About

Joan Molloy Slack, owner, tour guide and instructor at Authentic Travel and Tours, says:

Coastal Road

” Operating a small group tour business evolved from my work as a college instructor, teaching and leading study tours in several countries. I eventually began to work independently and co-lead trips with other experts in various areas. The trips you can read about on this website have taken place over the last 15 years, and have included tours to Mexico, Scotland, Ireland and France. I have worked with wonderful  people in my travels, including artists, folklorists, teachers, poets and archaeologists, and I delight in connecting travelers to the people I know.  This is what makes our tours and workshops special- you will have continual opportunities to meet with, talk with, and learn from  folks from all walks of life, and to see places most people never experience. In our art immersion tours, we select excellent instructors with expert backgrounds and love of teaching. I look forward to you joining us for an unforgettable, life-changing trip!

Our Vision: Each of our tours is unique and custom-designed, with a balanced mix of traveling, sightseeing, cultural encounters, and free time, and art experiences in tours offering hands-on workshops. We limit our tours to fewer than 20 people both for the freedom, flexibility, and camaraderie that small groups engender, and also so that guests may enjoy a more personal and authentic travel experience. We’ll show you the highlights and the unexpected. We usually spend more time in one place so that you won’t be constantly moving, and have time to get to know it. As small group your Tour Leader will have more time to spend with you and more time to share the personal insights that can add so much to your experience. This helps make your trip genuinely special and different from conventional tours, large buses, and too little time in one place.

Comments from past tour participants:
“My travel experience with Joan leading the group was above and beyond my expectation. Joan’s research into so many areas of interest about the sites and folklore made the trip stimulating and insightful without being overloaded. She is a seasoned guide with great “in country” connections and a sincere love of the land she travels. I highly recommend Joan Slack as a tour guide. You will have a wonderful, memorable time. I did.”      J.H.

“Joan organizes her trips like she creates her art: beautiful, practical, and full of meaning. I’d never been on a group trip before.  Joan’s voyage to Orkney in Scotland was a joy, every day. It’s one of the very best adventures of my life.”   C. P.

“If you want dependability combined with unique experiences, attention to details and wonderful connections, this is a great tour to take. Each day has been planned for a balance of activities, a good pace and plenty of enjoyment. Joan’s background and knowledge really makes for a deeper understanding of everything we see.” K.M.W.

“If you have never been on a small group tour, go with Joan. If you have been with someone else, go again with Joan. Her planning, arrangements, and site selections are perfect! You will meet warm, friendly and local people from all walks of life with talents to share. I still have a Bridget’s Cross, made by Joe from our trip, hanging by my door. Happy travels!” A.H.