Our Unusual vacations
Who’d have thought you could do that? That’s the question we hope our unusual vacations will prompt. And the answer, we hope, is: “Not me, but why not?” These are adventures for those passionate about their interests – or passionate about finding new ones. Salsa dancing in Cuba, driving a tuk tuk around Thailand, kayaking with Komodo dragons in Indonesia, testing your desert island survival skills in Panama... these unusual vacations introduce you to new landscapes and different ways of life. You’ll see the world through memorable encounters with local people and even make new friends as passionate as you are about escaping the ordinary.
Our top Unusual vacations
Western Mongolia tour, the Altai mountains & eagles
From
US $2365 to US $3815
12 days
ex flights
Culture and adventure in the landscapes of western Mongolia
Small group2023: 12 Sep, 26 Sep
Cameroon 7 day safari vacation
From
£1595 to £8195
7 days
ex flights
Safari into the wilderness of Faro National Park
Tailor made
Somaliland and Djibouti tailor made tour
From
US $2750
10 days
ex flights
A pioneering overland journey through Djibouti & Somaliland
Tailor made
Thailand adventure vacation, self drive Tuk Tuk
From
£1395 to £1595
11 days
ex flights
A Tuk Tuk Adventure in the stunning mountains of Thailand
Small group2023: 23 Apr, 11 May, 22 May, 29 May, 26 Jun, 3 Jul, 20 Jul, 31 Jul, 7 Aug, 17 Aug, 24 Aug, 4 Sep, 21 Sep, 25 Sep, 14 Oct, 21 Oct, 28 Nov, 10 Dec, 14 Dec, 27 Dec, 2024: 8 Jan, 15 Jan, 22 Jan, 29 Jan, 5 Feb, 12 Feb, 19 Feb, 26 Feb, 4 Mar, 11 Mar, 18 Mar, 25 Mar, 29 Apr, 6 May, 13 May, 20 May, 27 May, 3 Jun, 10 Jun, 17 Jun, 24 Jun, 1 Jul, 8 Jul, 15 Jul, 22 Jul, 29 Jul, 2 Sep, 9 Sep, 23 Sep, 30 Sep, 7 Oct, 14 Oct, 21 Oct ...
Guinea-Bissau wildlife tour of the Bijagos
From
£2550
11 days
ex flights
Pristine beaches and rare mammals in Guinea-Bissau
Small group2023: 24 Nov, 2024: 22 Nov, 2025: 21 Nov
Tailor made
Cuba salsa dance vacation
From
£1750 to £1850
15 days
ex flights
Learn to salsa with the pros in Santiago de Cuba, tuition, day trips and nights out
Small group2023: 12 Feb, 16 Apr, 5 May, 2 Jul, 26 Nov, 18 Dec
Oman small group tour
From
£2395
8 days
ex flights
Ancient spice trails, Wahiba Sands, superb coastal scenery
Small group2023: 13 Mar, 2 Oct, 6 Nov, 2024: 5 Feb, 11 Mar, 7 Oct, 4 Nov
Chad wildlife vacation in Zakouma NP
From
£3600
10 days
ex flights
Spectacular safari to Africa's most exciting destination
Small group2023: 13 Mar, 2024: 11 Mar, 2025: 10 Mar
About our unusual vacations
Why go on an unusual vacation?
In France, they use the word ‘insolite’ to describe an unusual vacation, which sounds a bit like insolent: rebelling against the norm. We think unusual vacations should be about venturing outside your comfort zone (even if it’s just a small step to begin with) and learning what’s possible beyond the all-inclusive resorts and beach or skiing vacations you may be used to. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that ‘unusual’ also means extreme. Many of the unusual vacations you’ll find on our website are perfectly family-friendly – but they do all come with a generous helping of adventure.
Unusual destinations
Our unusual vacation destinations create out-of-the-ordinary experiences in places you might not normally consider visiting – the wilderness of Mongolia, for instance, where you can stay in a yurt and learn to fight like one of Genghis Khan’s warriors. Or tiny but beautiful Montenegro, which is still relatively unknown as a European vacation destination but has mountains to hike, lakes to swim in, and rivers to raft. We help you find the needles in the haystack by tracking down unusual vacation destinations that aren’t just off the regular tourist trail, but also have their responsible travel credentials in place.
Unusual family vacations
Unusual family-friendly vacations begin at home, when you gather the brood around the computer to see whose eyes light up at where, and what, and start making notes. Whatever you end up doing – watersports, walking or winter wilderness – we recommend going with a travel company that really gets family requirements, and will bend over backwards to ensure everyone from big to little has the time of their life. Our unusual family vacation experts are happy to share their knowledge about traveling in China, kayaking in Croatia, or hiking with a mule in the French Alps.
Unusual places to stay
We love showing off unusual places to stay. That’s not only because they spark the imagination, but because they’re run by people with deep connections to their local environment and culture, and who are keen to protect both. There are treehouses and yurts, houseboats and ice hotels, and welcoming homestays from Kerala to Costa Rica. As more people take an interest in finding unusual places to stay on vacation, growing numbers of accommodations rise up to meet them. The places we work with emphasise sustainability throughout your stay – not as a ‘greenwash’, but because they believe in it.
[Why go on an unusual vacation?: Mario Micklisch]
[Unusual destinations: Pioneer Expeditions]
[Unusual family-friendly vacations: Jerome Bon]
[Unusual places to stay: Greenland Travel]
