Preethi is a travel writer and photographer (The Eager Traveler) who has traveled to over 50 countries. We had the opportunity to sit down with her and talk about her favorite travel memories and her experiences with Acanela as she joined us on our Silk Road Tour and Morocco Tour. She also shares her travel advice to make sure you select a trip and tour company that’s right for you! Listen to her Acanela Expeditions Review!

In this episode, we discuss:

• What got Preethi into traveling originally (1:05)

• What Preethi’s most memorable travel experience has been (2:38)

• Preethi’s experience traveling with Acanela (3:45)

• Preethi’s advice for anyone traveling (7:48)

• Preethi’’s next adventure (8:48)

Preethi’s Most Memorable Travel Experience

Courtney: What would you say your most memorable travel experience has been?

Preethi: Gosh, that's really hard. I would probably say Egypt for me was really memorable because obviously I think, I mean who doesn't study about Egyptian history in school. Right? And so I remember reading about Cleopatra and the Valley of the Kings and Luxor and all of this and the Nile river and actually seeing it all come live for me in Egypt was just incredible. I would say along with Egypt, Jordan was probably my second most memorable. This was like about 10 years ago. So Jordan was still very untraversed and very exotic and it was a destination that people didn't know much about and that people were almost scared to go near. Right? Considering its geographic location. And so I think those two really stand out for me.

Silk Road Tour & Morocco Tour with Acanela Expeditions

Courtney: Tell us about some of the experiences that you've had with Acanela because it looks like you've been on a few trips with us.

Preethi: So I think my experience with Acanela picked off last year in 2019 with a 'Stans' trips. So I decided to embark on a two-week journey with Acanela Expeditions and Kylie was on that trip as well. And so we went over to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and all the 'Stans' and that area. So it was five of them. It was really an eye-opening trip for me and one of the reasons I really chose to travel with Acanela was, I really liked the mission that the company embodied, which was, really working to elevate artisans in developing nations. So if you look at it, almost every trip with Acanela you will interact with a local artisan. And with Acanela you're giving back to travel and not just consuming, which is one of the key reasons that I really enjoy traveling with Acanela Expeditions.

Courtney: Yeah, that's awesome. I love hearing that feedback and that's something that we definitely do try and focus on and so that's exciting to hear that that's something that you enjoyed about the experience as well. So what trips have you been on with Acanela? Looks like you've been to Uzbekistan and Morocco and is that-

Preethi: I've been to Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and then I've also been to Morocco with Acanela.

Courtney: That's so awesome. That's so cool that you've been on those trips with us. And then what would you say your favorite thing about those experiences was?

Preethi: I think my favorite thing was really meeting the types of people that I met. So, like on my 'Stans' trip, it turned out to be, I didn't really know anybody except for one friend of mine who accompanied me and just meeting all those people they were like, I think five other women, they were older women and it was amazing how talented and how brilliant each of them were and I did not expect to meet such amazing older women so interested in travel, so well-traveled and they were so motivating and inspiring and I kind of look up to them now and I'm like, Oh my God when I'm that age, I want to be traveling, they were so badass.

Courtney: Yeah. That's awesome. That's so good.

Preethi: I just did not expect that, I guess. And the second thing with Morocco, Morocco was a girl boss trip along with it, it was combined with the ambassador trips. It was great to meet some of the other ambassadors from the States and kind of see what they're working on at Acanela, but also to meet some of the other women that joined us and then try to see where they're at in their lives or what are they doing. Our trip was really memorable because we really bonded on a very impromptu experience that we decided to take in Morocco, which was a local Hamam, which was not really part of the plan. So I really liked that about Acanela that if the team or the group of people that you're traveling with is willing, then we kind of jumped into this impromptu experience where we partake in a very local tradition. And we actually ended up bathing some of the local women in the Hamam, who were up for it. And after they finish bathing us, we offered to bath them just to kind of like share or give back to them. Right?

Courtney: Yeah.

Preethi: They were so open to it and we had such an amazing time and everybody just really bonded in a way that I think would not have been possible otherwise. So it turned out to be a really special memorable trip as well.

Courtney: Yeah, that's awesome. I love hearing that. I love that there was that flexibility there so that you guys could have that incredible experience.

Preethi: Yeah, I think that flexibility is a key component as well. I think if people are willing and your tour guide is willing, I think you can make it happen. So it really goes to show that with Acanela that flexibility's really possible.

Travel Advice from Preethi

Courtney: What your advice be for someone that's looking to travel?

Preethi: I think my advice would be, is to just be open. And you could really discover a lot not just about the destination but also about yourself. And even for somebody like me who's traveled a lot, I'm constantly discovering my own abilities and I'm constantly shattering my own misconceptions about myself. And I think it's also about the destination. Right? Like a place like Uzbekistan, I did not even know that it existed on the map until maybe a couple of years ago. There are still places that we can discover. You could still go to a country like Germany and then discover non-touristy cities within Germany. So I would say be open to every single destination and you'll be surprised at what you learn both about the destination and yourself.

Preethi’s Next Adventure with Acanela Expeditions

Courtney: Where's your next adventure?

Preethi: Well, my next big adventure with Acanela Expeditions, actually will be to the Antarctica, which is, yeah, it's a huge bucket list for me. And I'm really excited because I know a couple of other folks that'll be joining, that I've traveled with before, with Acanela, so it's going to be great to reunite with everybody I know Kylie will be on that trip as well. So it's fun always to travel with the owner of a company because you get to pick their brain on how they started the business and where they're headed and what they think of travel and how they approach to travel. So it's great to be able to learn from an entrepreneur and a businesswoman like Kylie. So that's going to be a really exciting trip and possibly going to join Acanela this year as well to the North. Well, it's a small expedition to see the polar bears.

How to Choose a Travel Company

Courtney: Well, did you have any, last-minute things that you might want to say or add in here?

Preethi: I would just say I think to a lot of people who are trying to determine, how to choose a company to travel with. If they don't want to travel alone or they don't want to do all the planning, I would just ask people to do their research and kind of look at what they want from the company and I think part of it is giving back as well. So I think as travelers, we tend to consume a lot. As humans, we tend to consume a lot. Right? And so we're constantly looking for ways to be more sustainable and eco-friendly and give back to this earth. And I think with Acanela there's an opportunity to do that. I think with every booking that you make with Acanela, a certain percentage does go back to supporting these local artisans and I think that's great.

So I would say for anybody who's looking to travel with a group, maybe look into Acanela Expeditions and look at some of their destinations, which are quite unique that I've noticed are quite unique and interesting and it can be a great way to actually also give back to travel, which I think should be everybody's responsibility as a traveler. Like how can we give back and not just keep consuming? Right? I'll sort of leave that little nugget out there and ask people to consider that and it doesn't have to be Acanela, It could be any other company that they're considering. But look for companies that are helping give back to the travel community as well.

Courtney: That's awesome. Yeah, I love that. Looking for people that are helping the locals and not just taking from the country when you visit, you're also bringing that support back in as well-

Preethi: Exactly. That's one of the things that I really like, it really stood out for me with our Uzbekistan trip with Acanela, because we visited so many artisans and part of it is also learning the local culture through them and learning what arts have been revived through them and visiting them and also attending cooking sessions and going to local people's homes and you might not understand the language, but you're connecting through cuisine. Right? You're increasing that connection through food.

Courtney: Yeah.

Preethi: Really powerful. A lot of people ask me, they're like, "Well, you don't know the language in this country. How are you going to survive? How will you get by?" And what I want to say is, of course, we're not going to know half the languages out there, but you'd be surprised how you can connect through elements like food and a pottery class or going and visiting an artisan and listening to them talk about how they're reviving carpet making. Right? It's really profound, it takes you beyond the superficial travel and it can really get you immersed into a destination that maybe that you otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to. So I think connecting with locals and artisans is a huge part of travel for me and I find that extremely insightful as well.

Courtney: Yeah, that's so awesome. I love that. I love that you also just like aren't afraid to travel and just see other places and even if you don't know the language, just be there and be able to be part of their culture and experience those areas that maybe some people might be afraid to go to because of language barriers and things like that.

Preethi: Absolutely. I think a lot of people are actually afraid to travel because of language barriers. And I would say to them, at the end of the day when you meet these people, whether it's with hand gestures or just a smile, you can really connect them. and what I've realized is, we're all connected. And regardless of our race, our sex, gender, language, culture, we're all one. And we're all here, we're all looking for connection. And that's something that I've seen universally across different cultures in different countries that I've traveled to. Everybody just wants to connect and just don't be afraid and language doesn't need to be a barrier. You can find connection in so many different ways. So I would urge people not to be afraid to travel to those far-flung destinations or to ones that seem scary because of language barriers or cultural barriers, keep an open mind and you can connect in ways that you might never have really dreamt of.

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Podcast made in partnership with Acanela Expeditions

Theme Song - I’ll Just Be Me by Gravity Castle