July 2009 Archives

I recently had the opportunity to talk to one of iExplore's past travelers-Thomas Laussermair--about his trip to Mt. Kilimanjaro. Thomas and his wife, Jill, traveled with iExplore to climb Kilimanjaro, followed by a week long safari in the Serengeti.

So, I think about climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro but am worried about getting in shape! Can you tell me how you prepared?

I am a pretty active guy and I ride my bike year round. Also, I go to the gym 2-3 times a week, so physical fitness was not really a concern for me. That said, you really do not have to be a super athlete to climb Kili. In fact, slightly overweight, less fit people do well in a high altitude!

I know that photography was an important part of your trip--can you tell me more?

I used an Olympus 570 camera with a really large zoom lens that we purchased just before we left. I think the most difficult shot I took was at 1AM on the day we were going to summit. It was a very cold morning and the sky was extremely clear--we hiked by another camp and saw the dome shaped tents that had lights on. The tents look like they are glowing orange against a blue/ black sky. It was such a cool site that I immediately got out the camera and the tripod.

























What were some of the best memories of your trip?

I think one of the most interesting aspects of climbing Kili is that you pass thru about 5 climate zones as you make your way to the summit. At the low altitudes, it is very dry and arid and then as you climb a bit higher you go through the rainforest. At about 10,000 feet it is alpine vegetation, followed further up by barren land. Once you reach the summit, it is a glacier. It definitely makes packing a challenge! And I think it keeps the trip really interesting as every day you are experiencing a new climate zone.


 



















Reaching the summit is another one of my favorite memories. However, it was cold and cloudy that day, so we did not get to explore the glacier as much as we would have liked. I will say that I told my son, age 11, that if he wants to see snow on Mt. Kilimanjaro he better hurry up due to global warming!





Thomas is now off on another great adventure--Panamerican Peaks. He is riding his bike from Alaska to Patagonia and climbing the highest peak of every country along the way! Check out his blog to see where he is and find out how he is doing.

The team at iExplore prides itself in finding once in a lifetime travel experiences for our customers.  The Elephant Experience in Botswana is a perfect example of a unique travel experience iExplore offers for our clients.  Guests on our iExplore Botswana Experience & Moremi Reserve Tour have the option to spend a day with three amazing semi-habituated elephants.  Two of the elephants, Jabu and Thembi, were orphaned in a Kruger National Park culling operation more than 20 years ago.  Doug Groves adopted them back then and has been caring for them ever since.  He adopted a third member of the herd, Morula, after she was orphaned in Zimabwe.  He uses his organization, Living With Elephants, to "foster harmonious relationship between people and elephants".

Your morning starts by meeting Doug and the elephants out in the wild.  Leaving the confines of your 4x4, you walk into the bush to meet these amazing creatures.  Fear not walking freely in the wild floodplains of the Okavango Delta, you have a trained and armed guide with you at all times.  You will be introduced to Jabu, the proud bull who serves as alpha elephant of the herd, Thembi, the baby of the herd and the center of attention, and Morula, a mild-natured and sensitive elephant.

You will watch the elephants graze while Doug tells you all about these magnificent animals. During Doug's talk, the elephants gradually get comfortable with your presence as you gain comfort standing next to such massive creatures.  You will then be invited  closer. As you slowly approach these animals you will see details you have never noticed before about elephants such as the thick hairs protruding from their trunks, the long eyelashes and their massive tongues.  As you get more comfortable you will be given a chance to feel their tusks, peer inside their mouths to see some of the largest teeth you will ever see and even feel the massive weight of their trunks.

Much of the day is spent walking with the elephants as they go about their morning routines. That may mean grazing, bathing in a mud wallow, or drinking from a nearby stream.  In a short amount of time you will begin to see that each of the three elephants has their own distinct personality and place within the herd.  Doug will continue to share his extensive wealth of knowledge on elephants and his life living with them.

At the end of the day you will enjoy a picnic lunch in the wild while your elephant companions enjoy an afternoon snack of their own.  You are guaranteed to walk away from this experience with photos of a lifetime and with a new appreciation for these gentle giants. If you are interested in learning more about the one of a kind Elephant Experience contact, one of iExplore's specialists today.

The iExplore team is looking forward to Travel Blog Exchange '09 which will be taking place in our hometown this weekend.  Travel Bloggers from around the globe will be converging on the Chicago Cultural Center on Sunday for an morning and afternoon of socializing and discussions on blogging about travel and the travel industry.

Some of our favorite bloggers and podcasters will be on hand including:Nomadic Matt, Chris Christensen of Amateur Traveler, Lisa Lubin, Savvy Navigator, Donna Hull, Lanora Mueller, and many, many more.

The event has reached capacity but you will be able to follow the event five livestreaming on the TravelBlogExchange website.

As a 40th birthday present, a group of my high school friends planned a reunion in Tuscany, including a hike of the famous Cinque Terre trail along the western coast of Italy, just north of La Spezia.  Cinque Terre is literally translated as "Five Lands", referring to the five coastal cliffside villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso Al Mare (from south to north, as we hiked the trail--although you can easily hike all or a portion of this 12 kilometer trail in either direction).  In total, expect around five hours of hiking (at an average pace) across varying up and down terrain, with spectacular seaside views every step of the way. 

But, before hiking, you first need to get to the trailhead by either ferry or train from La Spezia, as you cannot drive into this region.  And, you will need to purchase a Cinque Terre national park permit, which includes a daily train pass, for Euros 8.50.  The park permit can easily be obtained at the La Spezia train station upon arrival.  At the same time, they will provide you with a very detailed trail map, which makes this hike foolproof on a self-guided basis.  If you prefer a guided hike, guides can easily be secured through iExplore.

Upon arriving in Riomaggiore, about a 10 minute train ride from La Spezia, your adventure begins!  After you collect your breath from the amazing first view of the Tyrrhenian Sea crashing into the rocky cliffs, here is what you can expect:

Riomaggiore
From Riomaggiore to Manarola:  Around 20 minutes.  Lots of other hikers.  Largely paved flat trail most of the way.  Stunning seaside views in this section known as "Lover's Lane"  The most touristy leg of the trail, as the easiest portion.  Manarola was a quaint town experience, but better towns to follow.

  

Manarola
From Manarola to Cornigilia:  Around 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Lots of other hikers.

Largely flat unpaved trail, that finishes with around 300-350 uphill paved stairs (best guess).  Corniglia was a quaint town experience, but better towns to follow.

  

Corniglia

From Corniglia to Vernazza:  Around 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Fewer hikers.  First half is going up an unpaved trail through terraced wine vineyards, and second half is coming down an unpaved trail.  The trail can be steep going up and coming down.  Definitely harder than the first two legs.  Vernazza was my favorite of the towns in terms of beautiful setting and restaurants, so a great place to stop for lunch.  There was also a small beach here.
 

Vernazza
From Vernazza to Monterosso Al Mare:  Around 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Fewest hikers, and clearly the hardest section of the hike.  This unpaved trail basically has four evenly split sections: up, down, up, down. 

Same experience as the last leg, except you do it twice in the same time frame, so the steepest part of the hike going up and down.  The last down that finishes the hike is coming down around 400-450 paved steps (best guess) through vineyards, before it winds down into Monterosso Al Mare.  Glad I was coming down these steps, instead of going up them.  Although many will say to take this hike in the opposite direction, from north to south, to get the hardest part of the hike out of the way first and end up with the easiest section into Riomaggiore.  But, Monterosso Al Mare had the most resort-like feel, with two large beaches, and plenty of restaurants and shopping.  For this reason, I really liked ending here and hanging out on the beach with my celebratory gelato!
 

Monterosso Al Mare
From here you take a 30 minute train ride back out to La Spezia.  Trains roughly leave every hour, so it is easy enough to take your own pace on the hike and come back at your leisure. 

If you get tired at any point on the full hike and want to stop at one of the middle villages, the train stops at each of these villages, as well, if you need to abbreviate your hike.
Worth mentioning, it is best to start your hike early in the day, as the temperature can get pretty hot by the late afternoon, with direct exposure to the summer sun.  So, plan accordingly and bring your sunglasses, sunscreen and lots of water with you while hiking between villages.

Below are some additional pictures to give you a sense of the trail itself.  I hope you find hiking in Cinque Terre exciting as I did.  Buona fortuna!

 

One of Spain's many colorful fiestas is the Rioja Wine Festival that takes place from the 23rd of September in Logrono. It will be a night and day spectacular with masqueraders wearing monstrous heads, fireworks, music, festoons of bunting and bright lights, not to mention fine wine and tapas to make the party go with a flow!

For aficionados of wine, this celebration of the vine is not one to be missed. Great wines are created with patience, passion, knowledge and the hard work of generations. Providence, too, plays its part, so the annual celebration is not just an expression of thanksgiving but a part of the heritage that fills your glass! Live the festival and love the wines of Rioja!


We are offering a 5-day two-center tour. After you have been met at Bilbao Airport we will whisk you away to Haro, about 55 miles from Logrono for the first two nights. You will stay at a 4-star hotel about which one of our happy clients wrote:

I really liked the hotel in Haro- very charming and comfortable. As for the food- it was amazing! I really enjoyed the tapas tours in Logrono even in the crowded streets of the festival- we would not have been able to do that without you.

After Haro, the next two nights will be at a 3-star boutique hotel in Logrono where traditional hospitality and contemporary chic meet in a building of classic dignity near the cathedral and the gastronomic temptations of Calle Laurel.

Your tour will include a visit to the Dinastia Vivanco Museum, which tells the story of winemaking, introductions to pre-eminent traditional and avant-garde winemakers and the joys of their wines. You will visit the hilltop fortress town of Laguardia and feast on food widely regarded as the best in Spain. All this, and still time to enjoy the festival!

As you can imagine, the Rioja Wine Festival attracts visitors from around the world, so it's very important to book early. Wait too long and you could miss the fun!

Each month the team at iExplore enjoys looking at the top destinations booked by our customers in the previous month.  For an unprecedented fourth month in a row, Antarctica has been the top sold destination for our customers.  It is no wonder, as Antarctica is truly an awe-inspiring destination.  Chris Bach, an iExplore customer and CNN Reporter recently wrote about his experience on an iExplore Antarctica Expedition.

There are three destinations that make the Top Ten list nearly every month and June was no different for Egypt (#3), Peru (#7) and China (#9).  Our customers always gravitate to the World Wonders and the Pyramids in Egypt, Machu Picchu in Peru and The Great Wall of China are hard to beat.

Also popular this past month were safaris.  We saw several bookings for safari experiences in both South Africa (#2) and Kenya (#4). Lastly, we were excited to see one of iExplore's all-time leaders, the Galapagos Islands, return to the monthly list in spot #10.  The full Top Ten list for June bookings is listed below.

1. Antarctica Expedition
   
2. South African Safari
   
3. Pyramids of Egypt
   
4. Safari in Kenya
   
5. Exploring Alaska
   
6. Adventure Down Under
   
7. Ruins of Machu Picchu
   
8. Cultural Exploration in Russia
   
9. The Great Wall of China
   
10. Galapagos Islands Cruise

 

 

We were recently invited to a destination wedding in Sonoma, CA and immediately decided to go! Several years ago we took a week long trip to the Napa Valley and had a wonderful time, and have wanted to return ever since. We are excited to explore Sonoma--and have had fun planning our trip.

The wedding takes place at Sebastiani Winery, a beautiful family owned vineyard that will make an idyllic setting for a wedding. The day before the wedding we plan to spend tasting and touring at several other boutique vineyards. We plan to start our day with a bit of sparkly at Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves and then move onto a private barrell tasting at Kosta Browne--a very small producer whose wines recieve rave reviews. My husband is excited for lunch at Taylors Refresher's--an old school style burger stand in St. Helena. In the afternoon, we will head to Merry Edwards for a private tasting. Merry was one of the first female winemakers in the Napa Valley and she is a well known and respected winemaker.

Our day will conclude with dinner at The Girl and The Fig--a french country bistro, with what else...more wine!