Dear Kumuka Traveller

When I arrived to in the office this morning, Rhiannon, one of our senior reservations members was raving about her recent journey to Africa with Kumuka. She “oohed” over the 3 leopards she saw, ”aahed” over the herd of elephants she photographed, sighed when recalling the sunsets and lit up when describing the versatility of the big blue Kumuka truck. I love that part of my job, when our staff sample what we are selling and return even more passionate than when they left, having fulfilled one of their lifelong ambitions.

We are lucky to be making people’s dreams come true.

Where will your dream lead you?

Happy travels
Meg Hall

Getting there is half the fun!

It’s a busy world we live in; our working lives are filled with an overload of information, choice, schedules and deadlines.

To reward ourselves we book holidays near and far and learn about how people live in different cultures, climates and countries. Before we arrive we read up on the highlights of our tours and arrive with our minds filled with more information than Einstein, ready to check off facts and figures as we travel.

We are living in a lucky era, lucky to have the information, lucky to have the choice but we seem to have forgotten about the journey.

Travelling the length and breadth of a nation involves covering distances and for some this can seem daunting but these journeys can be the highlight of travelling for the following five reasons.

1. Time for scenery: A full day on the road gives the traveller a wonderful overview of the landscape of the destination they are visiting. Travelling a full day in South America can have you wake up on the beach and go to sleep at 4000 metres. Winding your way up the Andes will take you through local villages, Llama herds and the most amazing scenery on this planet.

2. Time to kick back and listen to music: There is nothing more evocative than music. When you are travelling long distances there is nothing quite like kicking back with your favorite tunes. Rest assured, for the rest of your life, when you hear the same song you were listening to for example as you stared out into the rainbow sands that make up the deserts in Jordan, it will take you straight back to that moment.

3. Time to forget the hustle and bustle: With nothing to disturb you but passing scenery and the dulcet tones from your iPod, you can forget the rat race, kick back and let the world pass you by. This is a great time to reflect what you have already seen on your travels and what you will be seeing next. But don’t forget – where you are right now.

4. Time to get into the heart of your destination: When flying from point to point you miss out on ‘middle earth’, the lesser-seen destinations. By finding out what lays in between highlights you learn more about what makes the country tick, who really lives there and the lifestyles they lead.

5. Time to revel in your sense of achievement: You roll in hot and dusty after a hard day on the road; you’ve seen everything from Baobab trees, to Maasai, to real life ‘zebra crossings’. Kilimanjaro said a sublime ‘hello’ and you tried out your smattering of Swahili in the local market, during a pit stop. The sun is setting in blazing hues over the Indian Ocean as the tropical air turns your hair curly. It’s time for a well-earned beer and a pat on the back, crossing Africa is still a discovery and something you will remember for the rest of your life.

So pack your IPod, a good book and open mind and get excited about the open road. There is nothing quite like it. Getting there is half the fun.

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Meet Patricia Old, Sales Manager Western Australia

Having tried her hand at everything from washing dishes to handling the logistics of large conventions, Patricia is also known for having caught the travel bug many years ago. As a result she has cycled from Prague to Vienna, caught trains through Romania and Bulgaria, worked in Rhodes, visited Iran and spent all of her money in Turkey. Her bicycle then also got a work out in South East Asia before she returned to Australia and is now gracing the Perth pavement with Kumuka brochures under her arm, spreading the travel word.

In her own words…

If you could go on any Kumuka tour tomorrow what would it be and why?
PATRICIA: Am I limited to just one?? Lima to La Paz... the Inca Trail is on my "must do" list.

Who would you take with you and why?
PATRICIA: My friend Damo... we used to put ourselves through punishing boot camps when we lived on Hayman. We would challenge each other every inch of the trail.

What’s your worst (publishable) habit?
PATRICIA: I don't have any. (That is the worst thing ... there is nothing wrong with me, the rest of the world is out of step or so I believe).

Favorite food?
PATRICIA: Chocolate, cheese and wine.

Best bar?
PATRICIA: Must Wine Bar, Mount Lawley. Their cocktails are divine and they have a very impressive wine list.

Best hotel?
PATRICIA: For up market, the Westin in KL for it's bars, restaurants and food concepts. Prince Hotel & Residence in Kuala Lumpur for its Concierge. For budget, Madam Kuc's in Ho Chi Minh City. In Turkey, Mavi Guest House in Sultanahmet.

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• Special Offers - fantastic discounts available.
• Late Deals - last minute offers.
• Early Deals - the early bird gets the worm.

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The Kumuka Timeline

• 1983 Kumuka run their first Africa Overland tour
• 1995 Kumuka run their first South America Overland tour
• 1996 Kumuka run their first Central America Local Transport tour
• 1998 Kumuka run their first Europe Coach and Hotel tour
• 1998 Kumuka run their first Middle East Overland tour
• 2001 Kumuka run their first Asia Small Group tour
• 2006 Kumuka run their first Family Adventure
• 2006 Kumuka run their first Trans-Siberian tour
• 2006 Kumuka run their first Antarctica Cruise
• 2006 Kumuka run their first Africa Lodge Based Safari
• 2006 Kumuka run their first Tailor-Made tour
• 2007 Kumuka run their first Action tour

With 100’s of new tours still in the pipeline – watch this space for more Kumuka firsts!
Visit our new tours page to find out where Kumuka can be seen today.

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It’s been a long day but the Yaks Cheese at the end has made it all worthwhile!

I am writing this from Namche Bazaar in the Himalayas, sitting in a little internet café being warmed by a yak poo fire! Its misty outside, I can see the occasional trekker, yak or Sherpa walk on by in an exhausted trance, as the hike to this Sherpa village is not for the faint hearted!

We left our post at Phakding (said out loud sounds like a very rude word with “ding” at the end) not long after dawn this morning and walked peacefully through clusters of rustic Sherpa dwellings, weaving our way slowly upward toward the Khumbu valley, until we crossed a bridge and left any notion of peace behind. The last few hours of the trek were body busting as we zig-zagged up a steep precipice over rocks, yak poo and exhausted trekkers (oh and Sherpas picking up the yak poo to later burn in at the local internet café). Was it worth it… oh yes! I would do it with a broken leg to be able to stand humble below the 360-degree panorama of the world’s highest mountains! Nothing can describe it. Everything in your vision is worthy of “wow” (apart from the Yak poo on your boots). You can’t really take it in, it doesn’t seem real, so you close your eyes and open them again only to say “wow” all over again. Then just when you don’t think you can set a better scene, the haunting drone from a lone horn player in a nearby monastery echoes across the valley and black birds rise up on thermals. You feel small, you feel tall. You feel like the luckiest person in the world.

And just around the corner, waiting to greet us in the morning is the first good sight of the mighty Mount Everest. Can life get any better than this?
Stevie W

Steve Wallace travelled to Everest Base Camp with Kumuka Worldwide

Send your post card to Kumuka

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Dear Sir/ Madam

My husband and I have recently returned to Australia from visiting Cambodia, undertaking the 12-day ‘Cambodia Uncovered’ tour.

We thoroughly enjoyed the tour, finding it to be extremely rewarding in many respects. It gave us a good insight into life in Cambodia, from the rural areas and meeting the village communities, to exploring Angkor Wat and Cambodian’s incredible history. We found the Tour Guide, Aki Pich, to be a talented and enthusiastic guide, who made the trip a truly unique event by having us experience and observe the authentic way of life. Aki’s knowledge of Cambodian history was extensive, and he promptly answered our very many questions. His cheerful, helpful and attentive disposition was an absolute delight. Equally the driver, Mr Ho, was an expert driver who always displayed consideration for our comfort and safe passage at all times.

The varied experiences my husband and I encountered during the tour has given us a profound respect for the Cambodian people. They are an incredibly resilient and diligent nation, and we feel we have been personally touched in a heartfelt and positive way. We have been on previous tours with Kumuka in the past, but found this tour by far the best to date. Having an experienced and knowledgeable guide, a skilled driver, varied and unique experiences and good travelling companions, goes a long way to making a great holiday. We look forward to future trips with Kumuka.

Regards
Chris Bloom-Williams & Stephan (Mark) Williams

Travel to Cambodia with Kumuka Worldwide

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This month’s tips come to you from our European tours where we stay in 3–4 star hotels every night.

HOTEL TRAVEL TIPS

1. Plastic shower caps make great shoe covers when storing spare shoes in your luggage.

2. Carefully remove the plastic covers off the bathroom drinking glasses. These can be used to store extra coins, or to wrap the items in your money belt so they don't get soggy on a hot day.

3. Carry a bicycle lock with you. You can use it as a deterrent to lock your case to immovable objects like a bed frame, radiator or train luggage rack.

4. Use the hotel shampoo or shower gel to hand wash delicates.

5. Carry a small bottle of, or towelettes with stain remover on them, so if you splash tomato sauce on your only white t-shirt, you can save it.

6. Only pack small bottles of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel with you. Buy more when you get there

7. To remove wrinkles from clothes hang them in the bath and run a hot shower. The steam will release most of the wrinkles.

8. After hand washing light coloured clothes, beware hanging them to dry on wooden hangers. They might get discoloured by the wood.

9. if carrying a padded jacket or heavy sweater, pop it in a pillowcase to double as a pillow if your hotel room pillow is not right for you.

10. If drying clothes in your hotel room, crack the window open when you're in, or leave the bathroom fan on, so the moisture has somewhere to go.

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SPECIAL SNEAK PREVIEW PASS COMPETITION

KUMUKA and Hopscotch Films are pleased to offer you the chance to enjoy a special sneak preview pass to see the Academy Award Nominated epic film, MONGOL, which traces Genghis Khan’s rise to power and shot in the spectacular landscapes of Mongolia.

ADMIT TWO PASSES
VALID 13-15th JUNE

To enter simply click on the following link www.kumuka.com/CompetitionMongol.aspx and answer three questions about Kumuka Worldwide’s European Winter tours, the first 50 correct answers will win a double pass.

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