Making Travel Meaningful: Connecting with Indigenous Communities

By: Gina Bang, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Avanti Destinations

In a world increasingly dominated by mass tourism, travelers are seeking more meaningful experiences. Immersing yourself in the traditions of indigenous communities offers a window into a world that is both ancient and profoundly different from our own. These cross-cultural experiences are a vital aspect of regenerative tourism.

Regenerative tourism goes beyond sustainability by aiming to leave a positive impact on the environment and local communities. Engaging with indigenous cultures in a respectful and authentic manner not only helps preserve endangered traditions but also provides essential income for these communities. This form of tourism allows visitors to gain insights into lives and practices that have remained unchanged for centuries, offering a truly transformative experience.

Here is a selection of indigenous and ethnic minority encounters—from short visits to full-day tours—in Australia, Belize, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, and Peru. English-speaking local guides make it possible to interact with native people committed to maintaining traditions that have endured for centuries, even millennia.

Australia

This full-day, small-group tour of eastern Queensland’s Daintree Rainforest and Mossman Gorge, home of the Kuku Yalanji tribe, puts Australia’s ancient roots on display. Included is participation in an Aboriginal Dreamtime painting class, a form of storytelling taught by a native artist. Travelers learn to throw a spear and hunt for fish in the Kuku Yalanji way, witness a soap and paint-making demonstration, learn how the tribe prepares “bush tucker” food and medicines from local plants and animals, and participate in a traditional smoking ceremony to ward off evil spirits.

Belize

“Living Maya” and the Garifuna
*Photo Courtesy of Avanti Destinations*

A private seven-hour tour visits a Kekchi Maya family’s home, furnished with all natural materials. Travelers help prepare and partake in a traditional meal with these descendants of the ancient Maya and also explore the ancient Maya archeological site Nim li Punit, known for its intricately carved stone stelae. Another private all-day tour visits the Garifuna, a people who trace their origins to the Caribbean’s first inhabitants, the Carib-Arawak, and Afro-Caribbeans. Learning about the Garifuna’s history, their musical and culinary traditions, and how to make a typical meal are the highlights.

New Zealand

Tattooed Maori Man
*Photo Courtesy of Avanti Destinations//TePuia.com//Photographer: Graeme Murray*

Private tours in Rotorua teach you the traditional Maori greeting—pressing your nose and forehead to another’s—and how to play Maori musical instruments. A ceremonial war dance is performed in traditional costumes inside the beautifully carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua. The tour also visits Te Puia, the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, which houses schools for flax weaving, and wood-, stone-, and bone-carving. An evening tour takes travelers to a forest village experience, featuring Maori songs and a “hangi” feast, which changes with the Maori lunar calendar.

Norway

Sami people and their reindeer
*Photo Courtesy of Avanti Destinations*

The Sami people are indigenous to northernmost Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. They are renowned as semi-nomadic herders of reindeer. On a small group evening tour out of Tromsø, Norway, you walk among 300 reindeer and feed them, then take a sled ride to a traditional meal cooked over an open fire. The evening continues in a “lavvu” tent—similar to a Native American tipi—with storytelling about Sami life and culture and a traditional Sami chant.

Panama

Embera Village
*Photo Courtesy of Avanti Destinations*

Panama boasts a surprising variety of indigenous groups. A private all-day excursion takes you to the pristine San Blas Islands, home of the Guna people, who produce colorful textiles called “mola.” Another tour visits an Ngäbe indigenous community, where they will show you where they source ingredients and teach you how to make an authentic, organic meal. In a thatched-roof village in Chagres National Park, travelers are greeted with Embera traditional music and dances and enjoy a lunch of local specialties. The Embera people are renowned for their unique baskets, masks, carvings, and body painting.

Peru

Misminay Andean community
*Photo Courtesy of Avanti Destinations*

In the scenic Sacred Valley, Misminay is a village of 120 families who are descendants of the Inca with a unique worldview. On a four-hour private tour, you are welcomed with traditional music and dances, learn how they plant and harvest native crops, watch Andean textiles being made by hand, and enjoy a Pachamanca lunch prepared in an underground hot stone oven.

About Avanti Destinations:

Since 1981, Avanti Destinations has been selling custom-crafted independent travel vacations in Europe, Asia, North Africa/the Middle East, the South Pacific, and Central and South America. The Portland, Oregon-based wholesale tour operator offers a wide range of FIT components to travel advisors only, including air, rail, rental cars, hotels, sightseeing/attractions, transfers and hard-to-find experiential travel options. Avanti specializes in hand-picked, locally-owned hotels in both large and small cities and in connecting all the pieces of complex or multi-destination itineraries. The company also creates complete packages for custom groups of 10 or more passengers. For more information: https://book.avantidestinations.com.

Meet Australia’s First Nations in Three Amazing Stops

By: Christian Baines

Australia is a land of superlatives. Besides the world’s biggest island, it’s also home to the world’s oldest living culture. Around 500 Aboriginal nations are spread across all six of Australia’s states and two territories today. With distinct languages, traditions, legends, and methods of using the land, there’s a fascinating indigenous story to tell in every corner of Australia.

With a desire to confront the wrongs of colonial invasion and reconnect with Australia’s pre-European identity and promote reconciliation, indigenous Australian communities are finding new and innovative ways to share their stories and culture with locals and visitors alike. While countless opportunities await to engage and learn about them, three stand out in Australia’s most popular destinations, offering just enough of an introduction to indigenous Australia to inspire you to learn more.

*A tour through The Rocks district in Sydney uncovers the city’s fascinating indigenous history.*

Move With the Seasons of the Eora Nation

Long before it became home to Australia’s oldest and largest city, the shores of Sydney Harbour sustained the Eora nation. Eora’s numerous tribes moved with the many seasons that determined their diet and lifestyle, all informed by ancient spiritual beliefs that cast the land’s inhabitants as part of nature, rather than its masters.

As curiosity around these traditions has grown, indigenous tours, conducted in the shadow of Sydney’s most familiar icons have become much more popular. These tours not only bring visitors closer to the land’s long history but teach guests just a few of the secrets behind the crafts, tools, and hunting techniques that sustained people here for at least 60,000 years, and possibly over 120,000.

Yet before you walk away thinking this is just a history lesson, take a closer look at some of Sydney’s colonial and modern-day structures. Eora remains embedded in the city’s DNA and carries on through traditions still practiced by indigenous people today, such as the dillybag, and the walkabout.

*Uluru is the world’s largest sandstone monolith and one of the most sacred sites for Indigenous Australians.*

Take a Walk Around Australia’s Sacred Heart

Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is more than just an Aussie icon. It’s a sacred site to the Anangu people and indigenous Australians across the country. With its controversial and dangerous climbing track now closed, there’s never been a better time to see Uluru the way it should be seen, in the company of an indigenous guide.

Besides being a natural beauty, Uluru plays an integral part in the creation stories of the Anangu, which come to life each night in a fantastic light show called Wintjiri Wiru. Guests learn about the ancient Mala people, the sacred ivara that carry the memories of Australia’s demigods across the country, and the story of nearby Kata Tjuta, the domed formations a short distance from Uluru that are tied to it both by legend and geology.

Of course, the best photos of Uluru come at dawn and dusk, when the skies come alive with vibrant pink and orange hues. Enjoy a glass of bubbly, a three-course dinner in the desert, and a walk through the Tili Wiru Tjuta Nyakutjaku, a spectacular 50,000 bulb light installation by artist Bruce Munroe.

*Indigenous performers showcase their traditions in the rainforests of Far North Queensland.*

The World’s Oldest Culture Meets the World’s Oldest Rainforest

The Great Barrier Reef may steal the show when visiting tropical North Queensland, but just a short drive from Port Douglas, visitors can dive into the region’s unique story at Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre. A few hours spent here is the perfect primer to put the wonders of Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rainforest, the world’s oldest, into context. Both Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders have influenced this region, and their ancestors left behind spectacular and fascinating rock art, dreamtime stories and techniques for living off the land that continue to inform life and art for indigenous people in North Queensland today.

The Cairns Indigenous Art Fair brings together the best indigenous contemporary artists to the city in June and July each year. Every other year, the Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival brings together over 20 communities from across Cape York in a spectacular celebration of heritage. If you can’t make it for one of these special events, embarking on a tour of area with an indigenous guide can bring it to life, and highlight the links connecting the sights and traditions of the past with the modern-day community.

Find you dream vacation to Australia at https://ustoa.travelstride.com/trip-list/australia

About Goway

Goway is one of North America’s leading travel companies and the world’s foremost provider of travel experiences to Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific. Goway offers trips to over 115 destinations worldwide, including Africa, Asia, Australia and the South Pacific, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, the Polar Regions, and the United States and Canada.

Goway is a family-owned company still owned and operated by Founder & President Bruce Hodge that employs over 600 staff members worldwide. Its global headquarters is in Toronto and it has offices in Vancouver, Los Angeles, Sydney, and Manila. Goway sells both retail and wholesale travel packages, planning trips for Globetrotters and helping travel professionals make their clients’ travel dreams a reality. It also has groups, air consolidation, and corporate travel departments.

Ten Countries for Crafts with a Cause

By Overseas Adventure Travel

In survey after survey, up to 76% of consumers say that they’d rather spend their money on experiences than things. They further cite “meaning,” “inspiration,” “fun,” and “learning” as outcomes they seek. Travelers can count on all of the above on one of Overseas Adventure Travel’s small group adventures. These include hands-on activities that connect them to the local culture, such as visits to workshops where local artisans demonstrate traditional crafts. Visitors can roll up their sleeves and join in, and if they like, purchase the local wares.

“It’s a win-win,” says O.A.T. Vice Chairman Harriet Lewis. “Our travelers get to engage with local people and learn something new, and our hosts gain support for the industries their families rely on.” Oftentimes, the activities occur during O.A.T.’s signature A Day in the Life experiences which are woven into the trips; or though visits to sites supported by Grand Circle Foundation, O.A.T’s non-profit charitable organization. Here are just ten of the local crafts supported:

1. Australia: Aboriginal Dot Paintings

Ultimate Australia

The distinctive Aboriginal dot designs are not random, but are filled with symbols that tell a visual story. Dot painting has been around for millennia, but exploded in the 1970s in Papunya near Alice Springs, where indigenous artists used it as a secret language. Other Aboriginal communities embraced the form, and today they adhere to strict rules about which techniques, symbols, and stories belong to which tribes. O.A.T. travelers are urged to only buy authentic, ethically sourced works that bear the official Indigenous Art Code seal, the “gold standard” among reputable merchants.

2. Laos: Traditional Weaving

Ancient Kingdoms: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, & Vietnam

While the men of the poor Laotian village of Tin Keo farm or seek jobs in the city, the women create fabulous, colorful textiles. It started as a way to be sociable with their neighbors. Today, these industrious ladies can earn a windfall of $70-80 a month selling their fabrics, all the while improving their skills and preserving an important cultural legacy.

3. Portugal: Azulejo tiles

Northern Spain & Portugal: Pilgrimage into the Past

Porto’s Banco de Materiais is an unusual bank: you can deposit antique tiles and withdraw some for free. Portugal’s signature blue and white azulejo tiles date to Moorish times. The Banco safeguards these treasures, and sometimes the fire department will even collect tiles off at-risk buildings and deliver them to the bank. Employees then study and catalog the tiles and preserve them in wooden boxes where visitors can admire or buy them.

4. Kenya and Tanzania: Maasai beadwork

Safari Serengeti: Tanzania Lodge & Tented Safari

A Maasai collar can be the shape and size of a dinnerplate, decorated with bold-colored beads in intricate patterns. But to the Maasai people, these aren’t just pretty baubles: they tell individual life stories, map out villages, indicate marital and social status, and represent the culture. O.A.T. travelers can purchase them directly from artists when they experience A Day in the Life of a local village such as Mto Wa Mbu.

5. India: Embroidery and Textiles

Heart of India

India’s Ranthambore National Park is famed as a sanctuary for Bengal tigers, and while some locals have resorted to poaching them, others have found a more ethical and sustainable enterprise. Through their Dhonk and Dastkar handicraft cooperatives, local Indian women teach artisanal skills so members may earn a living outside of poaching by creating embroidery, clothing, and gifts. Supported by Grand Circle Foundation, the cooperatives now celebrate the tigers whose allure attracts a steady stream of travelers—and crafts customers.

6. Morocco: Henna tattoos

Morocco Sahara Odyssey

Known as mendhi, the use of henna to paint the body with intricate patterns is a centuries-old Berber art believed to promote harmony and ward off evil. The (non-permanent) tattoos are also a symbol of female solidarity, as O.A.T. travelers discover when they visit the Imik Smik Women’s Association for Rural Development, which provides skills training for women in the Aït Benhaddou area. As a token of friendship, members invite women visitors to participate in a traditional henna ceremony.

7. Peru: Chinchero weaving

Machu Picchu & the Galápagos

High in the Sacred Valley, Chinchero was a 16th-century Inca emperor’s estate, as well as a resting place on the Inca Royal Road. Today, this small village is known for its weaving industry. It is entirely managed by the local women, who use plants (and in some cases, bugs) to produce their dyes. O.A.T. travelers converse with the weavers about village life and observe the process of designing and creating these vibrant garments.

8. Japan: Hakone woodcraft

Japan’s Cultural Treasures

Hakone yosegi zaiku is a form of marquetry that creates intricate patterns by joining together pieces of wood. The colors—red, white, yellow, black, and green—are not created through inks, but are the natural wood shades. Today, yosegi zaiku is popular all over Japan, but there are only about 50 artisans making it, all in the Hakone/Odawara area. O.A.T. brings travelers to the Hamamatsuya workshop to meet its fourth-generation owner, and see a demonstration.

9. Vietnam: Bat Trang Pottery and Ceramics

Inside Vietnam

The village of Bat Trang may lie on the Red River, but it’s the area’s rich white clay that has made its pottery renowned for seven centuries. O.A.T. travelers have plenty of time to browse the shops, but also visit the home and studio of an artisan family and get to make their own ceramic pieces.

10. Turkey: carpet weaving

Turkish Coastal Voyage: Greek Islands, Istanbul & Athens

Rug weaving in Anatolia began with the arrival of Turkic tribes from Central Asia, and was a prominent art form by the 12^th century. Then as now, most carpetmakers were women who worked anonymously. The process is intensively laborious, and prices are based on the intricacy of the design, quality of the materials, and the number of knots per square centimeter.

Overseas Adventure Travel is the leader in personalized small group adventures on the road less traveled. Serving all travelers over 50, the company is known for its expertise in solo travel, and has recently published 101⁺ Tips for Solo Women Travelers which can be ordered for free here.

Discover Australia’s Northern Territory

Watch as travel expert, video journalist and contributor to Tripfilms.com, Kelley Ferro explores Australia’s Northern Territory. Touring with USTOA Member Goway Travel gave Kelley access to local guides, unique wildlife and once in a lifetime experiences that make this region one of the most culturally rich in the world. Highlights of the trip include hiking through the vast Kings Canyon, visiting Uluru -Kata Tjuta National Park and sampling the local cuisine throughout.

More on how to tour Australia’s Northern Territory:

Northern Territory: On The Big Sky Life

by Flash Parker, AFAR Ambassador

I told Goway Travel and the Tourism Northern Territory crew that I am as brave as they come; I’m willing to stare two-pronged danger in the face, go toe-to-toe with crocodilian terrors, and dance with thorny mayhem – so long as it’s behind three inches of safety glass. That’s how I ended up at the Alice Springs Reptile Centre, shoulder to shoulder with owner Rex Neindorf’s fantastic collection of slithering, slinking Outback wonders. Read the full post here.

Northern Territory: The Nature of Expectation

by Flash Parker, AFAR Ambassador

Expectation has a way of bringing travel into perspective. But when expectation is paired with long-distance travel – in the case of my trip to Australia’s Northern Territory, a 14-hour jaunt book-ended by a pair of 4-hour flights – expectation also can shape the way you think about place and space. Read the full post here.

Northern Territory: A Land Before Time

by Kelley Ferro

Never have I been anywhere that has more “sky.” I know what you are going to say— “every place has the same amount of sky” but trust me, when you are standing in the desert of the Northern Territory, you might rethink that statement. Read the full post here.