DESTINATIONS NEW TOURS | ESCORTED TOURS 5 best
OF THE REST
TURKMENISTAN Turkmenistan offers Caspian coasts, fiery gas craters and even the world’s largest hand-woven carpet. Regent Holidays has introduced four itineraries in the country, including the 12-day Classic Turkmenistan, starting from £3,790 based on two sharing, including flights, departing April 18.
regent-holidays.co.uk
ITALY
As the touring sector’s top-selling destination, according to the Association of Touring & Adventure Suppliers (Atas), it would be hard to find any part of Italy that remains relatively unexplored. Yet Newmarket Holidays’ first Premier Collection tour in the country has done just that by focusing on the less-travelled northeast. Hidden Italy – Trieste & Friuli Venezia Giulia starts and ends in Venice, making use of competitively priced flights from regional UK airports. But in between, it diverts off the tourist trail to explore the port city of Trieste, Unesco-listed Roman ruins in Aquileia and a Renaissance star fort in Palmanova (pictured). Guests can also learn the art of mosaic-making in Spilimbergo and enjoy a wine tasting in
vineyard-filled Gorizia, a town at the foot of the Julian Alps along the border with Slovenia. Book it: Newmarket Holidays’ Hidden Italy – Trieste & Friuli Venezia Giulia starts at £1,749, including flights, seven nights’ accommodation with breakfast, tours and transfers, based on an October 7 departure from Bristol.
newmarketholidays.co.uk
ANGOLA Undiscovered Destinations is introducing a 13-day Angola Unveiled tour. As well as the Namib desert, clients will discover the capital Luanda, cooling waterfalls and tropical beaches. From £5,495 per person based on two sharing, departing July 15, excluding flights.
undiscovered-destinations.com
CHINA Wildlife Worldwide’s new 14-day tour of the Gouli Valley – known as the Valley of the Cats for its wild felines – is one of few to visit this remote region in northwest China. From £5,495 based on two sharing, including flights on October 15.
wildlifeworldwide.com
ZAMBIA If safari-loving clients want something new, a guided nine-night itinerary from Rainbow Tours offers the chance to explore Zambia’s lesser-known parks. They’ll spot elephants and leopards in the Lower Zambezi, followed by wild dogs and cheetahs in the Kafue region. From £7,765 including flights.
rainbowtours.co.uk
6 Laos
Southeast Asia has long been popular, but landlocked Laos is sometimes overlooked in favour of beach destinations. But that could soon change; in 2025, Laos received a 13% increase in visitors year on year, and this month, Exodus Adventure Travels will launch its first standalone tour in the country. Clients will have the chance to swim in the pearly blue pool of the Kuang Si waterfall, kayak on the rushing Nam Song River and discover the riverside city of Luang Prabang (pictured) by rail and boat. Brendan Phelan, sales director for Exodus, says: “Laos is a relatively undiscovered country, so we are very pleased to launch this trip now. Agents can lean into the fact that Laos offers affordable travel
and a perfect blend of relaxation and adventure.” Book it: Exodus offers a 10-day tour, Discover Laos in Comfort, which costs from £2,449 per person, including some meals, ground transport and listed excursions. International flights are extra.
exodus.co.uk
travelweekly.co.uk 8 JANUARY 2026 49
PICTURES: Shutterstock/mairu10, Matyas Rehak
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