About
Sidequest travel.
Our Impact
SideQuest Travel isn’t just about seeing the world, it’s about seeing who benefits when you do.
Too often, the money from tourism flows straight to big-name hotels and overcrowded cities, while remote communities — the ones with the stories, soul, and traditional culture get left behind. SideQuest was created to change that.
Every SideQuest is built to make an impact. We take travelers off the tourist trail and into regions that don’t usually see visitors, not because they’re lacking, but because they’ve been overlooked.
We prefer to stay in a family-run guesthouse, eat at local tables, and work directly with guides and small businesses that share their culture, not just their services. That means your trip puts money directly into the hands of people who deserve to benefit from tourism, and often don’t.
By doing this, we aim to help divert the flow of mass tourism, to ease the pressure on fragile sites, and provide meaningful support to communities that genuinely want and benefit from visitors. It’s a conscious way to explore — better for you, better for them.
Because the best adventures don’t just change you — they help change the world for the better, too.
Alex, Founder
Hi! I’m Alex — an Aussie obsessed with storytelling, travel, and chasing the kind of experiences you can’t plan. In 2023, after burning out in the corporate grind and the end of a five-year relationship, I quit my engineering job for good, packed a bag, and booked a one-way ticket out of Australia.
It all kicked off with a Holi group trip in India (shoutout @noratheexplorahh), and I was hooked. The culture, the chaos, the connections — it hit me hard. I realized the magic of travel wasn’t just in the landmarks, but in the SideQuests, the strangers-turned-friends, and the moments you stumble into off the beaten path. I'm drawn to hidden gems, avoid the crowds, and never pass up a SideQuest — as I've found, that SideQuests are where the best memories are made.
Since then, I’ve freelanced as a trip leader across Kenya, India, Iraq, Japan, Pakistan, and Europe. That full-circle moment — leading trips after starting on one as a wide-eyed traveler — still blows my mind. Travel has been transformative for me, and now through SideQuest Travel, I’m here to pass that on to other curious, open-minded souls ready to explore, grow, and to pick up some epic stories and memories.
Our ethos
At SideQuest Travel, we believe the most meaningful moments happen off the main road.
We're here for the curious, the brave, and the open-minded — the ones who crave connection, not convenience. Our ethos is simple: go where the crowds don’t, travel with intention, and make every journey count — not just for you, but for the places and people you encounter. We design every SideQuest to be immersive, ethical, and unforgettable — not mass-produced. Because this isn’t just travel. It’s the part of life you’ll actually remember.