In this issue:
- A note from James
- Upcoming trips
- South of Libya, Belgian TV & meet us at the Destinations 2025 travel show
- Untamed Borders in the media
A note from James Willcox, Founder |
At Untamed Borders, we’ve built our reputation on offering immersive, meaningful travel experiences that encourage people to connect deeply with the places they visit. So when we were approached by a man (pictured above) aiming to visit every country in the world, in record time (the current record stand at 554 days), it seemed at first to conflict with our philosophy. However, his project had a unique human element that ultimately won us over.
Beyond the goal of visiting all 195 UN recognised countries and territories, as quickly as possible, Michael Zervos’ challenge, named Project Kosmos, was driven by a desire to connect with people across the globe. In every country he visits he interviews people and ask them a single question – “what is the happiest moment of your life?” This question elevated his journey from a mere quest for speed into something more meaningful – a mission to uncover and share moments of joy and resilience, while connecting with people from every corner of the world. Something the Untamed Borders team could get behind.
While we usually discourage rushed travel, we also relish a logistical challenge. We became Michael’s travel consultant for the trip. Our first tip? Do the hard places first. We arranged his travel logistics and guiding in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Algeria, Libya, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Guniea-Bissau, Somalia, Somaliland, Eritrea and Turkmenistan. He has now managed to visit the vast majority of the harder countries in the world to explore. He is now travelling on paths more trodden and moving at pace on his way through Western Europe. However, even here things don’t always go to plan. We had a long standing engagement to meet him when he arrived in London, but when he did land last week, all the Untamed Borders crew were all travelling somewhere else.
Good luck Michael in breaking your record and happy travels to all in 2025.
James
Upcoming Trips
We have lots of group trips now available to book in 2025. Some of our top picks for the months ahead include multiple cultural trips to Afghanistan (a 9-day route & a 15-day route), cultural trips to Mainland Yemen in April & November, plus two summer trekking adventures, one to Tajikistan’s Pamir Mountain Lakes and a second to Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor. You can find a full list of all our upcoming group itineraries below and online.
Afghanistan In 9 Days & Afghanistan Central Route
Our popular Afghanistan group cultural trips return in 2025 and we’re pleased to announce we will be adding Bamian Province back to our Afghanistan In 9 Days itineraries. We pressed paused on some of our work in the area for security reasons last summer, but as the security situation has improved, we will now will visit the beautiful mountainous region on both group trip routes.
Our Afghan In 9 Days road-trip begins in Kabul, before we head to the phenomenal Band-e-Amir lakes & Buddhist carvings in Bamian Province. We then head north to Mazar-e-Sharif, visiting ancient Buddhist stupas at Samangan and the Tashkurgan gorge along the way. We also spend time in the ancient Silk Road city of Balkh and it’s in this part of the country where we may have chance to watch the dramatic horse-riding sport of Buzkashi (in November). We’ll then return to Kabul, crossing the central mountains via the impressive Salang Pass. We have departures in April, September and November – you can see photos of our previous trips here, here and here.
Our Afghan Central Route is an epic 15-day road-trip covering 2,000km across the country. We visit the capital Kabul and the stunning Bamian Province. We then continue west, visiting the awe-inspiring Minaret of Jam (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and the beautiful city of Herat in the west, which has the largest collection of ancient buildings in the country. We then head to the southern Pashtun heartlands, taking in Lashkar Gar in Helmand Province, the ancient tombs in Kandahar and the city of Ghazni, before returning to Kabul. We have departures in April and September – you can see photos from our 2024 road-trips here and here.
Yemen Mainland
A 7-day road-trip into the remote heart of Yemen, one of the toughest climates on planet, with harsh desert scenery, dramatic wadis canyons, ancient mud built towns and a tapestry of fascinating communities – an area rarely explored by international visitors. We begin in the town of Seiyun, before moving on to the historic religious teaching town of Tarim, visiting the Tomb of Hud along the way. We then visit Shibam, a town known as the “Manhattan of Arabia”, due to its imposing skyscrapers made of mud and travel on the incredible Wadi Hadramout and Wadi Dawan. The wadi region has steep cliff lined canyons, with date palm lined floors and a smattering of impressive old settlements, including Haid Al Jizail, perched on a high rocky plateau – a major highlight of the trip, with a phenomenal landscape. We then move onto the Yemeni coast at Al Mukkalah and travel along the coastline to the Omani border, which we cross and conclude the adventure. The next bookable trips take place in April and November. You can see photos from previous visits here and here.
Summer treks – Tajikistan & Afghanistan
If you fancy setting yourself a challenge in 2025, why not join us one of our wonderful summer trekking adventures – to Tajikistan and Afghanistan. In August we’re heading on a 16-day trek through Tajikistan’s Pamir Mountain Range, one of the least visited of all the Greater Ranges in Asia. Not only will you visit parts of Tajikistan that are rarely explored by foot, but you will also see beautiful alpine lakes and cross a pass higher than Mont Blanc. You will have chance to learn about local life, staying at traditional homestays on certain stretches of the journey and camping at others. We will also explore the capital Dushanbe. You can see photos from last year here.
In August/September we’ll also be heading on a 21-day trek into one of the most stunning and remote regions on earth – the Wakhan Corridor. You’ll encounter some of the world’s last and least visited nomadic communities – the Kyrgyz of the Afghan Pamir, along with Wakhi nomads – and spend time learning about their cultures. This fascinating region is part of the ancient Silk Road and you’ll pass a bounty of ancient sites on the journey, while surrounded by enormous mountains and dramatic scenery. You can see photos from a previous trip here.
Future Departures
Below is a full list of our upcoming and future group departures for 2025, along with a number of departures we’ve announced for 2026 (there will be more announced over the course of 2025). We can also organise private trips to any of these destinations.
– Afghanistan
- Afghanistan in 9 Days (group trips in April, September & November 2025)
- Afghanistan Central Route (15 day group trip in April & September 2025)
- Ski Afghanistan (6 day group trip in February 2025)
- Trek The Wakhan (22 day group trip in August 2025)
- Virtual Tour of Afghanistan (February 2025)
– Algeria (10 day group trips in February and November 2025)
– Djibouti & Somaliland (9 day group trip in February & October 2025)
– Iraq
- Cradle of Civilisation (9 day group trips in February, October & December 2025)
- Erbil Marathon (6 day group trip in October 2025)
- Iraqi Kurdistan (7 day group trip in February & October 2025)
- Iraq Ski Trip (4 day group trip in February 2025)
- Trek Kurdistan (15 day group trip in April 2025)
– Libya 7 day group trip in February & October 2025
– Pakistan
- Balochistan (10 day group trip in November 2025)
- Hindu Kush & Karakoram (14 day group trip in May/June 2025)
- Islamabad Marathon (4 day group trip in January 2026)
- Pakistan Indus Valley (13 day group trip in November 2025, 10 day group trip in November 2025 & 7 day group trips in January/February & November 2025)
– Somalia (Mogadishu) (3 day group trip in February, October 2025)
– South Sudan (7 day group trip in March 2025)
– Syria (group trips in April & September 2025) – probably take this out currently
– Tajikistan Trek – Pamir Mountain Lakes (16 day group trip in August 2025)
– Yemen
- Socotra (8 day group trips in April & November 2025)
- Yemen mainland (7 day group trip in January, April & November 2025)
- Yemen Trek (10 day group trip in January 2026 )
In addition to the above, we can also get in touch for more information and suggested itineraries in:
- Chad
- Central African Republic
- DRC
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Georgia
- Guinea-Bissau
- India
- Iran
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Lebanon
- Mauritania
- Puntland
- Saudi Arabia
- Tunisia
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
Latest News
South of Libya
In the winter of 2025/26 we hope to organise a recce trip to the South of Libya – to Ghat and the Jebel Acacus, deep in the Sahara. We already organise regular group trips to the North of Libya, but in recent years we have been exploring other parts of the nation as it’s become more stable – this includes organising, what we believe is, the first commercial trip to Eastern Libya since 2011. Now we’re looking to the south, a region which receives few international visitors. The trip will be a rare chance for guests to step into a part of the world, which few tourists have explored in recent history and get an authentic Saharan experience.
If you would be interested in finding out more information about our ambitions for the South of Libya, please make sure to email – info@untamedborders.com – and once the plans are drawn up, we can send out further details, with the opportunity to join us on the inaugural trip
Belgian TV trip to Pakistan
In May 2024 we had the pleasure of guiding Belgian TV presenter Tom Waes and a film crew on an adventure around Pakistan. The footage is going to appear on the popular Reizen Waes television programme later this year, which follows Tom as he travels to lesser visited nations.
On the trip we took in the mountainous north of the country, starting off in the city of Gilgit and drove a section of the jaw-dropping Karakoram Highway, as far as the Chinese border, at the 4700m high Khunjerab Pass. En route we met various people who gave Tom insights into the unique culture and traditions in the region and who call this area of spectacular peaks and lakes home. When the final airing date is confirmed, we will announce it on our social media pages and in a future newsletter.
Meet us at the Destinations 2025 travel show
Later this month, Untamed Borders will be appearing once again at Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show, at London Olympia. The event brings together some of the leading travel companies and tour providers in the industry, and showcases the most exciting destinations and travel developments for the year ahead. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the event last year, where we had chance to meet many guests and friends, both old and new. If you would like to meet the Untamed Borders team and discuss adventures for the future, you will find us at the show between 30th January and 2nd February. Alongside us there will also be many other travel companies, guest speakers, cooking displays, discussion panels, book stalls and bars. You can get complimentary tickets for the show by visiting this link, using the code – EXLBORDERS. We hope to see you there.
Untamed Borders in the media
Earlier this month our Founder, James Willcox, was interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s PM programme, regarding tourism Syria, as the country’s new government looks to try and open its doors to visitors once again. James also offered his insight for a piece for in the Daily Express, in the UK, regarding what it’s like to operate in a country like Afghanistan. The same paper/website also highlighted our work in Mogadishu, Somalia, for a separate piece.
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 2025