Galapagos Penguin ShadowsOne of the best things about traveling is seeing those completely new things, and having those completely new experiences. But sometimes, its just as nice to experience completely familiar things, in completely unfamiliar places. This trip to Ecuador was filled with such experiences…
* Seeing our “favorite star” – the one that always seemed to twinkle in three-color harmony over White Island during those cold, early-season nights at McMurdo Station – but this time it was just to the left of a snow-capped Cotopaxi, as seen from our lodge window at Hacienda El Porvenir.
* What is it about hot, sweet drinks in the high mountains to warm you up after a good day of outdoor adventure? In Nepal it was hot lemon, but in the highlands of Ecuador it is “canelazo” – a hot, sweet mixture of naranjilla and cinnamon. Mmmmmm…. Goes down wonderfully.
* Whether it’s a lunch table at an Antarctic research station, a trailside hut on a 10-day backpacking route in New Zealand, a teahouse in the Himalayas, or a family-style meal at a hacienda in Ecuador, truly curious travelers always manage to make the meal last three times as long by inquiring about other peoples’ travels and sharing their own experiences. One invariably ends the meal with at least one more destination on their “bucket list”.
* After five years with the US Antarctic Program, having seen Emperor Penguins and Adelie Penguins more times than I can count (not to mention Little Blue Penguins and Yellow-eyed Penguins in New Zealand), one might think I could handle a penguin encounter in the Galapagos without losing my mind. Try having six of them shoot by you, like little torpedos, as you snorkel at Punta Vicente Roca! I nearly walked on water in excitement!
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
5 days ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.
Mary Warren
6 days ago
Jess was very easy going and answered all our questions. It’s not easy dealing with 6 people at once but she did an outstanding job!
Diane Foster
1 week ago
Kassandra and the Adventure Life team have been incredible! Kassandra was very knowledgeable and attentive to our asks while making sure we kept within our budget. This was our first experience with a travel agent and we were blown away by the booking/initial exploration service. We will use Adventure Life again.