Our Story

At just 16 years old, Lincoln visits India for the first time. In an era long before social media or Google Maps, bustling bazaars, ancient monuments and diverse landscapes quickly captured his imagination.

After finishing his studies, Lincoln couldn’t stop thinking about India. He returned home to Melbourne, where he worked and saved money to fund his next trip. This quickly became a cycle: heading back to India for weeks or months, then returning to Melbourne to start the process all over again.

Lincoln begins to think about how to sustain his love for India with a long-term perspective. Following a friend's suggestion, he registers a sole proprietorship - boldly titled Journeys with Lincoln Harris. His vision is straightforward: to lead small group tours to India, focusing initially on the northern regions and the Himalayas. In October 2001, Lincoln embarks on his first-ever tour with a modest group of three participants. Reflecting on this milestone, he says, “I am eternally grateful to Sam, Keith, and Alison for trusting me.”

Much to Lincoln's delight and eternal surprise, Journeys with Lincoln Harris is thriving. Word-of-mouth proves to be a powerful marketing tool, and before long, he expands his tours to other parts of India. With a new focus on South India and the picturesque region of Kerala, Lincoln sets himself apart from others by offering carefully curated itineraries.

It turns out that leading tour groups is hard work - who would have thought?  Lincoln soon realises that there are other ways to leverage his extensive first-hand knowledge of India, and his network of local contacts to offer a different kind of service. He develops the concept of Assisted Independent Travel, where he plans trips for clients without physically accompanying them himself.

A new direction calls for a rebrand, so India Unbound Pty Ltd is incorporated. Unfortunately, all the good intentions and planning in the world cannot account for unforeseen events and poor timing. Terrorists attack the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and many other sites in Mumbai, and the Global Financial Crisis cripples the economy, reducing visitor numbers to near zero.

Tourism in India begins to recover, and Lincoln and his wife, Madelene, decide to relocate to Mumbai. Without the hassle of long-haul flights, exploring India becomes easier than ever. Weekends are spent discovering new hiking trails, visiting seaside towns, and indulging in local delicacies. As international travel gradually resumes, India Unbound’s unique Assisted Independent Travel format becomes a success. Lincoln also takes the opportunity to explore a new destination: Sri Lanka. Amidst juggling multiple roles, Lincoln is about to take on his most exciting one yet: becoming a dad.

Sri Lanka Unbound is launched, while India Unbound continues to grow. Assisted Independent Travel is further refined, and becomes Private Touring. To get help running the business and finally open a “proper” office, Lincoln, Madelene and their young son return to Melbourne.

The office in Collingwood proves to be a much-needed administration hub. India Unbound and Sri Lanka Unbound continue to grow, but Lincoln notices a gap in the services offered: small group tours. Tapping into his original passion for introducing people to South Asia, he develops a new offering to meet this demand - Remarkable East.

Did anybody have “global pandemic” on their bingo card for 2020? With international travel paused indefinitely, the Unbound brands are forced to hit the brakes. Lincoln and Madelene decide to leave Melbourne and head north to Darwin to wait things out. Madelene accepts a teaching role, while Lincoln attempts to adapt to the tropical climate of the Northern Territory.

The news all of us have been waiting for finally happens: travel is back. After being cooped up at home for so long, many Australians are eager to tick off destinations from their bucket lists - India and Sri Lanka among them. As a result, the Unbound brands are busier than ever. With new team members based in Delhi, Mumbai, and Colombo - Kanwal, Saurabh, and Shash - our expertise and resources grow significantly.

To help us enter the digital age, we establish our very first marketing team in Delhi. Meanwhile in Australia, Lorinda and Angie join us soon after in product, reservations and marketing. We also add Merrick to the team as our in-house Business Development Manager. Lincoln continues to split his time between India and Australia, with exciting things on the horizon, including the much anticipated relaunch of Remarkable East.