“Every time I travel, I try to show up with an open mind and an open heart,” shared Laura Sumner, who has her adventurous eye focused on the southern hemisphere for a trip she’s planned into the wilds of Africa early next year. Laura will lead a small group journey into Tanzania, through the foothills of Kilimanjaro, the Maasai lands, the Ngorongoro Crater, and the Serengeti.

As Laura announced the exciting news for her unconventional tour company, Camino Yoga Retreats, she was immersed in travel that included a stretch in Spain and dipped into Portugal.

“Most of my work has been centered around guided walking experiences along the Camino de Santiago, incorporating yoga and mindfulness along the way,” shared Laura, who moved to Pinehills onto Walking Stick in 2022. Practicing yoga is always optional, as Laura focuses her boutique tours on the individual traveler, encouraging each guest to experience the journey in their own way. “This is really where it all began.”

El Camino, which translates to The Way, is the ancient network of pilgrimage routes in Europe—mostly northern Spain—leading to the shrine of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, in the lush, rugged northwestern corner of the country. Hundreds of thousands walk or cycle these trails every year, often for spiritual reasons. 

Laura first learned of the infamous walking trail after picking up a book about a woman navigating midlife struggles, who walked the Camino, which planted the seed for Laura. She walked her first in 2016. “It was life changing,” Laura explained. “I had my children very young and spent years focused on work, raising my family, and trying to make my way through the world. That first Camino brought me back to myself. It helped me reconnect with who I was before all of that.”

It is often said that the Camino is experienced in three parts: physical, mental, and spiritual. For Laura, she inadvertently reclaimed a part of herself she hadn’t realized she’d lost. After neurosurgery in 2019, in the midst of a high-pressure career and health struggles, she returned to the Camino more than once, searching for clarity and a new direction. By 2023, she made the decision to shift gears and in 2024, Camino Yoga Retreats was born. 

“I wanted to create a space where others could experience the Camino in a more intentional way, blending walking with mindfulness,” Laura shared. “The Camino has a way of bringing you back to yourself.”

As her business evolved, Laura began expanding her sites beyond Spain, with Africa being the first step in that direction. She’s traveled to the country already, of course, collecting spectacular photos and precious knowledge along the way. “I always believe in experiencing a place fully before offering it as a retreat, so everything I share comes from firsthand experience.”

While Laura hadn’t planned to visit the world’s second largest continent, she welcomed the opportunity when it landed in her lap. “Africa found me,” she recalled. “It was one of those experiences that shifts something in you.”

Exploring Africa with Camino Yoga Retreats as planned next year will be quite different from the company’s walking and backpacking journeys in Spain, according to Laura. Curating an experience that blends culture, nature, and self, she imagines something more expansive, though the tour will still be rooted in presence and connection. In many ways, Laura sees Africa as a natural extension of her work on the Camino.

“It felt like a different kind of pilgrimage, one that brings you back to the earth, to the wild, and to the people,” said Laura, recalling her time on safari, immersed in both the Tanzanian landscape and in meaningful cultural moments, like cooking alongside local women and visiting nearby communities. “What stood out most was the depth of the experience.”

All Camino Yoga Retreat journeys are intentionally designed and personally led by Laura, who is joined by Sarah Daley, the company’s Mindfulness Facilitator and Retreat Co-Leader, so guests are supported the entire time. Their accommodations are thoughtfully chosen as well—guests aren’t sleeping on bunk beds or sharing bathrooms—as each stay is selected to allow guests to truly rest and recharge. 

“I’m excited to bring a very small group there in January 2027,” Laura shared, hopeful for others to experience moments they will carry with them long after the trip itself. “One that stayed with me was visiting a children’s home—the warmth and openness of the kids was unforgettable. They simply want to connect, to hold your hand, and be seen.”

For folks considering travel, Laura’s advice is clear:  “Just say yes, and be open. Travel has a way of shifting your perspective in ways you cannot anticipate.”

Laura also thinks about how people often reach a point where travel becomes limited, due to health or life circumstances. “If you have the opportunity, take it.”

And for those who feel overwhelmed by the idea of planning and navigating a foreign country, traveling with a trusted group can make the experience much more accessible and enjoyable. 

“Spain has become a second home to me,” shared Laura, who has personally logged over 4,000 kilometers on various Camino routes. These active walking journeys typically average about 10 miles per day, but are designed with care, adhering to the simplicity and rhythm that allows people to slow down and be present. “The landscapes are beautiful, but it is the feeling of the Camino that stays with you. You can sense the presence of those who have walked these paths for hundreds of years.”

Laura plans to scout Bali this fall and hopes to expand her Portugal offerings which may include walking to Fatima and spending time on the Fishermen’s Trail, a rugged coastal hiking route set aside hidden beaches and clifftops, with blue waters below quaint whitewashed fishing villages.

“It is also said, if you’re thinking about it, your Camino has already begun.”

Laura continues dreaming of new and different places where she may bring guests in the future, but for now, she imagines the beauty they’ll find in the dramatic scenes of the Serengeti and beyond: “It starts with Africa."

The Tanzania journey will unfold gradually, moving from cultural connection in the Kilimanjaro region to unforgettable encounters with nature, wildlife, and local communities across the northern part of the country, before closing with a meaningful celebration at the base of Mount Meru, one of Tanzania's most striking volcanic peaks.

"I am incredibly excited about this next chapter.”