Not many businesses begin with a coma, but the story of Hands on Journeys does.
Born in Mauritius before immigrating to Australia, I founded Hands on Journeys in 2014 after two close-calls to death following a brain aneurysm. When I woke up from the 42-day coma, I knew that my life needed to be different, the world needed to be explored and that the luck I felt from recovering deserved to be paid forward to others less fortunate. As I discovered countless countries and gave-back through various community projects, I knew that my nine years of experience in the travel industry with impact was my calling and Hands on Journeys was born. I didn’t want to create just another tour company; I wanted to create journeys that transported travellers to the heart of a destination.
Our first ever tour itinerary started in Cambodia, and since then we have expanded to include six destinations, various extension options and additional countries on the horizon. Our game plan isn’t to expand to every corner of the globe; it’s to focus on creating sustainable change and invigorating travel moments in the destinations we serve. With each one of our tours being built by hand, in person, it takes a long time for us, as a team, to launch a new tour as getting it right is more important than getting it on sale.
Now, with various award nominations, media coverage and a continually expanding team, I look forward to taking travellers on a journey, a once in a lifetime experience, and continuing both our story and the stories of those we impact on our way.
One traveller from our first ever Cambodia tour summed up the trip as ‘The best way I have ever travelled, I can’t imagine ever exploring the world in any other way’, and until this day, everything we do, as a team, is focused on every single traveller to say the same thing at the end of their tour.