About Us
For over 25 years we’ve been helping travellers discover the real asia, creating unique experiences and stories that last a lifetime.
At Insider Journeys, we’ve been changing lives through travel for 25 years. We believe travel is about more than a vacation. It’s about getting to know a country in all its glory, through meeting welcoming local people and seeing places through their eyes.
We take you on a journey that you’ll experience with all your senses. Gazing on the mighty limestone peaks of Halong Bay in Vietnam; inhaling the aromatic steam rising from a bowl of steaming hot miso ramen noodles in Sapporo, Japan; treading the well-worn path through the jungle to witness the sunrise over Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
It’s magical moments like these that create stories that you’ll be telling your friends and family for the rest of your life.
Our story so far...
2005
Insider Journeys UK opens
After booking UK clients via our Sydney office and with word of mouth really helping to introduce more travellers to our style of travel, we opened our UK office. Based in the heart of a charming university town, this was our first office to open outside of Australia or Asia. Starting with a team of just 3 we now have 11 UK-based colleagues who look after our UK-based travellers.
Started running tours to India
It was a logistical unknown. Having established offices across Indochina, starting operations in a country home to almost 1 billion people was an exciting but, at times, daunting prospect. Still, after our first few intrepid tours we soon found our feet and India is now our most visited country behind Vietnam, Cambodia and Japan.
2004
First Cambodia offices open
During this period, the first of our offices in Cambodia open; initially in Cambodia’s capital city, Phnom Penh, and the second in Siem Reap, gateway to the temples of Angkor and a city now known for its vibrant nightlife, arts and restaurant scene.
Vietnam, Danang, office opens
With cultural tours now established, more and more of our travellers were interested in relaxing on some of Vietnam’s spectacular beaches. To meet this demand, and to better serve travellers visiting Saigon and Hoi An, we opened an office in Danang which we still run today.
2003
Our first China tour departs
Our first tours to The Middle Kingdom commence. This was our first small group tour to run outside of Thailand or the Indochina region, and while the first tour took in the key sights, we now run small group tours that visit some of China’s more remote regions.
1998
Second vietnam office opens in Hanoi
Five years after opening, demand was increasing and we opened our second operations office in Vietnam’s ancient capital, Hanoi.
1996
First Thailand Tour Departs
Having entrenched our services in Indochina, we looked to expand our offering in Asia and Thailand seemed the next logical step. Already a popular destination for a beach holiday, we focused on bringing the incredible cultural history to life for travellers lookoing for a more in depth exploration of the country.
1993
Our First Tour
Paul Hole and co-founder Mark Bowyer led their first tour of Vietnam with a group of friends who volunteer to help test their first itinerary. Insider Journeys now run 9 dedicated Vietnam small group tours, and it remains our most popular destination to this day.
