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Tours by Design

Tours by Design

Tours by Design (private touring), are a Crooked Compass specialty if you are looking for something personalised precisely to your style. 

Plan your tour

What are Tours by Design?

Tours By Design is our customised touring department where the Crooked Compass team can design a unique itinerary, especially for you.

Why pay for tours that include excursions you simply are not interested in? Maybe you have come across an itinerary elsewhere that is ‘almost’ perfect, but not quite. Perhaps you would like assistance to help create that dream itinerary from scratch and turn it into a reality.

Whatever you reason for customising your own tour, our expert team is here to help.

Our bespoke hand-crafted journeys are mindfully designed for you.

Plan your tour
Uzbekistan & Kyrgyzstan - Crooked Compass
Mount Hagen - Crooked Compass
An eagle hunter with his eagle - Photo credit: Crooked Compass
Hiking Atlas Mountains - Crooked Compass
Horseriding on a Sumba beach at sunset - Crooked Compass
Hegra sunrise Saudi Arabia Al Ula - Crooked Compass
Bottletree Socotra, Crooked Compass

Things to think about

Time

How much time do you have and how do you want to spend it? Jam packed full of daily adventures, or a slower pace allowing you to absorb your destination – perhaps a combination of both?

Inclusions

Think about what you really want included. Would you like airport transfers with a meet and greet on arrival, or do you prefer to catch local taxis? Do you want to travel by private vehicle when you sightsee or do you like to mix it up and mingle with the locals on local transport? How much sightseeing do you wish to include? Do you want entry fees included or would you prefer to pay them as you go? What do you want to exclude?

Accomodation

What style and standard of accommodation are you looking for? Do you prefer smaller boutique properties with a local flair or comfortable western hotels? Perhaps a homestay is more your thing, or simply a clean, comfortable and a basic room.

Guides

Are you happy to have a local guide in each location you visit or would you prefer a guide to escort you from start to finish on your journey?

Budget

Consider all of the above when working out your budget.

All sound good? Ok let’s start planning!

Plan your tour

What our adventurers are saying

My recent trip to Papua New Guinea ticked all the right boxes and more. Personally designed for my party, this trip enabled me to walk in the footsteps of my great uncle who lived in PNG for over 40 years. Our party travelled to remote Lake Murray where time appears to stand still, and to the base of Mt. Wilhelm where we were treated like family by the guesthouse owners. We danced to kundu drums at the Goroka Show and gazed on the beautiful bird of paradise as it performed its ballet high in the treetops. PNG is not for the feint hearted, but if you are an intrepid traveller and the world doesn’t end if you don’t get picked up exactly on time, you won’t find better! Crooked Compass kept us safe while providing wonderful opportunities to experience the diverse culture and wildlife that is Papua New Guinea

Lynne Ainsworth

More beautiful than I could have ever imagined, and worth every step of the four day trek through the wild Andean mountains and 5,300m passes to get there. I’ve never been as challenged physically or mentally, but I’ve also never been somewhere so stunning in its natural beauty, so remote and so far off the beaten tourist path. We saw a grand total of five other trekkers during the five days we were there! Crooked Compass thank you for the adventure of a lifetime, the Ausangate trek and your Wild Peru itinerary has moved me and changed me in ways I could never have predicted.

Nina Karnikowski

The trip was above and beyond my expectations. I was impressed with not only the professionalism in the organisation of the tour but also when things didn’t quite go to plan how they were handled. The personal relationships of the guide with the local people made a huge difference to our amazing experience and I doubt very much that we would have had this with any other travel group. Thanks to Lisa and her team in Mongolia for taking us down a “Different Path”.

Kerrie Pain

Trekking through the Svaneti region and taking in the majestic glaciers and mountain ranges covered in delicate wildflowers, and ending in the UNESCO World Heritage village of Ushguli, only to be met by ancient stone watch towers and stunning views. Staying with local families and seeing how they have lived for thousands of years… An amazing experience to be treasured always.

Di Yates

I honestly could not think of better people to book through than Crooked Compass and better guides / sherpas to have. They made our trip seamless and nothing was a hassle – even with our injuries! Making base camp was a dream but without the help of those surrounding us, this would not have come true. I am so thankful and so appreciative. The Nepalese people are beautiful inside and out and cannot do enough for us foreigners.

Tania Bourke

I loved visiting places where there were no other tourists and having the opportunity to see locals in their daily life and having the opportunity to learn from them. Meditating while monks chanted was a powerful experience.

Cheryl Philips

Our Iran experience was wonderful. Not knowing what to expect and thinking that it may be a cultural stretch for us, we were blown away by the culture, history, food, cleanliness of all cities (including public toilets), safety but especially the friendly and hospitable people that the Iranian people are. Never once did we hear anyone complain or criticize another country, religion or people in general. My view of that part of the world, littered by media misinformation, has changed 180 degrees and I cannot recommend Iran enough for anyone wishing to visit. Our guide, Davood Dehghani, is a wonderful ambassador for his country and a top bloke as well. Our highlight was spending the night with the Lorish nomads in Deh dasht. Simply wonderful people, that we were lucky enough to spend some time with…Recommend this totally and the country side around the area and on the way there was simply beautiful.

Michael and Anastasia Reyes

Everything was amazing – Sooo perfect. I couldn’t choose one highlight. Our guides were so fantastic – they were courteous, friendly, professional, helpful and full of local knowledge – it’s clear they really love their jobs. They made the sites even more amazing. Everything was planned so well. Our guides were always on time and so professional and helpful. This was The MOST AMAZING holiday EVER. I have recommended you to people in our home town and abroad – I will to anyone who will listen actually. WONDERFUL: Thank you for making our holiday perfect.

Shery Stewart

Every day I was blown away with new scenery and experiences not expected. Great company, lots of laughs, special care and constant assistance from guides and drivers. Excellent accommodation and food – I would do it all again in a heartbeat. VERY happy to promote Mongolia as a ‘must see’ country with wonderful hospitality and delightful and very different experiences every day. Now my friends understand that it was NOT a crazy idea to go travelling on my own to a remote and foreign country. Our photos tell the whole story!

Shevauneen Geiger

Easy

This category of tours involves light trekking, walking, cycling, rafting or kayaking for a few hours each day with a small amount of inclines and declines. You will require a reasonable level of fitness and good health to participate. It is important to note that due to the nature of some of our trips, they may take place in remote areas (with basic facilities) and can involve long travelling days on various modes of transport.

Suggested preparation : At least 3 months prior to departure, it is recommended that you undertake aerobic exercise (this may include jogging, cycling or fast walking) for 30 minutes, three times a week. It is also advised to walk on variable terrain and in variable weather conditions. For a cycling adventure, road cycling twice a week is recommended and for adventures which involve paddling and kayaking, it is important to gain confidence and rhythm rather than speed prior to departure.

More about Tour Grading

Moderate

This category of tours involve trekking, kayaking and cycling for period of 6 to 8 hours a day at a fairly consistent pace. Ideal for people looking to slightly increase the heart rate. For our moderately rated tours, you must have a good level of fitness and also be in good health. It is also important to be prepared for variable weather conditions. Altitude may also come into play. This category of tours may involve visiting remote areas where facilities can be quite basic. Accommodation may also involve camping, homestays or basic accommodation where facilities may not be considered of western standards. To enjoy this style of travel, it is suggested for travellers to have a reasonable level of fitness and health, a positive attitude, as well as a fairly active lifestyle. An open mind is also required.

Suggested preparation: At least 3 months prior to departure, it is recommended that you undertake 45mins – 1 hour of aerobic exercise, three to four times a week. Some potential exercises that could be beneficial include hill walking with a backpack on over variable terrain and weather conditions, as well as running and cycling dependent on the activity you plan on undertaking.

More about Tour Grading

Challenging

This category of tours involves trekking, kayaking, cycling or other adventure activities in remote areas for up to 8 to 10 hours a day. It is important to note that with the remoteness of some regions comes a variety of other challenges such as variable weather conditions, accommodation as well as facilities. You must have an excellent level of fitness and good health to be able to partake in this category of tour. You must have confidence in your own ability and be in good physical condition. Includes extended periods of endurance.

Suggested preparation: At least 3 to 4 months of strenuous exercise, four times a week. When preparing for treks it would be beneficial to participate in hill walks with a weighted day pack (approximately 5-8 kg) once a week for aerobic fitness and strengthening of leg muscles. It is also important to do this on variable terrain to prepare for challenging adventures. When preparing for cycling adventures, regular bike riding (at least 4 to 5 times a week for 1-4 hours is essential). It is also important to cycle on uneven surfaces or even participate in other aerobic exercises such as running or swimming to build up strength and stamina. Altitude may also be a factor in these tours.

More about Tour Grading

Tough

This category of tour often involves extreme trekking, cycling or other extreme adventure activities. It is important to expect remote and poorly defined tracks and to be prepared for variable weather conditions for 10 to 12 hours per day (may sometimes be more depending on weather and altitude). These adventures are suitable for travellers who have prior experience in strenuous travel and activities, are extremely fit and have excellent health. It is also important to note that some of the terrain on these adventures will involve trekking in snow, at high attitude levels and may require technical equipment.

Suggested preparation: It is important to note that physical fitness should be an ongoing activity, commencing around 5-6 months prior to departure, or even before if you have no prior fitness. Exercise should focus on building maximum endurance and stamina. Four to five hard sessions of 40-60 mins per week should be completed and can include exercises such as going to the gym, running, swimming or cycling to focus on building aerobic stamina. It could also be beneficial to prepare by hiking on rough terrain, in extreme weather conditions or partake in altitude training.

More about Tour Grading