Original Travel Announces Exclusive Partnership with Past Preservers

Original Travel can now match budding historians and amateur archaeologists with leading experts, thanks to a new partnership with Past Preservers 

Budding historians and amateur archaeologists can now team up with a leading expert in their field for a day (or longer), thanks to a new and exclusive partnership between Original Travel and Past Preservers, a global network of renowned archaeologists, historians and authors. 

Past Preserver's little black book – once only available to production companies as expert fixers and advisors for TV and films like Discovery Channel's What on Earth and Channel 4's Great British Dig - is now accessible to Original Travel clients for guided tours. This includes access to off-limit areas, hands-on experiences and private viewings of some of the world's most fascinating sites.  

Tom Barber, Co-founder of Original Travel, says: 'Our partnership with Past Preservers is one of the best examples of what Original Travel can offer our clients; unique and exclusive experiences that truly showcase a destination in a way that few tourists are privileged to see. This is a very welcome addition to our existing 'Like a Local' tours – where locals (rather than professional guides) take our clients for a tour of their neighbourhoods and favourite hotspots that tourists would otherwise never know about – alongside our Concierge network of extremely well-connected locals.'  

Nigel Hetherington, Co-founder of Past Preservers, says: 'We are super proud of the work our experts do and the relationship with Original Travel will open up their world to travellers, giving unique behind-the-scenes access to wonderful projects and places.' 

Example experiences include: 

Greece - Take a tour of the acropolis of Mycenae, legendary home of Agamemnon, with the President of the Mycenaean Foundation. Access off-limits areas of the Cult Temple, underground cistern and less-visited Tholos Tombs, as well as the recently excavated Lower Town, followed by a private tour of the Mycenae Museum.

This Past Preservers experience can be included in a tailormade trip to the Peloponnese such as this one. 

Cyprus - Join excavators on a guided tour of the ancient theatre of Nea Paphos in Cyprus, as participants are giving a rare opportunity to visit this working archaeological site with privileged access to the ancient theatre, not currently open to the public. 

This Past Preservers experience can be included in a tailormade trip to Cyprus such as this one. 

Italy, Puglia – Join an expert at the archaeological excavations of Santa Maria di Agnano in Ostuni, the only place in the world with more than 30,000 years of continuous human attendance.  

This Past Preservers experience can be included in a tailormade trip to Puglia such as this one.

Italy, Rome – Learn from expert archaeologists how to excavate stratigraphically (layer by layer) at the Horrea Agrippiana, an imperial storage building dating to the reign of Augustus (27 BC-14 AD), located in the archaeological park of the Roman Forum. Participants will be trained in the use of archaeological tools and learn about Roman architecture, pottery identification, and the various artefacts and small finds typically unearthed at Roman sites. You can also visit a mosaic lab and create your own masterpiece, using the time-held tradition of ancient mosaicists.  

This Past Preservers experience can be included in a tailormade trip to Rome such as this one.

Egypt – Learn about contemporary Egypt from the Revolution of January 2011 to its continuing consequences for  the country with a Doctor in Egyptology from the University of Cambridge. Or step inside the Step Pyramid of Sakkara – the first ever built – on a private tour with a leading Egyptologist. Divers can take an underwater tour of Ancient Alexandria, diving the protected, ancient Pharos Lighthouse, one of the original Seven Wonders of the World and only rediscovered in 1994.  

This Past Preservers experience can be included in a tailormade trip to Egypt such as this one.

Portugal – Take a night visit to the Penascosa rock art site where lights are used to create effects on the Paleolithic rock art, making motifs 'emerge' from the surface. Join the site director and be part of the archaeological research team at the Roman, Late Iron Age, and Chalcolithic site of Castelo Velho de Safara, for a hands-on experience digging up structures and streets, exposing ancient floors, and sieving for, labelling and recording finds. 

This Past Preservers experience can be included in a tailormade trip to Northern Portugal such as this one.

Jordan - After hearing from local Bedouin who grew up in Petra's caves and tombs, participate in hands-on conservation activities, supervised by a certified local conservator. Activities will include pottery washing and analysis, architectural documentation, and artefact conservation. 

This Past Preservers experience can be included in a tailormade trip to Jordan such as this one. 

Zimbabwe – Join an emerging archaeological scholar from Great Zimbabwe University to explore southern Africa's largest medieval capital, Great Zimbabwe, where you'll visit the Royal Palace, the Hill Complex and the Great Enclosure, as well as meeting local shamans.  

This Past Preservers experience can be included in a tailormade trip to Zimbabwe.  

Prices on request and press trips are available.  

-Ends- 

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Notes to Editors: 

Original Travel curates tailor-made itineraries, crafted by destination experts, to 77 countries worldwide from Anguilla to Zimbabwe. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the company has created over 50,000 itineraries since its launch in 2003, each one unique and adhering to the company ethos that “Life is in the Detail”. 

Original Travel also has its own specialist dive division. Original Diving is the world's only luxury dive travel outfit. 

13 of our consultants were recognised in Conde Nast Traveler's 2023 Travel Specialists list, including repeat inclusions for Co-founder Tom Barber (family specialist), Jacqui Brooks (Indonesia specialist) and Oliver Rodwell (Mexico specialist). Our new additions include Ben Williams (Egypt), Kate Little (Romania) and Paul Tyler (Botswana). 

Original Travel clients enjoy a wealth of additional services they would not find with any other UK tour operator, including: 

• Access to a network of 70-plus Concierges who live locally, know their destinations inside and out and are extremely well-connected. They lend fantastic ground support, offering insider recommendations, facilitating any last-minute changes and troubleshooting.
• A brace of additional services designed to make departure easier than ever. Every Original Travel client, regardless of whether they're off on a city break, or a multi-destination sabbatical, will enjoy UK airport meet and greet, fast track UK check-in, fast track UK security*, lounge access and pre-booked flight seats. There are also upgrade options to include: a luggage transfer service from your home to the airport; fast track check-in and security and lounge access on your flight home; fast track through immigration on your return to the UK.
• The knowledge that not only will Original Travel absorb the carbon footprint of their international flights, but also - in an industry-first - car-hire and transfers, and other flights (even if booked independently).
• The knowledge that they are contributing to Our Foundation, which supports nearly 100 humanitarian projects in 30 developing countries. To date, nearly £1.5 million has been invested to support five key areas: child protection, vocational training, economic development assistance, preservation of cultural and natural heritage and safeguarding the lifestyles of indigenous peoples.