Over the past several years, the majority of my travel has been in Central America. Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Belize have all topped the list the past few years, but I was ready for something totally new: Southeast Asia.
My colleagues have raved; my friends have sung the praises; family members have drooled over the photos and memories of their own trips. It became clear to me that there is something special about SE Asia - something you can't quite get from photos and specials on the travel channel. Of course, I had to see for myself what all the fuss was about, and now I can say, "I'm a believer."
I think SE Asia can seem challenging for many travelers - it certainly did to me! Not many of us learned Vietnamese in high school language classes. Not many of us are familiar with the tastes and smells and customs of Asia. Plus, flying that far is a bit daunting. I am here to tell you that Asia is for everyone! Interested in architecture? Check out the mingling French and Vietnamese influences in Hanoi. Want to get a true cultural immersion? Visit some of the hill tribes outside of Luang Prabang in Laos. Seen Machu Picchu and want to be wowed again? Look no further than Angkor Wat. Incredible landscapes? Check. Mouthwatering food? Double check
And if you still feel overwhelmed, traveling with a company like Adventure Life will make your life so much easier. I can honestly say once I arrived I never looked at my itinerary once. Our guides were so on top of it that I never needed to. Specific times for things like walking tours were decided as we went and adjustments on the fly for more downtime or more adventure were always welcome. Our guides were not only super knowledgeable and entertaining but also incredibly professional and organized, so we never had to worry about a thing.
Travel to Southeast Asia may be a totally new experience, but I promise you won't be disappointed.
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.