Asia Transpacific Journeys: The Story of One Woman's Dream Come True

Two traveling couples come to your town. The first couple brings with them some travel brochures, stays in a hotel they booked on the Internet, wanders your town with their travel brochures, and eats in restaurants they come upon while out and about.

The second couple hires you to plan their trip. They tell you their likes and dislikes and what they want to do. You book the nicest hotel you can for them based on how it actually is as opposed to how it appears on its website. You carefully plan each day for them based on their likes and dislikes. Once they arrive, you accompany them around town, giving them information, insights, and tips that only a local person would know.

Of these two traveling couples, whom do you think will come away with a better "feel" for your city? For me, it's a no-brainer. The second couple will have the time of their lives in your city with you as a guide - and get a far better value for their dollar.

That's the philosophy behind AsiaTranspacific Journeys tours. By traveling with well-educated Tour Leaders and letting local Tour Guides give you information and insights only locals would know, Asia Transpacific Journeys claims to offer "journeys beyond the ordinary". Trips come in two types: small group tours or custom-designed private tours.

Recently I interviewed CEO Marilyn Downing Staff of Asia Transpacific Journeys to get the real story behind their beginnings, what they say makes them different, and what kinds of trips they offer. Here is a look at what she said sprinkled with research I did on my own.

Asia Transpacific Journeys' Beginning

Have you ever traveled somewhere and loved it so much you wanted to live there? That's exactly what happened to Marilyn Staff - only she actually did move there. The country was Thailand, and it was some 30 years ago. It was the best and most long-reaching decision of Marilyn's life.

Marilyn told me she went to Thailand on a trip and absolutely fell in love with the country and its people. She loved it so much that she not only moved there, she started taking travelers on tours of Thailand. Her company "Asia Transpacific Journeys" was the result. During those tours, she developed ties with the local people, something that would end up being one reason her new company would stand apart from other tour operators.

What Makes Asia Transpacific Journeys Different?

Asked why her company is different from all the rest, CEO Marilyn Staff quickly responded, "Asia is our specialization. It is all we do. We are 100% immersed in and passionate about Asia." As Asia Transpacific Journeys grew, it expanded from just travel in Thailand to travel all over Asia. Marilyn moved back to the States, and Asia Transpacific Journeys opened its international headquarters in Boulder, Colorado.

Over the years Asia Transpacific Journeys has garnered a number of awards of excellence in the travel industry. While Marilyn was quite modest about their awards and accomplishments, here are some that I found in my research.

• Selected by National Geographic Adventure as one of the Best Outfitters on Earth,
• Awarded three Asia Transpacific Journeys staff members "Top Travel Specialist" honors by Condé Nast Traveler,
• Designs custom trips for the Harvard Museum of Natural History,
• Designs trips for the Princeton, Yale, Harvard and MIT alumni associations,
• Partnered with World Wildlife Fund for over 10 years for tours throughout Asia and the Pacific,
• Awarded the "Top Travel Specialist" honor for Indonesia and China by Condé NastTravel + Leisure,
• Received a Global Vision award for providing clean drinking water to the people of Myanmar (Burma) through Asia Transpacific Journeys' non-profit foundation.

It is also heartening to note that Asia Transpacific Journeys offers a way for their customers to offset the carbon footprint caused by any trip or tour. The company's ethics are without a doubt earth friendly.

Tour Leader or Tour Guide - What's the Difference?

On each trip there is a Tour Leader and/or a Tour Guide(s). A Tour Leader is a Westerner, often a scholar or expert in the area or theme of the trip. They accompany the small groups throughout the tour, adding depth, insight, and occasional humor to the tour. Often they speak the local languages.

For example, Tour Leader Ari Bond was born and raised in Southeast Asia, speaks eight languages fluently, and has directed tours on all seven continents for over 30 years. He pioneered the trips to Indochina, Tibet, and the Silk Road. Marilyn noted that Asia Transpacific Journeys chooses Tour Leaders based not only on their book knowledge but on the knowledge gained from actual travel experience.

Tour Guides, on the other hand, are locals living in the country you visit. Marilyn told me that most of their Tour Guides come to Asia Transpacific from long-term relationships. She met many of them when she lived in Thailand and traveled throughout Asia. Tour Guides are experts on the places where they live. They speak English but of course also speak the local language and can facilitate virtually anything that travelers want. Travelers on private tours deal primarily with Tour Guides.

Why Do People Book Trips with Asia Transpacific Journeys ? What Kinds of Tours Does Asia Transpacific Journeys Offer?

Travelers book trips with Asia Transpacific Journeys for all kinds of reasons - celebrations (anniversaries, honeymoon, family reunions), milestones in life (graduation, birthdays, coming of age), ceremonies (weddings, vow renewal), or once-in-a-lifetime dream vacations. They also book trips according to their interests or in pursuit of their travel dreams. Even if you think it's impossible, there's a good chance that Asia Transpacific Journeys can arrange it for you if it's in Asia, the South Pacific, or Australia somewhere, either through a group or a private tour.

Would you like to photograph or climb the towering snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas? A trip to the "Dragon Kingdom" will let you experience the mist-covered, heavily forested mountains of Bhutan (see photo #1), beyond which the majestic Himalayas rise. Or take a trip to Tibet to satisfy your dreams of climbing above the clouds. There you will also see first-hand Buddhism's many faces (picture #2), visit beautiful Buddhist temples, and learn about the highly spiritual Buddhist monks.

Are you a nature-lover? Take the brand new "Jungle Book" trip and perch atop an elephant that sways through the tall grasses while guides look for Bengal tigers (picture #3), elephants, boars, and perhaps even a snow leopard. In Indonesia you can watch orangutans in their natural habitat. Or in Bhutan, where resources are treasured and preserved for the generations to come, you can see bears, yaks, and isolated, pristine forests.

Have you dared dream of being a prince or princess in a palace in India? Dream no more. The "Local Colors of India" luxury trip will give you a royal experience at the Samode Palace (picture #4) even beyond your dreams. On the same tour you can go on a wildlife safari on elephant-back, go on a private cruise down the Ganges River, visit the Taj Mahal (picture #5), and witness sacred ceremonies and religious rites. All of Asia Transpacific Journeys ' tours offer a wide range of experiences.

Perhaps the "China's Silk Road: History's Great Thoroughfare" trip would appeal to you...or maybe you would prefer a trip with the Mongolian herder-nomads ("Mongolia: In the Path of the Nomad") through steppes and lush forestland, sleeping in an authentic Mongolian yurt along the way. Whatever you want: ultimate luxury or ultimate adventure - or both - Marilyn Staff's company has a tour for it or certainly can design one for you. In fact, I found that there is almost too much from which to choose. How can one narrow down all those tempting trips to just one?

Which Trip in Asia Should I Choose?

Asia Transpacific Journeys offers so many trips I was not sure what one trip I would choose. Asked about people like me who just don't know which tour to go on, Marilyn said that specialists talk with all guests to discover their particular interests, desires, and dreams. Then if a guest does not have a particular trip in mind, their Travel Specialists can suggest a few different trips based on that information.

Travel Specialists at their Colorado headquarters are handpicked by Marilyn for their expertise in particular areas of travel. Some have lived, studied and/or worked in the country(s) of their specialization. All have traveled extensively throughout Asia.

Regardless of which trip you choose, it is comforting to know that Asia Transpacific Journeys has staff on call in their Colorado headquarters 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, should you have any questions or requests.

To Sum It Up

Truthfully, I didn't know much about Asia Transpacific Journeys before interviewing Marilyn. But after the interview and after much research of outside, non-biased sources, I know that when I travel half-way around the world, I want to go with the best. In the final analysis, Asia Transpacific Journeys fits that description nicely.

The fact that 75% of Asia Transpacific Journeys' business is repeat or referral speaks for itself. Clients come back time and again to travel with Asia Transpacific Journeys to a nearly endless list of exotic locales, including China, India, Japan, Mongolia, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, and all of Southeast Asia - just to name a few. If the thought of traveling to a distant land intrigues you, I highly recommend that you check out Asia Transpacific Journeys. You can view their website here, email them at travel@asiatranspacific.com, or call them at 800-642-2742. You can also request a trip planner or their 98-page catalog by clicking here.

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