Opinion
Go local at Gecko Villa in rural Northeast Thailand
What do visitors want from their holiday? In establishing Gecko Villa, one of our firm beliefs was that the appeal of packaged holidays in anodyne hotel rooms has utterly lost its lustre. Whilst each visitor will have his or her own preferences and expectations, we believe there exists an underlying desire in many to experience […]
Bringing local to a global audience in Darjeeling, India
I personally believe that there is a difference between a tourist and a traveler. On the one hand, a tourist visits a country, a monument and checks the box: India – check, UNESCO World Heritage Sites – check. On the other hand, a traveler seeks experiences. Yes there will always remain a bit of that […]
Thoughts about Local Travel in Colombia
As globalisation takes over in most industries – a phenomenon to which tourism is no stranger – it is fundamental to connect people to what is really important and unique about a place: Its culture, the idiosyncrasies of its people, the traditional food. One should even go further and show international travellers how local people […]
Going local: are we driven by selfish motives?
If anyone mentions that they’re travelling to Ushuaia in Argentina, I instinctively want to tell them about the guest house in which we spent three memorable nights. The two young owners were on hand for anything we wanted, but otherwise left us in peace to enjoy their beautiful property and its outstanding views. It’s a […]
Responsible travel – does it make sense?
Can travelling change the world? Unless you are a celebrity like Madonna, or a famous politician like Bill Clinton, it’s sometimes hard to see whether responsible choices have significant effect at all. But let’s put this in another perspective: What will happen, if all those millions of people that trot the globe every year change […]
Awakening: what local experiences are really about?
The other day I remembered a passing incident from the mid 90s and realised something profound about the character of local experiences. I had succeeded in becoming a shareholder (probably by looking and dancing so Cretan!) of Vamos SA, a village company for preserving local livelihoods in Apokoronas in Crete. Without being an insider it is […]
Local Travel in Greece?
Local Travel is a great movement. We are really happy to know that there are lots of people that like to travel like we do – experiencing the true life of the locals. Living and working in Thessaloniki, Greece, we see thousands of tourists every year visiting our country and living nothing more than the […]
What is an ‘authentic’ Local Travel experience: rice and beans or fillet steak?
I often wonder if a tourist experience can ever be ‘authentic.’ Do visitors want authenticity? Do they even recognize authenticity when they see it? Whose responsibility is it to prepare them for it? Do people expect rice and beans or fillet steak… or perhaps a nice splattering of both? As a small travel company, aiming […]
Think locally, transform globally – a manifesto
I started the Portland Untourist because I believe in the power of travel. I believe in its potential to awaken our senses to the vast wonders of this world, in the transformative power of place and people, in the zen-like clarity that arises from finding oneself in a situation that feels completely foreign yet completely […]