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    off the beaten track destinations

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      Welcome to
      Against the Compass EXPEDITIONS

      We are an alternative travel agency specializing in taking small groups to emerging, barely visited, and often misunderstood countries across the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia.

      Our tours are budget, we only work with local independent guides, and our groups tend to become outstanding travel families.

      our Destinations

      Maaloula

      Syria

      Iraq

      Eritrea expedition

      Eritrea

      Mauritania

      upcoming tours

      Why join Against the Compass EXPEDITIONS?

      Slow Travel

      We are no regular travel agency, but we take time to take photos and have local interactions in each place we visit

      Focus on people and culture

      From having lunch in a local eatery surrounded by locals to organizing a meal at someone’s house, our expeditions never miss the human touch

      Invaluable experiences

      We try to organize activities which would otherwise, be very difficult to experience as an independent traveler

      Independent, local guides

      We only work with teams composed of local people, carefully chosen

      We Create Travel Families

      The people you share the journey with are important, so we always try to keep our groups fun

      Budget Tours

      High-quality tours on a budget, the best value-for-money option

      check our 5-star Google reviews

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      Occasional offers & discounts

        by Joan Torres

        Against the Compass EXPEDITIONS was founded by Joan Torres, creator of Against the Compass travel blog and regular Lonely Planet writer.

        Currently based in Barcelona, Joan Torres has been continuously traveling since 2014, with a special focus on unusual countries, revealing the beauty and potential of some of the most misunderstood countries in the world, from Mali to Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

        After blogging for more than 5 years, writing comprehensive travel guides and tips to those destinations, while creating a loyal readership, Joan Torres decided to open a travel company in an attempt to help other travelers do the same.