To tailor, or not to tailor? When it comes to great travel, that is the question!
With a powerful urge to explore and learn, travel has long been a human enterprise. We, humans, are nomads. It’s in our DNA. Our hearts yearn to wander, and our minds can’t help but wonder what’s over the next horizon. When we do travel, we just love to show and share our experiences. We talk and tell stories about them with other humans. Great travel begins with a great conversation.
So, how and what makes travel great? We at Contours Travel believe the best holiday experiences are made by you and for you. Since we imagine you’re great in your own way, we understand you would rather travel on your own terms. We trust you know who you are, what you want, and what you value when booking a holiday. In this way, we’ve long recognised great holidays can only be tailor-made for you. Since 1975, we have specialised in tailor-made travel exclusively for Latin America, your way every day.
Unlike ready-made group travel, tailor-made independent travel is a creative process centred around your travel dates, destinations, and desires. From dreaming, planning, booking, and experiencing to sharing, it is all about you as your own person, not as a group member.
Here’s the difference between tailor-made travel and ready-made group travel:
- Designing and finding your own way, not just letting others show you their way.
- You are invested in the creative process, not just picking something off the shelf!
- Voicing and validating your travel aspirations and concerns, instead of compromising them.
- Aiding you with knowledge and advice, instead of avoiding the complex challenges of travel.
- Opening up genuine possibilities for you, rather than crowding you with ready-made options.
- Innovating a one-off experience expressly around you, not settling for a one-size-fits-all result.
- Broadening your own horizons, rather than consolidating others’.
- Stepping outside your comfort zone, instead of staying inside a group bubble.
- Including more than just essential highlights, not just offering them as optional activities.
- Seeking out different-minded people is less about meeting like-minded people.
- Creating life-long memories, not just making long-term friends.
- Making it directly count for and with locals, not detachedly through global travel companies.
Misconceptions and other hidden benefits of tailor-made travel:
- It’s expensive: You’d be surprised how affordable it really is. Besides, when it’s truly yours, it is priceless.
- It’s not as safe as group ‘safety in numbers’: Not necessarily true. One local guide watching over you is safer than a tour leader watching over you and several other people.
- It’s not a guaranteed departure if there aren’t enough people: You’re enough to guarantee a departure, even if you’re one.
- You’re on your own all by yourself: Not true. Our English-speaking operators are available 24/7.
- Language barrier. I need a tour leader to speak for me. In fact, you’d be amazed at how well you can communicate without English. Besides, bad Spanish gets you a very long way in Latin America.
- Authenticity: Keeping it real comes naturally with tailor-made independent travel. It takes courage to be true to yourself, to make your dreams matter and your experience meaningful.
- Minimal environment and cultural impact: independent travel lessens the impact on the place and people you travel to. And even better, it also maximises your connection to them!
- Insiders’ insight: Private local guides share local knowledge, tell local stories, and meet local people happily doing local things, relating to you and you only.
- Be yourself: Since you made it, it fits nicely! Since it’s yours, you can give yourself permission to be yourself, at your pace, in special places with select people.
So, who speaks for you when you travel? You, or someone else? To tailor, or not to tailor?
Why not begin your Latin American holiday now by engaging in a great conversation with one of our experts to tailor-make your travel experience? We’d love to hear about your travel dreams and partner with you to make them happen. We truly understand your desires and customize your Latin American travel to suit your preferences perfectly. That’s why at Contours Travel, we offer tailor-made travel experiences that cater to your unique desires and create unforgettable journeys.
