When
you turn 50 you can either throw a
big party with all your loved ones,
or take a trip that you will never
forget. We chose the latter. A round-the-world
trip with the family!
We contacted a number
of travel agencies, but they only
offered standard itineraries and that
was not what we were looking for.
We found Ambulo by chance, surfing
the internet, and met Alex. We liked
his proposal of a custom-made trip
from the start. He showed great knowledge
of all the places he suggested, as
well as flexibility in all the changes
we incorporated (and there were many!)
He organised a perfect round-the-world
trip, taking advantage of each moment
the four week adventure lasted. He
provided interesting excursions but
at the same time sufficient time to
really enjoy the best places. There
was time to relax as well which ensured
the trip wasn't too tiring. Each time
we arrived at an airport, a guide
would be waiting for us (they were
all polite, nice and willing to make
our stay enjoyable, and above all
they were very competent) with a driver
to take us to our hotel (we should
mention the amazing choice of hotels
that Alex prepared for us. We couldn't
say which was the most charming.)
On the guided visits,
we were not only shown what Alex had
set up for us, but the guides also
showed us other interesting places
on their own time. They were especially
excited to show us places that only
locals frequented. Fascinating! As
such, we were able to see, for example,
a "Real China".
Our trip started
in Madrid and our first stop was China,
via London. We wanted ten days to
visit modern and cosmopolitan Shanghai
with its amazing skyscrapers and Suzhou
with its incredible canals and secrets
regarding the making and selling of
silk. Our next stop was Xian with
its impressive terracotta army and
well known Big Goose Pagoda. We will
never forget the bicycle ride on top
of the wall that surrounds the city,
offering a different perspective of
Xian. During the excursion, early
in the morning to avoid the heat,
our guide and friend, Wang Pin, accompanied
us. Poor thing! We later learned that
he didn't like cycling or for that
matter, sport. Not only did he accompany
us, but he told us about all the different
aspects of the wall that surrounds
the city. It's one the best memories
we have of the trip. Our last stop
in China was Guilin, a mountainous
region where beautiful green peaks
line the landscape. We travelled the
river Li, where we saw fishermen using
cormorants, small villages of the
"real China" which had chemist
shops selling snake syrup, eggs cooked
in sand and where the elderly play
a game of cards unknown to us.
Our last excursion
in China, before leaving for Sydney,
was also a suggestion from our guide.
He was not willing to let us go without
visiting an area where the so called
"Guinness" women are found.
After a two hour bus ride, climbing
the "Dragon Back" mountain,
we visited the area where the women
wear their hair incredibly long and
the views of the rice terraces are
wonderful. Unfortunately, the rain
also wanted to make an appearance.
We have never seen such heavy rain.
Although (now that we are dry), it
was also a unique experience.
Landing in Sydney,
we exchanged the heat and humidity
of China for the Australian winter.
Sydney surprised us with its warm
ambience, the kindness and hospitality
of its people and lifestyle. While
in Sydney we only had a guide for
one day: Alex organised an excursion
to visit the most important parts
of the city. It was well worth it.
The first thing we visited was a park
where we were able to see some of
the strange animals that live in Australia.
Here we cuddled koalas and fed albino
kangaroos. From there we continued
to the Blue Mountains for some lovely
views. For the rest of our stay, without
a guide, we were armed with a list
of suggestions of what to do from
Alex. We couldn't do everything, but
everything we did was worth it: the
Sydney aquarium with its great white
sharks, a typical market and great
restaurants. We were upset to leave
Australia, a continent with still
much to discover.
From Sydney we flew
to Papeete (Tahiti) and a few hours
later to Bora Bora. Starting with
the good news, the hotel selected
by Alex was simply fantastic. A wonderful
hotel. An overwater bungalow in a
beautiful part of the island within
the inner lagoon that forms the coral
reef. We enjoyed it to the fullest,
diving, discovering different exotic
fish and shells, exploring the reef,
circling the island on a jet-ski,
watching amazing sunsets...it makes
you feel like you want to stay there
forever.
After enjoying the
beach for 6 days and recovering from
our traipses in China and Australia,
our last stop was Los Angeles. Apart
from taking advantage of visiting
family there, we had time to see Hollywood,
Santa Monica, Beverly Hills... We
got a good idea of what this immense
city was like.
At the end our trip,
arriving in Madrid, one thing was
clear: the accumulated tiredness,
flying time, language difficulties,
differences in time zones, adapting
to different cuisines or the silly
things that come about from travelling
with two teenagers didn't matter.
We all had the same impression: WE
WOULD REPEAT THE EXPERIENCE TOMORROW.
P.S. If you can,
do it with Alex. It's really worth
it. We are already thinking about
a four or five week trip to Africa.
We hope the economy picks up and hope
that we can do the trip in spring-summer
2010.
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