About BigTrip

Who We Are

No mans land, Albanian Macedonian border

Bigtrip was formed by me, Simon Alderson, and is made up of a small group of experienced tour leaders. I have always loved travelling – over the years, I just couldn’t get enough of discovering new places, which really blew me away. After leading tours all over the world, I decided to go on a really big trip and take a look at what was between the airports.

So I set off from England and travelled overland through Europe. This is when I first discovered Eastern Europe and the Balkans. I couldn’t believe somewhere so close to home could be so different - the energy of the people was amazing, the history and the culture were incredible. I was smitten.

The journey continued overland, through the Middle East and onto Asia. It was love at first sight in Cambodia and I fell head over heels – with the people, the atmosphere, in fact everything about the place. However, I kept moving until I ran out of land in Singapore, where I hitched a ride on a tanker to Australia then managed to get on a yacht to New Zealand.

I then embarked on the long voyage across the Pacific Ocean to Los Angeles - Hollywood was very strange after four weeks aboard a cargo ship! The adventure continued overland through Central and South America and I finally reached Colombia. Sadly, this was the end of my own Bigtrip and I caught a rather pungent freight ship carrying animal hides bound for Europe. I arrived back home after 18 unbelievable months travelling around the world - the full 360 degrees without using an aeroplane.

This journey left a huge impression on me and nowhere more so than Eastern Europe and Cambodia, they got well and truly under my skin. I spent the next three years leading tours in these wonderful places, which has brought me step by step to where I am today and the foundation of Bigtrip.

I have been lucky enough to live and work in some of the world’s most amazing places and have met some incredible people. This is what Bigtrip is all about for me, taking my travel experiences and my life as a tour leader and creating trips that can give you the kind of memories that I now have. There is so much to see and do out there and the world really is waiting for you. So come on, unleash your wanderlust and get ready to experience your own Bigtrip.

Our Passengers

Bigtrip travellers come from all over the world and all walks of life, but they all share a passion for travel and having fun. There is no age restriction - everybody’s welcome. I had an 80 year old man on a trip once who went for a 10k run before breakfast – I didn’t join him! Don’t worry if you’re not a group tour person - our groups are small and it’s just like travelling with your friends. In fact, a Bigtrip often results in wonderful new friendships.

Responsible Travel

For us 'responsible travel' means understanding how our travels impact on the environment, local cultures and economies, and making sure our actions are as positive as possible. We believe that with small groups and limited departures, tourism can bring many benefits to the communities we visit. By using local family run hotels and restaurants, and employing local guides, we can make a positive economic impact as well as supporting some fantastic projects we would love to introduce you to.

Philosophy

We believe that travel is just about the greatest thing you can do - the sense of freedom, the discovery of new places and meeting new people offers an unbeatable experience. We aim to give you a unique and genuine Bigtrip and enable you to really feel what it’s like to live in our destinations by sampling authentic traditions and culture, tasting the food, and sharing a drink and a joke with the locals. Small groups mean we can do that.

We’re dedicated to always using the best local guides. In many of the places we visit, these people have lived through recent troubles and as well as a deep knowledge of the location, they have amazing personal stories to tell.

We want you to go home from a Bigtrip with a real sense of, and understanding of, the people and places we visit. Above all, you will have fun and return with memories that you will cherish forever.