Against the Compass EXPEDITIONS

Joan Torres with Against the Compass is an absolute gift. We prefer to travel independently, but due to safety concerns surrounding Iraqi Kurdistan, we decided to join Joan on his expedition. We could not be happier with this decision. Joan and his fabulous Kurdish guide, Karwan Wahed, took care of us every step of the way. Joan and Karwan were extremely quick to respond to all questions even before the trip began (in fact, I wonder if Joan ever sleeps). They organized a seamless arrival and departure despite covid restrictions, snowstorms, and even a missile attack. We saw many highlights of this fascinating region, complete with detailed history and current information, comfortable transportation and great accommodations. The itinerary was extensive but paced well, and included two exciting local celebrations we would not have known about ourselves. More importantly, we experienced one-of-a-kind interactions with the local people that we also would not have been able to arrange on our own. We were able to spend the day on a farm with nomadic Kurds, and Karwan invited us to a special dinner with his family, cooked by his wife, in his home. Joan and Karwan went above and beyond the call of duty to honor our requests, such as finding stamps for our son’s collection. Even when challenges arose, Joan and Karwan were able to work around any obstacles with calm and good humor, and came up with great “plan Bs.” We really enjoyed getting to know Karwan, with his unique in-depth perspective and hilarious sense of humor, and Joan, a delightful man with an absolute wealth of travel information, as well as the other travelers on the tour. We had so much fun as a group and came away with lifelong friends. Even better, all this incredible knowledge and experience was offered with an affordable price tag. Don’t hesitate to join Joan on one of his trips. It will be the best decision you ever made!