Top 10 unusual trips to book in June

Don't follow the crowds for your next adventure. Sit on a hilltop in Guatemala above one of the world's largest indigenous craft markets or ride through quiet fishing villages along the South Korean coast. Uncover somewhere completely different on your next tour.

1. Moldova Short Break

Have dinner with a local family to find out about their lives in a special hidden part of Europe - the breakaway state of Trans-Dniester. Arriving in Tiraspol, the capital, is like being immersed in a Soviet time capsule packed with imposing buildings, war memorials and of course a statue of Lenin. With their own government, postal service and independence day, you'll be captivated by the story of this unique and charming country.

View trip

2. Cycle South Korea

After a morning's quiet ride through peaceful fishing villages and along gold sand beaches, stop for a break beside the beautiful lakeside pagoda. Leave the bikes in the pagoda's peaceful shadow, step through the cliffs into the impressive caverns and wander among the passages and rock formations of the Seongryugul caves.

View trip

3. Atacama and Paine

Getting up at the crack of dawn to drive out to the Atacama Desert, all wrapped up against the bitter morning chill, is a real “why am I doing this again?!” moment. But watching the geysers steam and bubble while the sun rises behind them is worth all of the hardship. Such a beautiful sight, and all taken in with a hot drink and picnic breakfast in the world's highest desert.

View trip

4. Along the Pamir Highway

Driving through the legendary Wakhan Corridor and along a bumpy gravel track, a glance to the right brings into focus the raging Panj River, and beyond that, the rugged terrain of Afghanistan with its remote village communities clinging to the hillside. The journey through Tajikistan's heartland will introduce you to a whole new world, where nomads roam the Asian Steppe and vast meadows stretch between towering mountain ranges.

View trip

5. Senegal and The Gambia

Cruising down the Gambia River offers a real break from reality and encourages mindfulness, with only the water and the birds as a soundtrack. The landscape constantly changes, from tropical forest bamboo groves to rice paddies and mangroves, an ideal place for a diversity of bird life. After the day is over, marvel at the calm silence with occasional animal calls under a veil of dazzling stars above.

View trip

6. Gorilla and Chimp Safari

A trip to Uganda is an opportunity for the ultimate wildlife encounter: coming face to face with a mountain gorilla. These endangered primates, giant but gentle, have a mutual curiosity and respect for their visitors in Bwindi National Park, and the privilege of seeing them up close is breathtaking.

View trip

7. Ancient Lands of the Maya

On a hilltop above the hustle and bustle of Chichicastenango, one of the world’s largest indigenous craft markets, lies the Mayan shrine of Pascual Abaj. The path here is hidden between private properties and pine trees. At the top, the Maya people revere the earth god, and make offerings of cigarettes, flowers, alcohol and incense to encourage the fertility of their land. Seeing these ancient Maya traditions still alive in Guatemala is a world away from the hectic buzz of the 'chicken buses' and frantic sellers down in the market below.

View trip

8. Discover Chernobyl

As you pass through the guarded checkpoints and enter the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone you realise you’re in a place like no other; filled with abandoned houses, rusting fairground attractions and wild animals that now call these crumbling towns and villages their home. Where nature has reclaimed the land, you'll walk between past and present as you wander the eerie abandoned streets of Pripyat.

View trip

9. Family Active Romania Adventure

Like a mythical land in a fantasy novel, the former salt mine in Salina Turda has been turned into an underground amusement park, complete with Ferris wheel and underground lake to explore. The cavernous landscape is transformed into a fairy grotto with bright colourful lights guiding you between the attractions on the walkways, their reflections twinkling in the water.

View trip

10. Iceland Winter Adventure

Wrap up warm, stand outside and look up. Iceland's minimal light pollution and long winter nights mean you'll be hard pushed to find such magical skies anywhere else in Europe. Driving along the magnificent ring road in winter, you'll find dramatic new landscapes where the play of light casts beautiful shadows and illuminations on the snowy ground.

View trip