PHOTO OF THE MONTH:

Photo gallery of pictures from our ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND adventure vacation
Iguana Jan 2010
Travelling on two wheels is a great way to meet the locals and slow down to smell the coffee.

MEET OUR GUIDES:

ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND adventure travel guide
Sebastian Hansen
"Sebastian was the best trip leader that we had so far on all our trips. He was very entertaining and knowledgeable. Always ready and eager to help you with any problem that came along. He made sure everyone was happy on this trip. His planning for everything was always done ahead and with care. Everything he did shows that he really enjoys what he is doing and is doing it very, very well. "
Krystyna & Joseph Wcislak (Willowbrook, Illinois, USA) Jan 2010 Condor
News Clips and Reviews
Swimming with sea lions
by Bernie Lovejoy

GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS, Ecuador — Would you like to swim with sea lions? Sounds interesting. But what if I added, 'And the sea lions will swim with you!' This was exactly our experience when my wife, Francoise, and I tried an adventure (not a vacation) in the Galápagos Islands. It began with sea lion babies checking us out while teething on the mooring lines of our boat and went on to lengthy water ballets with playful 'teenagers' joining divers and snorkelers in dives, twists and pirouettes in crystal-clear water. After a week full of challenges and thrills, we still had no trouble choosing this as the high point of our trip. Read more...

swimming with seals in the Galapagos Islands
"This trip was so exciting. We saw the diversity of Peru, and the beauty of the land and the people was superb. We were active every day seeing something new and having time to enjoy it. Now we are enjoying it all again through all our pictures. We also made some very good friends."

Margaret Boman (Texas, USA) Apr 2008 Jaguar
ACCOMMODATION:
The Tucan is an active adventure-oriented trip that takes you to some wild and remote areas of Ecuador. We've chosen accommodations for their comfort, cleanliness and charm - not the number of channels available on the television. Having said that, even the remote jungle lodges have private rooms with mosquito nets, a hammock outside and great views!

RECOMMENDED FLIGHTS:
You can fly into Quito any time on the first day of the trip, but we recommend you arrive before noon. On the last day of the trip you can fly out any time after 3pm. If you want to arrive earlier or leave later, we're happy to help you out with extra hotel accommodation bookings.

TRIP START:
If you arrive on the first day of the trip, an ACTIVE SOUTH AMERICA representative will meet you at the airport at 2pm and take you to your accommodation. If you're already in Quito, you'll meet your trip leader and the rest of your group in the lobby of Hotel Reina Isabel at 6pm.

TRIP END:
You'll be arriving back in Quito in time for flights departing after 3pm on Wednesday, the last day of your trip. We'll be happy to drop you off at the airport, or at your hotel if you're staying on in Quito.

FITNESS:
You must have a reasonable level of fitness to enjoy yourself. You don't have to be young or extremely fit (although if you are, you won't be bored) but you should be in the habit of doing at least some regular exercise. Age and experience are not important. We would rather have an older person with a good attitude than a 22-year-old couch potato!

EXPERIENCE:
You don't need to have any outdoor experience to do one of our trips. We offer trips that enable you to make the most of South America's awesome outdoor environment, culture and history. Our trip leaders are highly trained and experienced outdoor guides, and they'll look after you very well! You don't have to carry a pack, be experienced in rafting, or be used to hiking at altitude. You don't need to be a serious cyclist to enjoy our rides either. You don't have to ride at all, if you'd rather hike, shop or laze around! All you need is to be energetic and in reasonable shape and you'll have a wonderful time. On the other hand, if you like a challenge we will certainly give you one! There are some awesome long hikes and bike rides in the Baños area and in the Amazon jungle. We can offer activities to suit both people who only do a little exercise and those who have a very high level of fitness. We manage the level of commitment to suit your experience, and we have an impeccable safety record.

FLEXIBILITY:
Ecuador is in a developing part of the world, and we can't tell you that everything runs like clockwork in South America. What we can tell you is that we are experienced adventure travel leaders, and we know how to keep things operating as smoothly as possible, even when conditions are challenging. That's why we are here! If you bring flexibility, an open mind and a sense of humour you'll find your trip goes even smoother!

INCLUDED:
The trip fare is US$2999. The trip fare includes just about everything, specifically:
• All guiding services. We always have an experienced trip leader with every trip and will have a local guide on many of our excursions for extra local knowledge.
• All ground transportation.
• Comfortable accommodation for your entire trip. We can also book pre- and post-trip accommodation for you if required.
• All your meals, except for lunch and dinner on your free day in Baños where we've found most people like to check out the local restaurants on their own.
• All drinking water. Alcohol and other drinks are not included - although we've been known to spring for a few drinks here and there!
• All hiking, biking, rafting and jungle activities as described in the itinerary, excluding optional activities as noted. None of the activities are compulsory, so if you prefer to sit some of them out and just have a 'down day' hanging out with a book and a hammock, then that's fine by us. This is your vacation after all!
• Tips for local activity guides and drivers are taken care of by us.

NOT INCLUDED:
This is your holiday and we are serious about not nickel-and-diming you! You'll have a few meals and drinks to cover, extra activities if you choose them, and you'll probably feel like tipping your guides at the end of a fabulous time, but you won't be pulling out your wallet every few minutes on your ACTIVE SOUTH AMERICA trip!

GEAR LIST:
Click here to see a copy of the Tucan Gear List

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