Elevate Destinations

Experts in socially responsible luxury travel. We design travel experiences that support conservation and local communities without skimping on comfort.

Testimonials from our travelers

For my birthday this year, I decided to buy myself a solo trip. I had never traveled alone to a distant country, so I relied on Elevate Destinations to use their expertise to place me in the perfect location. They chose Ladakh, India, one of the safest places for women to travel alone. What I did not know at the time was how much this journey would change me. Being surrounded by beauty, witnessing all that nature has to offer and knowing that this place is so deeply connected to spirituality fed my soul so much that it overflowed. I will never forget my time in Ladakh. It is something I will cherish forever.

— Jessica Dolan, India

My main insight about Elevate and our trip is this: When we were first researching the idea of an African safari, there was no shortage of companies and agencies that could provide us with the service of developing an itinerary and doing the bookings at all kinds of lodging. The key to Elevate was that the focus was on smaller, family-run lodges, and that truly delivered the most authentic and best possible safari experience for us. No crowds, highest quality accommodations and food, seamless arrangements, excellent management and staff at every stop along the way. Parallel to this, the idea of actually doing transportation and transfers once you're actually in-country reveals itself to be no sure thing. In our case, however, it was all executed perfectly and with no stress whatsoever. Thank you Dominique and Elevate staff for all that hard work!

— John DeGarmo, Kenya

Having everything organized for us - transportation, tickets, etc. - was fabulous! It enabled us to sit back and enjoy our trip and truly appreciate the experiences we had. We loved Peru - the incredible scenery, the open and friendly people, and the great food. It feels like every day was a highlight, but our top three were hiking the Inca Trail and seeing Machu Picchu; the Sky Lodge adventure; and the visit to the Chicuchas Wasi girls school. Every adventure we had, from big to small, gave us insight and appreciation into the Peruvian culture and we came home feeling like we learned so much. We cannot wait to visit Peru again.

— The Sherwood Family, Peru

My first safari experience was supposed to help me unplug, but in fact it plugged me into what is most important. Being immersed in the wild was life-changing, awe-inspiring, funny, beautiful, touching and scary all at once. I felt entirely at one with the animals and the elements and connected as I never had been before.

— Virena Hermann, Kenya

Our trip was amazing and the process before and after we superb. From the time I emailed Elevate Destinations to after I got home it was a pleasure to be working with your company and especially Lana. She was able read my family and plan the trip exactly around what we wanted without us really knowing ourselves! We volunteered, went on safari, then visited the beaches for some relaxation. It was like we had 3 trips in 1 and complete different experiences. I especially enjoyed the volunteer work through Make a Difference, a fantastic organization that put in a lot of attention to detail to make sure that we really experienced the country and got to really know the people and the culture through authentic experiences. We've made lifelong Tanzanian friends and feel we really understand their country. The whole experience overall with your company was smooth and the trip was fantastic. I cannot say enough about my great experience!!!!

— Liza Mandeville and Family, Tanzania

Lana Byal, my trip planner, connected with me on our very first call and never dropped one detail in creating the most perfect trip for my daughter, grand daughter and myself that I could ever imagine. She knew exactly what I was after and arranged every last detail for me perfectly. I was able to call her with some on-the-fly changes to the itinerary and she and her staff were ON it immediately! All this, and somehow we wound up with the best guide and driver you could ever ask for...and seeings how we spent nine days together, we were fortunate beyond belief. Kudos to Elevate Destinations!

— Deborah Hart, Peru

Throughout many years, I thought my independence in traveling instilled the greatest cultural experience. That view quickly diminished when Elevate Destinations planned a trip for my mom and I to Myanmar and Cambodia.

Lana was able to build a program for us that opened our eyes to the poverty yet hope in the communities while pairing us with guides who became not only our source of an honest depiction of the area but our friends. They shared stories to show us how they live, provided opportunities for home cooked meals, visits to villages untouched by tourists and opportunities I never thought I would experience. Everything was seamless and yet adjustable based on our desires to explore. We did not just witness the cultural differences, we experienced and left with them ingrained in our soul. Thank you Elevate Destinations and Lana, this trip will continue to live in our lives and the hope of the people will be cherished and prayed for.

— Shannon Plumstead, India

This was our second trip to Africa with Elevate in a year's time. And once again, it did not disappoint. Working with Lana was a dream. She seemed to know exactly what we would want and expect from our conservation safari. Everyone on the ground in Tanzania was knowledgeable and kind. Not a single snafu - which is unbelievable considering we were so far from home. Ruaha National Park is a treasure. I recommend it to anyone who would like a safari experience without the crowds of the Serengeti or Masai Mara.

— Jennifer Whalen, Tanzania

India: A group of women and men sit closely together on the floor inside a brick building, smiling at the camera. Some women wear headscarves, while others do not. The mood appears friendly and relaxed.

We were extremely pleased with Elevate in putting together an amazing trip to India! We had a number of specific requests outside of the usual travel plan, including visiting NGOs, especially those focused on empowering women and girls, and visiting pottery villages. Dominique was unfazed, working hard to put together something that met our many needs and taking into account our promises that we liked to stay very busy when we traveled. She provided expert guidance on what was/wasn’t doable and told us the pros and cons of the things that we would be missing if we added our special requests.

It’s hard to talk about the highlights – because the entire trip was so awesome – but our recommendations would be to go off the beaten path as well as seeing major sights. Going to an NGO in East Delhi gave us the chance to understand even a tiny bit better the struggle faced by many in the city, visiting potters and their families in their homes gave us a chance to better understand the long history of craftspeople in India, going to a village helped to understand life outside the bustle of the huge cities.

Through Elevate we had the opportunity to have in-depth discussions about India with our drivers, guides, staff at NGOS, and many others. Everyone was incredibly generous with his or her time and we are so grateful for that.

— Jan Goldstein and Shereen Arendt, India

Belize: Four people smile while serving food outdoors under a canopy. Two women and a man hold serving spoons over large yellow buckets, with plates of food in front of them. Another young woman stands to the side holding her plate.

The most amazing trip! We will never forget and never be the same.

And we will be back!

Elevate Destinations was the perfect partner for our adventure and will be planning our future travels.

— Leslie Hsu Besner and Family, Belize

This trip exceeded my expectations! From initial contact to support while we were traveling, Lana was a professional - but truly more than just that; she was friendly and completely in-tune with the experience that I wanted to have with my children, and she went out of her way to ensure that we connected with wonderful people in beautiful, special places. She cared about us and our experience in a personal way that went beyond simply doing a job. I'm completely hooked and have already recommended Elevate Destinations to friends and family and will most definitely contact Lana again to plan more meaningful travel.

— Julie Simons

“The trip was phenomenal, the guides were incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and great with the kids, the people were warm and welcoming, the hotels were great. Via Ferrate and the zip line was a highlight for the kids; I loved the "social experience" in the mountains, and the high activity level of the entire trip. We really felt like we got to understand the people and the culture.”

— Betsy Fishbone, Peru