Spotlight On: Indigenous Experiences
POWHIRI
Ahipara, New Zealand
Ahipara has been working with the Maori community for 20 years and their number one experience – according to clients’ feedback – is Powhiri (pronounced poor-firi). This traditional Maori welcoming ceremony is set in a number of spiritually significant locations around Taupo.
This video will give you an idea of what to expect from this ancient tradition. The effect it has on guests cannot be understated: Ahipara's founder, Jean-Michel Jefferson, says around half of his clients have tears in their eyes throughout.
QUINKAN ROCK ART
The Tailor, Australia
Let The Tailor transform the journey from the Daintree Rainforest to Lizard Island into a fascinating deep dive into Australian first nations culture.
Take a helicopter ride over the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics Rainforest before meeting the indigenous custodians of Cape York. You’ll have privileged access to 40,000-year-old Quinkan rock art before sharing a fascinating lunch with your aboriginal hosts.
SULCA TEXTILES
Enigma, Peru
The Sulca family make the best of Peru’s textiles and embroidery. But it’s their work in rediscovering and then preserving previously lost weaving techniques – and therefore a significant part of the country’s cultural heritage – that impresses the most.
This Enigma-run experience – with husband Walter and wife Elita – is like taking a trip back in time: discover how they use pre-Inca dyeing techniques and designs to make the finest reproductions of ancient Peruvian textiles found today.
Guests will also see how a series of projects, run by the Sulcas, benefit women from remote Andean communities. Their training has contributed to some of the finest Ayacucho embroideries.
THE KOGUI
Galavanta, Colombia
Imagine getting a helicopter from Cartagena that takes you over the Sierra Nevada mountains and the Ciudad Perdida (a lost city that predates Macchu Picchu by 650 years) before landing in a reserve to meet the Kogui, an indigenous community whose way of life has barely changed in 2,000 years.
Galavanta, who offer this jaw-dropping experience, make clear that this isn’t a show, but an intimate cultural exchange. In meeting with the mamo (spiritual leader), guests have the chance to learn about the Kogui’s traditions, beliefs and deep connection to nature.
NAVAJO HOOP DANCING
EXP Journeys, USA & Canada
Have you ever heard of Navajo Hoop Dancing? Feet stomp, drums are hit and Native American dancers of all ages twirl, throw and spin their hoops. Then it's time for EXP Journeys guests to give it a go themselves.
They’ll be in the safe hands of the legendary Don Mose, who’s been instrumental in preserving and promoting Navajo culture. He explains the healing effect of the hoop dance while telling stories that people won’t forget.
SALAAM BAALEK CITY TRUST WALKS
Banyan Tours, India
Banyan Tours has teamed up with as worthy a cause as you’re likely to find in India: the Salaam Baalak Trust City Walk. This two-hour English-spoken tour is conducted by teenagers who once lived on the streets of Delhi.
Your clients will follow an incredibly knowledgeable guide through the backstreets of the Paharganj area around New Delhi Rail Station, absorbing a side of the city that few ever get to see. It doesn’t get more authentic than this.