Crooked Trails works with indigenous people in villages around the world, creating cultural exchanges that offer visitors and hosts the opportunity to share in each others lives. For many people, this type of off-the-beaten-track travel experience is a new and perhaps intimidating prospect. Once you’ve enrolled in a program, our Client Relations representative will send you thorough pre-departure information and will communicate with you before departure to answer your questions and help you prepare. We enjoy facilitating a new and different experience for you and we go to great lengths to make sure you feel well-informed and ready.

Homestays
Our homestay programs allow you to experience the daily life of ordinary people who live in extraordinary places.  Indigenous families open their doors to us, welcome us inside and share their meals around the fire.  During our exchanges, we enter our hosts’ community with respect and openness, willing to ask questions and to listen and learn from the answers. Crooked Trails dissolves the lines that can separate travelers from locals so your travel is richer and more rewarding, for you and for your host family too.

Local host families have made the choice to participate, and they have been briefed on the particular needs of their western guests. They are eager to welcome you into their homes and families. Your sleeping accommodations will be similar to those of your host family.  Often, that means a mattress on the floor. Likewise, bathroom facilities vary according to the local custom. Squat toilets and outhouses are not uncommon in much of the developing world! You live the way your host family lives – simply, yet well. We will help you anticipate the particulars of your programs’ homestay, but ask everyone to bring a sense of adventure and flexibility.

Accommodations
When you’re not the guests of local villagers during our home stay, we select comfortable and authentic accommodations, from stone guest lodges to bungalows and small hotels.  Crooked Trails supports the local economy by choosing guesthouses that are locally owned.  All of our founder-led group programs are based on double occupancy; same-sex participants are matched up as roommates by our facilitators. If you wish to have your own room on a founder-led program, please let us know ahead of time and we can let you know if a single supplement option is available.

Food
During your home stay, meals are with your host family.  The simple,nourishing food is locally grown and prepared with care.  Imagine the feeling of connection that comes with sitting down to eat rice that was grown, harvested, chaffed and cooked by the family serving it to you.

Because the people we stay with have very little, meat is not always available.  In areas where food is scarce and cannot be provided by the local community, we bring in food and a locally trained guide prepares meals for our group. We’ve had many people travel with us with specific dietary restrictions and will do our best to help meet your needs; however, the more flexible you can be in your food options during the trip, the better.

During the city and adventure portions of your journey, you will dine in local restaurants; your guide will help you with dining options.  International cuisine is available in many places today, and menus are interesting and varied. Enjoy some great dining experiences and take the opportunity to sample some items you may never have contemplated eating before.

Guides
Each Crooked Trails program is led by an English-speaking Crooked Trails facilitator who will be with you (in most cases) throughout the program. This guide serves as liaison between you and your local community guides and facilitates your immersion into the culture.  All Crooked Trails guides are well trained in ecology, culturally sensitive travel, and emergency wilderness medicine.  They are knowledgeable about the destination country and are just plain fun and supportive. You can learn more about our guides here.

In all of our host countries, we work with local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and partner communities, which provide local community guides and translators for our homestay programs. The local guides are native to the regions we visit and are especially knowledgeable, hospitable, and interesting.  They will help you understand what you are witnessing and the projects you are working on and quickly become everyone’s favorite person.

Cities & Adventures
All of our programs begin, end or pass through larger cities, and we take time to explore historic sites with lively and informed guides. Envision yourself biking though the ancient capital of Thailand, wandering the medieval streets of Bhaktapur in Nepal, or standing in front of India’s breathtaking Taj Mahal.  It’s important to us to experience the best of what a city has to offer, and we utilize local guides and businesses to extend the positive impact of our tourist dollars.

Between city sights and village home stays, we introduce you to the highlights of the countries we are visiting. You may find yourself snorkeling in transparent blue waters, trekking through snow-clad mountains, keeping an eye out for rhinos from your seat on an elephant striding through the jungle, floating along a winding river observing bird life, biking through ancient ruins, or canoeing down a muddy tropical waterway watching crocodiles.  There is no lack of adventure on our programs.

Still have questions? Check out our FAQs page.