About Us
Our Story
Provençal Adventures was created by Remi Dubois, a Londoner with deep French roots and a lifelong connection to the enchanting region of Provence.
A Passion for Nature
From a young age, Remi's love for the outdoors was evident as he spent countless hours climbing trees and exploring the natural world. This early connection to nature grew into a lifelong passion for adventure, taking him to some of the world’s most stunning landscapes, including the majestic Himalayas. With his extensive hiking experience, Remi is committed to curating journeys that inspire a sense of wonder and a profound connection to the natural environment.
A Culinary Enthusiast
Food has always been central to Remi’s life. At just 11 years old, he surprised his family by creating a three-course meal for his mother’s birthday, sparking a lifelong love of cooking. Though he briefly worked as a chef, Remi realised his true joy came from preparing meals for loved ones. His belief in balanced, varied diets and a commitment to organic, seasonal produce are at the heart of Provençal Adventures’ culinary offerings.
The Adventurer
Remi’s adult life has been defined by his adventurous spirit, exploring diverse cultures, cuisines, and landscapes around the globe. His love for hiking has only grown, taking him on trails that combine physical challenge with breathtaking scenery. At Provençal Adventures, Remi shares his passion for exploration, encouraging guests to immerse themselves in nature and experience the thrill of discovery.
Remi’s warm and welcoming approach ensures that every guest feels part of the journey. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or a curious foodie, his enthusiasm and expertise will guide you through an unforgettable experience in Provence.
Our Mission
At Provencal Tours, our goal is to provide you with a unique, intimate, and special experience. We want you to connect with nature, enjoy quality locally sourced produce, eat healthy but delicious food, and savour fantastic local wine. Breathe in the fresh mountain air, immerse yourself in the rich culture of Provence, and take in spectacular views. Whether swimming in the pool or the sea, you will feel rested, energised, and ready to return to your daily life with a renewed sense of motivation and well-being.
Join Us
Let us take care of everything while you enjoy and be present in the moment. Discover the magic of Provence with Provençal Tours – where every detail is designed to make your experience unforgettable.
Sustainable Travel
At Provençal Adventures, we are committed to responsible and sustainable tourism that preserves the beauty and integrity of the natural world while supporting local communities. Our experiences are carefully crafted to minimise environmental impact and provide lasting benefits to the regions we explore. Below is our sustainable travel policy, focusing on three key areas:
1. Reducing Carbon Emissions
We strive to minimise our carbon footprint by adopting sustainable practices across all aspects of our tours:
Renewable Energy: Our villa is equipped with solar panels, ensuring we harness as much green energy as possible to power our operations.
Transport Efficiency: We limit motorised transportation to essential journeys only, using a single car for travel to local destinations that are only accessible by car.
Locally Sourced Food: By growing fresh fruit and olives on our property and partnering with local food producers, we minimise food miles and support eco-friendly agricultural practices. Vegetarian and vegan food is also available on request.
2. Protecting and Understanding Nature and Biodiversity
Respect for the natural environment is at the core of our ethos. Our activities are designed to enhance, rather than disrupt, the rich biodiversity of Provence:
Harmonious Coexistence with Wildlife: We avoid the use of electric fences around our villa which is situated off the beaten track in a beautiful wild forest, choosing instead to live in harmony with local wildlife. We encourage the natural movement of animals around our property, which includes wild boar and deer. Even if they do on occasion dig up our smaller fruit trees! It’s about learning to work with the animals that have made this area their home, long before we came to live here.
Nature-Centered Activities: Our hiking tours emphasise environmental stewardship, providing opportunities for guests to learn about the local flora, fauna, and ecosystems of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. We encourage respectful interactions with nature, allowing guests to appreciate the biodiversity that surrounds them.
Biodynamic Practices: We collaborate with a local biodynamic vineyard that produces wine without pesticides or chemicals, fostering an agricultural system that works with nature and local animals in the most sustainable way.
Recycling: We try to avoid the use of plastics on our trips and when we do we ensure that plastics and everything else is properly recycled in the local village recycling containers. We also ask our clients to bring their own water bottles to refill using our water filtration system.
3. Providing Local Benefits from Tourism
We believe in the power of tourism to positively impact local communities, particularly by supporting small businesses and local producers.
Supporting Local Farmers and Producers: We source organic produce wherever possible and collaborate closely with local farmers and food producers, ensuring that our tours contribute to the local economy. This includes working with a nearby biodynamic vineyard and olive oil producers. We support the sustainable practices of small producers, which not only honour the hard work behind these exceptional products but also help preserve the ecosystems that thrive around them.
Partnership with Local Businesses: Our guests dine at local cafes and restaurants, enjoy a wine tasting at a nearby vineyard and explore local villages and markets, directly benefiting and supporting the communities we visit. Local handicraft products are available to purchase in shops and markets and this directly supports the local businesses of the area.
EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY
We employ people from the local community and surrounding villages to help with the cooking and cleaning. We also believe in fair wages so we make sure that no one is ever underpaid and is paid almost double the minimum wage for their hard work and commitment.
Our trips are of course LGBTQ friendly and in no shape or form do we exclude a certain demographic of people from coming on our trips or working for us. Our trips however are not suitable to some people with mobility issues as hiking is the main activity and everyone is expected to have a good level of fitness and some prior experience hiking.
We are committed to responsible and sustainable tourism that preserves the beauty and integrity of the natural world while supporting local communities. Our experiences are carefully crafted to minimise environmental impact and provide lasting benefits to the regions we explore.
Through these initiatives, Provençal Adventures is committed to delivering memorable travel experiences that respect and preserve the natural environment while fostering positive social and economic change.