Whenever people ask me about my plans for the future, they often look at me funny when I begin to tell them about my vision. That’s when I usually have to explain that this vision wasn’t a view into heaven or the future in my head like you see on television. It’s more like the “connect-the-dots” portrait on the back of children’s menus. You know, seemingly simplistic but taking you all over the world to complete. Crooked lines between easy dots. The joy and anticipation as the now sketchy picture begins to reveal itself (c’mon, you know you still do this).
Anyways, in this instance, the dots represent the picture that is the big news I have been dangling in front of the Facebook masses for the last several weeks. And now, the big announcement is finally here! After almost a year of preparation, a new, world impacting company is being launched – “Kingdom Adventure Travel, LLC”. The purpose of this blog is to give a glimpse into the heart of this company, how it came to be, and to inform you what we’re all about.
The first dot connection began to form over 18 months ago when I was still on my World Race journey, where I learned what an adventure tour should and shouldn’t look like. While in Granada, Nicaragua for a brief rest period, I met an adventure tour operator named Ramon. Background: By the time I finally met Ramon, I was overstimulated and a little annoyed at the constant hassling of the so-called “tour guides” riding around on bicycles with laminated pieces of paper offering cheesy $5 boat tours of Lake Nicaragua for you and 100 of your closest friends.
I’m a guy that stays away from the crowds at tourist destinations and likes to get off the beaten path (the above photo from Dunn’s Falls in Jamaica is my worst nightmare), so I wasn’t interested in their “tours” or the ganga they offered when I refused the tour.
Needless to say, I was a little skeptical when I was first introduced to Ramon, a Nicaraguan who had been running “No Rush Tours” in Granada for some time. However, I could tell Ramon was different. Of course, like all businessmen, he wanted us to go with him on tours of the volcano and the lake because he wanted our business. But, more than that, he sought to get to know us as people instead of “gringos” with money, and to introduce us to the real Nicaragua. The first day, Ramon picked us up with a professional van service, a cooler, and a bottle of rum and took myself and a few friends on a tour of Lake Nicaragua that totally changed my view of adventure travel. Not only were we able to avoid the tourist traps, but Ramon had such great relationships with villagers around the lake and an excitement for people to know his home country that we were able to totally immerse ourselves in the culture, history, and lifestyle of Lake Nicaragua. We were able to see things that no commercialized service could offer. From coconut rum via a coconut grabbed right out of a tree to climbing around old Spanish forts at sunset, we got a little bit of everything on this personal tour. What was so inspiring about Ramon is that he cared about people, and made sure that everyone benefited from his tours, not only the visitors who got to experience the beauty and adventure of Lake Nicaragua, but also the villager that he hired to drive the boat and the islanders that he brings school supplies and Christmas presents to out of gratitude for letting him show people their island, their Nicaragua. I was so impressed with Ramon I asked him to take us to the volcano the next day, and because on our budget we couldn’t afford his regular rate, he allowed us to go at cost and just tip him at the end. So we did, and I remember that day as one of the best in my life. We zip-lined through the rainforest and hiked to the summit for an incredible view of Granada and the lake and we even got to descend the volcano on a closed trail that the national park service was just clearing, because Ramon knew one of the biologists there. It pays to have good connections!
It’ll take a whole other blog to detail all of our experiences over those two days, but while traveling with Ramon, there were passions awakened in me that I haven’t been able to shake since. Those 2 days with Ramon fueled the flame in me for adventure and stepping off of the beaten path, to find the hidden gems that many places in the world have to offer, but few have the boldness to find. More importantly, through the example set by Ramon in empowering the people in his community, my eyes were opened to see that living a life could be done in a way that serves the world by lifting underserved and forgotten people out of the depths of poverty.
The second connection began to form two months later on the island of Mindanao, in the southernmost part of the Philippines. We were surrounded by what I’ve only been able to describe as an adventure playground. River caves, waterfalls, beaches, volcanic mountains. All at our door for the entire month and boy did we play. Yet with all of this beauty and adventure surrounding us, it was here that I first experienced the reality of poverty and brokenness in what would otherwise be paradises.The villages we visited were mostly uneducated, unable to raise animals or crops because they’re “squatting” on land not their own, and surviving on less than $2 a day for whole families. Without dreams or hope, expressionless faces showed only thoughts of survival. My heart broke as I asked the pastor and missionary that were serving this village how we could empower them, how we could help them make the money needed to survive. I knew anything we gave would last for a few days, but then what? And despite all of their efforts, they were at a loss. The pastor’s own wife had left the country to find work to support the family, a practice not uncommon in the Philippines.
The situation seemed hopeless, and yet at the same time, the proverbial light bulb illuminated in my head. These people lived in an adventure playground, albeit an untapped one. What would it look like to teach villagers the skills they need to become excellent tour operators and guides, or other tourism related jobs, and send Westerners here for the vacation of a lifetime? For something they’ve literally never experienced before? This would give the Filipinos a long term way to earn a better life for their families! And what’s better, they are providing a service and getting money in return, not simply relying on eternal donations from someone overseas! What if we could start a company that sends vacationers, not just to these untapped treasures of the Philippines, but to the amazing cultures all over the world, and by doing so, provide a way for the men and women in these areas to provide a better life, an actual life, for their families and communities? What if we could bring so much business and life to these areas that offer so much that fathers of Nepali children wouldn’t have to subject themselves to the slave like work conditions of Qatar, Filipino mothers wouldn’t have to work on cruise ships 6 months out of the year away from their children, and Peruvian tuk tuk drivers wouldn’t have to wonder how to feed their family on days they are sick and unable to work?
These are the dreams that birthed Kingdom Adventure Travel LLC ,a company that seeks to not only send consumers on adventure-filled, perspective changing vacations, but to also change the world in the process. A few weeks ago, Kingdom Adventure Travel became an official, government recognized company, and we are ready to send YOU on the adventure of a lifetime. Our governing values derived from the stories above are:
– To provide the traveler the opportunity for wonder as they immerse themselves in the most beautiful places on the planet.
– To awaken the heart of an adventurer in those who are tired of the mundane 6 days at the beach and cruise ship buffets. We do this by specializing in “adventure travel” activities, which range from hiking volcanoes, cave diving, swimming at secret beaches and rappelling down waterfalls to relaxing in hot springs and horseback riding in wine country. This happens all over the world, from the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu to the most majestic waterfall in the world, Victoria Falls.
– To provide cultural immersion to give people a better understanding of a world outside of their own and the beautiful people who make these destinations true wonders of the world.
– To be relational. We desire to be friends and companions of not only our customers but also the many tour operators and guides we work with around the world. To go deeper. To know and be known. Because life is just better that way.
– To operate with a kingdom mindset. We believe that the world is not getting worse, it’s getting better, and that God is commissioning us to be a part of that. Whether you are a Christian or not, you know the world is beautiful but broken and we all long for it’s redemption. World change doesn’t just happen through missionaries or NGO’s. The real change comes when businesses and everyday people buy in and live for the greater good. That’s why we only work with companies and organizations who operate in a way that’s beneficial to their communities, and a portion of all of our profits go to micro loan programs and a missionary vacation fund.
We are currently offering custom itinerary services on three continents, and our website will be up soon with a destinations page where you can see the available destinations, and make inquiries about a trip built to suit your desires and passions! We are also staging our first ever “pioneer trip” to Ecuador July 28-August 4th. To inquire about your vacation, ask about our Ecuador trip, or just find out more about Kingdom Adventure Travel, please email me at [email protected] .
