BORN TO BE WILD

It all started in Africa. Well, technically, it all started in Alderley Edge, a small village in Cheshire. But when specialist tour operator, Carrier, began trading four decades ago, it was to Africa that the company advised its experience-seeking customers to travel.

Way before ‘experiences’ became an industry buzzword, Carrier realised that discerning travellers, and their desires, were evolving. Wellheeled wanderers wanted more. They wanted to expand their knowledge, their understanding, their passions. Carrier invited them to do so, believing that there were few better places to embark on a journey of self-discovery than Africa.

Today, the phrase ‘tailor-made’ is overused. But Carrier has been championing the idea in its purest form – bespoke holidays that deal in detail – from the very beginning. It was never about simply combining a brace of destinations, or throwing in a trio of hotels, it was about listening to customers, gaining a genuine understanding of what they wanted when they travelled, and creating itineraries to fulfil those desires.

Carrier knows that a holiday needs to offer more than a change of scenery. Great holidays enhance our world view, challenge our perspectives, and invite us to connect with communities, individuals, and, most importantly of all, ourselves.

But craftsmanship and bespoke itineraries aren’t things that just happen. They require a great deal of time, effort and creativity. Indeed, the Carrier team has undertaken more than 70 trips in the past year alone, ensuring that its firsthand knowledge is as up-to-date as possible. Such expertise is essential to creating itineraries that are chock full of life-affirming experiences. carrier.co.uk

In South Africa, for example, travellers are invited to a homemade and home-grown lunch with chef Nicky Gibbs at her kitchen table, as well as a tour of the winelands with Harry Melck, a member of the prominent winemaker family. In Thailand, families can enjoy a private traditional Thai puppet show at the Baan Silapin Artist’s House, in addition to exclusive cooking classes and a Phuket Old Town tour with renowned Thai Chef Pui.

Over in Hawaii, you can swim side-by-side with graceful sea turtles and tropical fish at the coral reef in Turtle Town, and join an expert local driver-guide who will immerse you in stories of Hawaiian legends and mythology. In California, meanwhile, a resident journalist makes for great company while paddleboarding or cycling down Venice Beach boardwalk, whereas guided boat, bike and historic cable car rides offer an insider insight into San Francisco and Alcatraz Island.

Carrier reaches for the immersive, the authentic and the entertaining, but believes a journey should be one thing above all – thoughtful. Because, at Carrier, it’s all about how they make you feel.