By:
Jarred Manasse
2020-02-21
If you're thinking about travelling to Turkey, we've got good news for our travellers in the United Kingdom - from 2 March 2020 - you will no longer need a visa!
The new rule which allows touristic travel to Turkey for every 90 days within a 180 day period also applies to tourists based in the European Union Schengen area: Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Poland.
The Turkish government made the announcement on Thursday saying the move was aimed at increasing its "tourism potential". The local authorities appreciate the importance and value that incoming tourists have and this move should help increase numbers of visitors to the country.

More money in your pocket!
British visitors to the country currently have to pay £27 (US$35) for a visa online which allows stays of up to 90 days in a 180 day period.
Discover the beauty of Turkey on one of our group tours as we journey back through time. Our small-group tours all start in cosmopolitan Istanbul, and take in a range of the countries cultural, historic and scenic highlights including the WWII memorials of Gallipoli, Troy and the amazing ruins at Ephesus, the strange rock formations and underground cities of Cappadocia and beautiful scenery of the Mediterranean coast. A wide range of tailor-made tours and Gulet cruises are also available.
Need some travel inspiration or looking for some handy travel tips? Our blog provides excellent insight into our travel destinations - from tour updates to country guides, packing lists to little known things to do, you'll find it all in our travel blog.
By:
Martin Hosie
2026-06-11
Sierra Leone travel is unlike anything else in West Africa. From the warm hospitality of Freetown's streets to the white-sand beaches of Banana Island and the primate encounters on Tiwai Island, this is a destination that rewards the curious and the adventurous. Whether you're drawn by the wildlife, the history, or the sheer beauty of the coastline, these essential tips for travelling to Sierra Leone will help you plan with confidence, avoid common pitfalls, and arrive knowing exactly what to expect.
By:
Martin Hosie
2026-06-10
Sesriem Namibia, sits at the threshold of one of Africa's most surreal landscapes, where a natural canyon carved by an ancient river leads you straight into the world's oldest desert. This article is worth reading because it tells you exactly what to expect when you roll through the Sesriem gate on a small-group safari, climb into a 4x4 shuttle bound for the dunes of Sossusvlei, and shuffle across Deadvlei's blinding white clay pan in the early morning heat. No glossy brochure language, just what it actually felt like.
By:
Martin Hosie
2026-06-09
Morocco isn't just a destination to observe; it is a country that demands to be actively experienced. Discover the best places to visit in Morocco in our honest travel guide. From scrambling through Ait Benhaddou and trekking through Todra Gorge to camping among the Erg Chebbi dunes, find out what makes this Encounters Travel journey truly extraordinary.
By:
Martin Hosie
2026-06-05
We booked a Uganda safari holiday, half hoping it would be good. What we did not expect was to stand in a rainforest in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, barely three metres from a mountain gorilla, completely speechless. This post is about that moment, and everything that led to it, from tracking chimps in Budongo Forest to watching the Nile thunder through Murchison Falls. If you have been wondering whether gorilla trekking in Uganda is worth the journey, the permits, and the mud on your boots, read on. We are going to be honest with you, the way a friend would be, not the way a brochure would.
By:
Martin Hosie
2026-06-04
Lebanon is one of those destinations that quietly rewrites everything a traveller thinks they know about the Middle East. This Lebanon travel guide is not a list of monuments. It is the story of how a single trip wove together Phoenician harbours, Roman ruins, cedar-scented mountain air, and a table that never seemed to empty, from creamy goat cheese fresh out of a Bcharre factory to wood-fired SAJ flatbread at dawn and bold reds poured straight from a Bekaa Valley winery. If you have been searching for a travel guide to Lebanon that treats food as seriously as archaeology, read on.
