“The only true voyage of discovery… would be not to visit strange lands but to possess other eyes, to behold the universe through the eyes of another, of a hundred others, to behold the hundred universes that each of them beholds” Marcel Proust, In Search of Lost Time
In every city exists innumerable, overlapping universes. What if you could inhabit these myriad worlds, if only for a moment? What if you could travel behind the postcard image of a place, far beyond its spectacles and must-sees? Feel the rhythms, colours and idiosyncrasies of the people who live there. The Lives of Others is for those who long to gain new perspective, explore through all the senses and form real connections. Catch a glimpse of the infinitely eclectic, limitless surprise below the surface of any given destination.
All it takes is a change of attitude and approach; you supply the former and we’ll take care of the rest. Join us for the journey. The Lives of Others changes the lens: from broad boulevards to winding alleys. From ‘best seat in the house’ to backstage. It’s about depth and presence. It’s about forgoing the check-list of what makes a place famous, in favour of the reasons people call it home. Uncover the nooks and nuances that give a place life, in the company of those who breathe it. Begin a true relationship with your chosen destination, through meaningful encounters and illuminating details.
We might begin with a dinner party or lunch to allow you to meet and connect with like or differently-minded people. Next you might find yourself perusing the papers over brunch with them over a café as national elections approach; join a neighbourhood book club; train with the local sports team; meet town planners and activists and hear of their hopes for the streets you tread together; share inside jokes as you shadow chai wallahs or cabdrivers through their working day; gossip with new friends as you haggle for fresh deals at the market; discuss the news as it happens with journalists breaking the story; savour the taste of a strange delicacy that someone at last night’s dance class persuaded you to seek out the next day.
Let’s dissolve the irony in stepping off the beaten track, only to find yourself following the crowd. By working with people who have no connection to tourism and thoughtfully mapping fortuitous possibilities along your path, we challenge you to embrace the unexpected. Unlike many travel offerings that label and perform so-called ‘authentic’ culture, The Lives of Others is an open book. We hazard a guess that your most extraordinary discoveries will not be the wildly variant ways in which people dress, cook or celebrate, but all that you find you have in common.
The Lives of Others is about getting lost, digging deeper, following whims and finding things you didn’t know you were looking for. Itineraries aren’t planned in the typical sense, rather we plot a series of serendipitous ideas and activities based purely around you. We ensure you’re in the right place at the right time, for one thing to organically lead to the next. Invitations, insider’s advice and unchartered territory shape your path.
Swap staged snaps in front of landmarks, for fleeting yet unforgettable moments with The Lives of Others: an utterly unique vantage point from which to contemplate both any given place, and all that travel can be.
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