About Us

What is Yugen Earthside?

Yugen Earthside is a booking platform and agency that connects mindful travelers to adventurous trips.

  • Platform: Browse our curated selection of sustainable package trips designed and run by our local partners around the world.
  • Agency: Can't find your perfect trip listed? Ask us for help, and we'll find a responsible, locally-owned partner to design your customized adventure.

Our Goal: Make sustainable travel easy.

Mission Statement

Yugen Earthside creates pathways for conscious travelers to experience a profound connection with our planet’s nature and wildlife, while actively participating in learning about, protecting, and promoting the sustainable development of the communities that welcome them.

Krka National Park in Croatia - clear, blue-green water in the forefront with a cascading waterfall in the background, surrounded by lush green trees and a blue sky with a white cloud in it. A rainbow crosses the image.

Values-aligned travel

Background graphic
Get to know us

What's in our DNA?

Creating a positive environmental and social impact is at the core of what we do. That's why we are:

  • Registered as a Social Purpose Corporation (SPC).

  • Including carbon removal through Tomorrow's Air with each booking.

  • Certified net-zero through Ecolytics.

  • Donating to sustainable tourism impact projects.

  • Offering carbon offsets through Sustainable Travel International at checkout.

  • Applying for B-Corp Certification.

Caucasian woman sits on a grey couch, looking up smiling, while facing an open laptop computer and a monitor screen set up on a brown wooden table.
The early days

Our Origin Story

Yugen Earthside was founded by Hilary Matson. After working at Amazon for nearly a decade, she left to pursue a career more closely aligned with her interests and values: travel and sustainability.

Hilary earned her MBA and a certificate in Inclusive & Social Business from HEC-Paris in 2020. During her MBA, Hilary specialized in entrepreneurship and developed a social enterprise business plan. She began building YE from the couch of her Parisian shoebox apartment during lockdown (pictured).

Yugen Earthside was incorporated in January 2021.

What does "Yugen" mean?

Yugen (pronounced “you-gehn”) is a Japanese word that means:

An awareness of the universe that triggers an emotional response too deep and powerful for words.

What is sustainable travel all about?

Our trips adhere to the three basic pillars of sustainable tourism:

Respecting natural environments, including wildlife.

Promoting local economies to keep tourism money in the destination.

Supporting societies & cultures through authentic experiences.

Our Vision:

Use travel as a force for good by inspiring and educating explorers to travel responsibly, preserve ecosystems, and empower local communities.

Our Team:

We're currently powered by a small team. We'll be looking to grow once we have funding.

  • Hilary Matson: Founder & CEO
  • Levi Gable: Website Wizard
  • Caity Zagar: Blog Contributor
  • Annika Baum: Advisor
Destination pin animation
Adventure awaits

Now let's go explore! (Responsibly.)

The top of the Taj Mahal is in a close up view with a lush green tree to the left of it in the foreground.

India

An aerial view from the water of Cape Town, South Africa, showing the bird's nest athletic stadium in the foreground and the flat-topped Table Mountain in the background. Slow Travel through South Africa on this Wellness, Wine, & Safari tour.

South Africa

Beautiful white sand beaches sprawl through sparkling shallow blue water in the Maldives; green trees cover the land area, except a small paved road cutting through along the coast.

The Maldives

Papua New Guinea from up above - steep ascents of jungle greenery are shown as the peaks of mountains are in some fluffy white clouds with a blue sky above.

Papua New Guinea

A tree house on stilts with a thatched matuki roof sits amidst a clearing within a lush green forest.

Kenya

All destinations

90+ experiences around the world

View Now