We know travel isn’t just about ticking things off your list and collecting passport stamps, but it is fun seeing where your Top 10 will lead you. Will your Top 10 ‘wow moments’ include mingling with the locals in Laos to give alms to monks, hanging out with the Masai in Kenya or sipping bubbly in the Champagne caves of France? Join Intrepid to get to the heart of a place and really experience it on a small group adventure!

Make sure you always take out decent travel cover if heading away for a intrepid trip

This month Intrepid reveals its Top 10 trips for 10% OFF, and there’s never been a better time to get your own list started with the chance to WIN a £1000 Intrepid Travel voucher. In this edition we give you great reasons to put Turkey, Namibia, Cambodia and Botswana at the top of your list, plus find out how your Intrepid Express feedback will save you £30 and could WIN you a trip!

Even if you don’t spend a dime on gambling, seeing Vegas at night is an experience. The famous Las Vegas dancers put on a stunning show and every 15 minutes at the elegant Bellagio casino is a dancing fountain display timed to different songs. The Strip is where all the aciton is and it will take you a few hours to walk it, but from gondola rides at the Venetian to a replica Eiffel Tower that you can ride to the top at Paris Casino, you’ll have the world at your feet.

If you are heading to Vegas then make sure you take out decent travel insurance for over 80s to ensure you are not left with huge medical bills that are common in the USA.

The tip is to grab a local paper from your Intrepid leader when you arrive, because inside are coupons that could have you feasting on an all-you-can-eat-buffet for under $5.

Consumer confidence is critical to the health of the economy and 90% of specialist tour operators report that they are more positive or that the status quo has been maintained. In a clear sign that travellers are more positive in their plans for the year ahead, the survey showed that 67% of respondents were experiencing an increase in bookings with a further 15% reporting similar levels to last year. The next quarter is expected to follow this trend, with 90% confident that bookings will be up or at the same level as last year.

Exactly 80% of tour operators reported that passenger spending was the same or greater than last year, and that travellers are less price-sensitive than before. The survey also reveals that consumers still consider the destination to be the most influential factor when buying a holiday – but the importance of customer service has now jumped ahead of price, suggesting that cheap deals are not the be-all and end-all in holiday plans. It appears that securing the correct holiday is far more important than a cut-price deal.

Derek Moore, AITO Chairman, comments: “2009 was a challenging year for travel companies and while Britain’s exit from the recession is slow, we know that people are less willing to forego holidays these days. It’s encouraging to see just how positive consumer plans are for travel in 2010; tour operator bookings show that the desire to take holidays in 2010 is stronger than ever.”

In a further encouraging development for the health of the travel industry, companies now report an increase in staff training, marketing and research to prepare for better times ahead, with some operators actually recruiting more staff.

“The highlight of my amazing adventure in Vietnam was definitely our two-night boat trip on Halong Bay. Surprisingly for February, the sun even came out and the mist cleared, what a beautiful place. It’s not hard to imagine why the Oscar-winning movie Indochine was shot here (also in Thailand). We kayaked around the lagoon where the movie was filmed! It was fantastic and my camera never stopped clicking as the sun set over Halong Bay that afternoon!”

If you need travel insurance over 80 to Vietnam then check out travel insurance finders.

Put yourself in the picture for 10 action-packed days on Spirit of Vietnam and if you act fact, you could SAVE 20% on trips departing 22 January or 23 February 2010!

PYRENEES WINTER WALK AND SNOWSHOE

8 days from GBP819 to GBP899 including flights
Tripcode: CEW

*  5-days of stunning snowshoe walks
* Based near charming spa town of Luchon
* Delicious meals prepared by chalet hosts

Snowshoer in deep snow\r\n

This is where our snowshoeing programme was born. Over twelve years ago we started to entice our summer walkers back to enjoy this area’s stunning winter scenery on snowshoes. The valleys and ridges around the French spa town of Luchon are perfect for winter exploration, and our series of tried and tested daywalks take in the best views of the area as we climb to a ridge or small peak each day. Even with limited snow conditions when snowshoes are not necessary, we will still be able to explore and experience spectacular winter walking. Our base is La Feniere, a cosy mountain lodge, ten minutes drive from Luchon, and with superb views of the highest peaks in the area.

SNOWSHOEING IN THE DOLOMITES

8 days from GBP999 to GBP1,319 including flights
Tripcode: CIS
Map

Countries Visited: Austria, Italy

* Spectacular mountain scenery on varied snowshoe walks
* Family run luxury 4 star hotel
* All departures guaranteed

Tre Cime di Lavaredo from Monte Piano

From our superb hotel in the charming village of Villabassa, just north of Cortina d’Ampezzo, we enjoy Michelin recommended cuisine and a relaxing wellness centre, as well as incredibly inspiring walks into the beautiful Dolomites. Situated on the northern edge of Italy’s most stunning mountain range, in the Alta Pusteria Valley, we have access to many excellent areas for snowshoe exploration. Wonderful routes take us into the Fanes-Sennes Natural Park, along the shoreline of Lago di Braies and beneath the impressive Tre Cime di Lavaredo, surely the most famous image of the entire Dolomites. Walking along forest trails and old military tracks, we reach the magnificent viewpoints of Durrakopf (2275m) and Strudelkopf (2307m) and we absorb fascinating history from World War 1 during lunch stops from picturesque refuges.

Visit Exodus for more details

Stunning camping trek to Kilimanjaro’s summit … more
Kilimanjaro

* Max group 16
* Walking & Trekking

* View full details
* Prices & availability

Annapurna Sanctuary

17 days

* inc. flights

Nepal Tour ref: AB

From £1,349 per person

09 Oct 09 – 25 Oct 09      £1,349
Annapurna Basecamp | Stunning mountain views | Shortened Annapurna trek

An inspiring Himalayan trek into the heart of the Annapurna range, for those who have a little less time (or energy!) than the … more
Trekking on snow

* Max group 16
* Walking & Trekking

* View full details
* Prices & availability

Serengeti Explorer

10 days

* inc. flights

Tanzania Tour ref: RV

From £1,429 per person

09 Oct 09 – 18 Oct 09      £1,429
Serengeti National Park | Ngorongoro Crater | Rift Valley wildlife

Unforgettable safari in world-famous game reserves … more
Game drives

* Easy
* Max group 16
* Safari / Wildlife

* View full details
* Prices & availability

Kilimanjaro – Rongai Route

11 days

* inc. flights

Tanzania Tour ref: KR

From £1,369 per person

09 Oct 09 – 18 Oct 09      £1,369
Gradual ascent | Porter assisted camping | Wildlife viewing

A less demanding route to Kilimanjaro’s summit … more
On the trek

* Max group 16
* Walking & Trekking

* View full details
* Prices & availability

Adventure Nepal

19 days

* inc. flights

Nepal Tour ref: NP

From £1,669 per person

Greater love hath no man than for his football in Ghana. World Cup Fever is sweeping the country and this week’s top trip scores a goal every time!

Ghana has become the first African country to qualify for the 2010 Football World Cup, joining England and Australia in qualification. Ghanaian Captain Michael Essien summed up the country’s passion for the beautiful game, “The people of Ghana wanted us to win and we did not let them down. What a fantastic feeling to be the first African country to qualify for the first World Cup to be staged in Africa.”

Intrepid’s Best of Ghana and Mali is a unique overland trip and the highlight for many is a game of football. It was a close match this month against the locals of Mole Nation Park. It was 5-5 at the end of normal time, but Mole Park FC won the penalty in the shoot-out with Dragoman trip leader Michael missing the decisive penalty – allowing Ghana the bragging rights to have won two important football matches in the last week!

Big Galapagos savings! Visiting the Galapagos is notoriously expensive, so this is an excellent opportunity to take advantage of savings up to £420 on tours sailing to the islands on the Monserrat Yacht. These savings are available on departures from the UK on Tuesdays, compared with equivalent Wednesday departures.

There are also savings on trips to Abu Simbel, along with Peru, and the Explore Greek Caique Cruise. For more information, visit the website here.