A few members of the Global Basecamps team just returned from a whirlwind trip to Ecuador, including a cruise around the Galapagos Islands. One of the highlights of their trip was discovering the Hacienda Rumiloma, located on the foot hills of Volcano Pichincha, overlooking central Quito (and just minutes from downtown). Rumiloma is a unique boutique hotel, and the only hacienda in the capital of Ecuador. Just 10 minutes outside of the UNESCO World Heritage colonial center of Quito, the hotel boasts spectacular views of the city and 100 acres of Andean cloud forest. The main building has an incredible restaurant serving international and Ecuadorian style cuisine (worth a visit in its own right) and an intimate Irish/Ecuadorian pub. The restaurant utilizes the best local ingredients and draws inspiration from the owners’ travels throughout the world. Their wine cellar has more than 200 bottles of the best quality wines from Argentinean, Spanish, Chilean, and Italian vineyards. There are several comfortable sitting rooms to relax in after a day of sightseeing or to enjoy a drink with incredible views. Though the hotel is just minutes from downtown, in this Andean oasis you feel like you are a world away.
Do you want to stay at a boutique hotel in Nepal? How about a Peru eco lodge? Stay in luxury on your next journey, the first night is on AirTreks! Purchase your multi-stop airfare from AirTreks between June 1 and June 17, 2011 and get credit for a free hotel stay from Global Basecamps. For every $3,000 you spend on your AirTreks airfare you get 1 Global Basecamps point that can be redeemed for a hotel stay.
Your Purchase Price
Global Basecamps Points
Payment Deadline
$US 3,000
1
June 17, 2011
$US 6,000
2
June 17, 2011
$US 9,000
3
June 17, 2011
$US 12,000
4
June 17, 2011
1 point can be redeemed for a one night stay at a silver level hotel, and 2 points can be redeemed for a one night stay at a gold level hotel. Participants may receive up to four nights free.
Silver Level Hotels
Some examples of silver level hotels include the following:
Hotel Maya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Hotel Maya is a boutique urban resort in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Located in the center of the business and commercial district adjacent to Kuala Lumpur’s famous Petronas Twin Towers, the newly renovated hotel offers travelers spacious rooms and contemporary accommodations.
“This photo is of the watering hole that was right outside a restaurant we ate at in Tsavo West National Park. Tsavo West is a Game Park in Northern Kenya, located South-East of Nairobi.
One aspect of trip preparation that many people often skip is researching the cultural and social norms of the country you plan to visit. Being prepared by knowing the appropriate dress, gestures, and phrases will go a long way in making your trip more enjoyable. Making an effort to learn the cultural practices will be very appreciated by the locals and will give them a positive image of travelers. We have created guides with a few tips on the cultural norms of China, customs of Tanzania, and cultural traditions of Cambodia. Here we’ll discuss responsible travel in India.
Language
Hindi is the official language of India, as decided by the central government. However, the different states of India have many different languages. For example, Bihar in east India has three official languages which are Hindi, Urdu and Bengali.
Here are a few phrases in Hindi you might find helpful when traveling to India:
Hello/Goodbye: namaste
Excuse me: maaf kijiyeh
Please: meharbani she
Thank you: shukriya
Yes: haan
No: nahin
How are you?: aap kiaseh hain?
English is also widely used in India. Indian English differs as you travel to different parts of the country. You can find more Hindi phrases here.
Do you constantly day dream about breaking away from your cubicle and exploring the world for months at a time? While there are many excuses and reasons people don’t travel long term, if you can manage it traveling for several months at a time is an incredible experience. The best trips usually involve multiple stops, multiple environments and multiple experiences, ideally over a longer period of time than the traditional 2 week vacation. We are also major advocates of slow travel, truly getting to know the culture of your host country allows you to develop a greater appreciation for it. Plus, slow travel means fewer planes, trains, and cars which equate to less of a negative impact on the environment. Whether you’re ready to start planning for a 6 month trip or a 3 week trip, we’re here to help! Not quite sure where to start? Here are a few tips to help begin the planning process.
Budget
AirTreks Official Planning Timeline offers a comprehensive look at how to go about preparing for a trip starting at one year out up until the day you leave. One of the main reasons people don’t travel more is money, though it doesn’t have to be. A year plus may seem like it’s way too early to start planning for a trip but if you are serious about your long term travel plans this is when you need to start saving. Jason Demant and Sharon Duckworth, writers for the travel blog Life after Cubes wrote a post about how they saved $50,000 to travel for a year. In their post you can find a very useful savings spreadsheet that should help you budget for your trip and determine how much you need to save. The key to their savings strategy was automation. Commit to saving some money from each paycheck by having it automatically taken from your account.
