About Us > Travel Independently

TRAVEL INDEPENDENTLY

Like to travel to some of the locations you see on this website, or similar outdoorsy destinations in the same regions, but would prefer to travel in a more independent spirit? Independent-minded travel might appeal more to you, but the stumbling block might be that it’s hard to get to some of the regions where we work by yourself, or it’s hard to indulge in some of the activities we feature on this website. Then we have the solution for you: it is possible to use our services and travel independently.

You can choose from two levels of engagement in the service. Most loosely, you can entirely design your own itinerary and choose your destinations; the other way is that we design an itinerary that suits you after close interaction. The latter is still a level apart from custom trips; the difference is that you are allowed to travel with more independence, and use our services only when necessary (in custom trips, we design an itinerary specifically for you and then provide the whole package of services from beginning to end).

To travel independently, once you have the itinerary, the next step is to discuss the level of support you will require throughout your travels. You will need support because many of the locations featured in this website are at the frontier of tourism – you might not be able to get there by public transport, you are unlikely to find anyone to speak English there, you won’t find a restaurant that has an English menu, you might have to lodge with a local family, and so on. It’s the same with the activities. For example, you’re always going to need a local guide and porter, as well as food sourced locally, when you set off trekking into the wilderness. Or, another example, you’re going to need interpretation and a personal arrangement to go do some work at a farm or go fishing with a real fisherman.

And this is where we come in: to set up all the logistics you would need and allow you to be free to immerse yourself in your travels. We can even provide you with a remote interpreter: this means that any point where communication becomes difficult throughout your travels, you can call a pre-assigned telephone number and one of our operators will interpret your requests or questions to the service providers you’ll be dealing with. A tele-interpreter is especially useful in China, due to the language barrier – the language barrier makes independent travel in remote or underdeveloped parts of China an artificially difficult experience, and our remote interpreter can save you hassles, time, and costly misadventures. 

China is in fact the country where the service outlined in this page is most useful. It’s not easy to plan a trip off the beaten track without prior knowledge of the country, and China is so huge and varied that international guidebooks only scratch the surface in their coverage. Using our support will save you a lot of frustrations; your trip will proceed more smoothly, and you might end up spending less than if you attempt to do it alone. We have all the contacts – car rental agencies, guides, hotels, airlines, and so on – and we have extensive knowledge about the attractions and activities in the regions where we work.

This kind of travel allows you to stay in charge, and gives you the chance to make nuanced choices as you travel along. For example, you have the freedom of discovering your own restaurants and hotels, deciding whether to skip one place and linger at another, and so on and on – all this is possible as at each step that you need support, you will simply pay for the minimal commitment. The prices for these kind of support services are in fact highly staggered and flexible, and impossible to explain here in a general manner. If interested, write to us with some details to get started.

Travel Planning & Booking Service

Aside from the services outlined above, we also offer consultancy in travel planning for independent travellers. You can choose any of these services: (1) consultancy in the preparation of your itinerary, working closely with you to plan an itinerary that’s suitable for you taste, budget, time, and temperament; (2) bookings and/or purchases of hotels, restaurants, vehicle rentals, flights, and so on – please note that the booking service only applies to China at this moment.