of Kenya. Photo / KE Adventure Travel
Get lucky (or unlucky, depending on your outlook) during this Kenya-based tour and you’ll be offered a tipple beloved by the Masai – a cup of warm goat’s blood, revered as a great source of protein and for its nutritional and energy-boosting benefits. Highlights of this 14-day exploration of Kenya’s Masai lands include a trek through the Chyulu Hills, the chance to learn about Masai warriors’ traditions during a stopover at a remote tented camp and a visit to Amboseli National Park, home to lions, rhinos and leopards. Masai warriors will be your guides for much of the tour, which includes hikes up to 2000m above sea level. Perhaps that cup of goat’s blood could come in handy, after all ...
Get off the beaten path in Japan on a Northern Soul tour. Photo / Inside Japan Tours
Don’t get us wrong – we’re huge fans of Japanese hotspots such as Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo but we’re also firm believers that venturing off the beaten path reaps huge rewards. Bag a place on Inside Japan Tours’ Northern Soul tour and you’ll visit areas few Japan-bound visitors ever reach, including Miyagi Prefecture’s pine-fringed Matsushima Bay, Nikko, famous for its sacred mountains and connections with Shintoism, and the Sanriku Coast region, known for its abundance of seafood (sea urchin is the most sought-after speciality here). Expect plenty of opportunities to learn about traditional skills – our favourite example is the taiko drumming masterclass.
Trekking through Morocco with Aït Atta, Morocco’s last nomadic tribe. Photo / Native Eye Travel
All future hikes will look distinctly plain after you take an eight-day trek through Morocco with the Aït Atta, Morocco’s last nomadic tribe. You’ll enjoy plenty of interactions with locals and countless opportunities to learn about their way of life such as collecting firewood, herding sheep and loading the pack animals, which are a crucial part of the Aït Atta’s seasonal migration. It’s an incredibly popular tour with photographers because of the diverse landscapes, which include the Tifdassine Valley, famous for its almond blossoms and jagged peaks, and the summit of Jebel Kouaouch, which you’ll reach via a footpath made from solidified lava.
Glastonbury, Burning Man and Coachella have become somewhat passé. For a music festival with wow factor, join Native Eye’s annual visit to Chad’s Gerewol Festival, an annual celebration that takes place in October and is of great importance to Chad’s semi-nomadic Wodaabe people.
Here you’ll be treated to delicious feasts, some seriously impressive dancing and beautiful makeup – during the festival, local women don ornate jewellery and apply colourful face paint in the hope of finding a partner. A pre-festival visit to Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, offers further opportunities to learn about this fascinating country.
Intrepid's Georgia & Armenia Explorer tour. Photo / Intrepid Travel
During Intrepid’s 11-day tour you’ll travel overland from Tbilisi in Georgia to Yerevan in Armenia, but Georgia’s and Armenia’s capitals are far from the only highlights – stops along the route have been handpicked to help you get under the skin of these fascinating countries. In Georgia, for example, you’ll visit a network of caves dating back to the 1100s as well as the ghost town of Tskhaltubo, famous for its abandoned sanatoriums, while in Armenia you’ll check out the remote Khor Virap monastery and will toast the country during a wine-tasting session at a local farm.
Learn about ancient burial traditions in Tana Toraja, Indonesia
The Asmaul Husnah 99 Kubah mosque (99-domed mosque) is the newest mosque in Makassar, Sulawesi. The bright orange-and-white mosque features 99 domes. Explore Indonesia on G Adventures' Culture of Tana Toraja tour. Photo / G Adventures
Love Asia but desperate to explore beyond Bali, Thailand and its other big hitters? Join G Adventures’ deep dive into the culture of Tana Toraja, a landlocked chunk of Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province. It’s famous for its various deeply-rooted traditions, including elaborate funerary traditions typified by funeral ceremonies designed to honour the departed, and the practice of burying loved ones in cliffside tombs, typically guarded by wooden effigies known as Tau-Tau.
