The Oriental Caravan  

…is a truly independent travel organisation, founded in 2000 by tour leader, linguist and lifelong Orientalist
Phil Colley, on the basis of his twenty years experience of North, East and Central Asia. The Oriental Caravan’s passionate approach to small group exploration ensures that ‘caravaneers’ don’t just visit a country but really experience it – in style and a fair amount of comfort.

The Oriental Caravan's founder
 Phil Colley

Since the wheels first started turning in Summer 2000,  The Oriental Caravan has become its own unique kind  of ‘travel club for the culturally inquisitive’, bringing together old friends and independently minded singles, honeymooners and retired couples. 

Today, on many of our departures, 60-70% of the group have travelled on The Oriental Caravan before and/or have been recommended by veteran Caravaneers, who typically are continuing ‘journeys’ with Phil that go back many years. 

There’s no big advertising campaigns or ambitious marketing strategy. We just let people tell other people what they have been up to, and so, in terms of much of our programme, quite literally let the Caravaneers decide the direction The Oriental Caravan goes in.

YOUR JOURNEY & WHERE IT ALL BEGINS...

Unlike many of the trips found in the brochures of mainstream tour companies our journeys are never bought ’off the shelf’. All our itineraries continue to be researched and developed right up until we release dossiers and prices just 6-12 months before departure, ensuring that we stay in touch with developments  in-country, and are able to include what is new and/or recently discovered. 

The fact that we are fine-tuning our journeys at the same time as you are planning yours also means that we are able to ‘tailor-make’ the day-to-day detail of each Caravan according to ongoing feedback from those who already travel with us, as well as in response to special requests from would-be Caravaneers. Many of these little extras never make it into print but make it into our itineraries (as revealed by a telling image and quick caption in the post-journey postcards that we post on this web-site!).

Client Comments

The Journeys…

GETTING THERE… 

The Oriental Caravan’s journeys of a lifetime are ‘land only’, and as such exclude international flights to/from the start and end point of the published itinerary. This allows Caravaneers – who originate from many different parts of the UK and Europe, as well as various other cities worldwide – to book the type of plane ticket that suits them best (including their own particular choice of stopovers), using and/or earning frequent flyer points with their preferred airline. 

For some departures there is the possibility – for those departing from London – of joining the ‘group flight’. This is where Caravaneers are able to take advantage of a seat allocation with a particular airline, by booking through TOC’s recommended flight agent in the UK. 

THE TRANSPORT… 

‘The Caravan’ may in fact be a bullet train or a tram, a jeep or even a camel... sometimes 4-wheel drive, sometimes four hooves! In order to gain a more in-depth and personal experience of life in our host country we also use – as and when appropriate – public buses, private mini-buses, taxis, landcruisers, cable-cars, horses, ferries, boats, and even a submarine, and when there is something to see ‘off-road’ we explore by foot.

Destinations and Departures

THE ACCOMMODATION... 

Whether it be the centrally-located (3-4 star equivalent) tourist hotels in major urban centres, or the more characterful, traditional guesthouses and temple lodgings in rural towns and outlying villages, Caravaneers invariably start and end each day somewhere that is clean and comfortable, where basic needs are well taken care of – even when camping. Single supplements are not compulsory on any of our trips but are available for those who wish to be guaranteed a single room. Otherwise we will arrange for anyone travelling solo to share with another member of the group (of the same sex) at no extra cost. In the event of there being no suitable ‘second person’, The Oriental Caravan will cover the additional costs of a single room.

THE FOOD… 

For many aboard The Oriental Caravan getting  a real ‘taste’ of the country means sampling the local cuisine – in many places this includes gastronomic delights for both vegetarians and piscivores. While we are  on the road meals are often not included,  allowing Caravaneers the choice of eating  at a variety of restaurants according to their particular tastes and budgets, knowing that the group leader and/or local guides will generally be on hand to offer their suggestions and translate the menu.