Traveling to Exotic Destinations

Testimonials

Penny Lazarus – Stable owner

UNFORGETTABLE TIME IN INDIA on tour with Joanna Castle!
For years I had promised myself a special trip. I have always been fascinated with INDIA. However I was determined not to do just the normal bus tour or package deal and was delighted when I followed up on an advertisement in a local magazine suggesting a trip with a difference – and it was. Joanna Castle put together a splendid itinerary covering the ‘must do’ sights such as Delhi, Taj Mahal, dawn at the Ganges (a must).

She also incorporated unforgettable sights and moments
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Tessa Graaff – Director of Montebello Design Center

Joanna opens doors for people and changes lives. If your reason for travelling is to have an adventure you would not have been quite adventurous enough to have on your own, then she is the person to travel with.

If your reason for travelling is to go to slightly unusual places and have slightly unusual experiences with someone who is going to change your perspective on things, and be
a breath of fresh air, then Joanna is the person to travel with.

She is not your average tour guide leader, she is far too generous,
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Clare Burgess, Landscape Arcitect, Cape Town

I have been on 7 trips organized by Joanna and all of them have been good value for money, fun and very memorable.

The countries visited were Egypt, Morocco, Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos) Iran and Jordan, Cuba and Mexico, India and Southern India. All of these countries can be challenging to a foreigner and require an understanding of the different cultures and customs. Travelling in them requires a sensitivity to finding a balance between the home comforts we are all used to and the exotic locations which we wish to enjoy.

I can recommend Joanna as being very capable as a tour guide, planning her trips well
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Helen Williams, Businesswoman, Cape Town

I have been a single parent for many years and I have always had the yen to travel. It was never a case of when to travel, but who to travel with. One day I picked up the Link Up magazine and found my solution. Joanna Castle was organising a tour to India. Although my intention was to go to Egypt, India was close enough. The tour was set for the April 2006. Joanna has an amazing talent for creating memorable trips to exotic destinations filled with history, magical fun filled moments, breathtaking architecture, and a kaleidoscope of smells, sounds and impressions that will transform your life forever.
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Recent Posts

Traveling to Exotic Destinations

Traveling to ancient, exotic and sacred destinations opens one up to many experiences. It is said that travel broadens the mind and you may add to that, it expands your awareness and touches your soul, it is healing and transformational.

I enjoy observing the transformation that takes place for so many travelers, including myself.

Stimulating sights, sounds, smells, and tastes await you at every corner.

As a travel organizer and a tour leader, I make your dreams a reality. I take you to the magical places and expose you to the energy that awaits you there. Travel has been a passion of mine for over 35 years. I have been organizing and leading tours to exotic destinations from Cape Town for 10 years, and prior to that out of San Francisco. I have scheduled trips each year and I can create special tours for a group. I am also available for consultations. Each trip always brings new surprises and experiences.

Often several of us do get together for meditations. It is only an option one can partake in if they feel comfortable. I seem to attract healers on my tours so there is always someone in addition to myself who can help smooth out the rough edges, to bring in the balance that has tilted a bit. You may too find a healer in yourself.

Your senses will be heightened as you walk down a street in Varanasi to the Ganges at dawn, or enter the walls of the honey coloured city of Jaiselmer, or riding a camel in the desert at sunset, or wandering through the medina in Marakesh.

Listening to the beating of a drum, or the sound of an old horn in the souks can take you out of yourself and back to ancient times in some of the oldest Imperial cities in the world.

Observing the daily routines of the women beneath the palmeries on the edge of the Sahara fills you with a sense of spirit.

And let us not forget the markets, souks and bazaars. The bright rich colour of all the hanging scarves, and the Slipper Souk in Marakesh is not to be missed. The spice stalls, and the dried fruit and honey area of the amazing, and sometimes overwhelming, souk in Fez. Whether you are in the market for bellydancing coin -studded scarves in the Aswan bazaar, leather bags and poofs in Marrakesh, the silver anks in Cairo, a silk scarf from Jaiselmer, sparkling bangles from Jaipur, or the beautiful carpets of Kashmir, you will have the time of your life.
If you don’t like or can’t fathom the bargaining process, pay the asking price and it is still a unique purchase filled with memories.

Accomodations:
Whether it is a traditional Riad in Fez or Marrakesh, a Kasbah or tented Berber camp on the edge of the Sahara, Jaipur’s palatial Havelis from times gone by, or the floating houseboats on Dal Lake in Kashmir, the accommodation is unique.

Meals:
Food is sensual, and can be a wonderful experience. One of the joys of travel is being exposed to different flavors, textures and traditional recipes. Even if you are not a gourmet cook you can appreciate the finesse that goes into each preparation. Buying the spices, and taking them home to experiment with is a joy for many a traveler.

Most of my destinations are fragrant. The production of essential oils is an age- old process in Morocco, Egypt, and India. The highest quality at a price you can afford.

The groups:
Many of my traveling companions are single women. Some have husbands or partners who don’t enjoy traveling, or prefer less exotic destinations. It’s not that I don’t take men; my destinations just don’t seem to appeal to most of them. Once in awhile I do get a couple of adventurers.

Many women who were initially reluctant to travel with a group of women are now my best repeat travelers. I have been fortunate to attract amazing, intelligent
stimulating women of every age and from every imaginable background, fromCalifornia to Cape Town and the people in the group always create a unique experience. I feel honored that they keep coming back to share a new experience with me.

Next time you feel you need a change, join me for one of my “Journeys”.

I organize and lead tours to Egypt, Morocco, India, Bali, Bhutan, Nepal, southern India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Iran, Cuba, Mexico, Jordan.

Joanna Castle~021 782 4040~joanna@jaywalk.com~www.jaywalk.com/reiki