Traveling in a large group of people would be unnecessarily cumbersome and would hinder the trekkers' ability to interact with the people they meet along the way. It could also potentially have a greater negative impact on local cultures. Therefore, the team will travel in groups of twos and threes, each group making its own way from one city to the next. The trekkers will be reunited in the destination cities and form new groups to mix things up and maintain positive group dynamics.


Culturally, Environmentally, and Socially Responsible Travel

In the spirit of respect and unity on which The Odyssey was founded, team members will make all decisions with an eye to being as culturally, environmentally, and socially responsible as possible. Such an approach will include the following:

• Out of respect for local cultures, team members will follow local customs, including eating local food, conforming to expectations for dress, and attempting to learn at least some of the local language.
• Team members will conduct themselves at all times with a sensitivity to the local and global environment.
• Team members will see that as much of the team expenditures as possible go into local hands by staying at locally-owned places, eating at locally-owned restaurants, buying locally-produced goods, and hiring local services
• Decisions about routes will involve considerations of the local political situation, not only regarding the trekkers' safety, but also regarding whether such travel, and paying necessary fees, etc., will support a political regime that is under boycott for its repressive or dictatorial nature.

Part of the great adventure of The Odyssey World Trek derives from the fact that the trekkers will navigate the globe without a set route and with limted use of air travel - to get from Argentina to South Africa, and from Zimbabwe to Ghana. Students will get to share in the excitement of shaping the routes the teams choose -- in terms of where they go and how they go -- and of facing the challenges the teams meet along the way.

One of the Team Members, when recently asked to list some of the different methods of travel used, came up with the following:
"land, air, sea, hitchhiking, walking, rafting, two-seater planes (with Kevin in the cargo hold), horseback riding, dancing, buses, jeeps, non-vegetarian boats, elephants, Argentinian taxis that actually go faster than planes... shall I continue?"

As the team members travel slowly overland and avoid areas highly influenced by western culture, they will seek a greater knowledge of the rich diversity of cultures and peoples in the world. This approach will give students a perspective of the world they usually do not see. It will enhance the students' understanding of and respect for the planet as a whole and, since local perspectives are often shaped by geography, help students better understand the perspectives of the people who inhabit the areas through which the teams travel.