Bangkok--1 Aug-- MEDIA RELEASE August 2008 INTREPID TRAVEL OPENS ITS FIRST STORE IN ASIA Intrepid Travel, one of the world's leading small group adventure travel companies, will soon open the doors to its very first store in Asia - Bangkok. Having experienced great success with its retail stores to date in London, Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney, Intrepid is keen to share its unique style of travel retailing with the land of smiles. The new Bangkok store will emulate the innovative store design that Intrepid is now renowned for. A travel wall that winds its way around the store. It also features Intrepid’s famous ‘Pick and Mix’ concept, a unique ‘holiday planning’ mechanism devised to offering travelers the most flexible group travel experience. Visitors are encouraged to pick and choose a selection of graphic postcards from the wall, representing their desired destination, holiday experience and price range among other factors. From this, Intrepid team members recommend a variety of trips that best reflect the collection gathered. Not only is it the closest thing to a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ story, Pick and Mix offers a clever means of tailoring trips for individuals, giving Intrepid’s keen adventurers a chance to explore possibilities for themselves. The Pick and Mix wall demonstrates how Intrepid Travel trips can work for travelers of any age and with any style of travel. “An Intrepid Travel store opening in Bangkok marks a significant milestone for the company. It is such a great thrill for me to see Intrepid shop fronts in Asia, Europe, New Zealand and Australia. Our very first trips were to Thailand so we are delighted to have found the right site for our next retail presence. And we feel that backpackers exploring Asia, business travelers on a stopover, locals and expats now living in Bangkok will really love our style of travel! ” says Intrepid Chief Executive Officer, Darrell Wade. Intrepid was founded in 1989 by then-university students Wade and Geoff Manchester, specifically to provide Australians with what they felt was a missing link in the world of travel: the niche between impersonal bus tours and independent backpacking. Their ‘real experiences in a small group’ concept has proved popular. In its first year, Intrepid took 45 travelers through Thailand — this year Intrepid expect to send over 50,000 people (20,000 of them from Australia) to destinations within five continents of the world. Intrepid Travel Bangkok will officially open on the 22nd of August 2008 at at Viengtai Hotel (at reception) 42 Soi Rambutri, Banglampoo, BKK 10200 For more information on Intrepid and its range of trips, visit www.intrepidtravel or call 02 282 2863. For media enquiries, please contact: Mark Robson p. 085 687 7733