ABROAD & BEYOND
Secrets of the Rainforest
Secrets of the Rainforest
Swain Destinations provides the rare privilege of discovering ancient South aboriginal wisdom.
In Far North Queensland, Australia, the Kuku Yalanji is one of the planet’s oldest living human cultures. This community’s ancestral home—the Daintree Rainforest and its surrounds, including the adjacent Great Barrier Reef—is one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth. Known today as the “rainforest people,” Kuku Yalanji consider themselves this region’s custodians, living by the code of Rainforest Law, and bearing the responsibility of preserving it for future generations.
The Kuku Yalanji are also the keepers of ancient knowledge about the rainforest—its seasons, plants and animals, and its sustenance and medicinal healing powers. In recent years, some members of this community have started sharing their knowledge with visitors through guided tours, teaching about their traditions, bush tucker (wild food), and the ecological significance of their territory.
With Swain Destinations, travelers are seeking out this age-old wisdom on experiences like a rainforest-to-reef “walkabout,” which offers the rare opportunity to see one of the world’s oldest rainforests through the eyes of a Kuku Yalanji guide. Guests can choose the types of journeys that suit their passions, from a range of expertly curated, immersive indigenous and conservation-focused experiences.
Australian experiences from Swain also bring travelers right alongside experts from the Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation and the Sailaway Coral Nurture Program—both focused on Great Barrier Reef science and conservation—as they work in the field. And at Brisbane’s Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, there are modern arts- and culture-focused opportunities to tap into aboriginal culture.
“Travelers are seeking out this age-old wisdom on experiences like a rainforest-to-reef “walkabout,” which offers the rare opportunity to see one of the world’s oldest rainforests through the eyes of a Kuku Yalanji guide”
More Immersive Experiences
In New Zealand, Swain can provide additional ideas, whether it’s a food and wine tour, a luxury-focused escape, or a fairytale adventure to Middle Earth. For example, Swain coordinates kayaking outings to the seal colony at Tonga Island in the center of the marine reserve, with paddle routes through penguin habitat, granite headlands, tidal lagoons, and forest-fringed beaches. Or, take a Māori-guided bushwalk in search of the region’s rare fantail Piwakawaka bird.
And in South Africa, curious travelers can get up close to local history and nature through stone-age cave paintings, safaris, and even a visit to a preserve with the elephant rehabilitation-focused HERD Trust. Each itinerary highlights a far-flung, storied geography and its people’s cultural connections, traditions, rituals, and commitment to preserving ancient wisdom interwoven with the singular ecological areas ancestral locals know best.
Dive into a world of customized and luxury travel.
ABROAD & BEYOND
Secrets of the Rainforest
Secrets of the Rainforest
Swain Destinations provides the rare privilege of discovering ancient South aboriginal wisdom.
In Far North Queensland, Australia, the Kuku Yalanji is one of the planet’s oldest living human cultures. This community’s ancestral home—the Daintree Rainforest and its surrounds, including the adjacent Great Barrier Reef—is one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth. Known today as the “rainforest people,” Kuku Yalanji consider themselves this region’s custodians, living by the code of Rainforest Law, and bearing the responsibility of preserving it for future generations.
The Kuku Yalanji are also the keepers of ancient knowledge about the rainforest—its seasons, plants and animals, and its sustenance and medicinal healing powers. In recent years, some members of this community have started sharing their knowledge with visitors through guided tours, teaching about their traditions, bush tucker (wild food), and the ecological significance of their territory.
With Swain Destinations, travelers are seeking out this age-old wisdom on experiences like a rainforest-to-reef “walkabout,” which offers the rare opportunity to see one of the world’s oldest rainforests through the eyes of a Kuku Yalanji guide. Guests can choose the types of journeys that suit their passions, from a range of expertly curated, immersive indigenous and conservation-focused experiences.
Australian experiences from Swain also bring travelers right alongside experts from the Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation and the Sailaway Coral Nurture Program—both focused on Great Barrier Reef science and conservation—as they work in the field. And at Brisbane’s Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, there are modern arts- and culture-focused opportunities to tap into aboriginal culture.
“Travelers are seeking out this age-old wisdom on experiences like a rainforest-to-reef “walkabout,” which offers the rare opportunity to see one of the world’s oldest rainforests through the eyes of a Kuku Yalanji guide”
More Immersive Experiences
In New Zealand, Swain can provide additional ideas, whether it’s a food and wine tour, a luxury-focused escape, or a fairytale adventure to Middle Earth. For example, Swain coordinates kayaking outings to the seal colony at Tonga Island in the center of the marine reserve, with paddle routes through penguin habitat, granite headlands, tidal lagoons, and forest-fringed beaches. Or, take a Māori-guided bushwalk in search of the region’s rare fantail Piwakawaka bird.
And in South Africa, curious travelers can get up close to local history and nature through stone-age cave paintings, safaris, and even a visit to a preserve with the elephant rehabilitation-focused HERD Trust. Each itinerary highlights a far-flung, storied geography and its people’s cultural connections, traditions, rituals, and commitment to preserving ancient wisdom interwoven with the singular ecological areas ancestral locals know best.
Dive into a world of customized and luxury travel.
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