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Crooked Compass

Name: Crooked Compass
Address: Sydney, NSW, 2000, AU
Telephone: +611300855790
Rating: 4.2

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Crooked Compass

We lead sophisticated travellers into the raw truth of frontier cultures. We design immersive, perspective-shifting journeys in ultra-small groups.
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No mainstream tours. Genuine cultural immersion and unmatched local expertise in regions. Wanderlust: a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world. Crooked Compass - brimming with unique travel experiences, stories, knowledge, travel tips and insiders guides to lesser known haunts. Founded by Lisa Pagotto, a world traveller, writer, photographer, tour leader and a girl

who can't keep still. Lisa's passion inspires and encourages those who are looking to pack their bags and take a step towards creating their own adventures, whether you are a first time traveller or an experienced jet-setter. Gather travel inspiration through Crooked Compass' journeys and recommendations and add those intriguing destinations and experiences to your bucket list - many you may never knew existed. Allow ideas to be injected and fuelled in your mind as your feet grow ever itchier. To travel is to live... Dream, Explore, Discover.

30/05/2026

A collision of Silk Road fables and Soviet grit. The cobalt domes of Uzbekistan meet the high altitude silence of the Kyrgyz jailoos.

This is Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The Blue Cities: Uzbekistan is a tangle of history. Cyans and sapphire mosaics. We uncover the sites hidden from the typical map, moving through the steps of Persian empires and the weight of the Soviet era.

The Wild Pastures: In Kyrgyzstan, stone turns to craggy ridges and rolling summer pastures. You will soak in mountain scapes that are joyously unspoilt, moving alongside semi-nomadic shepherds who still call the yurts home. We veer off the path to villages where the only traffic is a flock of sheep and witness a spectacular eagle hunting display. Meet these magnificent creatures and the eagle training families.

This is a journey to enrich the soul.
2026 and 2027 tours available.

See the full itinerary for this tour: https://www.crooked-compass.com/tour/uzbekistan-kyrgyzstan/

29/05/2026

Exchange the finished maps of the modern world for the visceral reality of the Silk Road.

Here are 6 reasons to follow the original footsteps of Marco Polo.

1. The Living Ruins: You will walk through Jiaohe Ancient City. It is not a reconstructed site. It is a perfect ruin of earth buildings from thousands of years ago.

2. The Uighur Table: You will sit for a traditional dinner in a local home, sharing stories and flavours that have been passed down through generations of Uighur families.

3. The Unrestored Wall: We trek on sections of the Great Wall that remain unrestored. It is just you, the stone, and the sheer scale of human ambition.

4. The Cave of Scriptures: The Mogao Grottoes are not just art. They are a library of the soul. With 50,000 scriptures and priceless sculptures, to this day, it is one of the most significant cultural discoveries on earth.

5. The Desert Oasis: Crescent Lake sits in the middle of shifting dunes, a defiant sliver of blue in a world of gold. It is an outstanding sight that has sustained travellers for centuries.

6. The Hutong Soul: We take a deep dive into the local life of Beijing with a foodie walk through the hutongs. Enjoy traditional local dishes from other parts of China.

A journey to awaken your senses. Limited 2026 availability. 2027 availability now open.

Follow Marco Polo footsteps, click below.
https://www.crooked-compass.com/tour/following-marco-polo/

27/05/2026

Michele Garner recently returned from the stillness of Nepal with a story that settled into her for good. It is a rare privilege to witness a destination move from a place on a map to a part of a soul.

Thank you, Michele, for your recount.

"I have just returned from a Crooked Compass tour of Nepal. I cannot give enough praise and thanks for the experience. It was THE BEST travelling experience I have ever had. From a welcome letter from Lisa, to the most beautiful, friendly, caring, flexible, knowledgeable and kind tour guide, Hari Sitaula, the other Crooked Compass staff that looked after us, and I could not have planned a better tour of Nepal - so many places, transfers so well organised and accommodation 5 star all the way!!!
THANK-YOU, Dhan ya bhad and Namaste."

— Michele Garner
🌍 Nepal

Explore the full details of this Nepal tour here: https://www.crooked-compass.com/tour/soul-nepal/

25/05/2026

What happens to a nation when the source of its incredible wealth simply disappears?

Nauru is one of the smallest and most controversial islands on the planet. It is a deep dive into human resilience and the layers of history left behind by German and Japanese occupations.

Here is why this Pacific micro nation is unlike anywhere else on earth.
🌑 The Skeletal Hills: We explore the old mining site known as Topside. It is a landscape of piercing limestone pinnacles left behind from the phosphate era. Standing here feels like walking across the surface of a different planet.

🕯️ The Ghost Relics: We travel into the lush jungle to find hidden bunkers and secret caves. These are raw remains from WWII, strangled by undergrowth and left exactly where the conflict ended.

👣 The Full Circle: Nauru is so small that you can hike the entire perimeter of the country in a single day. There is a strange, grounding power in walking the borders of an entire nation before the sun sets.

🐠 The Coral Ring: The island is a pancake of green ringed by a pristine reef. Snorkelling in these waters is a reminder that while the land has been through turmoil, the sea remains untouched and timeless.

📖 The Human Story: This is an educational experience. You will hear from a generation that lived through the Pacific War and understand the weight of the modern controversies that have shaped Nauru’s path.

Empowering. Educational. Diverse. A tour that surpasses expectations.

Private tour only. Link below for details.
https://www.crooked-compass.com/tour/nauru-micro-nation/

22/05/2026

Some feedback says it all.

We are grateful to receive this thoughtful message from Carolyne and Shaun who travelled with us on our 2025 Founder’s Tour. Their journey speaks to the depth of experience that comes from travelling with Lisa Pagotto, our Founder, and a team who truly knows these remote and extraordinary parts of the world.

Thank you Shaun for sharing such considered reflections on your time across Mongolia’s Eagle Festival and Kazakhstan.

"Carolyne and I had the fortune to travel with Crooked Compass and its founder, Lisa Pagotto to the Mongolian Eagle Festival and then to Kazakhstan in September 2025. We can only heap praise on Lisa to her and her local team. Her knowledge and expertise in working in remote, off beat and 'in the middle of nowhere' places around the world is quite obvious. Likewise, the local team she assembled were magnificent. The information provided pre-travel was comprehensive. The running of the tour was smooth and without incident. Lisa and her people provided a once in a lifetime experience, which is what Crooked Compass provides with such ease. We will be travelling with Lisa in the future and highly recommended to others."

- Shaun O’Rielley
🌍 Mongolia & Kazakhstan Tour

Mongolia and Kazakhstan tours available. Click below. https://www.crooked-compass.com/mongolia/

20/05/2026

Could you live a single day without a screen?

We often talk about progress as if it is an objective win. Yet in the hills of Odisha, progress looks like a threat.

We designed this journey for the travellers who want to see and traditional and tribal side of India, many have never even heard of or seen. It is a tribute to the original spirit of discovery.

Here is why we go to the heart of indigenous India.
1. The Resistance. You will sit with the Bonda and Dongria Kondh tribes. These are people who have looked at modern technology and simply said no. It is not a lack of opportunity. It is a deliberate choice to remain connected to people and culture.

2. The Exchange. We live in a community guest house for two nights. You might help with the cooking, teach the children, or work the rice paddies alongside families who have farmed this soil for centuries.

3. The Stars. A night spent on Chilika Lake. Just a boat, the water, and a sky that hasn't been dimmed by city lights.

4. The Soul. Standing before the Konark Sun Temple, with stone carved from the 13th century.

This part of India is reserved for twelve of you.

Your journey to India starts now.

Access the full itinerary: https://www.crooked-compass.com/tour/tribes-of-odisha/

18/05/2026

Mongolia in the deep freeze is for those who want to see the world at its most uncompromising. Here is why we venture into the Northern Taiga in winter.

🦌 The Tsaatan Connection: We cross the frozen Lake Khuvsgal into the Darkhad Depression. It is a two day gathering of the Tsaatan tribes and their herds of reindeer. You will sit in their tipis and learn about a life centred entirely on the spiritual connection to the reindeer herds.

🧊 The Glass Lake: The Khuvsgal Ice Festival is a photographer’s dream. Horse sled races.. Ice sculptures carved with precision over hundreds of hours. It is a sacred tradition held on a surface that feels like another planet.

🚂 The Iron Path: The journey back to Ulaanbaatar is not a flight. It is an overnight passage on the Trans Siberian Railway. Watching the frozen steppe roll past from the warmth of a carriage is a meditation in itself.

🐕 The Frozen Steppe: In Terelj National Park, we swap the train for the sled. Dog sledding across the white terrain is the purest way to feel the scale of this country. It is the exhilaration of the hunt without the chase.

Only for 12 people. Limited 2027 spots. 2028 spots now available.

Read the full winter itinerary, click below.
https://www.crooked-compass.com/tour/winter-mongolia-reindeer-ice-festival/ #6

15/05/2026

These Founder’s Tours will awaken your senses.
Two tours, Lisa personally guiding each. Journeys designed to be life-changing.

1. Bangladesh and Bhutan in 2027: See the floating markets of Banaripara and the ruins of Panam Nagar. Encounters with water gypsies and hill tribes. The tea gardens of Sreemangal. Bhutan’s Chizhi Gompa Festival and the Tiger’s Nest trek. Butter lamp ceremonies and hot stone baths. Exclusive private dining in breathtaking locations.

2. The Last High Kingdoms in 2028: Access the remote, former forbidden Kingdom of Mustang. Bespoke cultural residency at Shinta Mani Mustang. Private village and 800 year old Bon encounters. Sunrise tea ceremony at sacred Yamdrok Lake. The raw truth of forests and lakes in Nyingchi. Tibetan healing and high altitude wellness. Exclusive dining in culturally significant settings.

Each tour is limited to 12 people and will not be repeated.

Two Founder’s tours, limited availability.
Secure your spot, click the link here: https://www.crooked-compass.com/product-category/founders-tours/

13/05/2026

When a journey reveals both the expected highlights and the unexpected moments that leave a lasting impression, it becomes truly memorable. Louise Wright shared these reflections after exploring Rajasthan with us, and we are grateful to have been part of an experience filled with colour, energy, and discovery!

"My sisters and I did a private tour of Rajastan with Crooked Compass in March 2026. We knew it was going to be amazing but it surpassed expectations. Seeing the Taj Mahal in person was incredible and experiencing Holi festival in Mathura was an unexpected highlight!
We were blown away by the colour, chaos and beauty of this part of India."

— Louise Wright
🌍 India

Explore our India tours below.
https://www.crooked-compass.com/tour/rural-rajasthan/

11/05/2026

I have spent my life chasing the feeling of being genuinely lost - lost in culture and lost in wonder.

I built our Founder’s Tour, The Last High Kingdoms because I needed to showcase that places like that still existed, and they do, now I’m offering this to you to join me.

In February 2028, we start in the forbidden Kingdom of Mustang. We will stay at Shinta Mani, a design-led luxury retreat set against raw Himalayan terrain. You will even sit with the 11th recorded practitioner of SoRig Tibetan medicine to learn what the modern world has forgotten.
We then enter Lubra, an 800-year-old settlement, and the last stronghold of the ancient Bon tradition, an ancient spiritual practice.

Then we cross into Tibet. Private access to the Potala Palace with scholars who know every shadow. Think of a tea ceremony at Yamdrok Lake, 4,000 metres up, where the only sound is the wind and clack of yaks hooves.

We are even heading into Far Eastern Tibet, to Nyingchi. It is a world of deep forests and sacred lakes, that remain untouched by mainstream tourism.

This is a founder's journey. I am taking twelve people. Twelve. No more. This tour will not be offered again.

If you have been looking for a reason to feel something real again, join me. Limited availability, only 2028.

Secure your spot for this tour.
Click below. https://www.crooked-compass.com/tour/founders-tour-last-high-kingdoms/ #6

Address

Sydney, NSW
2000

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday	9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	9am - 5:30pm
Thursday	9am - 5:30pm
Friday	9am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+611300855790

Website

http://www.crooked-compass.com/

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