We are passionate advocates of the power of experiential travel to act as a catalyst in igniting the imagination, illuminating a sense of place, and engaging the emotions. From our perspective, the key to experiential travel is the moment when you move from passively observing to actively participating, from being a curious traveller to being a savvy local. While you may start your trip as the former, we hope that you'll end it as the latter.

If you've never travelled on a small group tour before, you may have a few hesitations and concerns about how it's all going to work. We find that it often helps to run through a typical "day in the life" of a trip in order to ground the abstract theory in some healthy reality. While not every trip necessarily works exactly this way, we think that you'll get the idea...

Fiction. Wake up in strange bed (you're on vacation - what do you expect?) between crisp clean sheets (could be on 250 thread count Frette Egyptian cotton in Italy or something a little coarser in the Arctic wilderness). The first rays of morning sun peek through the curtains. Consult your watch, consider your options, and go back to sleep.

Fact. We don't believe in getting up early unless there is a good reason - sometimes seeing the dawn is enough, but usually it requires something a little more specific and compelling (how about a round of pre-breakfast golf?). We also believe that you should move at your own pace, not according to some regimented regimen designed by someone else - after all, it's your vacation.

Fiction. Dunk your pain au chocolate in your cafe au lait as you sit on the terrace by the pool enjoying a leisurely Continental breakfast (the French always did know how to live). Motion the waiter for some more freshly squeezed orange juice and dig in to the International Herald Tribune that someone thoughtfully slipped under your door this morning.

Fact. Breakfasts are always included and always leisurely, and we often throw in a little extra like a Herald Tribune (which our guide noticed you pining for and picked up on your behalf). We don't believe in eating in large tables or groups (unless you really, really want to), and thus you can blend in with the rest of the hotel's guests without fear of being labelled a tourist...

Fiction. Walk out the front door of your hotel and step into the cobbled streets of a 17th century medieval village as it comes to life. Stroll the ancient streets, follow your guide down a hidden back alley, and emerge into the light on the cusp of a hill outside the city walls. Look out over the gently rolling hills and the small path winding through some of the most expensive vineyards on earth, and think to yourself "I'm not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy".

Fact. These trips are all about experiencing a foreign place the way it was meant to be experienced - through the immediacy of the senses rather than through the filter of the mind. We prefer to walk the streets rather than observe them through a pane of glass, to smell the intoxicating aroma of lavender rather than listen to a guide describe it ad naseum, to taste the dance of a foreign spice upon the tongue rather than watching the locals enjoy themselves in a cafe. We are also firm believers in the invigorating benefit of strolling city streets, wandering along country paths, or otherwise engaging in some form of activity - we find that it helps to balance our indulgences and salve the conscience when we sit down around the dinner table.

Fact. We include lunches where it makes sense, and are renowned for our impromptu outdoor picnics, but we often prefer to give you the freedom to explore on your own and at your own pace (with our insider's recommendations in your back pocket, of course). Our definition of adventure often starts with a fresh baguette, a round of brie and some jambon cru - the rest is up to you.

Fiction. Turn up past the wrought-iron gates along a gravel driveway lined with ancient cypresses, and feel the shiver of anticipation as the looming form of an 17th century chateau emerges from the haze of the afternoon. Come to a stop in front of an ancient oak door and watch the legion of doormen, porters, and other staff scramble to help you exit our vehicle as gracefully and effortlessly as possible.

Fact. We don't always stay at the biggest and most expensive hotel in town, but we do try to stay at the most interesting. We'll take intimate over grand anytime, and we'd happily sacrifice a few stars on the rating scale just to stay somewhere with real character and authentic charm (although we do so love our creature comforts...). We also like to arrive in the late afternoon so that you still have time for a dip in the pool and a leisurely read.

Fact. We orchestrate unique events with local experts to help illuminate the character of a place. We prefer to seek out the interesting and the unusual rather than the obvious, since we figure you can probably do that on your own. We also prefer to skip the jaded boredom of professional guides to focus instead on the genuine passion of local people who bring alive their worlds through their stories. We try to move around by foot or by local transportation (boats, rickshaws, camels, etc) whenever possible, and where it's not, we try to use mini-vans or other small and discrete forms of transportation (apart from our Classic Series trips, which use modern coaches).

Fact. While we can't always vouch for the character of your fellow travellers, it goes without saying  that they have been brought together by a shared sensibility around travel, a communal curiosity about the world, and an appetite for savouring the good things in life. They tend to be a sociable crew, at the end of a day's adventures they can usually be found somewhere unwinding with a drink and forging bonds of friendship with their new companions.

Fact. We include dinners where it makes sense, balancing time on your own with time together. When we're not eating a la carte, we've usually planned ahead and arranged for a table d'hôte sampling of the regions most famous specialties. Although we have a weakness for Michelin stars, we also figure that you can find these on your own - we prefer to unearth the hidden gems that are coveted even by locals.

Fiction. Stroll back to your hotel from the local bistro around the corner and enjoy the canopy of stars overhead. Collapse into the downy comfort of your by-now familiar bed, valiantly attempt to make progress on that latest book sitting at the top of the bestseller lists, and then slowly drift off to sleep in the warm embrace of your bed mate.

Fact. What else can we say - we've learned to accelerate the process of slowing down by removing all distractions, and thus Day 2 of our trips can feel like the second week of a month-long sabbatical. We use the format of group travel simply as the envelope for the experience, leveraging its strengths (access to unique events, private picnics, etc) and minimizing its weaknesses (rigid schedules and forced confinement with fellow travellers). Join us on the road and find out for yourself.