Our journey through 2025
Sunrise on the Komna plateau. January 2025
Starting the day
We wake up gently, with freshly made coffee, eggs from the farm, fruit from the garden and preserves made by our wonderful hosts. Sharing breakfast together we ease ourselves into the day, and chat through the route, intentions, hopes, expectations and essentials and prepare together for quiet trails in some of Slovenia’s most peaceful locations.
In 2025, my intention was simple: to cherish playful moments in nature, create space for genuine connection, and invite guests to pause, wonder, and feel deeply cared for.
This year I purposefully moved away from offering summits and towards sharing moments of awe, I wanted to create a space where guests have the opportunity to embrace challenges on their own terms, while also leaning into journeys that feel supportive and welcoming to all.
First steps
We lace our boots, share a story connecting our walk to the place and set off gently along the trail. Passing small farmhouses, shepherds huts and alpine pastures, we journey towards the forests. With a sense of anticipation we walk among the fragrant spruce and birch, acutely aware that we share this space with bears, wolves and lynx, looking out for tracks and trails, that may hint at their presence. Occasionally we pass another walker, forester or farmer, greeting one-another with a friendly ‘Dobro Jutro!’, there are no other tourists on this path, and after a passing moment, we are back alone together within our small group once again.
Our first steps into 2025 began with our Slovenia Winter Adventure. This was my first year partnering with Love Her Wild, and my own anticipation mixed with a strong desire to create a truly magical journey for our group of 8 women. We set off into the forests of Pokljuka and were amazed to find Lynx, Wolf, and Wild Cat tracks as we journeyed through the forests. We shared a little dash of luxury to start and end the trip, with an awe-inspiring 2 nights at an alpine cottage overlooking lake Bohinj, rising to share sunrise on our final mountain morning.
This first journey of the year set the tone for the gentle pace and curiosity that would shape every trip that followed.
In February I enjoyed another first, welcoming 30 students from Saudi Arabia for a Wild Winter Slovenia journey with my wonderful friends The Living Project! There were many in this group who had never experienced snow before, and alongside our amazing team of local guides (Neja and Nina) and Living Project Leaders (Emma and Bex), we made time to play and enjoy the snow, reflect and journal, while also learning about forest ecology, conservation and how to collect non-invasive genetic samples. We spent a night in an alpine cottage and also facilitated our first day of skiing through More to Explore at the incredible Vogel ski centre.
“We’ve just finished the Jan 2025 Winter Adventure with More to Explore and I think my year has already peaked. Mikaela is a superb guide - she made everyone in our group feel welcome and paced all our hikes to accommodate everyone. I had a brilliant week & cant wait to do it again.”
Finding our rhythm
As we settle into the walk, we collectively relax, easy conversation flows as we get to know one-another, sharing our own stories and experiences, laughing together and moving freely along our peaceful footpath. Every now and again we pause to marvel at an alpine flower, creature, view or simply the quiet comfort of where we are. There is time to simply be.
As my business matures, More to Explore has also found its rhythm, and building on the success and feedback for my Mountain Rivers journey, 2025 saw the launch of my Rivers of the Southwest trip. We explored the rolling vineyards of our home region the Vipava Valley, where my husband grew up and to which, we feel a strong connection. Walking and swimming in lesser-known locations, including hidden waterfalls, gorges, the Adriatic sea and a river that only briefly emerges above-ground before continuing its journey through one of Europe’s deepest underground canyons. We shared home-cooked meals together, alongside a mix of special local restaurants, including one evening where Zlatko (my husband) and his Brother-in-law Boško cooked a BBQ for us on the terrace of a hillside vineyard.
Realising a key goal of creating more inclusive trips, in June I welcomed 12 neurodiverse students from Coleg Sir gar with additional needs, alongside a team of amazing support staff who I worked with back in my days as a lecturer there almost a decade ago! There were many firsts on this trip, with learners who had never hiked a mountain before, reaching 1148M; never having swam outside before, to swimming in a river, a waterfall and a lake; never having been in a cave before, to visiting the UNESCO world heritage Škocjan caves; and never having travelled overseas before, to communal cooking in a youth run hostel, learning key phrases in a new language and navigating a small local town away from the tourist trail.
“When a vision becomes a reality! So proud of the learners who fully embraced wild Slovenia and the incredible staff that got on board with the vision and everything it stood for. It could have never have happened without Mikaela Toczek and how she adapted the adventure to make it fully inclusive is incredible. We are so grateful to you for giving learners the chance to explore, grow in confidence and independence and they now have a taste of travel, a gift many will now have for the rest of their lives! Diolch / Hvala!”
Time to pause
We start to descend, hearing the gentle murmurs of the water before we see it. Rounding the bend, we are greeted with an emerald pool, flanked by boulders carpeted with thick green moss and a welcoming waterfall, pattering in at one end. Some of us choose to swim and others sketch, read or simply enjoy the camaraderie of those laughing together as they enter the cold, inviting water.
I crafted 2025 around time to pause. Some of these were our small daily pauses on our journeys, whether that’s at a swim spot, a snowy pasture or a viewpoint. Offering space to simply enjoy where we find ourselves is an essential feature in all of my trips. There were also discreet pauses for myself as a guide, for example in July I enjoyed working together with my colleagues at Adventure Expeditions on their Gold DofE expedition. Back in the UK, DofE formed a huge part of my regular work, and re-visiting this with groups here always feels like a welcome pause to re-connect, with the experience, my colleagues and DofE groups.
Bigger pauses take the form of when I choose to schedule More to Explore’s trips. In August I chose not to run any trips, this not only fits in with my sustainability goals, reducing the pressure on peak season, but also allows time for my own family to journey and explore together.
An unexpected twist
As we return to our hosts and their cosy, comfortable farmstay, I check the forecast for the following day. I’ve been tracking a storm and hoping it would divert, but no such luck, we’ll be right in the thick of it tomorrow. I start putting Plan B into effect, reaching out to my local colleagues and arranging alternative activities. Instead of our swim, tomorrow we’ll be tasting local food and drink at a small, friendly gostilna and enjoying a yoga session overlooking a dramatic valley, followed by a surprise sauna and hot tub experience.
Every trip has its twists and turns, sometimes the weather dictates our activities, and we seek out alternatives, and I love having a few surprises up my sleeve to delight guests even in the most adverse conditions. This year we have visited lakes instead of rivers, swum in the snow instead of autumn leaves, stayed in a remote alpine hut instead of a small cabin on the treeline. I have changed, adapted and tweaked itineraries to ensure every guest enjoys an unforgettable Slovenian experience no matter what. These surprise changes add texture not challenge to our journeys, as we embrace flexible, small group travel.
In the background I have adapted to my new booking system, overcoming teething problems and as my business has grown, sought out expert advice to help guide my accounting. More to Explore is supported by the systems and partnerships I seek out behind-the-scenes, helping to predict and protect against unexpected events, just like with my tours.
“This trip gave me a kind of quiet strength and clarity I didn’t know I needed. It was the kind of trip that quietly changes you.”
An evening celebration
After some time to relax, we come together for an evening meal. Tonight I have cooked for the group, and although my cooking cannot compare with our local hosts, I always love these evenings. We gather together and share a meal more akin to a family dinner than a tour group. There is much laughter as we reflect back on the day, and moments of tenderness between this group of strangers who have come together with a shared goal. I am always amazed with the trust that groups put in me when joining one of my trips, it takes a leap of faith to go with an unknown small business, rather than a big, popular name, and we toast to to the journey and each other, as we while away the evening.
Many of my bookings come from individuals celebrating their experience with Word-of-mouth recommendations, for example in September I welcomed friends of those who have joined me on previous trips and those who have seen positive feedback in Facebook groups with shared members and beyond. Perhaps my most surprising group came in October when I welcomed a group of friends from Canada, who booked with no prior connections to myself or previous guests. Their warmth and openness was truly a wonder (as it is with all my groups), and it was a delight to create a bespoke trip, combining different elements from my Wild Swim Slovenia itineraries together, alongside their own interests for a unique tailor-made journey.
“We were so fortunate to discover Mikaela and benefit from the passion, care and experience she shared with us […] Mikaela was friendly and helpful right from the moment we first contacted her and during our trip she looked after everything and ensured we were extremely well fed and accommodated in authentic Slovene fashion. I can’t recommend Mikaela and More to Explore highly enough to those wanting to actively experience Slovenia, particularly those areas less frequented by international travellers.”
Looking to tomorrow
As the evening winds down, inevitably, but without direction, the conversation turns to tomorrow. The conversation lulls and all eyes turn on me. With joyful expectation I share the journey that awaits us, sprinkling the logistics of the day with some of the delights we might experience, but always keeping a few special moments back, ready for everyone to enjoy in the moment, hoping to offer just the right conditions for awe.
As I look towards 2026, I am excited to continue the journey with you all. My tours are all scheduled and I am enjoying my final preparations for winter as the first snow teases us for the season to come. I only have a couple of places left for the entire year, and with requests for 2027 already coming in, I am proud of how far my little business has come!
Here are some of my hopes for the New Year:
Continue to offer welcoming, supportive and inclusive journeys in some of Slovenia’s quieter regions.
Celebrate and build my responsible travel values. Including travelling outside peak season, working with local families, reducing the load on popular destinations, exploring and sharing alternative transport options (including arriving here by sleeper train!).
Make new connections with individuals who want to explore Slovenia together with small friendly groups. One of my hopes is to create a UK meet, so folk can come and meet me and chat about my trips in person, while enjoying a taste of some of the activities I offer here.
Sustain connections with all those who have been on a trip with me in the past. You’ll also be invited to my UK meet!
As always, I love to hear from guests both past and future, whether it’s just to check-in and say hi, to plan a new journey here, or to share feedback, ideas and suggestions. If you feel drawn to a shared journey in Slovenia of play, connection, and wonder in 2026 — Pop me an email via my contact form.
Here’s a list of the trips I’m offering in 2026:
January: Slovenia Winter Adventure with Love Her Wild.
February: School Wild Winter Slovenia trip
April: Wild Swim Slovenia: Rivers of the Southwest
June: College Inclusive Adventure
July: New Partnership with Walking Women
September: Wild Swim Slovenia: Mountain Rivers
October: Blue Tits partnership: Wild Swim Slovenia
November: TBC Love Her Wild: Wild Swim Slovenia
Sending you all my thanks, thoughts and best wishes as December 2025 comes to a close.
Love and adventure
Mikaela x
