The UK-based Adventure Boutique seeks to chart out unparalleled experiences that can help travellers to evolve as people, opening the mind, and enriching the soul

For the traveller who wants to tread off the beaten track and experience some of the unique locations in the world, a London-based company is offering a series of personally tailored expeditions.

If you fancy exploring jungles, deserts, polar and mountain regions and enrich the soul, The Adventure Boutique can make those expeditions happen.

The Adventure Boutique is led by founder and director Raj Joshi, a man whose unparalleled credentials have seen him travelling to almost every part of the globe, from the summit of Mount Everest to the heart of Antarctica.

“The Adventure Boutique is there to enrich people in the tapestry of life. It is there to give meaning to the soul. We seek to devise unparalleled experiences that we hope can help participants to evolve as people, ” says Joshi.

“We live in such a beautiful world with some of the most amazing people and wondrous cultures and one of my driving ambitions was to be able to show this to others,” he adds.

Talking about the idea behind the company, Joshi says: “As a child, I was always inspired by adventure stories and I have sought to infuse The Adventure Boutique with that ethos, keeping excitement and wonder at the heart of every journey. What we offer is more than a conventional holiday. We want people to be able to test themselves so that they not only come away from the experience with truly wonderful memories but also a real sense of accomplishment. 

“We travel to some of the most biodiverse areas of the world, operating on every continent, exploring jungles, deserts, polar and mountain regions. And every step of the way we are with you, personally accompanying you and ensuring that every element of your trip has been planned and delivered, from accommodation to dietary requirements and transportation,” he continues.

Joshi is an experienced climber as well as a qualified doctor and a globally recognised expert on expeditions.

So, what makes The Adventure Boutique different to others out there on the market? “I hope it is our proven experience and quality that differentiates us from the competition but our staff have a passion for what they do, which comes from understanding the locations through first-hand experience. I think this is probably one of the reasons why we were chosen for several high-profile celebrity expeditions as well,” says Joshi.

“I have been fortunate to personally lead some high-profile projects involving celebrities and the media. I was privileged to have been the expedition leader for David Beckham and three of his friends in a BBC film, journeying through the Amazon jungle and encountering rare indigenous tribes that few have access to.

“One of the most special parts of this trip was spending time with the Yanomami and learning of their ways and culture. It was like taking a step back in time to a lost world as the Yanomami still practise their way of life largely unchanged. Let alone knowing Beckham, the tribe had never even heard of football!

Joshi was also asked by the BBC to lead a team of celebrities to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in the African continent. The celebrities included the likes of Gary Barlow and Cheryl Cole as well as many other well-known British celebrities. “This adventure was a great success, not only with all the celebrities summiting Mount Kilimanjaro,  but a sum of approximately £3.3 million ($4.6 million) was raised to tackle the problem of malaria in East Africa,” says Joshi.

“Finally, thanks to my expedition experience and my medical background I was asked to work on the cinematic film ‘Everest’. On this occasion, I helped to look after the actors, including Hollywood stars like Josh Brolin and Jason Clarke. The significant profile from this film no doubt contributed to helping the economy in Nepal which relies heavily on tourism.”

But does he really believe anyone can do what he is promoting? “I believe that almost anyone can do it. The real power of an individual is not in their physical prowess but the inner workings of their mind. The psychology and mindset are significant and I believe they are the limiting factors of whether one succeeds or doesn’t succeed in accomplishing an adventurous challenge. Our ambition is to unlock the power of the mind of individuals that not only helps them undertake and succeed in what we promote, but has far-reaching and long-lasting benefits to the person.

“I believe everyone needs a challenge in their life, otherwise we can become stale and fail to develop or improve as human beings. One of the best ways is to undertake adventure travel, as this has so many more benefits and enjoyment rather than just doing a challenge for the sake of it.

“We are also very aware of the ecosystems and environments and all of our trips are limited to individual or small numbers. What we do is look at more unique destinations so there will be far fewer tourists or even no tourists in the destinations we go to,” he remarks.

So, what is his favourite place?  “Antarctica is probably one of the most beautiful places I have seen in the world. It has this surreal and ethereal beauty to it that is hard to describe unless you are there.

“Nepal to me not only has some of the most awe-inspiring mountains in the world, but also some of the most genuine, friendly and loyal people one could ever meet.” 

- By George R Vaughan