Travel with the experts: 2020’s best new learning trips
Get the most out of the planet’s most fascinating corners with help from those in the know, with our pick of the year’s best expert-led trips for a life-changing learning experience…
1. Track the last black rhino in Namibia
Black rhinos in Namibia (Shutterstock)
There are fewer than 5,000 black rhino left in the wild and almost half of these can be found in Namibia.
Learning from the experts – The New Frontier in Conservation self-drive safari from ATI Holidays will not only give wildlife lovers the chance to see this Critically Endangered species, but they’ll be able to learn first-hand how scientists, guides, wardens and researchers are working to make a difference.
Track black rhino at Desert Rhino Camp and then join researchers studying the behaviour of desert elephant, Angolan giraffe and the desert lion at Hoanib Valley Camp. You’ll also visit Ongava, the world centre for black rhino DNA research in Etosha National Park and the AfriCat Foundation in Okonjima where you’ll see brown hyena, leopard and cheetah.
Who?ATI Holidays (0808 234 9378)
When? Flexible dates throughout the year
How long? 12 nights
How much? From N$97,080 (£5,100 excluding int’l flights)
2. Uncover art and soul in Colombia
Cartagena, Colombia (Shutterstock)
Encounter a cast of characters to introduce you to Colombia on Luxury Gold’s Art, Culture and Cuisine of Colombia trip.
See this surreal landscape through the eyes of author Juan Gabriel Vásquez in Bogotá, the niece of Gabriel García Márquez in Cartagena, and a Comuna 13 survivor and young graffiti artist in Medellín.
Then sample traditional dishes and go behind the scenes at museums often closed to the public eye.
Who?Luxury Gold (0808 149 9444)
When? Selected 2020 dates
How long? Nine nights
How much? From £3,866 (excluding int’l flights)
3. Kyrgyzstan’s Silk Road through expert eyes
Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan (Shutterstock)
Curated and led by Central Asia expert Joan Pollock, TransIndus’ Kyrgyzstan ‘Art of the Nomads’ trip traces one of the most rugged stretches of the Silk Road.
Explore sun-dappled peaks, rock-etched petroglyphs and the glacial lakes of Issyk-Kul and Son-Kul, the latter of which you’ll stay in a yurt beside. Then watch rugs and carpets being weaved in front of you at the Kyrgyz Shyrdak Festival.
Who?TransIndus (020 8566 3739)
When? 18 June 2020
How long? 12 nights
How much? From £1,790 (excluding int’l flights)
4. Get back to nature in Botswana & Zambia
Zebras in Nxai Pan, Botswana (Shutterstock)
Discover Africa’s natural wonders by joining a safari with a difference. On African Bush Camps’ Founder Safari trip, learn all about the importance of conservation by visiting nature’s classroom with the safari company’s founder and former guide Beks Ndlovu.
Start off by watching thousands of zebras migrating from the Nxai Pan area in Botswana. Then spy flocks of birds or predators on the hunt on the edge of the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana. The floodplains, dense forests and papyrus-lined lagoons of Chobe Enclave attract a huge diversity of game.
End your trip with a stay on the Zambezi River in Zambia where river cruises, rhino encounters and the Victoria Falls await.
Who?African Bush Camps (0800 041 8187)
When? 1 December 2020
How long? Eight nights
How much? TBC
