Ready Set Go, Go, Go! We’re leaving for guide training!

Posted in Andrea's Adventures, California Casual by April, Lucky in Laos, Viva Vietnam on July 8, 2009 by aprilcole

At 01:20am tomorrow morning our guide training trip to Vietnam and Laos begins! Andrea and myself will be taking this trip together, focusing this year’s guide training on family travel.  Ironically, this will be a trip with out husbands or kids – we’ll be far too busy!! I’ve outlined our itinerary below, because there is just no way you will believe how busy we will be until you see the itinerary.

10 Jul 09   Saigon – Arrival and City Tour

April arrives at 1005am

Andrea arrives at 10pm

Arrive in Saigon where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon enjoy a City Tour.

11 Jul 09   Saigon – Cu Chi Tunnels / Meet with Vets

Breakfast meeting with the guides for guide training.

Take a full day excursion to the Cu Chi Tunnels.  On the way to the tunnels, visit Tay Ninh Cao Dai Great Temple, a unique religion worshiping Jesus, Confucius and Buddha! Enjoy lunch at Ngoc Tuyet restaurant in Tay Ninh. Arrive and descend into the Cu Chi tunnels where the guerilla fighters constructed an amazing underground base and meet a veteran of the Vietnamese/American war who will give you a private tour of the tunnels and recount his experiences as a tunnel rat. Finally, to end our trip, we will be taken to the private home of Mr. Nam where we will have dinner with him and his family.

12 Jul 09   HoiAn – Arrival

You will be picked up and taken to the airport for your flight to HoiAn.

You will be met at Danang airport and driven to HoiAn

Dinner meeting with the guides for guide training.

13 Jul 09   HoiAn – City Tour Half-day

After breakfast your guide will meet you and take you on a walking tour of HoiAn. Visit the Ancient Town including the beautiful Chua Cau, or roofed bridge, Hoi Quan, the ancient meeting places, some ancestral family homes and some of the lovely and hidden pagodas. Have lunch at a local restaurant.

Drive to Danang where you will transfer to the airport for your onward flight to Hanoi.

Arrive at Noibai airport Hanoi, where you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel.

14 Jul 09   Hanoi – City Tour

Your guide will meet you and will discuss with you what you would like to see. There are so many options that we like to leave it up to you and your guide to decide what suits you best. Some interesting highlights are the Hanoi Hilton, where John McCain and other prisoners were held during the war, it now houses a museum. Or head to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where you can see Uncle Ho laid out to rest. If you like art you can visit the Fine Art Museum or see which local galleries are offering shows. The Temple of Literature is always a nice place to stroll through and is a great stop before or after lunch as you will be having lunch at KOTO, a restaurant benefiting at risk youths. Your guide will be with you all day so discuss what suits you and then have fun. Dinner meeting with the guides for Guide Training.

15 Jul 09   Luang Prabang – Arrival

Transfer to Noibai airport for your onward flight – Vietnam AirlinesVN869 departing at 09:00 & arriving at 09:55

Upon arrival in Luang Prabang you will be met and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon meet with JWOC Scholarship students. In the evening, visit the night market. April to go out to dinner with friend honeymooning in Luang Prabang!

16 Jul 09   Luang Prabang – Day in the Life

Today you’ll escape the tourist hubs in town and see Luang Prabang through the eyes of a local. First, you will drive up the Mekong to visit the small village of Ban Mueng Keo, known for its production of Lao whiskey. Here you will receive a demonstration of the whiskey-making process by a local Lao Lao producer. And if you’re up for it, sample the finished product for an early morning punch! From here board a small boat and take a tour of the local fishing area, checking traps with the fisherman along the way and collecting any fish you might find. Return to Ban Pak Ou, where the former village chief and his family will cook you a Lao-style lunch and you’ll learn about dining customs and etiquette. After lunch, drive to the small weaving village of Ban Phone Xay, where you’ll receive a weaving demonstration and have a chance to purchase handmade items directly from the source. Learn the story behind who really makes the beautiful textiles sold at the night market! You’ll be the only tourist in town who knows the real story behind the boffles of Lao Lao, the grilled Mekong fish and the night market stalls. Dinner with guides for guide training.

17 Jul 09   Luang Prabang – Sunrise to Sunset

Wake up at sunrise to give monks morning alms. You’ll be accompanied by your guide who can demonstrate the proper method of alms giving and explain this daily Buddhist ceremony. Return to your hotel for breakfast, after which your guide will take you on a tour of the city, including visits to The National Museum, Wat Xieng Thong, Wat Visun and Wat Sen. Enjoy lunch in town at a restaurant of choice. After lunch your guide will meet you and you’ll continue your tour, finishing with a hike up Mt. Phou Si in the late afternoon to see a sweeping view of Luang Prabang and watch the sunset.

Transfer to Luang Prabang airport from your hotel in time for your flight to Vientiane. Arrive Vientiane where you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

18 Jul 09   Vientiane – World Ecotourism Conference

Attend the World Ecotourism Conference.

19 Jul 09   Vientiane – Departure

You will be transferred to Vientiane Airport in time for your onward

flight to Cambodia. You will be met by a Journeys Within representative and taken to Journeys Within Bed & Breakfast. (Andrea)

You will be transferred to Vientiane Airport in time for your onward flight to Bangkok (April). You will go on to Bangkok to visit Jeab and have dinner with the guides.

20 Jul 09   Bangkok – Departure (April)

21 Jul 09   Saigon to Phu Quoc (Andrea)

Arrive in Phu Quoc where you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

22 Jul 09   Phu Quoc – Day at Leisure

Have a free day to explore on your own.

23 Jul 09   Phu Quoc to Saigon and departure

While we will be very busy touring, training, inspecting, checking emails and working – this trip will still be a lot of fun too. Andrea and I will be sure to make time to buy trinkets for our families, enjoy the fantastic food and maybe even fit in time for a massage. What can I say, my job is tough ; )

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Top Ten Reasons You Know Daddy Didn’t Plan this Trip.

Posted in California Casual by April with tags , on June 17, 2009 by aprilcole

#10. We have all needed airplane tickets, passports and an itinerary.

#9. We are not checking any oversized bags, stuffed with surfboards, golf clubs or skimboards.

#8. When the child has a breakdown he will be given a granola bar, not a Snickers Bar.

#7. We’ve only used the phrase “We’ll just wing it” twice.

#6. We didn’t book the super suite that comes with ice cream in the room and the bathtub overlooking the ocean.

#5. We’re not going on the Flight of the Gibbins tour with the plan of holding the kiddo in the front carrier while flying over the jungle canopy. Nor skiing with him in the front carrier either, Nor sky diving, Nor any other crazy adventure activity you can come up with!

#4. We actually have a plan as to what we’re doing for the day. The plan does not include taking a tractor out to a farm with no electricity which is a  7 hour drive away on a very lonely a dirt road. (this one’s for you Brandon :)

#3. We are not stopping at every single local stall to try out every food item and then finishing with McDonalds soft serve ice cream for dinner.

#2. We’re not renting a moto bike in Siem Reap and seeing how many people we can fit on it and still be able to drive.

#1. We’re probably not having as much fun as we could be if Daddy did plan this trip!

This is for my hubby, who always reminds me about the adventure of life. Happy Father’s Day!

xoxo,

April

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Arienne’s Honeymoon!

Posted in Living and Laughing in the 'bodia on June 9, 2009 by aprilcole

Everyone in the office is gearing up to take June 22nd off for Arienne’s wedding. Arienne has worked as the nanny for the kiddos and has now taken the leap into working in the Journeys Within US office. We had the pleasure of planning her honeymoon to Thailand and Cambodia and I have asked her to write a blog about what she’s most excited about for her upcoming trip.

Enjoy…

In less than TWO weeks we will be married!!! We’re running around like crazy making sure every little detail is done! We have an amazing wedding planned for the start of our new lives together. For our honeymoon we wanted to have an UNFORGETTABLE trip that we would always remember. Andrea had mentioned Thailand for a honeymoon and it sounded amazing I talked it over with Ben My fiancé and the more we thought about it the more it just fit. Once we had seen our rough draft Itinerary we definitely decided we had to go! It’s just something we knew we wanted and wouldn’t be able to get here in the states. The fact that we also love Thai food and could have a fabulous trip planned for us was just a bonus.

We are unbelievably excited to go on our honeymoon! The beginning of our trip is going to be a bit crazy after our reception we drive down to San Francisco about 3 hours and park our car at my brother’s house and ride the train to the airport another hour. From the airport we will catch the shuttle to our hotel for the night. Cars, Trains and buses, than set off for the 11 hour plane ride! We fly into Tokyo Japan where we plan on eating real sushi! One more shorter plane ride (6 hours) and After all of that we will FINALLY be there.

There are 3 tours that we can’t wait to go do. Were so excited to see the Kanchanaburi Tiger Temple, Where else could you walk a tiger on a leash and pet his belly? It’s something you could never do in the states and is sure to be amazing! I am defiantly an animal lover and having the chance to touch a tiger will be like the coolest thing ever. I can’t believe even half way across the world I can pet a Tiger! How EXCITING!

In Chiang Mai we are doing the Flight of Gibbon I absolutely love high ropes courses I did them as a kid in summer camp. This one looks huge! I can’t wait to see the jungle from the canopy of the rainforest. My fiancée hates rollercoaster’s and he is even willing to try this, just for the amazing view! He has never done anything like this so it’ll be fun to see what he thinks about it too.

The thing we are looking forward to most is in Phuket, The hongs by Starlight tour. My fiancée loves kayaking and spends much of his free time in Tahoe doing it. So Kayaking in the ocean through caves is sure to be an unforgettable moment of our trip. It sounds incredibly sweet and romantic to send our krathong to float for luck in the starlight. It was great to have a Southeast Asia expert plan our trip too so we could make sure we got what we wanted without hours of research, especially since we have a whole wedding to plan. We have never done anything like this together and are excited to experience it for the first time as husband and wife.

-Arienne

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The Perfect Father’s Day Gift

Posted in Andrea's Adventures, Journeys Within Our Community on June 5, 2009 by aprilcole

I find Father’s Day one of the toughest holidays of the year, men are just harder to shop for! This year however we’re trying to give you a great Father’s Day gift option that not only will make your dad feel good, but will also help another family in Southeast Asia. Here are some ideas on what you could get your dad this June 21st:

** He helped put you through university now show him how much that gift meant by putting a student in Southeast Asia through university in his honor. Only $500 a year for four years and your dad will get monthly updates from his student about school, volunteering and life in Cambodia. Imagine how pleased your dad will be to hear from a university student he ISN’T having to foot the bill for!

** Some men just appreciate good business. Rather than the obligatory tie this year invest $100 in our Microloan Program and help a business in Cambodia go to the next level. For those business minded dads this is the perfect way to be practical and make a difference.

There are other options on the Nikaya website to find the perfect giving back option for Father’s Day. The great thing about these gifts is your dad will be pleased to know he raised you to be interested in helping others and across the world another dad will be receiving the greatest gift ever, a chance!

While you’re at Nikaya Handcrafted you can always get yourself a little something and feel good that 10% of all profit goes to Journeys Within Our Community! Have you seen the Krama Scarves, they’re perfect for summer!

Visit www.nikayahandcrafted.com/giving-back/community-support, 100% of the donation goes to Journeys Within Our Community and we will send you a gift card to present to your dad on Father’s Day.

Best,

Andrea

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JWOC Newsletter

Posted in Andrea's Adventures, Journeys Within Our Community, New Happenings at Journeys Within on June 2, 2009 by andreaross

The New JWOC Rainy Season Edition Newsletter is HERE

Rainy Edition 2009 Newsletter

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Guiding Lights: Ron, Bangkok Thailand

Posted in Guiding Lights, Thailand Trevails on June 2, 2009 by andreaross

Guide Ron
1. How do you become a guide in Thailand?

When I was student my favorite  was English class and I did it very well.But it’s not easy to keep that part in my everyday life cos working without English usage.So I decided to take a tour guide course in 2001 from Archaeology Faculty of Silpakorn University and that my adventure began.

2. Why did you want to be a guide?

I ‘ve always known my advantage is English,and I’m a kind of easy learning person and for sure traveling is my life.For being a tour guide I can do what I really want and enjoy it,that makes me be who I am.I can learn everything from my guests,they’re from all over the world.

3. What is the hardest part about being a guide?

To know everything is the hardest part of my job,but also the most challenge for me.My guests they have different characters and lifestyle and interrest and background.So it makes me feel like I can be everything ,friend ,son , lecturer or student for them.

4. What are your favorite sites to show guest?

Definitely The Grand Palace,The pride of Thailand.

5.Where do you like to take guests to eat?

Any local Thai restaurant.we’re local so we know many of them.Once I invited my guests for dinner with me at a local restaurant,not a fancy at all, and they really enjoyed it.But I have to make sure that they really like hot and spicy authentic Thai food.

6. Favorite guests and why?

My guests they have their own style and character,then it’s hard to tell.But I do have my favorite Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Bob and Caroline. Because we had been through the hard time together. They were here in Bangkok while the Airport was closed so Journeys Within booked them on the tour for 3 days at The Bridge Over The River Kwai. We had good time there and forgot all the bad things for a while. Finally we made it, they caught the flight Back home. This was the second time they came to Bangkok with Journeys Within and they still remembered me when we second met .

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We’re Seould

Posted in Andrea's Adventures, Travel With Kids on May 27, 2009 by andreaross

We left Cambodia at midnight on Saturday and headed to Seoul, Korea. We were traveling Asiana Airlines, a new airline for us, but it meant we went through Seoul and had a 9 hour layover. When I booked the flight they asked if I wanted a hotel room or a day tour. “Day tour!” I said with confidence. Now, flying at 35,000 feet at one in the morning with both kids sleeping on my lap I was rethinking this decision.

We arrived in Seoul and made it past the heat scanners to find the Asiana Airlines tour desk. They informed me that we would be leaving at 9am for our city tour…2 hours to go. They also took one look at my kids and asked if I would like to switch to a hotel room, I didn’t let myself think about it for too long, viva la Seoul!

After some donuts, watching as much of a movie as my computer would allow and generally driving each other crazy the tour leaders arrived and we all lined up.

Turns out there were about 40 people heading out to see the highlights of Seoul!

We had a fantastic day with a visit the the Baby Buddha Temple, the river that winds through downtown Seoul, a traditional Korean lunch complete with Kim Chee and a quick stop for shopping at the end of the day.

I haven't been on a bus tour in a while!

A bus tour!

DSCN1236

Callie and her friend from the bus

The kids in front of the Baby Buddha Temple in Seoul

The kids in front of the Baby Buddha Temple in Seoul

Callie and a Korean lady who showed her the temple

Callie and a Korean lady who showed her the temple

DSCN1249

Prayer candles

Praying at the Buddha Temple

Praying at the Buddha Temple

Callie and the prayer lanterns

Callie and the prayer lanterns

Colorful lanterns in front of the temple

Colorful lanterns in front of the temple

In front of the Seoul River

In front of the Seoul River

Couper and the fish pond

Couper and the fish pond

Callie at her Korean lunch

Callie at her Korean lunch

All in all Seoul was fun and we enjoyed not being on a plane for a few hours. It did mean that the journey was a long one and by the time we go to San Fran I was a bit loopy from lack of sleep. It also means that I enjoyed Seoul, but didn’t see enough. Honeeeey, how do you feel about a trip to Korea??

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Guiding Lights: Somphone Sayasit, Laos

Posted in Guiding Lights, Lucky in Laos on May 23, 2009 by andreaross

Name: Somphone Sayasit
Age: 29 yrs. old
Married with two children, 4 yr. old girl Poy and 1yr. old boy Tino
Worked for tour companies for the last 10 yrs., been a guide for 6

Guide Bio Pic 002

What did it take to become a guide in Luang Prabang, Lao P.D.R.?

When I began working as a guide there was no policy or rules to follow. If I wanted to get work as a guide
I would have to test at the companies individually. There was no one test to become a guide like they do today. When the Ministry of Tourism made it a rule for the guide to have a license I didn’t have to take the test. They just gave it to me because they knew I had been working in the industry for such a long time.

What do you like about guiding?

I like everything about it. I think it is the best job in Laos. Many Lao people do not get the chance to travel around the country,`but as a guide you can see all over this beautiful country.

What’s the hardest part?

Sometimes communication can be difficult. Because people speak different languages you have to work hard to try to understand each other, but I always make sure we do.

Where is your favorite place to take guests?

My favorite place in Laos to take guests is north of Luang Prabang to Luang Namtha. It is very beautiful with nice green forests and such nice people. It is the best place for trekking and kayaking. It is always best to get outside and excercise.


Which restaurant to recommend for guests and what local food should they try?

I think the best restaurants for guests to go is L’Elephant and the 3 Nagas restaurant. They are very nice restaurants with the best chefs. These restaurants have a lot of Western and Lao food. If they wanted Lao food I would tell them to try special foods you can only get in Luang Prabang, Mekong Riverweed, Chili Sauce and Luang Prabang sausage.

What should guests coming to Luang Prabang know?

They should know some things about the culture. They should know that in Luang Prabang and all over Laos you should dress respectfully. If you go to the temple you should have your shoulders and knees covered. And that Lao people do not get angry or show tempers so, it is not good if you show yours.

Favorite guests and why?

There was a german guest who came to Laos for the first time a couple of years ago. I was his first guide. Since then he visits Laos twice a year and has become a good friend. Whenever he comes I am his guide everytime. He is one of my favorite guests because he is a very good person who always helps everyone. He sponsors everyone he meets! He built a small primary school in a village in the countryside and gave them books. When I needed a new motobike and didn’t have the money he bought one for me. He continues helping me by paying for my children’s school and care. He even helped my friend go to the University in Luang Prabang. I have many favorite guests, but he is one of my favorites because he helps so many people and doesn’t ask for anything in return.

Thank you Phone!!

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Out on a limb

Posted in Andrea's Adventures, Living and Laughing in the 'bodia on May 21, 2009 by andreaross

One of the things I miss when I’m not in Asia is the lack of death defying acts! Sure, you can turn on Fear Factor or Jackass, but really in every day life America is lacking in people that are willing to put their life on the line for simple things. For instance today, on our way home from the bank we pulled over to watch this little accident waiting to happen as a crew tried to get a water tank up on a new hotels roof. Sure the tank had a rope around it, but what about the guy balancing on the rebar!?!?

Water tank going in

The man in charge

Man on a wire

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Leavin’ on a jet plane…

Posted in Andrea's Adventures, Living and Laughing in the 'bodia, Lucky in Laos, Thailand Trevails, Travel With Kids on May 20, 2009 by andreaross

I always get a bit nostalgic when it comes time to switch continents. The truth is I love both my homes and in Cambodia I miss the calm of my Truckee house, and the girls in my Truckee office, but when in Truckee I miss my staff and friends in Cambodia and the constant adventures that happen while living in Southeast Asia. With Saturday and our flight home approaching fast I pulled some of my favorite moments from the last eight months, it made me realize…we’ve been busy!

October:
We left snow covered ground in Truckee and headed back to the tropics. The kids were more than happy to get back in the swing of tuk tuk’s and chicken feet:

October Back to Cambodia

October Eating Chicken Feet at a Wedding

November:
Couper turned two along with Sabai and we had a great visit from my parents. I also had a busy and rewarding trip to Laos to visit hotels, try out some new tours and visit the JWOC language school. I ended that trip with a visit to Bangkok where I went to a Salsa competition (as a spectator):

November Birthday Cake

November Visiting Luang Prabang and the JWOC school

December:
A busy month at the B&B, but Brandon and I managed to sneak in a trip to the farm in Koh Ker and Callie was in her first (we imagine of many) performance:

December, Romantic trip to Koh Ker

December At the school Christmas Party

January:
A busy month for JWOC with a documentary being filmed on clean water in Cambodia. I hopped over for a weekend in LA for a Nikaya Trade Show and we enjoyed a family night at Angkor Wat. The month ended with a fun mother son and nanny trip to Phnom Penh:

January Working on A Drop in the Bucket

January Nikaya trade show in LA

January Night Tour At Angkor Wat

January Phnom Penh with Couper and Mom

February:
We had a new class of scholarship students at JWOC, our biggest class ever, but I had to take a trip to Bangkok to bid a fond farewell to Thailand Director Waew:

February Working with a new class of JWOC scholarship students

February In Bangkok for Waew's goodbye party

March:
Narla graduated! and we took a much-needed family vacation to the beach enjoying Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and Krabi and ending with some time in Bangkok:

March Narla graduates

March Thailand Beaches

March McDonalds in Bangkok

April:
After celebrating the Khmer New Year Callie and I decided to head North to Chiang Mai where we tried out a new elephant experience and some new hotels, a great mother daughter trip for us:

April New Years BBQ dinner

April In the tuk tuk in Chiang Mai

April Mahout Training in Chiang Mai

May:
This month has been a blur, we delivered sewing machines to the prison for our new program for Nikaya, we did a spur of the moment trip to Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh for Mother’s Day and we have the Grand Opening of the new JWOC Center this Saturday!

May Delivering sewing machines to the prison

May Mother's Day trip to Sihanoukville

This doesn’t even touch on the amazing guests and volunteers we had and the huge leaps the kids have made in school and swimming and just growing up in general. It’s been a fun time and I am looking forward to summer in the states and then back for more soon!

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