Tripatini2024-03-29T14:02:07Zhttps://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/feed/allA fabulous food tour operator in Tokyohttps://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/food-tour-tokyo-japan-japanese-cuisine-culinary-tourism-travel2023-07-20T08:56:46.000Z2023-07-20T08:56:46.000ZTripatinihttps://tripatini.com/members/Tripatini<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12157435862?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p> <span style="font-weight:400;">Tripatini contributor</span><a href="https://tripatini.com/members/LindaCooper764"> <span style="font-weight:400;">Linda Cooper</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;"> writes:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight:400;">"</span><span style="font-weight:400;">Japan’s capital is a gastronomic wonderland - and I’m not just talking about its famous melt-in-your-mouth sushi. To really experience Tokyo’s rich culinary canon, taking an</span><a href="https://arigatojapan.co.jp/tokyo/"> <strong>Arigato Food Tour</strong></a><span style="font-weight:400;"> is an absolute must for food lovers, whether or not you think of yourself as a foodie. Navigating the back alleys, we tasted our way through the city, sampling delectable bites from five unique food stops while learning must-know cultural tidbits led by Arigato’s expert guide. It was an unforgettable experience that no tourist will ever see on their own with the most delicious food only the locals usually get to savor. Our personality-plus tour guide “Sam” was a real kick and I came away with delicious memories, a font of knowledge and a full tummy."<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">Read more in her post</span><a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/bespoke-journey-to-japan-tokyo-kyoto-nikko"> <span style="font-weight:400;">A Beautiful Bespoke Journey to Japan</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;">.<br /><br /></span></span></p></div>Why food tours are terrifichttps://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/food-tours-tour-operators-foodie-cuisin-culinary-tourism-travel2023-07-20T08:53:16.000Z2023-07-20T08:53:16.000ZTripatinihttps://tripatini.com/members/Tripatini<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12157435070?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>As a traveler, you get to explore the fascinating places, people, and cultures of the world - along with, inevitably, its many delicious cuisines. Everyone has to eat, and for many eating is a huge part of the travel experience - as well as a tasty way to gain a literally tasty insight to the destinations they visit. What's more, most destinations have local tour operators which specialize in introducing visitors to the wonderful culinary experiences and heritage of their towns, cities, and regions: the essence of "slow food" and "slow travel."<span style="font-weight:400;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight:400;"> Read more in Tripatini contributor</span><a href="https://tripatini.com/members/SadieBrooks"> <span style="font-weight:400;">Sadie Brooks</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;">´ post</span><a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/food-tours-culinary-tourism-travel-foodie"> <span style="font-weight:400;">Exploring the World´s Flavors: 5 Benefits of Food Tours</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;">.</span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /> <br /> </span></p>
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<h6><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://www.withlocals.com/es/experiences/spain/madrid/tours/food-tours/"><span style="font-weight:400;">withlocals.com<br /></span></a></span></h6>
<p> </p></div>An Estonian tour operator which offers a drunken Soviet spin through Tallinnhttps://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/tallinn-estonia-drunk-soviet-tour-operator2023-05-23T05:40:55.000Z2023-05-23T05:40:55.000ZDavid Paul Appellhttps://tripatini.com/members/DavidPaulAppell16<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11140023701?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>One of the quirkiest memories of my last visit was conducted in a 1960′s bus with ratty seats and stinking of gasoline. Our guide was a youngish chap in a Soviet military getup (bottom left) who feigned drunkenness, kept demanding to see passports, and kept shouting, “Who you are working for?” Eventually he graduated to plying us with vodka; holding forth on the superiority of USSR to the decadent capitalist West whilst waving pictures of Leonid Brezhnev; trying to sign us up for “Communist Party membership”; and warbling a Red Army marching song or two (fortunately, it was an old warhorse called “Katyusha,” to which I just happened to know the words).<br /><br />Read more in my post <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/tallinn-estonia" target="_blank">A Return to Tallinn, Estonia</a>.</p>
<p> </p></div>An urban culture tour operator in Praguehttps://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/czech-republic-prague-culture-cultural-travel-graffitti2023-05-23T05:36:39.000Z2023-05-23T05:36:39.000ZRiccardo Rhttps://tripatini.com/members/RicardoR<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11140023066?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>These days both street art and graffiti are thriving in the Czech capital, and one local tour operator has capitalised on that to offer tours of "alternative" Prague. Read more about it in my new post <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/prague-czech-republic-alternative-art-music-cultural-tourism" target="_blank">Explore the 'Alternative' Side of Prague - You Can even Take a Graffiti Course!</a></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="https://alternative-prague.com/en/tour/private-graffiti-workshop--6" target="_blank">Alternative-Prague.com</a></em></span></p><p> </p></div>Voluntourism a key part of Acacia Africa's tour offeringshttps://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/acacia-africa-kenya-voluntourism-volunteer-tourism-travel2023-04-21T08:17:16.000Z2023-04-21T08:17:16.000ZTripatinihttps://tripatini.com/members/Tripatini<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11030929486?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>Adventure tour operator <strong><a href="https://acacia-africa.com/" target="_blank">Acacia Africa</a></strong> has been actively involved in ethical tourism for more than 30 years, with voluntours and school visits very much part of its portfolio. Here is one of their guests with schoolchildren in Kenya.<br /><br />Read more in Tripatini member <a href="https://tripatini.com/members/SamWard">Sam Ward</a>'s post <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/finding-new-ways-to-give-back-when-we-travel?edited=1" target="_blank">Finding New Ways to Give Back When We Travel</a>.</p></div>School book recycling in Malawi supported by Acacia Africa voluntourism programshttps://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/malawi-voluntourism-volunteer-travel-tourism-acacia-africa2023-04-21T08:14:21.000Z2023-04-21T08:14:21.000ZTripatinihttps://tripatini.com/members/Tripatini<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11030929261?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Adventure tour operator</span><a href="https://acacia-africa.com/"> <span style="font-weight:400;">Acacia Africa</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;"> has been actively involved in ethical tourism for more than 30 years, with voluntours and school visits very much part of its portfolio. Among other intiatives, it encourages its guests to pack age appropriate books to leave at primary school libraries such as this one in Malawi, as part of the Travelling Eco-Book Depository program.</span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight:400;">Read more in Tripatini member</span><a href="https://tripatini.com/members/SamWard"> <span style="font-weight:400;">Sam Ward</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;">'s post</span><a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/finding-new-ways-to-give-back-when-we-travel?edited=1"> <span style="font-weight:400;">Finding New Ways to Give Back When We Travel</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;">.</span></p>
<p> </p></div>Why a Sahara Desert excursion is a lifetime bucket-listerhttps://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/sahara-desert-excursion-morocco-tour-operators2023-02-26T07:27:24.000Z2023-02-26T07:27:24.000ZDavid Paul Appellhttps://tripatini.com/members/DavidPaulAppell16<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10973205495?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Numerous tour operators in Marrakesh run excursions into the dunes including dromedary treks, tent camps, quad riding, sand surfing, and encounters with nomads. It's the experience of a lifetime, and I invite you to read more in my post</span><a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/morocco-sahara-desert?context=featured"> <span style="font-weight:400;">Venturing into Morocco's Sahara Desert.</span></a></p>
<p> </p></div>Overseas Adventure Travel a tour operator standout in responsible travelhttps://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/tour-operators-responsible-sustainable-travel2023-02-26T07:23:21.000Z2023-02-26T07:23:21.000ZTripatinihttps://tripatini.com/members/Tripatini<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10973204896?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p><a href="https://www.oattravel.com/"><strong>OAT</strong></a><span style="font-weight:400;">, part of the</span><a href="https://www.gct.com/"> <strong>Grand Circle Corporation</strong></a><span style="font-weight:400;"> family of companies, connects customers with the people and cultures of destinations around the world (such as </span><strong>Ecuador</strong><span style="font-weight:400;">'s </span><strong>Galapagos Islands</strong><span style="font-weight:400;"> (pictured here), working to convey knowledge of and respect for local communities as well as supporting a variety of enterprises, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship projects. And when it comes to natural areas, OAT stresses sustainable transport, with an emphasis on environmental conservation and improving the well-being of the locals; among other things, in communities it visits, the company supports water and sanitation projects, co-ops, orphanages, and other organizations (to cite just one example, it helped fund construction of a women’s center in </span><strong>Morocco</strong><span style="font-weight:400;">).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Read more in Tripatini member</span><a href="https://tripatini.com/members/VictorBlock"><span style="font-weight:400;"> Victor Block</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;">'s post</span><a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/responsible-travel-companies-environmental-protection-ecotourism"><span style="font-weight:400;"> Travel/Hospitality Companies Which Are Taking a Lead in Environmental Protection</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;">.</span></p>
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<p> </p></div>14 of Maui's top tourshttps://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/hawaii-maui-tour-operators-ecotourism-adventure-travel2023-01-26T07:47:21.000Z2023-01-26T07:47:21.000ZTripatinihttps://tripatini.com/members/Tripatini<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10949332879?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p><span style="font-size:10pt;">Whether you want to catch the glimpse of awe-inspiring sunrise at <strong>Haleakala National Park</strong>; take to the water on a whale-watching adventure; snorkel around <strong>Molokini</strong>; or taste some of the <strong>Hawaiian Islands</strong>' best pineapples, there's is a tour in this list that fits well with your interests - and budgets. Analyzing both expert opinion and traveller sentiment, we've determined more than a dozen of the best, which all feature veteran guides keen to share their insights about the <strong>Valley Isle</strong>’s astonishing nature, lip-smacking cuisine, enchanting history, and rich culture. </span><br /><br />Read about them all <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/maui-hawaii-tours-tour-operators?edited=1" target="_blank">here</a>.</p></div>Singular Trabant touring in Berlinhttps://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/berlin-germany-trabis-trabants-cars-tour-operators2023-01-26T07:41:23.000Z2023-01-26T07:41:23.000ZRiccardo Rhttps://tripatini.com/members/RicardoR<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10949331490?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Beyond being displayed in museums, a few of the shoddy "Trabis" churned out by Communist East Germany for more than 30 years are still in use in Berlin today - you can rent them or drive them around in tour groups. Learn more in my blog post</span><a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/berlin-germany-trabant-trabi-tours"> <span style="font-weight:400;">here</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;">.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /></span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gregotasios/"><span style="font-weight:400;">Grego</span></a></p><p> </p></div>The Valley of the Temples is a star in a tour of Sicily, but...https://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/valley-of-the-temples-sicily-italy-tour-operators2023-01-26T07:33:11.000Z2023-01-26T07:33:11.000ZTripatinihttps://tripatini.com/members/Tripatini<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10949330261?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>Tripatini blogger <a href="https://tripatini.com/members/FyllisHockman">Fyllis Hockman</a> writes about her experience on tour operator <strong><a href="https://www.oattravel.com/" target="_blank">Overseas Adventure Travel</a></strong>'s itinerary <a href="https://www.oattravel.com/trips/land-adventures/europe/sicilys-ancient-landscapes-and-timeless-traditions/2021/datesandprices?Step=0&AssociatedYears=2022%2C2023%2C2024&SelectedYears=2022%2C2023%2C2024&NoAirSelected=False&SelectedDepartureCity=JFK&SelectedOccupancy=Default&TripType=None&DepartureDate=1%2F1%2F0001+12%3A00%3A00+AM&IsDoubleOccupancySelected=True&IsTPPSelected=True&IsShip=False&SelectedTraveler=0" target="_blank">Sicily's Ancient Landscapes & Timeless Traditions,</a>" and aprt from marvelous sights like the Valley of the Temples, dating back to the 8th century BCE (pictured here) ended up writing about all the things that <em>aren't</em> on the itinerary – what OAT refers to as "learning and discovery."<br /><br />Read all about it in her post <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/sicily-italy-attractions-tourism-travel-tour-operators" target="_blank">Sicily, Where What's Not on the Tour Itinerary Is as Important as What Is</a>.</p>
<p> </p></div>An unexpected and delightful cultural moment on a Sicily tourhttps://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/sicily-italy-tour-operators-cultural-travel-tourism-music2023-01-26T07:31:54.000Z2023-01-26T07:31:54.000ZTripatinihttps://tripatini.com/members/Tripatini<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10949329091?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>Our blogger <a href="https://tripatini.com/members/FyllisHockman">Fyllis Hockman</a> was impressed by an unannounced stop in Palermo at a nondescript tailor shop whose owner is also a dedicated mandolin player - with musical instruments everywhere - who serenaded her group. <br /> <br /> Read more about this and other experiences in her post <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/sicily-italy-attractions-tourism-travel-tour-operators" target="_blank">Sicily, Where What's Not on the Tour Itinerary Is as Important as What Is</a>.</p>
<p> </p></div>Meeting with refugee advocates on a Sicily tourhttps://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/italy-sicily-refugees-tour-operators2023-01-26T07:30:13.000Z2023-01-26T07:30:13.000ZTripatinihttps://tripatini.com/members/Tripatini<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10949329263?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>Our blogger <a href="https://tripatini.com/members/FyllisHockman">Fyllis Hockman</a> likes that her Overseas Adventure Travel tour includes timely topics on its itineraries - and doesn't shy away from controversy, as when they met with members of <strong>Casa di Maria</strong>, an organization which aids young immigrant girls who illegally land in Sicily, where a sign at one port declares “Welcome Refugees” (though the welcoming of refugees is now being challenged by the new government led by the Brothers of Italy party). <br /> <br /> Read more about this and other experiences in her post <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/sicily-italy-attractions-tourism-travel-tour-operators" target="_blank">Sicily, Where What's Not on the Tour Itinerary Is as Important as What Is</a>.</p>
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<p><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boat_People_at_Sicily_in_the_Mediterranean_Sea.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>Vito Manzari</em></span></a></p>
<p> </p></div>Visiting Mount Etna on a tour of Sicilyhttps://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/italy-sicily-mount-etna-hiking-tour-operators2023-01-26T07:26:48.000Z2023-01-26T07:26:48.000ZTripatinihttps://tripatini.com/members/Tripatini<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10949328864?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p><span style="font-weight:400;">As our blogger</span><a href="https://tripatini.com/members/FyllisHockman"> <span style="font-weight:400;">Fyllis Hockman</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;"> writes, "then there was </span><strong>Mount Etna</strong><span style="font-weight:400;"> on the east coast just under four hours north of Catania – at more than 10,000 feet high, Europe's largest active volcano. Although the last eruption was in May 2017, we were repeatedly assured we were in no danger of a repeat. I’m a hiker. I’m used to climbing over rocks and roots. But this was my first experience with lava stones and fields – a topography I had never encountered before. As we climbed up the almost two-mile trail, we passed two centuries worth of vegetation from tiny tufts of green still recovering from earlier eruptions to huge, long-standing pine trees of old. I’m a travel writer and I’m supposed to be able to bring experiences to life but this was so surreal and otherworldly, so without comparison to anything I’ve seen before that I feel inadequate to capture it in mere words. A stop afterwards for a shot of "Fire of Etna" – a 70-proof concoction of rose petals and herbs -- shook me out of my volcanic reverie."</span></p>
<p><br /> <span style="font-weight:400;">Read more about the tour in her post</span><a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/sicily-italy-attractions-tourism-travel-tour-operators"> <span style="font-weight:400;">Sicily, Where What's Not on the Tour Itinerary Is as Important as What Is</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;">.</span></p>
<p> </p></div>Barcelona's 'Bus Turístic'https://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/bus-turistic-city-tour-bus-barcelona-catalonia-spain2022-04-11T13:26:49.000Z2022-04-11T13:26:49.000ZJosé Balidohttps://tripatini.com/members/JoseBalido<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10343639861?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>Central BCN's Plaça de Catalunya is where all the hop-on-hop-off city tour bus itineraries start and end. You may scoff at them, but they're a great way to get oriented in a new city.</p></div>On a tour boat in Copenhagenhttps://tripatini.com/group/tour-operators/photos/copenhagen-denmark-city-tour-operator-boat2022-04-11T12:59:50.000Z2022-04-11T12:59:50.000ZDavid Paul Appellhttps://tripatini.com/members/DavidPaulAppell16<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10343384461?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>Yeah, it's touristy, but hey, we're tourists! And there's no better way to get the lay of the land and see what you as a visitor might want to go back to experience more in depth. Here our tour boat makes a stop in the charming, historic Nyhavn district. The next day we came back for lunch and had a great time!</p></div>