Culture Experiences

Culture experiences

To truly understand a place, you need to connect with its people. Every destination on our map has a culture (or cultures) all its own, and if you let it, that culture will open your mind and transform your trip. Whether you’re chanting with monks in Bhutan, sharing stories with the vibrant people of South America, learning ancient traditions from Ethiopia’s intriguing tribes, or taking part in a centuries-old tea ceremony in Japan, our cultural experiences offer the chance to really get under the skin of a new destination – and you’ll leave with memories that will last long after you’ve unpacked your bags.

See the sites of Salento on a guided tour

The small towns of the coffee region are places full of charm; they seem like brothers separated by mountains. Salento, in particular, has a unique warmth. It is full of cafes and restaurants as picturesque as the doors and windows that colour the town streets. Your eyes are always distracted screaning the colors and crafts in the stores. Iced coffee, coconut lemonade and trout are the traditional flavors offered in caffees and restaurants. After touring the town, you will take a 20 minute drive, to the Cocora Valley, a charming place with the highest wax palms in the world. It is a green paradise in which you can hike for two or four hours. The path will allow you to see birds such as owls, hawks and jays, along with some of the 200 species of flowers in the area. If you are lucky enough you might spot an Andean Condor, a magnificent bird with a wingspan of 3.3m (10 ft 10 in). Lunch included during the tour in a local restaurant.

See the Ganga Aarti evening ceremony in Varanasi

This experience is very significant in Varanasi, where the holy Ganges is worshipped as a daily ritual and the Aarti is performed by the students of the Vedas and Upanishads, led by the head priest of the Gangotri Seva Samiti.