Dear Kumuka Traveller

Having recently returned from an amazing holiday in Vietnam and Cambodia, I feel charged. There is nothing quite like taking a side step from normal life and shake things up a bit. The only problem now is I have itchy feet and I’m wondering.. where to next? I’m leaning toward a self drive tour of South Africa, or a trip to Borneo, maybe I should go to Europe? This is one of the problems with trawling the Kumuka brochures, the choices are boundless.

This edition we give you incentive of the adventurous kind which will see you ship shape and exotic, Kumuka Kev is up to his old antics, Lori Boys tells will never complain about her kitchen stove again and we meet Rhiannon Smith, part of the Kumuka DownUnder reservations team.

Happy travels
Meg Hall

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Wild Workouts!

So how are your new year’s resolutions going? Are you on track for becoming super fit? It’s about this time of the year when those enthusiastic pledges of joining the gym, taking up jogging or attending the local capoeira dance groupo, turn into “good ideas at the time”. Without a long term incentive it’s hard to stay enthusiastic about a rigorous itinerary and we go out and buy a new pair of jeans instead, mumbling statements like “I’m too old for capoeira”.

Before you give up, why not add adventure to your “to do” list this year and use it as motivation to keep moving. You never know you might end up enjoying capoeira!

Here is our short list to tempt you to get active:

The Inca trail – Peru
The most famous trekking route in South America, this high altitude trek winds through dramatic mountain scenery in the Andes and takes 4 days, 3 nights. Following the route of the ancient Inca’s, many stunning ancient ruins are visited along the trek, en-route to the highlight, Machu Picchu. The Inca Trail can be undertaken by anyone of average fitness, however, it must be stressed that this is a demanding trek at altitude; the treks high pass reaches 4200 metres above sea level. We recommend you arrive fit and don’t push yourself too hard, slow and steady will win this race.

Everest base camp - Nepal
Flying through clouds and over mountain peaks to arrive at the Himalayan town of Lukla, the start point for the Everest Base camp trek is an adventure in itself. As you join the throngs of trekkers, mountaineers and yak trains alike, you can’t help but get caught up in mountain fever as everyone travels to Everest base camp using the same route (there are no roads to this part of the world). Reaching an elevation of 5545 metres above sea level, this trek is not only high, it is difficult, some days you will be walking up to 7 hours on constant uphill gradients. Exercise hard before you arrive so that you can witness the highest mountain in the world up close and personal. It will be a once in a lifetime trek.

Action Vietnam
Meet local villagers as you cycle through northern Vietnam; explore undiscovered bays and caves as you kayak through Halong Bay; experience unique ethnic minority customs as you trek through hilltribes and stay overnight in their traditional huts. This itinerary takes you off the beaten track to discover the real Vietnam and the real culture – unaffected by mass tourism and still unique in natural beauty and local customs. A love for adrenalin and the great outdoors, plus an excellent level of fitness will help you to enjoy this multi adventure trip.

Climb Mt Kilimanjaro – Tanzania
Test your fitness against the highest peak in Africa, standing at 5895 metres, it is no walk in the park. Trek the Marangu Route, the only route on Kilimanjaro that has huts to stay in. Set off through the rainforest of the lower slopes, through open moorlands before reaching the snow line. The view from the crater rim is nothing short of spectacular, and on a clear day it is possible to see the curvature of the earth. A good level of fitness and determination will see you on the roof of Africa.

For more adventure ideas, visit www.kumuka.com happy kilo shedding!

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Sydney born and bred, Rhianon joined the Kumuka reservations team after a stint of snowboarding “with the boys” as she travelled the world. Sometimes seen in the nightclubs of Manly where she dons a DJ hat its hard to keep Rhianon still. During her day job Rhianon looks after Kumuka agency bookings for Queensland.

In her own words

On weekends I can be found… it’s a bit “nannerish” but I love to sit in my rocking chair on the porch reading a book in the sunshine, before having a cheeky beer at the pub then trying my hand at the decks.

What do you like most about working for Kumuka? Talking about travel all day long.

If you could take off tomorrow on a Kumuka trip which one would it be? The Piranha Express followed by a week at the Rio Carnival

Why? So I could put my salsa dancing to practice at the worlds biggest party after seeing some amazing sites along the way.

Any quirky habits? I admit to eating a bit of chocolate every day! Easter is my favorite time of year.

Email Rhianon a question: Rhianon@kumuka.com

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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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• While digging, an Armadillo can hold its breath for up to six minutes.
• An elephant's tooth can weigh up to three kilograms.
• An adult lion's roar is so loud, it can be heard up to five miles away.

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Dear Kumuka

I’m writing to after returning from a trip to the edge of the Colca Canyon. We drove out here in bitter cold in hope to see the elusive condor in flight, and let me tell you we were not disappointed. Our tour leader warned us that we may not see condors so not to pin our hopes on the event. Well, not only did we see one condor but four of them, all wafting up on thermals, as the temperature rose, from the bottom of the canyon. As we were perched on the top of the canyon we got the perfect view and wow, are they big! Our tour leader played classical music on the truck as urban myth spells that Condors love it. Well whether they like it or not is another thing, it certainly helped the goose pimples to hear Beethoven echo across the gorge as these sublime creatures took control of the air!

Next stop Cuzco and the Inca Trail! Cant wait.
Gemma Lascote

Gemma travelled on the Inca Heights tour with Kumuka

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My husband & I have recently returned from an African Drums Overland Tour. In short, our trip was just amazing.

Admittedly we were a little reticent about the overland type tour having never had this kind of holiday before but we really had nothing to be reticent about. The meals, where do I start.....they were unbelievable! I will never whinge about my stove again! And now I have soooo much weight to lose! The transport was great, from our transfer from Nairobi Airport to our truck 'Simba' it was much better than I actually expected.

It was very difficult to tell our friends of our favourite highlights though. Was it the ballooning over the Masai Mara, was it the game drives, was it seeing the big 5 & the elusive leopard, was it watching the animals feed on their kills, was it the amazing scenery, the walking safari, the beautiful African people, the fun of bartering, the beaches of Zanzibar????

Well, it was all of these things (and more) but I realised that none of this would really have been possible (or as enjoyable) if it wasn't for our crew.

Kanyo Wanguhu - where do I start. He was just amazing. His ability, knowledge, organisation, passion, personality, sense of humour, love of his country, love of his job, unflappability... was just extraordinary. He made our trip smooth, fun, stress free & truly memorable.

And the rest of the crew were also pretty special. Our drivers Patrick & Willy - fantastic. On pretty inhospitable roads they were just amazing. Patrick got us in & out of some pretty hairy situations. We still can't believe that we are not still bogged on some muddy track in the Masai Mara!

And our cooks. I must admit that I was extremely surprised by the quality of our meals. Given the type of tour I did expect very basic & bland meals. Well Hezron & Joseph proved me wrong. And what a beautiful man Joseph is. His approach to & love of his craft was great to be a part of.

Thank you for an extraordinary experience.
Lori Boys

Lori travelled on Kumuka’s African Drums tour

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Travelling Toddlers

I thought that when you had children life was supposed to stop? Being a bit of a diehard traveller, I was willing to challenge this but I must admit it was with hesitation that I packed the family suitcase, complete with nappies and teddy bears, jumped on a plane with my husband and 18 month old son and headed to Vietnam on a Kumuka tailor made tour. In short, we had a ball - all of us.

Here are my tips for young adventurous families:

• It won’t be like the old days on the road, so don’t expect it to be
• Choose a very slow paced itinerary with free days built in
• Choose hotels with swimming pools if possible for added entertainment and relaxation
• Plan a little but not too much, you don’t want to wake up every day and wonder what to do next, likewise you don’t want to be on the go all the time
• Start your day early when your little one gets up; beat the heat and the rush
• Rest when your toddler sleeps
• Use your evenings to write postcards, watch cable television, write your diary or have a cheeky drink on the balcony and order room service after your toddler goes to bed. Nights on the town are a thing of the past unless you hire a babysitter (USD 6 ph in most Vietnamese resorts).
• If you do a guided tour to a site of interest, take into account that your child more than likely won’t allow you to listen intently to a long winded description of a monument. If you are really interested in the history of a destination then either read up about it before you go, or take a note and look it up on the internet when you get home.
• Keep it interesting for all of you, toddlers love movement, colour, noise and action. We found just walking out of the hotel door into the hustle and bustle was a hive of interest for our boy, but museums didn’t hold his attention for very long.
• If you are on a travel day and your cherub has turned to the devil through boredom in the vehicle, point things out and describe them as you drive by, it’s amazing how many things toddlers are interested in and how many cows, cars, busses, bikes and tuk tuks you can point out before they lose interest.
• Be confident, your child will be the first person to pick up on your mood and won’t travel well if you are having a tantrum of your own.
• Practice sleeping in hotels and going on short trips locally before you take the plunge overseas to see how your toddler reacts to sleeping in different cots and different locations, travelling in a car etc.
• Pack a portable change mat, change rooms don’t exist in many countries.
• Use a back pack to transport your toddler if possible; you have a lot more freedom than with a pram and navigating the traffic is a whole lot easier.

If you are after a holiday where you just relax, get babysitting, drink pina colada’s and take time out then I’m not going to recommend Vietnam to you, though it is possible to do all of the above in Vietnam, you may as well do that closer to home, there is so much more outside your resort door explore first, then spend the occasional day kicking back and relaxing in luxury.

Enjoy!
Meg Hall

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The last time we touched base with Kev he was wondering what he should use to trade for African artifacts, most of you suggested a note book and pens. Well done, 10 points, go to the top of the class! We never recommend handing over sweets or, heaven forbid, a few beers in exchange for goods or artifacts, rather items that will help the locals get ahead in life.

Kev was ecstatic with his new wooden Elephant, he wrapped it with tender loving care and stowed it safely away in a locker on the big blue Kumuka truck and dreamed of showing off to his friends back at home.

The next highlight on his trip was a trip to the Okavango Delta (an inland delta formed by the Okavango river) where the group would spend 3 days and 2 nights camping in the wilderness. Travelling in via Mokoro, (local dugout canoe) this trip takes everyone back to basics, with wild animals sharing the savannah they will camp on. Kev was beside himself with excitement. He’d heard that at night you could hear the lions roaring whilst you lay in your tent, the problem is, Iain, his Irish tent mate, caught a cold and was snoring a lot as a result! Normally it didn’t worry Kev, he’s a pretty good sleeper but in the Delta he really wanted to lay awake and listen to the lions, not Iain’s vibrating pharynx.

Kev was troubled as to how he should approach this matter, this was, after all, a once in a lifetime opportunity and he didn’t want to miss out because of a common cold.

Should he…

1. Talk to the tour leader to see if she has a suggestion?
2. Ask Iain to take some cold and flu tablets?
3. Suggest to Iain that they both stay awake and listen to the lions?
4. Forget the tent and sleep out?

Click on your choice and send me an email, feel free to tell me why?

The most popular vote will determine Kev’s night out in Vic Falls and set the scene for the next edition of Venture Online where we will see what happens on Kumuka Kev’s adventure?

Visit www.kumuka.com to choose your own adventure.

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