Connecting With the Ancestors

It’s been said that to know where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve been. Your history and your family’s roots play an important role in who you become. There’s no better way to get in touch with that history and heritage than through travel.

It’s All in the Genes
A rise in at-home DNA test kits sparked the interest in learning where one’s ancestors hailed from, setting in motion the travel trend of heritage tourism. Ancestry travel takes wanderers all over the world to find where their stories start. With a simple mouth swab sent into DNA testing companies like 23andMe, explorers can get a whole family history almost instantaneously, tracing their roots back to where they began.

Searching the Records
DNA testing isn’t the only way to get ancestral information. In fact, DNA testing sometimes proves inconclusive, as there are still not enough data points to pull from for results. You can go through online registries or employ the help of a local genealogist to trace where your family comes from. You can also talk to family elders to find out what they remember of where they immigrated from, especially if they were the first generation.

Heritage Tours
Many travel companies now offer ancestral tourism programs to help you get in touch with your roots. Some tour operators will even work with you once you’re on the ground, taking you to historical sites and villages that appear in your family tree. Or you can trace a path yourself, starting with a simple search of your last name. Follow your genealogy to create your own map and revisit the destinations and sites that make up your family history.

Homecoming
Many have described the experience of reaching their ancestor’s homeland as a spiritual moment. There’s a sense of belonging that immediately takes over, even if you’ve never stepped foot in that destination before. You can’t help but rejoice as every ounce of your being reaches out to your family’s people and roots, finding home in their homeland.

The experience becomes even more personal if you’ve mapped out important landmarks and sites that directly relate to your history. It creates a connection between past, present and future, knowing that one day your own family down the line can come back to these lands, same as you did.

Take a journey to your family’s past on one of our luxe-adventure voyages.