Peru

February 26, 2012

Top Five Destinations for your Graduate. And You.

Who's bold enough to try grasshopper?

Many popular destinations are just plain fun for a young child, but can be revisited – or seen for the first time – with very different eyes once your child is out of high school. Here are our picks for the most sophisticated and exciting places to visit, or visit again, with your graduate.

5) Alaska. It’s pristine, and so different from the rest of the continental USA. And it’s changing so fast, there may well be species, habitats and glaciers that will be disappearing in the future. Take your graduate to explore up close, with plenty of physical activities to challenge you both while you all learn about how climate change is affecting this part of the country.

4) Galapagos. On select dates we offer families with older kids the opportunity  to explore the islands from a 16 passenger catamaran. Or, if you prefer, you can join our MultiSport Adventure with real beach camping and up close experiences with those frigate birds, seal ions, and blue footed boobies. In both options you’ll also have the chance to learn something about rock climbing, early Incan ruins, and the delightful culture of mainland Ecuador.

3) Peru. Whether you like to camp in remote mountains with no one but your camp crew nearby, or you prefer, thank you very much, to sleep in a comfortable hotel…Peru offers mystery and culture you can dive into, and breathtaking scenery to explore. Both versions, the Trek and the Land of the Ancient Inca offer great hiking and plenty of time to contemplate the wonders of Machu Picchu.

2) Turkey. Whether you choose a photographic journey, our Secrets of Turkey, or the special Smithsonian Adventure, Turkey is full of  inviting people, scenery, and culture. Oh, and the food! Turkey is an adventure of history and art, Roman ruins, miraculous landscape, and the smooth Mediterranean. So much more than just a vacation!

1) Thailand With a fascinating culture, gorgeous temples, and a philosophy that invites conversation…. plus verdant forest to hike, retired elephants to care for, and rivers to raft…. here is an adventure to change your life forever.

0) It’s hard to stop when I’m on a roll.. how about Morocco? Wander the souks, watch a snake charmer, trek in the High Atlas Mountains, and ride a camel on the beach… Practice your Arabic as well as your French, and tantalize your taste buds in this exotic land of couscous and fragrant tagines.

The truth is, any one of our destinations can be sophisticated and enriching for your older kids, and for you too! Our expert guides are ready to talk up to your level, and challenge you to take home in your heart a piece of their country. Come join the like minded and similar aged families traveling with us in 2012 and beyond.

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Posted in Alaska, Galapagos, Graduates, Morocco, Peru, Teens, Thailand, Turkey | 1 Comment »


February 12, 2012

Family Travel: Not Just for Kids

Traveling with the Graduates

With my third and last child up and off to college I find myself rethinking the definition of “Family Travel”. Of course we’re still a family even if we don’t have dinner together every night, if we don’t all live under the same roof, and even if my kids are more grown up than I ‘m ready for them to be. And we still love to travel together – none of us are too grown up to discover new places, thank goodness.

But when we call it Family Travel – it might seem too young for what you are really after. How about: Graduate Adventures.

Your children graduate from high school, or from college. Maybe even from graduate school. And you are graduating from a full house of responsibilities to spare time for thinking about what comes next. Just like dinnertime used to be the time to catch up on the day, now your Graduate Adventure can be the place to reconnect with your busy kids. A time to continue to grow together.

When your kids graduate from high school, college or graduate school you don’t stop wanting to travel together – you just want more sophisticated opportunities. Welcome to our Graduate Adventures. Full of history, mystery, and discovery. Great activities to challenge yourself AND your ‘kids’ (won’t we call them that forever??)

It makes sense that we began with 6 year olds 15 years ago, and now have families with 20-someting year old kids traveling with us. So give us a call and see what opportunities there might be for your graduated family. Turkey, Thailand, Tanzania, Peru, Costa Rica – we have older groups going almost everywhere!

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Posted in Costa Rica, Destinations, Graduates, Kilimanjaro, Morocco, Peru, Tanzania, Thailand, Travelers, Turkey | No Comments »


January 21, 2011

Quinoa and Peru

No matter how many times you see it, this is amazing

Machu Picchu. Yes, it is amazing

KEEN-WAH. Yes, that’s how you pronounce QUINOA and if you are not yet familiar with this super food, let us tell you about it. Quinoa is gluten free and wheat free, and is very high in protein – and a complete protein at that. It’s a hardy grain-like plant with tasty nutritious seeds that are easily cooked like rice or couscous. Here is one of my favorite quinoa recipes .

OK, how does this relate to family adventure you might ask? Well quinoa, along with corn and potatoes, was a staple food of the Incas (who considered quinoa to be sacred) and is still a staple in Peru.  And Peru happens to be one of my favorite places on this earth.

2011 is a big year for Peru, as it marks the centenary of Hiram Bingham’s ‘discovery’ of Machu Picchu. Admittedly many knew  of its existence before him – but he was the one who brought this to the world. On July 24, 1911 he climbed up from his camp at Mandorpampa to discover for himself these magnificent ruins that he was really not so interested in until he saw them – and became inspired. He writes: “In the variety of its charms the power of its spell, I know of no place in the world which can compare with it.”

This will be true of most people arriving at Machu Picchu for the first time (or maybe even the second and third!) You know about it, you’ve seen photos – but you can’t quite imagine the reality of it. It is simply breathtaking.

I was lucky enough to see these ruins (can we really call them “ruins”????) up close and front on, but also from a unique back-view on an awesome trek. No, not the “Inca Trail Trek” as you know it (crowded! Littered! Hard to get permits!) –  but something really special. Let me know if you want to know more about this.

So come this summer, at the 100th anniversary of Hiram Bingham’s discovery. Summer 2011 is a great time to reflect on the explorers of the olden days, while doing some exploring of your own.

Oh, by the way… you’ll find quinoa in Ecuador too, another amazing spot to visit….

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April 29, 2010

How it Rolls in Peru: The April Update

Training to Machu Picchu Town

After severe flooding in January washed out the tracks, train service to Machu Picchu was interrupted and the sanctuary closed. Many families scheduled to travel in February and March had to scramble,  shifting their vacations to other destinations and putting their Peru plans on hold. Let us promise you none of this was fun, but least of all for the residents of Peru who lost homes and livelihoods as a result of the floods.

Now we are glad to say we’ve had our first family reach Machu Picchu since this disaster happened! Tourism is getting back on track and repairs to the rails are progressing, with partial service between Cusco and Machu Picchu Town (Aguas Calientes).   Peru Rail is running buses to connect tourists, but Thomson guests have the benefit of private van service to get them to and from the trains. Predictions have the Vistadome train as well as the Hiram Bingham back in action along their full routes by June when our families are next traveling.

The biggest inconvenience to tourists will be the luggage restrictions; with fewer trains running there is less room for bags. Currently there is a limit of 5kg (11lbs) per person on the train to Machu Picchu- needless to say this does not equal a suitcase! If this rule is still in place in June  we’ll do our best to minimize the complications. In the worst case scenario you’ll be parted from the bulk of your luggage for the two days at Machu Picchu… you can handle that, right?

This is why it’s called adventure!

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January 28, 2010

Heading to Peru soon? Here is what we are thinking…

I am writing to you to provide you an update on a weather situation in
Peru that is currently impacting the Cuzco and Machu Picchu areas.
Earlier this week the region had three days of non-stop heavy rain. It
is normal to get rains in the January and February period but these
rains were beyond what they’ve seen in 15 years. The flooding from
these rains has caused damage to the infrastructure in the area and
mudslides on the train tracks to Machu Picchu. The trains connect Cuzco
to Machu Picchu so the rains have stranded many tourists in Aguas
Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu. As of this morning many
of these tourists have been taken out of Aguas Calientes by helicopter
but there are a lot more to evacuate.

As of now our expectation is that by March/April the conditions in the
region will have improved and we will be able to run your adventure.
Once the rains subside there will be evaluations of the damage, work
begun to fix what needs to be fixed and alternative routes developed
where necessary. Peru is accustomed to dealing with heavy rains and
flooding and we expect that they will be able to this year as well.
Since our first priority is your safety we are monitoring the situation
daily with reports from Cuzco. If in the next month the damage is
such that your trip can’t be run safely then we will take the necessary
action.

Please feel free to call us if you have questions.

Thanks

Jim Kackley
General Manager
Thomson Family Adventures
www.familyadventures.com
800-262-6255

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