The Story
Life is an adventure.
Life is an adventure. And I have leaned in; taking off at 17 to backpack the Middle East and Africa; moving for my first job to Flin Flon Manitoba, where I canoed on glassy lakes, flew in bush planes and spent time on a First Nations’ reserve; and living in Latin America for close to 10 years as a journalist.
Having kids was an opportunity to explore the world together, and we jumped right in, snorkeling with whale sharks off the coast of Yucatán, hiking Japan’s Kumano Kodo trail, and kayaking with orcas and visiting a master carver with the Kwakwaka’wakw people in North Vancouver Island.
Atacama Desert, Chile, 1994
Whether as a backpacker, foreign correspondent or with my kids…
…I have always looked for those kinetic experiences, and the stories that others missed. It takes time - a lot of time - to unleash one’s imagination, do the research, and plan the kind of active traveling I love to do. But boy, is it worth it.
And then one day, it just hit me: maybe I can share this with other people. The pandemic made many of us rethink what matters most, and for me, it is the importance of reconnecting with our natural world, ourselves, and each other. An adventure travel platform, done right, can do that: it can challenge us, broaden our thinking, and ground us in a way few things can.
Teotihuacan Pyramids, Mexico, 2017
That is karibu’s mission.
The name has several meanings; it’s the Swahili word for ‘welcome,’ and is inspired by Caribou, the French Canadian and Algonquin name for the North American reindeer. Caribou hold a special place within the Canadian identity. Their habitat spans the entire length of this huge country, and they are central to the traditions and cultures of First Nations throughout Canada.
The woodland caribou, which rely on large tracts of old growth boreal forest to live, are critically endangered, and in some places, are on the verge of extinction. They are a bellwether of how we care for nature and the planet. They are relying on us to take better care.
Andrea Mandel-Campbell
“At the heart of this story is a simple, abiding belief: it is possible to live wisely on the land, and to live well.”
— Barry Lopez, Arctic Dreams
Our Adventures
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Italy Like You’ve Never Seen It
Hiking the Alta Valsesia
7 days from CAD $4,850 or US $3,650 -
Big, Bold, Beautiful Ontario
Canoeing the Canadian Shield
6 days from CAD $2,800 or US $2,055 -
Wild, Sublime Vancouver Island
Kayaking, Killer Whales & the Kwakwaka'wakw
7 days from CAD $5,650 or US $4,200 -
Discover Exotic Dominica
Volcanoes, Hiking and Rainforest Foraging
8 days from CAD $5,830 or US $4,420
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