How to tell you are in Ho Chi Minh City on a Kumuka Worldwide tour • It’s hot The giveaway You’re sweating; a natural process the body uses to cool itself in heated conditions. • Its Exotic The giveaway It doesn’t feel like home, the smell of delicious Vietnamese food cooking infiltrates the air; people are selling interesting wares by the roadside and in markets, the scenery is breathtaking and the culture is fascinating. • Crossing the road is an adventure The giveaway You were nearly run over by a crush of mopeds driving in every direction but straight. • It’s Exciting The giveaway You manage to make it across the road alive and gain a sense of achievement from it. Adrenalin is pumping and you want to try again. It’s like playing space invaders with your body. • Its Historical The giveaway You find yourself in the Reunification Palace one of the most internationally recognised symbols of the Communist victory in the Vietnam war, a war that ended in 1975. • Your local tour guide is informative The giveaway He has your head spinning with images of Viet Cong operation centres, underground tunnels and war rooms. He knows the dates of all major occurrences and has told you the best place to get “Pho”, a national dish of Vietnam. • Your tour leader is organised The giveaway You have been given information on all the best places to eat, drink, send emails, spend your leisure time and phone home. You ask questions about the quirks of street life and she has an answer. You have been told in advance your precise movements over the next few days. • You have time to yourself The giveaway You’re sipping on a tiger beer at a rooftop bar simply watching the world go by at your leisure, after a morning of touring and learning about the city. • It’s interesting The giveaway You’re writing a diary at the rooftop bar and your hand is getting sore. You can’t remember the last time used a biro to write an account of your travels but you don’t want to miss out on the surroundings, so have left the cyber café and reverted to pen and paper. You have so much to write the hours disappear. • You’re staying in fantastic accommodation The giveaway The hotel is extremely comfortable, air-conditioned, the rooms all have en suite bathrooms and the buffet breakfast is fit for royalty. • The transport is private and comfortable The giveaway You are met at the door of your hotel by your minibus, the transport is for your group alone and when you asked for a photo stop your driver obliged. Take a tour of Vietnam with Kumuka Worldwide back to top

Meet Ruth Langman, Sales Manager New Zealand

Originally from West London, Ruth has been a wanderer since she was six years old; that was, until she made her way to New Zealand via Asia where she fell in love with the country and has now made it her home. Having travelled to over 40 countries worldwide it would be an understatement to say Ruth is passionate about the open road which translates perfectly into role of Sales Manager with Kumuka Worldwide.

What do you like most about your job? I love the tours; the itineraries are incredible and the destinations are amazing. Plus the job changes every day. That and I get to travel around such a beautiful county.

Favourite destination? Tibet

Why? It was such a wonderful journey; I met a lady with her two young sons and husband, who were on a pilgrim to Lhasa. It would take them 2 maybe 3 years to complete, travelling across the Himalaya's, living out of a cart which they had to drag along with them. What really impressed me was they prostrated as they walked. Which meant they took a few steps, said a prayer and then laid down on the ground, their forehead on the floor, prayed again, stood up and did the whole exercise again. She wore a leather pinafore and had wooden blocks on her hands and used cut up car tyres on her knee's and toes, so she slide across the floor. We collected soaps, shampoo and toothpaste from our hotel and when I gave it to her, she hugged me so tight. She had a face that smiled even when she wasn't smiling. I really respected her and it made me think twice about my life and what I have.

Best Bar? Bar 49.. it’s in my lounge. We open the bar every few weeks, all my mates come over and we let loose. Everyone's welcome, so when you’re next in town, ask for Bar 49!

Best Restaurant? The Bodhi Tree in Saigon. It is a vegie restaurant with an amazing variety of delicious food and monks as patrons.

Favourite foreign saying? “Ke?” From the Spanish waiter Manuel on Faulty Towers.

If you could invite a celebrity over for dinner who would it be, why and what would you serve? The lady from Tibet, is a celebrity in my mind, she would have some incredible stories.

If you could jump on any Kumuka trip tomorrow, which one would it be and why? I would do the 63 day African Odyssey. I'd get a real kick out of meeting the locals, finding out about their culture and history. I'd love to watch the sunset over the Masai, swim off the coast of Zanzibar and get up close to the wildlife.

Right now, what are you looking forward to most? Getting married Jan 2010!

Do you have any quirky habits! It’s not so much a quirky but a frustrating habit. I am constantly getting lost; Thank goodness for sat nav!

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Kokoda Track and Death March Treks now available

The Kokoda Track

The Kokoda Track runs 96 kilometres through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea. The trail was first used by European miners in the 1800's heading north towards goldfields but the track is famous as the location of the World War II battles between Japanese and Australian forces.

During the Pacific War of World War II a series of battles were fought on the Kokoda track between Japanese and Australian troops in 1942-43. The track, only passable on foot, starts 50 kilometres east of Port Moresby and crosses rugged and isolated terrain reaching a height of over 2000 metres before ending at the village of Kokoda. Hot, humid days combined with cold nights and heavy rainfall make it a challenging trek. More >

The Death March

The Sandakan Death Marches were a series of forced marches from Sandakan to Ranau which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Indonesian slave labourers and allied prisoners of war who were being held captive by the Japanese during World War II. By the time the war had finished only 6 Australians survived out of the thousands of the prisoners who had been captured. The Sandakan Death Marches are considered to be the single worst atrocity suffered by Australian servicemen during the Second World War.

This trek retraces the steps of the second series of marches which began on 29 May 1945 and involved approximately 536 POW's The prisoners were forced to march from the Sandakan POW camp towards Ranau. They marched in groups of about fifty accompanied by Japanese guards. The march lasted for twenty-six days. The prisoners were fed little rations and often forced to forage for food. Only 183 prisoners managed to reach Ranau. More >

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Jude discovers India on a Kumuka Tailor-Made journey

Hi Michelle

Back at work today after 5 weeks holiday in India! Just wanted to say thank you for organising our first two weeks we really had a great time and were very well looked after. Our upgraded hotel in Varanasi was excellent and all of our experiences will live on for a long time in our memories.

I want to add a special mention regarding our contact in Delhi (Shailendra) he was amazing! He made us feel very comfortable and safe and went out of his way to look after us. Even to the extent of buying a platform ticket so he could actually meet us on the platform from each train to take us to our car. It was so wonderful to arrive in to a station as busy as Delhi and see his friendly smiling face waiting to take us to our next stop. He would also call our destinations driver (no matter what time of day and sometimes it was very early in the morning) to make sure we had been met and were on our way to our hotel safely. Nothing was too much trouble for him. He greeted every request from us with enthusiasm and a smile.

I would consider him to be a very valuable part of any organization and would appreciate it if you could pass these comments on to his manager.

Once again Michelle, thank you for all of your help and I look forward to dealing with you again in the future.

Kind Regards
Jude

Jude used the exclusive services of the Kumuka Worldwide Tailor Made department to piece together her bespoke travel to India.

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Are you thinking of heading to the Arctic or Antarctic with Kumuka?

Here are some simple tips to help keep you warm on tour from Steve Murphy, sales manager for the USA who is currently suffering in -10 degrees in Philadelphia.

» Wicking Thermals are the latest and most definitely greatest. They keep you toasty warm whilst wicking away any unwanted sweat, they are comfortable, take up no room in your luggage and you can wash them anywhere.

» Goretex lined shoes or boots make a huge difference when it comes to sub zero temperatures

» If you really want to be decadent, take fleecy lined trousers, these days you can even buy jeans with such a lining!

Travel to the Arctic or Antarctica with Kumuka Worldwide

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Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.

Miriam Beard - American Author and Historian.

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