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Its a small Journeys Within world after all!

I love to be reminded of just what a small world we live in so here’s a fun email I got from a Journeys Within past guest:

Hi Andrea,

Hope you and Brandon and the kids are doing well!! I had to share a story with you from last night!

SO I have a new roommate. Craigslist find, she is rad. We were hanging out in the living room, drinking wine, and telling life stories when we started talking about places we’d traveled to. Turns out Kathy just got back from a trip to SE Asia in November of last year. And she’s telling me all about the trip and how it was really fun, but the most amazing part was Cambodia because she just felt like the whole experience there was really special and the people were amazing and the tour they had set up was phenomenal. Then she mentioned visiting the home of a local family and I was like WAIT A SECOND, which tour company did you use, because I did that too and I’m pretty sure it’s the only one that does that. And then we both said Journeys Within! HAHAH

We laughed for a good 5 minutes about the coincidence and then she just went on and on about how wonderful the trip was and the B&B, and you and Brandon. So I just wanted pass along that my roommate is another happy Journeys Within customer and she tells everyone she knows about you guys too. Her name is Kathy and she came with her friend Todd, if that rings any bells.

It of course does ring bells, I remember Kathy and Todd visiting us last November and am thrilled that they had such a great trip and I love that Journeys Within guests find each other all over the world! Have you had a small Journeys Within world experience? If so let me know and we’ll feature it on the blog!

Andrea

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Many Thanks And Kudos To Journeys Within​

Jill Higson is a guest who traveled  to Vietnam and Cambodia with Journeys Within over the holidays and has blogged about her experiences to share them with friends, family and future visitors. Read on as she shares her thoughts about travelling  with Journeys Within…

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Many Thanks And Kudos To Journeys Within​

F​irst and foremost, many thanks ​ (Cam On in Vietnamese and Aw Kohn in Khmer)​ to Andrea Ross, Director of Journeys Within and her U.S., Vietnam and Cambodia team of directors, guides and drivers for arranging a trip of a lifetime!  Their incredible help and kindness were endless – this included accompanying me to and from ​locations, educating me about each country’s temples, museums, markets and more.

​Also, a big thank you for transporting me in cool and comfortable automobiles, along with the opportunity to ride on fun motor bikes, tuk-tuks (motorized rickshaws), bicycles and ATVs!

I could not have experienced and enjoyed Vietnam and Cambodia in such a unique, intimate and seamless manner without the Journeys Within team, especially since it was high season for travel in Southeast Asia.  Airports, hotels, restaurants and sites were full of tourists from around the world – often large groups with their cameras and selfie sticks in hand!  Everything was made more enjoyable by being able to follow Journey Within’s expert lead.

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Jill enjoying time with her guides through out Southeast Asia.

My guides were even quite the photographers themselves, finding the perfect spot to take a classic photo of me by a temple or rice field.  Also indulging me in a joint selfie as you will see from the many in the blogs – no selfie stick needed!

Time To Share My Travel Blog

So time to share, with excitement,​ my amazing and memorable two week adventure in Vietnam and Cambodia this past holiday season with ​my family, ​old friends, as well as new friends I met on my trip and of course the Journey’s Within team.

Please take a look and hope you will enjoy my blogs with some of my favorite photos and highlights.  I think you might be booking a trip with Journeys Within afterward so I included my entire itinerary!

Must See Sites – Angkor Wat and Ha Long Bay

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Angkor Wat and Halong Bay are among the most stunning sights in Southeast Asia.

Both Angkor Wat and Ha Long Bay are major tourist attractions, however they should still be considered ‘Must See Attractions’ due to their natural beauty, strong presence and the emotional impact they can have on any traveler. I recommend that you don’t let the crowd interfere with creating your own memories.

Waking up at 4:00AM to head out to see the sunrise was not originally at the top of my to-do list, however, it was well worth a few less hours of sleep to experience Angkor Wat at day break.  To begin the day looking at the sky with this beautiful temple in the foreground was a special moment and then walking inside of it and wandering around the grounds beyond peaceful.

The Angkor Wat temple was spectacular inside and out, with its detailed architecture, breathtaking views and beautiful surroundings.  One of my favorite photos was taken by a small window opening, where I sat looking out and reflecting upon the peace and tranquility of the temple — a genuine moment captured.

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Jill enjoying a quiet moment of reflection among the ruins of Angkor Wat.

I was fortunate to spend New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day on the lovely Dragon’s Legend Junk boat, sailing through Ha Long Bay. While Halong Bay is a well-known tourist site, it was still overwhelming to take in the beauty of the bay’s many limestone islands and islets that were in every direction I looked.  I could not decide which ones to take photos of, so settled on all!

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The beautiful crag formations in Halong Bay.

I met wonderful families from Saigon and England on my overnight boat and spent the days embracing their little rug rats in photos while basking in the beauty of the bay. I explored Thien Con Son Cave and kayaked around Ho Co Island – an experience that was enhanced by the innocent and excited eyes of the children we had on board.  It was beyond memorable to ring in 2015 with them and the boat’s wonderful staff, who treated us to a delicious eight-course dinner of fish, vegetables, rice and more.  Plus we celebrated with a pre-New Year’s Eve toast and dancing on the deck! We may have been in an often-visited location, but the experience was all my own.

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Jill and the staff of her junk cruise in Halong Bay.

As much as I enjoyed taking in the major attractions, I have to say seeing the countryside in Vietnam and Cambodia — villages, rice fields, livestock, etc. — was as memorable and important for me. Mixing in lesser seen locales helped me to better understand the people and the culture of these countries.

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The Southeast Asian countryside is beautiful and varied in its sights.

I felt in tune with my surroundings and happy as I saw farm lands with water buffaloes in Hoi An by bike, breath taking mountains and islands of Ha Long Bay from a boat and kayak and villages filled with children and cows in Siem Reap by ATV.

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A Family Affair

We love getting guest feedback, particularly when it is so kind. Our team is genuinely proud to share one adventurous family’s review of their time travelling with Journeys Within.

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Hi Andrea,

Once again we would all like to thank you for the great trip. It was really the vacation of a lifetime, and we will always remember it.

There are so many highlights that it’s hard to go into details.

My son is putting together a video of the trip – I’ll send you the link once he’s finished. In the meantime, I’m attaching one picture from Sapa so that you can see what we look like!!

We wanted to tell you that your organization and staff are simply wonderful. We always felt that we were in good hands, and that all of our needs were looked after.

The simple touches were the most appreciated, i.e. having cold water and cold towels every time we got back to the van; not having to really wait for anything – when you’re on such a tight time schedule this is so important! And, it was all done with a smile!

Your hotel in Siem Reap was also fantastic – you should think of opening more! Again, it was the “small” touches that made all the difference to us – i.e. free soft drinks; free laundry; ability to stay in the rooms on the last day late since our flight was at night. All these things give the traveler a great feeling!

Also, the activities that you planned were perfect for my family – exactly what we were looking for. Many times Alisa and I asked one another what we would do if we didn’t have the trip planned as such? We would get to a place and waste time deciding what to do, and then would probably not pick the places as well as you did.

The quick organization when our flight to Dalat was canceled was also impressive. My kids were so disappointed that we weren’t going there, as they were so looking forward to the canyoning there, but in the end we had a great time in Saigon, and the motorbike tour with Khoa and his staff is definitely one of the highlights for all of us!!

I would like to give a special thanks to Tim, Tien, Khoa & Michelle, Seyha and Sina – they were all great. Also a big thanks to all the drivers!!

If we ever go to Southeast Asia again (and I sure hope we do soon), we will definitely book the trip with you (and do it right this time – not at the last minute).

Again – thanks for everything, and thanks for your patience with the payment. Not all companies would be so trusting, and we really, really appreciate it!!!!

Best regards,

Lorne and Family, 2014

 … Read more »

Meet Southeast Asia tour consultant, April

Meet one of the corner stones of Journeys Within Tour Company — our lovely Tour Consultant, April. In addition to being an amazing wife and mother of two, April is an intrepid traveler who finds that great food, life lessons and the quest for chocolate guides her …

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Working out of our office in Truckee, California, April turns the hopes and dreams of our guests into customized tours of a lifetime. Over the last seven years with Journeys Within, she has traveled through Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar in search of the kind of experiences that enrich and enlighten. Here she talks about what travel means to her, traveling with kids and how travel has helped her grow…

What does your position at JW entail?

I’ve worn a lot of hats in the years that I’ve been with JW, but right now my day to day is pretty focused on tour consulting. I work with our guests to design their itineraries. When someone calls and says that they want to go to Cambodia or Thailand or both, I talk with them to learn more about their interest, their personal travel style and budget. Then I use my knowledge of the region to put together a tour itinerary that really fits them. We then work together to fine tune the itinerary until its perfect. After the guest and I decide the tour is right I work with our teams in Southeast Asia to make the bookings.

Why do you choose to travel?

Not to get cheesy, but I choose to travel because it makes me a better person. Travel allows the opportunity to learn about the world and people on so many different levels, and I don’t feel you can really learn and grow with out going out and experiencing the world first hand.

What parts of SE Asia have you been to?

I’ve travelled to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Burma. Having travelled to Southeast Asia every year for the past seven years, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to see so much of the region. Still it is remarkable how many places I still have on my wish list! I’ve been to the highlights and many off the beaten path locations within each country. I’m excited to continue exploring Southeast Asia as there are always wonderful surprises, as well as the comforts of returning to my favorite locations.

What has been your most challenging travel experience in SE Asia?

I’m really lucky that I always travel to Southeast Asia with Journeys Within. Because of that, travel has been relatively easy. I’m always picked up at the airport and always feel I have a friend and resource in country. So the logistics of the trip and the day to day exploring have never been challenging. What I’ve found the most challenging traveling experience in Southeast Asia has been finding chocolate. I really do get sad when I want a piece of dark chocolate and there is just none to be found anywhere! On the more serious side, taking the time to be less self involved while traveling and trying to really be aware of the local customs and culture  can be hard. You have to put in the effort to conduct yourself in a way which reflects the local customs and culture though they aren’t what you are used to.

Favourite travel memory?

On a horseback ride through the countryside in Siem Reap. We went there with our JW Team, and our JW Jr. Team, which consists of all the children of the staff. My son was about 6 years old when we went on this tour together. He had never been horseback riding, so it was fun that he got to say that his first time riding a horse was in Cambodia. It was a beautiful afternoon and we were riding through a part of Siem Reap I had never been before, and just that would have been enough to make it a very special memory.

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But when we stopped at the temple and all the kids got off their horses and started playing on and around the temple, my favorite travel memory was formed. Gavin and Cooper (Andrea’s son and Gavin’s best friend), were climbing the temple ruins and they were pretending the temple was Buddha’s last resting place. Then they started talking about the Khmer Rouge and how a battle took place there, but that Buddha had marked the temple as a safe structure. They ran around for about an hour hiding from the incoming troops, and trying to find relics of Buddha, while I sat back and enjoyed an ice cold soda and just watched how much fun they were having. While their sense of history was wildly incorrect, the fact that two 6 year old American boys were climbing on a temple in Cambodia, discussing Buddha and the Khmer Rouge, moved me. These are the things that only travel can give you. The things these boys are learning isn’t from books, it’s from exploring and it will always leave a very special memory in my heart.

Your favourite property in SE Asia?

I’m completely spoiled, I’ll be the first to admit it. Song Saa Private Island is my favorite property in SE Asia. Read my previous blog for more detail.

Favourite dining experience?

I have three favorite dining experiences which are all completely different so I’ll share each of them.

1- “The Bagan Feast”. When we were in Bagan our lovely guide Jo Jo asked us if we’d like to try some local food and of course our answer was a resounding yes! In the span of about an hour we were served 33 different dishes! He said that in the days of the king they would serve him 330 dishes nightly and the Bagan feast is a local way to honor the king’s tradition. But what I really loved was trying all of the local dishes and how much Jo Jo enjoyed explaining each dish and the history around the dish, and sharing his personal stories of the Bagan Feasts he’s had with his family.

2 – Song Saa in room movie experience. The first night we arrived at Song Saa Private Island they had made note that we were traveling with two young children and they asked if they could arrange something special for us that evening. When we came back into our villa after a day of exploring the island we arrived to an in villa movie theater arranged just for us. Along with a popcorn bar (which had about 5 different types of popcorn) and some kid friendly dinner plates with pasta and veggies. Throughout the showing of  Kung Fu Panda, the servers brought in three courses of a beautiful five-star quality sea food meal, but it was served in the comfort of our lounge area while we snuggled with our kids and watched the movie. After our meals we each designed our own ice cream sundaes.

3. Nang Gin Kui. I had the pleasure of attending one of the weekly join dinners at Nang Gin Kui – the #1 Bangkok Restaurant on TripAdvisor and home of Florian Gypser. At first I was a bit hesitant as it would be a small group of 7 other diners at a restaurant set up in a local’s apartment. I had heard of the amazing food and atmosphere at the restaurant, but I wasn’t sure if that would still be as amazing if I felt shy around a bunch of strangers. The host of dinner, Florian, was great at starting conversation with the group and really had a magnificent way of knowing when to start up conversations and when to simply let people be. He also made sure your glass was always full. Each of the 12 courses were prepared and served perfectly, and I really enjoyed the “de ja vu” courses – a.k.a. a second helping of the best bites! The group was made up of ex-pats from America, Italy and travelers from Iran and Australia — there was a lot of interesting conversation and laughter. The dinner took place when there was a midnight curfew in Bangkok and although the dinner started early that night, 6pm, we were all rushing to taxis at about 5 minutes to midnight like Cinderella leaving the ball. It was a very unique and special experience and I highly recommend adding it to trip to Bangkok.

Do you have a memorable guest?

We’re really lucky here at JW as our guests are all pretty remarkable. I feel like there’s a type of person that chooses to travel with us and they tend to choose to travel with us because they’ve done a lot of research and they want to work with a company that supports the local communities and a company with a personal knowledge of the region. Guests who do that much research care about where they are going and how they are making an impact when they travel, and working with people like that is always a pleasure.

A few memorable guests are Edna and Steve Kornberg. They travelled with us in 2010 and they were so enthusiastic about their trip to Southeast Asia and when they returned home they said it was “the trip of a lifetime”. I’m now working on a second trip for them as they’re heading to another part of the region. They are so kind and really want to get to know the people and give back to the communities in these regions.

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Have you ever traveled with your kids?

I have absolutely traveled to Southeast Asia with my kids. I’ve traveled with my son when he was 2, actually he turned 2 while we were in Thailand, and again when he was 6. I’ve also traveled with my daughter when she was just 18 months old. I’ve listed out some ups and downs of traveling with my kids below:

  • The down:

Kids like to take breaks and nap.

  • The up:

Kids like to take breaks and nap! It’s amazing to take the time to slow down and relax and take breaks while you’re traveling. What you discover in that down time, with the opportunity to reflect on what you’ve seen in the day. It’s also nice to take that down time for yourself every once in a while.

  • The down:

Traveling with a kid in diapers is messy!

  • The up:

At least you’re staying in hotels and eating in restaurants so you aren’t cleaning up diapers and a messy house!

  • The down:

It’s a 24 hour of traveling from the US to Southeast Asia.

  • The up:

You’re forced to get up and walk around the plane instead of binging on the entire Glee series with no break to even stand up. Also, you appreciate how well behaved your kids can be.

  •  The down:

They won’t remember all the details of this incredible trip.

  •  The up:

What they do remember, is the experiences with new friends, trying new things, learning something about other cultures, and the time that you spent with them.

Any tips for parents travelling SE Asia with kids?

The most important tip I can give for parents traveling with their kids is to go with the pace of your children, plan less and be open to changes. I find that you’re heading all the way to the other side of the world and you don’t know if you’ll be making this trip again so there’s a lot of pressure to fit everything in, but when you travel with your kids they move at a slower pace at times or things happen and you need to head back to your hotel, so you may miss that museum or temple you had on your list. Take extra time in each location to allow for flexibility, and don’t be upset if you have to skip something or head out early. Really take the time to enjoy exploring with your children, you’ll see and experience so much more viewing the world through their eyes than what any guide book could ever show you!!

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Bring two sets of extra clothes and shoes in your carry on. Kids are messy, and it’s inevitable that if they make enough of a mess to have their clothes changed once — they’ll probably do it twice!

Allow your kids to do a part of the trip planning, give them a half a day that is something they planned. It gives them something to be excited for and gives them pride when the rest of the family enjoys that portion of the trip.

Pack a wet bag. This is my favorite kid product ever and every parent should travel with one. They are designed for diapers, but they are perfect for holding clothes that have gotten messy or wet swim suits.

Pack a first aide kit, with Tylenol and allergy meds. While you’re on tour if your kids get sick Journeys Within can get your kids to the doctor if needed or get you to a local pharmacy, but I find it reassuring to have the things for minor sickness or an allergic reaction easily accessible in my own first aide kit.

Bring snacks from home. While I think your kids should try local foods and experience the culture, sometimes it’s nice to have a quick snack on hand that is comforting. I find granola bars and fig newtons to be easy to travel with and a perfect little blood sugar booster for kids.

Andrea gave me this list when I was taking my first trip with my then 2 year old son and it’s still a great reference.

How has traveling changed you?

It’s opened my eyes to different cultures, giving me the desire to learn more and to be more respectful of the different ways of life and the different points of view individuals have. I’ve brought that back to my everyday life, really opening my eyes to how everyone approaches life a little differently, and seeing that as a really great thing. Travel reminds me a lot of school. Every time you travel you learn so much, and in learning more you realize how much more you have to learn. It’s a beautiful cycle really.

Travel has also helped me to slow down. You want to see and experience, and sometimes that means just sitting down and watching the boats slowly float down the Mekong river, or catching the sunrise at Angkor Wat, or playing a game of cards. It’s not about how many things you can get done in one day, it’s the quality of the experience. I do try to remember that and bring it home with me — although, the amount of coffee I consume makes it hard to slow down sometimes!

Travel has allowed me to appreciate all that I have. And I don’t just mean that about the roof over my head, and the ability to get clean drinking water from a faucet – but it has made me appreciate those things. The quality of my life is really high, in health, family, my job, and the opportunities I’m afforded. Real wealth has nothing to do with income and because I’ve traveled I feel I can see that easier and I realize just how much I have.… Read more »

Hongs by Starlight — a Phuket wonder

Recently our Operations Manager Anna was lucky enough to try out one of our most popular tours in Phuket – Hongs by Starlight. This unique tour, set up by the highly acclaimed John Gray’s Sea Canoe, highlights one of the most beautiful and unique locations in the world – Phang Nga Bay…

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Phang Nga Bay has witnessed a rapid growth in tourism in the past 20 years, not just for its pristine white beaches but also for its unique topography. The 400km-wide area is decorated with a display of uniquely-formed limestone karst islands, some just an outcrop of rock, others with low-lying land and beaches. Often likened to Guilin in China, or the magical Halong Bay in Vietnam, one of Phang Nga’s most appealing and captivating attractions are the ‘’hongs’’ , or lagoons, which lay hidden within the islands. It was these hidden worlds set among the towering limestone karsts that we went in search of with the Hongs by Starlight team.

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Operations Manager Anna takes her sister Claire along for the paddle.

There is no way of knowing exactly how many are still out there that have yet to be discovered, making the experience all the more alluring. No one is certain how these environments are originally formed, though some consider them to be collapsed caves. After boating out to the bay, we loaded our kayaks into the water, anxious to get a glimpse of these concealed tropical sites.

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A quiet paddle.

Nothing can take away from the magnificence of when you first pass through one of the dark tunnels in your sea canoe and emerge to find a hidden lagoon rich with flora and fauna where the only sounds are the echoes of the birds and monkeys enjoying their secret sanctuary. A visual masterpiece surrounded by water and limestone, it is hard to imagine a more awe-inspiring location.

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Monkeys and other wildlife call the safety of the rich hongs home.

John ‘’Caveman’’ Gray, first came across these magnificent land formations when he first visited Phuket back in 1989. A dedicated kayaker and recognized eco-tourism developer from Hawaii’s islands of Honolulu, he had flown in with his canoes and some fellow fanatics to investigate the tales of hidden worlds among the isles of Phang Nga bay. The rest is history.

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John Gray, the founder of Hongs by Starlight — a man who has dedicated his life to preserving aquatic environments.

We had the unexpected pleasure of John’s company for our trip and it was clear from the moment he stepped on board the boat at the beginning of the day that his team holds him in the highest regard, and vice versa. With dedicated, knowledgeable and long-term staffers, Hongs has the feel of a family-run business.

Since finding the hongs, the main concern has become how to preserve these fragile landscapes – this is where John and his team stand apart from other tour operators.

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Heading out to Phang Nga Bay with the Hongs by Starlight crew.

In addition to taking in the beauty of the hongs, we were treated to not one but two delicious buffets of locally-cooked food on the boat, some of the best-tasting food I have come across in all my time in Southeast Asia – the perfect accents to our day at sea.

If an afternoon of exploration, kayaking, good food and exceptional company wasn’t enough, the day ended with what can only be described as the perfect conclusion to the perfect day. As the sun was setting we were each taken by our kayaking guide and shown how to create our very own Krathong – a floating decoration used in Southeast Asian celebration.

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One of our Krathongs — releasing them into the water is said to be a sign of gratitude for life.

As soon as dusk hit, we took to our kayaks once more and paddled into one of the dark caverns of a nearby island. Here we lit the candles of our Krathong, and released them into the ocean. There is nothing quite like an ocean cave lit up by a number of uniquely decorated ‘’floating crowns’’, occasionally shimmering with splashes of the phosphorescent plankton which comes alive at night. Of course we collected them back up before departing the area so as to leave the beautiful area as untouched by us as possible, an example I only wish other companies and visitors would follow.

Taking part in this remarkable tour illustrated to me how lucky Journeys Within is to be able to support work with environmental stewards like the John Gray’s Sea Canoe team, who safeguard one of Thailand true treasures.

A definite must-do for those travelling to Phuket!… Read more »