Untamed Borders logo

Winter 2025/26 Newsleter

In this issue:

  • A note from James.
  • Upcoming trips.
  • Bradt Guide book launch, Afghan skiing film on Olympics.com & Destinations 2026.
  • Untamed Borders in the media.

A note from James Willcox, Founder

I first read about travel to the deserts of Southern Libya in a guidebook in the early 2000s — Jebel Acacus, the Libyan pyramids and oasis lakes that looked more like cartoon illustrations than real places. It was logged in my mind as somewhere I would go one day. Then came 2011, and Libya effectively disappeared from the map for travellers. When Untamed Borders began guiding there in 2017, our journeys were necessarily limited at first – to Tripoli and the nearby Roman ruins of Sabratha and Leptis Magna, then Ghadames, and later parts of the east. But the deep south — the true heart of the Sahara — was always my personal goal.

In November 2025, that long-held ambition finally became reality. A group of Untamed Borders’ guests and I travelled into Southern Libya. We visited the shimmering Ubari oasis lakes, camped beneath vast desert skies, and searched out millennia-old rock carvings, hidden among the dramatic sandstone massifs of Jebel Acacus. To be among the first international travellers to reach this region in more than a decade was a genuine privilege.

The tourist infrastructure was understandably a little rusty, but it was heartening to see drivers, hoteliers and the odd souvenir salesperson, excited to see the return of tourists after such a long time away. The jaw-dropping landscape was only matched by the warmth and generosity of our Tuareg hosts. On our final day in the south I had the surreal experience of floating in a salt lake, pretty much in the very centre of the Sahara, comteplating this journey that I had waited more than two decades to make — and one that exceeded even those early, long-held, imaginings.

Back in Tripoli, there are also positive steps being made too, with the long-awaited reopening of the National Museum, which had been closed for 14-years. It was the talk of the city when we returned to Tripoli, after our time in the south. Following this inaugural adventure to the South of Libya, we now plan to make the route a regular fixture in our group trips calendar, with our next departure in November this year and it’s available to book now.

Wishing you a wonderful 2026 and I hope some of your travel dreams come true.

James

Upcoming Trips 

We have a number of exciting new trips coming up over the next 12 months, plus we’ve added lots of new dates on some of our old favourite routes too. We’ve seen high demand for our new Turkmenistan group trip and for our World Nomad Games group trip to Kyrgyzstan – with both initial tours sold out. Due to the level of interest, we’ve now added new sets of dates on both routes. As always, our Afghanistan group trips prove to be popular and we’ve released extra departure dates for our Afghanistan in 10 days & Afghan Central Route group trips.

We have plenty to look forward to in 2026/27 and we’ve picked out a couple of highlights coming up – these include a new group trip to Eritrea, a hiking adventure in Kurdistan and more group trip departures to Syria. You can find a full list of all our upcoming group itineraries below and online.

New – Eritrea

A new 7-day group trip to Eritrea – Africa’s most reclusive nation, which is one of the least visited and most tightly controlled on the continent. Yet behind its borders, there is a treasure trove of landscapes, ancient sites and colonial era landmarks to be enjoyed. The nation has a 1,100km coastline, with vast expanses of pristine beaches and remote, idyllic islands. To its interior, there is harsh desert, deep gorges and canyons, along with mountainous highlands.

It’s a part of the world that historically was the gateway between the Arab and African worlds, leaving a rich cultural legacy, which you still feel in the nation today. We begin by exploring the capital Asmara, famed for its Art Deco architecture, left over from Italian rule, along with its markets, which throng with life. We then head north, through stunning mountainous roads to Keren, visiting its livestock markets, temples and Italian and Commonwealth cemeteries.

From here we drop down towards the coast, experiencing three distinct climatic zones, on our way to Massawa, where we enjoy a dip in the shimmering waters of the Red Sea. This area has played an important role in trading between the continents and you learn more about this story at its Museum and port. It’s at this point we take a boat trip to Green Island – a beautiful slice of nature off the coast of Massawa, home to gorgeous beaches, a bounty of marine-life and bird populations. We then finish the trip by returning back to the capital, Asmara.

Trekking 2026 – Zagros Mountain Trail

In April we’re returning to the beautiful Zagros Mountains in Iraqi Kurdistan, on a 13-day trekking adventure, along the Zagros Mountain Trail. This newly formed route was recently named by Conde Naste as one of the best adventures in the Middle East. The 200km trail follows ancient shepherds’ paths and pilgrimage routes, through phenomenal mountainous scenery, to the base of Iraq’s tallest mountain – Halgurd, near the border with Iran.

Along the way you pass through lush valleys, deep canyons, gorgeous mountain ranges, stop at waterfalls and trail the Great Zab River. The trek not only showcases the beauty of the area, but the trail also connects 30 rural communities, passes historic mountain towns, along with dozens of fascinating archaeological, cultural and religious sites. You can see photos of our 2025 trip along this route here.

We also have trekking adventures in 2026 to Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor and the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan.

Syria

Earlier this year Untamed Borders organised one of the very first group trips to Syria, after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime. Since that tour in the Spring, we’ve also organised a further group tour to the country and many private trips. In April and September 2026, we will be returning to Syria on 7-day group trips.

On the adventure we spend time in the capital Damascus and head north to the Crusader Fort of Krak des Chevaliers and on to Al Wadi. You’ll visit ancient city of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and then move on to the old city of Hama. We’ll also spend time in Aleppo, one of the oldest cities in the world, and have a full day exploring its historic Citadel. We’ll continue our adventure south, to the town of Homs and on to Maaloula, a Christian town where ancient Aramaic is still spoken, and we’ll get to sample local wine. You then finish the trip exploring more of the bustling capital of Damascus.

This trip was recently featured in Wanderlust, in a piece written by award winning photographer and journalist, Simon Urwin – who joined us in April in Syria. You can see some of his photos from Syria here.

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 February & November 2026 + Spring 2027)
– Djibouti & Somaliland (9 day group trips in March & October 2026 + Spring 2027)
– New – Eclipse Tours (August 2027)

– New – Eritrea (7-day group trip in October 2026)
– New – Iran (10 day group trip in May 2026)
– Iraq

– Kyrgyzstan – World Nomad Games (8 day group trip in September 2026)
– Libya

– New – Mauritania (13 day trip group trip in April & Autumn/Winter 2026)
– Pakistan

– Somalia (Mogadishu) (3 day group trips in February, March, April & October 2026)
– South Sudan (7 day group trip in March 2026)
– Syria (7 day group trips in April & September 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)
– New – Turkmenistan (8 day group trip in May & 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
  • Chad
  • China
  • DRC
  • Ethiopia
  • Georgia
  • India
  • Kazakhstan
  • Lebanon
  • Mongolia
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Sudan
  • Tunisia
  • Uzbekistan

Latest News

New Bradt Guide for Afghanistan – book launch

In March, Untamed Borders will be hosting an intimate book launch for our Founder’s new Bradt Guide for Afghanistan. James Willcox is the author of the first mainstream guidebook for the country in 20 years, which is being released on 20th February. The launch event is due to be held at the excellent Stanford’s book store in London, on 4th March. Alongside being able to buy copies of the book and get them signed, James will also be providing a talk about organising trips to Afghanistan and his long experience in the country.

It’s a destination James has visited close to 40 times since 2008 and the country, which sparked the initial Untamed Borders story. It has been an honour for him to write the guidebook, about a nation which he is so passionate about. You can pre-order the new Bradt Guide for Afghanistan now or sign up for tickets to the launch by emailing – info@untamedborders.com.

 

Champions of the Golden Valley on Olympics.com

Champions of the Golden Valley – a film which tells the story of skiing in Afghanistan, which we organised logistics for – is now available to watch for free on Olympics.com. The multi-award winning film is available to stream around the world and we’re delighted that this big platform will allow more people to find out about the fantastic grassroots skiing story in Bamyan Province.

Untamed Borders has played an important role in the development of skiing in the region and we became the first company to run ski trips to the country in 2011. Every year we run an annual group ski trip – with the next one departing in March 2026. On the trip you can ski the slopes featured in the film, meet the team at the Bamyan Alpine Ski Club – who also are in the film, and enjoy an unconventional skiing adventure.

We’re proud to have played a big part in the Afghan skiing story and in facilitating the filming project. We’re delighted to see the film hosted by the Olympics Channel and you can watch it here. We hope you have chance to watch the film and if you feel inspired to join us on the Afghan slopes next year, you can find out more and book here.

Destinations Travel Show – Talk

Our Founder, James Willcox, will be hosting a talk at the Destinations: Holiday & Travel Show, in London, next month. The talk will be about “The rise of tourism to Syria” and about our experiences in the country this year, although we have been running trips to the countryside since 2017. Alongside the presentation, there will also be the opportunity to ask James questions.

We hope you can join us at the four day event in London, where Untamed Borders will also have a stand. It’s an opportunity to meet some of our community in person and make new connections, over a shared passion of travel. You will also be able to speak to our team about trip ideas and learn more about the new adventures we have in the pipeline. We’ve attended the major event at London Olympia for the past two years and look forward to returning. If you would like to attend the travel show, you can book tickets now, by visiting this link – it runs from 29th January until 1st February 2026. Please use the code – EXUNBOR – for complementary tickets. 

James’ talk will be on the “Meet The Experts Stage” at 15:00 on Sunday 1st February. We hope to see you there.

Untamed Borders in the media

It’s been another busy few months for us in the media. We were featured in CNN, for a piece regarding the increasing amount of tourism to Somalia. It’s a country we have seen a rising demand for – with our largest number of Mogadishu group trips ever in 2025, along with many private trips. This remarkable turnaround in Somalia’s tourism demand was also discussed in other publications, in 11 different countries, including the Daily Mail, Fodor’s Travel, Le Figaro & newspapers/websites in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Romania, plus many others.

Meanwhile, our group trip to Algeria was picked out by the Financial Times, as one of the top 50 holidays to embark on in 2026. Elsewhere, Danish publication – Jyllands-Posten – wrote a piece about organising tours in challenging destinations, in which Untamed Borders were the focus. There was a similar piece in The Daily Express.

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

January 2026