In 2011 when we started taking people to places off the beaten path and called our company Uncharted we didn't know that we had saddled ourselves with a brand name that would be constantly butchered. Oh the time we would have saved if we didn't always have to ask people to retype our misspelled name on agreements, articles and paperwork! The bit tongues we would have avoided if our guests didn't always gush about their "fantastic Unchartered trip"! No matter. We're sticking with our name just as we're sticking with our travel principles that have set us apart since the beginning.

We believe that true adventure can be had only if you are far away from crowds, familiar things, and your comfort zone. We are serious about taking our guests on extraordinary trips, and we do that by going to lesser known destinations – places that even most locals don't know about. Unspoiled by mass tourism, the raw beauty of these places is awe-inspiring, and the emotions that they inspire can be life-changing. We also go to some classic destinations, but we experience them in a more authentic and in-depth fashion than most tourists do. For example, instead of simply looking at the famous Banaue Rice Terraces in the Philippines from a view deck like most people, we hike into the mountains, walk amidst the rice paddies and spend nights in the villages of the Ifugao, the indigenous people who made them. By exploring new destinations and embracing unique adventures, we let people discover the best of a country, and often, the best in themselves.

We also believe that nature is best appreciated by engaging it physically and that a perfect vacation is one that is jam-packed with activity. In other words, we enjoy tiring people out. We appreciate rest and relaxation as much the next person, but with so much to see and experience in the world, it's against our principles to let our guests spend a lot of time lazing around. We've dedicated ourselves to showing our guests as much of a country's best as their time will allow. Tired faces with big smiles are our typical indicators of a successful trip.

Finally, we believe that the best people to show you a place are those who live there. True adventure involves the unknown and unexpected, but you want to travel with people who are intimately familiar with a destination. We focus on only a few countries, and these are the countries that we call home. Our head office for Sales and Marketing is in the United States, but we are operationally based in each of our destination countries, and all of our trip leaders are locals. That's why we're the experts in our chosen destinations. What's uncharted to everyone else is home to us.

It's not easy to live with an oft-mangled company name and effort-intensive travel principles. But we value authentic adventure and a cool name, not ease of life. We go to great lengths to show our guests the best that this magnificent planet has to offer. Come travel with us and let us show you your Uncharted Earth.