Audley Travel challenges globetrotters to share their favourite hidden gems

Once-in-a-lifetime’ trip to Audley’s favourite hidden gem San Rafael in Ecuador will be awarded to the best suggestion

Audley Travel offers its clients tailor-made trips to destinations across the world. It prides itself on knowing the best places to recommend and strives to offer clients recommendations that aren’t found in the guidebooks. Audley’s destination specialists’ favourite little known, but not to be missed places around the world include a picturesque South African fishing village, an indigenous community in the shadow of an Ecuadorean volcano and a stunning multi-coloured Chinese lake criss-crossed with fallen tree trunks.

Audley’s specialists are keen to know what destinations have a special place in their fellow travellers’ hearts and are asking them to share pictures of their favourite spot, at the same time as explaining why they love it so much.

Becky Moore, founder of top five UK travel blog GlobalGrasshopper.com, says:

"For me, the road less travelled gives me so much more from my travel experiences. I love unravelling the secrets of the world's most unique, under-the-radar and beautiful places. Audley’s recommendations of destinations are fantastic and I can’t wait to see what further gems are unveiled from travellers suggesting their own #MyLittleKnown."

An extremely well-travelled panel, comprising of Becky Moore, Heather Cowper (blogger at Heatheronhertravels.com, recognised by Trips100 as one of the top travel Instagrammers) and Alex Bentley (Audley’s Head of Product) will choose their favourite suggestion and reward the photographer with a tailor-made trip to visit San Rafael in Ecuador — one of Audley’s own top little known but much-loved spots.

Alex Bentley, Head of Product for Audley Travel, says:

"At Audley Travel, we pride ourselves on being able to recommend places to our clients that they won’t find in the guidebooks. Whilst our destination knowledge is unrivalled (our staff have all travelled extensively in the countries and regions they represent) we know that there are many more fantastic spots just waiting to be discovered. Perhaps the winner of #MyLittleKnown will suggest something that is new to our specialists, or maybe it will already be a firm favourite for them — either way, we can’t wait to see what places fellow travellers have loved discovering on their adventures."

Sharing a #MyLittleKnown

To share a #MyLittleKnown with Audley, travellers should visit www.audleytravel.com/social, or post a photo on social media using #MyLittleKnown, mentioning @AudleyTravel and explaining why their recommendation is so special.

Tailor-made Ecuador for the best #MyLittleKnown

On arrival in San Rafael, the chosen travel lover will be greeted with fantastic views of the Sangay Volcano and surrounding valleys. They will then be welcomed into a project established to reintroduce the native alpaca to communities in the Paramo highlands with the goal of generating a sustainable source of income for the women of these communities. The trip is a unique opportunity to visit an authentic indigenous village which has had little outside influence on its culture. They will meet locals who wear their traditional clothing (on a daily basis, rather than for the benefit of visiting tour groups) and practice the customs and beliefs of their ancestors. A highlight of the visit will be seeing the alpacas in their mountain top farm, with the Sangay Volcano rising up as a backdrop.

The 10-day tour will also include UNESCO World Heritage Site Quito, the market town of Latacunga and Riobamba, the third largest city in Ecuador. It continues with a ride on the Devil’s Nose train which is widely considered one of the most impressive feats of rail engineering as well as being one of South America’s most desired experiences and a three-night stay in Cuenca before moving on to Hacienda La Danesa, a working farmhouse set in the countryside outside of Guayaquil.

All the #MyLittleKnown suggestions can be enjoyed at www.audleytravel.com/social.

Notes to editors

• See details of the specialists’ recommendations.

About Audley Travel

Audley Travel offers tailor-made trips to over 80 countries across the world. Each trip is designed by a destination specialist who knows the country in great detail, having lived there or explored it many times. Each trip is designed specifically for a client, based on their tastes, interests and budget but with a common commitment to quality and to showing clients the highlights of a destination in a different light, and introducing them to places and experiences that others might miss. For more information on all of Audley’s tailor-made trips, please visit www.audleytravel.com