"Getting under the skin of the real Colombia & discovering new exciting attractions is something I know Travel The Unknown is truly passionate about. "
Sarah Woods
Author of Bradt Guide Colombia
Joy Lawley, UK
About Eastern Turkey Snapshot: This trip was an amazing and very exhilarating experience. We had high hopes of Gobekli Tepe, which were totally fulfilled- it is utterly amazing, but we had not anticipated some of the other gems to be so exceptional as well. We were a small group, which made the trip very personal. Altogether it was a marvellous week, helped by having a caring guide and an excellent driver.
Penelope Smith, UK
About North East India: What an excellent service! Rahul adapted, extended and improved our trip so many times without a qualm and we ended up with the trip of a lifetime. The destinations are unusual and interesting but everything has been checked out by the team and works brilliantly. I can`t wait to do another trip.
Myrka, Slovakia
About Monks, Tribes & Rhinos, India: Thank you so much for organizing such a brilliant trip. I must admit it took me few days to get used to the country, as I have never visited a developing country. But after that i started having a great time with my friends. Really enjoyed the nature, the beautiful views. From all the places we visited I liked most Arunachal Pradesh and Tawang. I think the trip wouldn’t be the same without our guide CK, the best guide EVER! He helped us so much, and went out of his way, just to make the trip the best we had. So big thank you for him as well ;-) I still look at the amazing pictures I took and can’t believe that I have been there. So thank you again for the best holiday.
Stephen, Ireland
About Living Root Bridges, India: Gotta say thanks to Travel The Unknown for organising my fascinating trip to a little-known area of the world. The scenery was fantastic, food was amazing, the guide was great and the living bridges were inspiring. An India not many get to see. Thanks again.
Christian, USA
About a tailormade North East India trip: I had been studying the Apatani Tribe for quite some time… I’m talking roughly 7 years! Travel The Unknown made my dreams come entirely true. They organized every aspect of my experience in the most minute detail. I have never felt such confidence in an agency nor worked with one more knowledgeable about their destination. Because of them and their kind efforts, I will continue to travel with Travel The Unknown for all future expeditions to this or similar regions. Thanks, Travel The Unknown, for everything!
Adrian, UK
About Devil`s Town & Danube, Serbia: I have been extremely well looked after and am grateful to Dejan for showing me his wonderful country.
Laurence Mitchell (Author of Bradt Guide: Serbia), UK
About Serbia: I am delighted to see that Travel The Unknown have started to run tours to Serbia - it is time that someone did as the country has plenty to offer for all tastes. Looking at their itineraries for both North and South Serbia, it is clear that they manage to visit some of the more out the way places and lesser known sites that few know about. They offer a good degree of variety too, and their tours should give potential visitors a really good taste of this often overlooked destination.
John, UK
About Syrian Odyssey: An outstanding tour. An interesting, comprehensive and all-too-short introduction to a fascinating and friendly country. Would happily have done it again immediately. Well done Travel the Unknown.
P.S. The hotels used were better than the Travel Notes suggest!Cynthia, USA
About Eastern Turkey Explorer: I went on this trip rather than all the other interesting possibilities in the world because I wanted to go to Gobekli Tepe. Being there was all I could have hoped for. It was a stunning experience and I was moved to tears. Thank you so much for the opportunity. Regarding the food, the olives were the best I`ve ever tasted. And the yoghurt is fabulous. Also the cheese and pistachios and apricots. Oh yes, and the watermelon : ) Thanks to David too for being so patient with my endless questions
Begona Gomez, Spain
About a tailormade North East India trip: It was not easy to organise a trip to North East India because of lack of information. Travel The Unknown has been the solution. We trust on them and they proved they deserved this trust. It has been an incredible and wonderful trip!
Christine Barratt, UK
About a Rajasthan tailormade trip (India): In your testimonials I recognise all the things that gave me such pleasure on my own trip. Here was India dust & all, with its charm, its ridiculousness, its colour, sense of humour, unexpected delights, & above all its smiling, friendly people. So the heritage forts & palaces are stunning, but they are only an impressive reminder of where the country has come from. It’s everyday life that lets you know what the country is today. Thanks to your company I was able to experience all of this; just what I wanted. I shall be back; why go anywhere else, with anyone else?
David, UK
About a Jordan tailormade trip: Jerash fascinating, loved the mud at the Dead Sea, Bethany beyond the Jordan very interesting. Petra by night... AMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAZZZING, candle-lit all the way to the treasury, forget the names but two musical instruments being played - the sound echoing around the city was truly mesmerizing, a wonderfully mystical experience. Fantastic guide too. Thanks for all your help.
Lisa Zardoni, Italy
About Lost City Trek, Colombia : Thanks for making my trip possible and so successful in such a short time. I loved every single second and the trek to the Lost City is amazing. Would do it again in this precise moment. And Colombia was a pleasant surprise, the country is incredible and really safe against the common stereotypes. It is a place I would be happy to live in, with the good weather, the colours and on particular the music. The food was incredible and freshly cooked. I am normally a fussy eater but I had every single meal almost cleaning the plate every time! Really enjoyed the fresh fruit supplied during the breaks.
The package was excellent considering the very short notice. I was impressed by the efficiency and the great communication.Annalisa & Chiara, Italy
About Himalayas & Mountain Camels (Ladakh): A wonderful trip! Great nature, stunning landscapes and very interesting itinerary. Recommended to anyone looking for spirituality and breathtaking experiences! A big Thank You to our excellent guide who was able to make a huge difference to our trip.
Malcolm, UK
About Sacred India: The Sacred India trip provided a stimulating and immersive experience of India, notably the Hindu aspects of Indian society. Varanasi was a wonderful experience, the evening Aarti festival, the dawn river trip, and the tour around the alleyways of the old city were outstanding. The Khajuraho temples were beautiful, in a beautiful parkland setting.
Sue, UK
About tailormade Rajasthan & Kerala: We were 4 women in our 60`s travelling to India, not for the first time, we had all been before, but the trip was so good, well organised and we never felt uneasy, just had a really good time.
Ruth, UK
About tailormade Kerala:I have no hesitation in recommending Travel the Unknown to other travellers. This was our first experience and the quality of organisation, service and back up was excellent.
Jane, USA
About Wildlife of North East India & Agra: Neither of us had ever been to India before. This trip was a wonderful introduction. The trip you arranged responded precisely to our request to spend most of our time seeing wild life in National Parks and also provided us with the opportunity to visit Delhi, Agra and Kolkata. The drivers and guides were excellent, the accomdations excellent and they accomodated both my husband`s preference for highly spiced food and my lamentably bland preferences. Thank you!
Ken, UK
About India: Wow, India is incredible and Travel The Unknown put together a trip that really showed the diverse nature of the country and cultures, from the busy capital Delhi to the splendour of the Taj Mahal and then off the main tourist trek with an overnight sleeper train to Varanasi on the Ganges, the Hindu religious capital with bathing , washing and cremations alongside the river - an astonishing experience. We then moved to the forgotten North East corner where there is a tribal culture in an area seemingly cut off from the rest of India. Our destination was the Living Root Bridges which are unique and remote. Just want to go back to India for more...
Sean and Bonnee Gregg, Canada
About a Colombia tailormade trip:Seamless, worry-free travel in a far flung corner of the world. It was the best way to make sure we used our travel time seeing the country, interacting with the people, and tasting the food. I`ve already spent enough time, in queues, on buses, or just generally lost to appreciate a well planned trip.
Anupy Singla Gupta, USA
About Taste of South India: I just took the Food Tour of Kerala and Malabar Coast and it was purely unforgettable. The accommodation was superb as was the food and hospitality. I essentially came back feeling like a baby hippo - that should tell you you NEED to take this tour ASAP!
Anupy is the author of best-selling Indian cookery book - The Indian Slow Cooker - which is available for purchase on Amazon.Julie Crank, UK
About Southern Colombia Explorer: I would recommend Travel The Unknown`s Southern Colombia Explorer tour for anyone who wants a fairly comprehensive tour of the highlights of Colombia. I would definitely advise an add on to Cartagena, if you haven`t already visited. Colombia is a wonderful place to take a holiday whether you have been to Latin America many times before or even if it is your first trip. Travel The Unknown have definitely chosen the best places to stay and we were very well looked after. If you want a completely tailormade trip, I`m quite sure that the experience would be equally excellent. It`s good to find a smaller company where you get a more personal service and which goes to off beat places or off beat areas of well known but far away places.
Jeanine , UK
About Flavours of Oaxaca (Mexico food tour): It is not surprising that UNESCO has added Mexican cuisine to its list of cultural treasures worth preserving. The variety and quality of Oaxacan food is awe inspiring and ranges from street food to creative chefs in top class restaurants. All aspiring young chefs should visit the Sunday market in Tlacolula, a real feast for the eyes and the palette. We have learnt a huge amount on this tour about life in Mexico and the problems of Mexico`s indigenous people.
Ian Shaw, UK
About Land of the Bedouins (Jordan): Travel The Unknown provided me with an excellent opportunity to discover the amazing country that is Jordan. Without their organisation and attention to detail I would have never have experienced so much diversity and interest in such a short time. Thanks so much.
Dewi Evans, UK
Tailormade NE India: I`m very pleased with the way the trip was arranged for me, it was well organised and went very well. The itinerary was just the right pace to enjoy everything without rushing too much. It was never going to be cheap for 1 person travelling alone but I thought it was very reasonably priced.
Andrew Martin, UK
Tailormade NE India: I`m sure I could not have found a better operator for the type of complicated Indian tour I wanted to undertake on a limited budget. India is an intimidating country to visit, and I suspect that some operators look down on the first time visitor, or disparage their requirements. Travel the Unknown, by contrast, helped me all the way, and their local guides were superb.
Nikki Kemp, UK
About Jordan: Thank you for organising our Jordan trip. We both had a fantastic time, everything went very smoothly,and this is the first time I have ever used an ‘organised trip’ but it made everything stress free and enjoyable. Very well organised. The driver Bashir, was absolutely brilliant - very friendly, kind,patient, and informative and really made the trip special and memorable for us and we learnt many things on route that would never have known if it wasn’t for local information. Thank you very much for your support for a wonderful trip!
Karla, Canada
About Monks, Tribes & Rhinos, India: Just wanted to say thanks so much for making my holiday to the North East of India one of the most interesting and exciting travel experiences I have ever had. Our guide CK was extremely thoughtful and patient (especially with our frequent change of plans and food requests for momos and noddles) and our driver, Das, was the most amazing driver ever! He definitely saved our lives on those dark, monsoon destroyed, narrow, winding roads through the himalayan mountains on our journey to Tawang. I really felt taken care of and going on the tour made travelling in such a remote and unexplored area so much easier than if I had to do it on my own. Teaching the native tribal women in Along the chicken dance and the macarena was definately my high of the trip. I have never laughed so much, especially when awakening in the morning and hearing the chicken song being hummed in the background. God what they must think of western dancing now! Monks, tribes and Rhinos!!... what more can a person ask for!
Joanne, Ireland
Crusaders & Caves, Lebanon: Great mixture of everything. Of all the places we visited, Byblos is a lovely town with great restaurants. Also, the lunch at the Eco place in the Bekka valley was stunning. While it was expensive, Lebanon is an expensive country and we saw more than we could possibly have seen by ourselves. Best holiday in a long while. Travel The Unknown were flexible and professional to deal with and put together a trip for us that was one of the best holidays in years. Would definitely consider Travel The Unknown again for future trips.
Cerys Matthews, Wales
About a tailormade Guca festival tour (similar to Festivals of Serbia tour): Thank you so very much for organising our trip. It went swimmingly, Dejan is super cool, the house was fab, the people lovely and strange, the rakjia insane. Memories of river swimming, spit roast pigs and lambs, urns of beans and cabbages, gallons of cheap beer and craze-inducing rakia with a massive dose of incomprehensible contemporary Serbian music , a modern take of Balkan brass orchestras , some tiny glimpses into Roma life, and rackety fair rides, along with beautifully grown organic vegetables and perfect skinned youth ...with not so many tourists. Plus a sand blast of the fascinating Balkan history with which the Belgrade fortress bulges, a clean and safe city …
I`m a little overstuffed with roast pig but am thirsty as ever to find out more about the Roma and their music. All that history was what I found the most fascinating. Crazy stuff!Shaun, UK
About a tailormade Colombia trip: Thanks so much for a wonderful trip. The whole trip was fantastic. Our guides throughout were knowledgeable, enthusiastic and friendly. The Humming Bird walk in Manizales was probably the highlight but it`s not easy to choose. We will definitely travel with Travel the Unknown again.
Milojko, USA
Simply, a wonderful experience. There`s a special kind of relaxation that`s achieved when you know that you have none of the stress of organizing a trip, driving, navigating, travel, booking, etc. Thanks so much for an excellent experience.
Daniel Bean, UK
The Lost City trip was amazing. Would recommend this trip to anyone who has a sense of adventure and not afraid to leave their comfort zone. Machu Picchu is nothing like this and the sense of achievement you get when you reach the Lost City is truely outstanding. I am now looking for a similar adventure in another part of the world.
Jane, UK
About Magic of Cappadocia (Turkey): I had a lovely time in Turkey. Both of the tours that were part of the package were fabulous, both tour guides were very knowledgable and made the trips very interesting providing plenty of information, and the places where we went for lunches as part of the trip were superb. David McGuinness is a credit to Travel the Unknown, he goes that `extra mile` to keep customer happy. I`d like to say a huge `thank you` for all the help you gave me organising and planning my trip. I certainly will recommend anyone to use you for planning their `unknown` destination holiday. The emails, telephone calls were all spot on, well done :-) :-)
Caroline & Peter, UK
About Eastern Turkey SnapshotCharming people organising the trip and acting as guides. An inspirational visit taking us to out of the way places we would never have had the chance to visit. The personal touch Travel the Unknown brings sets them apart.
Elaine & Neil Smith, UK
The Delicacies of North India tour was an amazing experience for our first visit to India. The country, its people and its cuisine were friendly,delightful, colourful and exceeded all our expectations. Travel the Unknown have put together a superb unique package that we have no hesitation in recommending to anyone with an interest in food and culture.
Stephen, UK
Nagaland & Hornbill Festival: The Hornbill Festival was an experience if a lifetime to see the traditional dances, music and games the tribes use in their own village festivals, hence they were so natural and perfect. Even when they left the arena, they never stopped singing, dancing and playing their drums. I was really impressed with the diversity of the costumes, individually owned and cared for. For what I got out of the whole experience, I really thought the tour was exceptional value for money.
Philip & Mary, UK
Escaping from the comforting embrace of the big travel companies, Travel the Unknown`s `Ethiopia`s Historic North` programme gave us a window into a whole new world. The wildlife, the art, the food and the landscape were all unexpected and deeply memorable. The people were sometimes desperate, sometimes crazy, but nearly always smiling and ready to talk. One to treasure.
Ann Holgate, UK
About Tailormade India: A really well planned trip. We experienced life in Northeast India in just the way we wanted to. We loved the game reserves and saw a rock python which thrilled our guides as it is even rarer than the tiger! We visited villages and were able to interact with local people and loved the busy markets in Delhi and Calcutta. A special highlight was the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland; shown to us by our very own Naga guide Kezo. Kezo accompanied us for 15 days of our trip and ensured that we had many very special experiences - even taking us to the home of one of his Aunts where we spent a couple of hours sitting by the bonfire chatting.
Yngve Gausla, Norway
The trip in the south was no less than an adventure, way beyond my anticipations. My guide was both helpful and knowledgeable.
"Travel The Unknown are always at the forefront of authentic and pioneering travel"
Lyn Hughes
Editor & Founder, Wanderlust
Travel The Unknown Ltd. Registered Address: Hyde Park House, 5 Manfred Road, Putney, SW15 2RS Company number: 06347869 | ATOL number 9854
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[offthebeatentracktestimonials]
Travel The Unknown is a UK based tour operator specialising in off the beaten track travel in some of the least explored places on Earth.
We are currently offering tours to North East India: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya; Serbia, Syria and Colombia. Our off the beaten track tours are diverse and include tribal tours, cultural tours, Kaziranga safari trips, mountain trekking expeditions, village tours, Buddhist temple tours and camping in stunning remote places. We also offer festival tours including the Ras Festival in Majuli and many festivals in Arunachal Pradesh including Nyochum, Si-Doni, Losar, Tawang Torgya, and many more. In Colombia the Barranquilla festival is available.
Please choose your country of residence.