Local tour guides
Local tour guides are the grassroots of Gecko’s grassroots adventures. Gecko’s clients come back time and time again for the knowledge, interest and involvement of our leaders. Our leaders were all born and raised in the regions we travel to and have strong connections with local communities. They can share with you genuine experiences far beyond what you might find on your own, or with a guide from your own country. Local tour guides can make sure your experience is unique and special and well beyond the average package tour.
If your tour guide is as much tourist as you, then you’re unlikely to get honest local perspectives or insight. With Gecko’s local tour guides you can delve deeper into a destination and enjoy a more authentic experience. Local tour guides can facilitate access to travel treats off the tourist trail, be it their own village market, unmarked sights or food stalls, or even a local storyteller known only to native inhabitants. Our local tour guides are also highly trained, speak excellent English and have a great understanding of your culture as much as their own; they’re able to translate culture, customs and regional sensitivities as much as menus. From grassroots to mountain top, Gecko’s local tour guides will make sure your travel experience is the genuine one you wish for.
Awesome prices
All the ‘must haves’ and ‘must sees’ combine in each Gecko’s grassroots tour, giving you lots of fun and adventure at a low price. In travelling with us, all the hassles of independent travel are removed and the optional extras are just that -optional- meaning there is no unwanted activities to inflate costs. And there’s lots of free time to spend as you wish.
All transport and accommodation is included on our grassroots tours, as is an awesome local tour guide and some of your meals; on other occasions you might want to branch out to eat elsewhere, though your leader is always open to suggest possibilities or to join for a meal.
We embrace our destinations in all their various glories and don’t sanitise them for the sake of keeping you in cotton wool. We do aim for comfort as much as an authentic experience and affordability, though sometimes this balance means you’ll be staying in a remote village hut rather than on soft white linen. For many of our clients this is a real trip highlight anyway. As is getting from A to B using local transport; our standard practice to maintain low prices and a true local flavour on many of our trips.
All this adds up to an unforgettable trip at a reasonable price. With Gecko’s grassroots adventures you’ll be immerse in the local culture, enjoy experiences you might never find on your own and be free to revel in your trip without the nitty gritty hassles to sap your attention. We give you what you need -and what you want- at a price that won’t break the bank. Gecko’s is the way to go for adventure at an awesome price.
Small groups
Sharing your adventure is all part of the fun at Gecko’s grassroots adventures and with local tour guides we aim to offer authentic, memorable experiences on every trip. To make sure your tour is mobile and free to see and do the best of your destination’s remotest climes -and for you to feel your tour is a personal one- our group sizes are kept to an affordable minimum. Our average tour has 9 people with a maximum of 16. Exceptions are Africa, with 24 fellow travellers, and for Egypt, 18. The groups are large enough to remove the hassle and expense of go-it-alone travel and to find some other like-minded travellers with whom to share your experience, yet small enough for you to enjoy the benefits and freedom of independent travel.
Our small groups offer a low-impact, safe and fun way to travel, with mobility, freedom and flexibility. You won’t stick out like a sore thumb either, nor miss the hidden travel treats your local tour guide can reveal. Small group adventure tours with Gecko’s offer the best of both worlds when it comes to seeing and doing what you want with absolute ease. And in great company!
'Real' experiences
Gecko’s grassroots adventures are the freshest and most ground-breaking trips available for the small group, price conscious adventurer. We set the standard others try to follow and are constantly pioneering new trips to bring our clients something different; a real, unique experience and a trip of a lifetime.
Gecko’s grassroots adventures are genuine, grounded and unforgettable tours that are good for travellers and local communities alike. You’ll get under the skin of a region with a tour designed to share the best and most authentic experiences available and a local tour guide to help you understand what makes it tick. From local transport, local accommodation, local food and, yes, locals as part of your grassroots adventure, you’ll find travel with us goes beyond the tourist traps and well off the beaten path.
Confronting, challenging and frustrating it sometimes might be, but travel outside your normal day-to-day experience and into the life of a distinct culture and people is also a surefire way to make you love every minute you’re away from home. You’ll go where others don’t and see what others haven’t; you’ll access the wildest climes and the most authentic experiences with our local tour guides and a small, independently minded group.
Free time
Without all the optional add-ons, Gecko’s grassroots adventures are unencumbered, flexible and free. In the spirit of independent travel but without its time-consuming hassles -like organising accommodation and working out how to get from A to B- the Gecko’s trip framework often means you’ve free time to enjoy your destination at will. Within each tour there are plenty of days and nights to explore, eat, shop, wander or relax on your own.
Take up a suggested option, head off on your own for a bit or just chill out and watch the world go by; lots of free time on tour means lots of individual experiences and interactions with a new place, people and culture; it’s your holiday and it’s your choice what you do. Different people have different interests and may wish to explore in different directions. So branch out and discover on your own during your free time.
Great trips
Gecko’s grassroots adventures are all about authentic travel. Our pioneering trips are off the beaten path and into the wilds and cultural heartlands of the world’s best regions.We pride ourselves on designing great trips you’ll love and remember; we love travel and the places we travel to and through, and want you to discover what is so special about them too.
We offer the ‘must haves’ and ‘must sees’ in well paced and planned trips, that also take in the weird and wonderful things yet to make it on to bog standard tour itineraries; things that only a local tour guide can reveal. We always strive to bring you fresh, fun experiences and are engaged with local communities and responsible travel to help make your travel experience an authentic, worthwhile and positive one. We also have plenty of free time within our tour framework, so you have the benefits of both independent travel and the safety of an organized, smoothly run tour. On Gecko’s grassroots adventure tours you’ll have more than just a holiday; our great trips are unforgettable travel experiences.
Better than backpacking
The boring bits of backpacking are no longer; with Gecko’s grassroots adventures you’ll have all the benefits of independent travel without the nitty gritty hassles. Would you rather sit around and work out where you’re best to stay and negotiate how you’re going to get there, or just stow your gear and get out amongst a market, cycle around town or board down a sand dune?
Travelling with Gecko’s you’ll meet some great like-minded people and share experiences both scheduled and spontaneous. On our adventures you’ll have lots of free time to do your own thing but still get to see the best the region has to offer. On our tours you can see all you would on your own with much the same freedom, but be able to do so in less time, with less hassles and without concerns for safety, accommodation or transport. And you’ll have the support and knowledge of a local tour guide to enrich the experience.
Travelling responsibly
Travelling responsibly is important to Gecko’s grassroots adventures. We travel in small groups, employ experienced local tour guides and have formal and casual links with local communities.
We minimize the negative impacts of travel and maximize the benefits to the regions we travel through by working with ethical service providers, employing locals and using locally owned lodgings. And we help with grassroots projects and charities with services and funds through the Gecko’s Community Trust.
Environmental and cultural sensitivity is important to us and are constantly learning more and informing our clients how best to enjoy their travel experience without impinging on the regions we travel through. And it doesn’t stop once the trips are complete; we offset our carbon emissions with gold-standard schemes for both our trips and our wider organization.
We find that travelling responsibly actually enriches the experience for our clients as they get to have more authentic interactions with locals and get a true feel for the region they are visiting. And they feel great about trips that are engaged in a positive way with the community that are of benefit to the world.
