Cultural Travel: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and Into the Heart of a Destination
Updated: Sep 4
So what is "Cultural Travel"? Wikipedia explains it as: "travel that emphasizes experiencing life within a foreign culture, rather than from the outside as a temporary visitor".
We translate Wikipedia's concept into our own understanding of what it means to us:
To find a rare gem, you have to dig deep. To discover the pulse of a destination, you have to step outside your comfort zone. To explore the pulse of a destination, you have to be willing to interact with the locals and actively pursue creative activities. The experience: a whole new way of life. The gem: invaluable knowledge gained that sets you on a path of an enlightened, spiritually-rich life.
Off-the-Beaten Track
The beautiful small towns, picturesque villages and quaint hamlets have more to offer than you might think; no matter where you might be visiting. They are the pulse of a destination and there are enormous potential to learn what really makes a destination unique.
The fact that the inhabitants in these areas live life in the slow lane is proof that they are more likely to uphold customs and traditions that have been replaced by modernity in the cities.
"Rome wasn't built in a day" it is said, and it rings true for the famous cities that we know of today across the world.
Big city life started with a few tribes who migrated to a certain area in a country, encountered the indigenous peoples of the area, and together they developed it into a town.
Later, as the number of inhabitants grew, the area had to be expanded. This expansion often happened beyond the borders of the 'original' area, hence you will find that there are many 'old towns' coupled with 'new cities' in places across the world.
The moral of the story? Humble beginnings often evolve into big and magnificent things.
Our tours are therefore focused on introducing you to the very places of humble beginnings. Our vacations to Europe in 2024 and beyond and hopefully to South Africa from 2025, is meant for you to experience the customs and cultures of these villages, hamlets and towns.
We don't give the big cities a miss altogether. After all, there are a wealth of historical heritage to discover in them too. The only difference is that they are well-known to most travelers across the world.
Since the the big cities and smaller outlying areas that we visit are inter-connected, it's obvious that you'll get a better understanding of what drives the city dwellers. One cannot exist without the other anyway, and it would be folly to avoid the big cities altogether.
We also concentrate on areas that are not overcrowded so that you can enjoy the sights in a leisurely way, except of course, the annual local events. Our vacations are designed around these events to give you an opportunity to become actively involved in the festivities.
Unfortunately, most events are in or near the big cities, and are well-known across the world. Overcrowding can therefore not be avoided on a certain day during the tour.
But for most of your vacation you will be among the only visitors in a specific area. Personalised and exclusive services are provided to you and your group through our professional and attentive partners in our destinations.
The inhabitants in the sleepy places are more open and friendly, most probably because their lives are so laid-back and they are in no hurry to get anywhere. This is priceless.
For example, the other day I watched an interesting travel documentary about Paris, France. The show hosts mentioned that it is said that Parisiennes are the most 'unfriendly' people in France. Maybe this is so because they are living the 'rat race'?
The highlights of our vacations are the daily activities. Most of them are decided by us, while there are also opportunities for you and your group to explore on your own. This will be over week ends for most of the time, to give you a break from 'walking in formation like soldiers'.
But you can be assured that the activities planned are unique and exciting. You will definitely not be spending all your time only in museums and other historic places. You will also engage in activities that the locals cherish and that you can add to your 'live resume'. As in living the experience!
Welcome to our 'proactive' cultural journeys like you'll never experience anywhere else. Join us on one of our exciting vacations to make the 'proactive' cultural experience your own.
Happy travels and … Carpe Diem!
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