Many travellers don’t consider themselves “tour people” – they prefer to do things themselves and at their own pace. There is a belief that tours are boring, herding people from place to place with no time to appreciate where you are.
Whilst that can be true, we hope that is not what you experience with Selah.
Each tour is customised – we don’t pump out the same itinerary for each tour. Instead, we consult with the tour leader, find out what their objectives are and what their group want to see and do. In Israel for example, many are sympathetic to the Palestinian plight and want to include time and effort into understanding better the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This can involve a 
home stay with a Palestinian family in the Bethlehem area, a visit to the Bethlehem Bible college or spending time at a refugee camp.
Each tour is thoughtfully and carefully planned with what we like to say include many “Selah moments” where you stop and take it all in. This may be celebrating Shabbat with a Jewish family in their home, or simply sitting quietly on the shores of the sea of Galilee at sunrise or sunset.
We work hard to find the balance between seeing as much as you can in what could be a once in a lifetime trip and having moments to slow down and pause. Selah.
Of course, this is different for everyone, and mobility, age and interest all play a part. The itinerary we offer you does not come with a disclaimer that you must do and see everything listed. If you are feeling tired & overwhelmed, you can speak to your group leader & make arrangements to meet them later in the day, or simply sit in a coffee shop whilst the others visit a museum.
For the shoppers and coffee addicts, we try & factor in time for both, and almost every tour will have a free day for you to rest or go and see things that are of interest to you. You can even return to a place already visited and spend quality time there. Evenings are almost always free so we often slip out for a night cap or find a local night market.
Travelling with Selah customers is fantastic! We seem to attract a wonderful bunch of people that have shared values and reasons for why they are on tour. In our pre-departure meeting we talk extensively about tour etiquette and to follow in Jesus’s teaching to love your neighbour and do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Touring is definitely a team sport, and when everyone comes together it is just magic!
We have had groups aged 14-70+ and it has been a wonderful experience with lifelong friendships forged.
We select tour leaders that know their (Bible) stuff and are also people lovers. They all bring their own unique style and sense of adventure with them. This is in addition to a local guide and expert driver, so there is local insight offered on every Selah experience. Without our local guide we could easily walk straight past a significant site without even knowing!
In this era of food intolerances and allergies, most of our tours have a breakfast & dinner inclusive meal plan that is buffet style. So, there are no problems with gluten, seafood or anything else that may upset your tummy and not having to ask every time you eat for a special meal.
The meal plan also makes budgeting for extras a breeze. Apart from travel insurance there is only drinks with meals and a few lunches that you might need to budget for.
We regularly have solo travellers on tour – we happily match you up to share with a like minded person if you’re keen for company & to keep costs down. Single rooms are nice to come home to at the end of the day for others, but at Selah we won’t leave you high & dry in free time. We always check in that our singles are OK and feel seen and included.
Each tour celebrates with a farewell dinner – a time of sharing and thanking. A great time of reflection and gratitude for what is usually a life changing experience.
We hope that this captures the essence of what a Selah tour experience looks like. So even if you’re not a tour person we think that a Selah experience is not your usual tour.
The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:9, “You were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Which probably means both sharing vertically in the union each of us has in Christ and sharing together with other believers the common union we have with Christ and each other.
Selah indeed.
