As travellers become increasingly savvy and seasoned, it is becoming harder for them to find unique, authentic experiences in untouched areas.
Award-winning luxury travel company Jacada Travel, however, has been working to collaborate with exclusive partners, to give clients the best of what various countries have to offer.

Think of driving a Lamborghini across a frozen lake in Finland, or getting
access to the quietest parts of Madagascar.

According to Jacada Travel founder and managing director, Alex Malcolm,
people are also willing to make time to get to the furthest outposts of the
world in order to experience the best.

In 2017, 40% of bookings were for trips longer than two weeks, but for trips
already booked for 2018, 50% are over two weeks long.

“People are getting to a point now where they just want to slow down,
unwind and fully let go. That often means ‘switching off’ for more than a
week or 10 days,” said Mr Malcolm.

What are the top trending types of trips that speak to travellers?

1. TRAVEL DEEPER INTO ICE DESTINATIONS

Tourist numbers in Iceland are up 34.9% over the previous year in 2017 and
Jacada has seen a 30% increase in travel to the polar regions, says Mr
Malcolm. And the good news is, these Scandinavian regions (Norway,
Finland, Sweden and Denmark) are becoming increasingly accessible to
Singaporeans. Singapore Airlines, for instance, bumped up its flights to the
Scandinavian regions – it recently began flying direct to Stockholm five times
a week, adding to its existing five-times weekly Copenhagen flights.
But heading to Scandinavia isn’t just about the Northern Lights any longer.
Jacada Travel gives its clients access to some of the wildest experiences:
Lamborghini-racing across the frozen lakes in Finnish Lapland, horsesledging
during the full moon in Norway, or island-hopping on Sweden’s
West Coast.

Jacada is always seeking to add to its portfolio of the northern reaches.
Answering to the every-growing demand for the region, in 2017, Jacada
Travel began luxe tours to Greenland, a country for adventurers eager to
experience the local Inuit culture, undertake husky-sled expeditions to
glaciers, and climb and hike in places with dramatic views. In September
2017, Jacada also began tailor-made trips to the isolated Faroe Islands in the
West Nordic region of the Arctic. There, travellers explore the picture-perfect
villages and discover the exciting, unique food scene.

Polar Bear in Greenland_Credit to Joyce Choi

 

 

2. ACHIEVEMENT-BASED TRAVEL

More people are finding themselves planning what the travel trade calls
“achievement trips”. In part, it is because, travellers want more out of a trip
than a sightseeing tour. 2017 has been a year of experiential travel, and
travellers have wanted to connect closely with the country or destination. In
2018, more travellers will want to take this a step further as they push
themselves to achieve lifelong goals by climbing a mountain – and in doing
so, discover something about themselves.
The number of such trips taken with Jacada has doubled between 2015 and
2016, with a similar growth rate in 2017. Looking at our bookings so far, we
expect this trend to continue on through the year and into 2018.
One top destination Jacada is seeing in this category is Nepal. The Indian
Himalayas has much to offer – from stunning scenery, to fascinating culture
and out-of-this-world hiking. More specifically, the region of Kumaon, in the
state of Uttarakhand, has been completely unspoiled by mass tourism, and its
remoteness is increasingly becoming a draw. Another remote outpost gaining
popularity is Ladakh – often referred to as Little Tibet – a land of snowcapped
mountains, vast barren plateaus and deep turquoise lakes.

Jacada Travel also brings adventure travellers on a trip to conquer Ausangate
– the spiritual “Rainbow Mountain” in the Andes of Peru. Still an
undiscovered land mainly due to a challenging trek from starting at over
4,000m and reaching an epic 6,372m, travellers walk through unimaginably
stunning terrain that changes from vibrant reds to lush greens, and to snowladen
slopes, hence the name of Rainbow Mountain. This is one of the
quietest treks available.

Edge of the Spirit Rainbow Mountain_JacadaTravel

UTTARAKHAND HIMALAYAS_Shatki Himalayas

 

3. Sustainability Gets Interesting

Sustainability has been a buzzword in the travel industry for a few years, but
we are finally seeing the concept go from theoretical to legitimate practice,
with luxury properties and operators around the world adopting increasingly
interesting practices.
Several vineyards have taken to using animals, as opposed to traditional
machines, to pick their grapes and fertilise the ground. Kayotei in Japan, as
well as Emiliana in Chile and Vergenoegd in South Africa, use ducks for
fertilization purposes. Matetic Vineyard – also in Chile and set to open in 2018
– will be letting llamas and chickens roam between the vines, nibbling on the
leaves and fertilising the soil as they go.

In a bid to use natural materials, sustainability is literally built into the walls –
Baines Camp in Botswana was built using a frame of elephant dung and
recycled cans
Jacada Travel is investing in a portfolio of community projects aimed to help
fight climate change – the result of which means that 100% of the carbon
emissions from trips taken with them are offset (including all flights).
Although the travel industry still has a long way to go, sustainability is no
longer the theoretical concept we were seeing a few years ago.

 

4. Remote Luxury – Crowd-free experiences

Luxury is increasingly being associated with remoteness and disconnectivity.
“One thing we’re hearing more and more of, is travellers looking to get to
remote, off-the-beaten track locations. It’s a great way to disconnect from city
life and experience nature at its fullest,” says Jacada’s Director of Sales,
George Warren. “It is one of the most popular reasons that people give us for
wanting to travel to Patagonia, for example.”
Lodges and hotels are being built completely off the map, specifically in areas
that have poor phone reception and are more challenging to get to.
A few of the most popular remote hotels that Jacada sends travellers to:
Hosteria Helsingfors, Calafate Argentina – specifically built away from the
crowds.

Annandale, New Zealand – Here, lodges are so remote, you have two options
for food: hire a private chef or you can enjoy the ‘We Create, You Serve’
programme where breakfast, a picnic lunch and three-course dinner are
prepared and left in your fridge for you to simply pop in the oven and enjoy.
Midgard, Iceland – built as far away from the crowds as possible, so guests
can enjoy the Northern Lights without an iota of light pollution around
Hoanib Skeleton Coast, Namibia – Accessible only by chartered flight, deep in
the Namibian desert.

Ausangate, copyright Jacada Travel 

 

5. Zimbabwe and Zambia – The new hot safari destinations

While South Africa is typically considered a favourite go-to for safaris, we
have seen an increase in demand for trips to Zambia and Zimbabwe. In the
first half of 2017, Jacada Travel booked more trips to Zimbabwe than in all of
2016, and though historically these countries were booked as add-ons to trips
to South Africa, people are increasingly opting to go there as a primary
destination. “We love encouraging people to travel to Zimbabwe and Zambia
as destinations in their own right. They have so much to offer, from top
lodges to crowd-free safaris. And the conservation efforts in some of their
parks are really admirable.” says Jacada’s Head of Africa, Byron
Thomas. Investment in infrastructure in both countries is also on the rise,
spanning from airports to national parks. Liuwa Plains National Park in
Zambia, for example, was taken over by African Parks in 2003 and has since
seen a massive increase in the animal population there (and a decrease in
poaching).

 

Victoria Falls_Zambia_Kit Wong

Zambia – flying to Liuwa Plains Credit Kit Wong

VictoriaFalls from helicopter, Zambia_Monica Hemrajani

Gorillas in Rwanda_ Virunga Lodge

OTHER JACADA TRAVEL 2018 TRENDS & DESTINATIONS

Kenya: The Ultimate Destination for Migration & Tribal Culture
Liuwa Plains, Zambia: Safari without the crowds
Rwanda / Uganda on Gorilla trekking
TRAVEL DEEPER ON ICE Rediscovering Scandinavia

Midnight Sun at The Far-Flung Land: Greenland & Faroe Islands

The Mighty Mysterious Indian Himalayas
Luxury Kilimanjaro
Conquering Ausangate – The Spiritual ‘Rainbow Mountain’

Komodo Islands, Indonesia: Dragon Spotting & Pink Beach Snorkeling
Family Friendly Ecuadorian & The Galapagos Wildlife
Madagascar

Visit www.jacadatravel.com for more information