Hi, It’s Steve here, founder of OWR Travel. I wanted to drop a quick note regarding the information on the page below. It’s the type of thing that’s quite easy to gloss over and so I really want to urge you to read it thoroughly and make sure you are in agreement with ALL of the specific points mentioned before you sign up to one of our trips. If you find yourself hesitating on any of these points then it’s very likely that our trips are not the right fit for you. If you have any doubts on anything at all, please drop us an email at [email protected]

What to Expect

We travel some of the most amazing destinations in the world and are joined by a very diverse group of guests.

Most people absolutely love our trips.

However, it’s important that we set some very clear expectations so that you can be sure that this trip is right for you (and equally, that you are right for us).

Below are some key points we’d like to highlight.

The Key Points

WE’RE NOT LUXURY TRAVEL – we do things at a higher standard than the majority of other tour companies. Nice hotels, great food, most things included & private experiences. But we definitely don’t consider ourselves to be luxury travel or “high-end”. A luxury version of the same trips would likely cost double (and likewise, there will be cheaper tours out there but with lower quality hotels, more basic food, less things included, and non-private experiences). 

HOTELS – we stay in what we consider as very nice hotels, normally a mix of 3 & 4 star. These are carefully selected based on a number of factors including price, location, capacity, amenability to groups, vibes, customer service & reviews – there are always trade-offs to be made. We know that hotels are an important factor for our guests and so we work extremely hard to find the most suitable places given those constraints. However, we also know that everyone has a very different perception on what can be regarded as a “nice” hotel – and international quality standards can vary with respect to star ratings – therefore, to avoid any misalignment on this, we explicitly state the names of all of our hotels on our website itinerary pages. If hotels are particularly important to you, we urge you to review selected hotels and ensure these are in line with your expectations before signing up for the trip.

LOGISTICS – we put a huge amount of effort into planning our trips to run as smoothly as possible. However, most cover large distances, with complex logistics and involve several 3rd parties. Things will not always go exactly to plan! It’s important you come with that expectation. We have a tour leader on each trip to manage such issues as they arise. 

FOOD – our aim is for you to experience the best local food although this doesn’t necessarily mean we will always eat at fine-dining restaurants. Sometimes we will, but other times it could be at a local family restaurant or simple street food. We like to experience the full spectrum of food in a destination.

REMOTE LOCATIONS – in some of our itineraries we go to places way off the beaten path (often in developing countries). In such remote locations it is not uncommon to encounter “issues” such as more basic accommodation, simple food, power outages, hot water outages etc…Not ideal we know, but we believe it’s a small price to pay in order to experience these special parts of the world.

TOURISTY LOCATIONS – contrasting to the above, in some destinations there will be places we visit where there will be many other tourists around. This can sometimes feel “touristy”. We do our best to avoid this (go at non-peak times etc…) but there are some places we think you absolutely have to experience regardless of whether they are surrounded by tourists or not.

THE PEOPLE – we bring together people of a similar age and stage of life. But there is still a huge amount of diversity in terms of nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, social class, career, religious beliefs and political views. We see this as a strength and an opportunity to meet people outside of your day-to-day social circle (note – if the idea of getting to know the other people in the group is not interesting to you, then this is not the right tour for you. At OWR the group dynamic is every bit as important as the travel itself).

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES – many of the places we travel to are completely different from home. This brings a multitude of positive opportunities for learning, for personal growth, for new experiences. But it can also come with frustrations – slower service at restaurants, heavy traffic, noisy environments, poor time keeping, different food etc…we encourage you to embrace this as part of the travel experience.

ALCOHOL/DRUGS – our focus is on great days out and memorable experiences — not late nights centred around alcohol. Most days start early and are activity-led. Evening drinks are usually a relaxed beer, glass of wine, or cocktail, and plenty of guests don’t drink at all. All-day drinking or heavy nights aren’t our vibe. Some trips do include alcohol-related experiences, such as wine or rum tastings, however, these are about local culture and are always done in moderation. Also, recreational drugs are a complete no-go. If party travel is what you’re after, we’re definitely not the right company for you.

Before Signing Up, Please Review

In signing up for a trip, you are agreeing to the following.

• I’m excited to be joining such a diverse group of people and will be respectful to all group members even those whose views or beliefs are different to my own.

• I’m ready to embrace a new culture and all that comes with it. I appreciate that there will be both good and bad aspects and that everything won’t be the same as back home.

• I am comfortable with the level of hotels listed on the itinerary (and if hotels are particularly important to me, then I’ve done further research on each hotel to ensure I’m completely satisfied).

• I understand that things likely won’t go exactly to plan. I get that there may be some changes to the published schedule and that this is part of travel. I will be flexible and patient when such issues arise.

• If I have problems I will highlight them to the tour leader, in a respectful manner, and give them the opportunity to resolve.

• I understand that when visiting remote locations services are likely to be more basic. I see this as part of the adventure!

• I know that if we want to see some of the coolest things a country has to offer then it’s not always possible to completely avoid all other tourists. I accept that this is a trade-off we make.

• I’m not looking for a party trip. I intend to consume alcohol in a responsible way.

If that sounds like you, then great! We think you’ll love our trips!