Webinar – 3 ways of traveling in Antarctica

Antarctica is a continent unlike any other. The southernmost, coldest, highest and driest continent on Earth. Join our Antarctica webinar to discover the secrets of the polar expedition tour, with our honourable speakers from Quark Expeditions & White Desert.

 

| Speaker |
Alison Kirk Lauritsen, an Expedition Leader and Quark Academy Trainer in Quark Expeditions Patrick Woodhead, CEO of White Desert and author of 4 bestselling books published in 11 different languages, a Prince’s Trust Ambassador and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Welcome to Intriq Journey’s first and foremost webinar ⁠— Saudi Arabia

A land of arid desert and scorched mountains, the birthplace of Islam. The only country on the Arabian Peninsula with a foot in both the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. Opened to foreign tourists only since September 2019, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia conjures up all the romance and adventure of the golden age of discovery.

| Speaker |
Chang Theng Hwee. A trailblazer in Asia’s luxury travel industry
The sense of wonder for our planet earth sends Theng Hwee to 123 over countries across all 7 continents. Just before the world’s border was shut, Theng Hwee and his wife, Siew Yim, visited Saudi Arabia organized by Intriq Journey. We are pleased to have Theng Hwee to share with us his wondrous tales of Saudi Arabia and why it should be on your bucket list to visit when the border reopens.

Discover the carefully curated sample itineraries to Saudi Arabia , especially this signature Intriq Finesse 9-day small group journey in November 2022.

When one thinks of Africa’s animal migration, the Great Wildebeest Migration through Kenya and Tanzania come to mind. But there are plenty of other animals that migrate in Africa too, from air, land and sea. In this Migration in Africa webinar, our expert guest speaker will share with you his tips and recommendations of witnessing animal migrations of zebras, flamingos and many more.

 

| Speaker |

Seth Vorster, &Beyond safari guide

Growing up on a sugarcane farm in South Africa’s rural Kwazulu-Natal, with magical outdoor spaces to explore, shaped Seth’s early interest in the natural environment. His time-out from school and civil engineering studies was dedicated to exploring game reserves both in and outside of South Africa, hiking South Africa’s spectacular Drakensberg Mountains, and kayaking every off-the-beaten-track river he could get access to. Seth also holds the highly specialized advanced walking/tracking guide qualification, that enables him to provide our guests with the unique experience of tracking dangerous game, including buffalo, black and white rhino, and elephant, on foot.

Discover our luxury nature & wildlife itineraries around the world.

There are many places on the map that are described as remote. Or “off the beaten track”. Or an “adventure of a lifetime”. While many times these turn out to be the road more travelled, The Kimberley is truly the whole package. In collaboration with Silversea, Intriq Journey is proud to showcase one of the world’s last wilderness frontiers. Come voyage with us and get up-close and personal with this ancient landscape and the incredible experiences only accessible by ship – zodiac expeditions zip past thundering waterfalls that cascade over towering red cliffs to spot Western Australia’s prolific wildlife of wallabies, crocodiles, and ospreys, getting an insight into ancient Aboriginal rock paintings dating back 50,000 years. This is indeed the ultimate Aussie experience!

 

| Speaker |

Peter Bergman, Silversea Expedition Leader
Having grown up in the ‘top end’ of Australia, outdoor adventure was a part of Peter’s life from a young age, with fishing, camping, and 4WDing taking up any spare time outside of school hours. This curiosity for the natural world led Peter to study marine science at university in Perth, Western Australia. While semesters were spent cramming in knowledge about the marine environment, university holidays were spent travelling through South East Asia, South America and Europe, opening up a new world of landscapes, cultures and ways of life. Peter began working with Silversea Expeditions in 2018 and has been on some incredible voyages, taking in Antarctica, South and Central America, the Indonesian archipelago, Greenland and the Canadian Arctic as well as in his own backyard in the Kimberley, Australia. Peter works as the Assistant Expedition Leader on the ship, helping with the planning and coordination of each day’s activities, but best of all gets to join in on all the fun in the Zodiacs and out on tour.

Discover our luxury cruise itineraries around the world.

Let us embark on a journey to retrace the two-thousand-year history of Central Asian Silk Road, from the perspectives of the 3 legendary emperors – Alexandra the Great, Han Wudi and Tang Tai Zong.

A. In 332 B.C., Macedonian Alexander the Great marched eastward, pushing the Helenistic civilization from Mediterranean Sea to Pamir Snow Mountain in Central Asia.

B. In 129 B.C., Han Wudi Emperor’s outward foreign policy saw China expanding to the west, through the deployment of envoys like Zhang Qian who established large scale trade on the Silk Road with Western countries, reaching Ferhana in present-day Uzbekistan to obtain a special ‘Heavenly Horse’.

C. In 645 A.D., the Silk Road was reopened once again during the Tang Dynasty under Tang Taizong, reaching a golden era of prosperity and trade with the west. In 658 A.D, the five Central Asian countries were featured in the Great Tang map for centuries, and a mural with 8 envoys of Europe and Asia was done in Ambassador’s Hall in Samarkand that same year to commemorate the Tang Empire. Till today, Central Asia’s silk, war horses and nomads are still important resources along the Belt and Road, but also the highlight of the five Central Asian countries tour.

| Speaker |

Dr. Mao Ming, Journal Editor of Inner Asian Art & Archaeology Dr. Mao Ming hails from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, with a Ph.D. Art and Archaeology from the University of London. Dr. Mao was the editor of the Journal of Inner Asian Art & Archaeology at the University of London, at the same time, taught the course “Forgotten Silk Road: Five Central Asian States” at the British Museum. She is currently a Research Professor at the Research Center of Cultural Soft Power in Peking University and at the Dunhuang Academy. Dr. has published more than two million words of academic works, including the award-winning “Pomegranate from the West”, the Oxford edition of the “Atlas of the World Art” in the sub-volume, and the Metropolitan Museum of New York exhibition catalogue entitled “Dawn to the Golden Age” silk volume. Five of her Central Asian archaeological translations, including “Turks, Sogdians and Nana Goddess”, have topped the Dangdang academic list in 2018. For the past 17 years, Dr. Mao has been a member of the UNESCO Archaeological Team preserving Buddhist temples and frescoes along Xuanzang’s Pilgrimage Route in the five Central Asian Countries.

Being the Heart of the Silk Road, Central Asia has been shaped over millennia by merchants and missionaries, soldiers and spies, and their wealth and ideas created magnificent civilizations in the region’s oases and crossroads. This is not just a lecture about the Silk Road’s archaeology and architecture. Sophie will entwine in her stories Central Asia’s fascination with astronomy and some of the world’s best locations for star gazing.

| Speaker |

Sophie Ibbotson, Central Asia Expert Sophie Ibbotson is a Central Asia expert who has worked in the region since 2008. She is a consultant to the World Bank, an advisor to the Government of Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan’s Ambassador for Tourism. She has written five guidebooks for Bradt Travel Guides, as well as articles for publications such as The Telegraph, Financial Times, and The Economist; and is a trustee of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs. Sophie has previously lectured at the Royal Geographical Society, Royal Asiatic Society, and Tashkent International Tourism Fair, as well as for tour operators such as Golden Eagle Luxury Trains, Trans Indus, and Travel the Unknown.

 

The Balkans, the southeast European Peninsula of dramatic landscape, has seen some of the most interesting and impactful histories of all time. It was here that Roman Empire divided into 2 halves; it was here where the Ottoman, the Habsburg and the Venetian clashed to see who ruled supreme; it was here where WWI started, and it was here where the Cold War played out one of the greatest heights.

Today, the 8 Balkan countries namely Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania carried on with their lives manifested in many ways by all these turbulent histories forming a mosaic of unique cultures and heritage. Theng Hwee, an avid traveler who has journeyed to all these countries over several trips, will share the intriguing tidbits of his latest travel with a professor.

| Speaker |

Chang Theng Hwee, one of the Pioneers of luxury travel in Asia The love of discovering new places and seeking out unique experiences prompted Theng Hwee to make a switch from a promising banking career in 1993 to the world of bespoke travel. Country Holidays Travel was born and soon grew to be one of the pioneers in luxury travel in the region, with offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Dubai thus opening doors to some of the most remote destinations including Antarctica, Iran, Ethiopia, Yemen, Mali. The company was bought over by an overseas travel company in 2018. Theng Hwee also was appointed the Secretary General of NATAS (National Association of Travel Agents of Singapore) from 2002 to 2004.

Theng Hwee is co-author of a book, “Treasures of the Indochina”, with accomplished photographer Jimmy Lam.

Out of the 123 countries across 7 continents that he has been to, destinations preserving a unique historical culture and pristine nature appeals most to Theng Hwee. This includes multiple trips to the Balkans, which has intrigued him with their distinctive history and heartfelt tales from the ground. We are delighted to have Theng Hwee share his own stories of this fascinating region in this upcoming webinar, and find out more about the anecdote relating to the banana and the professor.

Mongolia is the land of Genghis Khan, the least populated country on Earth, with vast pristine landscapes of untouched beauty and wilderness since medieval times, when the Mongols ruled parts of China, Russia, Persia, Iraq as well as the grasslands of Mongolia on horseback. Today, it is still the most equestrian nation on Earth, home to a rich cultural heritage and the nomadic herdsmen way of life, with about 30 percent of the entire population still living in yurts and herding livestock such as cashmere goats, sheep, horses, yaks and camels. Our guest speaker is Jan Wigsten, an intrepid Swede who has traverse all corners of this fascinating country, including the remote Altai Mountains border zones. Listen to stories about his private ‘off-grid’ travels and how such expedition-style journeys can be done in an authentic, yet comfortable way while keeping a certain level of luxury. Imagine waking up in your private yurt camp to a 360° view of pristine landscapes untouched by human development and experiencing the true hospitality of the Mongolian nomads.

| Speaker |

Jan Wigsten – Mongolia Expedition Travel Expert Jan Wigsten is no stranger to Mongolia, having travelled professionally around the region since 1980, curating experiences for fly fishing, snow leopard expeditions, horse riding safaris. His key focus, however, has been adapting the traditional yurt allowing for mobility, privacy and five-star camping experiences for exclusive wilderness journeys, yet retaining an authenticity of the lodging. In 2012, Jan was awarded the Friendship Medal by President Elbegdorj on the very first Mongolian state visit to Sweden, for his contribution to conservation and tourism in Mongolia, Jan was also involved as a consultant for conservation/tourism and rural development projects around South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Scandinavia and Asia, and is currently an advisor to UNDP Mongolia, the Mongolian government and the Sustainable Tourism Development Center to focus on the nomadic culture in tourism post-covid. Singaporeans may also find him familiar as Jan and his camps were featured on the CNA (Channel News Asia) sustainable tourism series “In Pursuit of Magic” a few years back.

“Traveling Europe’s great waterways with Crystal is truly an exercise in superlatives. …. Nowhere else will you encounter state-of-the-art ships as spacious, service ratios as high, cuisine as inspired and cultural immersion as enriching. These defining hallmarks of Crystal Experience have helped us in becoming the World’s Most Luxurious River Cruising Line, and a rising tide of accolades from travel publications, cruise critics and past guests confirms that these are indeed journeys far beyond compare. Casually elegant with an inviting easy luxury, our all-suite, all butler-serviced ships represent the pinnacle of European river cruising with fresh and creative Michelin-inspired cuisine, genuinely hospitable service, and immersive itineraries exploring the Danube, Rhine, Main and Moselle rivers with a rich collection of complimentary and optional Crystal Destination Discoveries ashore.” | Speaker | Kenneth Lau – Assistant Vice President, Business Development, Crystal Asia With over 15 years of experience in the tourism and hospitality industry, Kenneth have spent time in various sector of the industry including hotel, resorts, business class lounge and currently in the World’s Most Awarded Luxury Cruise Line. Focusing primarily on the business development side of things, Kenneth have consistently provided business partners with needed support to create mutually beneficial partnership in creating the best experience for all clients and guests of the various business partners established in his career.

Discover our specially curated cruise itineraries to intriguing destinations around the world.

Northern Spain comprises of the four autonomous regions of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, and the Basque Country (or Euskudi), a place where the intense green of the mountains blends into the deep blue of the Atlantic Ocean and the Cantabrian Sea; a landscape of unique beauty that is a meeting point of ancestral traditions and avant-garde trends. Beyond the Basque Country, which is renowned for its distinct culture and gastronomic experiences ranging from bustling pintxos bars, private cooking associations and exquisite Michelin-starred restaurants, the rest of Green Spain has remained relatively unexplored by international travellers, a region waiting to be discovered.

Galicia, home to the finishing point of the pilgrimage route, St James’ Way, at Santiago de Compostela, is Spain’s wild western edge with medieval fishing villages, lush forests and World Heritage Monuments. The stunning Picos de Europa National Park staddles the regions of Asturias and Cantabria, verdant mountains and valleys dotted with historic towns and villages – a natural delight for those outdoor enthusiasts. You find UNESCO listed prehistoric caves, architectural legacies across time, as well as beautiful sandy beaches.

Get ready to discover the secrets of “Green Spain”, an unforgettable trail through wild beaches, charming towns, large nature parks and Biosphere reserves. Bienvenidos a España! See you soon in Spain!

Discover our specially curated itineraries to Spain.

| Speaker |

Cristina Gonzalez Ruiz – The Green Spain Ambassador

Cristina was born in Bilbao, Spain, and holds a BA (Hons) in Leisure and Tourism Management from the London Metropolitan University, UK, and an MA in Leisure and Tourism Management from the University of Deusto, Spain. After a short work stint in the Tourism Industry, she moved to Brussels, Belgium, to work at the European Commission for a year. After this, she started to work at the Spanish Tourism Board, first in Brussels and then in Singapore, as the Director Assistant. In 1999, she began her career in the field of education, first as a Lecturer in Tourism studies and later as a Lecturer of Spanish as a foreign language. Since 2002, she has held the position of Coordinator of the Spanish Language Program at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. After completing a double MA in Applied Linguistics and Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language, she was promoted to Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Modern Languages at NTU, Singapore. Currently, Cristina is pursuing a PhD in Applied Linguistics to Language Teaching while continuing teaching Spanish at NTU, Singapore.