Native Eye Travel

Native Eye Travel Native Eye - Experts in the Unusual

Native Eye offers cutting edge group and private trips to some of the world's most unusual destinations, from tribal encounters in hidden corners of Africa, to groundbreaking and unique journeys through the vast steppes of Asia.

We've been seeing a bit of a surge in interest for Turkmenistan in recent weeks. By far the quirkiest of the Central Asi...
02/06/2026

We've been seeing a bit of a surge in interest for Turkmenistan in recent weeks. By far the quirkiest of the Central Asian 'stans', Turkmenistan can often be overlooked - it doesn't have the exquisite Silk Road architecture of Uzbekistan or the wild mountainous landscapes of Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan, that one might associate with the region.

What it does have, though, is a wealth of unique attractions that you won't find elsewhere. The capital city Ashgabat is awash with white marble and rather odd monuments, yet often seems virtually empty. Further afield the flaming crater of Darwaza provides stunning views against the night sky, while elsewhere you can find ancient dinosaur footprints embedded in the rock or spend the night camping in multi-coloured canyons.

Away from the cities you'll find pilgrims making their way to saintly shrines, small communities eking an existence in the Kara Kim desert, the remnants of long dead civilisations at Gonur Tepe and Merv, and arcane pagan traditions buried not so far beneath the surface.

We include Turkmenistan in some of our multi-country trips in Central Asia, but for a more in-depth experience spend two weeks exploring the country in our Total Turkmenistan tour. The next departure is in September, and if this sounds like your kind of place, you can see the full details here:

https://nativeeyetravel.com/itineraries/total-turkmenistan/

Something of a hidden gem, Tunisia has much more to offer than the beach, and is quietly becoming more popular among tra...
22/05/2026

Something of a hidden gem, Tunisia has much more to offer than the beach, and is quietly becoming more popular among travellers.

Step away from the coastal resorts and Tunisia is home to some spectacular archaeological sites, from the enormous amphitheatre at El Jem to ancient Carthage, once the centre of a civilisation that challenged Roman for dominance of the Mediterranean.

In Kairouan and Tunis you'll find bustling medinas and vibrant souks - Kairouan is also considered the fourth holiest city of Islam, founded in the 7th century after the Arab invasion of North Africa. Heading further south the country turns into desert, with Berber villages hidden among the date plantations and rocks. Here you can see the extraordinary granaries of Tataouine and the troglodyte dwellings of Matmata, and the mighty dunes of Douz, the gateway to the Sahara.

Off the coast lies Djerba - the legendary 'land of the lotus eaters' of Greek mythology, and home to one of North Africa's most important synagogues, as well as pretty white washed mosques and forts.

Add to this the beautiful blue and white village of Sidi Bou Said, the traditional villages of En Negueb and some of Africa's best museums, and you've got to wonder why more people haven't discovered its charms.

Here are some images from our most recent trip. Our next group tour runs in September, with full details via the link below:
https://nativeeyetravel.com/itineraries/tunisia-explorer/

Photos: Ellen Golden

We've just finished the spring departures of our Algerian Odyssey tour, exploring Africa's largest country from the Medi...
20/05/2026

We've just finished the spring departures of our Algerian Odyssey tour, exploring Africa's largest country from the Mediterranean to the Sahara.

If you’ve travelled through Morocco or Tunisia before you’ll find some similarities but a lot of differences. For one, Algeria receives nowhere near the number of visitors of its neighbours and you won’t find the crowds of Marrakech here.

What you will find is a genuine welcome from local people, who treat you as a guest rather than a customer, and are truly pleased to meet you. Despite the myriad amazing sights to be found here, our travellers consistently say that meeting Algerian people, in the souqs, in the safes, in the casbah, is one of their favourite experiences. There’s not the pushy sales patter or jaded indifference that you can find in some places, that see thousands of tourists each week.

This spills over into the sites. Algeria has some world class archaeological sites, from the Numidian, Roman and Phoenician eras and beyond. Anywhere else and you’d be jostling for a position. Here you’re likely to have them to yourself.

Deep in the Sahara you’ll see isolated villages, their mud brick houses built from the desert earth, surrounded by date plantations and looking the same as they have for hundreds of years (well, except the electricity cables…!). Far away from the modern cities of the coast, the Sahara is a snapshot into a bygone age, its sacred shrines, mosques and weekly markets the centre of daily life. And of course, beyond the villages, vast dunes, salt lakes and oases beckon.

We began running trips here in 2017. Back then, you’d be lucky to see one other group of tourists during your entire stay. Algeria’s now becoming more popular, and definitely on the radar for more adventurous travellers, but still feels like the forgotten corner of North Africa – despite its enormous size.

We’ll return there after the heat of the North African summer abates. If you fancy joining us, check out our Algeria tours via the link below:
https://nativeeyetravel.com/destination/africa/algeria-holidays-tours/

Photos: Robin Mayes, Brita Askey, Michaela Tart.

The Danakil Depression is one of the most extraordinary landscapes on Earth - a place where geology, anthropology, and h...
18/05/2026

The Danakil Depression is one of the most extraordinary landscapes on Earth - a place where geology, anthropology, and human history converge in dramatic fashion.

Located in northeastern Ethiopia near the borders of Eritrea and Djibouti, the Danakil sits at the junction of three tectonic plates that are slowly pulling apart. This immense geological activity has created one of the hottest, lowest, and most visually surreal environments on the planet: vast salt flats, sulphur springs, lava fields, and hydrothermal landscapes unlike anywhere else on the planet.

Among its many wonders is Erta Ale, one of the world’s few continuously active lava lakes, and Dallol, a remarkable spot where mineral-rich hot springs create vivid formations of yellow, green, orange, and white across the desert floor.

But the Danakil is much more than a geological curiosity. For centuries - and likely far longer - this region has been home to the Afar people, whose culture and camel caravan traditions have adapted to one of the harshest environments imaginable. The Afar region is also one of the most important locations in the history of human evolution. Fossils discovered here, including the famous 3.2-million-year-old “Lucy”, have transformed our understanding of where we came from and how early humans evolved.

We visit the Danakil Depression in conjunction with Djibouti, also home to some incredible scenery - the towers of Lac Abbe and the shimmering salt lake of Lac Assal. There's also the option to continue on to Somaliland, to see the amazing rock art at Las Geel and explore the markets of Hargeisa and the Ottoman era architecture of Berbera.

Our November 2026 departure is confirmed to run, and if this sounds like your kind of adventure, you can see the details via the link below:
https://nativeeyetravel.com/itineraries/djibouti-the-danakil-depression-somaliland/

Due to a cancellation, we have one space available on our Central Africa Encompassed tour in February 2027, with both th...
14/05/2026

Due to a cancellation, we have one space available on our Central Africa Encompassed tour in February 2027, with both the November 2026 and March 2027 trips being full.

Covering some of the more 'challenging' parts of the continent, we visit Central African Republic, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Republic of Congo (with an extension to DRC). Along the way we see thundering waterfalls, spend time with a pygmy community, see the incredible Bwiti ceremony, visit a chimpanzee sanctuary and meet the ever stylish sapeurs of Brazzaville.

This has become one of our more popular tours, and this is now the only spot available until November 2027. If you fancy joining us on a real adventure through the least visited countries in Africa, check out the full details via the link below:

https://nativeeyetravel.com/itineraries/central-africa-encompassed/

Photos: Christophe Beaubron.

South east Asia isn’t an area that we focus on, with its well trodden trails through Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, but the...
13/05/2026

South east Asia isn’t an area that we focus on, with its well trodden trails through Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, but there are a few exceptions - one of which is our ‘Temples’ Dragons and Volcanoes’ trip through the often forgotten (or at least ignored) country of Indonesia.

With a nation so vast - over 17,000 islands - this isn’t a trip about simply ticking off highlights. We show you the extraordinary diversity of the country, and how the landscapes, architecture and even the rhythm of daily life all change as we move from island to island, eastward across the archipelago.

We start the trip in Java, where one of the highlights is dawn on Mount Bromo, watching the volcanic plain slowly emerge through cloud and ash as smoke drifts from the crater.. Other highlights are the vast temple complexes of Borobudur and Prambanan, not just historic sites but monumental expressions of religious and dynastic artistry which still command such a remarkable presence centuries later.

In Sulawesi we delve into the arcane customs of Tanah Toraja, with its vibrant festivals, unique village architecture and enchanting wildlife, like the tiny tarsier and the almost prehistoric hornbill.

Heading further east, Flores and Komodo present an entirely different world. The terrain becomes drier whilst the seas become impossibly clear, and the villages are quieter and more remote. These easterly islands have a completely different feel to the arguably more iconic yet much busier sites on Java. Komodo dragons still inhabit these lands, as they always have, lending the landscape a curious sense that time has stood still.

What makes this trip so rewarding is the constant transition between nature, culture and history. From Buddhist temples to bustling markets, tribal customs to unusual wildlife, Indonesia is one of the most diverse countries in Asia.

If this sounds like an adventure for you, we have another guaranteed departure approaching, in August this year. Head to our website for details or just get in touch and we’ll be pleased to have a chat.

https://nativeeyetravel.com/itineraries/temples-dragons-volcanoes/

Lesotho and Eswatini - two small kingdoms, each with a distinct sense of place, character and landscape, and often forgo...
08/05/2026

Lesotho and Eswatini - two small kingdoms, each with a distinct sense of place, character and landscape, and often forgotten when considering a trip through southern Africa.

In Eswatini, culture and tradition remain deeply woven into everyday life. This is one of the last absolute monarchies in the world, where vibrant ceremonies, craft traditions and a strong sense of identity sit alongside wildlife reserves and varied landscapes, from forested highlands to open savannah.

Cross into Lesotho and the scenery shifts dramatically. Known as the “Kingdom in the Sky”, much of the country sits high above sea level, with rolling mountain ranges, remote villages and winding passes that create a real sense of scale and remoteness.

Together, they offer a journey through contrasting landscapes and cultures, from intimate wildlife encounters to vast, open mountain scenery.

For more information on travelling through Eswatini and Lesotho, feel free to get in touch. Our July 2026 departure is now full, but you can join us in 2027 - full details via the link below:

https://nativeeyetravel.com/itineraries/lesotho-and-eswatini-a-journey-through-twin-kingdoms/

A landscape that feels closer to another planet than anywhere on earth.The Mangistau region of Kazakhstan is defined by ...
07/05/2026

A landscape that feels closer to another planet than anywhere on earth.

The Mangistau region of Kazakhstan is defined by scale, silence and geology shaped over millions of years. Vast desert plateaus give way to chalk canyons, towering cliffs and salt flats that stretch endlessly towards the horizon.

Here, you’ll find places like the otherworldly Bozhyra formations, the surreal Tuzbair salt flats and valleys scattered with giant stone spheres, each one adding to the sense that this is somewhere truly different.

It’s a region best explored slowly, travelling off-road through remote terrain, where the journey itself becomes part of the experience and the landscapes shift dramatically with every mile.

A glimpse into a part of Kazakhstan that remains largely untouched and quietly remarkable.

Explore our Hidden Kazakhstan journey to experience Mangistau in more depth.

https://nativeeyetravel.com/itineraries/hidden-kazakhstan/

A journey to one of the least visited corners of the Indian Ocean....Our Comoros: Islands of the Moon tour takes you acr...
30/04/2026

A journey to one of the least visited corners of the Indian Ocean....

Our Comoros: Islands of the Moon tour takes you across all three islands of this remote corner of Africa, where volcanic landscapes rise out of the ocean and daily life moves at its own unhurried pace.

From exploring the narrow streets and historic medinas of Anjouan to trekking on the slopes of Mount Karthala, and snorkelling in the clear waters around Moheli in search of marine life, this is a trip shaped by variety and a real sense of discovery.

Along the way, you’ll encounter a rich blend of African, Arab and French influences, see fishermen bringing in their daily catch, and experience a side of the Indian Ocean that remains largely untouched by mass tourism.

It’s travel in its truest form, not defined by headline sights, or a series of bucket list stops, but by the experience of being somewhere few people ever reach - where encounters are genuine and crowds non-existent.

If this sounds like your sort of destination, come and join us on our next trip, departing on 17 August.....

https://nativeeyetravel.com/itineraries/comoros-islands-of-the-moon/

Senegal, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau - three different countries, three very different flavours.Straddling the gap between ...
23/04/2026

Senegal, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau - three different countries, three very different flavours.

Straddling the gap between the Sahel and tropical West Africa, Senegal lies along the faultlines of the continent, where Islam and animism meet, with an incredible amount of diversity for its relatively small size. Colonised by France, the city of St Louis was the capital of French West Africa, and the country retains influences from this era, not least language.

In the north nomadic herders search arid lands for pasture and the call to prayer rings out from the mosques of Touba, while the south is home to the traditional kingdoms and mask dances of Casamance - almost a separate country.

Bisecting Senegal lies the tiny nation of Gambia. The story goes that when the British sailed up the Gambia River, an agreement with the French allowed them to fire cannons in either direction - the distance that the cannonballs reach now constitute the border with Senegal. Known for its incredible birdlife, away from the coastal resorts Gambia reveals its quieter, older rhythms, with timeless villages rarely visited by the tourists on the beach.

Further south is Guinea-Bissau, once a Portuguese colony and only relinquished in 1974 with the fall of the Salazar dictatorship. The jewel in the crown here are the stunning Bijagos Islands, where you can find isolated villages, the astonishing Vaca Bruto mask dances, nesting turtles and 'saltwater' hippos.

With our West Africa Explorer trip, we travel through all three, starting in Dakar and ending in Bissau. In the two weeks in between we discover the dark history of the slave trade on Goree Island, the incredible birdlife of Djoudj National Park, meet the Fulani people and discover the unique traditions of West African Islam at Touba. We witness the arcane traditions of Casamance, see prehistoric monuments en route to Gambia, and uncover the customs of the Mankanya people in the remote villages of Guinea-Bissau. We end in the Bijagos archipelago, a perfect blend of West African culture and idyllic beaches....

Our next departures here are in October and December, after the rainy season has ended and the roads have dried out. You can see the details of this via the link below, and to whet your appetite, check out the images taken by traveller Sarah Green on our most recent trip.

https://nativeeyetravel.com/itineraries/west-africa-explorer/

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