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JC Report Jan'09

Urbane Nomads' Niche Travel Mixology.

Fancy flying in a jet over Antarctica, exploring Tokyo's hidden clubs, ice trekking in Patagonia, observing reindeer herders in Mongolia or taking an architectural tour of Brazil? Thanks to Singapore-based Urbane Nomads, now you can. This unique travel company bases its unusual trips on "travel mixology" to shake up the world of conventional tourism.

Travel Notebook '09

The A-Z of Travel Chic

Coming in at 'U': 'Urbane Nomads are passionate about creating a unique and memorable travel experience.

Luxury Insider Feb'09

Go off the Beaten Track with Urbane Nomads

...Urbane Nomads brings a new way to see the world on the road less travelled.(...) the one-year-old company specializes in offering travelers unique destinations and travel itineraries for the most unforgettable of vacations.

Gadling Feb'09

Urbane Nomads

Have you ever dreamed of taking a romantic trip to Bhutan to learn about fertility rituals or yearned to travel around Kyrgyzstan by horseback performing a courtship ritual?

If you've ever wanted to travel to some far-off destination and have your itinerary planned by a knowledgeable agency, then Urbane Nomads might just be the travel agency you've been looking for.

2009 Trend Report

Here are some facilitators of trend tours: Bespoke Tokyo(Tokyo), Jean Snow (Tokyo), Mirror Mirror (NYC, London, Paris) , Insider London (London), Urbane Nomads (Singapore), CScout(NYC, London, Tokyo, Beijing), CScout NYC Executive Trend Tour, W.ing Research (Shanghai, Beijing Hong Kong)

InventorSpot Mar'09

Urbane Nomads- Off the Beaten Path Luxury Travel Service

An innovative travel agency, Urbane Nomads calls themselves the "travel mixologists" and prides themselves on providing vacations off the beaten paths, away from the over-hyped tourist destinations around the world.

How about a culturally rich salsa inspired trip
to Buenos Aires or San Telmo with private dance lessons at the hottest Latin hotels. Or a relaxing retreat to the hills of the Himalayas that requires days of travel, it's so isolated?

Hajar is the founder of Urbane Nomads, a luxury travel company that introduces the idea of “travel mixology”. The itineraries, created along a particular theme or interest, revolving around a particular myth or local lore or centred around a festival, seeks to provide an alternative experience to the typical , or expected, experience.

While most itineraries pair a visit to the Khmer complex of Angkor Wat with Vietnam, Urbane Nomads pairs a visit to Angkor Wat with Indonesia so guests begin to understand the trajectory of political influence in the region. While logistically, Bhutan works well with India or Nepal, Urbane Nomads pairs the secret kingdom of Bhutan with the much-less visited Burmese Himalayas in a journey that reconciles remoteness, inaccessibility and the beauty of less-trodden paths.

Unearthing Asia May 13 2009

Exile in remote Putao- Article Contribution

The beautiful remoteness of Putao has a prominent foothold on the Burmese imagination – remote, inaccessible and ringed by snow-capped Himalayan mountains. Truly off the beaten trek, Putao was one of the British Empire’s most remote outposts and due to its isolation, was never conquered by the Japanese during the World War.

 Confashions from Kuwait June 2009

Confashions from Kuwait- In the News

They are currently working on an itinerary promoting the Middle East as a fashion tourism destination-combining stays in the Hotel Missoni Kuwait with activities like pearldiving and trips to the luxury fashion store Villa Moda. Sounds fun!

Luxuo- August 5th 2009

Urbane Nomads, The new Singapore-based travel agency, caters to a new breed of savvy, well-travelled, restless individuals.

They are about to launch “The Most Luxurious Trip in the World” that will offer an experience like never before with prices starting at $2 million.

Attempting to re-create a little of the lavish hunting expeditions of Kublai Khan, the trip puts together unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, travelling through the western part of Mongolia, amongst others, to experience horseback falconry.

Luxist- August 5th 2009

Urbane Nomads Offers A Kublai Khan Experience

Luxury travel purveyors, Urbane Nomads has given us a peek at their next trip. The company is currently working on a trip that combines the themes of equestrian adventure, falconry and hunting to be launched at an exhibition in Abu Dhabi in late September. The trip, billed as "The Most Luxurious Trip In The World" will attempt to capture the spirit of the lavish hunting expeditions of Kublai Khan.

It all begins in Beijing where the guests will stay in the presidential suite of the Park Hyatt Beijing as well as a private villa designed by Kengo Kuma close to the Great Wall of China. Costs for the trip starts from $2 million. If Mongolia doesn't suit your fancy, tell Urbane Nomads your most outlandish travel fantasy. If you've got the money, they can likely make it happen.

Pleasure- August 5th 2009

10 mio. kr. for verdens mest luksuriøse rejse

Det unikke niche-rejseselskab Urbane Nomads, der er baseret i Singapore, har for længst specialiseret sig i rejser, hvor man i ekstrem luksus f.eks er på tur med det pakistanske pololandshold eller heli-skiing i Himalaya, kommer med på optagelse med verdenskendte filmfolk eller følger i primitive nomadefolks fodspor.

Wedding Guide- August 5th 2009

A Urbane Nomads, uma nova empresa de turismo de Singapura que organiza viagens para quem procura experiências únicas sem deixar de lado o conforto e facilidade de acomodações e modos de viagem de luxo.

Eles estão prestes a lançar "A viagem mais luxuosa do mundo" com preços a partir de US$ 2 milhões. Essa viagem terá passeios a cavalo, caça e falconaria e será lançada em uma exibição em Abu Dhabi no final de Setembro.

O objetivo é tentar recriar um pouco das viagens de caça de Kublai Khan, através do Oeste da Mongolia.


A viagem começa em Pequim, onde ficarão hospedadas no Park Hyatt Beijing ou em uma pequena villa criada por Kengo Kuma perto da Grande Muralha da China.

Luxury Insider- August 12th 2009

Alternative luxury travel group, Urbane Nomads presents what is touted as the “World’s Most Luxurious Trip” – a hunting trip modeled after the hunting expeditions of Kublai Khan, which takes adventure seekers from Beijing to Mongolia. Cleverly weaving in exotic pursuits such as equestrianism, falconry and hunting, the Nomads will be launching this all-new itinerary at the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) on 30 September 2009.

Unlike the usual exotic getaway, this one comes with a jaw-dropping price tag of at least USD2 million. The tour guides include the likes of an award-winning filmmaker and the eagle hunters of Bayan Olgii. While you take your shot at eagle hunting, a famous painter and falconer (who counts as patrons HM Queen Elizabeth II and members of gulf royal families) will capture your memories via an oil painting. Urbane Nomads assures travelers the best experience possible as they jet around being serviced by a private chef, butler, and specialist guides.

Lujo y Estilo- August 6th 2009

El viaje más lujoso en el Mundo

Cuando pensamos en viajes con estilo y lujo generalmente no nos imaginamos viajar a Mongolia, pero Urbane Nomads, una nueva agencia de viajes localizada en Singapour, espera cambiar eso al enfocarse en una nueva camada de individuos que ya conocen gran parte del planeta y quieren seguir viajando.

Para conquistar este complejo mercado, Urbane Nomads intentará destacar ese elemento único de cada destino y sumarlo con acomodaciones selectas en cada ciudad y modalidades de viaje diferentes a lo que se maneja generalmente.

Con el objetivo de destacarse en el mercado, esta nueva compañía ha anunciado el lanzamiento de "El Viaje Más Lujoso del Mundo", que ofrecerá una experiencia diferente a todo lo que conocemos con precios que comienzan en los dos millones de dólares.

Travelogue- 3rd September 2009

Urbane Nomads

It’s September. That means that in the northern hemisphere the sun is setting a little earlier in the evening and fall is imminent. Perhaps it’s time to plan a little fall getaway – an adventure, but without too much hardship. And good food. In a remote area, but sleeping in real beds.
We give you Urbane Nomads – a travel agent that bears no resemblance to any other. Urbane Nomads arrange custom made tours to virtually any place in the world that ups your adrenaline levels. The twist to this company is that regardless of where you’re getting your kicks, the kicks will always be accompanied with first-rate lodging, delicious food, fine wines and comfortable transportation. The newest addition to their tour package is celebrated as The Most Luxurious Trip in the World. This adventure is going to set you back financially about 2 million US dollars, but on the other hand you get to go horseback riding in western Mongolia while staying in designer villas, flown here and there by private jet, always accompanied by a butler and a private chef. We wonder if the good folks at Urbane Nomads give special rates to writers … ?

Urbane Nomads
www.urbanenomads.com

Urban Daddy- September 20,2009

An Underwater Tour of the Great Wall

You've heard of the Great Wall. Maybe you've even seen it. But here's a bit of wisdom you may not have known: Some parts of the wall are greater than others.

Especially the parts that happen to be underwater.

Introducing Diving the Great Wall, the first-ever organized tour of the submerged portions of the Great Wall, running missions now.

This portion of the wall has been under a lake since the 1980s, but unless you planned on ferrying a few hundred pounds of diving equipment across the border, you couldn't take it on until now. Your scuba-sherpas will suit you up, bring you to the exact spot where the wall dips underwater and guide you to its most dive-worthy parts. Once submerged, you'll stumble across a few Ming-era stone carvings, some intricate tunnels and a tight-squeeze guard tower that will require every last ounce of your Bond-like scuba ability. (Wearing your backup tux is advised.)

Over the course of the trip, you'll get two scuba-assisted dives into the Atlantis-style ruins (feel free to keep the dress semi-formal for the second) before you start the earthbound portion of the voyage, which includes a guided tour of the unrestored parts of the Forbidden City, usually off-limits to tourists.

You always knew you were special.

Gadling- 21st Sept 2009

Dive The Great Wall of China with Urbane Nomads

Did you know that parts of the Great Wall of China are underwater? Yeah, me neither. But according to Urban Daddy, one particular section of the wall has been submerged under a lake since the 1980's. And now a luxury tour company called Urbane Nomads is offering the first-ever guided diving trips to the hard-to-reach spot.

Guides will carry your gear to the submerged portion of the Wall and direct you to the coolest underwater spots, where you'll see "Ming-era stone carvings, some intricate tunnels and a tight-squeeze guard tower". The "Diving the Great Wall" package includes two dives at the site plus more exclusive activities like a guided tour to the unrestored parts of the Forbidden City, usually off-limits to tourists.

The group at Urbane Nomads calls themselves "travel mixologists" creating unique itineraries that customers can tweak according to their preferences while still keeping the main ingredients. There's definitely an emphasis on luxury here, though the company claims that, unlike other high-end tour operators, their tours seek to connect visitors with the local culture (in a way that is not staged or touristy) rather than isolating them from it. In addition to China, they offer tours to over 30 destinations, including Spain, South Africa, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Oman, Thailand, Turkey, Laos, Morocco, and Argentina.

Brave New Traveler- 28th September 2009

While the “tourist/traveler” debate is a dead-end, can we assert that luxury and life-changing travel are generally opposite to each other? Ross Tabak explores the answer.

You’re sitting in a dirty alleyway, perched on a bright blue plastic stool eating the best bowl of noodles you’ve ever had.

A group of fanny-pack toting tourists shuffles by, following their guide’s umbrella and craning their necks to hear her narration. You let out a chuckle, happy to be on your own, free of the constraints of an organized tour and content in the knowledge that they have no idea what they’re missing.

You return to your hole-in-the-wall guesthouse, only to find that the tourists and their umbrella are staying on your floor.

The tour group mentality has always been an easy target for anyone who travels, making us feel better about our own adventures and providing a convenient Other to poke fun at.

It’s getting harder and harder though, with companies like Urbane Nomads billing themselves as “travel mixologists” and blurring the line between hardcore travel and hand-holding tours.

According to them, they’ve:

“turned the typical tourist itinerary on its head- taking the tourist through a city’s back alleys, revealing its seamier (and/or more interesting) side , continually testing the limits of accessibility in travel or using a local folkloric legend as a premise for an itinerary revealing current social and political problems.”

(...)

Dive the Great Wall of China with Urbane Nomads

DIt’s also probable that, before this company existed, their clients would have spent ten thousand dollars on a luxury tour of Western Europe instead of hot air ballooning in Burma.

As a concept, I think Urbane Nomads is the sort of tour company we’d all like to run. It’s the “urbane” part that bothers me.

Adventure has always been a departure from the urbane, and if we begin to blur the lines between everyday comfort and eye-opening experiences we stand to lose the most important aspect of travel: to transform ourselves.

In Transit Blog- New York Times, September 21, 2009

Speaking of long hikes, people who travel to the Great Wall of China often do so to walk as much of its 5,500 miles as they can manage. But now it’s possible to see part of the ancient structure from a different perspective: through goggles. It seems that part of the Wall is actually underwater — submerged under a lake since the 1980s — and according to the travel site Gadling, a tour company called Urbane Nomads is now arranging dive tours to this previously hard to reach spot.

30th October 2009

1. An Amazing 8-Night Journey through Thailand with the Four Seasons Hotels & Urbane Nomads Through this 8-night trip through Thailand you will be staying at the Four Seasons Resorts in Bangkok, the iconic tented camps in the Golden Triangle, and the resorts of Chiang Mai and Koh Samui. Have a welcome dinner at the Four Seasons Bangkok's Spice Market on your first night in Thailand. On your second day, Urbane Nomads will make arrangements for you to explore the haunting ruins of Ayutthaya, arriving early evening to receive a private blessing by a monk on the grounds of this World Heritage Site.

Made Man- 11th November 2009

Kite Skiing in Antarctica

March 2010

Luxury Insider- March 2010

When proffered a themed tour touted as the "Most Luxurious Trip in the World", you'd expect 100% royal treatment. Especially if it carries USD2 million price tag. Singapore-based luxury travel group Urbane Nomads serves it up on a silver platter.

It's first class all the way as you follow in the footsteps of 13th century Mongolian emperor Kublai Khan, whose lavish springtime hunting expeditions were described by Marco Polo as using lions, leopards, and eagles in the hunt. The Great Khan was also said to have travelled in the company of thousand of soldiers, officers of court and noblemen, as well as some 10,000 falconers and bird catchers.

Your own 16-day hunting odyssey through the remote, untamed landscapes of Mongolia starts with stays in the presidential suite of the Park Hyatt Beijing and a private villa designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, in the über exclusive Commune by the Great Wall resort. Fly by private jet to various points in Mongolia, a private chef and a private butler in tow, and the personal attention of specialist tour guides including the likes of an award-winning filmmaker.

Learn the traditional sport of eagle hunting from Kazakh eagle hunters in the western Mongolian province, Bayan-Ölgii. Your portrait with the majestic bird will be vividly capture in an oil painting, done by a famous painter and falconer who counts as patrons HM Queen Elizabeth II and members of Gulf royal families. Spend the night in a luxurious mobile yurt for an unforgettable wilderness experience.

Heading north, you'll be guided on a horseback riding expedition by academic researchers who study and conserve Mongolian reindeer. This trip is slated during Mongolia's hunting season, so you can be assured of a most fruitful hunting trip – and one that Kublai Khan would be proud of.

June 30, 2010

Bespoke Suit? Think Bespoke Travel

You seen the world, an even if you haven't, you are tired of repeating the same travel formula every time you're in a new city. Travelling is all about new experiences, but after traipsing from sightseeing spot to sightseeing spot with the rest of the guide-book led zombies, one can't help but crave for something different. An adventure, even.

Urbane Nomads pride themsleves on specializing in creating luxurious and imaginative adventures in far-flung destinations such as Antarctica, Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan. Some of the they've come up with itineraries  include personality-themed tours such as the one that explores the hunting trails of Kublai Khan and a trek that traces the steps of designer, Jim Thompson, through the highlands of Malaysia- the same one that ultimately led to his disappearance.