July 12, 2020

I recognized something profound when I traveled throughout Asia and India as a newly-minted college graduate who, previously, had barely ventured outside the Midwest. It’s something that has stayed with me all these years and has become an integral part of the WOW! Travel Club ethos.

That life-defining adventure helped me see past differences of language, customs, food, and circumstance. I saw people who, by accident of birth, had little “stuff” by our standards, but who had big, loving hearts. I didn’t then know where my career path would lead, or how I could possibly help. But some years after I started designing group travel programs – at the first opportunity – I gradually began to infuse itineraries with opportunities for purposeful connection.

I researched local NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that were making a difference; grassroots organizations that provided micro-loans, literacy and skills training, health services, and many other creative services to support and uplift their citizens. I located local “characters” who could teach us to start a fire with sticks, to milk a cow, to harvest olives, and to have some sort of hands-on experience of what life is really like at that destination. One way or the other, I’d find ways to include connections with the people of a place, in addition to the obvious geographic and cultural attractions.

There are many labels for it: conscious travel, eco travel, philanthropic travel, experiential travel, transformational travel, etc. Whatever the term, we’ve been doing it for years without much thought for what to call it!

One of my all-time favorite journeys was one I organized to Vietnam on behalf of Dining for Women. We learned that the culture of Vietnam is dismissive of single mothers. Regardless of whether the father died, divorced, or abandoned his family, the mother is left largely on her own to make ends meet. Patriarchy is rampant, and without help, it’s unlikely she’ll ever escape systemic poverty … nor will her kids. Our visit was poignant and powerful for all of us, and for the women, too.

The connections bonded our group of travelers, many of whom forged lifelong friendships. A few now serve as Board Members for the NGO, Children of Vietnam, and many are generous donors and active fund-raisers to this wonderful organization.

Our WOW! Travel Club journeys aren’t only philanthropic. But almost all our trips have this as part of the experience. Travel, at its best, is returning home with more than a suitcase full of souvenirs. It’s also returning home with a full heart because you made a difference.

The trend is to give it a name: conscious travel; eco travel; philanthropy; transformational travel. All that’s fine. We’ve been doing it for years without much thought for what to call it. Whatever you want to call it, here’s some examples of the kind of experiences I love to create for my WOWees:

Connecting with the Locals

Destinations Done Different

As a Murphy, naturally I love Ireland. But most itineraries visit the same-old, same-old places: Dublin, Killarney and the Blarney Stone in between. There is SO much more to experience, especially in the lesser visited parts of western Ireland.

Learning Done Different

We try to explain the history of a place in a more creative and memorable way than visiting a dusty museum or listening to a tour guide drone on and on …

I’ve often spoken about one of the most incredible journeys I’ve ever had the privilege to experience – and share with my WOW! Travel Club. To the Baja Peninsula, the Sea of Cortez, and Magdalena Bay – where Gray Whales give birth every winter before the 5,000 mile migration back to the Arctic. Absolutely magical!

Absolutely WOW!  (You gotta watch this video – it still gives me goosebumps!)

 

Choosing Local

We make important choices with every trip we design. Local guides, local transportation, and local accommodations. In Mumbai, for example, we work with a wonderful company that trains young people from the slums as guides. In Botswana, when we finished kayaking the Zambezi River, a group of girls from an orphanage serenaded us from the riverbank. In Cuba, we visited a rural school and read a story to the children. These inclusions often take some digging and extra research, but it’s more satisfying for us and for our travelers.

We also do our best ensure our visits make as little negative impact as possible. As a foreign visitor, you can never have no impact, but we are mindful that a visit from a group like ours requires resources on their part. We do our best to minimize our intrusion, and we always gratefully contribute to their project or community.

Travel will resume one day. I hope you’ll carefully consider the impact – both on you and the people you visit. When you travel with WOW, you’ll experience travel as a force for good. Supporting the communities and causes, fostering two-way understanding, and giving back with gratitude to our wondrous world, and for the opportunity to explore her. Please – join us!