About Us
Sustainability-inspired travel
As a travel operator, we create unique itineraries for school, university, and independent traveler groups, using our passion and expertise to align every element of the trip with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Mission statement: Aim to use the power of travel to educate young people about sustainable development and inspire them to live, travel, and work in a more positively impactful manner.
Our guiding principals
Carbon measure & mitigate emissions
No single-use plastic
Sustainable food management
Support community & environmental leaders
Work with local providers
SDG focus
Travel to educate
We run educational programs for school and university students and small individual groups. Everyone who travels with us will learn about new people, traditions, cultures, and the extraordinary natural world we live in.
Education that inspires is at the heart of everything we do. We touch upon all of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and have an extra focus on contributing to Goals 4 and 13. We aim to educate all of our travelers about sustainable development and give them the tools to travel, work, and live in a more sustainable way.
The meaning of “Kagumu”
The story of Kagumu begins when Simon Willis met Lucelly Torres, a representative of the Arhuaco native community that resides in Santa Marta, Colombia. After various meetings, then travel-writer Simon began to learn more about Lucelly’s community, their connection to the natural world – the sun, mountains, ocean – and belief in the power of Mother Earth.
Lucelly extended an invite to Simon to visit her spiritual capital of Nabusimake to explore the history, culture and traditions of her community. The trip inspired Simon to not only write about the experience but also to set on a mission to open other traveller’s eyes to the beauty and importance of such indigenous cultures. The travel project was born.
After the trip, Simon felt an Arhuaco word would represent the project in the best way and so asked for permission (in front of a dozen community members) to use Kagumu – “sacred mountains or land” in the local language.
Kagumu was born and Simon and Lucelly’s friendship continues as strong today as ever.
