Niarra's coverage
In the press
Travel + Leisure, April 2024
"Going up the Amazon River, it was easy to imagine the world was still brand new, untouched by progress or technology. Our little boat was like a time machine, the millennia falling away beneath the bow. This must be how things were at the beginning, I thought, before the arrival of mankind.
Birdsong rang from the jungle. A half-submerged caiman, the South American cousin of the alligator, watched us from the shadows of the bank, only its eyes visible. A giant river otter surfaced with a half-eaten fish. Spider monkeys, dancing through the trees, suddenly stopped to gaze down at us."
Stanley Stewart travelled to Brazil as a guest of Niarra Travel in 2023.
Financial Times, November 2023
"Among the mammals (found in Trijunção) are the anteater, jaguar, ocelot and pampas deer. But it is the maned wolf, one of South America’s rarest mammals, that draws professional naturalists and tourists alike. It is a supermodel of the animal kingdom, the most beautiful of canids, shy, slender, fine-boned, with a golden coat and long legs. It would make a leopard look clumsy."
Stanley Stewart travelled to Pousada Trijunção as a guest of Niarra Travel in 2023.
JustLuxe, June 2023
"Niarra Travel wholeheartedly believes that adventurous travel is a meaningful way to spend quality time with your family in the great outdoors - and the right kind of experiences can have profoundly positive effects on young and mature minds alike."
Roaming Roots, February 2023
"Niarra Travel is a company that operates on the principles of transparency and purpose, creating unforgettable trips to inspiring places while directing more tourism revenue to the people and communities protecting our increasingly fragile natural world. In this episode, we will be exploring the future of travel and tourism. We will also be discussing the importance of conservation and connecting people, the dilemmas related to travel, and what we can do to make it more responsible."
Condé Nast Traveller, September 2022
"The idea: London-based tour operator Niarra Travel is hoping to change industry norms by halving the standard 20 percent commission on bookings and investing the other 10 percent in conservation and communities in the destinations it serves."
Fortune, July 2022
“I believe Niarra is the first travel company that’s adopted this model, and it’s impactful,” says Sara Gardiner, cofounder of Matetsi Victoria Falls, one of Zimbabwe’s leading safari resorts and a Niarra partner property. “Even at the booking stage, their clients are aware that they’re making a positive impact within the destination. Many guests then fall in love with these wild spaces, begin to understand what it takes to conserve them, and want to do even more to contribute.”
Robb Report, June 2022
"When Niarra launched in the chaotic year of 2020, the London-based travel company’s aim was always to put purpose first. Unlike traditional tour operators, which take at least a 20 percent commission on bookings, it committed to just a 10 percent cut, expressly to help finance the protection of wilderness areas and their communities."
AFAR, June 2022
"Niarra’s goal is to get as much money to the destination as possible, and the best way to do this is booking directly,” said Thomas. “The second best way is to use a tour operator who has a real, vested interest in making sure they provide that service of putting together a trip that’s the right one for you as cheaply as possible for the particular destination."
Thrillist, April 2022
"Rwanda is just one excellent example of a country that’s emerged as one of the world’s leading ecotourism destinations,” says Byron Thomas, founder of Niarra Travel. “The north is home to mountain gorillas, and a handful of troops of these gentle giants have been habituated, allowing a strictly limited number of visitors to spend time in their presence."
Authority Magazine, April 2022
"In 2012, Byron Thomas joined a luxury travel company to share what he loved about creating safaris across the continent, soon managing the Africa department and always with a keen interest in sustainable and responsible travel. The events of 2020 gave him the opportunity to create something new with these values at its core alongside a passionate, experienced team — and so, Niarra Travel was born."
Skift, February 2022
"Convincing travel companies to take less commission is a tall order, especially coming out of the pandemic. But Niarra Travel believes that getting more money into the hands of local communities requires bold steps and immediate action."
Bloomberg, July 2021
"One-year-old startup Niarra Travel, for instance, offers the same booking services as a travel agent for just a 10% commission. "Our message to travelers is: 25% more of your money is actually going to reach the destination,” says founder Byron Thomas.
Barron's Penta, December 2021
"Sundowner cocktails are a safari rite of passage—a nightly ritual. And the ritual is getting more extravagant."
InsideHook, November 2021
"The crucial benefit of working with a bespoke operator such as Niarra isn’t just access to the best lodges — along with the seamless coordination of bush flights and airport transfers and, these days, COVID tests — but the ask-and-you-shall-receive mentality of its team."
Forbes, September 2021
"Niarra is seeking to change the traditional tour operator business model by offering competitive pricing, while sending more revenue to the people who need it the most."
Luxury Travel Magazine, July 2021
"Start-up premium travel company, Niarra Travel, arranges sustainable travel itineraries that support environmental protection, conservation, local culture and communities. Their destination for 2022 is the Cerrado, Brazil’s vast, tropical savanna ecoregion..."
Elite Traveller, July 2021
We hardly need the stats to know that responsible travel is more critical than ever. But how do you go about ensuring that your vacation is a sustainable one? Niarra Travel, a high-end sustainable travel company born out of a passion to do things differently, offers 10 tips to consider.
