Adventure travel can take you to epic locations and unveil amazing views, but undoubtedly, one of the biggest draws of planning an adventure vacation is the resilience and self-confidence you build while facing the challenges that arise on the journey. That doesn’t mean you have to encounter those challenges all on your own. Traveling with vetted, local guides can level up your adventure travel experience in so many ways. Here are the top 5 reasons I will always opt to adventure with a local guide.
1. Local guides know the area.
When you hire a local guide through a reputable travel service, like Authentica Travel and Dive, your trip will be led by a knowledgeable, caring fellow-adventurer. Most adventure travelers are exploring a place for the first time. Even if you are returning to a place for a 2nd or 3rd time, you still aren’t an expert on the location you are visiting. Local guides are. They are experienced at navigating the area and advising about gear needs for the day ahead. They can provide alternative routes or locations in case of inclement weather.
When you are self-guided, even if you follow a well-planned itinerary, that won’t always take into account the unexpected changes that arise at the last minute. Local guides are networked with other guides and locals in the area. This network helps them to give you, their client, the best experience. Their priority is to make sure you are safe and that you have a good time.
I was so thankful for our experienced local guide, Fernando, on our recent trip to complete the Tour du Mont Blanc in the Alps. Reservations for accommodations have to be made nearly a full year in advance so once your plans are made for this trip, it’s difficult to make last minute changes.
When weather and dangerous trail conditions scrapped a day’s hike to the next refugio, Fernando came up with a solution that was safe and satisfying. He arranged transport to the next location in the late afternoon, and rather than scrubbing the day of hiking altogether, he knew of a local trail that would be challenging and beautiful.
Could we have come up with a similar solution by ourselves? Maybe. But figuring it all out would have eaten up a good chunk of the day, possibly eliminating the ability to do the day hike. Fernando was quickly able to come up with a solution and put it in motion because he knew the area and the local services so well.
2. Local guides give you peace of mind.
Knowing that a local guide has got the logistics handled, you can relax into your enjoyment of the adventure and focus on your own personal safety. You can simply go where the guide tells you to go and bring what they tell you to bring.
With this mental load off your plate, your mind is free to take in the sights and sounds without being preoccupied with logistical details. Our guide on a dive trip to the Galapagos, Paulo, offered me this peace of mind. It was my first time diving in this area so the environment was pretty new to me.
The water was colder than I was used to and the currents were strong. The conditions had me feeling disoriented and stressed. I was thankful to have Paulo with us. I didn’t have to worry about navigating or spotting the wildlife I had traveled so far to see. I knew Paulo had my back, so I could calm myself down, adjust to the water conditions and just do the dive. This was his playground, so he was completely at ease, and that confidence gave me confidence too. He easily spotted sea life and directed our attention so that we could see it too.
Going to new places when adventure traveling is a huge part of the appeal but it can also be a significant stressor when there are so many unknowns. Adventuring with a local guide can minimize the impact of the anxiety you encounter during these new experiences.
For many travelers, facing the unknown is part of the appeal of an adventure vacation. They enjoy figuring things out on their own and making decisions as conditions arise. Even so, I’m a strong advocate of doing adventure travel with a guide, even if you feel you don’t “need” the support of a local expert. The experience will just be richer if you go with someone who has the kind of intimate and thorough knowledge of a place that a good guide will have.
3. Local guides offer an insider’s experience.
When you hire a local guide, you’ll feel more a part of the local culture because you are experiencing it WITH a local. They understand the customs of the local communities and will advise you on the most respectful ways to interact. From pointing out the best coffee shop to finding the dive spot where you’re most likely to encounter sharks, guides have the local knowledge that adventure travelers seek. A good local guide will be able to give you the scoop.
While hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc, one of our group members mentioned how she would love to swim in an Alpine river or lake. Every river we encountered on the trail was running too high and rough for us to take a dip. Our guide, Fernando, didn't forget, though.
On the last full day of hiking, he offered us the option of going to a swimming spot that was not on the route. We jumped at the opportunity. We followed him through a neighborhood to a clearing where we could safely dip into the glacier-fed river. He even guided us to a nearby cafe where we purchased a cold beer to take with us. Sipping a beer in the sunshine and then plunging into the icy river water was a highlight of the trip. Without Fernando, we would have never known about that swimming hole.
More than just being in the know, local guides love the place they are guiding you through. Often, they believe their life’s mission is to help people deeply experience the place that they call home. They treasure the place and they want to share that with others.
4. Local guides teach you about the place you are exploring.
Guides simply make the experience better by enriching the daily activities with loads of information. Most often, local guides are people who recreate in the places where they lead groups. They are outdoor adventurers themselves and they spend their free time exploring the place for their own enjoyment.
They eat, sleep, and breathe the places where they guide. They have a personal interest in learning all they can about the nature and wildlife of where they work because it’s where they play too. Guides have intimate knowledge of the natural world around them. They are walking encyclopedias of the place you are traveling to, so naturally your experience is significantly enhanced by adventuring with a local guide.
If you ask questions about mountain peaks you see in the distance on a trail, they’ll know the names and have probably explored them too. If you want to spot wildlife, they’ll tell you what you might see and where to look. If you see a memorial on a mountain pass, they’ll know the whole story about the memorial and will tell you all about it while you are standing at the spot. That kind of in-the-moment information creates poignant memories on a trail or on a dive.
While diving the Turneffe Atoll in Belize, the abundant sea life amazed everyone in my group. We were so excited by it all and when we took a lunch break on the boat, we couldn’t stop chattering about all the beautiful creatures we saw.
Our guide, Rueben, entertained all our questions. He knew everything! I mentioned a yellow fish with a stripe that I saw. He knew exactly what fish it was. He described what it looked like as a juvenile and as an adult. He knew what markings indicated a male adult as opposed to a female. He described the mating habits and when they spawn. He communicated the information with such awe and spirit that it stoked my excitement even more.
Adventuring with local guides brings heightened energy to an experience because they know so much more about the place than you do, and they educate you about it, on the spot, with passion.
5. Local guides are integral to protecting natural places.
It’s important to know that many places adventure travelers are drawn to are also precious to the local community. These places may have historical significance, are a sensitive ecosystem, or provide a valuable natural resource to the community. With the increased interest in adventure vacations, many of these places are now protected by the local governments.
Part of that protection often includes the REQUIREMENT that you only travel with a credentialed local guide. Before making adventure travel plans, check to see if your destination has such a requirement. If it does, then you have no choice but to hire a guide to lead you.
If a guide is not required, I still encourage travelers to hire a guiding service. They will alert you to sensitive plants and animals in the area and how you can protect them. When you have to use the bathroom and there aren’t facilities, they can recommend spots and practices that will make the least impact. They will remind people about leave no trace principles and will also have rubbish solutions if anyone in the group is unprepared to pack it out.
Because guides live in those communities, because they recreate there, because they love the place, they will do what they can to make sure their group does very little to harm the environment. Travelers often cause harm because of ignorance, not malice, so guides help to keep natural places pristine by educating their groups. Using a local guide for your adventure travel excursions will help ensure that you are not part of the problem threatening so many of our precious natural spaces.
How to find a good local guide
Selecting the right guide for your trip is critical. You want a local guide who is knowledgeable, caring, encouraging, and accommodating. At Authentica Travel and Dive, we carefully vet our guides to ensure our clients have an experience of a lifetime. If you’re looking for a far-away active vacation with the best local guides available, contact us to book a trip today.
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