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Why offer off the beaten track destinations?
One question I get asked sometimes is why some of our destinations are so off the beaten track? There are a few answers.
1) The sense of discovery
While most people love to visit a new country or destination, their experience there can feel similar to a theme park visit. Long lines, poor food, expensive accommodation, and the feeling that they have to "do" all the top sites as per the guidebook can be very stressful.
When you visit an off the beaten track destination - be it a country or a region within a country - you seldom face these issues. Firstly there are usually no lines at all - you'll see other tourists, but chances are you'll get to know them by name. You'll certainly have an opportunity to interact with the "real" culture of the place - a chance to meet the people, to eat authentic food, and your accommodation will likely be excellent or at least cheap. But most significantly, you'll feel the thrill of being in a place that the masses have not yet discovered.
2) An off the beaten track destination may well become tomorrow's next "big thing".
I visited Vietnam in 1995 - there were other travelers to be sure - but Vietnam was off the tourist map. In fact I only went there because at the time obtaining a visa for China proved to be more difficult than I expected, and so I had to find a last minute alternative. It was an incredible place to travel, few tourists, and the people made a huge effort to provide all travel services at the highest possible level. Today, Vietnam is a form fixture on the world travel map.
3) An escape from the chaos - truly an opportunity to relax.
Visiting an off the beaten track area allows you to enjoy all that is best in the country but without the chaos of the crowds. Consider a day on an empty beach rather than surrounded by masses of other tourists, hiking empty trails, and small villages filled with real life, rather than tourist kitsch.
 | | Nothing like a deserted beach |
Examples
Colombia: Fifteen years back this was a no go region. Today it is rated by The New York Times as one of the best destinations worldwide. Quivertree identifies Colombia as the next big Latin American destination. Go before everyone else does.
Rural Spain: Most visitors go to Spain (for good reason) to see the historical cities and the beaches. Summer is hot and crowded. However there is another side to Spain - rural mountains and valleys, farmhouse accommodation, deserted beaches. It is all there if you know where to look.
India: India is a huge tourist destination. It has a well defined tourist route in many areas and caters excellently to this. But some of the greatest sights in India are well off the the beaten track - Hampi, for example is perhaps India's greatest archeological site - rated number one by Rough Guides handbooks, but it is an effort to reach. The reward - very few tourists, and a sense of having it all to yourself.
 | | India, well off the beaten track |
We are constantly exploring and researching new and unknown destinations. Last year I took my family to the Republic of Georgia in the Caucasus - we were pioneers! - we must have been the only family touring Georgia last summer. Will it be a Quivertree destination? Well, not yet as it lacks tourist infrastructure, but is it worth going to? Absolutely! The historical sites are incredible and see no tourists, the villages are straight out of the Middle Ages, and the mountains are pristine. In ten years time, Georgia may be more popular than Turkey is today!
 | | Never a dull moment in a Georgian supermarket |
At Quivertree, because we custom design trips, we really can offer you whatever you want. If you want to stay on the tourist trail, perfect, but if you want to venture off it, we make it easy for you to do so.
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