About Panoramic Journeys
We believe in the power of travel. At Panoramic Journeys (PJ) our mission is to bring about positive change for guests, all involved in the journey and the wider world – we call this "The Triple Win."
PJ's story started during the movement of eco and responsible tourism. Mongolia and Bhutan fully embraced this and to us, there has never been another way. How could there be? Why would anyone want to leave any mark on a pristine landscape or betray the generous hospitality of its inhabitants? Our journeys and filmshoots have always been focused on being not just sustainable, but regenerative.
Panoramic Journeys is a family business with an office in the UK where Karina, James and Sam Moreton work. Our journeys to Bhutan are overseen by Jade, also in the UK.
Since 2003, we have had an office in Ulaanbaatar. This is run by five very talented and dedicated women; Hishge, Zukar, Namuun, Ickho and Khaliuna.
We have worked in Bhutan since 2007. Our team there are based in Thimphu and thrive off the range of journeys and film shoots that we work on there.
We are obsessed with connecting people to the wider picture and shifting perspectives. We are on a mission to spark engagement with the bigger picture and to inspire and instigate climate related collaborations and actions. For us, being purpose driven and regenerative is not just an afterthought. It’s at the heart of everything we do. To travel responsibly is to respect the planet and its' people; to sustain it. It is our belief that our endeavours can and must make a difference, not only to individuals through unforgettable life-affirming journeys or mind-blowing documentaries, but to communities and the planet as a whole.
To find out more about our approach read Responsible Travel the PJ Way
If you'd like to know how you can travel sustainably read our 10 Steps to Responsible Travel guide.
Back in 2002, Karina, an anthropologist and film maker, found herself trapped in the rat race, making commercial films which did not satisfy her desire to "make a difference". James had been working on the family farm in Warwickshire, but was ready for a new adventure. Visiting a country where horsemanship is central to the national identity appealed to him, not least the promise of galloping through wide open spaces with no boundaries. For Karina, the chance to study an ancient nomadic culture and record it on film, was irresistible.
Arriving in the city of Ulaanbaatar with their backpacks and not a word of Mongolian, they boarded the first bus they saw. As it drove out across the vast plains, they saw little groups of gers dotted among the landscape, Mongolians gathering for the annual festival of Naadam. With her film maker's eye and the camera rolling, Karina chose the most scenic spot to disembark, a tiny settlement set against majestic mountains. Within moments they were welcomed in, offered milk tea and a lifelong love affair with Mongolia began.
Karina and James gained a whole new perspective. In the richness of the culture, landscape, wildlife, and hospitality of the nomads, they discovered time and space and freedom. Their letters and emails home were full of this extraordinary land and friends and family were urging them to share what they had found. And so Panoramic Journeys was born.
Over more than two decades, the company has gone from strength to strength and is now recognised as a leading authority on Mongolia. It has the rare and unique advantage of being able to use its own team of experts on the ground, thanks to the close and abiding relationships it has formed with its Mongolian team. Panoramic Journeys offers a unique experience to see the real Mongolia – close up and under the surface.
Returning guests, thrilled by what they saw in Mongolia, urged Karina and James to extend the 'Panoramic' approach to other places. The quest for comparable destinations led in 2008 to another colourful and warm Buddhist culture, the lost monasteries and flowing rivers of the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Then Burma (Myanmar) emerged after decades of oppression and international isolation, and in 2011 Panoramic Journeys was delighted to add this beautiful and welcoming country to the select portfolio until 2021.
It is not too much to say that our trips change lives. Not only for our guests who tell us that they gain a new perspective – like Karina and James did on that first journey to Mongolia all those years ago – but also for the communities they visit. To read more about our Sustainable Project Fund and the positive difference we can make together, see our Responsible Travel page.
Sam and Freddie have been a part of the PJ family since their births - and now it is exciting to have Sam joining the team.
And so to distant lands we will take you. Places that get under your skin and into your heart. Places that will challenge and inform, astound and beguile. Places of myth and adventure, of dragons and holy men, mountains and deserts. These are our journeys.
