Active Years Travel Choices
Wendy Bach of Minneapolis, Minnesota, wrote (April ’16, pg. 2), “My husband and I are now 63 and in good health, and we want to chart out the active ‘this is the time to do it’ type of trips. We love hiking and biking and have taken bike tours. We haven’t done much of the big-group tours; we tend to plan our own itineraries and make our own arrangements.
“So here is my question for ITN readers: If you could design the ideal sequence of places to visit and experiences to have for our next 10 years, our really active years — considering what is best to see while we can go walking, hiking, biking, etc. — what countries and experiences would you put on the list, and how would you prioritize them?”
We printed several subscribers’ responses in last month’s issue and are presenting more now.
Wendy Bach’s request for help in planning travel for her and her husband for their remaining active years made me smile. When my husband and I were their age, 63, we too were thinking of plans for the next 10 years of active adventure. Now that we are 76, we are still planning for those remaining active years, but we have only a 5-year plan.
I can offer some specific suggestions.
Our first active adventure was taking the Coast to Coast Walk in northern England. Like the Bachs, we shun group travel, but through The Sherpa Van Project (3 Bedford Rd., London, England, W4 1JD, U.K.; phone +44 01748 826917, www.sherpavan.com) we were able to book an independent walk. They arranged our accommodations for each night, had our bags transported each day and provided maps and a written narrative of the walk.
Trekking the coast-to-coast trail took us a bit over two weeks and was no walk in the park. It rained every day, with a few days of very windy and stormy conditions. One day, we used public transportation to get to the next booked hotel.
After several days of very wet walking, the sole of one of my hiking boots came off completely. In the morning, I asked our innkeeper if there was a place to repair or replace the boot. She gestured to a closet, pulled out various layers of stored stuff (think Fibber McGee’s closet) and came up with a pair of boots her daughter never used much. They fit perfectly, and I still have them. She would take no payment. We were beneficiaries of the “kindness of strangers” principle of adventure travel.
Since that inn-to-inn independent walk, my husband and I have done a few dozen more. Now we are able to start with a booked independent walk for a few days, to get started in an area, and then switch to figuring it out on our own.
For example, we arranged for a walk in Ireland, north of Galway, for five days in May 2009 and then spent the rest of a month walking on our own and using public buses to get around.
We found the tourist offices in Ireland to be a model of what tourist offices should be, with not just a collection of brochures but also a staff willing to do computer searches for the next bus leaving for town X or booking the last room in village Y.
A Web search for inn-to-inn walking brings up many companies that arrange independent walking tours in the UK. Prices vary; we tend to go with the lower end.
Among companies we have used was Sherpa Expeditions (1B Osiers Rd., Wandsworth, London, England, SW18 1NL, U.K.; phone +44 [0] 20 8577 2717, sherpaexpeditions.com), which we used in Umbria, Italy (May 2000), at Offa’s Dyke in Wales (May 2004), along England’s Thames River (May 2006) and around Mt. Blanc in the Alps (August 2009).
For adventure-travel planning, another information source is books from Cicerone Press (www.cicerone.co.uk), a British publisher of hiking, trekking and walking guidebooks, which cover the entire world.
In May 2016, using their “Moselle Cycle Route” guide by Mike Wells, (208 pages, £14.95 [near $20]), we walked the Moselle/Mosel River from its source in France to where it flows into the Rhein in Germany. That was 350 miles, some of which we skipped by using local buses.
We did that completely on our own, carrying a day pack for three to five days and then meeting up with our luggage, left for us in a hotel. We arranged with hotels, inns, etc., to hire taxis to move the bags to each next stop.
I’d be happy to talk to anyone interested in this kind of travel, which we have done all over Europe. You can call me at 510/526-5968 or email msosin@comcast.net.
Tedi Siminowsky
Berkeley CA
Sixteen years ago I retired early, at age 55, and began adventure traveling. My husband was 63 at the time. Although I don’t bike, I do like hiking and am glad that I did some strenuous hikes and “camping” trips early on.
• My very favorite hiking spot was New Zealand’s Milford Track (four days, with nights spent in cabins, in March 2000). The views up and down the mountain were enhanced by the spontaneous waterfalls due to the rain.
• Hiking the Inca Trail in Peru was very strenuous and involved actual camping, but the guides took care of carrying our equipment, setting it up and feeding us (Nov. 26-29, 2000). The ruins along the trail were better than those at Machu Picchu, in my opinion.
• Tiger’s Nest in Bhutan is an awesome hike. Actually, all of Bhutan is fascinating. We visited in September 2006.
• In Antarctica, although you will be on a “cruise,” it requires agility to get on and off the Zodiac boats taking you to and from shore.
• Hiking through the three levels of the Negev desert in Israel involved a camel camping trip (March 4-11, 2003).
• In Myanmar, we hiked around the Inle Lake area and slept in a private home and in a monastery (Oct. 29-31, 2005).
• Guatemala’s ancient temples required quite a bit of climbing to enjoy. The same can be said of all of the other Central American countries as well.
• Cambodian ruins required lots of stamina too.
We loved each trip, but I have listed some of the most active ones. Enjoy!
Nili Olay, New York, NY
For walking or trekking destinations, I would suggest the following:
Nepal — This country is an obvious choice because of its stunning Himalayan scenery and so many different treks to choose from.
Patagonia (Chile and Argentina) — Fitz Roy and Torres del Paine mountains are absolute musts plus, of course, Perito Moreno Glacier.
Northern Pakistan — Trek around the valleys of the Kalasha people. Also, after a drive over the Shandur Pass, you’ll find the Hunza valley to be a spectacular destination.
South Africa — In the Drakensberg Mountains, again, there are easy hikes to choose from in calm surroundings.
Georgia — Walking in Tusheti is a special experience. Svaneti used to be great, especially around Ushguli, but new bitumen roads have dented the delight. Georgia is a fascinating destination, as are Chechnya and Dagestan across the border.
I visited Georgia in 2006, but friends who went recently told me about the changes, and a travel documentary I saw afterward confirmed what they said.
Mali — The central part of the country, with the Dogon people, offers good walking along the Bandiagara Escarpment, whilst the mosque at nearby Djenne is great to visit.
I was last in Mali (and Guinea) in early 2012, just before the ebola outbreak and just after the initial attacks in the north at Hombori and Tombouctou (Timbuktu), but I was originally there in 1976 when there was just a track passing Humbori.
Afghanistan — In the Wakhan Valley, you can walk and meet nomads away from the troubles of the rest of that beautiful country. I was there in 2010.
Peru — The Inca Trail is good despite having too many trekkers.
New Zealand — This country offers much in the way of walking and adventure, along with good wine. A particular favorite of mine is the Tongariro Crossing on the North Island, which has been described as one of the best one-day walks in the world.
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The following are destinations I would recommend where walking might not be the prime reason for going:
Tajikistan — Many Europeans cycle around the Pamirs. You can also drive or cycle while looking across to the Wakhan Valley on your way to Khorugh, which is a great outpost.
Uzbekistan — Everyone should visit Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva.
Morocco — Everything is in this one small country: beaches, mountains, ancient cities, trekking and desert. Don’t miss the tanneries in Fes.
Bolivia/Chile — This border area must have the most uplifting scenery in the world.
Iran — You’ll find a wonderful, sophisticated people with a heritage from ancient Persia, and there are highlights everywhere — Isfahan, Shiraz, Yazd, Iranian Kurdistan, etc. Go now while it is still relatively quiet.
Ladakh — This region in northern India has great scenery and superb monasteries and maybe is more Tibetan than Tibet. Also go to Kashmir, if possible.
Chad — The Tibesti Mountains area is one of the least-spoiled regions of the Sahara, with a very independent people, the Toubou. And, since the fabulous Hoggar Mountains, the Tassili n’Ajjer in Algeria, the Aïr Mountains in Niger and the Acacus in Libya are currently difficult to travel to, this central-Sahara range makes for a great alternative.
Enjoy it all!
Ken Edwards
Perth, Western Australia
Trying to stick to a 10-year plan for international travel is difficult.
Each trip you take will change your ideas about what you like, and you will get suggestions from people you meet about places you have never heard of before.
Be flexible and opportunistic, and be open to new experiences.
Irving E. Dayton, Corvallis, OR
My husband, Ben, and I will be 84 this summer. We still travel and are in pretty good health, and, yet, we see the end looming ahead.
Most of our traveling began around age 50, and we went mostly to Europe, having already lived in the Far East. Each year we went off for two to three weeks, and once in a while we went twice a year.
Ben decided early on to leave cruise ships for the end of our traveling, and now neither of us want to do that.
Our custom was to alternate between trips with Untours (Media, PA; 888/868-6871, www.untours.com) and Road Scholar (Boston, MA; 800/454-5768, www.roadscholar.org).
With an Untours apartment, I enjoyed foreign food shopping and cooking, and we carefully planned our days. With Road Scholar (formerly Elderhostel), we enjoyed a friendly group, days already planned and the bonus of learning.
At age 75 we moved to a life-care community, where we live in a small apartment and spend much more time together, so group travel is stimulating, and that seems to satisfy us now. But how we loved our Untours trips! Every one of them.
I don’t think I would change much, looking back. We did lots of walking, especially on Untours. I’d like to have done a walking trip across England or Provence, but it’s too late now, and, as I said, we did walk a lot in many places.
Sarah Gilson, Hanover, NH
My wife, Joy, and I traveled a lot before I retired 21 years ago at age 60, but it was only after that when we tackled a long list of “this is the time to do it” trips. We’re still at it, albeit a bit slowed by two spinal fractures from the ski slope and skating rink.
I offer this 10-year plan, starting with trips that require energy and agility, which may fade as time passes — a good basis for making priorities.
• Take a mountain or coastal trek in New Zealand. Several days on the famous Milford Track or another backpacking route are easily arranged independently using the shelter cottages and packing in your own gear and food. Our packs averaged less than 25 pounds, so it was pretty easy.
To see the rest of the North and South Islands, rent a small motorhome or, instead, rent a car and use the excellent network of hospitable B&Bs.
• A camping or lodge-to-lodge trek in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal is best done with a local provider. Add some whitewater rafting.
• Ski the Alps in Austria and Switzerland or, if cost is a factor, the Julian Alps in Slovenia or the Apennines in central Italy.
• Bush camping in Australia is easily done in national parks with a rental car or by backpacking. For car camping, consider assembling a camping-gear kit. Ours is complete, from tent to TP, including a few days’ rations. It fits in a flight-worthy duffle and weighs in at about 35 pounds.
• Consider a camping tour of Tasmania by bicycle or rental car.
• Try a camping tour on Iceland’s 800-mile Ring Road by bike or rental car. It takes five or more spectacular days by car or a bit longer on a bike!
• A car or bike camping trip in Norway is an affordable way to see the country. Camp anywhere. Add a coastal cruise on a small freighter.
• Try a car or bike camping tour of Chilean fjord and lake country.
• For a mobile camping safari in Tanzania, it’s easy to find a local provider with all the gear you need plus a vehicle and guide/driver/cook. A week-long trip is about right. Do the same in Kenya, Botswana and Namibia. Independent car camping, lodge-to-lodge travel and DIY game drives are easy in Namibia.
• Spend a few days in an isolated bushveld camp cottage in Kruger National Park, South Africa. It’s easy to get there with a rental car from Johannesburg, provisioning along the way.
• Take a DIY canal cruise in France for a week or two, renting a boat. Shop in village markets and cook to order. Bon appétit! Do the same in England and dine in pubs along the way.
• Enjoy a mini-motorhome tour of Eastern Europe and the Baltic States. Our choice for a couple of these trips was a VW camper, either bought locally (new or used) or shipped from/to home (surprisingly economical both ways when we did this in 1994, before my retirement).
• We did a guided yurt-to-yurt jeep tour in Mongolia in 2007. We booked directly with an excellent local provider, Selena Travel (Peace Avenue 79, 10th Microdistrict, Bayangol district, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; phone +976 8900 5074, www.selenatravel.com).
• We did a guided jeep tour in Bhutan in 2008, booking locally with Namsay Adventures, or Namsay Bhutan Adventures (Namsay Shopping Complex, Phenden Lam, P.O. Box 801, Building 17, Thimphu, Bhutan; phone +975 02 327749).
• You could take a cruise on Russian rivers and canals.
• Or cruise down the Yangtze with the locals on a ferryboat from Chongqing to Shanghai. (Take your own food!)
• Consider a rail trip across Siberia between Moscow and Beijing, with a few stops along the way. (Again, take your own food!) We went in September 2014, booking with the full-service Real Russia (4-5 Wards End, Loughborough, Leicestershire, England, LE11 3HA, U.K.; phone +44 [0] 207 100 7370, http://real russia.co.uk).
• You’ll need to save up for a trip to Antarctica!
If you can’t squeeze all this into 10 years, make another 10-year plan. (We’re on our third.)
Ron Carlson
Lakeland, MN