Intrepid departs on first Aussie tour in six months

Intrepid Travel has officially kicked off its first tour in Australia since March.

On 4 September, nine travellers from Queensland and South Australia departed from Cairns on the company’s new five-day Daintree Retreat Tour.

“We are thrilled to be operating our first trip in Australia after a COVID-enforced hiatus,” Intrepid’s regional managing director for Australia and New Zealand, Sarah Clark, said.

“Our travellers are mostly local Queenslanders, but they want to see their home state in a new light, from an Intrepid perspective.”

The trip is part of the newly launched product range called Intrepid Retreats, in which groups thoroughly explore in one location, in handpicked accommodation ranging from small boutique properties to glamping, with nearby experiences.

These retreats celebrate ‘slow travel’ and allow adventurers to engage with the surrounding communities away from the crowds and in a more controlled setting.

“Reconciliation is a big focus for us at Intrepid, and on this trip, we have integrated more First Nations experiences and our travellers will learn from the local Kuku Yalanji family,” Clark said.

The trip visits the world’s oldest rainforest and includes a meeting with a local family who hosted David Attenborough’s documentary crew when they were filming. The trip also includes a hike in Mossman Gorge, as well as learning how to throw a spear, identify edible plants and see how Kuku Yalanji people live in harmony with their changeable landscape.

The Daintree Retreat, which visits the iconic rainforest and the beautiful town of Port Douglas, operates under Intrepid’s new Safe Travels health protocols, developed in partnership with the WTTC. All travellers had to complete a health screening at the start of the trip and the group will be accompanied by a local leader who has received specific COVID-19 training, which covers hygiene, sanitation, physical distancing, PPE as well as supplier monitoring.

In preparation for travel to resume, Intrepid has recently introduced a new Flexible Bookings policy to make travellers feel at ease when booking their holidays, which permits changes to travel plans 21 days before a scheduled departure, allowing for new travel dates or an entirely different trip with no change fees.

Featured image source: iStock/benstevens

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