Travel is an amazing thing. It gives the opportunity to meet new people, see new places, and experience the world from a completely new point of view. In fact, various studies show that travel not only makes you happier – it can also make you healthier, less stressed, and more creative.

But travel shouldn’t be all about take-take-take. Recently, it’s become easier to just turn up somewhere and spend a few weeks in the sun without really knowing where you are. Just taking from the places we visit, without stopping to learn about what makes those places so special. Don’t get us wrong – we love to catch a tan as much as the next person. But we think there’s so much more to travel than that.

At Not in the Guidebooks, we believe travel should be three things – experiential, responsible, and eco-friendly. We make sure that every experience we offer fulfils these criteria. So, when you go away with us, you’re travelling a way that’s better for you, better for the communities you visit, and ultimately, better for the planet as well.

But what exactly does all that mean? We’d love to explain!

Experiential Travel

Don’t just see the world. Experience it.

That’s our motto. It means: don’t just settle for having a look around. Take the time to actually get under the skin of the places your visiting. Get a feel for what it’s like to live there, and what it means to the locals. Discover best-kept secrets. Taste the food. Drink the wine. Bond with the people you care about over a completely new experience, and make unforgettable memories.

Because come on, what are you going to remember most – another day sitting by the pool, or a hike to a secret waterfall hidden in the rainforest? Dinner at the same old hotel buffet, or a freshly sourced meal shared with a local family?

We connect you with local hosts. People who have lived in these places all their lives. They know their home like the back of their hand, and they are passionate about helping you discover everything it has to offer. Don’t just see the world. Experience it.

Responsible Travel

Responsible travel means maximising the positive impact you have during your time away. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But it’s really important. According to travel research site beachmeter.com, just 10% of the money you spend on your trip abroad directly benefits the local communities you’re visiting. That’s not a lot.

Really, travelling responsibly is about being more mindful. It’s about knowing that, when you’re away, every decision you make can have an impact. Why not try to make it a positive one?

At Not in the Guidebooks, we make sure more of what you spend goes directly into the pockets of the people you’re visiting. You’ll stay in local hotels, eat in local restaurants, and experience everything the local community has to offer. Not only does that make for an even more authentic and memorable experience. It also means you’re helping that local community to thrive. 

Eco-Friendly Travel

We all need to help protect the planet for future generations. There’s no denying that some aspects of travel can have negative environmental impacts. But we’re here to make the case for an eco-friendlier form of travel.

We work with our partners to make sure that each of our experiences have a net positive environmental impact. But many experiences go further than that. We believe a key way to fight climate change is to get people up close and personal with the natural world around them. We help you immerse yourself in nature, so you can learn more about the planet we need to be saving, and the communities who depend on it to survive. Building these deep, human connections – both with nature and with local communities – would be impossible without travel.

So, when you travel with us, you can rest assured knowing you’re doing your bit to save the world.