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Spring 2026 Newsletter

In this issue:

  • A note from James.
  • Upcoming trips.
  • Sudan, Congo River cruises, new Afghan e-visa, Socotra flights.
  • Untamed Borders in the media.

A note from James Willcox, Founder

In the last few months it is hard to look beyond the events in Iran and the wider region. First and foremost, our thoughts are with the people directly affected by this conflict — especially our friends, partners and communities, living through uncertainty and fear.

Beyond the headlines are ordinary people trying to go about their lives in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Conflict inevitably puts travel into perspective. At moments like this, our focus is not on tourism, but on people.

That said, one thing we have seen repeatedly over the years, is that the Middle East has an extraordinary capacity for resilience. Places can and do recover, often in ways that surprise outsiders. Over the past month we received many images of a gridlocked traffic in Baghdad, as Iraq celebrated the nation’s qualification for the World Cup.

There was good news for the environment in the country too, with water returning to parts of Iraq’s Southern Marshlands, which were previously badly affected by drought. It brought hope of a revial for the region’s ecosystem. It also created great conditions for our February ski trip in Iraqi Kurdistan – something that now feels from a different time entirely.  But that too is a reminder that places often contain much more than the headlines suggest.

We ran trips to Yemen and Socotra throughout March and April too. Even at the time of writing, we have seen flights beginning to resume in parts of Syria and Iraq.

None of us know what the coming months will bring, but if conditions allow, we hope to continue working with our friends and partners across the region, supporting travel when and where it becomes possible again. As ever, our belief is that thoughtful travel can play a small part in reconnecting people and supporting places as they recover.

James

Upcoming Trips 

We have brand new group trips to Mangystau in Western Kazakhstan, Chad and Sudan over the next 12 months – all areas we have guided private trips to for many years, but are now available for people wanting to join a group too. We also have four trekking tours coming up in the year ahead, taking guests on physical challenges to Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor, Tajikistan, Iraqi Kurdistan and Yemen. Plus we have added lots of new dates on some of our old favourite routes, streching well into Spring 2027. You can find a full list of all our upcoming group itineraries below and online.

New – Mangystau (Western Kazakhstan)

In May 2027 we are running a new 8-day trip to Western Kazakhstan, exploring the remote landscapes of the Mangystau region, one of the most sparsely populated parts of Central Asia. We begin in Aktau, Kazakhstan’s largest Caspian Sea port, before venturing into the surrounding desert landscapes. Along the way we visit several of Mangystau’s historic underground mosques, carved into the rock and dating back centuries.

As we head deeper into the region, we spend several nights wild camping on and around the Ustyurt Plateau, including the Karyn-Zharyk Depression, an isolated basin of salt flats with views across the escarpment and towards distant mountains. This remote region is known for its dramatic canyons and unusual rock formations, which we experience in the Boszhira Valley. Here we see the striking red-and-white striped Bokty Mountain and hike up to viewpoints overlooking the escarpment known as the “Dreadnought” cliffs.

From here we visit the salt flats at Tuzbair Lake, surrounded by white limestone formations, and continue on to the Kokkala Canyons and Airakty Valley, known as the “Valley of Castles”. In this part of Mangystau we spend a night in a local yurt camp. The final stage of the trip is spent in Torysh Valley, known for its large spherical rock formations, thought to have formed more than 120 million years ago. We then return to Aktau, where the journey finishes. You can see photos of the region here.

New – Chad

In February 2027 we will be launching a new group trip to Chad. This 17-day expedition ventures into and around the Ennedi Plateau, exploring some of the most remote and striking landscapes in the Sahara. Starting in the capital N’Djamena, the journey crosses the Sahel before heading deep into the Ennedi Mountains, where we explore canyons, rock art and the Guelta d’Archei. Continuing north, we will traverse dune systems to reach the remote Ounianga Lakes, a unique UNESCO-listed landscape. The trip offers insight into nomadic life in one of Africa’s least visited regions. 

Trekking 2026/2027

Alongside our cultural trips, active adventures are also an important feature of Untamed Borders and we have four group trekking tours departing over the next 12 months – to Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor, the Pamir Mountain Lakes of Tajikistan, the Zagros Mountains in Iraqi Kurdistan and a Yemeni trek through the Hadramout.

Our summer treks to Afghanistan and Tajikistan both start in August and take you to some of the most remote corners of Central Asia, meeting nomadic communities, and soaking-up awesome mountainous landscapes. The Wakhan trek is an epic 21-day adventure, which leads you up into the summer grazing grounds around Chaqmaqtin – vast valleys, surrounded by snow capped peaks. Meanwhile, the Tajik trek is a 16-day tour, which heads up to gorgeous alpine lakes in the sparsely populated Pamir Mountains.

In January 2027, we’ll be venturing into the dramatic wadis of Eastern Yemen, weaving in and out of the steep cliff lined canyons and up onto the desert top plateau, in the Hadramout On the 10-day trip we’ll stop in ancient mud-built villages and meet the communities who live in this rarely explored corner of the globe. Finally, in April 2027, we are returning to the Zagros Mountains in Iraqi Kurdistan, traversing more than 200km of this newly established route, over 13-days – stopping at historic villages and meeting a tapestry of different communities.

Future Departures 

Below is a full list of our upcoming and future group departures. We can also organise private trips to any of these destinations.

– Afghanistan

– Algeria (10 day group trips in November 2026 + January 2027)
– Djibouti & Somaliland (9 day group trips in October 2026 + January 2027)
– New – Chad (17-day group trip in February 2027).
– New – Eclipse Tours (August 2027)

– Iraq

– New – Western Kazakhstan – Mangystau (8 day trip in May 2027)
– Kyrgyzstan – World Nomad Games (8 day group trip in September 2026)
– Libya

– Mauritania (13 day trip group trip in November 2026)
– Pakistan

– Somalia (Mogadishu) (3 day group trips in October 2026 + February 2027)
– South Sudan (7 day group trip in Spring 2027)
– Syria (7 day group trips in September 2026 + April 2027)
– New – Sudan (10 day group trip in November 2026)
– Tajikistan Trek – Pamir Mountain Lakes (16 day group trip in August 2026)
– New – Tajikistan & Kyrgyzstan – Pamir Highway (13 day group trip in August 2026)
– Turkmenistan (8 day group trip in October 2026)
– Yemen

In addition to the above, we can also get in touch for more information and suggested itineraries in:

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Central African Republic
  • China
  • DRC
  • Ethiopia
  • Georgia
  • India
  • Kazakhstan
  • Lebanon
  • Mongolia
  • Saudi Arabia
  • The Republic of Congo
  • Tunisia
  • Uzbekistan

Latest News

New – Sudan 

In November we are are running a pioneering recce trip to Sudan, led by Founder of Untamed Borders, James Willcox. We will be returning to areas which have been hard to reach by international visitors for a number of years, due to the conflict in the country. We first began guiding in Sudan in 2016, but suspended trips due to the civil war in 2023. However, there is now an improvement in the security situation.

The trip this winter will be a journey through Sudan’s archaeological wonders, offering a rare glimpse into ancient civilizations and untouched landscapes. The plan is to start in Port Sudan, by the pristine waters and vibrant coral reefs of the Sudanese Red Sea coast. We then travel inland, to visit the breathtaking Pyramids of Meroe. We will then move along the Nile, to discover the remarkable ruins of Old Dongola, once a powerful Nubian capital, and immerse yourself in a land shaped by millennia of history, trade, and cultural exchange. It is a recce trip, in a country still effected by conflict, so the exact route may change. To register your interest please email – info@untamedborders.com.

Congo River boats

Few journeys in Africa match the scale and romance of travelling the Congo River. In partnership with Expeditions Ducret, we are pleased to offer discounted rates on a series of expedition-style river cruises through the heart of the Congo Basin. These journeys combine comfort with genuine exploration, travelling deep into one of the continent’s great wildernesses. Some departures also continue on into the Dzanga-Sangha National Park, in the Central African Republic, home to forest elephants and remarkable wildlife. For dates, rates and more information, email us at – info@untamedborders.com.

Afghanistan e-visa 

Afghanistan has introduced a new e-visa system, as the nation continues its push to encourage more international visitors and tourism to the country continues to grow. The new steamlined visa process and online system is the first in the country’s history and helps greatly in making it easier to travel to the nation. Previously guests had to visit an embassy in another country in the region, such as Pakistan or the UAE, while en route to Afghanistan. However, now the visa can be obtained online (often within 24 hours) before travel. Untamed Borders has a packed group trip schedule for the year ahead. It includes 10–day and 16-day cultural trips, an epic trekking tour in the Wakhan Corridor and our annual group ski trip. We also offer a full range of private trip services in Afghanistan and, if you can’t make it in person, we have our popular virtual tours of the country, with the nation’s first female tour guide – Fatima Haidari.

New Socotra flights via Saudi Arabia

There are now direct flights to the beautiful Yemeni island of Socotra, from Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia. Untamed Borders resumed trips to the spectacular island, along with Mainland Yemen, in March, following a brief pause over the Winter. Previously the only way to reach Socotra was via the Mainland or Dubai, with connections becoming more unpredictable due to tensions in the region. The new Jeddah link helps negotiate around most of this and we now have 3 group departures available to book over the next 12 months.

Socotra is known as the Galapagos of the east, due to its immense biodiversity and we have 2 group trips visiting in November this year and one in April 2027. The island is a nature lovers’ paradise, with a vast array of unique plant life, wildlife and marine life, some of which are only found on the island. It also has a staggering range of landscapes, containing pristine white-sand beaches, large mountain ranges, vast canyons, areas of desert, cave networks, tall sand dunes and dense forests. Alongside our grouptrips, we also offer private services on the island, for more details, please email – info@untamedborders.com.

Untamed Borders in the media

It’s been a busy start to the year for Untamed Borders in the media, with our work in Libya covered by many different publications, including Forbes and EuroNews, as tourism continues to increase to the nation. Our Founder, James Willcox, also released his new Bradt Guide for Afghanistan in February, with the news picked up by the BBC and Wanderlust, among many others.

Towards the back end of last year we guided journalist Dom Tulett in Algeria and he put together an excellent piece for National Geographic Traveller, which came out recently, regarding the capital Algiers and the surrounding area. Meanwhile, we also provided comment on a number of issues in the news for The Telegraph, including about protecting historic sites in Iran and the surrounding region, during the current conflict.

Elsewhere, our virtual tours of Afghanistan, with the nation’s first female tour guide – Fatima Haidari – were featured in the Matador Network and Fatima also appeared on The World Awaits podcast, alongside our Founder – James Willcox – and journalist Belinda Jackson. James also appeared multiple times on Talk Radio Europe, with three different half an hour discussions over the past 4 months, on Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq.

If you would like to talk about anything mentioned in this newsletter then please get in touch.

We hope to see you all on an adventure with Untamed Borders very soon.

The Untamed Borders Team

April 2026