“Under Canvas had been a very light footprint, very ecologically sound, sustainable business. But we realized there was another step - we could also build a regenerative company. And that's what we're trying to do now with our newest company, Few and Far, which is create an extraordinary five star experience, but at the same time, invest in the land, restore the land, regenerate the area in which we are at work, rather than being a business that is just trying to do no harm. And that's the difference.”
We’re in great company with Sarah Dusek, the Founder, along with her husband, Jacob, of Under Canvas, the premier outdoor hospitality company with glamping resorts outside of National Parks across America. Their newest adventure takes them farther into their search for a sustainable solution to travel than ever before.
Introducing Few & Far, a thoughtfully curated carbon neutral journey to some of the world’s most extraordinary wild places where we as travelers can respectfully experience the world, playing our part in protecting and preserving our planet.
In our first episode of Season 7, Sarah’s enthusiasm for creating sustainable access to incredible places can be heard near and far: from her soon to open Luvhondo Lodge in South Africa offering a wild, luxurious bush experience, reimagining the traditional safari - to her bespoke excursions spanning the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia.
Listen in, as Sarah and Jacob put their decade of experience, numerous awards and accolades to good use on their newest adventure.
Top Takeaways
[2:10] Sarah & Jacob’s love story began in the Far East when they discovered they both had very different feelings towards nature - Jacob in search of the rough and tough wilderness and Sarah preferring the more accessible enjoyment of her surroundings.
[7:15] How Sarah & Jacob cracked the code to “glamping”, reimagining a luxury safari experience in the natural wonders of the United States, with the creation of Under Canvas.
[11:15] It was a Field of Dreams moment of reassuring themselves, “if we build it, they will come,” when they opened their first light impact, minimally resourced tented hotel experience outside of Yellowstone National Park.
[12:45] “I wanted people to experience the magic of the stillness that exists in nature when you are able to hear yourself think.”
[18:40] Always ready for a new adventure, Sarah & Jacob are taking their latest nature immersive experiences a step further with Few & Far, rewilding, reforesting, repairing and restoring denigrated areas of wilderness to their pristine potential while redefining luxury hospitality at its roots.
[23:20] You can be one of the first to stay in their soon to open Luvhondo Lodge in South Africa, bearing witness to more biodiversity at the foothills of the Soutpansberg Mountains than is found on the entire continent of Europe.
[26:50] Experience a safari stay unlike any other - with cliffside canvas clad suites, fine dining experiences out in the bush, aerial safari tours in solar cable cars, and active adventures among the wildlife.
[29:20] How traveling with Few & Far on their carbon neutral, ecologically sensitive and sustainable excursions spanning the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia, can teach us about ourselves, these places and the people we meet along the way.
[31:55] “We often think about travel as being a luxury if we spend huge amounts of money on travel, that actually that's indulgent, it's excessive. But I also know that my travel dollars really matter.” Hear Sarah share a profound story that shows this to be true.
Notable Mentions
Robyn Woodhead’s White Desert in Antarctica
Sarah Dusek | @sarahdusek | Thinking Bigger by Sarah Dusek
