Have you ever traveled across the world to a place and then returned home feeling like you only saw the tourists' version? I have and I couldn’t help but feel a little sad. I saw the streets, the shops, maybe a forest, maybe some animals, yet I returned home knowing I hadn’t made any meaningful connections with locals, or that I wasn’t out in nature long enough to feel the special qualities of the place.
Many tour operators send travelers through cookie-cutter versions of a place, giving them lots of photo opportunities for social media, yet not really revealing what life is like there. I’ve been planning custom trips and sending people on expedition ships and small group journeys for 17 years and after all these years, I’m determined to offer my travelers the most immersive, most connective, and the most personalized experiences available.
I want my travelers to come home inspired by the people they met, the unbelievably beautiful animals and landscapes they saw, and even with a new sense of self, now that they have seen themselves against the backdrop of a whole different world.
That’s why I called upon some of my favorite operators around the world to help me design our Wild Nectar Signature Journeys. These custom programs can shift to fit your exact dates and are private just for you and anyone you want to bring along. Or they can be just for you, and we’ll take great care of you.
We have Signature Journeys in extraordinary places like Kenya, Mexico, Sri Lanka, and Colombia, yet what makes these journeys so special is that each one includes opportunities to meet local people, do in-depth explorations of natural areas, and put everything you’re seeing into a historical and global context.
Here are some examples of the powerfully enriching experiences on offer in these journeys:
OAXACA, MEXICO
This 9-day adventure starts at $4,295 per person and offers some pretty outrageous adventures including, if you’re interested, a Lucha Libre match:
Get to know a wide collection of locals including artisans, chefs, farmers, Lucha Libre wrestlers, and even a mescal expert on this itinerary designed to show you the real Oaxaca.
Hike from mountain village to mountain village enjoying delicious local specialties and taking in lovely views and wildlife along the way.
Capture Oaxaca’s brilliantly colored architecture with a local photographer, or rock climb, or mountain bike; choose from a wide array of optional adventures to customize this program so you can get way up close to your Oaxaca.
IMMERSIVE SRI LANKA This 11-day adventure starts at $6,795 per person and offers a magical combination of connecting with locals and heading out on safari:
Discover the wonders of a Sri Lankan safari where you can see leopards, elephants, deer, buffalo, monkeys, peacocks and a dizzying array of other birds.
Drink in spectacular scenery from viewpoints you'll earn with some moderate yet rewarding climbs.
Get closer to locals by learning martial arts, joining a group of local monks for alms giving, playing a match of cricket, having a private consultation with an Ayurvedic doctor, learning meditation techniques, and so many more offered encounters.
All Signature Journeys can be customized to fit your exact interests. If you’re curious about an aspect of Sri Lankan life or a fascinating location not mentioned in this itinerary, ask us and we’ll find a way to help you meet the people and see the places you're interested in.
These are just two of our many Signature Journeys yet I think they are great examples of how we are crafting experiences that will help you see more and feel more when you’re in one of these beautiful places. If you’re a curious traveler hoping to go deeper when you go traveling, contact us and we’ll create a custom journey just for you that will have you returning home marveling at all the rich and wonderful experiences and kind people that are available for us to encounter in this brief yet remarkable life.