More and more of us are seeking holidays that give us a truly authentic experience of our destination, in doing so directly benefitting local communities. The following are just some of the ways you can access these kind of experiences; ask your Travel Counsellor about the whole array of others that we can offer.
Part of the fee you pay for this extraordinary experience goes to local farmers. As well as seeing some of Bali’s famous fields that cascade down the hillsides, growing everything from rice to tomatoes, and discovering the ancient subak irrigation system that enables them to function as their own unique ecosystem, you’ll see a subak agricultural temple not usually visited by tourists and tour a local food market. The guide is English-speaking but local, meaning you’ll get a true insight into this fascinating practice. Visitors come away with a traditional handcrafted gift: an udeng (square headcloth) for men and a sash for women.
Introducing visitors to local cultures and encouraging them to interact with local life, this Havana tour looks at the way locals have often used art as a way to express both their hopes and their frustrations and also as a way of improving their local communities and breathing life into neighbourhoods. Again, an English-speaking but local guide will help you really get under the skin of this city and the theme.
This free app curated by the island’s Attitude group is an interactive way of getting off the beaten track and seeing the destination with fresh eyes, with options including a walking street food tour of the vibrant capital Port Louis with its food market and colourful Chinatown. Along the way you’ll sample the likes of alouda (a traditional drink of basil seeds and agar agar), roti rolls, and Chinese cakes and sweets while meeting the locals who make and sell them.
The app will also help you discover some of the island’s loveliest but least-known landscapes on foot, by bike or by moped. Other Otentik experiences include having dinner with a local family, helping out in the kitchen before sampling fantastic home cooking.
Carbon friendly, socially beneficial and fostering cultural interaction, this tour takes you in search of Bangkok’s highlights while travelling like a local, by public boat, skytrain and tuk-tuks. You’ll discover the Grand Palace, iconic Wat Pho temple and Lumpini Park, stopping in the latter to watch monks’ alms bowls being produced by artisans and to explore Jim Thompson House, which delves into the history of the American silk merchant.
The full-day tour takes you beyond the crowded streets for a closer look at the traditions and lifestyles of Thai people, from school kids to business people as they commute to school or work. You’ll also glean an up-close look at the ways of life of locals living alongside the canals, in houses precariously balanced on stilts.
Benefiting locals, culturally interactive and carbon-friendly, this experience takes you to an eco-friendly farm (part of a green agriculture project to educate local farmers) just outside Hoi An to pick the ingredients for your private cooking class. The passionate team will tell you how the farm protects the local soil, before your lesson in making five aromatic, nutritionally balanced dishes, grinding rice flour, creating rice paper with copper vessels and creating your own organic juice recipe. Once you’re done, you’ll sit down to feast on your delicious, authentic local cuisine.
Finland is often linked with winter trips to Lapland, but there’s much more to discover across the country. From design-led cities to quiet lakes and coastal landscapes, it offers a different pace of travel that feels both refreshing and easy to explore. If you’re looking for a European destination that combines nature, culture, and something a little less expected, Finland is well worth considering.
Few destinations offer as much to discover as South Africa, and recently, a group of Travel Counsellors experienced just how varied a journey here can be. From the dramatic landscapes of the Panorama Route to unforgettable safari moments in Kruger National Park, time spent with local tourism partners, and a deeply moving visit to Soweto, the trip offered the kind of first-hand insight that helps shape more personal, meaningful holidays for customers. It was a reminder that South Africa isn’t only about big-name sights; it’s about the people, places, flavours, and small moments that stay with you long after you’ve returned home.
Spain takes on a slightly slower, softer rhythm in September. The peak summer crowds have eased, the evenings still feel made for long dinners outside, and there’s enough warmth left for beach days, city strolls, and countryside escapes. From island coves to wine country and elegant northern coastlines, these five Spanish destinations all come into their own as summer gently gives way to autumn.
