The venerable Financial Times recently interviewed Remote Lands CEO and co-founder Catherine Heald about the burgeoning trend in "smart guides" – "members of a growing circle of subject specialists who have somehow slipped into tourism." Such guides, said Catherine, represent "the difference between a good experience and a spectacular one: insider access to places and people you would never otherwise get, with everything focused on what interests you." 

Vietnam has become a major destination for foodie travelers, notes The Wall Street Journal, in a feature about a culinary journey that spans street food to gourmet imperial cuisine. "It is part of a recent wave of food tours offered by high-end firms like…the U.S.-based Remote Lands," says the Journal. Travelers "stay at high-end hotels, are guided by food experts, dine at in-the-know restaurants and visit vineyards and kitchens that are normally off-limits to the public." 

For the third year in a row, National Geographic Traveler has included Remote Lands in its annual "50 Tours of a Lifetime" feature. This year's honoree, Sri Lanka, joins Bangladesh ('09) and southern Laos ('10). "Peace has finally come to Sri Lanka after a quarter century of intermittent civil war, making the island's pristine nature reserves and trove of cultural marvels more accessible than ever," said Nat Geo. "A fourth-generation Tamil guide shows you what you've been missing."

The FT's Travelista column plugged Remote Lands in its July 14 column, "New routes and openings in the mysterious kingdom of Bhutan." Said Travelista, "With increased demand comes talk of a competitive airline, Tashi Air, and a new airport, Bumthang, opening any day now in the country's eastern reaches; and, of course, new places to stay….For itineraries into this emerging country, try US-based Remote Lands." 

Remote Lands' bespoke tour of India, particularly the chance to have an audience – and a meal – with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, is tapped by Worth magazine as one of its 20 Trips of a Lifetime. "The weeklong trip also infuses elements of luxury, with stays at the Oberoi Wildflower Hall in Shimla (where guests can hike the Himalayas) and a three-day visit to the Ananda Spa in Dehradun." 

This past spring, the FT asked a select group of insiders – including famous chef and hotelier Alain Ducasse, the CEO of British Airways Keith Williams, and Remote Lands' CEO and co-founder Catherine Heald – about their summer travel destinations.  "Japan needs us now more than ever," said Catherine, "and they are welcoming visitors with even more open arms and warmth than usual after their key spring tourism season was decimated."