HOW TO TRAVEL
Travel with me, or make the journey your own.
Join one of my very small hosted journeys through Central Asia, have me design a trip around how you like to travel, or turn a few days between flights into something worth remembering.
Hosted journeys.
Come with me.
Best if
You'd like to explore Central Asia with a very small group, enjoy good company and leave the organising to someone else.
What to expect
I travel with the group throughout, working alongside knowledgeable local guides and hosts.
Accommodation, transport and key experiences are arranged, but there's time to explore independently, change the pace and enjoy being somewhere different.
Pricing
Each journey has published dates, inclusions and pricing.
Journey design.
Travel your own way.
Best if
You enjoy independent travel but want a journey designed around your interests, pace and preferred level of comfort.
What to expect
I'll work out a practical route, recommend places to stay and suggest experiences worth including, drawing on places I've travelled and people I've met.
You can make the bookings yourself or ask me to arrange the agreed parts of the journey.
Pricing
A planning fee agreed before work begins, based on the length and complexity of your trip and how much you'd like me to handle.
Stopovers.
Best if
You're travelling between New Zealand or Australia and Europe or the Middle East, and could include a few days in Central Asia along the way.
What to expect
I'll help work out whether a stopover fits your flights, where to stay and what you can realistically see in the time available.
You can book the arrangements yourself, have me organise the agreed parts or discuss support during your stay.
Pricing
Fixed-fee planning, with the scope and price agreed before work begins.
GETTING HERE
How do you get to Central Asia from New Zealand?
There are several ways to reach Central Asia from New Zealand, with connections through major Asian and Middle Eastern cities.
Tashkent and Almaty are two useful gateways. Depending on your destination and travel dates, routes may take you through Guangzhou, Seoul, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur or Dubai.
You don't necessarily need to arrive and depart from the same city. If you're travelling through several countries, flying into one and home from another can make much more sense than retracing your steps.
If you're joining one of my hosted journeys, I'll help you identify sensible flights to the starting point. For an independently designed journey, we can work out where it makes most sense to begin and finish before building the itinerary.
You book the flights that suit you, with the arrival and departure arrangements agreed as part of your journey planning.
HOWEVER YOU TRAVEL
The approach stays the same.
I start with how you actually like to travel, rather than a standard itinerary.
Some people want comfortable hotels and a guide for the important sights. Others are happy to spend a night in a family guesthouse, travel on local transport or take a less predictable route.
There's room for both.
My recommendations come from places I've travelled, routes I've tried and people I've met. Where specialist knowledge matters, I work with experienced local guides and hosts.
And if I think something isn't worth adding simply to fill another day, I'll tell you.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Let's work out what suits you.
01. Tell me what you're thinking
Where you'd like to go, roughly when, who's travelling and what interests you. You don't need to have the details worked out.
02. Let's work out what suits you.
A hosted journey, a trip designed around you or a stopover. I'll help you work out which approach makes sense.
03. We'll agree on the next step
We'll be clear about what I'll provide, what you'll organise yourself and any fees before you commit.
NOT SURE WHICH WAY?
Start with the trip you have in mind.
Perhaps you already know where you want to go. Or maybe you have a few weeks available and are simply looking for somewhere different.
Tell me a little about your plans, and we'll work out what makes sense.