So, getting to the Galapagos was high on my priority list, but I wanted it to be a family experience. I thought I would probably only go once, and I wanted to wait to take my kids when they would be of an age to appreciate and remember. Last year, 2019, was the year. Spring break, with a 14 and 16 year old to accompany us, Mar and I took off to Quito, capital city of Ecuador!

For all of us, this was our first trip to Ecuador. We were making a trip to include the Amazon and volcano country of mainland Ecuador in combination with Ecuador’s treasured Galapagos Islands. It was everything I had imagined but even better! It wasn’t without a few hiccups to start. I found out my oldest doesn’t handle quick altitude changes very well. Quito sits at 9000ft asl, and we just went up from there to Cotopaxi National Park where we hiked at 15,000 ft asl, over mostly flat terrain, but still!

From Cotopaxi, we ventured further south to the adventure town of Baños. What an incredible place! A beautiful setting at the foot of another volcano, usually shrouded in clouds and where water and rivers converge, the views were magical. Along with our fearless teens, we zip-lined over gorges and hiked alongside raging waterfalls, observed plants and animals that were all different from the familiar. We rode bikes in the cloud forest and enjoyed amazing local produce and dishes. Our lodging was a simple, quiet and incredibly beautiful ‘casa’ on the outskirts of Baños; it was simply sublime and Mar wanted to stay there for a week.

The adventure continued as we traveled on to the Amazon, a small portion of that incredible planet-enriching rain forest that lies in Ecuador. So, what do you think of when you think Amazon rain forest?? Thick and heavy jungle, warm, steamy air, wildlife in abundance, and water – right? Exactly. We did a family canyoneering trip with some nice rappels and easy bouldering in water of the perfect temperature. Wet the whole time and never cold; no wet suit needed! We made chocolate fondue with Kichwa natives who receive and host tourists and show off some of their special traditions. The lodging was very rustic, a little like glamping, but it was so much fun for a night, and not without Amazonian creatures! The boys said this was one of their favorite parts of the trip. The next day was a thrilling white water raft trip that was not just a couple bumps; an exhilarating adventure that went on for a few hours. All of this, and we still hadn’t gotten to the Galapagos!

Then come the islands, the Galapagos archipelego that sits about 1000km off the mainland of Ecuador. A commercial flight is the only way to get there and that was 3 hours. However, upon arrival it was both everything I hoped for and much I didn’t expect! Of course, the islands are known as the lab and study of Charles Darwin who was inspired to write his theory of evolution based on his work there. The wildlife, especially those unique endemic species, is a big draw to visit. This was expected, and it was such a delight to see how well everything is preserved. The Ecuadorians in particular, the native Galapagueños, are very serious about the preservation and conservation of the islands and their unique species. (We could learn a lot from them.) You can look at the wildlife, but not too close. However, you do not just get glimpses of the wildlife, it is literally everywhere and always on display. Native guides are a requirement and their knowledge is invaluable. (Guiding is actually one of the most highly coveted jobs on the islands; they go through extensive training and a very exclusive selection process.) Snorkeling, diving, kayaking, SUPing, biking, and more is possible – but always in the right way and in small numbers. This was everything I hope for!

The unexpected? Ease of transportation, choice of food, quality of lodging, and yes – the serious preservation of the place and the overwhelming abundance of wildlife. But, then there are the stories! The islands have some stories to tell and some secrets too! From pirates and whalers to runaway romances and murder mysteries! Intrigue, deception, and a little bit of craziness by the first Europeans who came here. Check out Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden!

In short, it was a trip of a lifetime and never in my wildest of dreams could I have imagined anything close to what we experienced. We will treasure these adventures and memories that we created together as a family, always, and I hope that when the boys are grown and have their own children, that they will remember this trip and think about how to teach their kids about wildlife & nature, conservation, and create their own family memories together.

If you’re interested in recreating some of these same vacation experiences, take a look at our different Ecuador & Galapagos Tours that we created based on our travels!

The post A first visit to Ecuador and the Galapagos appeared first on Pure Adventures.

Self-guided travel after covid: Today we received a bit of good news and confirmation, in an e-newsletter from our industry peers at the Travel & Adventure Show group. This indicated that self guided travel will be the most sought after type of travel when people return to travel in the post COVID-19 era. As we have specialized and focused on self guided bike tours and self guided hiking tours for over 25 years, that is great news for us! And it makes sense, of course. When you think about the exact opposite of self-guided travel, it is something like a cruise ship, which has come to symbolize virus and transmission of illnesses. While small group travel also shows to be appealing to some, we know that any type of travel will be some time in coming.

From a survey by the Travel & Adventure Show group:

• 1700 people who have attended these shows and are identified as “Travel Enthusiasts”; Over Half will Still Travel in 2020
• Over 56% stated they would not make changes to their current travel plans for 2020 (24.7%) or are re-booking for later in 2020 (31.5%).
• In reference to what types of travel options will they be looking for in the future, approximately 60% are planning on both self-managed international and domestic vacations.

The hard to read text is:

• Small Group International
• Small Group Domestic
• Self Managed Domestic
• Self Managed International
• Cruise
• Other

The gold/yellow (3rd)  and turquoise/aqua (4th) colored bars are showing interest in self guided travel. As it is called here, ‘self managed’, we take it to mean the same as self guided travel. This is a huge jump in a way of traveling that was virtually unknown when we first started selling self guided bike tours in the late 90’s. If you are not familiar with self guided travel, have a look at that link which describes it in detail. But in brief, a self guided trip is kind what it sounds like – travel without a guide. You are the pseudo guide and you manage your day to day itinerary. This is about the only common denominator because after that, you can find all kinds of self guided offers, which vary greatly from one another.

Pure Adventures has been offering upscale and customizable self guided adventures as hallmark and with a unique market position for 20 years. We know better than anyone how this works. But important to note, there are many more stripped down versions out there, where few services are included, thus bringing down the price. In turn, this increases the amount of work that the traveler must manage. Regardless, more people will come to experience self guided in the new travel environment and this is good not just for us tour specialists but also, for many others.

New destinations where there are fewer crowds will be sought after, which will bring more awareness of many amazing travel-worthy destinations. Money will flow into these lesser known destinations and create new micro economic opportunities. Self guided travel puts travelers in direct contact with local people – typically a good thing in normal times, as travel is meant to create learning, understanding, and culture exchange. Self guided travel is less expensive, leaving room for possibly more trips or more spending in destination, or both. Self guided travel also levels the playing field for local services and outfitters, to supply travelers with experiences that they find on their own.

As all self guided adventures are not created equal or meant to be the same, it is important for a traveler to ask questions, compare what is included, and evaluate the service provider. Do you want to do it all yourself? If so, you can and just make arrangements directly with in destination services. If you want some help but wish to retain certain things for your own effort, there are companies who sell slimmer versions of a trip for more DIY travel. Lastly, there are all inclusive self guided trips, where you can leave all of the logistics of organization up to the tour company. Then, all you have to do is show up and enjoy your time as you like each day, just you and your traveling party, the people you know.

Self guided travel typically keeps you in your own private party – alone, as a couple, as a family, or as a small group of friends – always the people you know. This level of limited exposure is what is attracting people most to self guided, as they think about travel in the post COVID-19 era. We are ready and waiting, and we hope the be a leader in helping people return to travel when they are ready!

(Photo credit Mads Pihl & Visit Greenland)

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Is it too soon?  Here, at my desk in my home office, I hear the landscapers at the neighboring homes running leaf blowers and chain saws, and I hear the construction of home improvements in the neighborhood. I see the delivery vans going by. In a way, it seems that some things haven’t changed. But, here in the business of travel, much has changed, and we know that as of this writing we have a long way to go still.

Here is what we are wondering:

Will the cruise industry and smaller versions of cruising come back?   

Will group travel be interesting or will the idea of being in close quarters with people you don’t know be an undesirable experience?

How about airplanes and hotels, or any kind of small lodging experience?

We are thinking that everyone who is cooped up at home and without financial stress, will want to return to some form of travel experiences as soon as possible.  But, what we expect is that many travelers will take to short haul destinations and limit exposure in airplanes, boats, and many other group environments. International travel may take a little longer to come back. This is only a perception at this point, but it is based on customer comments and on travel industry commentary and surveys.  Frankly, the media will drive perception of risk in travel, and as tourism is so important to so many economies, we can be sure to see some propaganda.

Here is the result of a survey shared with us from the Adventure Travel Shows: “More than 60% of travelers said they haven’t yet adjusted their summer vacation plans due to the COVID-19 outbreak. As for the milestone that would trigger them to travel again, nearly half stated a decline in COVID-19 cases or a lifting of shelter in place order. Only 9% would wait for a vaccine for COVID-19 to travel again.”   This is fairly close to our observations as well.  So much can change however.

We have been in touch with our local partners in hard-hit destinations like Italy, and we are hearing about new procedures for hotel cleaning and the overall hotel experience.  Examples include having breakfast in your room (instead of a buffet style dining room), limited front desk access (1 customer at a time), and front desks with protective glass between the staff and customers.  If this is the way forward and the new hotel/lodging experience is going to be like this, I think the travel experience is going to change somewhat.

We at Pure Adventures have always been focused on Self Guided Adventures and Private Guided Adventures. As such, we think we are well positioned for the return to travel when it comes. We expect and are preparing for more private experiences. Anyone not interested in being in a group setting with strangers but eager to travel, should find comfort in our formula. Saying that, it is important to add that while not being with a group of strangers on a fixed agenda is great, it would be a shame not to mix and interact with locals wherever you go. Travel is for us, about experiencing the destination which includes the culture, traditions, and the people. Visiting sites is great, but meeting locals is wonderful, too.

Do you have thoughts about this, how will you go back to traveling?

Here are some articles that have been shared with us:

Forbes – Where do we go from here?

Going Places in Time of Pandemic…

April 23, 2020 – some new information shared with us today by the Travel & Adventure Show group

From a survey of 1700 people who have attended these shows and are identified as “Travel Enthusiasts”; Over Half will Still Travel in 2020

over 56% stated they would not make changes to their current travel plans for 2020 (24.7%) or are re-booking for later in 2020 (31.5%).

In reference to what types of travel options will they be looking for in the future, approximately 60% are planning on both self-managed international and domestic vacations.

The hard to read text is:

Small Group International
Small Group Domestic
Self Managed domestic,
Self Managed International,
Cruise
and other

The post Travel in the Post Covid-19 Realm appeared first on Pure Adventures.

First of all, remember it’s a good idea to get a teen’s input on what they’re looking for in a vacation. Since Pure Adventures tours are self-guided, we have a lot of leeway to customize the schedule to a traveler’s unique preferences. For active families, our multisport tours offer a great deal of variety and can be adjusted to include more of a favourite hobby: hiking, biking, horseback riding, kayaking, etc. This can be an excellent option if your teens enjoy a challenge and pushing for new achievements. Not all kids are sports junkies, obviously, so customizing a trip may be a matter of including a destination that interests them, adding special meals to the menu, or simply budgeting in unstructured time.

Whatever route you choose, travel at a young age can be life-changing. Here are our top picks for a memorable family vacation.

France Loire Royal Valley Cycling Tour

We recommend the Royal Valley cycling tour for its well-balanced characteristics. The cycling distances are approximately forty kilometres per day, a satisfying length that most occasional cyclists can handle. The terrain is flat to gently rolling, and enlivened by impressive castles. A duration of five nights and six days, and good pricing on mid-range lodging, make it easy to keep the budget manageable.

The tour begins in the town of Amboise. There the museum at Clos Lucé, where Leonardo Da Vinci spent the last years of his life, has a selection of engaging, interactive displays. Or book a kayak trip around Castle Chenonceau for a unique perspective on one of the region’s most beautiful chateaus. History can be a hard sell for kids, but you might get some traction by introducing them to the story of Joan of Arc, whose campaign is commemorated at spots throughout the Loire Valley. The Château de Blois, which this tour visits on Day Four, also has many tales of intrigue and assassination to fire the imagination.

Italy – Dolomites To Lake Garda Cycling Tour

Despite beginning in the impressive Dolomites mountain range, this is a relatively easy tour thanks to a route that runs mostly downhill along bike paths. Scenic small towns provide numerous points of interest, not to mention classic Italian cuisine highly appealing to adventurous foodies without being alienating to a fussy eater.

Day Two of the tour takes you past Lake Resia, where the eerie sight of a semi-submerged tower jutting from the water will fascinate visitors young and old. Cycling through medieval alleyways near beautiful Lake Garda is also an incredible sensory experience and a gift to any teen who hasn’t yet been exposed to Europe’s centuries of history.

Italy – Sicily Mt Etna & Aeolian Islands Hiking

If your young traveler has any interest in hiking, this is a very solid choice. Adventure seekers and budding naturalists will enjoy the bragging rights that come with climbing Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. Teens who appreciate novelty might also be intrigued to hear they’ll be shuttling between islands by hydrofoil. You can reassure them they’ll be seeing more than just pretty landscapes — hikes take you past steaming volcanic fumaroles and along the famous black beaches of the Island of Vulcano. Adults will probably be drawn to the Sicilian coffee and the ancient theatre of Taormina, which dates to the 3rd century BC.

Just be advised that the trails in this region isn’t easy, so everyone involved should be prepared for a physical challenge.

Italy – Sardinia Private Self Guided Bike Tour

Beaches! The Mediterranean waters are the big draw here, long sandy beaches complemented by high cliffs and Spanish watchtowers. You’ll visit tiny fishing villages, see pink flamingos gathered at ponds, and eat the freshest seafood possible. Some of the day’s rides are fairly challenging, but we can alter the itinerary for family looking to get ride distances down in favour of activities like enjoying gelato beachside.

Final Thoughts

Again, our approach to tourism allows for a high degree of personalization. With a few tweaks, one of our Vietnam tours could be a terrific all-ages cultural experience. The Croatia Bike & Kayak Tour might appeal to an athletically minded teen. We’ve also recently added two Ecuador/Galapagos tours to our roster of trips, sure to tempt to the animal lovers in your crew. Whatever the destination, if you’re curious about how to make a trip accessible and appealing just reach out with questions — call us at 800-960-2221, or email info@pure-adventures.com.

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In North America, we tend to use “walk” in the same way we’d use “stroll” – a relatively easy excursion, usually along paved roads. We reserve the term “hike” for a more challenging trek through rugged terrain. The UK and the Republic of Ireland, however, use “walk” to describe any trip on foot, whether it’s to the corner shop or up the mountainside. Particularly if you’re talking to an older person, you may also hear the terms hillwalking, rambling, or fellwalking. When you get a hot tip at the pub about a lovely walk nearby, don’t set out in sandals until you’ve asked a few followup questions about length, difficulty, etc.

For instance, the tallest of the Connemara Mountains in Ireland, which we pass through on our Hiking the Western Way tour, reaches a maximum elevation of nearly 2,400 feet. Local guides may refer to the climb as a walk, or at most a “hard walk” or “hill walk.” All the same you’ll definitely want to bring hiking boots. Even less challenging stretches of trail may require appropriate preparations and footwear if the distances warrant. Especially at higher elevations, sunny weather can turn windy or misty on fairly short notice.

So how best to prepare for a day or more of walking, Irish or UK style? Hiking boots as opposed to shoes will give you the best ankle support and be suitable for the broadest range of conditions. If you don’t intend to carry a ton of gear, though, you won’t need the stiffest, heaviest variety available, backpacking boots. Some hikers even prefer lightweight, low-cut trail runners for the comfort and speed they offer. Either way a good fit is very important, so when shopping around make sure you try your intended pair on at the end of the day after your feet have had time to swell, and while you’re wearing the type of sock you intend to bring with you. Avoid choosing a pair so tight they chafe, as you should still have room to wiggle your toes. Speaking of socks, those need to fit well too in order to avoid blistering. Choose a thickness appropriate for the season – thick enough to give you some comfy cushioning, but not so thick as to be sweltering on a warm day. Merino wool is the go-to material for most hikers, sometimes blended with synthetics for durability and faster drying.

The standard outdoorsperson advice also applies to hiking in the UK, of course. Layering a t-shirt, fleece top, and jacket allows you to peel off as you warm up or stay toasty when the weather turns. A brimmed hat and sunscreen will probably leave you feeling less fatigued at the end of the day, and a spare pair of socks never hurt. Snacks, water, and a fully charged phone are reassuring additions to any pack. Just be aware that cell reception can be spotty on some stretches of trail, so it’s always best practice to download map data in advance or bring a good old-fashioned paper map along.

Lastly, if you’re referring to any guides written on hiking in the UK, you may want to make sure you’ve read them over in advance to make sure you haven’t glossed over any more unfamiliar terms (i.e. do you know a moor when you see one? Did you know a “permissive path” is a trail on private property which the landowner has granted access to?). If you travel with Pure Adventures, our local guides will bring you up to speed on anything you might need to know about trails or points of interest. Your job is to relax, enjoy the pastoral countryside and sweeping landscape, and then put your feet up after a long day’s ramble up hill and down dale. 

See all of Pure Adventure’s offerings in Ireland and the UK here.

The post Walking vs. Hiking: Setting out on Foot in the UK appeared first on Pure Adventures.

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We would love to reward you for referrals! If you’ve been on at least 1 trip in the last 10 years with Pure Adventures, you can earn $50 per person referred and booked. Simply use the Contact Us form on our website to submit each referral with their contact info. From this we will keep track of your bank!

Get excited – spread the word & get free money towards your next Pure Adventures experience!

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For many of us, Travel isn’t travel without injecting a little adventure in there as well. Pushing your body and mind to it’s limits, while taking in new surroundings and cultures really is the ultimate experience.

Of course to enjoy these adventures, and keep coming back for more, you have to try and keep personal injury at bay. Accidents happen; The slip of a foot on a self guided hiking trail, or a tumble off your bike while attempting a tough corner through Italy’s wine country. However, some injuries can be avoided, so we have compiled a short list of different ways to prevent injury so you can continue to sample the world – living on the edge and enjoying every minute of it.

Take a breather – sit back and enjoy our 6 Ways To Avoid Adventure Travel Injury.

#1 Listen To Your Body

Pain is your body’s way of telling you something’s up. Pushing through pain or ignoring it will only lead to further injury. Deal with injuries early on to help decrease recovery time and prevent a chronic problem from developing. An injury in one part of the body (Eg. The foot) can lead to problems further up the leg (Eg. Knee or hip) if it is not dealt with quickly. If you’ve taken a dive on a trail – don’t brush it off as a “war wound”. Get it looked at so you can get back out there injury free.

#2 Adventure Prep!

Kind of goes without saying that we’re big fans of adventure travel. Of course with adventure travel comes the chance of sustaining injury. To avoid injury, prepare for your trip. Schedule in a training schedule months in advance of your trip that will get you ready for that particular activity. For instance, if you are going to be taking a self guided hiking tour, start your training by walking with the pack you are going to use and gradually increase the distance and weight of the pack. Add hills and valleys to your walks. Get used to the hiking gear you are going to wear. A little prep. can make your next adventure travel experience a fantastic one!

#3 Cool Down/Warm Up

Warm up’s are essential. This can mean a quick walk, jog, or spin on an exercise bike etc. – until you break a sweat. Ideally your warm up activity will involve the muscles you are going to use during your work out. Warm up increases blood flow and oxygen to muscles and increases the ability of the muscles and connective tissue to stretch and prevent injury.

Stretching helps increase the flexibility of muscles so that they won’t tear during an activity. Ideally, stretching should be done after the warm up and cool down periods. Choose stretches that will involve the muscles that are going to be used during your activity. Hear are some general guidelines to follow:

• Do not bounce during stretching
• Hold a stretch for 20-30 seconds
• Do not stretch into pain as you could be damaging the muscle
• Stretch until you feel a comfortable tension in the muscle, which should have lessened by the end of the stretch.

Cool down is done after your activity. It is basically a repeat of the warm up but the purpose is to remove the waste products from your muscles and prevent muscle soreness and stiffness.

#4 Maintain Your Equipment

Running, hiking, or cycling using worn out or incorrect equipment can lead to injury. Cycling with a damaged helmet or downhill skiing with bindings set incorrectly are safety issues that can lead to severe injury.

Proper sizing is just as important as equipment maintenance. Cycling on a bicycle that is too small or the seat is too low, can cause knee problems. Footwear that is too big often leads to blisters and lack of proper foot support. Cross-country ski poles that are too long can cause shoulder injuries.

Equipment can also include any braces being used to prevent re-inquiry of a joint. Make sure it fits properly and the material hasn’t worn out.

#5 Exhaustion

A lit­tle exhaus­tion should be part of your expe­ri­ence while hik­ing or cycling, it means that you are push­ing your­self into new ter­ri­to­ries and will offer per­haps some of the best sleep you’ll ever expe­ri­ence at the end of the day. But take exhaus­tion too far out in the wild and you could find your­self in a tough sit­u­a­tion. A com­mon cause of exhaus­tion is dehy­dra­tion and improper nutri­tion. Make no mis­take about it, when trav­el­ing on the trail you are burn­ing a lot of calo­ries and your machine of a body needs a lot of fuel. Bring calorie-dense (and light) food with you on trail, and plan your water sources before you go out; if all else fails, just shorten your intended mileage or take a break and extend the dura­tion of your trip.

#6 Muscle Stress

Noth­ing is more fun than hav­ing your legs cramp with every step you take up the moun­tain, or that feel­ing of your toes curl­ing in on them­selves as you lay in your tent at night. Cramp­ing is another com­mon hik­ing & cycling injury that is com­monly pro­duced by dehy­dra­tion. Sounds sim­ple enough then, to avoid cramp­ing make sure you are drink­ing a lot of water. But some­times in the heat of the moment, espe­cially if the moment is par­tic­u­larly cold, it can be hard to remem­ber to drink the appro­pri­ate amount of H2O. Stretch­ing before your big hike can help, and if you find your­self suc­cumb­ing to a nasty cramp, stretch­ing fur­ther can alle­vi­ate some of the pain. Con­sider apply­ing hot and cold tem­per­a­tures to the cramp and refu­el­ing with an electrolyte-dense sports drink. These solu­tions can often get you the rest of the way home.

Sources: www.theclymb.com – www.kinsmenphysio.com

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