Archive for the ‘Guides’ Category

The importance of the guide in a Boundless Journeys tour cannot be overestimated. Much more than a tour escort, our guides are the key to creating exceptional experiences that stay with our guests for a lifetime.

That is why we choose only the best guides who are local to the area you are exploring, passionate about their country, well-connected, knowledgeable, engaging, and highly experienced. Boundless Journeys guides go above and beyond the usual to introduce you to the most authentic in locales, people, and food. Whether leading you on an elephant-back safari in Africa, or sampling wine at a family owned vineyard in Tuscany, our guides know where to go and how to get you there. But don’t just take it from us, here is what some of our past guests have said:

Brooks

Botswana: Wilderness Safari: “I wish there were words to tell you what a remarkable guide and human being Brooks is. To say he is “the best” sounds trite and superficial, but I can honestly say that my two safaris with him have opened up the way I see the world. ” – Pat C., Malibu, CA

Snori

Iceland: The Land of Fire & Ice: “Snorri is a better guide than I would have known to ask for. He loves his country and language and goes to great lengths to share them both – always reading the interest and energy level of the group well. His attention to detail, relaxed manner and thorough preparation are exemplary, as are his competence hiking, driving, and his ability to manage a group. ”
- Jan S., Phoenix, AZ

Carron

Scotland: The Highland Way: “I cannot speak highly enough about Carron. She was simply a wealth of information. She met us at the train station when we arrived in Inverness. She didn’t have to be there for another hour, but she thought we would like to eat lunch somewhere a little nicer than the train station…that was it, we were off and running. Carron’s ease and sense of humor were greatly appreciated. Even in the middle of this beautiful wilderness, I never felt lost or in any danger. She is an amazing woman and a totally prepared professional.” – Rose Flynn, Rivervale, NJ

Alex

Italy: A Taste of Tuscany & Umbria: “Alex went out of his way to create opportunities for us to experience local culture – meeting a friend who invited us into his home for a glass of wine, getting a spontaneous tour of a private palazzo in Gubbio, meeting a medievalist scholar in his small apartment in Assisi – these enriched our days, already rife with interesting commentary.” – Randal & Leanna W., Huntingdon Valley, PA

"Tex"

Costa Rica: Nature’s Richness Revealed: “I have to tell you that Marco “Tex” Fallas is one of the best wildlife guides in the world. He is continually working on behalf his guests. I have been fortunate to work with guides around the world (above and below water including the high Himalayas) and he is probably the numero uno that I have come across.” – Rob K., Watford, Hertfordshire, UK

Dawa

Bhutan & Nepal: Himalayan Kingdoms: “Our guides were amazing and made the trip unforgettable. By the end of the trip I stopped thinking of them as guides and considered them friends. I was very impressed with their knowledge, professionalism, friendliness, and generosity”. – Sarah I., Harsens Island, Michigan

Murat

Turkey: Istanbul to the Turquoise Coast: “I’d like to praise our guide, Murat Tiryaki, who was above and beyond! Murat is an exceptional person and obviously very smart and well-educated as well as even tempered and great company. He is also a very kind, thoughtful person. His leadership made the trip.” – Suzanne S., Catlett, VA, Turkey

There is no one we trust more to satisfy and exceed your expectations than a Boundless Journeys guide! Their insiders’ perspectives and enthusiasm make for an unforgettable journey, and they are the number one reason our guests return year after year.

About Boundless Journeys
Boundless Journeys is an award-winning small group adventure tour operator. With a diverse collection of locally guided, small group itineraries and Private Collection trips around the world, Boundless Journeys offers “The World’s Great Adventures.” The adventure trips for 2-16 guests are active, ranging from leisurely cultural explorations and wildlife safaris to challenging trekking ― with plenty of easy to moderate walking and sea kayaking in between.

Sure independent travel has some perks, but guided adventure travel tours by Boundless Journeys allow for incredibly rich experiences you would not find on your own.

• There is no substitute for interaction with a knowledgeable, local Boundless Journeys guides. Socrates had it right. “When you can ask questions and engage in a real dialogue, learning happens.”

• On Boundless Journeys adventure travel tours you leave the details to us, and immerse yourself in seeing, hearing, and feeling the experience.

• Boundless Journeys tour guides make it interesting. They are constantly researching and thinking of clever ways to explain historical background and current happenings in an area.

• Our guides have their hand on the pulse of the region. If a new building is going up, they know about it. If a place has just been renovated, they will tell you why and how.

• Living local to the areas in which we travel, Boundless Journeys guides know the enchanting alleys and shortcuts. They can recommend the best of the best when it comes to local eateries, off-the-beaten path hikes, or cultural experiences.

• Another advantage of Boundless Journeys adventure travel tours is the helpful information, stories and anecdotes travelers share with one another. The group itself provides an avenue for learning, and often many laughs.

• Boundless Journeys adventure travel tours are typically 6-12 guests. These small group experiences provide you the opportunity to get to know your fellow travelers, your guide, and the region in a remarkably intimate way.

• Boundless Journeys contributes positively to the communities we visit—striving to preserve traditions, cultures, and fragile natural habitats.

So next time you are looking to immerse yourself in the true essence of a region, join a Boundless Journeys adventure travel tour. You will not be one of many hopping off a bus, nor will you be on your own wondering where to catch the next bus. Your Boundless Journeys guide will introduce you to the home he or she loves, and it will come alive for you in a way you never imagined.

About Boundless Journeys:

Boundless Journeys is an award-winning small group adventure tour operator, selected as one of the “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth” by National Geographic ADVENTURE, February 2009; and a “World’s Best” tour operator by Travel + Leisure, August 2009.

With a diverse collection of locally guided, small group itineraries around the world, Boundless Journeys offers “The World’s Great Adventures.” The adventure trips for 2-16 guests are active, ranging from leisurely cultural explorations and wildlife safaris to challenging trekking in remote regions ? with plenty of easy to moderate walking and sea kayaking in between. For more information, please call 1-800-941-8010 or visit http://www.BoundlessJourneys.com.

Who’s Guiding Your Raft?

Without question, for me a guide is the most important component of an adventure travel vacation. The cuisine, accommodations, activities, music, and nature of a destination will remain mostly a mystery without the knowledge of a good local guide to help unlock the secrets. Fully immersed in the culture and local to the region you’re exploring, a good guide will have the unique perspective that brings you beyond the usual, to the exceptional, and introduces you to the most authentic locales, people, and food. Whether leading you on a camel trek into the Moroccan desert, or uncorking a new vintage in a hidden Riojan bodega, a good guide knows where to go and how to get you there. They have insider knowledge to make spontaneous changes to an itinerary to take advantage of local celebrations, changes in weather, or special events.

Conversely, a bad guide can have an equally negative effect on your experience. You are often much better off stumbling around a foreign country on your own, than traveling with a guide who is at your side for no other reason than to collect a paycheck, a propina (tip) for their services (or lack there of), and a commission from the shops they bring you to. They will take you to their cousin’s carpet shop, uncle’s leather tannery, and grandmother’s noodle stand. With a good guide these experiences are offered as a way to meet some of the locals and learn about their customs, with no pressure to buy. With a bad guide they are strong arm tactics to sell you everything but their first born.

Not only do good guides provide insight, knowledge, and companionship, they may posses the necessary technical skills for activities such as kayaking, rafting, and biking. In my opinion, it’s too great a risk to simply hire a random guide upon arriving at your destination. There are often many tour providers who have been in business for only a short time as they see it as a good way to make some quick money from the tourists they’ve seen traveling through town. Buy a raft, put up a sign, and they are now a rafting company. Many years ago I was hired to guide for a Bolivian adventure travel company that offered rafting, sea kayaking, biking, and trekking trips throughout Bolivia. It was an exciting opportunity for me to travel and live internationally for a summer. Having previously worked as a rafting and sea kayaking guide, completed a swiftwater rescue course, and having just become a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician, I felt that I was prepared to accept the responsibility of ensuring our guests safety. What I experienced on my first day of work in Bolivia was something that left a lasting impression, and magnified the difference between good guides and really bad ones. New to the operation I was just along for the ride on the first day, but what I witnessed left me with the conviction that there needed to be big changes in the operation or I would be saying adios. It appeared that the local guides assigned to guide the guests on this class IV rafting trip had been in a raft only a handful of times previously. There was no safety talk given to the guests about what they might encounter on the river, and the guides were not carrying the necessary equipment to safely conduct the trip. The guides lack of knowledge about the river (and the sport) also translated into getting off the river way after dark (a number one no no when river running). We were quite fortunate that everyone made it through that trip unscathed, and it would be the last time that a trip was run that unprofessionally as long as I was guiding for the company.

When planning a big adventure trip for yourself, your friends, and your family, do yourself a favor and travel with a reputable operator who has hired the best guides and invested in their training. The rewards that a good guide will deliver are immeasurable. Don’t just take my word for it though, watch this short Monty Python video for a good example (and a good laugh!) of who you do not want to be traveling with. I can assure you, this guide is not, nor never was, part of the Boundless Journeys team. Meet some of our guides who are true professionals, and the best in the business.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46btEgKmCTo