Island tours | New friends | Talking to whales

Hello,

One of the things I enjoy most about leading our small group tours is watching our guests bond effortlessly with each other.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this happens, nor that it happens so often. GeoCultura’s tours tend to have a theme, so it’s natural that our guests usually have at least one shared interest to get the conversation going. But it’s a joy to see these initial conversations about, say, Darwin’s childhood or landscape photography develop into fully formed friendships that last long beyond the tour.

There’s no doubt that small group tours are a powerful way to meet like-minded people. It’s hard to feel lonely when you’re experiencing new things in a group of travellers with a similar outlook. But just because it’s pleasant, doesn’t mean your horizons won’t be broadened! While it’s likely you’ll share a similar approach to life – inquisitive, keen to connect with other people and places – you’ll find that each guest brings to the tour something unique, and that includes you.

It could be a willingness to lead the way when it comes to trying new things. An in-depth knowledge of nephology (that’s the science of clouds to you and me). Or an ability to ask the right question at the right time – or, perhaps even better, the wrong question at the right time!

The result is a heady mix of personalities and an easy camaraderie that never fails to delight me.

I hope you feel it too when you join one of our upcoming tours.

Yours,

Rob

Rob Knipe
Chairman, Emeritus Professor and Tour Guide

The power of shared interests: why small group tours are a great way to meet people

Intimate group sizes, shared interests and thoughtful tour leaders: it’s a recipe for connecting with like-minded people and expanding your horizons – and a big part of what makes our small group tours such a rewarding way to travel. Let's explore why.

5 Curious Things for Inquisitive Travellers

🏔️ Landscapes change all the time. A new road here, a demolished house there. Usually, updating the maps is fairly straightforward. But climate change is presenting a new challenge to these Swiss cartographers charged with keeping the maps up to date as the glaciers recede. (Via The New York Times Archive.

🍳 “Scrambled eggs, oh my baby, how I love your legs.” You’ll never guess which world-famous song started off life with this bizarre combination of words as its lyrics! Here’s the remarkable story behind one of the world’s best-loved songs. (Via Richard Holman.)

🐎 A beautiful piece about Mongolia and one man’s return there to search for the man he once was. Read for a tantalising glimpse of the country’s vast wilderness, its wild horses, and its people. There’s also an unsatisfying encounter with a shaman. (Via CN Traveler.)

🐋 Never mind bonding with other people on your tour. How about communicating with whales? It might not be as far-fetched as you think. Scientists are working to decode the clicks used by sperm whales. But would they want to talk to us? (Via The Atlantic.)

🗺️ Another one for the map lovers among you! Here’s the most popular surname in every country in the world, mapped. It’s as interesting as a visual way to map emigration as it is a clever record of the most common surnames around the world. (Via Mental Floss.) 

Thank you to everyone who has travelled with us so far. If you're considering a tour with us, read these testimonials from travellers like you, or get in touch directly.

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