Going the Extra Miles

Since more than half our business comes from persnicketively planned Private Journeys, and since we treat the 120 trips in this catalog as if they were private journeys, we’re happily and unmistakably a service-oriented company. So we place quality before quantity, we go many extra miles to confab with our travelers, we craft our itineraries like we were cutting the Hope Diamond, and we make sure we’re up-to-the-second in news and developments in all our destinations.

The Art of Trip Building

There is a strong tendency in the travel business—in most businesses, we suppose—to look at the bottom line, identify a cash cow, and to milk that old cow until the business and the traveler gradually trudge into boredom.

As travel enthusiasts ourselves, we work hard to avoid that rote approach. First, we ask ourselves if a proposed trip fits your and our style. Then we send our staff on reconnaissance expeditions. Close questioning of our associates in-country. Careful looks at transportation, accommodations, food, and safety. Where’s the best place to jump off from? Are there well-trained and resourceful local guides? Does the trip have a coherent historical, cultural, or scenic theme? Right down to the smallest details: Does that vehicle offer good sight lines? Are the bathrooms on that river cruiser private? Will our visas be good at that remote border crossing? What’s our backup if the flight is fogged in?

We constantly dust off our classic trips, adding new discoveries, finding new delights. We design our trips with artistic flair: an ending with a flourish, a nifty little digression every once in a while. Some downtime. A special dinner at just the right time. An overarching theme. Success is in the details, in the choreography, and in the grand design.