Thank-ewe / Diolch

Wow, as like everyone across the globe, 2020 was not what we expected. So many industries and people’s lives being turned upside-down and inside-out. Though, over the past eight months and with our global trips being put on hold, we count our lucky stars that so many of you joined us in small, socially distanced and super sanitised groups to discover, explore and enjoy the spectacular landscapes of Snowdonia braving the rain, hail (yep we had hail in summer), gusty winds and incredible sunshine.

So, we just wanted to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt THANK EWE to all those intrepid souls who joined us and who took on board the new ways of operating to ensure we were well in line with the respective protocols. We’re eternally grateful for your support which has helped us see out the UK adventure season with a big smile and many great memories. We feel very fortunate to have met so many people during this time, from all walks of life and from all over the world who currently call the UK their home. From Lebanon, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Finland, Australia and New Zealand, it’s been a blast and at times an emotional journey hearing of your own personal stories, backgrounds and achievements. This is why we truly love what we do.

Thank-crew

Also, this season would not have been possible without our dedicated leaders and crew. Each and every member of the team has gone above and beyond to ensure everyone’s safety and well-being during these uncertain times whilst also navigating through all types of weather conditions with the aim of creating fun and memorable journeys. You guys and gals are the essence of Adventurous Ewe and we tip our hats in immense gratitude to you for everything that you do.  Plus a special mention to one of our Leader’s, Sam Beaumont at Wild Valley Productions, for capturing some great photographic moments in such a professional, colourful and fun manner. Images that our guests will cherish and reflect upon for years to come.

A very special mention also to two other members of our crew, Anna Wells and Ian Grabowski, who have successfully and impressively completed the UK’s Gold Standard qualification – the Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor (MCI) assessment. The level of skills, knowledge, dedication and huge amount of time invested into achieving this qualification is hugely commendable.

Thanks to our awesome crew, below are just some of the comments we were so delighted to receive from our 2020 guests that reinforces why we really love what we do at Adventurous Ewe.

And it was an absolute pleasure to randomly bump into Alan, whilst climbing Tryfan in North Wales, who completed our Winter Toubkal Trek in 2015 to return home and see this amazing review he left on our Facebook page.

 

We’re excited to host all our UK adventures again next year plus some brand new trips which are exclusive to Adventurous Ewe. For a sneak-peak, check out our UK adventure web-page.

What’s next?

So, what about the future of travel? We’re really excited to be part of the movement to reshape the Future of Tourism with signing the new set of Guiding Principles launched by the Future of Tourism Coalition. As a signatory, we commit to place destination needs at the centre of our recovery strategies and do our part to build a better tomorrow for travel and tourism. One that retains the integrity of destinations, promotes inclusivity and equality, maximises positive impacts for communities and environments, and fosters collaborative change.

As a collective, we can build a better future for all and we’re super excited to do our part.

Looking ahead for 2021

No longer will we think “I’ll get around to it” or dismiss desires with “I’ll go there one day”. We think we all now appreciate and understand just how precious being able to travel and explore is and it’s tremendous value for both local communities as well as ourselves. If you’re looking for travel experiences that shift perspectives; adventures that take you firmly out of your comfort zone, provide awe-inspiring scenery that will be forever etched into your memory and a company that truly cares that it’s doing the right thing, then please join us for your next adventure. We’re super passionate about carefully crafting unique adventures to bring you together with other like minded people to share an an incredible experience which provides meaningful travel encounters for yourself, the destinations local communities and the environment.

Here’s some good reasons to start getting excited about booking an adventure next year and beyond:

1. Destinations

In the current situation, many long-haul destinations have fallen away as travellers seek countries that are perceived to be a safer proposition for the time being. This is one of the reasons we carefully curated our new multi activity adventure in Slovenia and Irish East Coast Cycling trip, plus we also have exclusive European adventures of Sweden’s Arctic Snowshoe Expedition and Iceland’s Laugavegur Trek. This is to give you a broad portfolio of adventures to chose from which are close to home.

Alternately, if you’re up for something further afield towards the end of 2021, then we have some new and exclusive itineraries to Adventurous Ewe to tantalize your travel thoughts. Feel free to check out Explore Colombia and The Lost City Trek, Top to Tail Sri Lanka Cycling Adventure, Trek to Ancient Petra Jordan, Patagonia Glacier & Ice Cap Trek or Vietnam to Cambodia Cycling Adventure. We’d really love the opportunity to share these hand crafted itineraries with you.

2. Quieter than ever

Most of our adventures are in remote, rural areas across the planet. Due to the impact of the Coronavirus, we expect many countries and areas in which we explore to be even quieter than usual when the travel world starts spinning again. So after almost a year without travellers, we believe early-ish 2021 is going to be a great time to experience many of the pristine wilderness areas. 

3. Total flexibility

As we’ve seen, things can chop and change quickly, so we’re here to reassure you. In the unfortunate event your trip is cancelled, you will be contacted immediately and be able to select one of the following options:

Free date changes
We’ve added extra 2021 dates to choose from, or you can request a new date that works for you or organise a private bubble trip.

Convert it to credit
Save it for later. This, along with all payments, is 100% financially protected.

Get a refund
Being a small family business, we pride ourselves on personalised customer service and offer full and prompt refunds.

4. You can trust Adventurous Ewe

This year we’ve had to unfortunately postpone all our overseas adventures, and from a personal perspective, we’ve done what we can to help support some of our local crew financially. We’re proud to say that all our overseas travellers have either transferred their booking to a 2021 departure at no extra cost or received a full and prompt refund.

Financial protection 
If your adventure needs to be cancelled for any reason, like say a global pandemic, you won’t be left stuck and you’ll be offered plenty of alternative options thanks to our financial protection arranged by Towergate Travel through Zurich Insurance PLC.

Plus if you opt to book your flights through our Flight Agent, you’re covered as our agent has ABTA and ATOL bonds in place (ABTA P6746, ATOL 6053).

Pay in instalments, interest free
We’re well aware that adventures can be a significant investment so we’ve set out to make it easy to afford. Once you’ve put down your deposit, you can pay the remaining balance off in monthly instalments with no extra charges so you can get out there and live your dream.

5. Small is good

We only ever travel in small groups. Small group travel allows intimate and immersive travel experiences with local guides to ensure you get the most from your adventure with minimal impact to the environment and with more respect towards local communities and culture. Plus, new for 2020, we’ve introduced ‘Private Bubble Adventures’ where you can either choose from our ‘read-made adventures’ or ‘create your very own’.

6. Supporting local communities

Most of our local operators, leaders and crew around the world are totally reliant on tourism as their livelihoods and the majority have not been receiving any kind of government support during the pandemic. By booking your 2021 adventure, it will give much needed hope to families and communities in the areas where we travel, who need our need our support more than ever.

7. Supporting nature

The past few months have made us all re-evaluate what we truly value in life. Lockdown has provided a pause and reflection which has served to highlight the importance of nature and our relationship with it. The epidemic will shape a new normal. The new normal will need to face the challenges of climate change and loss of biodiversity that threaten our very existence. For a COVID-19 recovery that truly builds back better, a healthy relationship with the planet is essential. Living within our means and in balance with the natural world need to be reinforced as strategic priorities – global, national and local. Now more than ever, the work of our environmental charity partners, Cool Earth and the Snowdonia Society, is vital. Therefore, we will do all that we can to grow our support, live within our means and in balance with nature.

To ewe, thank-ewe

There is no denying that this pandemic has had a real effect on the valued members of our flock. Whether it’s been a logistical barrier, or it has induced a degree of caution. However, thank you again for being so inspirational and supportive during such challenging times. Thank you for being adventurous souls. Thank you for your dedication & determination. For the early mornings, for the late nights, for the additional cleaning regimes, for the long calls, for the longer email chains… for the passions stirred, for the dreams created and for the adventures enjoyed.

We are extremely grateful for all your support this year and we can’t wait for the world of travel to start spinning again and we hope that you can join us.

Stay safe and take care,

Jim, Sue & Moshi-dog

We believe in epic goals, trailblazing adventures and pushing boundaries
We cheer, salute and support every person stepping outside their comfort zone
We celebrate the things that make us different and doing things that make a difference
We dream big, aim high, inspire others and believe…..#ewecandoit