Bespoke Sabbaticals and Experiential Holidays

• A sabbatical is your chance to step away from work for two months to a year. It might be part of your contract, something you negotiate, a break between jobs, or be incorporated into time abroad for digital nomads. If you are retiring, now is your moment to seize the opportunity.
• Use this time to break free and dive into what you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time for. Learn a new skill, travel to new places, study something fascinating, or volunteer for a cause close to your heart. It’s also a prime opportunity to slow down and reconnect – whether with your family or just with yourself.

See our Knowledge Hub for sabbatical tips and inspiration.

• Yes. Taking a sabbatical with your children is one of the most life enhancing experiences you can grant them, and yourself. As long as it is carefully planned.
• Being away for long periods of time with children requires good pacing alongside an exciting mix of experiences. It’s also key to factor in recuperation time for parents. Most importantly, a sense of ‘home from home’, a semblance of routine and enough space for each individual will keep the family dynamics harmonious and maximise the magic of this life-enhancing time away together.
• For young families, we know the tricks to keep everyone happy (we’ve been there – we have little ones ourselves!). We know the activities in each location that will spark the curiosity and sense of wonder of children and adults alike. We are realistic in our recommendations about what will work for younger children, especially where age restrictions apply (such as for safari, more adventurous activities and some boat excursions). Where there may be limitations in some areas, we can suggest an array of no-compromise alternatives.
• We also know all the nitty gritty details that will make the trip run smoothly – how best to travel between destinations to keep young children safe and minimise waiting and transit time; what room configurations work best in each accommodation to have space for all while keeping an eye on the kids; which guides to use who will engage all ages.
• We have destinations that work perfectly when making the jump from the villa holidays, all-inclusives or staycations that make holidays with the kids easier. Costa Rica is one – extremely child-friendly, full of activity and, being an ecological success story, effortlessly educational.
• For families with older children – tweens and teens – we find their own personal interests are more defined and can be catered for directly by destination. A family with a horse-mad daughter and surfing son? Cantering over the Patagonian plains followed by catching island waves on Florianopolis. A space-obsessed daughter and a son keen on wildlife? A private visit of the space centre in Guyana followed by spotting jungle creatures while canoeing the waterways.
• Whatever their interests, we curate creative activities to expand their horizons, and yours.

• The magic of a LiNGER trip is going to the hidden spots known only to locals and insiders, having experiences that bring you closer to the authentic nature of your destinations and enjoying genuine interactions away from the crowds and commercial hotspots.
• We work with countries across Asia, Africa and the Americas. Often our travellers have a destination in mind; other times we advise based on the type of experience you are seeking. With the luxury of time on a sabbatical, our trips often cross borders and continents, with each destination and experience tailored to the traveller.
• Some examples of countries we have recently arranged for travellers include The Galapagos, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Tobago, India, Japan, Indonesia, China, Kenya, Sao Tome & Principe and South Africa. As each trip is entirely bespoke, we talk through the pros (and cons) of each destination with our clients to give them the best experience on their time abroad.

LiNGER trips will typically have everything from a night under canvas to a boutique luxury hotel as part of the experience. It’s the less-obvious side of luxury travel, heavily focused on life experiences and fully planned around an individual’s interests and wish-list. Nothing is cookie-cutter.

• We provide a highly personalised private travel design service to destinations across all continents. Our trip planners meet their travellers, in person where possible, and then work through a number of itinerary versions until the trip is agreed. Everything is then set up through our black-book of contacts in each destination.
• Our planners remain in touch to support all travellers before, during and after they return, and our guests have access 24-7 to a named contact on the ground during their trip.
• Sabbatical trips are often planned over a year in advance. The relationship with the client really develops and changes from that first formal encounter to more relaxed travel chats in a pub to run over the final details.
• We work with a lot of law firm and accountancy partners, as well as clients on gardening leave or those taking a career break. Many of our clients are families and so the time together on a sabbatical trip really is about reconnecting and immersing themselves in a destination.
• Being specialists in sabbaticals and off the beaten path holidays, we know how to make these kinds of trips work seamlessly. We have shared some of our expertise in our knowledge hubs, such as Essential Checks before you Leave, Avoid Hidden Charges While Abroad, Savvy Sabbatical Planning, 7 Ways to Give Back on Sabbatical and What to Avoid on Sabbatical.

• Your trip planner will have tailor made your itinerary to you and booked everything well in advance. They will ensure your trip is seamlessly planned, and will be on hand for calls and messaging during your trip, including for any last minute changes you may want to make to your trip while you’re away.
• There will also be a local team making sure everything goes to plan on the ground. They will greet you on arrival and transfer you to your accommodation and each of your activities. You will have a private guide and / or driver per destination who will make sure you are at the right place at the right time. You will have their contact details and are welcome to call them at any time of day or night for assistance.
• You will be given access to a ‘one-stop-shop’ app which will contain your itinerary, all contact details and tickets.

• We can suggest ways you can get involved in local initiatives in each destination you visit.
• ‘Pack for a Purpose‘ are a great starting point for any trip. They are a charity that request certain items a community needs in the country you are visiting (stethoscopes, pencils, footballs). Whatever you can bring in your luggage, they will distribute to the people who need it.
• We can recommend charities in your destination which we know do good if you would like to make a contribution to a certain cause.
• We arrange volunteering days or afternoons at charities we know personally, and may have volunteered at ourselves. These are often smaller outfits where the work done is of genuine value. If you have a skill you can share, such as teaching or business, this can be harnessed to work with local people. Several wildlife charities run citizen science projects so that even those with no training can help track animal populations and contribute to wider ecological programmes.
• Many of the accommodations we work with run small-scale operations to help their local communities. Rosyth Estate in Sri Lanka provides breakfasts at a local school, which guests an help to serve. Sol y Luna in Peru’s Sacred Valley set up an educational foundation and sponsorship programme for local children, which guests can get involved in.
• See examples of how you can give back on each country’s destination page on our site, and in our blog, 7 Ways to Give Back on Sabbatical.