The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” (TIES, 1990). By that definition, what’s to prevent a disreputable adventure travel company from touting camping trips to the local park area as ecotourism? What’s implied but not included in that defining statement is this: ecotourism aims to raise awareness and respect for fragile ecosystems with diverse populations who are experiencing difficulty keeping their cultures, inhabitants, and resources unaffected by development. With that in mind, the ideal ecotour plans to not only deliver a positive experience for visitors and inhabitants, but also financially benefit the targeted area so that further conservation efforts can be facilitated.

When considering a unique expedition or adventure travel, ask yourself the following questions: What footprint does this trip leave behind in terms of waste and energy? What will I learn about indigenous culture that I don’t already know? How involved is the travel company/expedition provider with assistance to the area I want to visit? Who benefits from my visit? Are local jobs created and supported by this tour? What kind of biodiversity support is this trip claiming to provide? How active will my participation be? And finally: Are the inhabitants of this area aware of and receptive to this visit? A good adventure travel company will be prepared with detailed answers to these questions. An excellent adventure travel company will not only have answers, but staff with proven track records of ecotour experience for you to examine as well.

If you want a unique expedition or adventure  make sure your chosen tour company has the responsibility of not only providing a challenging and beneficial experience, but safeguarding your health as well. Medical examinations must be in order, risks and physical limitations must be assessed. This can be an intimidating and confusing process. A seasoned adventure travel company will assist with these preparations and provide well-planned itineraries that leave nothing in doubt. Medical back-up, communications, logistics, and safety training are all areas that may fall outside the definition of ecotourism but are certainly essential elements to a successful and very unique expedition.

An ecotour can be an exciting and life-changing event. You may travel to remote areas that are vastly different from your every day experience. Upon your return, your views of the world and your place in it will never be the same. That’s the reward to a proper ecotour provider: spreading wonder, excitement, and a sense of stewardship for the Earth. With enough care and attention, we can change the world.

Do you have an idea for an expedition or an adventure holiday and no matter how hard you search you can’t find anyone who meets your specific requirements?

Are you someone, or a group, that needs to visit an area of the world that can be difficult to reach under normal circumstances and due to the location, time of year, equipment needed etc no normal tour company can help you?

This is when you need to contact someone offering bespoke expeditions.  Bespoke basically means ‘custom made’.

But bespoke expeditions are necessarily for people who want to hack their way through dense jungle or geology researchers within the arctic circle.  We here at S2Si apply the word bespoke to all our activities and countries. For example -

Bespoke Family Activity Vacations

When travelling as a family there will be times when you will want to split into two groups, one having a more sedate and leisurely day and the other enjoying some outdoor challenges.  When children are involved having the holiday organised by a company who specialises in bespoke expeditions allows you to relax knowing everyone will be safe at all times no matter what the activity you’ve chosen.  Maybe you all want to visit somewhere special and unique that other tour operators  daren’t go near.  There are many reasons that, as a family, you would chose a bespoke expedition company like ours to provide you with finest activity holiday you can imagine.

Custom made Research Expeditions

A huge amount of research that goes on in the world today requires fieldwork of some description. When the subjects or areas that need studying are in hard to reach locations or they are regions with geographic or climatic difficulties it is then a field trip becomes an expedition…. and then if nobody can provide a means to help you that is when our bespoke expeditions program must be considered.  By letting us tend to your expedition needs it means that you can then focus more on the reason why you went there in the first place and achieving your desired goals!  We also make sure you, your team, your equipment, etc, will all be safe getting into the field, during the time in the field and on your way home as well.

All work and no play!

Unfortunately expeditions are not just for people having fun or studying they are available for the professionals of the world who have to get out there into the wilderness for work projects.  Custom made or bespoke expeditions can be arranged for medical staff tending to casualties, or the sick, in far off lands, telecommunications networks have to be established in remote areas, geological teams have to get in and out of mountain regions, the list is an endless one.  What matters is that we can provide on going expedition support for any project, in any area for any length of time!

Bespoke expeditions need not be unaffordable

It is obvious, by looking at today’s society, that if you want anything that is different from the normal run-of-the-mill then the prices are always more expensive.  However, as you may have noticed, S2Si is not ‘run-of-the-mill’ in anyway at all but we strive to keep our prices in line with current adventure travel trends.

It is difficult to for us to quote prices for bespoke expeditions or custom made family adventure vacations but you can help us by giving us as much information as possible when you contact us.  For example -

Location – we, at the moment, are offering expeditions to Belize, Bolivia, Borneo, Canada, Chile, France, Greenland, Morocco, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Russia and Scotland.  However, with our combined knowledge and experience here at S2Si we have covered 90% of the worlds countries and environments!

Activities – if it is a fun/adventure vacation the we have kayaking, horse riding, mountaineering, mountain bikes, sailing, rock climbing and trekking.  However, if the expedition is more work or study related, we can  organise decent motorized river transport for equipment or suitable four wheel drive vehicles, not to mention access to rock faces, rivers, jungles etc.

Duration – A bespoke expedition can last from a week up to many months, the only limiting factor is the budget. For us to quote you the best possible price for your adventure/project we need to know not only the total time you have available for the trip but the time span in different areas that you need to visit, as this can affect transportation  and logistical costs.

So please, before contacting us regarding a bespoke expedition or a custom made adventure, have as much information ready as possible.

Project- or adventure-based, we love both and would love to see you get out there contributing to the world. Projects can range from building Orangutan rehabilitation centres, to providing clean water to remote villages in Northern India… And adventure challenges can involve anything from extreme treks through the Jungle to races in the Lake District, UK.

Abseil, climb, swim, run, canoe, raft, row and crawl to the finish of the most exciting challenges you will ever undertake.

Perhaps your company is in need of boosting its Corporate Social Responsibility profile? S2Si works closely with a number of companies to offer bespoke project-based expeditions and charity challenges both overseas and in the UK, as part of their CSR strategy. We guarantee that you and your employees will experience meaningful travel with a purpose, taking part in inspirational expeditions or team building challenges to raise money for your partner charities. A challenge of this kind will develop your employees’ teamwork, communication and other vital skills transferable to the work place.