Trekkup Dubai ✔

In the 1930s, Australian gold prospectors flying over the mountains of Papua New Guinea made a discovery that genuinely shocked the outside world. Beneath the clouds, hidden between vast Highland valleys, lived millions of people nobody knew were there. Entire societies had developed in near isolation, separated by some of the most difficult terrain on Earth. Many valleys had their own languages, customs and tribal systems, completely unknown to the modern world until aircraft finally crossed the mountains above them.

That sense of isolation helps explain why Melanesia feels so different from almost anywhere else on the planet. The word itself comes from the Greek melas nesoi, meaning “black islands”, a term used by European explorers to describe the darker-skinned populations they encountered across this part of the Pacific. Stretching from Papua New Guinea through the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji, Melanesia became one of the most culturally fragmented regions on Earth, shaped by volcanoes, jungle mountains, unpredictable seas and thousands of years of limited contact between communities.

Nowhere else on Earth did isolation produce such extreme linguistic and cultural density. Papua New Guinea alone is home to over 800 languages, roughly 10% of the world’s total. In Europe, empires and trade routes wove societies together. In Melanesia, nature enforced separation, and surprised the world with a result.

Papua New Guinea remains the tribal emotional core. The Highlands are not merely scenic, they are a living museum of tribal complexity where identity, ritual, and cosmology remain vibrantly operational. The Mount Hagen Sing-Sing is no sanitized performance; it is a high-stakes arena of alliance, rivalry, and ancestral power, where clans communicate through spectacular visual languages of paint, feathers, and movement. The sheer extravagance of the birds of paradise found here seems to mock any notion of evolutionary restraint. This is nature, and culture, at its most audacious.

Modern PNG is a study in creative tension: smartphones beside spirit houses, billion-dollar mines adjacent to subsistence gardens, ancient traditions navigating the forces of globalization. It is raw, occasionally chaotic, and intellectually exhilarating precisely because it refuses to resolve into something easily digestible.

Solomon Islands carry the heavy imprint of 20th-century history, particularly the savage WWII campaign on Guadalcanal. Yet beneath the rusting wrecks and jungle-reclaimed battlefields lies something far older and quieter. These are islands where traditional life still moves according to rhythms of fishing, gardening, and kastom law rather than global schedules. The volcanic landscapes, steaming geothermal zones, black sand beaches, and abrupt emerald peaks feel pre-historical.

Vanuatu may be the Pacific’s greatest tectonic miracle, a country quite literally built by geological violence. The islands exist because the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates continue colliding deep beneath the ocean floor, forcing magma upward and slowly creating entirely new land. Unlike many volcanic regions elsewhere in the world, this process never really stopped. Vanuatu is not simply volcanic by history, but volcanic in real time, with landscapes still actively forming beneath people’s feet.

While many parts of the world modernized rapidly during the twentieth century, traditional kastom culture remained remarkably resilient here. Despite Aussie influence everywhere, on islands like Tanna, village life still revolves around nakamals, kava rituals and community structures rooted far deeper than colonial borders. Above it all towers Mount Yasur, one of the world’s most accessible active volcanoes, erupting continuously as if reminding everyone that the Pacific is still geologically unfinished.
At times Vanuatu feels almost suspended between worlds. Pickup trucks and mobile phones appear beside villages where traditional authority still carries more weight than politics, and where stories about spirits, volcanoes and ancestors remain part of everyday life rather than folklore preserved for tourists.

Fiji may be the only country on Earth successful for convincing the world to pay for water originating from a tropical volcanic aquifer. In reality, the honeymoon resorts brochures come noticeably better infrastructure, making it a softer landing after the raw intensity of neighbours.
However, beneath the polished surface remains a strong cultural identity where village ties, ceremony and community still play a central role in everyday life.

Despite geographical proximity, Melanesia was never meant to be one place – quite opposite. It is a constellation of distinct worlds forged in separation, yet bound by shared tectonic fury, oceanic isolation, and respected human determination to create meaning against overwhelming odds. Our expedition will let you understand something new and profound about human cultural evolution: how environment, distance and imagination interact to produce astonishing diversity. In a postcard perfect background.

Let’s go!

DAY 0 // AUG 14 // Manila to PNG
DAY 1 // AUG 15 // Mt. Hagen Festival
DAY 2 // AUG 16 // Mt. Hagen Festival + Villages
DAY 3 // AUG 17 // Road to Goroka
DAY 4 // AUG 18 // Goroka + Asaro Mudmen
DAY 5 // AUG 19 // Port Moresby
DAY 6 // AUG 20 // Solomon Islands
DAY 7 // AUG 21 // Savo Volcano
DAY 8 // AUG 22 // Honiara to Vanuatu
DAY 9 // AUG 23 // Tanna Island - tribes & Mt. Yassur
DAY 10 // AUG 24 // Blue Lagoon + Underwater post office
DAY 11 // AUG 25 // Efate Coast and off to Fiji
DAY 12 // AUG 26 // Inland Fiji
DAY 13 // AUG 27 // Rest & Relax, return via Hong Kong

All details available to confirmed RSVPS.

Level: Moderate – includes up to 5 hrs hike. This is travel to areas with limited facilities.

Duration: 14 days

Activities: trekking, sightseeing, swimming, snorkeling, buggy riding, elements and wildlife encounter, cultural immersion.

Accommodation & meals: hotels, lodges and guesthouses - double sharing, restaurant meals excluded.

Cost: 22,750 AED incl. 5 connecting flights until June 30th.
We will close the list on this date.

Trip starts in Manila DAY 0 / ends in Hong Kong DAY 14.

Specifically excluded:
· International flights to Manila and return from Hong Kong,
· Visas,
· restaurant meals,
· extra luggage allowance.

Secluded, distant, and untouched - Legendary Tibet sits high in the storybook heights of the Himalayas, unlike anywhere else on Earth. With an average elevation of 4,500 meters, it earns its title as the Roof of the World, offering endless plateaus, snow-draped peaks, and skies so close they feel touchable. The landscape is stark, vast, and impossibly beautiful, painted with valleys, glaciers, and lakes that feel like they belong on another planet.

But Tibet is more than just a view, it’s the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism, alive in every fluttering prayer flag and spinning prayer wheel. In Lhasa, the capital, you’ll stand before the towering Potala Palace, once the winter home of the Dalai Lama and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Just a short walk away, Jokhang Temple anchors the city’s spiritual life, as pilgrims circle it clockwise on Barkhor Street, murmuring mantras and spinning hand-held wheels in a moving meditation centuries old.

Tibet’s identity hasn’t come without struggle. Once a theocratic state of monks and monasteries, it was occupied by Chinese forces in the 1950s and officially became part of the People’s Republic of China. The political future of Tibet remains a subject of global debate—but its cultural resilience is undeniable. Tibetan nomads, with their yak-hair tents and deep connection to the land, still roam the high plains. They keep alive traditional crafts like thangka painting and handwoven carpets, embodying a culture shaped by both hardship and deep spiritual calm.

Tibet is a place where nature and devotion blend into one, where silence holds power and every view feels sacred. And yes, the altitude might steal your breath—but the magic of this land will too.

But Tibet is only part of this journey. We’ll also meet pandas and ride the highest railway in the world.

Our adventure begins with the Qinghai–Tibet Railway, a marvel of high-altitude engineering that reaches a jaw-dropping 5,072 meters at Tanggula Pass. It glides over 550 km of permafrost, using futuristic tech to keep the tracks stable. Oxygen is pumped into the cabins to ease the ride—making it the perfect way to acclimate while watching the wild Tibetan plateau unfold outside your window.

And when we reach Chengdu, prepare for a totally different kind of thrill: pandas. At the research center, these sleepy rockstars are most active in the morning, so we’ll time our visit to catch the cubs tumbling, munching, and stealing hearts. You might be surprised to learn that pandas have six fingers, including a thumb-like adaptation for grabbing bamboo.

Are you ready for an unforgettable fusion of ancient and modern? Let's go!

Day 0: Departure
Meet at the airport for your direct flight to Chengdu.

Day 1: Chengdu - Chonguing
Immigration formalities and bullet train to Chongqing. Day and night tour across the highlights of so-called Cyber Punk city. Overnight in Chonguing.

Day 2: Chongqing - Xining - High Altitude Train to Lhasa
Departure to Xining by flight and take a short city tour.
Catch the afternoon train to Lhasa (the best views star here). Overnight on the train of soft sleeper (4 persons in 1 cabin) around 20hours.

Day 3: Arrival in Lhasa
Arrive in Lhasa in the afternoon and transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure for acclimatization to the staggering 3,650m altitude. Take it easy and hydrate.

Day 4: Explore Lhasa
We begin with Jokhang Temple, the holiest site in Tibetan Buddhism, where pilgrims from across the region gather to worship at this 1400-year-old temple. Then we explore Old Town and Barkhor Street, a vibrant market maze filled with incense, prayer flags, and centuries of tradition.

Day 5: Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Karo La Glacier – Gyantse – Shigatse
This morning we hit the road early, traversing the picturesque Yarlung River towards the sacred Yamdrok Lake, one of the three largest lakes in Tibet. We'll discover the vastness and serenity of this holy lake and its surrounding mountains from the Kamba La Pass. As we drive along the lake shore to Nankartse and ascend to the stunning Karo La Glacier, we'll have close-up views of Mt. Nojin Kangtsang. Here we will stretch our legs on a 2-3 hour trail to discover higher glacier lakes.s.

Day 6: Shigatse – Gyatso La Pass – Everest Base Camp (North)
Today we travel through remote areas, passing through picturesque but isolated Tibetan farming villages before heading over Gyatso La Pass (5,248m) for jaw-dropping views. Continuing on through Geu La Pass, we'll reach Rongbuk Monastery, the world’s highest. Here we’ll walk near the Everest North Base Camp (5,150m)—an unforgettable place to breathe in the Himalayas.

Day 7: Rongphu Monastery – Shigatse
We'll catch the sunrise at Rongphu Monastery, with chanting monks setting the tone. If time allows, there will be a quick visit to Tashizom village before we return to Shigatse.

Day 8: Shigatse – Chengdu
We return to Lhasa and catch a connecting flight to Chengdu. Free time in the afternoon.

Day 9: Pandas
Before we say 再见 (goodbye) to China, we’ll visit the Chengdu Panda Research Center. These charming black-and-white creatures are most active in the mornings, with the baby pandas being particularly playful.

It won't take long for you to see just how extraordinary they are! Growing to heights of 1.2m to 1.5m and weighing up to 135kg, pandas spend over half their day consuming bamboo. And yes, they are born pink and measure around 15cm.

After, we'll have some time for a last round of souvenir shopping before heading to the airport for our direct flight back home, with heads and hearts full of unforgettable Sichuan-Tibetan memories!

Level: easy to moderate (high altitude ahead).
Activities: trekking, sightseeing, cultural immersion.
Accommodation & meals: 4 star comfortable hotels - double sharing. Restaurant meals excluded.

Cost: 12,980 AED all-inclusive of international and domestic flights + train rides until JUNE 21st.

South Africa may look like one country on the map,
but it feels like several completely different countries
stitched together into one landmass.

The Dutch and British fought over it, diamonds and gold built it, and for a while the world turned its back on it. Today, it’s back: confident, complex, and ready to show off.

Nature here is on another level. This is one of the few places on Earth where you can watch thousands of African penguins waddling right at your feet on a sunny beach, then drive a short distance and see southern right whales breaching and slapping their massive tails just offshore. It’s a country of dramatic extremes: ancient Table Mountain rising straight out of the sea, endless semi desert Karoo plains dotted with ostriches, thick indigenous forests, wild ocean cliffs, and coastlines that serve as playgrounds for both penguins and whales.

The famous Garden Route squeezes mountains, lagoons, dense forests, and golden beaches into one unforgettable drive. Inland and eastward, protected reserves hold the Big Five often visible from your car window. In Addo Elephant National Park alone, massive elephant herds move through landscapes that look almost prehistoric, often passing remarkably close to vehicles with an attitude suggesting humans are merely tolerated guests.

Distances are enormous, ecosystems change rapidly. Mediterranean vineyards suddenly give way to semi-arid Karoo landscapes, followed by dense coastal forest and eventually safari plains populated by elephants, rhinos, lions, and buffalo. In many countries, these environments would be separated by continents. Here, they are linked by highways and coffee stops.
Culturally, it’s just as diverse. Eleven official languages, countless traditions, and a mix of African, European, Asian, and Coloured heritage that gives every region its own flavour and rhythm.

Our journey begins in Cape Town, a city whose strategic importance shaped centuries of global trade. Before the Suez Canal existed, the Cape served as one of the world’s most critical maritime supply points linking Europe and Asia. The route then follows the southern coastline toward Cape Agulhas, the actual southernmost point of Africa, where the Atlantic and Indian Ocean systems converge. From there, the landscape shifts dramatically into the Little Karoo, a semi arid basin known for its extreme climate, geological significance, and vast open spaces, before descending into the Garden Route, one of Africa’s most ecologically diverse coastal corridors.

After some difficult decades, South Africa is once again welcoming the world and it has every right to be proud. Few countries can match such scenic power, diversity of wildlife, not to mention magical combination of penguins on the beach and whales in the bay.
So pack your binoculars and get ready to journey across multiple worlds, where penguins, whales and elephants are waiting to welcome you!

Let’s go!

Day 1 // Cape Town & Table Mountain sunset hike

Welcome to Cape Town, dramatically squeezed between ocean, mountains, and coastline.

Hotel check in, short rest and head straight for the massive sandstone wall that towers above the city: Table Mountain. Our route follows Platteklip Gorge, the oldest and most direct path to the summit. The trail climbs through stone steps while Cape Town unfolds below like a living map of beaches, harbours, and two oceans stretching until horizon.
Reaching the top feels like stepping onto a giant viewing platform floating above an entire world.

After soaking in the 360-degree views, we will descend by the famous cable car.
(Cheat version available: cable car both ways and still claim the summit experience.)

Note: Cable car operations are weather-dependent.
In the evening its time to indulge in local delicacies, enjoy a stroll along the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, where historic buildings, warehouses, and former grain silos surrounding the large shopping complex have been beautifully transformed into shops, cafés, and restaurants.

Day 2 // Hermanus & Cape Agulhas :: Penguins & Whales

We leave Cape Town and follow South Africa’s wild southern coastline.
First stop: Betty’s Bay and its lively colony of African penguins. These are the only penguins found on the entire African continent. They are also called Jackass Penguins because of their loud, donkey-like braying sound. At Stony Point Nature Reserve, you walk on boardwalks directly through the colony, often just metres from the birds as they waddle, nest, and preen. The colony is currently home to roughly 1,200–1,500 African penguins, making it one of the largest mainland colonies of this endangered species.

Then comes Hermanus, one of the planet’s finest land based whale watching spots. Between June and November, southern right whales migrate from Antarctica into the sheltered waters of Walker Bay to mate, give birth, and nurse their calves. These gentle giants frequently come astonishingly close to shore, sometimes just 10 to 50 metres away allowing to watch them breach, tail-slap, spyhop, and hear their powerful blows from the cliff paths. If we’re lucky, we can spot dozens of whales into the bay at once, including mothers with newborns. Hermanus even has the world’s only Whale Crier, who walks the coastal path blowing a kelp horn to announce sightings.

As we continue, the road grows more rugged towrads Cape Agulhas, the true southernmost tip of Africa, where the cold Atlantic and warm Indian Oceans officially collide. We spend the night at the very bottom of the continent, surrounded by dramatic coastline and powerful currents.

Day 3 // Oudtshoorn :: Ostriches

The ocean fades behind us as we turn inland into the Little Karoo. Here, lush green coast gives way to vast open valleys, dry mountains, and semi-desert stretching to the horizon.
Our destination is Oudtshoorn, the ostrich capital of the world. In the late 1800s, ostrich feathers made this remote town briefly rich. Today the giant birds still roam the plains looking slightly puzzled but very much at home. We visit an ostrich farm and stop at a few wine estates along the way.

Day 4 // Oudtshoorn To Sedgefield :: Canoes & Forest Waterways

We cross the impressive Outeniqua Mountains and drop into a completely different world.
One side is dry Karoo. The other side explodes into dense indigenous forest, green hills, rivers, and humid coastal air. The transition is so sharp it feels almost unnatural.
In Wilderness National Park we trade the car for canoes and paddle through calm waterways framed by ancient forest and birdsong. Then we walk forest trails to hidden waterfalls before settling into peaceful Sedgefield, a quiet corner of the Garden Route where beaches, lakes, and forest meet in perfect calm.

Day 5 // Garden Route :: Knysna, Tsitsikamma & Cliff Top

We start with the highlights of the Garden Route.
Knysna sits on a large lagoon guarded by towering sandstone cliffs known as the Knysna Heads. Further east we reach Bloukrans Bridge, home to the world’s highest bungee jump.
Next to Tsitsikamma National Park, where dramatic ocean cliffs, suspension bridges over the sea, and thick coastal forest create some of South Africa’s most spectacular scenery.
By afternoon the coast slowly opens into savannah country as we arrive at Addo Elephant National Park.

Day 6 // Addo Elephant National Park :: Big Five Safari

This morning we enter Addo Elephant National Park, one of Africa’s greatest conservation success stories.
Drive through landscapes that feel prehistoric as large elephant herds move around us, often passing surprisingly close. Addo is one of the best places in the country to see the Big Five in a single protected area. Originally created to save a tiny remaining elephant population, the park now hosts large, thriving herds that roam across wide open landscapes. Over the next few hours we search for elephants, lions, buffalo, black rhinos, zebra, and antelope.

Wildlife sightings here often happen at close range. Elephants frequently walk right up to the roads with total confidence, giving the clear impression that humans are simply tolerated guests in their territory.
After a full day with the Big Five, we head back west toward the lush coastal landscapes of the Garden Route and return to Wilderness.

Day 7 // Mossel Bay to Cape Town :: Coastal Trails & Ocean View

After breakfast we stop in Mossel Bay, one of the first places where Europeans set foot in southern Africa. Set between dramatic cliffs and the Indian Ocean, the town offers beautiful coastal views and a rich maritime past. We walk the scenic Cape St. Blaize Trail high above the waves, with sweeping panoramas along the coastline.
In the afternoon we begin the scenic drive back to Cape Town.

Day 8 // Cape Winelands :: Wine Tram & Vineyards

Our South African experience would not be completed without Cape Winelands in one of the most beautiful wine regions on Earth.Rolling vineyards, dramatic mountain backdrops, and historic estates create a landscape that feels part Mediterranean, part African. We’ll jump on wine tram a hop-on, hop-off that takes us through the valley, stopping at some of the best wine farms along the route.

After souvenir shopping its sadly time to head back to airport for flight back home.

Bye, bye South Africa x

Level of Difficulty: Easy, available for everyone.
Activities: Trekking, game watching, canoeing, cultural immersion.
Duration: 8 Days.
Room & Meals: Lodges and hotels- double sharing,
meals and drinks excluded. Single supplement at extra cost.

Cost: AED 6,910 excl. flights until AUG 20.
Flights: Emirates direct, approx. 4500 AED.

Specifically Excluded:
Any expenses related to visas, meals, drinks, single supplement.

On the coast of West Africa to the north of Namibia along the Atlantic Ocean, packed with diamonds, and oil, spread across green savannahs, tropical jungles, and coastal deserts, beating to the rhythms of semba, rivet, and kizomba, and thundering waterfalls from Luanda to Cabo Ledo, Angola is where the bold go to dance and seekers of adventure find the final frontier of African discovery!