Beyond Arenal / La Nueva “Pura Vida”
At 14 years old, I made my first visit to Costa Rica. Arenal was erupting back then, every 30 minutes, to be exact. The lava flowed on just one side due to the angled cone. This allowed me to walk up close enough to feel the heat of the lava. Back then, there was no platform, no barrier, only me and the lava. I was so close that a hot piece of ash, small in nature, landed on my camera lens (a 35mm film camera in those days). For the first few seconds, I thought it was the coolest thing, and considering I was traveling on my own, there was no one there to worry about for logical reasons. The next thing I knew, the camera lens went black, and the ash burned through it. Although losing the camera was a setback, the memory from that trip shaped my passion for Costa Rica.
Years later, something changed in Costa Rica. I don’t know if it was the mass market takeover or the excursions all looking the same, visiting the same zipline in Arenal and the same beachfront in Guanacaste. It seemed like the destination was not the wild Costa Rica I remembered. However, I went back with the family, and compared to other destinations, it seemed there was a disconnect. Well, over the last few years, our team has been developing new products in the region, following the many indigenous communities that are usually glossed over.
The Big Five focus on sustainability centers around community support and allowing those rightfully due a seat at the tourism table to finally get their voice.
With that being said, we introduce our new Costa Rica adventures, focusing on the indigenous trails and adventure spots that have reignited the spark I had as a child with my first visit to Costa Rica.
There are more adventures to come, so stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy this video put together by our team as they explored the remote regions looking for unwritten adventures.
Click HERE for our Newest President’s Pick, enjoy!
Costa Rica The Indigenous Trails, La Nueva Pura Vida
Morocco’s Resilience Through Video
A few weeks ago, I read this quote, and I didn’t give it much thought at the time.
“We should not be ashamed to acknowledge truth from whatever source it comes to us, even if it is brought to us by former generations and foreign people. For him who seeks the truth, there is nothing if higher value than truth itself.”
― Albert Hourani, A History of the Arab Peoples
Yet, this quote became increasingly relevant in the aftermath of the Moroccan earthquake. The focus shifted to the preservation of tourism with the understanding that the challenge would be incorrect reporting. The biggest hurdle, however, was Truthful Dispatching. You see, I just returned from exhibiting at ILTM Americas, and the phrase I found myself often using, one many of you have heard me say, is that we deal in trust, not just travel. Ultimately, you place your trust in us when your travelers are overseas with us, and you’ve come to expect this trust as second nature, something we don’t take lightly. It took 50 years to earn all your trust, and we intend to keep and honor it for the next 50 years.
Many of you have seen or heard the messages post-event in Morocco. “The country is fine, open for tourism, and not going would cause a second catastrophe.” Having been through tsunamis, protests, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and more in our destinations, we are definitely well prepared for events like what happened in Morocco. Our number 1 rule is to tell the truth. The day after the quake, and in a few cases, the evening of, I personally called every single advisor who had clients in Morocco or had clients confirmed to travel to Morocco within the coming days to give them live updates of what we knew. Clients in the country were located, and their guides, while worried about their own families, never left or missed a beat, heroically staying with the client. Some of you know that within 48 hours of the earthquake, the Spirit of Big Five foundation had mobilized, thanks to the help of friends, to assist 200 families in immediate need. We have plans to do more once we verify where the support is needed in smaller, more remote towns that are not part of the tourism focus, hence receiving less of the attention and aid.
Once we had taken care of that, the next step was fact-gathering. We knew the people of Morocco would recover quickly, as we’ve seen this happen before. It was important that we help them verify the status of the medinas in Fez and Marrakech, especially the High Atlas Mountains near Imlil. We checked on the properties we use in Marrakech, in the High Atlas Mountains, and around the country, speaking with their management and, in some cases, global executive leadership teams. We then asked our team and our partners in Morocco to start dispatching team members with cameras to drive around the High Atlas Mountains to inspect hotels and assess the damage. We also asked our guides and friends on the ground to take videos of specific sights in both Marrakech and Fez and the medinas, many of which are UNESCO Heritage sights.
We received a deluge of videos within the last 48 hours and have shared them with all our advisors who have clients currently slotted to travel to Morocco so their clients can make informed decisions about their travel plans. Rather than simply saying everything is open in Morocco, we compiled a filmed video from Imlil, Marrakech, and Fez to share with you in this week’s blog.
The scars of the earthquake cannot be hidden, and we included those in our video. We wanted to ensure you had the most updated information, filmed and taken in raw video and photos. Please feel free to share this video with anyone, regardless of who you work with for Morocco, as we all stand together with the Moroccan people. If anyone needs any of our raw videos or photos from any of the three locations, we will happily share a link to the shared drive where this content is stored and where we continue to add new files.
Let us share with you this Raw Film and Truthful Morocco Dispatch.
This past Saturday, the Big Five team had an epic weekend, celebrating 50 years as a company. The evening was a tribute to my colleagues, who have persevered through thick and thin to see the success of this company unfold, and it was also in honor of my parents, celebrating the vision that started in Kenya 50 years ago. In addition to those in attendance, physically and virtually from the Big Five family, a few important, influential guests who settled us as a company and family joined us to celebrate this milestone. I have to admit the butterflies were settling in my stomach a few hours before the event because I wanted this evening to be perfect for my colleagues, and it has been in the works since February of this year.
At the end of the evening, I was exhausted, but in a good way, as my thoughts returned to all the smiling faces. My parents, in particular, were beaming, especially my father, as he felt his parent’s presence at the event. This was just the second time that I heard him speak of his parents, as they had both passed away before my father turned 20. The first mention of them was when our office was built and how he wished his father was there to witness his success.
The next day, my parents sent me a thank you message, unlike any other message my father had ever written. It was gratifying and, at the same time, perplexing. While I knew the evening was special for everyone, I didn’t fully understand how special it was for my parents. Often, I think about how I came to Big Five. I recall talking with my father at the age of 17, saying that I wanted nothing to do with travel; I wanted to head out on my own, far away to college, to make my own way and make my own mark on the world. Years later, who knew that a BBC videographer in India’s Ranthambore Park would be instrumental in my return to Big Five back in 2002, considering I had worked in the mailroom when I was 8, I guess it was inevitable.
Sitting on the plane en route to ILTM, the gravity of the moment really hit home, and I have to thank my colleagues for bringing this clarity. All the sacrifices and struggles over 5 decades were worth it because we’ve always believed we were a higher-purpose company. At this party, we saw the journey and belief come to full fruition. This celebration served as an illumination, particularly for my parents. They finally were able to look back and see the body of work they started and the momentum to build on.
Here is to the next 50 years. Enjoy the video we played at our party. I think even Flat Ash made an appearance.
Dear Advisor Partners,
The greatest show on Earth has many meanings and references, both in pop culture and ancient history. However when it comes to nature, there is really only one reference, the great wildebeest migration. Thunderous herds making the journey through the plains, dodging threats from predators all along the way. This is truly a show I never tire of watching, even in syndication!
My first safari while growing up in Kenya was at the age of 4 with my parents. The memories of that experience still live with me today, and countless safaris later, the show never gets old. Imagine my joy when I received videos of the latest migration from a few guides from Bushtops Camps, that I proudly call friends. It’s like watching the pilot episode of a show you know is going to be epic!
We decided to put the videos together to celebrate, the greatest show on Earth.
Dear Advisor Partner,
Big Five Tours & Expeditions, in partnership with Art Experiences Travel, jointly announce the launch of the ME Ecuador Trail. This is a new and authentic program on the mainland.
Ecuador, allowing travel advisors and travelers alike to support local artisans and community tourism as a long-lasting part of the tourism equation.
In September 2020, Santiago, a friend in Quito, introduced me to Sebastian, the architect behind Art Hotels and Art Experiences in Ecuador. While visiting his hotel in Otavalo, we discussed the local artisans, chefs, and musicians who were forgotten during the pandemic. Like other countries and as an established tourism destination in South America, Ecuador has a major challenge – ensuring tourism dispersal beyond its main tourism draw, the Galapagos Islands. In fact, continental Ecuador competes for the same customer who is traveling to the country specifically for one experience. However, what is often left out of tourism conversations are local artisans and micro-entrepreneurs who play a small role in the tourism economy of Ecuador. The pandemic laid bare the struggle of these local artisans, who all suffered a major impact in their micro-businesses, many lost everything, and some reverted back to substance abuse or worse.
This led to the co-founding of ME Ecuador, a collaborative that prioritizes pathways to visibility for indigenous communities, artisans, and artists among travelers, travel advisors, and travel providers. The organization, which was co-founded by three tourism industry leaders (including Big Five and Art Experiences Travel), was created with the goal of giving these micro-entrepreneurs a chance to become responsible members of the tourism industry in Ecuador by helping them write their own business plans and holding them accountable through a code of ethics agreement. Ecuador is multi-diverse, boasting 14 different indigenous tribes. In addition, it celebrates many artisans and artists that have mixed indigenous art crafts with Spanish influences, making it their own version of mestizo art. The ME Ecuador Trail is a sustainable tourism initiative designed to invite Ecuadorian micro-entrepreneurs to the tourism table, allowing them to thrive and become a voice and teacher for others in their communities to join in on the effort of sharing their crafts/skills with the world.
This partnership has started to show tangible results that is changing the lives of local micro-entrepreneurs as they move away from life-damaging circumstances, in some cases, towards having respected seats at the tourism table. The journey representing this collaboration begins here with our newest President’s Pick,
Take a peek at this week’s video.
Dear Advisor Partners,
Every adventure I partake in leads to some entertaining dispatches, and each episode has a wow moment that makes your jaw drop. Part One of this particular dispatch had us up close to baby wildebeest in the Serengeti and a special moment when Big Five celebrated our 50th anniversary. I recorded a video while on safari, right where it all began in East Africa. Part Two was a special moment, as the WOW moment here was not what I expected. Of course, the visit to Lentorre was to take center stage. However, that was not the only highlight. We now share Part III of our East Africa Dispatch, the final chapter of this adventure. Leaving the Rift Valley, we headed north to Loisaba Conservancy, a place I often visit.
Two of the guides here are close friends; one I met later in Nairobi, while he was on holiday, and the other, Lenny, whom I reconnected with after so long. Brown, as he is affectionately called, is a legend in Loisaba, and the two of us were thick as thieves. As you watch this week’s video, pay attention to the end, Lenny may have just inadvertently starred in the latest Land Rover commercial because, well, they still use the venerable Defenders up here, my favorite Go Anywhere 4×4. This was where the safari slowed down, where the benefit of conservancy life took over. There were no crowds of safari vehicles, as you see in the well-known reserves. There were no Nairobi safari do-it-your-selfers, here it was just us, the animals, and the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises anyone could ask for. The highlight here, however, was not just that. It was something that was the first for any safari company in the north – a day trip by air to the only organized community elephant rescue sanctuary in Kenya. You can access Reteti from camps like Sarara, which is great, however, Big Five guests staying anywhere in or around the Northern Rangelands Trust can get here by air as a day trip. Now I have been to Reteti many times, and know how powerful it is, so the amazing advisors on the safari went along with our ops manager James from the Nairobi office. When a Nairobi resident who has been all over Kenya comes back with his jaw on the floor, you know you have something golden.
This brings us to the Land Rover commercial, which is quite comical in one of those ‘you had to be there moments.’ All over East Africa, land cruisers have replaced the original Defenders due to new rules and available parts. Now mind you, we are not talking about the Defenders you see on the road in North America, I have my own opinion on those. No, we are talking about the old metal boxes that were strong enough to withstand a cannon. I had the pleasure of even testing one through deep water and got to see the snorkel and drain plug work as planned. So all through our safaris, the phrase, “this is Land Rover, hang on,” began surfacing, and as you will see, even in hushed tones, next to sleeping lions. The perfect commercial, I am sure you will agree.
CLICK HERE to enjoy this week’s video and part III of our East Africa Dispatch.
For those wondering, I can neither confirm nor deny that I drove the Defender, only that, I do know how to drive a manual transmission, no matter how stiff the clutch may be.
