FAQs

• 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.

A sabbatical is an extended break from work, typically lasting from two months to a year. This can be part of your contract or negotiated with your company, depending on your role and employer; a break in between jobs; time taken by digital nomads between assignments; or upon retiring.

This time off allows you to step outside your normal parameters and do what you’ve been itching to but not had time for, such as learning a new skill, travelling, studying or volunteering. The time is also often used to slow down and reconnect – be that with your family or yourself.

See our Knowledge Hub for sabbatical tips and inspiration.

An experiential vacation is more than just a trip; it’s an immersive journey that engages you fully in your destination. It’s about diving deep into the local culture, traditions, and landscapes. Instead of just visiting, you’ll live and breathe the essence of the place.

Interact with locals with a passion for their subject matter, be that crafting carnival masks in Panama, cooking streetfood in Sri Lanka, or foraging for cocoa pods in Tobago. It’s about creating unforgettable memories through hands-on, authentic experiences that go beyond the ordinary. With LiNGER, every moment is crafted to connect you deeply with your surroundings, making your vacation truly unique and transformative.

See our Knowledge Hub on Experiential Vacations for inspiration and tips.

Some companies offer their employees a sabbatical for 2-3 months as a reward after reaching a specific tenure and level.

For those in between jobs, ‘gardening leave’, or simply ‘time out’ sabbaticals offer a chance to recharge and explore. This kind of break typically lasts from a few weeks to 3 months until the new job starts.

Entrepreneurs who’ve sold their companies often use sabbaticals as a luxurious break (up to a year) to unwind and explore before their next venture. Senior leaders in high-pressure jobs sometimes take sabbaticals as a way to revitalise themselves before diving back in for another 5 years of work.

Families increasingly choose to embark on an adventure, over the summer vacations or for up to a year. They combine travel with education, utilising online learning programs or hiring travel tutors. The statutory provision of a week unpaid off work per year per child <18 years old, which few people know about, can be accumulated across years to help with time off work. Once the children leave, empty nesters can find themselves with time and additional disposable income on their hands, which they invest in their own experiences during a sabbatical away from work. Recent pensioners, for whom travel was less common in their younger years, make the most of their health and fitness to take their own 'silver gap year'. See our Knowledge Hub for sabbatical tips and inspiration.

A change is happening in lifestyle choices: people are increasingly choosing to invest in lifestyle experiences over material goods. Their aim is to create memories and live a more fulfilled life. One rising trend to achieve this is taking a sabbatical.

Families in their 40s and 50s are increasingly choosing to take a sabbatical. These are people with a willingness and ability to travel for longer, thanks to employers being more flexible, and work-from-anywhere opportunities improving. They have the confidence to live differently to the traditional norm. This may also come from the fact that younger generations will perhaps have backpacked and so would like to relive those days in their adult/family life, albeit differently and on a higher budget.

Families tend to wait until kids are around the age of 9-10 years old for the very long sabbaticals. On the younger side, they’re usually 7-8 upwards to be able to partake in activities and be more able to travel, fly, hike, and walk etc. It’s a case of waiting for kids to reach the right age so all can share an experience together.

There is also the trend in living in places for perhaps a month, then moving on. Places such as Silvestre in Costa Rica epitomise this trend.

Solo sabbatical travellers are on the rise: those in their 40s/50s without family ties, willing to spend and not compromise on comfort so much, and reward themselves for their success.

Beyond this, the traditional professional industries continue increasingly to offer sabbaticals to their employees.

See our Knowledge Hub for sabbatical tips and inspiration.

Originating from academic traditions, sabbaticals are now widely adopted across various professions. The Pandemic, and the Great Reset which followed, elevated workplace flexibility to be a top priority. Sabbaticals are growing in popularity, and an increasing number of organsations offer them to employees.

Some companies offer paid leave as a reward for long tenure; others will allow time off unpaid.

Leading law firms will generally offer their partners with a certain length of tenure the opportunity to take a sabbatical, which can be paid. Firms are expanding the criteria, with some (such as Walker Morris) allowing additional weeks’ paid leave to its solicitors below Partner level.

Accountancy and Management Consultancy firms also increasingly offer sabbaticals. Some are paid at a percentage of base salary. The timing of a sabbatical can fit around the conclusion of large projects. Companies may require an element of training or volunteering to be incorporated in longer periods off work.

Blue Chip corporate companies often have clauses in contracts and HR policies, that are often not widely publicised within the company.

Check your contract and the HR policy of your company to find out whether you are eligible. See here for more on Can I Take a Sabbatical?

There are several ways you can build in time for a sabbatical. Some employees receive them as a reward after reaching a specific tenure and level within a company, often lasting 2-3 months.

For those in between jobs, ‘gardening leave’, or simply ‘time out’ sabbaticals fit in nicely between jobs and allow you to recharge and explore before plunging back into work.

Families might embark adventures up to a year that combine travel with education, using online learning programs or hiring travel tutors. This works best with parents who:
– can take a break from work,
– can work remotely,
– can work in a different time zone,
– or where one parent is not working and can take more responsibility for the children,
– or who can take a nanny.
Shorter trips can coincide with summer vacations, especially the longer ones offered by private schools.

Many parents don’t know that they are entitled to one week’s unpaid leave per year per child <18 years old, which can be accumulated across years. If negotiated right with your employer, this can help towards time off for a sabbatical. Entrepreneurs who've sold their companies often use sabbaticals as a luxurious break (up to a year) to unwind and explore before their next venture.

• Set a goal: The first step is to define what you want to get out of your precious time off work. This sets the framework for the destinations, activities and pace of travel. This could be as open as time with the children to discover the world, or as specific as learning to sail off the coast of Belize.
• The Long & Short of it: This is the fun part. Go wild and come up with a long list of experiences, ideas and destinations that excite you. Next, check off the list against your sabbatical goal to prioritise the experiences that best fit.
• Budget: Decide your limit. As a guide, a sabbatical with LiNGER starts at:
  a. One-week trip: from £3,900 per person.
  b. Two-week trip: from £7,900 per person.
  c. One month-long trip: from £18,000 per person.
  d. 6-8 week-long sabbatical trips will typically cost in the region of £38,000-£48,000 for a solo traveller, £68,000-£88,000 for a couple, and £78,000-£98,000 for a family with 2 or 3 children.
  e. Longer sabbaticals are multiples of the above based on number of months.
• When to travel: Consider the best time to go away. Beyond work commitments and school exam periods for those with children, consider peak vs low season. We advocate travel in low periods for a more authentic experience – when this falls depends on the destination. We can help with the best time to visit each destination.
• Home admin: Involve friends and family early on in your planning and lean on them for housesitting, plant-sitting and car-sitting. Get hold of a dedicated card for managing finances and avoiding fees when withdrawing abroad (we find Caxton very good). Insurance, covering changes to plans before you travel, is paramount. Conduct the last crucial checks on vaccinations, visas and passport, and you’re set for your trip of a lifetime.

See here for more on Savvy Sabbatical Planning and Essential checks before you leave.

The tide of acceptance is turning for taking periods off work: with the focus on mental health in today’s culture, taking time back is for yourself is something employees and employers are valuing more highly.

While there is a rise in employees taking sabbaticals, there can remain an element of fear on a number of levels. One is the fear that taking a long break could be detrimental to the employee’s career, e.g. losing a client base. Another is how it would be viewed by colleagues who (although offered) haven’t taken it up. Some may fret about having a gap in their cv, if not returning to the same company. There is also the fear of embarking on something which people feel is out of their comfort zone, or such a huge task in terms of readying home life, family life, personal admin etc.

Careful planning, done sufficiently in advance, can counter most of these concerns. Ensure that loose ends at work are tied up and plans are in place for your return. Make colleagues aware of your plans and their duration well in advance. Involve friends and family early enough to garner support for your project on the home front – you will need to lean on them while you’re away (housesitting, petsitting, car sitting…).

With changing attitudes, gaps in a cv need not be an issue. As The Economist’s Bartleby columnist writes, ‘Reasonable gaps in a resume are not a cause for concern. Life happens and sometimes people take time off; you do not have to explain that you spent three months between jobs hiking around Machu Picchu to clear your head and recharge your batteries.’

If you’re not returning to the same job or company, ensure you maintain your network of contacts and keep your skills fresh ahead of your return to the world of work. Speak to trusted ex-colleagues for advice on changes in your sector and the latest on fast-changing areas such as business challenges, uptake of new technologies… and new jargon.

Overall, since Covid there is more of a positive can-do, will-do attitude rather than just thinking of a sabbatical as something that would be nice to do but not actually following through. A ‘Live for the moment’, and ‘no regrets’ type of approach. Younger people coming into the workplace are demanding more flexibility, and taking a sabbatical as an employment benefit is on the rise.

Few people have ever regretted taking a sabbatical, although many will have regretted not taking one.

• 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 vacations, all-inclusives or staycations that make vacations 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.

For family vacations with children, we know the secrets to keep everyone smiling (we can empathise – we have little ones too!). We know the activities in each spot that will ignite curiosity and wonder in both kids and adults. We’re practical about what suits younger children, especially when age limits apply (like safaris, physically challenging activities, and some boat trips). Where there are restrictions, we propose equally exciting alternatives.

We also take care of all the little details to make vacations with children seamless – the best ways to travel between spots to keep kids safe and minimise waiting times, room setups that work best in each accommodation – spacious but allowing an eye to be kept on the little ones and guides who engage all ages.

We know the destinations that are perfect for moving on from those villa vacations, all-inclusives, or staycations that young families initially choose to keep things easy. Costa Rica is one – child-friendly, packed with activities, and an eco-friendly marvel that’s naturally educational.

For families with teens and tweens, we tailor plans to their specific interests. An horse-loving daughter and a surfer son? Picture riding across the Patagonian plains followed by surfing on Florianopolis’ shores. A space-enthusiast daughter and a wildlife-loving son? Imagine a private tour of the space centre in Guyana followed by wildlife-spotting while canoeing the jungle rivers.

Whatever their passions, we design creative itineraries to broaden their horizons, with plenty of ‘wow’ moments for the parents too.

An education like no other, a sabbatical will widen your children’s horizons, open their minds and grant them maturity beyond the reaches of traditional schooling. To ensure the months off run smoothly, bear these tips in mind:

• Create a home environment abroad – have space for each family member everywhere you stay and maintain an element of routine. Pace yourselves – stay long enough in each destination for it to feel familiar.
• Plan to the age of your children – African walking safaris are not allowed for under 12s, nor are jeep safaris for the under 8s; some activities such as white water rafting is often 9+ only, and Galapagos boat cruises are generally for 8+; hiking destinations may not suit little legs.
• Plan the logistics – Leave space for spontaneity in your activities, but plan your transport and your accommodation meticulously. What may have been an adventure as a couple can quickly turn highly stressful with children if a ferry route has closed or train times involve long waits. Using an experienced trip planner is particularly helpful for these finer details.
• Choose your time of year – Your choice of destination will depend largely on the time of year you can travel. Over the long school summer vacations, which is often the preferred time to take a family sabbatical, Central and South America work very well, as do Indonesia and Borneo, and the highlands of China and Japan.
• School on the go – If you are taking a term or year off school, plan how to continue the curriculum. Either take a tutor with you, subscribe to an online school or programme, or gather materials and teach them yourself. Finding a ‘home from home’ in each place you visit and accommodation with an area you can dedicate to being a makeshift ‘classroom’ will help maintain a routine.

The most important consideration when planning a sabbatical is balance. This works on all levels: mixing up accommodation – the more luxurious with the more charmingly rustic and homely; varying destinations – including jungle, towns, coast, countryside; balancing experiences – human, wildlife, adrenaline-filled and restful. End your trip with a grand finale.

Pacing the journey right is critical. Balance time on the road with staying in a location you can really get to know and call home for a period of time. This is particularly important with children, where maintaining an element of routine can be stabilizing. Stay long enough in each destination to feel immersed in it, and leave time for spontaneity. This is often where the magic happens.

Make space for everyone. Being away for long periods can be intense, especially as a family, but even as a couple. Ensure everywhere you stay has enough physical space for everyone to take a moment to themselves. Include time for catching up with the inevitable home admin or the occasional interruption from work.

The most time-consuming part is the fine-tuning. This is the bit that requires insider knowledge and that will make your trip seamless, when done right: Selecting the most engaging guides (we’ve met ours), knowing the best rooms and the optimal room configurations (we’ve visited or stayed in everywhere we recommend), understanding the best routes and most efficient transport (we’ve taken them). With our years of experience, extensive black books of local contacts and on-the-ground personal knowledge of each destination, you can trust us to make this work without having to think about it yourself.

For sabbaticals, it is helpful to plan as far in advance as possible. This allows for the creation of long itineraries and time to consider various options (destinations, accommodation, and activities). A year in advance gives a good amount of time, although we can (and often do) plan itineraries with less notice.

Each LiNGER trip is entirely customised to the individual travellers. It all starts with your aspirations. If you’re not sure of where to go, start with what you want to feel. Excitement and adrenaline? Rest and recuperation? Cultural discovery and wildlife? Or a mix of all the above? We have in-depth knowledge of numerous countries across the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe, and can recommend which experiences will have the impact you seek.

To whet your appetite, some destinations our travellers have vacationed to recently include Costa Rica, Ecuador and The Galapagos, China, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Guyana, Tobago, Italy, The Faroe Islands, Britain and Greenland.

Have a look at our Destinations page for an overview of each country we offer.

Typically our travellers take sabbaticals in destinations which are away from the Western world. They may want a safari component, or to learn to dive in the South Pacific, or embark on a long road-trip, Grand-Tour style. Others want a brief expat-style living setup such as in cities like Rio or Buenos Aires. Others want pure escapism and remote travel experiences in places such as Patagonia or the Himalayas.

Some of the journeys we’ve arranged include an overland for 2 months from Panama to Belize – the highlights included volunteering and island hopping on a private catamaran. Then there was a roadtrip through Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia including remote border crossings only accessible on foot. Hiking to the source of the Amazon in Peru and avoiding the tourist hubs such as Machu Picchu was a particularly fun sabbatical to facilitate. We have arranged for guests to go travelling the Nordic countries in the thick of winter and even a full circuit drive around Ireland and Greenland. There was a nature-focused journey through Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru. We arranged a trip for a family by train from the far north to the south of India, and introduced keen divers to the undiscovered havens of the remote Lakshadweep islands and the Andamans.

See outlines of previous sabbaticals we’ve run for inspiration.

• 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.

Given our trips are 100% tailor-made, the costs can vary widely with factors ranging from the strength of the economy in your destination, the accommodation chosen and level of room or suite, to whether you fly Privately or in Economy, Business or First Class. The majority of trips will include private transfers with highly experienced English-speaking guides, excellent drivers, and high-quality transportation.

As a guideline, our trip prices will start from the following (excluding international flights):

• 6-8 week-long sabbatical trips will generally cost approximately £38,000-£48,000 for a solo traveller, £68,000-£88,000 for a couple, and £78,000-£98,000 for a family with 2 or 3 children.
• Each additional month will add on approximately £1800 per person (less for children).

For sabbaticals, it is helpful to plan as far in advance as possible. This allows for the creation of long itineraries and time to consider various options (destinations, accommodation, activities). A year in advance gives a good amount of time, although we can (and often do) plan itineraries with less notice.

Plans and life circumstances can change during that time – if something happens and you need to postpone your trip, that’s fine – we can keep it on ice until you’re ready.

Experiential vacations require less notice, although for the best availability of exclusive accommodation, or for trips over popular vacation periods, it is useful to have more than six months to plan.

Our travellers choose LiNGER because they trust us. Many are on their second or third LiNGER adventure or come to us through personal recommendations.

As discerning travellers, our clients know we customise trips to match their tastes, interests, and high standards. We get to know each traveller to tailor-make the vacation entirely. No two LiNGER trips are the same.

No matter the age of the traveller – from the very young to the young at heart – a LiNGER trip is one of adventure and discovery, away from the tourist trail. With our extensive personal knowledge of each destination, we curate unique and authentic experiences in places unknown to most. For the better-known places, we provide a different angle – a part of Rainbow Mountain that most don’t get to see; an Inca path leading to lesser-visited historical sites.

We blend understated luxury with exploration and authenticity. The accommodation we select ranges from the luxurious to the more charmingly rustic; the common thread being the high level of service, personal approach and refinement without opulence.

Our travellers appreciate the seamless on-the-ground support we offer, the consistent communication we maintain throughout their extended trips, and our extra lengths to meet their requests.

Above all, the magic of a LiNGER journey lies in the seamlessness, the off-the-beaten path discoveries, the unpretentious luxury and the liberal sprinkling of ‘wow’ moments.

Sabbaticals are our speciality. We have planned countless sabbaticals for solo travellers, couples, and families with young children and teens, spanning periods of six weeks to over a year. Our sabbatical travellers tend to be partners in law firms and accountants, C-Suite professionals and business owners, as well as retirees. All are discerning travellers.

Our travellers choose LiNGER because they trust us. Most are on their second or third LiNGER trip or have been referred to us by friends.

• They know from experience that we will tailor-make their trip to their tastes, interests and exacting standards.
• They know that through the depth of our destination knowledge we will craft exclusive and authentic experiences off the typical tourist trail.
• They appreciate unostentatious luxury together with adventure and discovery, and know we exceed expectations on all counts.
• They have experienced the seamless on-the-ground support we provide, the contact we maintain throughout their months away, and the lengths we go to accommodate requests.

Above all, they have felt the magic and seamlessness of a LiNGER trip. Contact us for a no-strings discovery chat to talk travel and the option of taking a sabbatical.

A LiNGER experiential vacation is an unparalleled journey into the heart and soul of your destination. Tailor-made to your tastes and interests, each trip is a seamless blend of unpretentious luxury and authentic experiences.

With LiNGER, you’ll venture off the beaten path, uncovering stories and places known only to locals. We know our destinations inside out, having travelled extensively in each. We have the insider low-down of where to go, and crucially, where not to.

We mix up the luxurious and the more grounded to heighten each experience by variety. Stay in characterful independent accommodations full of local charm, and splash out on the most tastefully luxurious hotel for a grand finale. Dine one night on gourmet cuisine and the next, mingle with locals at a streetfood market. The common thread is the experience – every activity and location will evoke new feelings and create lasting memories.

Alongside your LiNGER trip planner, our dedicated support team on the ground ensures every detail is perfect, allowing you to truly relax and connect with the world around you.

A LiNGER vacation is more than a trip; it’s a transformative adventure that stays with you long after you’ve returned home.

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.

• Call, E-mail, or request a call-back from us. We love to talk about travel and inspire you with our knowledge. Contact us.
• We arrange a no-obligation face-to-face or virtual meeting and will happily visit you at your home, office, or a café at a time that suits you. This enables us to get to know you so that we can tailor our recommendations to your interests.
• We have in-depth knowledge of places off the tourist trail so depending on what you want from your vacation, we may suggest detours, locations, and experiences you had not previously considered.
• We can discuss ideas for activities that give back to your destination.
• We follow up with an outline of ideas for you to consider which will develop into a more detailed day-by-day itinerary based on your feedback.
• We tweak and change the itinerary until you are ready to proceed. This may take a few days or a few weeks to finalise, depending on the complexity of the trip.
• On your agreement, we request a deposit representing 30% of the trip cost, unless advised otherwise.
• We book all arrangements and secure your flights, accommodation, guides, transport, and activities.
• Your itinerary, ticket details and key contacts will be available on an easy-to-use app.
• We’ll meet you around 2-3 weeks before you depart to discuss any trip specifics such as what to take and if relevant, to prepare you for any voluntourism component.
• While you are travelling, you have access to our on-the-ground local team 24-7, and your trip planner is always available.
• On your return we love to meet our travellers to hear about your experiences.

• Call, email, or request a call-back from us. We love chatting about travel and sharing our expertise. Get in touch.
• We arrange no-strings meetings, face-to-face or virtual, and can visit you at your home, office, or a café at your convenience. We get to know you to tailor our recommendations to your interests.
• With our in-depth knowledge of off-the-beaten-path destinations, we may suggest detours, places, and experiences you hadn’t considered, based on what you want out of your trip.
• We can suggest ideas for ‘giving back’ if this is of interest, such as volunteering or participating in ‘Pack for a Purpose‘.
• We provide with a rough outline of ideas for you to consider, which will evolve into a day-by-day itinerary based on your feedback.
• We fine-tune the itinerary until it’s perfect for you.
• Once you agree, we generally request a deposit of 30% of the trip cost.
• We handle all bookings and secure your flights, accommodations, activities, guides, transport, and transfers.
• You will have access to an easy-to-use app containing your itinerary, ticket details, and key contacts.
• About 2-3 weeks before departure, we’ll meet to discuss trip specifics, like what to pack and any preparations for voluntourism.
• While you’re traveling, you have 24/7 access to our local team, and your trip planner is always a call away.
• When you return, we love catching up with our travelers to hear about your adventures.

• 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 vacations, 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.

As each of our trips is entirely customised, costs can vary widely based on several factors. This includes the relative strength of the economy of your destination, the choice of accommodation and standard of room, and whether you fly privately or in which class. The vast majority of our trips feature private transfers with experienced English-speaking guides, excellent drivers, and high quality transportation.

As a guideline, our experiential vacations start from the following (excluding international flights):

• One-week trip: £3,900 per person and upwards.
• Two-week trip: £7,900 per person and upwards.

Given our trips are 100% tailor-made, the costs can vary enormously with factors ranging from the strength of the economy in your destination, the choice of accommodation and standard of room or suite, to whether you fly Privately or in Economy, Business or First Class. The majority of trips will include private transfers with highly experienced English-speaking guides, excellent drivers, and high-quality transportation.

As a guideline, our trip prices will start from the following (excluding international flights):

• One-week trip: from £3,900 per person and upwards.
• Two-week trip: from £7,900 per person and upwards.
• One month-long trip: from £18,000 per person and upwards.
• 6-8 week-long sabbatical trips will typically cost in the region of £35,000-£45,000 for a solo traveller, £68,000-£88,000 for a couple, and £78,000-£98,000 for a family with 2 or 3 children.
• Longer sabbaticals: for trips up to a year, there will be periods where travellers are spending longer periods of time in a location, experiencing life more as an ex-pat. Costs will therefore depend on how much of the trip plan and the level of support we provide during these periods.

LiNGER curates and books all transfers (e.g. between point of arrival, accommodation and activities), internal flights and transport, car hire if required, accommodation (including the exact room which we know works best for the client), activities, guides, drivers, and a 24/7 on-the-ground support team.

We book restaurants for particularly special meals which require reservation, and recommend local restaurants for the day-to-day.

We ensure there is time at leisure in each itinerary to enjoy each location spontaneously or to rest, or (particularly for sabbaticals) to catch up with life admin.

The options we choose for accommodation range between unique places that won’t break the bank, full of character and with fantastic service, to the most tastefully luxurious. We don’t default to the most opulent, preferring to handpick a selection of different styles of property – nights glamping under the stars, in a luxury treehouse, at a welcoming homestay or in a luxurious hotel – to add interest and variation to each trip.

We favour independently-owned, boutique accommodation run by individuals with a social and environmental conscience. Some examples include Rosyth Estate House in Sri Lanka, which serves free breakfasts to the local community; Finca Rosa Blanca in Costa Rica, which salvaged rainforest from developers to create a biosphere; and Roça Sundy on Príncipe island, providing meaningful development opportunities to local people.

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 24/7. 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.

• 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.

Please see our full Responsible Travel policy here.

Travel can be a source for good, when done well. We encourage travel to unusual destinations and, where possible, at off-peak times of year. This helps to spread investment to communities that would otherwise struggle, particularly in off-seasons. It provides livelihoods in lesser-known yet incredible places, empowering local people to protect the land and wildlife as the benefit of tourism is felt, as opposed to resorting to its exploitation. Bringing sources of income to more remote locations also prevents the drain of populations to urban centres.

We seek out accommodation that is run by local people who care about their employees and their community, source food locally where possible or grow their own, and eschew plastic waste. When selecting eateries, we mix fine dining with the best streetfood spots and market stalls known only to locals, to support small businesses and endow a trip with authenticity.

Our guides are all locals who are passionate about their subject matter and have personal tales to tell. We include unknown yet fantastic local activities, such as an afternoon roasting foraged cocoa beans at micro-chocolatier ‘Tonci’ on Tobago.

Experiencing the world, in the right way, is transformational personally, and a source for good for the communities that benefit from it. As we promote local accommodation and activities that have a social and environmental conscience, in locations that are largely unknown, just by travelling with LiNGER you know you are supporting local communities.

We also offer opportunities to give back during your trip. Depending on your destination, this might be serving free breakfasts at a local school with the staff of Rosyth Estate House in Sri Lanka, helping a micro-business owner develop her business in Guatemala, or tracking local wildlife in the jungle in Costa Rica.

• 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.