Dear Advisor Partners,
Back in the summer of 2020, a colleague and I spoke together on a podcast about mental health and the unknown effects the pandemic period would have on us, our children, and on people worldwide. You see events unfolding in areas you expected them to happen, and then you witness them in areas you least expected them to, whether that be in Washington, D.C. around election time, in London a few weeks ago, or in Japan, where last week, the former prime minister Shinzo Abe, was assassinated while delivering remarks in Nara. This is certainly not the norm in Japan and there are many questions that remain unanswered. That being said, we cannot lose sight of the bigger picture.
This is not the first time Japan has needed to find a path forward. Think back to the Fukushima disaster in 2011. Japan seemingly could not escape the cycle of bad news at that point. I was reminded in 2011, why I loved Japan when I saw the country forge a path forward through tourism. Here’s a great example of that recovery:
-In 2010, 8.6 million tourists visited Japan.
-In 2011, the year of the Fukushima incident, the number of tourists dropped below 4 million.
-By 2015, Japan had 19 million tourists, after heroic efforts by the Japan National Tourist Office (JNTO).
-Then, in 2019, 31 million tourists chose Japan.
In fact, more visitors entered Japan than Japanese visiting abroad for the first time during this period. For a country that imports almost everything, tourism was a major export, and it was amazing to see Japan mobilize and move forward. That window is open now. Japan has had the strictest Covid protocols in the world, and for the right reasons based on their geography and resources. I say without any political motive, now is the time that Japan, as the third largest economy in the world, should relax covid entry protocol and allow the rebuilding of tourism. With the help of JTNO engaging visitors, let the 70% of citizens who work in the services sector return to doing what they love.
Thomas Friedman authored a book I love, called “The World is Flat.” In his book, he argued in detail that countries with a multinational presence are more likely to have stability. Many, including myself, have argued that tourism has the same effect, and to be specific, when responsible tourism makes up 10% of a country’s GDP, the same stability exists. The proof exists all over the globe from Rwanda to Colombia, and yes, Japan as well. In the years after Fukushima, look at how tourism took center stage, showcasing everything from street food tours in Osaka, to the Nakasendo Trail. It is this vision that drew me to Japan 20 years ago, and the same belief that keeps me longing to return.
Japan’s future in tourism remains bright and while saddened by this tragic event, I for one am eager to see the country return with a flourish. I end this with a personal story of prime minister Shinzo Abe as told by Caroline Kennedy.
“Prime Minister Abe was a very formal leader, but in our case, he also had a deep affinity for the United States and a great admiration for our democracy. He and his wife showed me great kindness on multiple occasions that went beyond the official. One of the most thoughtful things he did was to show up at my son’s birthday party, as a surprise. My son had a great admiration for Prime Minister Abe as a leader. He came to the restaurant—I hadn’t told my son and all of a sudden, he saw the Prime Minister walking down through the restaurant and the look on Jack’s face was priceless. The Prime Minister went well out of his way to do that, and it was an incredibly meaningful gesture to me and to our family—a way of him showing how much he valued our personal friendship as well as the relationship between our two countries.”
Dear Advisor Partners,
If you had told me 15 years ago that Big Five would be involved with deploying robots, I would have asked you what you were on and laughed off the notion. Well fast forward to late 2020, and that’s pretty much what happened. I was on a zoom call, as we all were during those early pandemic days, with one of our country managers in Peru. I was explaining to him about the needs of Peru in the underserved communities of Peru. We agreed to discuss the idea in detail when we were together in a few months.
May 2021, I was on the Pan American Highway heading from Chiclayo up to the Illescas Peninsula. We had three hours of driving to the edge of the Earth, or so it seemed. The discussion was focused on a gentleman named Walter, and Kipi. I didn’t know if it was the bumps on the dirt road, or the crisp Peruvian air, or maybe I was hallucinating. The conversation really got my attention as it centered around a school professor who had lost his income in one of the poorest parts of the Amazon when lockdowns began. Walter did something amazing in the midst of the pandemic. He taught himself robotics! Diego and I conversed in the car about Walter and I was able to see some footage of his work. Right on cue, I went from initially dismissing the idea as far fetched, and later that evening, as expected, the brain began rationalizing the idea as not so far fetched after all. In fact, the idea was downright awesome. You see the areas where Walter was sending these robots, delivering Kipi the robot in person by foot, mule or boat. The minute I met Walter, I could see his amazing work was going to impact so many, for whom, internet was a luxury they couldn’t afford.
When the first robot was deployed, it was a game changer. Primary school kids that were being pulled into darkness of crime and cartels were the target audience for Kipi. Little did we know that the robot deployment would serve as an actual resistance for these children, using the education Kipi provided as a means to remain engaged and grounded. A child who has no internet, can now learn from a robot carrying their entire school curriculum to replace a physical school. The best part? This robot speaks to these children through forms of AI Walter developed, that resemble early visions of Siri or Bixby. Who would have thought, a robot would save a child’s life in Peru. We at Big Five are so proud to partner with Walter and honored that his project was adopted by the Spirit of Big Five Foundation as an active project your journeys help support. Thanks to your support, Walter is now building mini robots to deploy in more villages in the Amazon Jungle.
You can hear the story of Walter and Kipi the Robot in more detail on our podcast – The Sustainable Voice and please enjoy a video Walter made just for this occasion, as he sends all of you a big hug and gratitude.
Dear Advisor Partners,
I am finally back from the 40th and most epic visit to Colombia where I was accompanied by a group of amazing advisors and industry professionals. With the momentum of Encanto fueling the momentum this country has seen, I found it special to see this country buzzing the way it is, singing every line to every song in the movie, and still not talking about Bruno. The hotels were full, new hotels were opening, new restaurants were serving delicious meals. It just seemed like Colombia was back in the groove, filled with pride. All this with a presidential election on the horizon, which as we know from our own politics, is a period of unease for some. Yet in Colombia, with two distantly opinionated candidates about to enter a runoff in what should be a close election, the country, and our group were fully engaged.
Then it happened. The question that always comes up about Colombia by anyone who either hasn’t been there or is seeing it for the first time. I was asked the question – “How do I get people past the negative stereotypes about Colombia?” It’s the question we all know we are going to get if we tell friends where we are going, the one I still get when I tell members of my own family. My answer has changed over the years, however the group last fall and this group helped solidify my answer. Without missing a beat, I felt my mouth start moving and words exiting, and the following answer came back, “wait until we get into the trip. You will get your answer in Cannua and in Barichara.” I’m still not sure why I said that, only that I fully believed it. The magic of Medellin had helped answer that question in part, however seeing the nature in Cannua and Barichara put a huge exclamation point on the answer.
There were a few new activities we tested out, which we normally do on any industry educational trip. In this case, we married graffiti and food in Bazurto market, which is a first for any company in Colombia as it took on a whole new meaning. We introduced a new mixology experience in Barichara with a local expert that cut her teeth at one of the top bars in Manhattan and came back to Colombia to finish her Masters. Think about that last sentence for a second. There is no better way to describe the progress in Colombia than a Medellin resident leaving for the US in a time of turmoil, and choosing to come back to further her education, and make the coolest passion fruit mojito this side of the ocean.
Additionally, there is the sustainability commitment in Colombia, something that deserves note. I remember back in 2016, I was with a similar group having lunch in Bogota with two ministers of sustainability, tasked with ushering in a new era of social responsibility for the country. Fast forward to today, and their plan is in action. There are no better examples of it then Cannua and my new favorite hotel in Medellin, one that has become my second home in Colombia, Quinta Ladera.
Venturing through Medellin and the social transformation of Comuna 13, I could see the faces in my group transform, the same way the group in 2021 and years before had. We get into the rural wilderness of Cannua and have a mixology experience that is just out of this world, and then we take our charter flight to San Gil, avoiding the four-hour drive from Bucaramanga getting into Barichara. The minute we get into this town, which if you haven’t been, can be best described as the small pueblo town in the old western movies. Everything from the cobblestone pathways to the cantinas to the city architecture takes you back in time. It didn’t hurt that one of the streets Encanto used was just outside our hotel, yet it wasn’t until we had our mixology experience with Sara at Casa Barichara that I started seeing the eyes light up. So, I leaned over to the advisor who asked me that excellent question and said, “do you have your answer now?” to which she emphatically replied, “yes!” as we sat in a Tuk Tuk exploring the old streets of Barichara. This was the Colombia I envisioned during my first visit in 2006, and still get excited returning to, all these visits later.
Enjoy this week’s video which captures glances into our adventure, and check out our Colombia President’s Pick for more insight into this ever growing destination.
Dear Advisor Partners,
Normally I share my thoughts with you in our weekly blog. However, this week I am leading an amazing FAM through Colombia and one of the participants is someone most of you already know, either through Virtuoso, her speeches or written work through her company The Dynamic Communicator. Jill Schiefelbein shared her thoughts yesterday and they were so powerful, I felt they needed to be our guest blog this week. Yesterday was a powerful day. Thanks to some very giving people with huge hearts, we made a difference. So, as we sit today in my new favorite eco lodge, Cannua, I share Jill’s thoughts.
Please enjoy the video that captured yesterday’s magic and make sure to watch till the end for a special heartwarming moment.
Ever have one of those “full circle” moments in life?
I did yesterday while I was standing in a room at the AMI Foundation in Comuna 13 in Medellín Colombia, watching the oscillating emotions of curiosity, patience, and gratitude play out over a small group of children’s faces.
They knew the strangers were there for something exciting. They didn’t know who we were. They sat in their small plastic chairs waiting for the adults to give speeches.
Then the moment came. The gifting of 100 pairs of shoes to the program.
I’d like to say this was the moment when the children’s faces lit up with joy, there was an uproarious applause, and everyone felt surrounded by love and community.
Which, let’s be honest, is the story that could easily be told.
Don’t get me wrong. It was a nice moment. A lot of work and effort on behalf of the Big Five Tours & Expedition’s Spirt of Big Five Foundation and collaboration with many local community members made it happen.
But it left me a bit…sad, about how we pop in and out of the lives of others around the world.
About how fleeting our time really is, so we capture the moments in photos and videos telling ourselves that we won’t forget, that we will come back, that we will remember, and then the posed smiles fade into the distance.
About how I was physically standing in the home of generations of people who have survived decades of violence and all we were doing was handing out shoes that, frankly, I did absolutely nothing to assist with except paying a few extra dollars to come on this trip.
I got emotional standing there, taking video and photos for my friend and a true humanitarian and philanthropist Ashish Sanghrajka (who has been coming to this community for years—his 40th trip to Colombia to be exact—and making an impact) who arranged this, because I felt like a complete and total fraud. I didn’t deserve the smiles from the kids. I didn’t deserve the thanks from the adults and the foundation staff.
In fact, I felt ashamed standing there being in that moment. (Which, because Ashish is so darn smart and knows me too darn well, is probably why he asked me to document it all for him, so I had something to do.)
Then the ”full circle” moment hit me.
When I was 18 years old, I went off to college with a plan on becoming a “motivational speaker and leadership conference facilitator in Spanish-speaking third-world countries for youth” (no, you can’t make this stuff up).
While my plans to be fluent in Spanish didn’t pan out as intended, I’ve actually managed to maintain quite a bit and can communicate fairly well. I started having conversations with some of the adults at the foundation, learned about the family tree painted on the wall of all the citizens it’s impacted, and began to crack the surface of the problems that it faces.
With promises of funding, a return visit, and problem-solving strategy sessions (really, me listening and trying to understand), we shared contact information and, with the warmest hugs, went our separate ways. I know I’ll be back. And I’m so thankful for the world of travel and connections in this space for allowing me to find a new home and a place where, while it won’t be as a motivational speaker, I’ll be able to give back in a way that means something (selfishly) to me and to those that will be served.
The integration of art as a tool of the resurrection of Comuna 13 touched my soul in a way that words can’t easily define. The spirit of its people and the energy and love they put into their lives is palpable. It’s a place that is magical because of its people and their grit and strength and resilience.
And this morning, as I sit in the clouds at the most spectacular eco-lodge Cannua in Antioquia, I’m reflecting on how this amazing place has already changed me. How I’ve met people who changed the trajectory of their lives to make sure their country thrives. Who defines success in their businesses by if the community and the environment around them are also successful and prospering?
This place is magical. It’s transformative. And if I didn’t see anything else on this trip I would leave with a full heart and an active mind. The amazing thing is…we are less than 48 hours into the adventure and there is so much more to come.
Dear Advisor Partners,
Back in 2019, we launched three sister websites, all powered by Big Five. These sites are aimed at creating content for you to have meaningful conversations with travelers about authentic, responsible travel, something we have been championing long before it became popular. The sites all have catchy names, Galapagos.com, VisibleAsia.com and SafariTours.com, so you could imagine the puzzled look on any marketing expert’s face when we told them we were turning these into something that has nothing to do with sales and everything to do with education. I must admit, at first, I second guessed myself, however, as the shape and scope of these sites took form, complete with sustainability rankings by country in that region, the purpose became very clear: providing thought provoking content on sustainability.
In the office, we refer to these as our “micro blogs”, however, the ideas and impacts being written about are far from micro. On these sites, we share stories from the far reaches of our travel universe, showcasing sustainability in action. Whether we are talking about a marine reserve that revitalized fishing and local marine habitats on the coastline of Kenya, the hidden people of Costa Rica returning to their traditional ways of life, or about a forest, once a royal hunting reserve, revitalized into a prime example of wildlife conservancy in India, the same underlying message is clear. By using tourism to support areas, projects and hotels that are focused on sustainability, not only are we helping preserve the area, community, and wildlife, but also returning local life to the natural order as it should be. By doing so, our children and generations to come will be able to experience the beauty and culture of yesterday, far into tomorrow.
Enjoy this week’s video, from one of my favorite camps in southern India and check out our newest blog on the Nagarhole Forest. If you love it as much as I do, you’ll be packing your bags soon.
Dear Advisor Partners,
When I initially wrote this blog, I opened with a story about how I took a trip to Nogales, Mexico, because they were known to have wonderful home furnishings. My idea was to try and emphasize how there is more to a country than what it is known for. But sure enough, when I had a colleague read it, she said “I know Mexico is not the focal point, but now all I can think about is tacos, tequila, and Cancun.” Without even realizing it, we both proved the point I was attempting to make.
Often when we think of a country, we think of something or somewhere specific. If I say Brazil, you think Rio de Janeiro and the rainforest. If I say Japan, it’s Tokyo and anime. Similarly, Egypt and the pyramids or Australia and the outback seem to be synonymous. But as we all know, there is so much more to these countries than just the one or two things you initially think of.
Now, for my prime example, when it comes to South Africa, I guarantee the first two thoughts are wine or safari. But this country goes so far beyond these two attractions! Whether it’s vintage sidecar excursions around Cape Town, street food and street art tours, or adrenaline pumping activities (including flying over Cape Town in a fighter jet at Mach 2), there is a vast country of opportunities and stories waiting to be told beyond the vineyards or seeing the infamous “big five.” You can’t help but get drawn into South Africa as she has a very bright and inviting presence. Even in the world of Hollywood, between movies such as Invictus and multiple new series including the likes of Jiva! popping up, the world’s interest in this vibrant country is quickly growing as well.
There are so many stories that start in South Africa, and they all go in different directions, not all having to do with wildlife or wine. However, the food and wine do seem to intertwine into every story told no matter who’s telling it.
It’s time to look beyond the obvious, and South Africa is a great place to start. Enjoy this week’s video.
Dear Advisor Partners,
Back in early 2004, I was exhibiting at an adventure travel show focused on Asia. I was excited to see the India pavilion because a video promoting India tourism called, She is India, had just been released a few months prior. More importantly, India was rebuilding its tourism industry, much like it is today post-covid, and there was no snazzy Incredible India campaign or catchy slogans, only the Taj Mahal. That’s what made the She is India campaign so effective. The campaign introduced heli-skiing in the north, sailing on the backwaters in the south, and many other items in between that went past the Taj and even beyond the most well-known temples. For me, India was the door to my return to tourism from finance.
Fresh out of my Fortune 500 job that I no longer enjoyed, I spent a month in India trying to figure out my next step. It was here I would decide if I should re-enter tourism or remain out in the finance world. One of the main reasons I am here right now writing this is because I went back to India and saw everything beyond the Taj. Keep in mind, I have been going to India since I was a teenager, and back then it was as if the Taj Mahal or other famous structures were the only reason to visit India. Clearly, even Hollywood thought the same, as anyone who has seen the famous Bond movie, Octopussy, knows how geographically incorrect movies were when it came to India.
So, you could imagine my disappointment when I entered that trade show (and every other marketing event since) and saw that the Taj Mahal, while amazing, was still at the forefront. The interior parts of even the most well-known areas were being ignored, even though that was where the magic truly was. In the subsequent years, right until the early part of 2020, we had tremendous success in showcasing these small communities, even in popular states like Rajasthan, because we focused on the points in between the known cities, or on the lesser-known regions of the established tiger reserves. Each itinerary went further and further away from the well-known (and well worn) “Golden Triangle.” Some of my personal favorite, lesser traveled areas are in Tadoba and Nagarhole. When I share this opinion with even my closest friends, the confusion is evident. The more confused my friends get, the more excited I become about visiting that region!
Now, we are tasked with rebuilding India, again. We have an opportunity to do it differently, which doesn’t mean we skip the famous landmarks. Rather it means we infuse the lesser-known landmarks into our adventures and marry the known with the unknown. That’s just what we at Big Five are committed to do, starting with our new President’s Pick India program. Let’s see the Taj but not stop there. Let’s explore the real India, and rediscover what made her incredible in the first place. We can experience so much more…together.
Without India, I wouldn’t be sitting here. She is that powerful. Enjoy this week’s video.
Dear Advisor Partners,
If your circles are anything like mine, you probably often hear the phrase, travel transforms. I love that phrase! As we know, travel does transform lives, we even see it happening to ourselves as we travel. Think about your first trip outside your homeland to an adventure destination and the first impact that it had on you. It must still be unforgettable. Our team at Big Five saw this happening in real time with our colleague Courtney Miller, who helps write this very blog you read every week. Courtney is new to the travel industry and her visit to Peru was her first trip outside the US. This week’s video captures her journey, and we even used her experience to build a “Tips for a first-time traveler” document. This was designed for those of you traveling abroad for the first time or for those of you who haven’t traveled in a while and would like a fun reminder of some of the little things we all forget. Below is a letter that Courtney wrote to the Big Five team while sitting in Cusco before her departure. It captures her emotion so well, each word more powerful than the previous. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as everyone here did. This is transformation, in real time, and this is the reminder we all needed, why we love this business. Enjoy this week’s video and feel free to share the Tips for a First Time Traveler document.
So, I’m sitting here in the Cusco Airport, I got here 4 hours early to try and get on an earlier flight and luckily, I did. Leaving Peru is bittersweet, I really felt at home here. The people, the FOOD, the culture, the history, the dozens of dogs I got to pet (yes, they’re super dirty, but they just wanted some love and I have hand sanitizer!!!), everything about this country just felt so comfortable. I am going to miss it terribly, but I miss my kiddo and dog more at the moment.
To try and put my trip and experiences into a few words is impossible. As my first true international trip, (carnival cruises don’t count) I have learned a TON of lessons. First, pack light. I am so tired of lugging around my 40-pound duffle bag, camera bag, laptop bag and bookbag. I could have made a couple outfits work, I didn’t need my makeup or tripod, I didn’t even use my straightener or curling iron, and shoes….I only wore my hiking boots the whole time so 4 pairs were a bit excessive.
I think the most important thing I’ve realized though is when people say, “you realize how much you take for granted when you travel” meaning internet, tv, electricity, clean water etc., I think they have it wrong. They’re looking at the wrong thing. For me, this trip has reminded me that there is so much more to life than internet, phone and tv. Seeing the people in Iquitos, living in what we would barely call a shack, jumping over piles of trash and wearing mismatched clothes, that’s when it hit me. We don’t take our technology for granted; we’ve forgotten what’s important in life. These people living off the fruit they sell that they harvested themselves had the biggest smiles on their faces, just sitting around talking with neighbors as they wave away flies with a giant leaf. Further down the road I saw a man and his kids laughing while dangling their feet into a pond off a rickety dock that they clearly threw together themselves, that was attached to their house. Their lives are simple, yet they are happy. The “shacks” as I initially thought of them were really just homes adapted to the environment; on stilts to avoid floods, open walls near the roof to let the breeze through yet made from nature with minimal permanent impact. I think we have been so blinded by phones, technology, internet, and social media, so focused on making more and more money, that we’ve completely lost sight of true happiness and how to truly LIVE our lives.
And all of this was realized on my first day, within the first couple hours before I even got on the Delfin III amazon cruise. The amount of change my entire spirit, heart, mind and soul have gone through in these past two weeks is just mind blowing. My entire outlook on life has drastically changed. My goals and priorities have been completely replaced. And I’m happy to say I owe it all to you [Ashish], Gisela, Big Five and our team on the ground. Without this opportunity you guys handed me, I would have never been able to enjoy a trip like this and I seriously must thank you from the bottom of my heart, which has grown much bigger to fit everyone I’ve met and grown to know. I’ll never be able to say thank you enough!
Dear Advisor Partners,
I want to take you back to the year 2005, to a bar in California. I was on the speaking circuit for an adventure show that traveled around the US when I met Costas Christ. One day, after the show in California, Costas and I went for a drink at this local bar across from the convention center and we began to talk about sustainability. Though we didn’t know it yet, this man would go on to be a brother and a mentor to me. We talked about impactful change in the world and what that meant and agreed to write down thoughts that night and reconvene in the morning. We compared our chicken scratch, mine on a scrap paper and his on a cocktail napkin. Comparing our list of ideas, there it was, item number four on my list and item number five on his – “foundation.” I don’t think I ever in my life said yes as quickly as I did that day. Costas went on to guide me and even became an ambassador at large for what is now known as the Spirit of Big Five Foundation, at its inception.
Early projects started with a recycling center on the Galapagos Islands, preserving sea turtles in Belize, and even helping to set up the ruins of Koh Ker in Cambodia. Today the foundation has evolved with my father as the chairman. Working in conjunction with our GIB 5.0 proprietary program, the Spirit of Big Five Foundation has today evolved, while remaining the heart and soul of the company. While I never like to harp on the foundation’s achievements, as I never believed in bragging, I do think sharing some of the accomplishments are warranted here, since so many of you helped achieve these milestones:
These are all in addition to local projects in Colombia, Kenya, Morocco, and Ecuador.
All of this makes the announcement I make next, a proud moment for us. The Spirit of Big Five Foundation is now an approved philanthropic organization for Amazon Prime members. AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll have the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. Simply visit smile.amazon.com and select Big Five Foundation Inc. as your charity of choice or watch this instructional video to get started.
Learn more about the foundation here.
Dear Advisor Partners,
I just returned from visiting some of our amazing partners in Edmonton and Calgary in Alberta and meeting our mutual adventure travel enthusiasts, all of whom are so excited to get back out there to see the world the right way. Now aside from realizing my Alberta friends’ definitions of warm and mine are different, this visit reminded me of a really cool adventure I’ve been on with my family and repeatedly with our advisor partners, climbing up to Sky Lodge in Peru. For me, it’s what I look forward to as its one of the many examples of Peru beyond Machu Picchu.
On my last climb up, I kept thinking about the amazing footage a drone could take alongside the capsules, a bird’s eye view if you will. Fast forward and this week’s video features just that, amazing drone footage at the same altitude as the capsules. One can spend the night here, which is impressive, and others go up and down before lunch which I prefer, as it is equally impressive. This way I also get to enjoy my favorite lunch at this hidden gem of a local farm right off the square at Ollanta. There are two ways up, one via the Ferrata which is more psychological as it is about getting over our built-in fears of height and the other is a hiking trail, that is just as much fun. You are strapped in on both paths so falling isn’t a worry, even though your mind thinks it is. After a while, it just gets amusing!
Now coming down is just as much fun, with a series of zip lines that give you an amazing view of the valley as it opens up towards the horizon, each time bringing a new adventure for myself and our clients. This ranges from my people yelling obscenities midflight as the zip line gains steam (I learned a few new words in various languages I didn’t think even existed), to laughter, to a silent adrenaline rush. This is an adventure in its own right. You see, what I love about this whole experience is that it shows you that even in the most classic routing of Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu, we don’t have to follow the classic touring that everyone else does. There are hidden gems, from Sky Lodge to unknown parts of the old Inca Trail that are not commercialized, that complete the memories of Peru we form, both before and after visiting Machu Picchu. If you agree, then you will definitely love this week’s video.
I close with a special thank you to Clare Isquith of Global Adventures in Travel. Her guests finished an amazing biking adventure with Duvine Cycling in Ecuador before we took over in Quito and later in Peru. Sky Lodge was a highlight for them and a reminder to me, I must get back to Peru!
Dear Advisor Partners,
Where are you from? Where are your family’s roots? For some, it’s one country, for others, it’s several countries. For me…it’s a bit more complicated. While I could say Kenya, or Sudan (or Colombia for those who visit with me), I proudly say India as well and I think, if for no other reason, it’s because I like to party. Let me explain…
You see India is home to some of the most amazing festivals. From Navratri twice a year, to Diwali, to one of my favorite celebrations, Holi, the festival of colors. Some even call Holi the festival of love, celebrating the bond between Radha and Krisha. More importantly, as well as more appropriate for the time, Holi observes the triumph of good over evil, in whatever manifestation that takes in your life. Reading the current events in our news, this is needed now more than ever. The celebration is where the colors come in, where you leave your cares and worries of which stain remover to use on your white clothes, and celebrate without any inhibitions, free in spirit. After the evil is vanquished in a large bonfire on the 17th, the Holi festival begins on March 18th.
With India now reopened and the quarantine period lifted, Holi is an important reminder of just how far Indian mythology and pop culture stretch. With Bollywood movies now filmed in Morocco on occasions, and the Holi festival being celebrated all over the world including places like Miami, London, and Kuala Lumpur, it’s very evident that India is no longer contained to the subcontinent, she is now embraced by the world. This was likely the vision the marketing folks in the Indian government had in 2003 when they introduced a campaign called “She Is India”.
Check out this week’s video, then on March 18th wish all your Indian friends होली मुबारक’ or just say Holi Mubarak and remember the meaning. We have defeated a lot in the last two years, and nothing can ever stop good from triumphing over evil, no matter what is happening around us. See you all in India soon!
Dear Advisor Partners,
I am back in the office after my final week experiencing Africa again, bringing the trip to an end in Uganda. If you have been following my dispatch from East Africa, you saw my adventure start in Tanzania, where the rains are great and the upcoming migration season is expected to be spectacular. The highlight, of course, was visiting the Ereto Primary School and seeing all the success being achieved there. From there, it was an adventure into Uganda, a place I love going back to. You see, a friend of mine, James Curry, who many of you know, often calls Uganda and Rwanda modern miracles. Countries with such a traumatic past, that it’s hard to fathom tourism even being a driver in the economy. Yet, here they are, clear examples of how sustainable tourism can transform a failing economy into a thriving one. My wife and her family know this better than most as her father and grandparents were exiled from Uganda by Idi Amin. I got to hear about their arduous journey out of Uganda during a stop in London on our way to Africa when I first got married. Their story and my past experiences in Uganda endeared me to this country, as much as my native Kenya. This journey was going to happen, no matter what.
Landing in Uganda, the joke in Entebbe is, ‘3 minutes’. Everything is 3 minutes away, which is insane compared to the traffic in Nairobi. While in Entebbe, you take in the relaxing atmosphere, the amazing food, then you also realize, even from my first visit to Uganda, that this is a country still transforming. The gorillas bring you in, it’s everything else that keeps you there, from the chimpanzees and forest elephants to the mouth of the Nile River and beyond. It was a great first stop before flying out to Kisoro to start my gorilla trek and the gorilla habituation. Some of you know from my January blog, I was supposed to do this journey with the amazing Lisa Freeburg and her family. However, Covid and a damaged shoulder sadly kept me back. So while I have recovered from Covid, my shoulder is still technically “busted,” but nothing was keeping me from returning. Much like Flat Ash made an appearance while Lisa was on safari, Flat Freeburg joined me on my safari!
Heading towards the trek, my adventure begins in Rushaga. I chose to avoid Nkuringo this time considering I was attempting to trek with one arm and knew that if I damaged my arm more, I would be too stubborn to stop trekking. We headed to Rushaga, which is not a cakewalk itself. Wearing a GoPro on my head, the documentation of the adventure begins. The first contact with the Kahungye family arrived a few hours later after a few steep inclines, avoiding giant footsteps of forest elephants that make Shaq’s feet look like toddlers’ in comparison. The interaction was amazing, including one little guy that snuck up behind me and tried grabbing my leg to pull me in with the family as he walked by. If I was a kid, I would never wash those pants again. The second day was a habituation experience with the Bikingi family, a wild group that is still not used to human interaction. The four hours that habituation allows you is worth its price in gold since the regular trek allows you one hour. This family is more elusive, constantly moving around, so our machete got good use as we cut a trek through the dense forest while keeping a respectful distance from the family. What a day.
Remember my shoulder? Well on day one, a slight hiccup transpired. You see, porters are included in all our treks at no extra cost. Unfortunately, when your dominant arm is the injured one, it’s a bit complicated to navigate a walking stick and use their hand for leverage. At one point I must have moved the bone, so when I went to push up against a tree, the arm gave out and I found myself in excruciating pain. Even that wasn’t going to deter me from what I had just witnessed and the privilege I felt to have been back here with these amazingly intelligent primates. My arm could have been falling off, (it certainly felt like it was), and I would have still had the massive grin ear to ear that I did.
Please enjoy this GoPro footage of my trek for this week’s blog video.
If you want to be seen gorilla trekking, there are great options for you. If you want to do the real thing, Uganda is for you.
Want to go back and see where I was before Uganda? Check these out below:
Dispatch from East Africa Part 1: featuring the Ereto Primary school
Dispatch from East Africa Part 2: featuring the Serengeti
Dear Advisor Partners,
You may be following my travels through East Africa, which started in Tanzania and have now carried over into my native Kenya. This visit is really special for me. For those of you who don’t know, I am an only child and those of you who do know, usually have a great joke to insert at this point. So go ahead, let ‘em fly! You see, I am in Kenya with my two real brothers, the equivalent of siblings for me. One has known me since the age of 3 and has been an instrumental help in shaping me into the person I am today. The other, who traveled with me from Washington, DC, has known me since I was 17 and has been an older brother true and true for me, like when I ran out of air while scuba diving 40 feet down, or when we camped out on a beach in Mexico for a week, among other adventures.
So this blog is very special for me. The rains have started in the Serengeti, the animal herds are merging and the ground is lush and green. The video this week should show something epic. Pay attention to the lion in the tree, as that is one of the rarest sights in Tanzania, even more so in the Serengeti. I think we spent over an hour tracking that lioness and her cubs as she looked over at the zebra herds across the way, that is before, the wildebeest herds behind her spotted her and began warning everyone. I’ve been on safari since I was 4 years old and I have to say, this one ranks right up there. I have to take a moment to geek out about my accommodations which I loved returning to, Roving Bushtops. Normal mobile camps come with bush showers, however Roving is one of a kind, self-sustaining with its own hydraulics and tanks to store and power everything. It is one-of-a-kind Swiss technology at work in the Serengeti. Frankly, the only thing missing, is a Tesla Powerwall, however, I hear that is on the way.
This should be a great migration season coming up, stay tuned for the third installment of this dispatch. Enjoy this week’s video. To look into booking a trip similar to the one I’m currently on, I recommend the President’s Pick Tanzania & Kenya The Wild Walk.
Dear Advisor Partners,
Yesterday, my latest African adventure finally got underway. Originally postponed from January due to a shoulder injury and a bout of covid, I sadly missed out on traveling with the amazing Freeburg family. However, I found a way to still have Lisa on safari with me, well Flat Lisa this time. So after a connection in Doha, I finally landed in Tanzania, beginning my journey through Kenya and ultimately Uganda. Many of you know, I am originally from Kenya with family roots that link to Uganda and Sudan, so this was more of a homecoming.
Upon landing, I went straight to my sanctuary, the Ereto Primary School. As an active Spirit of Big Five Foundation project that started with 20 students from the neighboring Maasai communities, the school is clearing 300 students today. Some of you remember what this school looked like as recently as 2018, less than 100 students and our first classroom being built. Thanks to the help of many of you, there are now over five classrooms, but that is not the most amazing development.
This past week, I had a conversation with someone about the risk of dependence community support can have, the notion that a community project can be undermined because empowerment never entered the conversation. Then I saw empowerment in action at Ereto. The same Maasai elders, that many of you recall, were hesitant to send their kids to school initially, are now involved in building the extra classrooms. They are fully vested in the success of Ereto, making this school a true community partnership.
Stay tuned to this blog as I traverse East Africa with many videos to come once I enter back into the world of Wi-Fi…
Dear Advisor Partners,
Do you remember those old sports drink commercials showing smiling faces from all around the world? Well, we don’t design sports drinks at Big Five. However, we do have smiling faces…and yes, they are from all around the world. Coincidently though, just like the electrolytes in a sports drink, the Faces of Five are our key ingredient, as well as the answer to a frequent question.
Travel advisors with happy guests returning home, sometimes even the happy guests, often ask us, “How do you so easily deliver above expectations?” It is a question that has a simple yet complex answer, one that is hard to put into words.
The simple answer? Our team loves what they do. The goal isn’t to just show a guest the destinations, it’s to have the guest experience the destination, people and culture, from the heart, not just the eyes. Giving our travelers that gift of heartwarming, life-changing memories and love for a country is all the gratitude we need. So in order to accomplish that, we will always shoot for the moon, making sure the only thing the clients need to worry about is what outfit to wear for the day.
The complex answer is the one that cannot be put into words….it could include a smile, a gesture, a guide. These faces are the power behind the company, the ones with the power to change lives. These are the faces that bring the destinations to life, breathing their passion into every word and connecting your world to theirs. These are the faces that make your smile just a bit wider, your connection just a bit deeper, your knowledge just a bit broader.
These are the Faces of Five. Thank you for letting them do what they love to do…for you. Enjoy this week’s video and I hope their smiles warm your hearts as much as they do ours
Dear Advisor Partners,
Have you ever heard the phrase, you seem flat today? I heard it the first time about 12 years ago, again in the Fall of 2020, and recently in East Africa. I was told I looked flat, except it wasn’t really me, and what they saw actually was flat, Flat Ash that is. Yes you heard me, FLAT ASH. Now before you go making comparisons to that Flat Stanley, who is a hack by the way, I need to share the backstory on where Flat Ash came from.
Back in 2011, I was getting involved in this really cool initiative with Virtuoso, VCTA, meeting some amazing people that were joining the travel industry on the retail side. I was traveling with my partners in crime, Lesa Bain of Lindblad Expeditions and Don Martinson of Nat Hab, to Chicago for an amazing team building experience, made up of painting in Chicago, baking cookies in Atlanta, and karaoke on South Beach (don’t ask). Chicago and South Beach went flawlessly. Atlanta was missed as it overlapped with Diwali, a very important festival in my house. This is when a prototype of Flat Ash was born through the use cardboard and the creative mind of Lesa. Little did I know that in one evening, Flat Ash would have his forehead singed off in the oven. He was so traumatized, his hiatus was prolonged until November 2020.
I was all set to return to Egypt with some really amazing travel advisors. As a lesson to you about checking your passport validity, I failed the most basic travel professional test and was not able to fly. Frantically I called all the advisors to share the grim news. Who knew Sandy Staples would conspire to revive Flat Ash in ways I never imagined possible. It was so good that Flat Ash’s social media presence just took off. It all started with a sleep patch and his own seat on a Lufthansa flight to Cairo, and evolved into an Indiana Jones wannabe look, before being stuffed into a cup of falafel at one of my favorite restaurants in Cairo. I wish I could explain how or why, I just know it was entertaining. More importantly, the legend of Flat Ash grew. From a singed forehead to his own Instagram highlight reel.
It seemed Flat Ash was exhausted, until a few weeks ago, Lisa Freeburg revived him as he arrived to greet her and her family in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. Once again, I just can’t understand how Flat Ash ended up on a paging board, on a lounge chair near a pool, and in one terrifying case, in the pilot’s seat of a Cessna 208 perched up against the throttle. One can only wonder where Flat Ash will end up next.
In all seriousness, a special thank you to Sandy Staples, Lesa Bain, and Lisa Freeburg, and all the amazing advisors and friends involved in each adventure that made Flat Ash happen. Start following the adventures of Flat Ash today!
Dear Advisor Partners,
Have you ever received a note from a guest that validates everything you do? Once you read the note, you feel a sense of release, as if someone finally understands why you zig when the world zags. Well this week, I saw a note one of our travelers sent to their advisor, Kathy, about their time in Peru. They were up in the Illescas Peninsula, in the very north of Peru along the coast, less than 1000 miles from the Galapagos Islands. The words they sent were music to my ears. They just get it. In large part, because their travel advisor painted the right picture.
If you have been reading this blog, and listening to our podcast, then you have heard me talk and write about Illescas and how the remoteness of this destination just drew me in. I felt like a trailblazer as we discovered new driving routes to get here from Chiclayo. I connected so well with Illescas and the four-bedroom surf lodge, the only accommodation for 75,000 hectares, that I was left speechless (impossible to believe I know).
Ever since my return, I’ve been searching for the words to describe a place ideal for lovers of surfing, birdwatching, marine life, mammals and more, then Kathy’s guests nailed it. ‘The end of the Earth’ they named it. Bingo! This is exactly how I’d been wanting to describe it. It is the very edge of civilization and a place you can truly get lost.
Those words summarize what we all do in this industry. I know Captain Kirk has a saying in Star Trek, “to boldly go where no man has gone before,” I wonder if he’s been to Illescas?
We invite you to explore our Illescas based Presidents Pick where the next amazing testimonial is waiting to be made.
Enjoy this weeks video.
Dear Advisor Partners,
Those of you who know me well, are aware that I am an early bird. I consider waking up at any time past 4:30 am, sleeping in. So it shouldn’t surprise you that in early 2021, I found myself brainstorming with the famous Scott Largay of Largay Travel, about a phrase I was toying with. What was born, at 3:20 am on a February morning, was not what I expected. Before I continue, I need to give you some back story.
Back in January of 2021, we were exhibiting at a virtual trade show. We were evolving our tagline and looking for words that truly spoke to who we are as a company and our culture as a team. During the virtual event, I was testing out the new tagline our team came up with for 2022 to gauge reactions. This is something we do quite regularly to avoid a disparity between what’s important to us and what’s important to you and your clients. During this event, one of my meetings was with Scott. Now being acquainted with this guy the way I am and privileged enough to call him a friend as I do, I knew that with his marketing background, I was going to get an honest reaction.
It didn’t take long for Scott’s gears to begin turning then he almost intuitively says, “leave this with me, ” as we signed off our meeting. That night, I start getting messages with semblances of words. Just past midnight, “Designed Differently” became the first two words to jump out at me, and I could tell a lot of thought went into this. At 3:00 am I was nearly jolted out of bed thinking of these two words. I started writing back to Scott with some ideas to complete the sentence. Amazingly, he couldn’t sleep either and immediately started responding. Yes, there we were trading ideas back and forth like two buddies cramming for a college mid-term, it was now 4:10 am. Both our spouses likely thought we were completely insane at this point.
Then it happened. A message back from Scott, “Yes, waaay better! I think that’s the one…that’s some powerful stuff right there.” I could tell two things in that sleep-deprived moment. First, this was no longer a tagline, it was a definition of who Big Five was. Second, Scott Largay is an evil genius when it comes to these things and my respect for him just went through the roof. We had it! We had created the perfect words to define who Big Five is, the four words that would start and end many conversations about Big Five, from 2022 and beyond. The time was now 7:10 am.
This one night of work also meant I was about to walk in and tell my team in the office that we were scrapping months of work on the current tag line, the third phase in our pre-present and post-covid marketing strategy. Normally when someone does this, you find a place to hide from the daggers, however, I call it luck and good fortune that the team here thinks like I do, always ready to try something new and are as passionate as I am about Big Five. So good were these four words, that when I told the team, it just clicked. They looked beyond the bags under my eyes and saw what I saw. To them, I give a great big thank you, and to Scott Largay, I give my gratitude for helping me brainstorm as if it was his own. Thank you, brother.
May I present, Big Five Tours & Expeditions – Designed Differently. Explored Sustainably.
Dear Advisor Partners,
We are always looking for signs of what 2022 will look like. Sure, there have been some twists and turns to start the year, so perhaps the signs are not as clear as we would like. However, after the amazing letter from our CEO in last week’s blog, a love letter to the industry if you will, we thought we would share our first video of 2022. We want to share some of our successes with you since, in a large part, you were responsible for them.
Our commitment to being socially responsible and traveling with meaning was scaled up as business started to pick up. It’s actually the most important achievement for us, beyond any key performance indicator, because our commitment to helping those in need is what keeps us grounded. In 2021, we launched three new sustainability projects under our GIB 5.0 umbrella, and every complete Big Five journey supports one of these projects automatically. To read more about how GIB 5.0 works click here. We helped launch Kipi the robot, which was deployed to the poorest parts of Peru to bring education to communities that lack even basic internet connection as a form of fighting drug trafficking. Thanks to your help, we launched a clean water project in Guatemala partnering with EcoFiltro, putting us on track to provide over 2000 children in Guatemala with clean water for two years starting in 2022. Our long-standing support of Ereto Primary School accelerated into high gear, thanks to your generous contributions, that allowed us to grow this school from 20 children over 8 years ago, to more than 300 children as of January 1, 2022. We restarted our funding of the Jetwing Youth Development program in Sri Lanka partnering with Jetwing Hotels to provide hospitality training for inner-city youth and those born in conflict, in order to offer a viable future. We shifted back from poverty alleviation to micro-entrepreneurship for Andean women in the Sacred Valley of Peru through our partnership with Awamaki. Providing equitable wages for these women through weaving, we even contracted them for the handmade bracelets so many of you received at the travel conferences we participated in from Virtuoso Travel Week to ILTM.
We have so much more planned for 2022 on the horizon. That however starts with some levity and a possible sign of good times…my injuries. In fact, we created a video for you just to make you smile. Happy New Year everyone! We are looking forward to taking on 2022 with you, even if I am typing left-handed these days.
Dear Advisor Partners,
On behalf of the entire Big Five family around the world, I take this opportunity to express our appreciation for your partnership and more importantly, your friendship. Like many of you, the days ahead are looking much brighter and we have many reasons to be excited for the year to come. Above all else, we are excited to take the 2022 journey with all of you, after all, it’s only fitting that we emerge together from the struggle we entered together.
As we ring in 2022, I think back to when I started the company in 1973, almost half a century ago. While that may date me, it doesn’t take away the importance of the first few lessons I learned when I got my start at a hotel front desk in Kenya.
First, I learned there is a difference between the path to reacting and the path to responding and you have only a few seconds to make the right choice that defines either a reaction or a response. It’s this choice, in that small amount of time, that defines how happy guests can be.
Second, I remember being told that travel teaches us to practice peace and to recognize that this is a conscious choice not a given. It means getting out of our comfort zone to find that peace while finding new ways to appreciate those in our lives and to let them know they are valued. As you can probably tell, this doesn’t just apply to guests, it applies to anyone in your life. Make the conscious choice, and peace becomes your constant.
Third, ask yourself daily, ‘what habits, thoughts, feelings and actions are in my voluntary control that will elevate my state of being?’. There is more in your voluntary control than you think and the best actions are the ones from the heart, the invisible actions. You see the last two years were a reminder for me and everyone here at Big Five, that happiness isn’t from what we get, but from what we give.
We entered 2020 together and we are emerging together. Our message is no longer the same, it has evolved. That means leaving the world better than we found it is no longer a mission. It’s a responsibility and an honor we must hold in the highest regard. Out of all the lessons I learned in the nearly 50 years at Big Five and the 7+ years before that in hotel management, these three lessons have endured. They have guided me since the beginning and especially in these past two years. I hope they can do the same for you.
Best wishes for 2022, I look forward to sharing in success, awareness, and invisible greatness with all of you.
In appreciation,
Mahen Sanghrajka
CEO & Founder Big Five Tours & Expeditions
Chairman Spirit of Big Five Foundation
