news
Latest News
Winter seems to be taking its time to leave British shores at the moment, with the snow lingering in some parts and rain lashing the windows of the Undiscovered Destinations office. As the grey days of February drag on, now is an ideal time to cast your mind to distant shores and start planning future travels.
At Undiscovered Destinations we’ve always been proud of our determination to highlight some of the world’s least visited countries – away from the crowds that frequent the mass market destinations one can find some truly unique experiences, made all the more special by the fact that you’re not one of a hundred others all jostling for the ideal photo. Wanderlust magazine’s 2010 Travel Awards have included ‘Emerging Destinations’ as one of their categories, giving us a clue to which countries are starting to attract the attentions of more adventurous and curious travellers. Colombia headed up the list – a stunning country too often known for its less than savoury past but one which has as much if not more to offer than its more popular neighbour Peru, without the crowds at Machu Picchu!
Our ‘Colonial Cities and Coastal Secrets’ tour allows you to be one of the first to travel to the most exciting country in Latin America. We see the stunning colonial architecture of towns such as Cartagena, stay on a farm in the coffee growing region to learn more about local life and visit the pretty village of Villa de Leyva. As well as this we visit the beautiful Tayrona National Park and head to the remote region of La Guajira, home to little visited Indian tribes with distinct customs and culture. This is a fascinating corner of South America, for a long time considered off limits to travellers but now emerging from the shadows to claim its place as one of the world’s most exciting destinations.
Colombia was followed closely by Madagascar and Bhutan, two very different countries but united by their general neglect by most travel companies. Madagascar’s big attraction is its wildlife, most of which is found nowhere else on earth and has taken a different evolutionary path, most famously resulting in the numerous species of lemurs to be found in reserves such as Andasibe and Ranomafana. Bhutan, although home to some incredible wildlife of its own, is best known for its unique cultural heritage and traditions which have remained largely untouched by the outside world. Experience these two intriguing countries on our ‘Secrets of Madagascar’ and 'Bhutan – The Last Shangri-La’ tours.
Okay, so we’re a little slow off the mark with this one but 2010 has been designated the ‘Year of Biodiversity’ by the United Nations, an attempt to highlight the vast natural wealth of our planet and reduce bniodiversity loss. Undiscovered Destinations offers a number of trips that will tempt those keen to seek out some of the best wildlife experiences on our planet. There are few places with greater biodiversity than the forests of Gabon, a land carpeted in luxuriant forests home to elephants, buffalo, leopard, chimpanzees and that most iconic of species the lowland gorilla. Ecologist Mike Fay was so entranced by this place that he called it ‘Africa’s Last Eden’, and his efforts in highlighting the flora and fauna of Gabon led to an incredible 13% of the land being designated as national parks and reserves. Our tours in Gabon focus on Loango National Park, home to numerous species of birds and mammals including manatee and gorilla. Staying on the southern edge of the park at Sette Cama, lucky travellers here can see the unique spectacle of large mammals such as elephants and buffaloes strolling along the beach, and perhaps even see hippos frolicking in the waves. There are few other places in the world like Gabon, and it should be on every serious wildlife enthusiast’s wishlist. We have recently dropped the prices of both of our Gabon tours, making them extremely competitive – check out our offerings in this central African gem here.
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean lies Guyana, a delightful little country and one of Latin America’s premier wildlife destinations. Travel in Guyana is a far cry from other countries on the continent, with a lack of infrastructure discourtaging large numbers of visitors and allowing it to still remain largely untouched. Guyana is hoime to virgin rtainforest and unexplored jungles and is one of the best places to see the ever elusive jaguar, as well as offering sanctuary to an incredible array of mammals and birds. Other species to be found here include giant anteater, howler monkeys, giant river otter, ocelot, harpy eagle, caiman and hoatzin. Guyana marks the spot where the wildlife of the Caribbean meets that of the Amazon and its biodiversity is astounding. Our Guyana Nature Experience trip takes you to the very heart of this land, spending time in remote ranches and lodges deep within the jungle – walk the canopy walkway at Iwokrama, meet the giant river otters at Karanambu, stay in an Amerindian village at Surama, visit the mighty Kaiteur Falls and help researchers catch black caiman. Our April departure of this trip is guaranteed - view the details here.
Hot off the press this week is the fact that India's rainforests are potentially home to one of the world's largest number of wild cat species, after seven different species including the clouded leopard were recorded in two years in the forests of Assam. Check out the full story at the BBC website here.
And of course you can see details of our trip to north east India, including Assam, here.
Those of you who have contacted us in the past may know that we’re big fans of the excellent series of guidebooks produced by Bradt. With a proud history of writing guidebooks that most other publishers wouldn’t touch with a bargepole, Bradt has traditionally focused on some of the more ‘obscure’ and unusual destinations such as Cameroon, Belarus, Eritrea and Nigeria, and has a reputation for highly individual books which satisfy those looking for a little more information than just where to stay and eat. Recently published books include a couple of firsts in the travel guide world – Angola and Bangladesh (we get a mention in both!), while their Sudan guide has recently been updated to include southern Sudan, tentatively opening itself up to intrepid travellers. With destinations like these, it’s no wonder we’re big fans!
Another country covered by the Bradt series is Sierra Leone, a true gem of a country with a reputation much tarnished by a vicious civil war. Forget what you’ve seen in Leonardo’s ‘Blood Diamond’ – the war is long gone and according to the World Bank Sierra Leone has experienced the quickest improvement in political stability in the world during the last decade. As usual, it takes time for a country to shed such a negative image and so although it was once featured alongside the Gambia in the windows of high street travel agents, you’ll barely see another visitor in the country. With the opportunity to see chimpanzees, explore the deliciously languid Banana Islands, delve into the history of the West African slave trade and experience the vibrant beach culture, our ‘Forts, Chimps and Beaches’ trip gives a great insight into this long forgotten land. For those of you looking for a late getaway, our March departure is guaranteed, and you can read the full itinerary here.
Finally, we’ve dragged ourselves kicking and screaming into the 21st century and have joined Twitter. If you want to see what the UD team are up to, simply click on the Twitter logo on our website.
Happy travels to you all…..
