Experience Cultural Connections
Perhaps you read about the Huli people of Papua New Guinea in National Geographic. Or maybe you saw a special segment on TV about the Masai of Kenya and Tanzania. Whatever the medium for your interest in unique and exotic cultures, traveling to interact with them is no longer an unattainable dream. Today as travel around the globe gets easier and more far-away destinations are becoming accessible, we have the unique opportunity to visit, interact with, and learn from the exotic peoples we once only saw through magazines or the television. Journey Your Way can plan the ultimate cultural connection vacation to bring you up close and personal with many of these indigenous peoples around the globe. Here are some examples that may inspire your next Cultural Connection vacation experience.
Experience the Huli of Papua New Guinea
The Huli people are indigenous to the Hela province of the South Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea and count more than 300,000 in number. Huli men are commonly known for their tribal decorative woven wigs and headdresses crafted by specially trained Huli Wigmen.
Experience the Kazakhs of Kazakhstan
The Kazakhs are a Turkic ethnic group indigenous to the Ural mountains and northern parts of Central Asia, the area today known mostly as Kazakhstan, and as far east as extreme western China. They are a nomadic people that live in mobile huts called Yurts that migrated seasonally with their livestock.
Experience the Rabari of India
The Rabari are an indigenous tribal caste of nomadic cattle & camel herders that live throughout northwest India. The word Rabari translates to outsiders, fairly describing their status in Indian society. The exact origin of the Rabari is unknown. Most likely they migrated to India from Iran 1000 years ago.
Experience the Loba of Nepal
The small tribe of Loba people live in northern Tibet typically at altitudes of 12,000 feet or higher in an area surrounded by China that was mostly inaccessible until the early 1990’s. The Loba are mostly farmers, herders & some merchants that live in stone homes and practice Buddhism as their religion.
Experience the Gauchos of Argentina
These skilled horsemen, the Gauchos of Argentina, and parts of Brazil & Uruguay, are greatly admired for their bravery & skill. Gauchos are often referred to as the South American cowboy and are trained very young to master the horse. They are known for their heavy woolen ponchos they use to survive harsh winters.
Experience the Maasai of Kenya & Tanzania
More than a million Massai live in a large area of northern Tanzania and southern Kenya in an area popular with game parks used by many in the west for Safari vacations. Many Maasai tribes throughout Tanzania and Kenya welcome visits to their villages to experience their culture, traditions, and lifestyle, in return for a fee.
Experience the Karen of Myanmar & Thailand
The Karen tribe of Burma has suffered under the military rule of Myanmar for decades and many thousands have fled to nearby Thailand. The Karen people are a mix of Buddhist and Christian and consider the nuclear family of utmost importance. They are mostly farmers with rice as a prime staple.
Experience the Himba of Namibia
The Himba are an indigenous tribal people of about 50,000 residing primarily in the Kunene region of western Namibia, an arid region becoming more popular with western travelers for game visits. The Himba are semi-nomadic laborers where the women and girls generally performing more work than the men.
Experience the Hmong of Vietnam & Laos
The Hmong, an indigenous people thought to have found roots in China about 5,000 years ago, have over the centuries migrated south to Laos and northern Vietnam. Their clans continue to survive and some thrive in this region of Southeast Asia, having been able to assimilate as needed to local cultures.
Experience the Quechua of Peru
Quechua people refers to all speakers of the Quechua languages, which originated among the indigenous people of South America, mostly in Peru. The Quechua are sometimes still persecuted in different parts of South America. They are known for their colorful traditional costume and their bowler hats.
Experience the Aboriginals of Australia
Aboriginals, one of two indigenous peoples of Australia, existed here long before British colonization. Archaeological evidence points to more than 50,000 years of history for the people. There are almost a million Aboriginals in Australia broken up into many regional groups that are increasingly integrated into modern society.
Experience the Maori of the South Pacific
