#asia #adventure #joy #responsible #personaldevelopment #hopineo

Ela & David came back from their HopTour in Asia 2 months ago. From Moscow to Delhi, they lived 6 months adventure looking for oases of responsible and sustainable tourism. Looks like, they founded what they were looking for…
Today, freshly arrived in Mexico, they are starting a trip in Central America. They want to know more about prehispanic civilizations: mayas, azteques, and many others. Waiting for their new experiences and new encounters with Hopineo, we asked them a feedback of their trip in Asia…

Hopineo : Ela, David, How was the last 6 months in Asia ? What is your general feeling ?
What an adventure ! 🙂 The last 6 months went so fast. So many things happened. When we think about our first week stepping in the transsiberian with -25°C and our last week in India with more than 40°C, we had a great diversity of experience. Today, we are so thankful that we could have lived that experience together, discovering so many cultures. We sometimes regretted to not be able to stay longer in some of the places but this trip had also a symbolic meaning. Running these thousands miles slowly, we were physically following a slow transition; a transition towards a more sustainable life, closer to nature and people. It was also a transition where we want to say STOP to this society always looking for more, more and more, faster, faster and faster.
Today, in 2 words, we are “happy” and “eager” of the coming steps…

 – Multi cultural meeting in the transsiberian an evening of January  –

H : What is the main feeling from your Hopineo experience ?
First of all, it is maybe important to recall that Hopineo values matched our values since the beginning. With Hopineo, we met so many people on our way and discovered many projects. Before the departure, we were excited but also curious of what was waiting for us. 6 months later, we feel simply full of positive energies. Indeed – and just to mention that examples- from the dynamism of Great Baikal Trail in Siberia, fighting for building new trails around the lake (which has to be preserved more than everything) to the desire of Chayan in Sikkim to offer an unique experience of Himalayas with a total respect of the traditions, we had a couple of nice things to experience.
There are a lot of nice projects all over the world and we are happy that we discovered some of them. Finally, there are maybe materials to maintain hope in this transition towards a more sustainable world.

– With Chayan from Smile Panda Tours – local handicraf visit in Sikkim mountains –

H : How do you think Hopineo contributes in providing solutions to the current problems of the society ?
By giving visibility to the small or medium touristic structures, Hopineo provides a space to people who do good. We were already convinced before our departure but now more than ever, we see how strong these oases deserve a space for expressing their hope, sober and positivity. Thank you Hopineo because you create a link between them and these travellers who look for a different way of travel.
Moreover, with the trend followed by tourism all over the world, it is essential to tend to new standards of tourism. It is crucial to establish standards of responsibility and sustainability towards environment and people. In that meaning, Hopineo is a great solution which must grow.

– Cooking class in Sri Lanka with Ecowave, romoting organic agriculture through and thanks to tourism –

H : Which advices would you give to young (or less young) travellers who would like to travel with Hopineo ?
Go ! Travelling with Hopineo contributes in something bigger. It is priceless. In France, we often hear “I am looking for authenticity”. For us, this concept is proper to everyone. But what is sure is that Hopineo gives an opportunity to travel as no one else. The trip is designed by yourself with you own personality. With Hopineo, it is not about being passive and waiting for things to happen. It is a way to take your trip in your hands and make it unforgettable.
By joining Hopineo, the traveller meets so many projects which have a sense and so many people who want to share. And as we like to say, when there is something with sharing, there is always more…
Hopineo is a great experience. It is a travel with values which sustain the future. For us, Hopineo, it is definitely Great.
Thank you both for your time and we are already waiting for more news… Hasta luego!

– Ock Pop Tok, Laos – cultural exchange around traditional weaving and women empowerment –

Don’t forget, you can read more stories on their blog :  www.moveourworld.com/en/