|
|
|
|
Hi there!
I hope your 2019 is developing wonderfully–January was a long one, wasn’t it? I’ve gotten a big chuckle out of a meme circulating recently: “January was a tough year, but we made it.”
We hosted two memorable journeys in January, both with Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. One crew explored the ancient Buddhist sites around Sri Lanka, and at the same time, BJ & I toured a group around the delightful temples of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia (I took the photo above on our last night, on the moat of Angkor Thom at sunset). I’m always floored and humbled by the true curiosity of our guests, their openness to new experiences, their hunger for knowledge, and their easiness to laugh.
BJ is currently attending his 4th Kumbh Mela festival, the largest gathering of humanity. It’s a Hindu festival that takes place in different spots around India every few years, and they are expecting upwards of 120 million pilgrims over the course of the month! I’m en route to Nepal at the moment (literally, I’m writing this in the airplane—an emergency exit all row to myself! Some ladies have all the luck…or rather, they just move lightning-quick after the Seatbelt Sign is turned off ;) We’ll spend the next month in Kathmandu before heading to Egypt for our two groups there. Need a last-minute getaway for April? You can still join us March 30–April 9 in Egypt (this trip also doubles as my 40th birthday bash!)–take a look at our Nile boat cruise and tell me, how can you say no?
Speaking of milestones…January 27th marked SIX years of being on the road non-stop for us. Six years ago we said goodbye to our “day jobs” and left the U.S. with our luggage, high hopes, and the desire to create unique itineraries for travel lovers. It’s a weird thing we’re doing (and it sounds even weirder when people on the road ask where we live or when we’re headed back home!) Our business and, more importantly, our lives have unfolded & evolved in ways we could have never imagined six years ago, and we want to thank YOU being part of that journey!
We have some giveaways, announcements, and interesting bits to share with you in this newsletter, so let’s get going!
|
|
|
In this issue:
- An invitation to Antarctica
- Galapagos + giveaway
- Pop Quiz! Boiling water
- Summer in Ladakh + giveaway
- Walking with the Buddha
- Discover + Connect in Sri Lanka
- Bamboo Scaffolding
- New menu search options
|
|
|
An invitation to Antarctica
photo courtesy of PolarCruises.com
BJ has long had Antarctica in his sights, and I apparently have severe FOMO[P] (Fear Of Missing Out [on Penguins]), so we are taking a Falklands, South Georgia, and Antarctica tour in November 18–December 6, 2019!
This is not a RetreaTours journey, but so many of you have expressed a desire to visit this elusive icy continent, so we thought you may want to travel with friends! BJ has already put the work in researching the very best trip possible on the polar research vessel Ioffe.
You can see all the details for this Nov 18–Dec 6, 2019 trip here or the button below. After reading all about the trip on that link, please reply to this email if you are interested and we can help you register!
image courtesy of National Geographic; King penguins on South Georgia Island
|
|
Galapagos 2020: Chill, don't freeze!
Although I was sweating an inhuman amount in Cambodia last week, so many of you in the U.S. & Canada found yourselves in some pretty harsh winter weather (and still are!) How about you avoid that potential altogether next year and join us in late January 2020 in the Galapagos?
I love all of our trips equally, as any good Tour Mama should, but some of them I love more equally than others ;) What I’m trying to say is that the Galapagos is one of my favorite places to be on the whole planet (and I do believe our past guests can echo this sentiment!) Over the years we’ve crafted what we think is a truly grand itinerary, allowing time for both the best of the best excursions and also for some healthy downtime to recharge your batteries. I can’t tell you how many people on our December 2018 Galapagos trip said they were catching up on much-needed sleep from their "real lives"!
 So, do your future self a favor and get outta dodge next January, will ya? See all the details at RetreaTours.com/Galapagos2020.
To get you in the mood, here’s another Galapagos map bandana giveaway!
Reply to this email with the answer to this very difficult question and you’ll be in the running: What animal would you MOST want to see in the Galapagos?
|
|
Pop quiz: Boiling tap water overseas
 Although I cherish our rare times in apartments with kitchens around the world, it’s always a bit of a bummer to not be able to use the water straight out of the tap when cooking. In our Cambodian Airbnb, I was even boiling water for 10 minutes before I would cook pasta in it–I just figured the longer, the better/safer! Do you know how long you actually have to boil water to make it safe, though?
I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I was as surprised as 90% of the respondents of the CDC's poll about this: only 1 minute! (Note: that's one minute after it already comes to a boil, and it's 3 minutes at altitudes above 6,600 feet.)
This is reassuring to know in places where you have access to a water-heating method (stove, kettle, etc) and don't want to waste plastic bottled water—or, heck, if you're ever under a "boil water" advisory at home!
|
|
Summer in Ladakh
Have you made your summer plans yet? You know that it’s basically around the corner, right? (Scoff now, but talk to me in June, when it’s going to feel like today was just a few weeks ago!)
Over the years, so many of you have expressed interest in coming to Ladakh with us. I can tell you that we will not personally be leading ANY tours in Ladakh in 2020, so you may wish to hop aboard the 2019 bandwagon! Sure, you could put it off until 2021, but who knows what may happen between now and then? BJ and I could decide to settle down on a ranch and adopt 17 street dogs–you never know! ;)
Our Ladakh: Beyond Leh is a rare bird in particular and is a fantastic overview of the “best of” Ladakh, from Thiksey Monastery to Pangong Lake on the border of Tibet, from the sand dunes of the Nubra Valley to rafting on the Indus River. We actually can’t say when BJ and I will host another trip like this one again (as most of our Ladakh journeys are Buddhist pilgrimages or yoga-based journeys).
We have other journeys to Ladakh this summer, too!
Prayer Flag giveaway!
To get you in the Ladakh mood, we’re giving away another set of hand-stamped Tibetan Prayer Flags. Here is a photo of BJ and our friend Chamba modeling a set last summer in Ladakh!
|
|
|
To enter the contest, please reply to this email with the answer to the question: What would you want to experience the most in Ladakh?
|
|
Walking with the Buddha
Pilgrimage to India & Nepal with Tricycle: The Buddhist Review
There’s something special about walking in the footsteps of a historical figure, to see the landscape that inspired and supported them during their journey on Earth. We are so happy to be leading Walking with the Buddha: A Pilgrimage to India & Nepal with Tricycle: The Buddhist Review in November (November 1–13, 2019). We’ll traverse the sites where the Buddha was born, grew up, achieved Enlightenment, taught, and died—fortunately for us we get to do it in an air-conditioned vehicle and not on foot! Joining us will be the founder of Tricycle, Helen Tworkov.
This journey is already more than half-full, and several guests have expressed interest in a Bhutan add-on, which we are more than happy to help arrange! Have you seen our PrivateBhutanTours.com page? You can see some suggested itineraries and a giant FAQ there!
|
|
Discover + Connect in Sri Lanka
February 2020 with Jill Ayres
We are thrilled that our friend and Australian yoga instructor Jill Ayres is leading a February 2020 journey around Sri Lanka! This is a fun, relatively quick-paced itinerary to see ALL the highlights of Sri Lanka, from the jungle to the beaches, from ancient Buddhist ruins to elephant (and leopard!) safaris.
Jill will mix in optional yoga and meditation to help ground you during this experience, taking advantage of the natural settings to lead practices. Please see RetreaTours.com/Jill2020 for all the details! (Please note that the trip prices are listed in Australian dollars, although you can see a U.S. dollar conversion in the ‘Price & What is Included' tab on the website).
BJ & I would typically NEVER miss a chance to travel with our beloved Australian contingent or revisit Sri Lanka, but we sadly won't be on this journey. However, we have amazing partners on the ground there and you’ll be in wonderful hands. [At that time we’ll be in South America researching future itineraries (I am really in the mood for a Argentinian wine-based journey, aren’t you?)]
|
|
Visuals: Bamboo Scaffolding
One of my favorite things around the world is seeing bamboo scaffolding in ultra-modern cities like Hong Kong and Singapore. It's such a stark contrast to see this natural material being used in the construction of skyscrapers. Atlas Obscura recently featured photographer Peter Steinhauer's beautiful images of bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong over here.
|
|
New Search Options on the Website!
We’ve made it a little bit easier to search for the trips that interest you on our website. I’ve created a menu that lists the trips by destination, by time of year, and by interest. I’ve also made a clickable map of our current trips, as well!
Thank you for those of you that gave us feedback toward that end, and even more importantly, to those of you who expressed that you just want to travel with us during a certain time of year, it doesn’t matter where we’re going!
|
|
Thank you for spending some time with us for a bit today! Hopefully the next time we hang out, I'll have a sneak preview of our 2020 Around the World Journey for you!
I'll leave you with two photos taken last week: one that I took of a young girl playing in a pond in front of Angkor Wat, and one BJ took of 3 sadhus (holy men) in the pre-dawn hours at the Kumbh Mela. It's pretty neat to get to compare notes/photos when we are having adventures in different places!
|
|
|
Until next time...
Safe travels & happy trails,
Lauren & BJ
|
|
|
OK, ONE more, I can't resist sharing: a photo of my old friend Ralphie, a very sophisiticated street dog, at Boudhanath Stupa yesterday!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
