Emotion Planet has always favored experiential and immersive travel. We want to share with you the spirit of travel that drives us. We give priority to journeys where we encounter the Other, ourselves and all kinds of lifestyles. An immersive trip opens our minds to what is, without judgment or expectations. An immersive, experiential trip also means daring to experience the trip simply as it happens, accepting a different reality.

An immersion journey: what is it?

Today’s traveler is becoming more aware of his impact on the world and the environment. If he loves discovery and learning, he also respects his neighbors and does not place his personal adventure before the well-being of the people they visit. The sustainable, fair, ethical and caring tourism that Emotion Planet advocates meets its criteria to offer you authentic getaways while respecting nature and everyone’s values.

A journey on a human scale

Planet offers its travelers stays on a human scale. Experiencing the country from the inside to better understand it is a strength of our escapades. The size of the small group allows you to maintain the quality of the exchanges when you experience these precious and intense moments. With this sustainable, experiential and immersive tourism, don’t just visit a country, above all meet its inhabitants and experience an exceptional human adventure.

Preparation: an important step in the immersion journey

An immersion stay, in a family, in a village or in a community, is prepared and understood with respect and kindness. Discovering the Other in their daily reality and truly immersing yourself, thanks to them, in their country, their culture, their customs and their way of living requires a sometimes impressive letting go. However, diving into another daily life, without pretense, is an intense and unforgettable experience. Leaving without being prepared can cause some damage and missteps once you get there. This is why we educate our travelers about the values of our stays and share our own experience through a preparation notebook and meetings. Emotion Planet’s eco-responsible traveler’s charter also gives you some ideas on how to live your trip in depth, while making fewer mistakes. Certain organizations, specializing in north-south relations and immersive stays, also offer very interesting training before departure. This can completely broaden your vision of things and help you better understand this experience.

Some qualities of immersion travel

Today’s travelers are keen to live intense experiences and approach their vacation differently. In fact, these backpackers are above all looking for meaningful trips. It is for this reason that experiential and immersive tourism is finally taking its place in the catalog of trips offered to the general public. The authentic approach to the destination pleases. Going on a trip has truly become a new, unique and rich experience and no longer just a moment of endless relaxation. Sharing the daily life of a community, a village or even a family creates astonishing group cohesion, strong bonds with the inhabitants and your hosts. Your vision of the world is gradually refined thanks to proximity and moments shared in complete simplicity. Experience the travel context as it is and accept to live the moments as they come.

Why choose an immersive and experiential trip?

There are multiple reasons, some more personal than the others, to choose to travel in immersion and discover the reality of the inhabitants who welcome us. Sharing the daily life of a family or a group of people is an experience of strong emotions and rich in learning. This unique and attractive concept is for everyone, as long as you are ready to let yourself be carried away by events. Even if the trend of immersive travel is growing more and more, it is not only new travelers who are looking for this kind of disconnection and sensations. Indeed, Emotion Planet has been offering trips to meet people for more than 20 years. Finding yourself far from your benchmarks, leaving your comfort zone and living with other codes have long allowed you to see the world from another angle.

What are travelers looking for when they are attracted to adventure and immersion stays?

Don’t transfer your habits to another country, but let the locals show you their reality. Take part, little by little, at your own pace and let the magic happen. The journey then takes shape without barriers and in simplicity according to the realities of the daily life that you share. Travelers increasingly appreciate:

• live an exotic and intense life experience;
• deepen their knowledge of a country by sharing the day-to-day life of the local population;
• discover new places, far from mass tourism;
• travel in a sustainable, caring, eco-responsible, ethical way and with respect for everyone;
• not just visiting the attractions of a destination, but experiencing it from the inside.

Discover the testimonies of our travelers during their immersion trips in a small bush village in Burkina.

What are the benefits of immersion travel?

Do you want to live your first immersive travel experience and discover a country differently? Discovering a destination with the help of one of its inhabitants allows you to unearth nuggets. Follow the committed local actors, share moments with the neighborhood and discover the real points of interest of the community that welcomes you. Following the wise advice of local people is the best way to experience a different stay. Thanks to this travel philosophy advocated by Emotion Planet:

• understand more about the customs, way of life, etiquette and know-how of the inhabitants;
• let yourself be carried away by everyone’s desires;
• enjoy authentic accommodation;
• experience moments rich in emotion;
• discover the Other to discover yourself;
• be surprised by your ability to adapt to another reality;
• learn more about trades and crafts;
• share moments of true and sincere exchanges;
• create lasting friendships and encounters.

Thanks to these different getaways, travelers are happy to:

• visit places little known to tourists;
• favor local and public transport and travel like your hosts;
• travel at a lower cost;
• reduce the concentration of influence in tourist spots;
• play a role in the development of the facilities and reception structures of the place;
• participate in better waste management;
• support local structures, organizations and the economy.

What are the risks and limits of immersion travel?

Sleeping in a local’s home and experiencing immersion in a village or family is best done in a small group. To maintain the quality of the exchanges, to gently impact the daily lives of your hosts and to leave a minimum of traces of your stay (apart from souvenirs), traveling in a small group is ideal. If immersive trips are opposed to mass tourism, these stays can nevertheless be subject to some abuses. Sleeping in a local’s home to say you have had an experience when it is not in the culture to welcome strangers under your roof does not make sense. Pushing people to take you under their wings when they are reluctant does not fit into the values of Emotion Planet. Living in immersion also means accepting the Other as they are, with their fears, traditions, means, desires and respecting them. To experience the unexpected while traveling, the secret lies in respect and compromise. The harmony of the group also depends on its strong values, which are essential to the success of this type of stay. Finding a common ground and agreeing to immerse oneself in the reality of the Other is also essential. Respect for cultures, nature, the country, the living and the way of life is essential to experience a 100% immersive trip.