The Inca Trail Trek is one of the most famous treks in South America. The 26 mile hike offers travelers natural beauty, culture, and adventure. Hikers will experience beautiful mountain scenery, lush cloud-forest, subtropical jungle, and of course an incredible mix of Inca ruins. Culminating the challenging trek is the arrival at the ancient Inca site, Machu Picchu. Travelers should anticipate spending at least 2 full days in Cusco prior to the hike in order to adjust to the altitude. The best time of year to hike the Inca Trail is during the dry season, which lasts from May to October or November. The rainy season is from December to April, and the trail is closed in February due to heavy rains. However, light rain at Machu Picchu is not uncommon year round. Day time temperatures can range anywhere from 50-82ºF, with night time temperatures from around 32-50ºF.
Egypt tourism has experienced a major lull in the recent months following the country’s turmoil. However, as we recently wrote about on our blog, Egypt is Back and Even Better. Now is a great time to visit the unique country. As mentioned in our previous Know Before You Go blogs, researching cultural norms and practices of your host country is an essential part of trip planning. Whether you are already planning your Egypt custom tour or just hoping to someday visit the Pyramids of Giza here are a few tips for being culturally responsible in Egypt.
Egyptian Society and Culture
Muslim is the dominant religion in Egypt and it plays a major role in the society’s values and practices. Muslims pray five times a day, at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening. Also, Friday is the Muslim holy day, and therefore everything is closed. In contemporary Egypt the two-day weekend is often Friday and Saturday. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and work shorter days. During Ramadan, each night at sunset, family and friends celebrate the breaking of the fast. The family is of major importance in Egyptian society, and the individual is usually considered subordinate to the family or group. Younger generations are expected to show respect to their seniors, they will not raise their voice to elders and should not remain seated while an older person is standing. Additionally, an individual’s honor and esteem is directly tied to the reputation of the family.
Whether you are traveling this Fourth of July or spending time with friends in your home town here a few tips to make your holiday celebration more eco-friendly!
1. Enjoy the Outdoors
Hopefully you will be enjoying this holiday celebration outside. By taking the party outdoors you can reduce the amount of energy used and cut the energy costs of utilizing indoor facilities.
2. Eat Local
Consider hitting the farmer’s market this weekend and purchasing locally grown organic food to cook on the Fourth. Locally grown and organic foods are not only good for you but the environment too, as they help reduce chemicals used in processed foods and pollution caused by transportation that is necessary to ship non-local food products.
3. Avoid Using at Home Fireworks
Fireworks are definitely not environmentally friendly. They contain hazardous chemicals that pollute the atmosphere. Avoid doing fireworks at home this Fourth of July and head to your local beach or park to enjoy a nearby fireworks show. You may want to consider talking to your local officials about more eco-friendly fireworks, or fireworks alternatives.
More than a year ago the Tanzania government announced plans to build a commercial highway through Serengeti National Park. The highway would be constructed to link the area around Lake Victoria with eastern Tanzania. While the purpose of the highway is to accommodate for the rapid trade growth, critics argue that the road will destroy a major tourist attraction leaving many without jobs and income. Tanzania's government faced mounting opposition from those warning that the highway through the Serengeti would destroy the annual wildebeest migration and threaten to destroy the park's ecosystem as a whole. In our recent blog, Stop the Serengeti Highway, we addressed the concerns surrounding this proposed commercial road.
We are always striving to improve our services and one of the best ways to do that is to consult with our clients. Speaking with clients who have recently returned from their trips is the best way for us to gauge how we’re doing. We pride ourselves on being unique, unlike any other travel agency, by providing completely customized itineraries and access to the world’s most unique boutique hotels, eco lodges and private tours. But don’t just take our word for it; hear what our clients have to say! Global Basecamps’ reviews can be found at the following locations:
Adventure.Travel: Adventure.Travel is an informational site that offers reviews to help travelers plan their next adventure. We have a 5 star rating on Adventure Travel Trade Association’s directory.
