Massive surge in Aussies heading to this remote part of the world

News.com.au

21 hours ago

Australian travellers keen to get off the beaten path are heading to a new part of the world.
Aussie tour operators tell news.com.au demand has surged for travel in Mongolia and 'The Stans,' which includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. These five countries are also considered the region of Central Asia.
For small group travel operator Intrepid Travel, bookings among Australia and New Zealand customers for Kazakhstan in particular are up a whopping 1550 per cent compared to pre-Covid. Mongolia is up 206 per cent and Uzbekistan bookings have risen 137 per cent — from 2019 to 2025.
Brett Mitchell, Intrepid Travel's ANZ managing director, said the surge in bookings can be attributed to both increased demand and the company expanding its offerings in the region.
More widely, bookings to Northern and Central Asia have reached an all-time high for the company, growing 66 per cent year-on-year. It has prompted Intrepid Travel to launch six new itineraries to make the destinations even more appealing and more accessible.
'Over the past three years, the region has seen a strong resurgence in travel, driven by increasing demand for off-the-beaten path adventures,' Mr Mitchell said.
'We have been proactively expanding our footprint in the region to meet this demand and our new locally-led experiences take travellers right into the heart of these destinations, whether that's staying with reindeer herders in Mongolia's remote taiga or trekking the foothills of Kyrgyzstan's Tien Shan mountains.'
David Smyth, whose company Forward Travel specialises in tailor-made itineraries to unique destinations, said he too had noticed a growing interest and requests for trips to The Stans and Mongolia.
'Many of our travellers look beyond the usual destinations, and with the current uncertainty in the Middle East, many are choosing to hold off on plans in that region until things settle and become more certain,' Mr Smyth said, who facilitates travel to countries like Afghanistan and Iraq, which the Australian government strongly advises against visiting. (Read more on the travel advice levels for The Stans further below).
'A large number of our clients are seasoned travellers and for those who've already explored Latin America or Africa for example, Central Asia is emerging as a fascinating and fresh alternative. It offers that rare sense of discovery people are increasingly looking for.'
He said a recent uptick in interest had come particularly from Australians in their late 40s and older.
'They're drawn by the region's cultural depth, historic significance, and the opportunity to explore places that still feel largely undiscovered, those forgotten lands between China and Europe,' he said.
Mr Smyth added: 'There remains a sense of mystery about these countries, Turkmenistan in particular, which only recently began opening up after years of isolation, continues to intrigue.'
He said the 'spectacular and dramatic landscapes' drew travellers to The Stans, while Mongolia had its traditional festivals and 'deep historical roots as the land of Genghis Khan and the Gobi Desert'.
'It's one of those rare destinations where mass tourism hasn't yet taken hold, making it especially attractive to those with an adventurous spirit,' he said.
Bunnik Tours' joint-CEO Dennis Bunnik also described a 'significant uplift' in bookings for the company's tour of The Stans.
Bookings are up 40 per cent on last year, prompting Bunnik Tours to add extra departure dates next year.
'Demand isn't slowing down either,' Mr Bunnik told news.com.au. 'Asia 2026 only went on sale a few weeks ago and we've already seen strong interest in the 5-Stans.
'These numbers tell us what travellers want right now: unique, meaningful adventures that go beyond the typical tourist trail.'
Mr Bunnik said the region was 'remote' and 'logistically complex to navigate solo', making small group tours popular among Australian travellers.
'There's a growing awareness among travellers that if you wait too long to visit certain destinations, you risk missing out on seeing them as they truly are,' he said.
'The 5-Stans are still wonderfully authentic — rich in tradition and relatively untouched by large-scale tourism, but that window won't last forever. If it's on your list, go now.'
Australian comedy duo The Inspired Unemployed last week launched their new travel company ARRIVAL while on a motorbike trip in Kyrgyzstan.
'This is just insane, waking up to f***ing that,' Matt Ford said in one video filmed from a tent by a river with horses in view.
Another clip of horses was captioned, 'this place isn't real'.
The new company is marketed as offering trips going 'off-piste' with experiences away from tourist hotspots.
Australia advises against travelling to some areas
The Australian Government has different travel advice levels for The Stans ranging from level one, 'exercise normal safety precautions,' to the highest level of four, 'do not travel'.
Kazakhstan is deemed the safest of the five countries to visit at level one.
Kyrgyzstan (officially the Kyrgyz Republic), Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have an overall advice level of two ('exercise a high degree of caution'). However, some specific areas of these countries are at level three or four. Notably, Australia warns against travelling near the border of Afghanistan.
As for Mongolia, the entire country is at advice level one.