A New Travel Ethic Destinations The Above the Clouds Staff
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At Above the Clouds, Inc., we have eighteen years' experience at helping travelers like yourself encounter new cultures and beautiful but fragile ecosystems in a manner consistent with the principles outlined above. We excel in that because it is a true labor of love. Our founder and director, Steve Conlon, lived in Nepal for over five years, dating back to 1972. He and Muna, his Nepali wife of 20 years, are raising their two children bi-culturally and bi-lingually. He speaks nine languages, which means he understands nine different cultrues, nine different way of looking at the world. And because he speaks the local language, he understands and shares local concerns for the impact of tourism. Our cultural and environmental sensitivities were not dictated by a PR consultant. They are genuine. When you travel with us, you are indeed in good hands.
We are a small, personalized specialist. We don't pretend to be all things to all people, and any company with that type of posture should be suspect. We know a few parts of the world, and we know them well. For the most part, we have not just traveled overseas, we have lived there as well. Our phones aren't answered by voice mail, but by knowledgeable, enthusiastic, real people. Our brochures aren't ghostwritten by folks who've never been there, designed in pricy studios, and full of pictures bought from a stock agency. We do it in-house. To us, it's not PR and marketing, it's still travel. Travel is what we know and love.
With a few exceptions, the trips in our brochures are our own. We design and field test them, and hand-pick the leaders and staff. In Nepal, where we first began operations in 1982, we are the only company which has its own outfitter, and some of our staff have been with us from the start. This gives us a qualitative advantage, and provides you, ourravelers, with a quality experience, because in places like Nepal, money alone doesn't buy service. Relationships and trust, established over years of working together, are what buy you service. We've built these, and you reap the benefits.
It's one thing to toot your own horn, it's much more convincing when someone else does it for you. And when that someone else is respected in the field of adventure, it means that much more. In addition to our own scheduled departures (listed in this brochure), and custom trips for private groups and individuals, we are the operator of choice for a number of other outfitters, including the Colorado Outward Bound ® School. After using several other operators in the early years of their Nepal program, they have now been using our services exclusively since 1987. Other organizations which use our services in Nepal include Voyagers International, Omega Institute, Kellogg Foundation, Kripalu Center, and numerous academic and private institutions.
Another expert source for judging between companies would be some of the numerous publications which attempt to cover the world of adventure travel. Of these, National Geographic's Ultimate Adventure Sourcebook stands alone in its thoroughness and clarity. In the section entitled "The Top Ten Trekking Companies," we stood alone at the top with four stars! And if you'd like to speak with some of our satisfied past travelers, we can provide you with a reference who lives nearby and has probably even done the same trip(s) you're considering. On several occasions, we've even had signups based on references that other trekking companies have given out. The reference has said that while the company they went with was fine, they wished they'd gone with Above the Clouds, and would do so next time. We've even had people return from treks with other companies who saw our operations in the field and they are now firmly in our camp. References don't get any better than that.
The Art of Adventure Travel A New Travel Ethic Destinations
The Above the Clouds Staff Questions? Need Itineraries?
Above the Clouds Home Page
Questions? Need Itineraries?
Above the Clouds
PO Box 388
Hinesburg, VT 05461
Phone: (802) 482-4848
Fax: (802) 482-5011
e-mail: info@aboveclouds.com
Copyright © 2005 Above the Clouds, Inc.. All rights reserved.