7 trips to get you out and exploring in 2014

Where will your wanderlust take you in 2014? Here's just some of the freshest new trips available

8 mins

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Tanzania – Climb around Kili

Avoid the usual migration of Kilihikers by joining World Expeditions’ Remote Kilimanjaro – The Northern Circuit trip. Spread over a generous nine days (great for acclimatisation, and increasing your chance of success), this trek through rainforest, alpine desert and eerie moonscapes starts from the mountain’s little-visited western side, traverses the northern slopes, summits from the east and descends via the south – almost a full circumnavigation of the 5,895m behemoth.

Who: World Expeditions (0800 0744 135, www.worldexpeditions.co.uk)
When: Every Monday, Jun-Oct 2014 & Dec 2014-Feb 2015
How long: Ten nights
How much: From £2,095pp (excl flights)

Bolivia – Taste a food revolution

HighLives’ Gourmet Tour of Bolivia trip whisks travellers through a culinary revolution. Since award-winning chef Claus Mayer opened Gustu in La Paz in 2013, the Bolivian food scene has been brought to global attention. This trip journeys from Bolivia’s little-known vineyards to the serene salt flats of Uyuni, the quinoa-planted high Andean plains and the bustling markets of La Paz, before finishing with a 15-course tasting extravaganza at Gustu itself. An edible adventure!

Who: HighLives (020 8144 2629, www.highlives.co.uk)
When: Flexible departures
How long: Eight days
How much: From £3,000 (incl flights)

Laos – Reach remote regions

Be a pioneer on Selective Asia’s Backroads of Laos trip. Making use of new roads linking Khammouane to the country’s Central Highlands, this adventure combines key sites such as Luang Prabang and the Plain of Jars with tribal villages and Laos’ remoter eastern reaches. These include Nam Et National Protected Area, where you can explore on a night safari, floating downriver looking for rare wildlife – deer, otters, loris – by spotlight. You’ll also delve into the nearby Vieng Xai Caves, which sheltered thousands of Laotians during the Second Indochina War.

Who: Selective Asia (01273 670001, www.selectiveasia.com)
When: Flexible departures
How long: 14 nights
How much: From £1,708 (excl flights)

Papua New Guinea – Join the tribal gathering

Beneath the blistering tropical sun, hidden amid seemingly inaccessible jungle-clad mountains, hundreds of tribespeople gather once a year for the Mount Hagen Show. Join Peregrine Adventures’ Mt Hagen Festival Expedition to fully immerse yourself in this primal jamboree. After flying into the Highlands from capital Port Moresby, you’ll meet village chiefs, learn how to prepare a traditional meal and watch agog as the amassed tribal troupes – resplendent in feathered headdresses (below), striking body paint and colourful costumes – perform their sing-sings and rituals in spectacular style.

Who: Peregrine Adventures (0845 863 9667, www.peregrineadventures.com)
When: 14 Aug 2014<
How long: Six nights
How much: From £1,595 (excl flights)

South Africa – Dive with sharks

Jaws painted great whites as ferocious killers, but join Dive Worldwide’s Just Conservation: Great White Shark Study in False Bay trip and you’ll discover just how fascinating and vulnerable they are. False Bay, near Cape Town, is heaving with marine life, from Cape fur seals to sharks of all sizes. It’s also the best place to see great whites breaching, and to observe these much-maligned fish from boats and by cage diving. Advanced divers can also dip under at Pyramid Rock and Partridge Point for further exhilarating encounters.

Who: Dive Worldwide (0845 130 6980, www.diveworldwide.com)
When: 24 & 31 Aug 2014
How long: 11 nights
How much: From £3,265 (incl flights)

Finland and Sweden – Have a Nordic New Year

If your 2014 resolutions include losing weight, trying something new and generally reinvigorating your life, then Transun’s Cross Country Ski Lapland trip could be the solution. The oh-so-fresh Arctic air of sparkling snow-sprinkled Lapland will blow away any cobwebs, while learning to Nordic ski with the help of an expert instructor will burn off that Christmas pud. Easy to pick up, crosscountry skiing is one of the healthiest sports around and a brilliant way to swoosh through Finland and Sweden’s unspoiled north.

Who: Transun (01865 265 200, www.transun.co.uk)
When: Jan-Mar 2014
How long: Three nights
How much: From £799 (incl flights)

Madagascar – Work with the wildlife

Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot – around 80% of its species are endemic. But better than just witnessing this wealth of wildlife is helping to protect it. Wildlife Worldwide’s Just Conservation – Breeding of the Greater Bamboo Lemur trip allows you to assist Dr Patricia Wright – ‘Queen of the Lemurs’ – with her research in Ranomafana NP. You’ll help scientists with lemur observation, behaviour monitoring, data collection and GPS tracking. You’ll also visit local schools and learn about the plight of these critically endangered creatures.

Who: Wildlife Worldwide (0845 130 6982, www.wildlifeworldwide.com)
When: 1 Nov 2014
How long: Ten nights
How much: From £1,995 (incl flights)

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