From Where I Sit - Venture Magazine Issue #1 Pages 2-3

Have You Got The Friend Factor?

One of the most common concerns people have about travelling with a group of strangers is that, well, they're strangers. As a society we tend to protect ourselves from an invasion of our personal space. We're concerned about what we may expose about ourselves and how we will react to behaviour that may differ from our 'norm'.

In 23 years of operation, we have helped a hugely diverse range of people to holiday in various parts of the world. Last year alone we had more than 10,000 passengers on our trips. I'm proud of the fact that the vast majority have thoroughly enjoyed themselves and have made lifelong friendships in the process.

Although our passengers may come from varying backgrounds, they all share a common thread: a desire to see the world and to share the experience with others. This means that from the minute you gather at our pre-departure meeting, you're surrounded by like-minded people with similar curiosities and motivations. Travelling together stimulates this into respectful, non-judgemental camaraderie, enriching the experience.

Some people may be quiet, others may be brash, but every successful group needs a mix of characters because it enables each individual to be themselves without any pressure to conform. We have found that groups provide a framework for you to be independent, while offering the opportunity to play an active role in team activities.

Travel is a state of mind. It is as much about the interaction as it is about the sightseeing. People may set off to see Victoria Falls or the Great Wall, but their happiest memories are always the experiences they shared along the way and the friends they shared them with. One of the biggest incentives for joining a group tour is that, well, it is a group.

Oz Ozbuluter
Managing Director,
Kumuka Worldwide

How Do You Travel?
When was the last time you felt the exhilaration of arriving in a country for the first time? Do you still dream of visiting somewhere extraordinary, somewhere you’ve always thought would be great, but probably inaccessible?

By picking up this new travel magazine, you’ve made an important step towards your next holiday. Turning your wish to travel into a reality isn’t much more difficult either. There are, however, a couple of things to ponder.

Travel has never been easier. In recent years there has been a surge of interest in authentic travel experiences that go further than the traditional package holiday. Over the 23 years we have been in operation, Kumuka has developed a portfolio of tours that reflects the spirit of today’s traveller. This could be a lodge-based safari or an overland expedition in Africa, trekking in the footstep’s of the Inca’s in the Andes, or taking a month out to discover the art and culture of Europe.

Travel is not prejudiced. Whether you are a student, an executive, a parent or if you’re retired, there’s a world of experiences that will stimulate and inspire you. Wherever you are from, if you seek freedom, adventure and a holiday that blends culture, history, activity and sightseeing, there are plenty of new frontiers for you to explore.

Where do you want to go? Well, so, okay, you’re spoilt for choice. They say the world is getting smaller, but it’s still pretty big! Kumuka operates hundreds of tours around the world. A full range are published in our brochures and on our website Kumuka Adventure Tours, but we’ve also launched Venture magazine to help you to get a better feel for some of the places and experiences available. What will push your buttons? Could it be hiking to the Everest base camp? Cycling in Sri Lanka or Vietnam? A gorilla trek? Sailing the Nile or joining the Carnival in Rio?

How to travel? If you really want to experience a country (and not just visit it), there are three clear choices when it comes to how to travel: small group adventures, independent travel, and ‘traditional’ tour groups. All are cost-efficient and, if structured properly (which is where we come in!), safe and hassle-free. Kumuka tours are all about getting you off the beaten track. We’re able to organise myriad methods of moving you around: public transport, camels and donkeys, walking and cycling and, of course, our purpose-built vehicles which allow our overland tours to travel with a free spirit!

No Hassle! So many of our testimonials testify to the eae with which we organise your tours, and the peace of mind this gives you, the traveller. We take care of where you’ll sleep, how you’ll travel (we even pre-book your public transport!) and other logistics, allowing you to absorb yourself fully in your environment.

Companions. All of our tours give you great exposure to local communities, but we also send you off in the safe hands of an expert Kumuka tour leader: knowledgeable, professional, well-trained locals and English-speaking guides who have a wealth of practical knowledge and first-hand experience, ensuring they are always up to date and well suited to bridging the world between you and other cultures.

Balance. Our tours suit travellers who want to maximise their travel time. There are plenty of things to do but we also include lots of free time, allowing you to explore on your own, in your own way! Kumuka tours are always fascinating, adventurous and comfortable, relative to the region that we travel to – they are definitely unforgettable!

when will you go? Ah. Well, there are some things we can’t control. That’s up to you. Remember, we’re here to help, and if we can’t accommodate you on one of our scheduled dates, our Tailormade Team can cater for you: anytime, any place, anyhow!

Join us. Explore our world.

Share And Win!
The greatest joy of working at Kumuka is helping people to travel to different parts of the world... and then return and tell us all about it. Not only do we use this to continually improve our tours and service, but we just love hearing all about your travel experiences. And we want to hear more!

THE WRITE STUFF
Tell us about your travel experiences! Send us your travel stories, excerpts from your diaries or top tips and we'll publish them either in Venture or on our website. We will consider submissions for the feature articles in Venture. These tend to be about 1500 words in length, but we will be happy to look at pieces of varying length. Published articles will attract a nominal payment. To submit your article or to discuss your ideas, please email venturemag@kumuka.com

SNAP HAPPY
Photos capture a moment in time superbly, allowing us to get a really good feel for an event or destination. Send us your pictures and we'll consider them for publishing in Venture or on our website. Alternatively, why not enter your best pics in our annual Photo Competition? There are four categories. The winner in each category will win a fantastic tour, so there's a huge incentive for you. For full details, please visit Kumuka Adventure Tours

RECOMMEND A FRIEND
We know you'll come back from your trip wanting to tell everyone about it, but did you know that you can earn money when your mates travel with us? To find out about our referral incentive scheme, visit www.kumuka.com

The ultimate interactive adventure travel resource... online, 24/7
We recognise that you are a sophisticated, modern traveller who would like your travel planning to be easy and quick, so we’ve invested heavily in making sure our website makes innovative use of the latest technology.

With the advent of broadband as a genuinely mainstream consumer tool, fuelled by falling prices and increasing download speeds, we have been quick to develop our online presence. Coupled with our extensive knowledge of the adventure travel market and our understanding of your aspirations, we’ve built a site that is highly functionable and user-friendly. This has been developed around a host of unique features designed to streamline and simplify your travel search.

Online Reservations
Kumuka is the only adventure tour operator in the UK to offer real-time reservations, allowing you to book your holiday at any time of day or night, 24/7. Where other companies allow you to simply enquire about availability, at kumuka.com you’re able to see how many places are left on each tour, confirm your reservation and make your payment (using our fully secure server, of course). We even allow you to make your payment in different currencies! As an added bonus, apart from flight-only bookings we do not charge a surchange for payments made by credit card.

Tour Info
Every tour is detailed online, with advice, insider tips and detailed maps. We also have sections for early offers and late-booking offers, so you know you’re getting the best possible value at all times. Each of our brochures is included in digital book format so you can flick through it as if it were in your own hands!

Resources
The site hosts a bank of resources which are constantly updated. This includes Travel Guides, Visa and Health Information, insider tips and detailed maps.

Chat
Got questions and need to talk to someone? Try our Live Chat line, and you’ll be speaking to one of our consultants before you know it!

My Kumuka
A really cool tool which means you can receive personalised travel information every time you log in, as well as signing-up for our late deals and special offers, ensuring that you’ll be the first to know whenever a tour that matches your search criteria is listed.

WIN! Register on MY KUMUKA for at least three months and you could win a fantastic Africa overland tour.

It's all happening at www.kumuka.com, so boot up... and let the adventure begin!