Founder of Prism Adventures

Meet Ahmed Almonsouri – an architect and founder of Prism Adventures. Ahmed holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Iowa State University. Passionate about the power of travel to change the world for the better, Ahmed’s Prism Adventures has become very popular for providing an inclusive and safe environment for everyone to be their authentic self.

We really enjoyed sitting down with Ahmed for this interview and know more about his passion for travel and his future trips and plans for Prism Adventures.

Please introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello! My name is Ahmed Almonsouri, I am an architect and founder of Prism Adventures.

 

Tell us about your education.

I graduated from A’Takamul school in Kuwait and then I went to Iowa State University in the United States to continue my Bachelor’s degree in Architecture.

 

What are the 3 biggest lessons you learned while living in New York?

I learned a lot from the six years I spent in Iowa and the one year I worked in New York. When I went to Iowa, I was a very timid 18-year-old, scared of expressing who I was. Iowa gave me the space to embrace myself and my differences. I experimented many different art forms, competed in dance, worked on creating sculptural fashion, and traveled, all while studying architecture.

I decided to move to NY after graduation, and worked in the fashion and jewelry industry. I really enjoyed it as I had a huge passion for sculptural wear. However, I found myself very unhappy with the work/life balance in the states and specifically in NY. I knew it wasn’t for me, but I ignored my gut feeling because the idea of being in “New York” was so glamorous, even if the reality of it was not.

The biggest 3 lessons I learned from that is to not be afraid of who I am and my potential, to accept and love others for who they are and not for who I want them to be, and to always listen to my gut feeling.

Tell us about your passion for travelling? – touch on what initially fueled your wanderlust.

I always loved to travel, and the older I grew, the more I started feeling like I wanted to be in nature. I did not know at the time what that meant for me. In 2016 I planned a trip with friends to Oman, we hiked and spent a lot of time in nature. It felt like time had paused in a way, because we were disconnected from the outside world and it was just us six friends surrounded by nature, sleeping in tents, waking up to the sound of goats. It was truly liberating – and I knew at that moment that I wanted to continue exploring this type of travel.

 

When and why did you decide to make it a business?

There are many things that lead me to starting Prism Adventures. I felt the need to start a community that was all-loving and all-accepting, and at the time I did not know how this would happen. When I got into adventure travel, I realized that “THIS IS IT!” Travel became the vessel for that. This led me to organizing my first trip to Norway in 2018 and to my surprise, I found myself enjoying the planning and guiding process as much as I enjoy traveling. When you guide someone, who has never been on an adventure trip and you see them get hooked on it and you see the big changes in their lives because of it, the feeling is priceless.

 

When was Prism Adventures launched and where all have you lead the trips so far?

The first trip we organized was in 2018 – we have done yearly trips to Norway and Iceland. We also guided trips to Italy’s Amalfi Coast, Kilimanjaro, and the UAE.

This year we have two upcoming trips to Norway, and two upcoming trips to Iceland, as well as Greenland and the Amalfi Coast. In 2023 we are expanding to Costa Rica, Japan and Vietnam, and more – and of course we will keep doing our yearly Norway and Iceland trips.

 

What makes Prism Adventures different?

I see travel as therapy, and for therapy to be fruitful you need a safe environment. Our aim is to provide you with an unparalleled experience in terms of places to see and itineraries to experience – all while advocating and encouraging an inclusive and safe environment for everyone to be their authentic self. We are super involved and hands-on with our trips, so you will not see us act as the middle-person between the traveler and the local guides – we’ll be with you every step of the way and throughout the whole trip.

What are some of your guidelines for people looking to travel with Prism Adventures?

One of the main ingredients to an unforgettable and successful trip is the group itself. I think there is a common denominator between people that helped make our trips become an experience of a lifetime and that is their tolerance and acceptance of others. Prism Adventures is a travel community that values and encourages inclusivity and unity across different cultures, religions, races, ethnicities, gender identities/expressions, sexual orientations, ages, and personal beliefs. This is why I have made it an integral part of the registration process to accept the Prism Adventures Community Guidelines as well as sign a waiver related to that before joining a trip.

 

How long is a typical trip?

Our trips range from 7 to 9 days on an average, depending on the country and activities.

 

What’s your favorite thing about adventure travel?

I love the challenges in adventure travel, either physical, emotional, or social. Physical and emotional challenges go hand in hand for me, as the more challenging the trip is the more emotional depth I discover within myself. On a social level, I absolutely love how you start up with a group of strangers who do not know each other, from different backgrounds and ages, and see them become great friends and a family by the end of the trip.

 

What kind of research do you do when you decide on new destinations? What resources do you do for such researches?

I do all types of research! I always start with googling the country and then I go back to some travel books that I have. Once I get an idea of what areas I want to visit, I start by contacting local Guides. I also use social media as I check geo-locations and direct message people who have been there to get different opinions and insights.

What electronics gear & gadgets do you consider must-haves for Prism Adventure travels?

It really depends on the trip. For example, when going to Kilimanjaro we stayed in tents for 7 days without any electricity – so having a power bank to charge our phone/camera is a must-have. As for other trips, each trip has a detailed packing list that includes clothing and electronics that suit each destination.

 

How do you decide what adventure comes next? Do you plan ahead or just take off as the idea or opportunity presents itself? What is your next destination?

I sometimes look at the automatic screensaver on my desktop and think “I want to go there!” That is actually how I planned my first trip to Norway after seeing a photo of Trolltunga rotate on my desktop. Other times I post polls on social media and see where our followers would like to go and plan based on that. Our next destination will be a backpacking trip to Italy’s Amalfi Coast.

 

What are the most important things that traveling has taught you?

So many lessons are learned while traveling, but one thing that I constantly get reminded of is how tiny we are relative to the world – that realization is so comforting to me. I always regain that perspective during my trips either from being immersed into out-of-this-world landscapes, meeting an inspiring Prism Traveller, or experiencing different cultures.

What are some of your other hobbies besides travelling?

I have so much passion for creating sculptural fashion and wearable art as well as dance and drawing. During the full lockdown in 2020, I started self-teaching myself how to play the piano, and now it has become an integral part of my day.

 

What has been your personal favourite destination so far and why?

This question is always hard to answer as I get attached to every country I go to. However, if I had to choose a favorite destination it would be Iceland for its alien-like landscape and colors.

 

Your message for us at CP magazine.

Thank you for having me on CP Magazine – I would just like to end on this thought that Traveling is essential to expanding our perspectives on life – and adventure travel is that and more. It is therapeutic, so if you get the chance to experience it – do not think twice and just go for it.