Twenty-six years ago we sat in our graduate student apartment and typed up (on a typewriter!) a one-page flyer inviting "curious, hearty souls" to join us on a "Journey to Nepal". We were clear about what we wanted to do: we hoped to share a place that we knew and loved with others who were open and eager for new adventures. We were unaware that we were designing an "eco-tour"; the word had not yet been invented. We only knew that we wanted our travel group to be small enough not to overwhelm the experience, we wanted to interact directly and respectfully with local people and natural environments, and, rather than drain local resources, we believed we should make a contribution to their preservation.
