Intrepid Travel has launched a brand-new US tour celebrating West and Central African cultural heritage.

The trip is part of the tour operator’s ongoing effort to introduce new experiences that not only celebrate Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) but also provide a more diverse and inclusive perspective of the iconic places that make up the US.

The tour also marks a continuation of Intrepid’s expansion within America, with the company recently launching nearly 40 new trips in the country that begin departing in 2022 – its most robust offering in the US since the tour operator’s inception over 30 years ago.

Within these tours are several new BIPOC-centric experiences that are helping travellers see America through a more diverse and inclusive lens.

This particular tour, Charleston to Savannah: Exploring Gullah Geechee Culture, journeys through Southeast America over six days exploring the culture, history and impact of the Gullah Geechee people, descendants of enslaved West and Central African people known for protecting, preserving, and passing on their culture and heritage.

Travellers will learn about Charleston’s Black heritage, tour the historic Mother Emanuel AME Church (an important figure in the Civil Rights Movement), take part in a sweetgrass weaving workshop, witness a soul-stirring performance in Beaufort where music and dance are used to share the experience of enslaved Africans brought to South Carolina, share a seafood boil with the locals, and join in a Sunday worship service at one of Savannah’s Black churches.

This is one of the most impactful and culturally significant itineraries Intrepid has introduced as part of its new US tour collection.

Intrepid has also revealed details of other new BIPOC-centric experiences included in its US offering, thanks to the collaboration and partnership of several BIPOC organizations and representatives, such as the National Blacks in Travel & Tourism Collaborative and representatives from the Crow Nation and Lakota tribes.

Here’s a rundown of what’s on offer:

• Portland to San Francisco Discovery – a Native American River-to-Table lunch in the Pacific Northwest
• Tennessee Music Trail to New Orleans – learn to cook Cajun and Creole Food at Deelightful Roux School of Cooking
• Best of Montana – gain insight into the Blackfeet Native American culture with a hike through the backcountry of Montana
• Georgia History trail to Nashville and Best of the South: Atlanta to New Orleans – tour Charleston, South Carolina with Professor Damon Fordham
• South Dakota Lodge Stay – learn about the history, stories and spirituality of the Oglala Lakota People
• Tennessee Music Trail to New Orleans, Best of the South: Atlanta to New Orleans, and Best of the South: Louisville to New Orleans –  join 2nd Line Tours for a visit to the Whitney Plantation in New Orleans
• South Dakota to Montana Parks Explorer – get the Apsaalooke perspective on Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monumen

Featured image: Charleston (Intrepid Travel)