Masterpieces
of Life & Adventure
Flowery high savannah landscapes, empty historic trails, passionate guiding, and genuine human interaction are hallmarks of all of our trips in the Serra do Espinhaço, but in our minds, they’re just the tip of the iceberg.
Here’s what we—and the travelers who’ve come with us—think you should expect from a GOGO Trip.
“I feel like I just had a life-changing experience & got a Master’s in Brazilian Studies at the same time.”
- Cameron Cullen, Traveler
Remarkable, UnTouristed Settings
The world is ripe for rediscovery, and the Serra do Espinhaço is proof. Few settings on earth are remarkable enough to warrant a coveted UNESCO designation, let alone 3 (in this case, a World Heritage Site, a Biosphere Reserve, and a rare Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System).
Incredibly, the Espinhaço remains virtually anonymous, even within Brazil. We’ve spent countless days exploring, documenting, and guiding along the region’s labyrinth of trails & backroads since 2018. Outside of the region’s State Parks (which can fill up with locals during weekends & holidays), we’ve seen just two groups of (Brazilian) hikers.
Brazil as a whole is shamefully undervisited. The Espinhaço is still a secret. It’s a privilege to be able to experience this place, the way it is, right now.
Passionate, knowledgeable Guiding
The journey to bring adventurous travelers into such a little-known part of the planet via deeply immersive experiences has been longer & more arduous than any wilderness bushwhack could ever be. As one particularly exasperated marketing consultant once put it to us, “you’re basically offering a whole new type of travel… in a place that no one’s ever heard of.”
Conviction carried us through the early days: we’d traveled enough to know how special the Espinhaço was; how precious its high savannah landscapes, authentic culture, compelling history, and idle network of historic trails were. We were looking for the perfect setting to share the Story of Brazil, and we were confident that we’d found it.
While that belief remains as strong as ever, passion has carried us ever since. For sharing the crazy, beautiful Story of Brazil; for crafting & guiding the most compelling, inspiring, and unforgettable experiences possible; for enriching the lives of the people we call friends, mentors, and neighbors; and for the Cerrado itself.
The journey to be able to share the Story of Brazil in the Espinhaço has been monumental. In a very real way, guiding you into it is our reward. We believe you’ll feel that each step of the way.
“I have never seen an itinerary crafted from so many years of investment (from technical visits, to research, opening & clearing trails, etc.), on such a grand scale (on such an extensive & varied route, over many weeks, etc.), with such attention to natural attractions and characters that deserve recognition & promotion. And, what impressed me most, was that it has been done with such immense authenticity—something increasingly rare in these times of instant virtual “show-off” and exaggerated or misleading marketing.”
- Márcio Bortolusso, Explorer & Journalist
“Moments of exhaustion, but also of exhilaration, such as I’d never known in a lifetime of travel.”
- Paul Richardson, Financial Times
Constant Immersion
If there is one thing that all of our trips have in common, its their immersive aspect. We’ve never been interested in guiding fly-by tours. In the nature, culture, history, and deeper essences of the places we visit. During trips, our pace, setting, and circumstances will vary daily, but our immersion is constant. You may not initially be able to process everything that you experience during your time with us, but you’ll have a lifetime of experiences to reflect on. In the meantime, you may never find yourself further removed from the realities of your life back home.
unbridled authenticity
Each & every detail of our itineraries—from the settings we choose to the accommodations where we stay; the foods that we eat to the folks who we meet along the way—stems from our belief that experiencing a Place as it is even when we’re not around to see it is the deepest & most enriching way to travel.
Our job is to capture authenticity, and to frame it in a way that promotes reflection & understanding. Yours is to experience it.
“You’ve basically taken travel to a whole new level.”
- Neil Bolton, Traveler
Challenge
Mileage will (literally) vary on the level of physical challenge you’ll experience during your time with us, depending on the details of your itinerary, as well as your physical conditioning. That said, immersing in a foreign culture is always challenging, and we expect most travelers to experience some degree of culture shock.
Crossing long distances is challenging. Most travelers will find at least some stretches of our trips physically and/or psychologically strenuous—the natural bi-product of our shared ambition to explore & experience as much of a place as possible within a limited timeframe. While each trip is different, as a general rule, you should expect long, active days; strange beds; and cultural . If you find that challenging, that’s good—it means you’re not home.
If you’re the kind of person who enjoys exploring the vast space beyond your comfort zone, you’ll love it.
Enrichment
Knowledge, gratitude, satisfaction, inspiration. Memories, lessons, stories, relationships. Traveling should always leave us new, but in our experience the best trips make us more whole, too, deepening our perspective & appreciation for the world around us, and bringing us closer to ourselves in the process.
These are the kinds of experiences we want to impart. If you find yourself coming home richer than when you left, we did our jobs.
“One of the most remarkable & magical trips of my life; an experience to be remembered until my final days.”
- Márcio Bortolusso, Explorer & Journalist
Deep Understanding
Of the Places we go, of the lives that take place there, and why it all matters. We spend years researching & exploring the settings where we operate in order to understand what makes them what they are, and we are as dedicated to their faithful portrayal as we are to the incredible experiences of the travelers we bring with us. It’s a pleasure to share the knowledge we’ve gained with you.
“I came home reinvigorated, and that feeling hasn’t left. I feel like telling the whole world about the Espinhaço, and about Gift of Go. Thank you.”
- Adriano Rizzardo, Traveler
Profound Satisfaction
In our minds as travelers & guides, there is no greater reward than to leave a place with the knowledge that you did the absolute most that you could to experience a place within a given timeframe; that you embarked on the most authentic, immersive journey possible; stretched your limits; experienced real adventure; made a meaningful contribution; and leave with a deeper understanding of both yourself & the place you left behind.
That’s the gift of go.
“People don’t take trips, trips take people.”