Archive for June, 2009

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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