Tânia Neves founded unusual voyages in 2023. A documentary photographer with a post-graduate degree in Anthropology, Tânia was always interested in other cultures, mostly nomadic and remote ones. Working as a Photography Tour Leader since 2016, the idea of creating her own tour company came up to bring together all the values she advocates for: social enrichment, sustainability, cultural preservation and equity / justice.
Tânia has always been particularly interested in exploring and document the diversity of the world. As an anthropologist her work was focused in micro-culture, specifically the muslim communities in Europe. But through her documentary work she always sought to use photography as a medium to give voice to ostracised people, regardless of their nationality, religious beliefs, gender or traditional habits. Here at unusual voyages, we choose to be apolitical and non-religious – we advocate for a better understanding amongst different cultures and traditions, and we strongly believe that is by crossing borders and getting to know different cultures first-hand that makes us more empathetic with each others.
In 2024 unusual voyages was incubated as a startup at the Business Factory in Ericeira, where the project is based. The Business Factory shares the same values of sustainability, ethics and social empowerment, making it the perfect partnership to grow on the right direction.
Today we are a small team with common principles, united by the love for our beautiful planet in all its forms: nature, human, wildlife and culture. We adopt all measures at our hand to minimise our footprint and reassure to stimulate the local communities, as equity and justice are paramount on all our activities. Through travel, we (aim) make the world a better place ♡
Our ETHOS
We create tours that open doors to less conventional and restricted destinations, breaking down preconceptions and broadening horizons. Our commitment is to provide epic and unforgettable experiences, valuing cultural authenticity in every tour. We allow our travellers to immerse themselves in the cultural essence of each destination, providing genuine encounters and meaningful experiences.
We believe in the power of travel to challenge prejudices and stereotypes. We are committed to creating experiences that allow travellers to discover the diversity and complexity of the world. By exploring lesser-known destinations and interacting with diverse cultures, our clients have the opportunity to broaden their perspectives, promoting understanding and tolerance between different groups and societies.
We recognise the importance of protecting and preserving the destinations we visit. As an agency committed to sustainability, we seek to minimise our environmental impact by adopting sustainable practices in all our operations wherever possible.
We value and respect the traditions, customs and cultural heritage of the destinations we visit. We always seek to promote authentic and respectful interactions with local communities, supporting practices that preserve and strengthen the cultural identity and well-being of local populations.
We design our itineraries to benefit both our travellers and local communities. We ensure a fair and equitable distribution of economic benefits, avoiding the exploitation and marginalisation of local communities, and contributing to the sustainable financial development of the communities we visit.
