The Hybrid Tours was founded by two women from the Global Majority to disrupt the travel industry. Through carefully curated itineraries we aim to show you the world through the eyes of local and displaced communities, decolonize history and show you the best sights countries offer. Once you travel with us, you’ll join a community of like-minded travelers who want to travel differently, learn deeply, and experience authentically’.
Our tours aim to break down stereotypes and build bridges between our guests and the communities who graciously welcome us to their countries. We only run small tour groups to ensure our guests experience the most immersive and authentic experience possible. We believe in the power of providing a platform for local and displaced populations to tell their own stories to foster connections and an appreciation of both our diversity and similarities.
We also only work with local enterprises from hospitality to tour agencies and nonprofits to artisans to ensure local populations benefit from travel and are not priced out by international corporations. These communities bring our tours to life.
Our World Too was founded to amplify the voices of refugees and displaced communities worldwide. Through its narratives, social media posts, and podcast series, More Than A Statistic, Our World Too is dedicated to changing how people perceive refugees and showing the humans behind the statistics and labels.
Our World Too is always looking for innovative storytelling and ways to engage new audiences. This is why Our World Too decided to partner with independent humanitarian and travel influencer Go Global with Sibu to create The Hybrid Tours.
As an example, during a previous trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina, we met with Emir Hajdarovic President of the Association of Former Prison Camp Inmates in Mostar (Udruženje logoraša Mostar) Emir spoke to us about the siege of Mostar during the Bosnian Genocide and the hurdles survivors of the concentration camps in Mostar are still going through to fight for justice.
When the survivors left the camps, they weren’t satisfied with how the international community accepted criminals as people to negotiate with. These criminals are still holding political positions, including some of the most important political positions in BiH. The president of the HDZ used forced labour in camps but he’s still in power. We don’t accept the label of ‘victims’, we aren’t weak, and we will continue to fight for our rights and those who were oppressed then and now. – Emir Hajdarovic
By co-founding The Hybrid Tours, Our World Too hopes that this will contribute to amplifying, decolonizing, and rehumanizing the narrative surrounding refugees and displaced communities globally, in addition to highlighting history often ignored by mainstream sources.
At The Hybrid Tours, our goal is to become a leading force in the travel industry by creating immersive and socially impactful experiences to leave a positive impact on the destinations we visit. We envision a world where travel transcends sightseeing, where every journey is an opportunity for cultural exchange, personal growth, and positive change. Through our innovative approach, we support local and displaced communities by creating a platform for them to share their stories on their terms and partnering with them to drive long-term economic growth. We achieve this through offering carefully curated tours designed to cater to the needs of travelers who want to experience travel beyond sightseeing.
This isn’t a drive-by kind of tour. On our tours, you’ll be enveloped by heritage and history as you travel through captivating narratives and traditions to forge a profound connection with a country and its people.
Travel isn’t just about taking pretty pictures. It can be a powerful tool for change because it allows us to learn from different communities and shows us, that we have more in common than we are led to believe by the media and politicians. Learn from the people behind the label and statistics, on their terms.
Did you know the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina chose the flag above to represent their sovereign nation in 1992? As part of our tours, we highlight the history you didn’t read about in school. The best part? You get to learn about it from the communities themselves.
We’re building a community of like-minded travellers who want to experience off-the beaten path experiences, interact with locals in a mutually respectful way and experience a country’s history and cuisine.
We commit to only partnering with local agencies, tour guides and businesses. By joining one of our tours, you’re not just exploring; you’re empowering local businesses, fostering growth, and leaving a lasting positive impact.
Step away from the ordinary with The Hybrid Tours. We’ll guide you through hidden gems and secret corners, creating unique, cherished moments that you’ll be recounting years from now at gatherings of family and friends.
Hira is a third culture kid in every sense of the word. She is British Pakistani and grew up in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia (with occasional stays in Pakistan)!
Growing up with people from around the world, sparked her interest in travel, culture, language, history, decolonisation and human rights.
She works as a communications expert in the humanitarian and international development sectors and has worked for organisations like the UN and the British Red Cross.
She is also the Founder of Our World Too, an organisation dedicated to rehumanising the narrative surrounding refugees and displaced communities around the world. This is the permanent partner organisation of The Hybrid Tours.
Hira loves trying out local cuisines and is known for her ability to find amazing Halal food wherever she finds herself!
Beyond travelling and work, Hira holds 2 Masters degrees in International Relations and Humanitarianism, Conflict and Development.
First move abroad: at 4 years old
Flags she identifies with: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and UK
Cities called home: Lahore, Riyadh, Madinah, Nottingham, London, Aylesbury
Languages spoken: English, Urdu, Arabic (it’s getting there!), Bosnian (a work in progress), Korean (K-dramas are truly the best teacher)
Most memorable trips: Palestine, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Syria (2006)
Favourite cities: Al-Quds, Sarajevo, Seoul, Tokyo, Damascus, Aleppo, Istanbul
Sibu is a global citizen that was brought up in a very multicultural environment. She is Costa Rican/Polish/American and even has Chinese siblings!
Her love for travel started at a young age due to her upbringing. Obsessing over encyclopaedias as a child eventually translated to her traveling and living around the world since 2005 – immersing herself in new cultures and seizing global opportunities.
She now travels full-time and freelances as a marketing analyst, travel consultant and occasionally is hired to handle logistics in off-the-beaten path destinations due to her expertise in the field.
Besides eating, you’ll always find Sibu in random events around the world, whether that’s a flash mob or an underground stand-up comedy club.
Sibu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from China – where she started her first company; and a Master’s degree in Humanitarianism, Conflict and Development from the UK, where she met Hira.
First move abroad: as a 6-month-old baby
Flags she identifies with: Costa Rica, Poland, USA
Cities called home: San José, San Diego, Tijuana, Chicago, Guangzhou, Wrocław, Krakow, London, Rio Blanco, Berlin, San Francisco
Languages spoken: English, Spanish, Mandarin, Polish and German. The last 3 with different levels of fluency. The next goal is fluent Arabic in the next 5 years.
Most memorable trips: Jordan, overlanding Africa by bus, Mongolia
Favorite cities: Hong Kong, Berlin, Beirut, Cape Town, Wrocław
You can read more about how Sibu and Hira started their entrepreneurial journey together here.
I have been fortunate enough to develop websites for organisations such as the European Union and Inspiring Women Pakistan. This has enabled me to gain an understanding of a wide range of global development and humanitarian challenges, which inspired me to contribute my technical skills to help improve the welfare of displaced communities around the world. By providing my web development and technical expertise to Our World Too, I hope to help amplify the voices of people with lived experience of displacement and contribute to changing the narrative around refugees and displaced communities globally.
Aiman is a business student majoring in marketing with a passion for fashion, editing, and discovering new places. An artist at heart, she loves painting and expressing creativity through her artwork. Born and raised in Pakistan, she enjoys exploring different cultures.
Her bucket list destinations include Santorini, Seychelles, and Norway.
Fun fact: She can turn any blank canvas into a masterpiece but struggles to draw a straight line without a ruler!
Tired of whirlwind tours that feel like you're just checking boxes? Do you crave travel—like actually meeting people, seeing how they live, and coming home with real stories? If you're dreaming of the stunning landscapes and ancient history of the Caucasus, then discovering how you travel matters immensely.
Tired of whirlwind tours that feel like you're just checking boxes? Do you crave travel—like actually meeting people, seeing how they live, and coming home with real stories? If you're dreaming of the stunning landscapes and ancient history of the Caucasus, then discovering how you travel matters immensely.
Applying for a visa to Pakistan can be an exciting step in your travel planning process. If you’re preparing for an adventure through this fascinating country, we’ve got you covered with a simple, easy-to-follow guide on how to apply for your visa.
We’re all going to Pakistan soon! And if you’d like to get to know more about the country and its neighbors, we feel like books are a great way to start immersing yourself in the history, culture, and the complex narratives of the region.
A new year is here and with that we need travel inspiration! Here at The Hybrid Tours, we’re all about encouraging you to have fun and see the world. Still not sure where to go? Whether you’re a fire sign looking for adventure or a water sign yearning for tranquility, the world has the perfect destination for you.
Travel insurance is an essential part of any trip, offering peace of mind and protection against unforeseen events. Here at The Hybrid Tours, we require all of our participants to have valid travel insurance throughout their trip with us in order to be able to take part in our tours.
With over eight years of experience in strategic communications in the humanitarian sector and over a decade of experience in solo travelling and creating travel content, Hira and Sibu are available for brand partnerships, consulting, advisory roles, podcasts, and interviews.
If you’re a local tour operator, social enterprise or non-profit organisation and would like to partner with us, contact us at info@thehybridtours.com. We are always looking for new partnerships and destinations and we look forward to hearing from you.
For travellers looking to experience our tours with their families or friends or even by themselves, contact us at info@thehybridtours.com and we can arrange a private tour for you within the destinations where we operate.
Tourism isn’t just about the breathtaking sights and incredible food, it’s also about tourism that benefits the local populations, the country overall and our guests. In the travel sector the concept of ‘tourism leakage’ refers to when most of the revenue generated by tourists on their vacations doesn’t contribute to improving the standards of living for local populations or helping the local economy because it goes to international corporations instead.
We commit to working with local communities, enterprises and hospitality providers when designing our tours. From accommodation to food, you can be sure that your trip with us will be reinvested back into the local community. We are also looking to expand our tours into ‘shoulder season’ to elevate the burden of overtourism and to provide communities with constant sources of income throughout the year rather than solely during ‘peak tourist season’.
We do not condone exploitation, disrespect or any form of saviourism when interacting with local communities and/or people who have lived experience of displacement. The communities and the individuals are in charge of what they share, how much they share or if they share anything at all. We aim to amplify their experiences and create global connections to show that behind the labels, statistics and dehumanising headlines, we have much more in common than politicians and the media would have us believe.
We don’t believe travel should only benefit one group of people. This is why we partner with local businesses and entrepreneurs to ensure local populations are also benefiting from our trips. We strongly oppose exploitation, performative action and saviourism of any kind. We work closely with our local partners across all our destinations to create itineraries that show you the best of their countries. We also discuss with local and displaced populations how they would like to be compensated for their time.
The Hybrid Tours is founded by two women from the Global Majority who have grown up across the world. Together they have seen first-hand the inequalities faced by women and girls and are committed to partnering with women-led enterprises and tour leaders where possible. We also aim to amplify the voices of local women leaders and women from displaced communities because their experiences and insights often go unheard.
We consciously choose local tour companies, guides, accommodation, drivers and representation on all our tours. We are aware of the rising costs for locals which often accompanies an increase in tourism. By choosing to partner with local enterprises, this helps create employment, ensures local populations are receiving a fair wage and can compete with larger global services.
We believe travel isn’t just about the food and the pretty pictures. Travel can also be a powerful tool for change because it shows us, we have more in common than we are led to believe by the media and politicians. On our tours, we commit to providing a platform to amplify local and displaced voices, so they can share their stories on their terms. We also aim to highlight history that you won’t have learned about in your textbooks to encourage intercultural understanding and awareness.
We work with a range of local partners around the world, who like us aim to show you the best their countries have to offer and to highlight the history and narratives of their people or the displaced communities that live there. We also support many other organisations ranging from NGOs, social enterprises, museums, local artisans and the local hospitality sector to ensure we are making a positive impact through travel.
We are a minority-owned social travel enterprise bringing a new immersive way to see the world. Come join us for real, fun connections and making a positive impact through responsible travel.
THE HYBRID TOURS
A collaboration between Our World Too x Go Global with Sibu
Get notified when this trip launches and get access to the Early Bird Discount!
Get notified when this trip launches and get access to the Early Bird Discount!
