Life is busy, and between family reunions, friends’ weddings and cottage long weekends, there’s never enough time—or vacation days—to tackle your own adventure aspirations. Exodus Travels, a global leader in active and cultural tours, is seeking to change that with “Exodus Edits,” a new collection of compact and expertly crafted world tours designed for young professionals in their 30s and 40s.
The new collection is comprised of 22 trips ranging 4-13 days in length, all locally-led and including unique accommodation such as converted monasteries, mountainside refuges and boutique hotels. All itineraries are “edited” to include the epic outdoor activities, dynamic culinary experiences and cultural exploration essential to a bucket-list-worthy adventure—without the usual time commitment.
“Workplace burnout is a real problem, and the average employee only has about 15-20 paid days off each year, so we’ve got to make them count,” says Robin Brooks, Exodus Travels’ Marketing Director. “Exodus Edits were created so busy young professionals can recharge, experience transformative moments alongside like-minded individuals and forge a deeper connection with the world around them—without using all their vacation days at once.”
Exodus Edits are thoughtfully designed to showcase a destination’s best features. Kayak with penguins and go sandboarding in South Africa, wander Sicily’s street food scene before visiting Europe’s largest active volcano via 4×4 and cycle temple-filled villages in Vietnam en route to a chef-led cooking experience. Enjoy the feeling of eternal summer in Iceland in just 5-days and swap conference calls for waterfalls while hiking, biking and canyoning in Slovenia.
Here a few of the NEW Exodus Edits adventures, just in time for 2020:
Aurora and Adventure in Iceland
Trade in the rat race for a glacial pace in Iceland, which includes with 5-days of geothermal bathing, hiking Eldborg Crator and taking an ATV ride across volcanic territory to the wreckage site of a 1973 US Navy plane. In between seeking out secret waterfalls, glacier walks (ice axes are mandatory) and looking out for the Northern Lights, travellers will feast on craft beer and burgers at Reykjavik’s Bastard restaurant, imbibe glacier-fed gin and tonics, and sample tomatoes grown using geothermal energy.
5-days, departs Mar 25, April 15, Oct 14 and Nov 11, 2020
Fizz & Spritz in the Prosecco Hills
Escape into Italy’s Prosecco country—a land of beautiful food, rolling vineyards and bubbly cocktails—on a long weekend getaway that’s perfect for platonic life partners. Stroll the cobbled streets of little-known Treviso, indulge in classic Italian delicacies, and sip on the very best wares of top-rated winemakers. Designed to appeal to connoisseurs of all things sparkly, guests can expect scenic picnics, stylish stays in boutique hotels, a local-secrets tour of Venice and a mixology class starring Italy’s cult Spritz cocktail.
4-days, departs May 28, June 25, July 30 and Sept 10, 2020
Hardcore micro-adventurers with more ambition than time can scale Morocco’s Mount Toubkal, North Africa’s highest peak, in only two days on this challenging 5-day trek. Pass through Berber communities, visit the Marabout of Sidi Chamharouch shrine, overnight in a traditional gite and clamber over steep scree, ascending more than 4,000m. After taking in the views of Magreb, Marrakesh and the pre-Sahara from the summit, recharge at a traditional hammam and celebrate this incredible physical achievement with a rooftop dinner at Nomad, a stylish Marrakech restaurant serving locally-grown fare.
5-days, departs June 18, July 17 and Aug 27, 2020
Press reset in the sunny coastal paradise of Portugal’s Costa Verde with cycling, surfing, yoga and spa treatments on this 5-day getaway. Nourish the body with a refreshing bike ride through Portugese forests and Serra d’Arga—home to Iberian wolves and wild horses—and enjoy a post-cycling soak in a Turkish bath. Feed the soul with a sunrise surfing lesson, satisfy the spirit with a lunch of fresh seafood at Feelviana, a contemporary hotel situated on the beach, and refresh the mind with locally-led cultural tours of Viana do Castelo and Porto’s medieval-era streets.
5-days, departs May 13, June 3, July 22, Sept 2, Oct 13 and Nov 4, 2020
Once an adventure reserved for gap year students and digital nomads, would-be explorers can also say “good morning, Vietnam!” with this enriching 10-day journey highlighting the very best of the country’s city and countryside offerings. Kayak through the storied Halong Bay, align mind and body at a Tai Chi and Laughing Yoga class on Hoan Kiem Lake, and meet with Thang, a local wine expert known for working tea into his fermentation process. The rest of the week is spent dabbling in lantern-making, cycling through local villages, and exploring the captivating street food culture of Saigon.
10-days, departs Mar 15, April 12, Oct 18, Nov 8 & 22, 2020
