"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."
JRR Tolkien's famous line from "The Lord of the Rings" is the perfect quote to describe the adventures you can expect on a tour with Encounters Travel. Leaving behind the comfort and familiarity of home, you will be swept up on exciting, action-packed travel experiences in some of the world's most awe-inspiring destinations. But unlike Frodo, you can enjoy your adventure secure in the knowledge that you aren't heading out on a dangerous journey!
At Encounters Travel, we offer a variety of different tour types to suite your tastes, preferences, and budgets. Our small group tours are the perfect option for those looking to experience culture, history, nature, and adventure in some of the most beautiful and interesting places in the world. Our small group sizes range from between 12 to 20 travellers, so this is also your chance to meet new people and make new friends while having the adventure of a lifetime. A smaller group size also means that you can engage and connect with your guide well, making for a more meaningful experience.
At Encounters Travel, we take you not only to the world's most famous destinations, but also to some of the more hidden and lesser-known gems that are found on our amazing planet. Visit places you would never have dreamed of seeing, have adventures in countries many people have never even heard of...
These are 5 of our most interesting and exciting small group tours on offer in 2019.
Antarctica! How many people can say that they've been to Antarctica? This beautiful mass of ice and snow, a whole continent of it, is one of the only genuinely untouched wilderness regions left on our planet. If space is the final frontier, Antarctica is in second place...
While the journey to Antarctica is an adventure in its own right, you can also expect to see breathtaking landscapes, uniquely beautiful scenery, and an abundance of wildlife. This is not a frozen wasteland, a bleak and gloomy forgotten continent at the bottom of the world. Rather, it is a vibrant expanse of rugged beauty, with towering white cliffs, vast frozen tundras, shimmering glaciers, and enormous icebergs. Wildlife thrives here as well, and you can look out for seals and whales, adorable penguins, and many different species of birds.
Our 19-day "Antarctica and Islands" Tour is the best way to get the full Antarctic experience. Starting from the southernmost city in the world, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, you are taken on a whirlwind seagoing expedition aboard a fully-equipped cruise ship. Some highlights on this tour include: visiting the Falkland Islands, where you are able to see amazing wildlife and experience the local culture at the port capital; visiting the seal and penguin inhabitants of an abandoned whaling village in South Georgia; visiting a scientific research station; visiting remote islands around Antarctica; and getting to set foot ashore the frozen continent. The ship will also bravely enter Neptune's Bellows, a channel formed by a crater on the volcanic Deception Island. With names like these, you will feel as though you have entered into a swashbuckling pirate adventure!
Simply going to Antarctica is an exploit in itself. Don't you want to be able to say that you've been to the South Pole?
Uzbekistan, located in Central Asia, is found on the famous ancient Silk Route, a trade route between China and the Mediterranean. With beautiful architecture, a rich history, and unique cultures, a trip to Uzbekistan will ignite your imagination and transport you back in time. At Encounters Travel, we offer an 8-day Uzbekistan Highlights Tour that is the ideal way to introduce yourself to this unique country. The tour includes highlights such as touring the ancient Silk Route city of Tashkent, where you visit museums, bazaars, restaurants, and historical buildings. Other destinations include the stunning city of Samarkand, which is famous for its beautiful mosques and mausoleums. It is a site of great historical importance, the subject of many poems and historical accounts. Several other fascinating places are visited on the tour, including the Ichan-Kala Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The South American country of Bolivia is an adventure and nature-lover's dream. Flanked by the majestic Andes Mountains and the mysterious Amazon rainforest, it offers up a wonderful array of adventure opportunities. Bustling cities, tropical rainforests, volcanoes and lagoons... and, of course, the legendary Salt Flats.
Our 15-day Bolivian Encounters Tour is the perfect way to experience the best highlights that Bolivia has to offer. You visit the lively capital city of La Paz, stopping at all the main sites, and also make stops at beautiful smaller towns. Three days are dedicated to exploring the awe-inspiring Salt Flats, a true bucket-list experience. The Flats span over 10 000 square kilometers- the largest in the world- and are known as "the world's largest mirror". Being here is like being on another planet entirely.
This tour also takes you on a journey to the Amazon, where you will explore the dense jungles and rivers on foot and by boat, taking in the sheer staggering biodiversity of the largest tropical rainforest on earth.
The Kingdom of Tonga, located in the South Pacific Ocean, consists of an archipelago of 176 islands. Its monarchy, the last remaining in the region, has a history stretching back a thousand years. A trip to Tonga will have you feeling as though you have caught a glimpse of paradise. Pristine beaches, colourful coral reefs, white sands, azure waters, mysterious caves, active volcanoes, mountains and forests, a wealth of marine life...
At Encounters Travel, we offer an unforgettable 10-day tour of Tonga, where will you be treated to experiences such as swimming with humpback whales, snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking, and, of course, simply kicking back and taking in the gorgeously tranquil island surrounds. You will also have a chance to go on island tours to get a taste of local culture and history.
Sudan is one of the largest countries in Africa. Home to immense desert landscapes, housing the secrets of ancient civilisations, and hosting a wealth of history within its borders, it offers a truly enriching and fascinating travel experience. You can go from roaming the lively streets of Khartoum, the capital, to stepping into the past in the ruins of an old Roman or Turkish city.
We offer an exciting 10-day small group tour called "Hidden Treasures of Sudan". On this tour, you walk in the footsteps of civilisations of old, travelling through the Nile Valley. You visit many historical sites and temples, and get a taste of Nubian culture. You visit the Meroe Pyramids, where you also get to have the thrilling experience of staying at a desert camp. Khartoum is of course included on the tour- on the last day, you may even get the chance to witness a Nuba wrestling competition, a local highlight.
Each year the majestic humpback whales travels from the cold of Antarctic to the warm waters of Tonga. We take you swimming with these magnificent creatures, creating a calmly exhilarating experience of a lifetime.
Type
Days
Price
Small Group
10
From
On Request
Discover the highlights of Uzbekistan on this 8-day tour. Starting in Tashkent we then travel to Urgench, Khiva, Bukhara & Samarkand. Along the way we'll utilise internal flights and local trains to get a real feel for Uzbekistan.
Type
Days
Price
Small Group
8
From
On Request
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