The Groups Company

Active Holidays

PAINTING TOURS appeal to those who want to be sure they have the time, during the itinerary to spend at a perfectly chosen spot and capture the essence of the view on canvas. A leisurely itinerary will be planned then, as much of the day will be taken up sketching or painting; the timings of the days will reflect this. Itineraries will visit areas of interest because of the subject matter or the light and itineraries will reflect the need for time painting. Some groups prefer an itinerary which includes a resident artist with the group; a chance to learn. He or she may even give talks or lectures. Visits to art galleries or locations linked with famous artists may be included. Others simply want to know that they will be taken to locations well-chosen for their artistic possibilities where they can work at their masterpiece. You and your group choose which style of painting tour you prefer. More...
 
PHOTOGRAPHIC TOURS appeal to those who want to be sure that their itinerary will be planned to allow leisurely progress, with plenty of time to set up for satisfying shots and none of the rush associated with non-specialist tours with their five minute photo-stops. Itineraries will reflect the need for locations offering appropriate subject matter for the interests of the group. Some groups prefer to include the services of a professional photographer to accompany the group and offer tips, hints and guidance .He or she may even give lessons or lectures if this is desired. Other groups simply want an itinerary that offers photographic possibilities and challenges and the assurance that their itinerary will allow sufficient time to do justice to what they see from behind the lens. You and your group choose which style of photographic tour you prefer. More...

GULET TOURS appeal to those who like to relax. Motoring or sailing gently along the coast of Turkey, Greece or Croatia, with the need to do little more than prop yourself up on one arm to take a drink from one of the crew, can relax even the most stressed amongst us. Anchoring in the quiet of secluded bays or going ashore into the bustle of small ports to offers contrasts within the journey that add to the variety in pace that is a gulet voyage. Some groups want nothing more than to sail slowly along the Turkish coast, savouring the contrasts of the day. Other groups want to build other activities into the voyage: going ashore to ramble, to visit archaeological sites, to paint, to take photographs, to explore the world of Turkish cuisine. The beauty of a gulet voyage is that it can be tailor-made to blend relaxation on board with your chosen activity ashore. You and your group choose which style of gulet tour you prefer. More...
 
VOLUNTEER holidays appeal to people who want to combine their professional skills with a taste for travel and a wish to give something to communities less fortunate than themselves. Typically such a group may consist of a couple of doctors, a dentist, a hygienist, two or three nurses, a gynaecologist and a couple of additional members to help with the logistics. To keep down the cost by operating a larger group, these key members of the party may take along partners or friends who would spend their time sight-seeing. Alternatively the group size can be increased and costs therefore kept down by taking two teams, allowing each team to take some time away from their volunteer duties. Other volunteer groups may have other, non-medical, skills to offer their host communities. But again the emphasis will be on helping the host community, as opposed to simply visiting, looking, and leaving. Whether your group is solely made up of working skilled volunteers or whether you keep down the cost by taking along others is up to you. You and your group choose the style of volunteer holiday that you want. More...
 
DIAMOND -MINING groups tend to appeal to people who want something different, at the expense of comfort. We only operate these group tours in Sierra Leone, and the infrastructure there is poor, the roads are bad, the hotels are not of a high standard, and comfort and service levels are at times well below the accepted norm in Europe. But for those who are prepared to accept the country on its own terms this is an adventurous experience. You may prefer to spend all your time in the bush, at the gold mine we work with in the interior of the country, or you might wish to explore more of this intriguing country. Whether your itinerary sees you venturing elsewhere in Sierra Leone or whether you simply visit the mine, the choice is yours. You and your group choose the style of gold-mining holiday that you want. More...

FILM groups tend to appeal to either those who want to watch movies, or those who want to make a film. There are numerous film festivals around the world – the Venice Bi-ennial; Cannes; or the Sundance Festival, for example – around which an itinerary can be built. Or a group may want to base their itinerary around visiting locations where particularly notable movies were shot on location; or the locale where they were set. Alternatively they may want to plan a more active tour, with the aim of actually shooting their own movie on location. The group may have an interest in the technical side of filming with members of the group shooting the movie, or they may prefer to use a professional crew to shoot their script. This need not be overly expensive if a simple one camera set-up is employed, with no more than a cameraman and a producer being built into the cost. Whether the film group itinerary is designed around watching movies or making them is up to the members of the party. You and your group choose the style of film tour you want. More...