Ah, the age-old question… Is it better to save a little money and secure a Standard Dome at EcoCamp, or spend the extra and enjoy all that a Superior Dome or Suite Dome will offer. (Heat, electricity, an ensuite bathroom, and more floorspace, to be specific.) Having spent one night in a Standard Dome and four nights in a Superior Dome, I am happy to set the record straight…
For folks who are off to do the W Trek, the Standard Domes are probably adequate. For folks who need to keep the budget a little friendlier, they are certainly an option. There is plenty of cozy, heated space in the community domes – the bar, the restaurant and the map lounge – so you won’t have to spend a lot of waking hours in the Standard Domes. But know that they are smaller, colder, and a few dozen steps down a wooden pathway from the nearest bathroom.
Standard Domes do have a ton of quilts and blankets. You won’t be cold when you are sleeping. But getting out of bed early in the morning – or to take the walk to the bathroom - will be hard with no heat. And in this place more than most others… you will want to get out of bed early! The red glow on the towers at sunrise is only visible if you manage to get up out of bed… and it is definitely worth the effort!
My recommendation? Arrange for a Superior Dome or a Suite Dome, if you have the budget flexibility, and if you will be spending multiple nights in a row at EcoCamp. You will certainly appreciate the ensuite bathroom and the electricity. Yes, the larger floorspace and the increased area to hang one’s wet clothes will be appreciated. But mostly… the heat is well worth it – particularly the closer you get to shoulder-season (October, November, March, April)!
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
4 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
5 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.