Yamabushi training in offers a rare immersion into Japan’s ancient Shugendō tradition (Photo Credit: Kodo Travel)
A rhythmic drum beat, accompanied by deep-throat singing, echoes through the icy fjords of East Greenland as Inuit performers share their 4,500-year-old drum dance with guests. Thousands of kilometres away, a family is captivated by the Sahara’s celestial beauty, learning about local legends from a Bedouin guide. Meanwhile, a corporate executive trades boardrooms for barefoot ascents in Japan’s sacred Yamagata mountains, training with 13th-generation Yamabushi Master Hoshino to challenge his body and mind. These aren’t experiences found on typical “must-do” lists. They’re transformative journeys, crafted by local experts for discerning travellers. Today’s travellers seek more than observation—they want participation.
Changing Travel Priorities
From Left: In Kenya’s Maasai Mara, members of the Maasai community share their vibrant culture with visitors; A couple embraces the tranquillity of the Sahara Desert, taking in the vast, golden dunes and the serene beauty of the endless horizon (Photo Credit: Archana Singh, Travel Organiser)
Siddharth Talwar, a Delhi-based musician and frequent adventurer, embarks on at least five international trips annually and follows a simple travel mantra: “Culture during the day, party by night”. Whether exploring the history of the Teotihuacán Pyramids in Mexico with a local historian or joining the EXIT Music Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia with local artists, Talwar ensures his travels are more enriching than just snapping Instagram-worthy photos. “I travel not to escape or boast, but to immerse myself in diverse experiences—dining with locals or jamming with strangers.
Often, these travels inspire both my work and personal growth, without me even realising it.” Travel is shifting from outward indulgence to inward exploration. A decade ago, luxury travellers sought five-star hotels in Kyoto. Today, they rise at dawn to meditate with Zen monks in a 300-year-old temple.
Inuit performers in Tasiilaq, East Greenland, showcase the traditional drum dance—a 4,500-yearold ritual blending rhythmic beats and throat singing (Photo Credit: Archana Singh)
Ai Munakata, CEO of Tour Designers based in Okinawa, underlines a notable shift in evolving travel preferences. “Travellers, particularly high-net-worth international individuals, are no longer satisfied with luxury hotels and fine dining. They seek more local, meaningful, unique, exclusive and culturally enriching experiences.”
Siham Lahmine, owner and cultural curator at Morocco Travel Organiser, echoes this sentiment: “Travellers aren’t looking for surface-level experiences. They want to meet local farmers, learn about Morocco’s solar projects, engage with politicians, and spend time in coffee shops with locals, having meaningful conversations. They choose to travel during Ramadan to immerse themselves in the local traditions and celebrate alongside the community.”
From Left: Moroccan craft workshops offer a deep dive into the country’s artisanal traditions under the guidance of master craftspeople; An Emberá tribesman skillfully navigates the Chagres River in Panama, using a traditional dugout canoe (Photo Credit: Archana Singh)
This trend is gaining momentum globally. According to Future Market Insights, the global cultural tourism market is expected to double from $1.2 trillion in 2025 to $2.6 trillion by 2035. “Revenge travel” has faded, replaced by a more thoughtful approach. Instead of travelling recklessly, consumers are slowing down and opting for more meaningful experiences. The WTM Global Travel Report confirms that the demand for authentic, unique travel is fuelling the rapid growth of cultural tourism.
Redefining The Experience Economy
From Left: The Maasai tribe’s iconic red shuka and jumping dance celebrate a deep connection to the land and its wildlife; An Emberá woman prepares a traditional meal using ingredients sourced from the surrounding rainforest
In 2024, the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) reported 36.9 million foreign visitors. The surge in tourism to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka has led to overcrowding, disrupting locals’ daily lives and diminishing the quality of travel experiences. To alleviate congestion in popular tourist areas and promote a balanced distribution of visitors nationwide, the Japanese government is focusing on high-quality cultural and adventure experiences in less-visited areas like Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Okinawa.
Munakata notes a rising interest in Okinawa as a wellness destination. The Tour Designers CEO explains, “In our tours, we collaborate with local residents and guides who offer first-hand insights into healthy living and food traditions that have made Okinawa one of the blue zones on Earth. Guests learn about our longevity secrets not as tourists but as participants in daily life.”
A family visiting a rice farm with a local farmer before learning how to make traditional mochi rice cakes (Photo Credit: Hokkaido Treasure Island)
Similarly Kodo Travel specialises in active, culturally immersive tourism. They collaborate with rural communities to create bespoke, high-end and culturally rich experiences, train guides, and promote off-the-beaten-path destinations. One standout is the Yamabushi training in Dewa Sanzan, Yamagata Prefecture.
Project manager Tim Bunting explains, “Yamabushido takes Japan’s cultural immersion to new heights. It goes beyond observation; participants live the spiritual life of mountain hermits.” Even in Japan, the training is largely unknown, and participants are carefully selected. It involves hiking, meditation, reflection, and partaking in secret rituals in some of the most breathtaking landscapes of Japan.
Afterwards, participants often gain a new perspective and adopt more mindful ways of living. Japan’s focus is shifting toward long-term sustainability rather than short-term gains. Koichiro Suzuki, the president of Hokkaido Treasure Island Travel, shares a vision for the future: “In the next five to ten years, Hokkaido will not focus on attracting large numbers of tourists at low prices.
Instead, we will develop high-quality guide programmes and experiences unique to each region. Ultimately, both tourists and residents will benefit from Hokkaido becoming a sustainably developed luxury travel destination.”
Cultural Tourism And Conservation
Emberá women perform a traditional dance in their riverside village in Panama, adorned in vibrant handwoven skirts
Cultural tourism is not only addressing over-tourism but also helping to preserve endangered wildlife and communities. Koleesh Kuluo, affectionately known as John, a safari guide at ONLYONE Africa, highlights how tourism supports the Maasai community, “Tourism has been integral to our lives since childhood. Growing up with wild animals taught us to respect and care for them. If they are safe, we are safe.”
He recalls a French traveller saying, “You have no idea how incredibly lucky you are to be born in the savannah. Nowhere else can you find the rich wildlife that Africa has. You need to protect it because there is no other Maasai Mara.” This realisation helped John understand how safeguarding wildlife offers greater rewards than the quick profits poachers make.
Tourism also safeguards the culture and well-being of indigenous people, whose livelihoods are deeply connected to wildlife. John adds, “Thanks to lodges, camps, and national reserves, we are able to study and find employment. When tourists come for a safari, they are also interested in learning about our culture. We invite them to participate in our jumping dance, show them how we live in Manyatta huts, and dress them in Maasai shuka (the traditional cloth) and jewellery. Thus, they help us preserve our culture, too.”
The Maasai people continue to live by their timeless traditions, embodying strength, and resilience
Cultural tourism is saving indigenous communities from extinction almost everywhere. Panama, often called the world’s bridge, faces challenges balancing cultural preservation with economic development. Christian Strassnig, founder of Cultour Panama, offers travellers the opportunity to experience the culture of the Emberá people. They are one of the seven indigenous groups officially recognised by the Panamanian government, and have lived along the riverbanks for centuries, hunting, fishing, and practising subsistence farming. Despite Panama’s independence in 1903, their struggles persist—land loss, deforestation, mining, and the illegal drug trade. Yet, as they say, adversity is the mother of necessity.
From Left: In the heart of Morocco’s Sahara, the stars seem to shine brighter than anywhere else on Earth; Kayoko Nishida-san, an 80-year-old Ainu woman known as Miyachan at Lake Akan, shares traditional Ainu culture and crafts passed down by her elders in Hokkaido (Photo Credit: Propic/Getty Images; Archana Singh)
Strassnig explained how the Emberá used tourism as a way of preserving their indigenous way of life alive while earning a living. They allowed travellers to visit their homes, share meals gathered from the forest, tell their stories, sell handcrafted items, and showcase their culture through dance and music. As the money started coming in, young people began to appreciate their heritage instead of migrating to the capital city for menial jobs.
Beaming with pride, Strassnig shared, “Ecotourism emerged as their economic lifeline, protecting their unique cultural identity and practices. After a long battle, which is far from over, the Panamanian government has started supporting them by providing training, guidance, and promoting the Emberá at major tourism fairs worldwide.”
In a world where destinations are more accessible than ever, the most meaningful journeys aren’t defined by where you go, but by how you engage. Ultimately, true luxury in travel isn’t about exclusivity—it’s about connection.
Italy specialist Perillo Tours will debut its first itinerary to Ireland in more than a decade and offer its first standalone Portugal trip.
Owner Steve Perillo said the operator has seen “overwhelming interest” from guests who want to visit Ireland on a guided tour, prompting Perillo to return to the country — it last operated an Ireland trip 15 years ago.
“Building off of our 80 years of operational expertise in Italy, we were able to build a memorable and immersive itinerary to Ireland, a destination equally rich in heritage,” he said.
The operator will offer Heart of Ireland, a 10-day trip that visits Dublin, Galway, Killarney and Barberstown. Travelers will visit the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin; stay in the 13th-century Barberstown Castle Hotel; take a trip to Inis Mor island off Ireland’s west coast; and explore the Ring of Kerry.
Though Perillo already offers a Portugal and Spain itinerary, Portugal’s continued popularity led the brand to create a standalone itinerary.
The 10-day Portugal Dreams tour will begin in Porto and end in Lisbon. Travelers will visit Obidos, Sintra and a coastal resort near Praia D’El Rey. Itinerary highlights include a Douro River sailing on a traditional Rabelo boat, a live fado performance and a trip to Evora, a Unesco World Heritage Site-listed city.
Perillo Tours’ first standalone Portugal itinerary, Portugal Dreams: From Porto to Lisbon, is a 10-day escorted tour that features authentic, immersive activities such as a winery visit, a scenic Douro River cruise, and cultural experiences. The program includes two nights in Porto, two nights at a coastal resort near Praia D’El Rey, and three nights in Lisbon, with excursions to Óbidos, Sintra, Évora, and other UNESCO sites. Highlights include a Fado performance and a behind-the-scenes cork crafting experience.
“Portugal continues to grow in popularity, and with the interest and high guest satisfaction received from our 2025 Spain and Portugal itinerary, a standalone Portugal itinerary was a natural addition to our 2026 offerings,” said Steve Perillo, third-generation owner of Perillo Tours.
The tour operator has also added an Ireland itinerary, titled Heart of Ireland. This 10-day itinerary combines cultural, historic, and scenic highlights. The tour includes two nights in Dublin, three in Galway, two in Killarney, and a final night at the 13th-century Barberstown Castle Hotel. Highlights include an excursion to Inis Mór, a full-day exploration of the Ring of Kerry, a sheepdog demonstration, and a horse-drawn carriage ride through the countryside.
“For so many Perillo Tours guests, our trips are a way for them to experience their heritage,” said Perillo. “Over the last few years, we’ve seen an overwhelming interest from past guests in Ireland. Building off of our 80 years of operational expertise in Italy, we were able to build a memorable and immersive itinerary to Ireland, a destination equally rich in heritage.”
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The vast distances involved in travel in Australia mean we often must opt for beach over countryside or bush over surf when choosing a holiday.
But what if you could visit three iconic Australian landscapes in a mere six days?
Silky Oaks Lodge, the Daintree.
Luxury Lodges of Australia have come up with a series of 19 itineraries that combine two or more of their 20 lodges, making it possible for guests to experience more of the country in one trip.
And what an amazing country it is.
I’m onboard for one of the new itineraries, known as the Far North Queensland Trifecta, which combines stays at Silky Oaks Lodge, Mount Mulligan Lodge and Lizard Island. That’s the Daintree rainforest, outback Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef in one hit, connected by short flights and helicopter rides.
This itinerary starts in Cairns, where our small group is collected by air-conditioned van and driven past cane fields and shaded beaches to Silky Oaks Lodge, which sits on the Mossman River in the middle of one the world’s most ancient rainforests.
Lizard Island forms part of the Queensland Trifecta.
It’s the end of the wet season, and it’s still raining in heavy bursts, but that somehow makes being here even more special.
It’s a jungle out there and the lodge’s open-sided design in the main building and in the treehouse-style rooms immerses guests in the forest with the rapidly moving river whooshing by below. The heavy rain all night is more soothing than the green noise on a sleep app.
The rooms are little cottages featuring two decks, one with a hammock strung from corner to corner, the other with an open-air round stone bath. My River House is cool and super luxurious inside, but it’s nice even in the humidity (and mozzie attacks) to leave all the doors open. I’m thankful we don’t have native monkeys in Australia.
Daintree Pool.
When I step outside, everything is teeming with life. The majestic 180-million-year-old forest, under the custodianship of the Kuku Yulanji people, contains 18 per cent of the bird species found in Australia, 30 per cent of our frog, reptile and marsupial species, and 65 per cent of our bat and butterfly species.
Everything here is a celebration of the rainforest. There are walking trails throughout the property, taking you deeper into the jungle. (Lots of vines, prehistoric ferns and muddy paths.) Yoga is held each morning in a pavilion overlooking the river. Sundowners can be enjoyed on a sandy riverside beach or up in The Jungle Perch, a covered platform with an open bar.
Meals are served in the open-sided restaurant with cool fans circulating overhead. The chefs use local produce as much as possible, including plants, such as betel leaf, from the kitchen garden.
While there are many excursions beyond the lodge, including a guided cultural walk at Mossman Gorge, or sailing and snorkelling trips on the reef, I opt to spend my two days tucked away in the lush greenery, swimming in the lagoon-like pool, walking the damp trails and getting even more sticky with a massage in the aptly named Falling Waters Spa.
It’s only 30 minutes by helicopter to our next destination, Mount Mulligan Lodge, across the range in cattle territory. Unfortunately, it’s too stormy for the chopper, so we head back to Cairns and then take a Cessna ride through the clouds towards the north-west.
Mount Mulligan features an awe-inspiring 18-kilometre escarpment that’s 400 metres high, a spectacular wall of red sandstone that frames the lodge’s lily-covered weir and lawns. It’s five times larger than Uluru. The traditional owners, the Djungan people, believe the mountain is the sacred birthplace of the Rainbow Serpent.
Mount Mulligan’s red standstone cliffs tower above the lodge.
With its blue shadows and white-trunk gums, the view of the landscape from my suite looks like an Albert Namatjira painting.
The lodge is a vibrant green oasis at the end of the wet season. It will be dustier once the dry settles in, making it look more like Akubra and RM Williams country. The pastoral lease includes 2000 Brahmin cattle on 28 hectares.
While the lodge is separated from the cattle property, there are herds of amiable cattle on the roads when we venture out and bands of beautiful wild brumbies running through the bush. The cattle are there for breeding purposes only, which may be why they look so relaxed.
Soaking up the views, Mount Mulligan Lodge.
The lodge accommodates 28 guests in 14 elegant suites, all with wide verandahs facing the escarpment and weir. On each verandah there’s a daybed and a curved, corrugated iron bathtub, which is far more comfortable than it looks. There’s good Wi-Fi but no phone reception or TV, which is a blessing, as the bird calls are symphonic.
Each suite has its own gold electric golf cart, which is handy for driving uphill to the corrugated iron shed where guests gather for sundowners each night. The resort by necessity mostly runs on solar, with strict sustainability practices that don’t impinge on the luxury. The main pavilion is constructed with ironbark timber salvaged from Pyrmont Bay Wharf in Sydney.
Fine dining (occasionally under a blanket of stars) is part of the experience. There’s a nose-to-tail philosophy in the kitchen, with butchery done in-house, and produce comes from the rich nearby Atherton Tablelands and seafood from the coast and river.
Guests can go “barrayaking” on the weir (taking a kayak to catch barramundi), drive ATVs through the bush, or follow signposted trails to hike around the property.
Beyond the lodge’s gates, the bush is rich with remnants from the history of mining in the region. In safari trucks we drive out one day with guide Nieve to visit the abandoned Tyrconnel gold mine in what was once the town of Thornborough. Established briefly during the gold rush of 1876-77, Thornborough once had 22 pubs. Now there’s only one resident left.
Mount Mulligan itself was a prosperous coal mining town in 1910 but an inestimable tragedy, an underground explosion at the mine in 1921, killed 75 of the town’s workers, including children. It’s now a ghost town with a single chimney stack and some vegetation-covered ruins. The old hospital houses the lodge’s staff.
Pool time at Mount Mulligan Lodge.Suppliec
Only when we depart from a paddock and fly over the escarpment en route to Lizard Island does the vastness of the territory really strike home. Our single-engine jet flies into a storm, and we’re thrust into another kind of landscape altogether – a skyscape of turbulent clouds in shades of grey and black.
Landing on Lizard Island an hour later is a relief. The clouds have departed and the waters around the Great Barrier Reef are clearest azure. Captain Cook passed by in 1770 and gave the island its name, but the local Guugu Yimithirr people thought it looked like a stingray. It does from the air.
Salute the sun with morning yoga.
Apart from the island staff greeting us with a White Lotus wave, there are, unsurprisingly, 11 species of lizards on the island, as well as flying foxes and 40 species of birds, including pretty yellow-bellied sunbirds and sea eagles.
Lizard island was designated a national park in 1939. The resort, established 50 years ago, sits on the north-western side, on a long sandy strip of Anchor Bay, one of several white beaches etched into the coves of the island.
The House, Lizard Island.
There’s a beach club for water sports, a small spa with pool, and a breezy pavilion holding the Relais & Chateaux-listed Salt Water Restaurant and Driftwood Bar. At one end of the beach sits the famous Marlin Bar, the only public bar on the island. At the other end, high on a promontory, sits The House, a multi-room villa favoured by celebrities such as Katy Perry and Bill Gates.
I’m in a Beachfront Suite which, as the name suggests, is a few steps across a lawn from the sand. It’s a spacious, cool beach house in white and stone colours in chic Aussie style. A substantial verandah has a daybed and dining table positioned to frame the water and palm trees.
Lizard Island sashimi.
We’re 40 kilometres from the Queensland coast here, and it’s prime diving and snorkelling territory in the coral gardens below. There are about 4000 individual reefs on the Great Barrier Reef and 15 of them lie just off Lizard Island.
David Attenborough has said this is one of his favourite places on the planet, and you can see why. The Reef has amazing biodiversity and beauty including approximately 1600 species of fish, more than 350 types of hard corals and 4000 mollusc species. Giant clams and Green Sea turtles are found in the waters around the island.
On a sunset cruise one evening, a large tawny nurse shark circles the back of the boat. They don’t bite, apparently. No one wants to jump in and test this.
But it seems our last iconic landscape on the trifecta is the one most threatened. Regular bleaching incidents and major outbreaks of the venomous Crown of Thorns starfish are decimating the corals.
Meet Lizard Island’s locals.
The Australian Museum founded its Lizard Island Research Station in 1973, and it has hosted thousands of international scientists and researchers over the years, who work in laboratories on the facility.
Guests can visit the centre, which lies along a rough track a 10-minute drive from the resort reception. A maximum of 35 scientists are there at any one time, doing groundbreaking work such as the selective breeding of corals to resist the warmth of climate-change affected waters.
Co-directors Dr Emily Howells and Dr David Abrego are custodians of the reef and on hand to explain their work to guests. Howells admits she often rides the wave of despair about the health of the reef.
“If we don’t get our act together, we’ll see more natural disasters,” Abrego warns. “But we said that about the ozone layer and we got results. It’s about the will of the people making decisions.”
But, in good news for everyone, including snorkelling guests, “there is still lots of beautiful reef around”, Howells says.
The details
Stay For information on the North Queensland Trifecta, a suggested three nights at each of the three lodges. See luxurylodgesofaustralia.com.au
Silky Oaks Lodge from $1400 a night per suite; Mount Mulligan Lodge from $1795 a night per suite; and Lizard Island from $2516 a night. Plus transfers.
The writer was a guest of Luxury Lodges of Australia and Tourism Events Queensland.
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Lee Tulloch – Lee is a best-selling novelist, columnist, editor and writer. Her distinguished career stretches back more than three decades, and includes 12 years based between New York and Paris. Lee specialises in sustainable and thoughtful travel.Connect via email.
