Our partnership with Intrepid Travel

At Rickshaw, we think that we do what we do pretty darn well, and our semi-independent, flexible travel style is what makes us who we are. We make good things happen through travel, whether that’s for the customers who travel with us or for the local people and businesses we work with across the world.

Intrepid Travel make good things happen too. Their small-group trips connect travellers with a destination in a way which not many group tour operators can, and they’ve been providing unforgettable experiences across the world for over 30 years. They’re also pioneers of responsible travel, both in terms of their work with local people and in the work of The Intrepid Foundation – their non-profit arm which has been supporting initiatives around the world since 2002. They’re even aiming to become the first climate-positive travel company in the coming years.

Why Intrepid Travel?

By being brave enough to stand by their values and lead the fight against many of the issues which blight the travel industry, Intrepid are living proof that you can be successful without just trampling over everything in your path in search of profit. Basically, we think they’re good eggs.

It turns out they think that about us, too, and back in early 2019 they approached us to see if we could work together in some way. Our initial thought was “yes!”, but then “er, how?”. Although there are lots of similarities about how we view and approach things, the Rickshaw and Intrepid travel styles are pretty different, at least practically speaking.

The more we thought about it though, the more we became convinced that there are some things which are just better in a group. And perhaps even impossible to do without one.

Why Ecuador & the Galapagos?

We’d been thinking about Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands for a while, and were already in contact with a local partner who we really wanted to work with in mainland Ecuador, who could help us put together some great Rickshaw-style trips. The Galapagos Islands are a slightly different matter though, since the best way to experience this unique part of the world is through group travel and sailing trips.

Intrepid ticked all the boxes in terms of what we wanted to offer; small groups, their own modern and comfortable boats, expert local crews and naturalist guides, and a real focus on making sure that tourism doesn’t damage this delicate ecosystem.

We were sold. We decided this was the perfect opportunity to begin our partnership while giving our customers the best possible Galapagos experience as part of their Rickshaw holiday.

So, in late 2019 the Rickshaw-Intrepid partnership began in earnest.