Is Samgai Journeys right for you?

Local knowledge and Unique Experiences

Each tour offered by Samgai Journeys has been carefully crafted using decades of travel experience and a long list of tried and tested local contacts and guides. We try hard to make sure that each and every trip offered by Samgai Journeys provides unique experiences. Whether that be learning about conservation while on safari in Kenya; sleeping in a remote mountainside Buddhist monastery in Bhutan; spending time with scientists and chimpanzees in Uganda; learning the secrets of the perfect thali in Gujarat; hiking between community homestays in the mountains of Ethiopia; wading through Himalayan snow fields in search of snow leopards; meeting nomads in the shadow of the biggest mountains on Earth or eating your way through the street food of India, we’ll give you an experience to cherish.

We understand that travelling halfway across the globe to a place you might not know is a big undertaking. You want to be sure that your journey will be deeply rewarding and full of new experiences. You are also insistent that your journey will bring positive benefits to the local communities, wildlife and environment of your host nation. But, at the same time, you want to know that you will be safe and comfortable. You want to be certain that the people you are entrusting your journey too are reliable, professional, experienced and dedicated. And that they have an in-depth knowledge, built up over decades, of the regions you will be travelling too.  So, is Samgai Journeys right for you?

But, we do ask something of you too. Any Samgai Journeys client must be willing to have preconceptions shattered and be open to experiencing new sights, sounds, smells and tastes. And, although we put great emphasis on your comfort, you must also be prepared to get mucky. Some (but not all) of our journeys involve some degree of walking, or perhaps even camping in the bush surrounded by large animals, or staying with a family in a community homestay. You will invariably also stop to eat and drink in local cafes and restaurants and be encouraged to become a participant – rather than a mere witness – to local life and culture.

How fit do you have to be to join a Samgai Journeys tour?

This totally depends on the kind of journey you want. We welcome people of all ages, from early childhood to octogenarians– and above!  Our transport varies from comfortable private vehicles with guide and driver to horse back and hiking boots. Some of our journeys do entail a certain amount of hiking. Sometimes these are just short and gentle half-day walks; at other times the entire focus of the journey can be a demanding, multi-day hike at high altitude.

We include walking and hiking because we believe that seeing a country on foot is the best way to experience it: walking puts you in closer contact with the environment. It allows you to see, smell, touch, hear and, sometimes even taste, the destination in a way that is simply not possible if you travel everywhere by vehicle. Walking also brings you into much closer contact with the people who live in the area and opens up unexpected opportunities and invitations.

Essentially then, the simple answer as to how fit you have to be depends entirely on the journey chosen. In many cases though we can tailor the tour to the fitness level of your party.

Does Samgai Journeys offer set date group tours?

All of our tours are carefully crafted journeys of varying duration that encompass a wide range of activities and experiences. We offer a number of ‘off the peg’ tours (although even these can be modified to your requirements) or we can create a journey totally tailored to your requirements. These journeys can be booked by any number of people within a and can be arranged for whatever dates suit you.

Currently we do not offer set departure, organised group tours.

Putting community and environment first

A guiding principal of Samgai Journeys is that we want our journeys to bring a net positive impact to our host communities, the environment those people live in and the wildlife they live alongside. This is done in a variety of ways including tailoring our journeys to ensure minimal environmental and social impact. Wherever possible we use locally run small businesses and, ideally, ones managed as a community initiative, by the community and for the benefit of community and environment. We ensure you get a deep understanding of local cultures and wildlife – understanding what you’re experiencing ensures mutual respect. We avoid exploitive tourist sights and developments. And, most importantly, built into the cost of every tour run by Samgai Journeys is a small percentage (5%) that goes toward conservation and community development projects. These projects vary from reforestation (native trees only), to community conservation fees or supporting female education in Afghanistan.

Is Samgai Journeys a budget travel company?

Although, we are not a budget travel company we are also not an extreme high end travel company and we do not charge as such. We do not believe in the pampered super exclusive safaris that predominate in so many parts of East Africa or in taking private helicopters to Himalayan basecamps. Our reason for this is because we believe that a tour like this results in a fake, Hollywood style experience in which the client lives in a bubble safely sheltered from the real life of a destination. And that’s not what Samgai Journeys is about.

Is Samgai Journeys suitable for families?

Yes! Very much so. Today’s children are the future guardians of the environment. This means that we actively encourage family travel and, as much as possible, we put on special activities for children. We have travelled widely around Africa and Asia with our own children - from when they were tiny babies up to today when they are less tiny teens. This means we have learnt (often the hard way!) how to keep kids happy and entertained on one of our journeys.