Locally-sourced adventure travel blog

Last Minute Active Holidays Autumn Sale

ben on 17th August 2010 | 0 comments

Summer is swinging by, which means it is time for our Autumn sale! Autumn has traditionally been one of the best times of the year for an active holiday. The weather is cooler (better for getting outdoors), flights get cheaper the moment the kids return to school and of course there are some great deals on offer!

We are offering solid discounts on these active holidays in the UK and Europe, but hurry, availability is limited and the offer ends 31st August. Discounts are exclusive to Tourdust.

Under £300 per person

Climb the Highest Peak in Spain. NOW JUST £150PP! Climb mighty Mulhacen, Spain’s highest peak and the highest in Europe outside the Alps and Caucasus! This expertly-guided two day one night hike can be attempted at any time of year; it’s non-technical, but will still get the blood pumping!
****SOME AVAILABILITY 10th - 18th SEPTEMBER. WAS £180pp NOW £150pp ****

Self Guided Cycling Holiday in Normandy. 40% OFF IN OCTOBER! On this trip you will be cycling through bountiful apple & pear orchards in Normandy. Don't race through this gorgeous slice of Europe, complete with rolling hills and charming rustic buildings, rather enjoy the scenery and a carefree holiday.
****AVAILABILITY ALL OCTOBER. WAS £425pp NOW £255pp ****

Walking in the Mercantour, France - SAVE £10% Walk through the striking deep Daluis Gorge, wander the streets of the Péone, or climb up into the hills where, on clear days, views coast all the way to Corsica. You'll stay in charming local accommodation in this holiday from an award winning operator. Flexible lengths.
****10% OFF IN SEPTEMBER. FROM £261pp FOR THREE NIGHTS****

Cycling Holiday in Devon and Somerset. NOW UNDER £300PP! Spend four days cycling in Devon and Somerset on this self-guided tour! Breathe in the fresh air and admire the beautiful countryside from your saddle so the only thing you need worry about is where you’ll muster the next bout of pedal power from.
****AVAILABILITY MID OCT ONWARDS. WAS £325pp NOW £273pp ****

Under £400 per person

Sea kayaking holiday in Turkey. Now Under £400PP! Beginner and experienced kayakers alike will love exploring the rocky coastline and caves of Turkey's beautiful turquoise coast. Over the 7 days, staying in small local hotels or camping on tiny islands, this holiday is about discovering the tranquil side of Turkey.
****JUST 2 SPACES REMAINING 13th - 20th SEPTEMBER. WAS £400pp NOW £360pp****

Walking Holiday in the Highlands - Kintail & Torridon Mountains. SAVE £72PP! On this six-day guided walking tour you’ll explore the Kintail and Torridon mountains in The Highlands. You’ll hike up peaks, stay in comfy self-catered accommodation, and enjoy tasty meals

****SOME AVAILABILITY 11th - 18th SEPTEMBER. WAS £450 pp NOW £378pp ****

£500 - £1000 per person

Activity Cruise on the Great Glen. Save £90pp.  Traverse the Caledonian Canal on a comfortable barge complete with sailing dinghies, canoes, windsurfers and bikes for your use.  All meals and accommodation included.

**** LIMITED AVAILABILITY DEPARTING 9th - 15th OCTOBER. WAS £675pp NOW £585pp ****

Wine Tasting Holiday in the Rhone. SAVE £115PP! Spend three days in the Rhone wine region learning all there is to know about wine tasting and the local grapes. Your hosts are a qualified wine tutor and a gourmet cook and the base for your stay, a converted Benedictine Priory. You won’t want to leave!
****AVAILABILITY ALL SEPTEMBER & OCT DEPARTURES. WAS £820pp NOW £705 pp****

Walking in the Brecon Beacons. Save £80pp! A strenuous walk in a small group covering 100 miles in eight days. High up in the hills, you’ll be rewarded with views of unspoilt landscapes and ancient sites, while down in the valley you’ll spend time in picturesque villages and charming towns.

****SOME AVAILABILITY 10th - 18th SEPTEMBER. WAS £875pp NOW £795pp ****

Group Cycling Holiday in the Lot Valley. SAVE £148PP! A quintessentially French cycling holiday, with the emphasis on good food, fine wines, bonhomie et joie de vivre! This seven-day break takes you to the Lot, one of southwest France’s hidden gems, where you’ll find rolling farmlands, forested valleys and endless leafy lanes.
****SOME AVAILABILITY 5th-12th, 12th-19th & 19th-26th SEPTEMBER. WAS £925pp NOW £777pp****

To book at special rates please contact us on help@tourdust.com quoting "Autumn Activity Holidays Sale"

Guide books - a love affair.

Anna on 12th August 2010 | 0 comments

Travelling Irresponsibly - The Impact of the Package Travel Regulations

ben on 5th August 2010 | 0 comments

Do you like to travel independently? Maybe you have done a little backpacking or taken time out and enjoyed the pleasure of exploring, discovering local gems and getting off the beaten track. Maybe you try to book locally and pay a fair price (and make sure as much of your money as possible goes to the local economy). So when you need to book ahead and can't rely on sorting it out on the ground, how do you book with a local company and make sure your holiday is protected? It is a tricky subject so bear with us...

The package travel regulations were introduced to protect your pre-payments (i.e deposits) and to provide a reasonable level of safety (i.e. insurance, health and safety). They are well intended, but nowadays they are in a mess.  They apply inconsistently across different categories, mislead and confuse people and create competitive advantage for established players - disadvantaging smaller local operators in the destinations we visit (read more about this in this excellent article by Harold Goodwin)- exactly the kind of businesses independent travellers want to support!

The unfortunate side effects of the package travel regulations is that they encourage the purchase of packages and therefore the continued dominance of the opaque outbound tour operator model. They discourage exploring, rebelling against the crowds and going local. Why? Well effectively, a small community safari lodge in Botswana, or a trekking outfit on the Inca Trail, that sells direct to a UK consumer should comply with the package travel regulations by EU law. Simply put, if they have a website through which a UK customer contacts them and tries to book, then they should have a level of insurance that is often impossible to procure in their countries and a level of financial bonding that is simply unrealistic to expect. You don't have to be a scientist to work out that this encourages bigger international companies and discourages smaller local companies. 

Instead these opaque outbound tour operators blossom. A tour operator by definition takes ownership of the delivery of your holiday, they carry the buck. And in their defense many do this very well, carrying out regular and stringent checks on the transport, accommodation, equipment and overall quality of what is delivered locally. In return they package up the discrete elements of your holiday and place a mark up on it for their services. There is nothing wrong with this in principle, but the unfortunate side effect is you don't know the nature of the local operator you will be using and have to trust your outbound tour operator blindly. For example, if you are trekking the Inca Trail, it doesn't matter which UK tour operator you book with, when you are in Peru,  you will be trekking with a local operator. The problem is that instead of being able to do your research and choose the best provider for you, you have to play an elaborate game of charades with your operator, as they rush to sew their logos onto the shirt's of whichever local guides they are working with. Your only resort is to trust the reputation of the outbound tour operator as you won't know who the actual local operator delivering your trek will be.

This all creates a quasi black market. You want to do your research on Tripadvisor, find the best local operator organising treks on the Inca Trail and book direct with them, you don't want a bloated outbound operator taking half your money to spend on UK headquarters. But when it comes to booking, in many cases you will find yourself having to send large sums of money overseas without any financial protection.

So is a little transparency too much to ask? Would it really be all that awful if we could know the name and reputation of the company who will be looking after us locally when we travel long haul and still be able to book with confidence?

There are clearly challenges. There is no way local operators will be able to comply in full with the package travel regs and sell direct to a UK customer. And of course, there is little incentive for the tour operator, with their oblique pricing mark-ups to disclose the name of the local operator!

Possible solutions could be in finding a way to overcome the bonding issue. Why can't we find a way to capture bookings without pre-payments? Why doesn't the industry abandon bonding and adopt some kind of per passenger supplier failure cover insurance as a de facto standard? After all, you will certainly pay an equivalent hidden cost anyway when you book with a bonded operator? Regardless, don't hold your breath!

For our part, we are taking a number of steps to help you find and book great local operators at local prices. It is a tricky task to balance, as the danger is, we introduce too much cost and divert money from the local operators. So what do we do? 

1. We do the research to find the best local operators, ensuring as far as possible (without becoming a tour operator!) that they are reliable and safe, 
2. We also happily disclose who they are and why we work with them before you book. 
3. We also provide supplier failure cover, taking any hassle and fear away from the purchase. Effectively you are covered should the operator (or heaven forbid ourselves) go out of business. 

We aren't resting there either, we are exploring options to provide full bonding (in addition to supplier failure cover) and better ways to expose the quality and credentials of our local operators. But until the industry as a whole gets its act together it will continue to be an unfair playing field that discourages true responsible travel.

Travel Music: A Playlist for Travellers

ben on 9th July 2010 | 5 comments

Travelling always seems to be accompanied by a rich soundtrack, a background playlist that plays through the cafes, the hostels, the bus journeys and of course the bars we pass through. Much of it consists of a terrible pastiche of traditional music (think of the souvenir shop) and often hashed reworkings of western popular music. Likewise your Ipod is subject to whatever is the flavour of the day - so for me Australia will always remind me of Fat Boy Slim (yes, it was that long ago). More interesting though, is the music that talks, no, sings of a place - travel music. Travel music is the kind of music that, if you close your eyes, drags you away from a rainy evening at home to somewhere far more adventurous. This collection of travel music is a combination of trully great world music and songs which, although produced far from the shores of their subject, somehow manage to capture its spirit. So without further ado, sit back and enjoy.

The playlist is available on Spotify at http://open.spotify.com/user/bencol/playlist/1rCOZEZAUGmaLwBXw90MZX

1. Before You Go: Ramblin'Man by Lemonjelly
   A song for anyone with a spirit of adventure, this should by default, be the hold music for any travel company worth its salt. The song samples an interview with a fictional ramblin'man with a wonderfully gravelly voice that talks of too many late nights with a fine scotch. At times it is simply a recital of evokative place-names (67 places to be precise - of which I've only visited 20 disappointingly) but it ends with a line that will strike to the core of any itchy footed traveller, "and you are going to keep on rambling?" "Oh yes .... I have to"
   
   
2. At The Airport: Mad Rush by Phillip Glass
   A song for any transport terminal anywhere. Put you headphones on and float through the crowds as if you are starring in your own movie. This should actually, in all fairness to the genius of Phillip Glass, be served as a crescendo to some other Glass masters such as Knee play and the Evening song.
   
   
3. Moving On: On the Road Again by Willie Nelson
   This is the song that will play through your head every time you leave your last night's abode. There ain't nothing like packing up your sack, leaving a joint and never looking back. It doesn't matter whether you are hitch-hiking or climbing back into your rent-a-reck, it'll always be there with you. "on the road again...I just can't wait to be on the road again..."
   
   
4. Hawaii: Somewhere over The Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
   Sun, surf, warm evening light, swaying palms and the Uculele just about sums up Hawaii and this re-imagining of the classic Wizard of Oz ditty captures the spirit perfectly. The best and original uculele version is by the legendary Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, one of the most influential musical artists in recent Hawaian history. Unfortunately this version isn't available on Spotify so you'll have to do with this passable imitation.
   
   
5. US Road Trip: Silver Dagger by The Fleet Foxes
   Sun, surf, warm evening light, wait a minute we did that. This time it is blisfull sunshine filled rural USA that is evoked by one of the classic US folk ballads (dating back to the 19C) reworked by the heavenly voice of Robin Pecknold of the Seattle based Fleet Foxes. Perfect listening to accompany The Grapes of Wrath by John Stenbeck on your great American road trip.
   
   
6. Koh Samui or any other Thai Island: Pure Shores by All Saints & My Weakness by Moby
   I'm sorry. There, the apology is out of the way, if you ignore the rest of their back catalogue what you have is a song that (thanks to Alex Garland) evokes the feeling of leaving the heat and chaos of Ko Sahn road behind for the bliss of a hidden beach on Kho Pha Ngan. If Pure Shores lays the ground then My Weakness by Moby is the track you'll be listening to as you sit back on the tiny verandah of your ramshackle beachside hut, sun slowly slipping below the horizon...
   
   
7. Australian Backpacking Jaunt: Down Under by Men at Work
   Obvious maybe, but if you've backpacked the East Coast booze cruise (sorry travel route) then you are pretty much guaranteed to have yelled this at the top of your lungs whilst drunkenly caressing a bottle of VB. This song is an integral part of Australian culture, played loudly during the Sydney Olympics closing ceremony and also by John Bertrand's Australia 11 in their legendary defeat of the US establishment in the 1983 Americas Cup.
   
   
8. Southern Africa: Diamonds on the Sole of her Shoes by Paul Simon & Inkanyezi Nezazi by Ladysmith Black Mambazo
   Anybody who has travelled to Africa will talk of the mysterious alure to this great content, beyond the sights, the sounds, the smells. There is something about the combination of the huge landscape, colours, cultures and animals that is simply vibrant. This incredibly addictive trait is most perfectly enconsed in its music and Paul Simon's Graceland is the perfect introduction. I can pretty much guarantee that listening to this song for the first time wil be the start of a love affair with Africa. 
   
   
9. Northern Africa: Sabali by Amadou & Mariam
   Beloved  by the world music scene Amadou & Mariam are the superstars of African music. Hailing from Mali their music is everything that is great about the country which has an incredibly rich cultural and musical heritage.
   
   
10. South America: Me Gustas tu by Manu Chao
    Pick up anything by Manu Chao and you'll instantly be transformed to travelling in South America. Chao was actually born in Paris to Spanish parents but the music is pure Latin America thanks to years spent travelling in the region. Their finest work (imho) Clandestino was recorded whilst Manu drifted around South and Central America with his guitar and a four-track. Whilst many other songs on this travelling playlist evoke the blissed out relaxed moments, Manu Chao shakes you out of your turpur and puts you in the mood to party! Next time you laugh at the backpacker lugging around a guitar, think twice.
    
    
11. Spain: Bamboleo by the Gipsy Kings
    Ah the buzzing tapas bars, the heady late night culture and the joyful sounds of Bamboleo - you may not recognize the name, but you'll know it when it hits the chorus, 1.2.3 Bamboleo, Bambolea  .......
    
    
12. The Amazon: Don't Trust the Dusty Fruit by The Ruby Suns and the Penan Tribe
    We all have much to thank Bruce Parry for, he produces probably the finest travel television known to man-kind (in the form of his Tribes documentaries) and he also pulled together an album joining great modern artists with Amazon tribes. This is perhaps the best collaboration on the album.
    
    
13. The Border Town: Tijuana Lady by Gomez
    Border towns are often dark and seedy places and Tijuan in Mexico is no exception. This much derided (and sung about) town is the haunt of drug mules, prostitution, and college kids from South California on a border bender to Mexico. In truth this song is probably a soundtrack to the morning after rather than the buzz the night before. 
    
    
14. And finally, a song for when you have had too long on the road: Homelands by Nitin Sawhney
    We all reach that point when we have simply had too long on the road. The sense of wonder becomes jaded, nesting in Ikea is actually beginning to appeal on some levels and you'd just like a nice bed  and a bit of space to yourself. For me this song somehow evokes that sentiment, managing to incorporate incredible world music influences from tribal India yet not really feeling like it is from anywhere.

If I could only choose one of these fine artists to populate my travel Ipod I would have to choose Manu Chao. Perhaps because it is so upbeat, and perhaps because he has travelled so much himself and gets it - Who would you choose?

The Amazon Rainforest - Choosing an Amazon tour

ben on 7th July 2010 | 0 comments

The Amazon Rainforest needs no introduction, but how to experience it? An area covering a fifth of the South American continent is pretty hard to encapsulate as a travel experience. And excepting biology and anthropology PHDs, in reality most of us are going to be looking at a fairly short encounter. Our collection of Amazon tours covers Ecuador and Peru, offering an opportunity to stay at sustainable lodges that support and are often owned by indigenous tribes, paddle deep into the tributaries of the Amazon, and learn about the incredible biodiversity of this fascinating region.

The Amazon River is the largest in the world by a country mile with an immense drainage basin that covers 40% of the South American Continent. From its source high in the Andes, the Amazon flows for most of its length through tropical Amazon rainforest (also known as Amazonia and The Amazon Jungle) before reaching its source on the Brazilian Atlantic Coast. The Amazon Rainforest's biodiversity is simply without equal. Amazonia represents over half of the world's rainforests reserves and unsurprisingly hosts the largest collection of living plants and species in the world. This diversity isn't just a result of its immense size either, the jungle is dense and this diversity is represented within small areas - one square kilometer there may be over 75,000 types of trees and 150,000 species of higher plants.

Beyond the mystique, flora and fauna, a highlight of any visit to the Amazon Rainforest is meeting and learning about the indigenous groups living in the area. There are still over 200 indigenous groups in the Rainforest speaking around 170 languages, with varying levels of integration with the outside world. Whilst some tribes live very modern lives, many have still had little or no contact with the outside world. Hunting, gathering, small scale agriculture and a deep spiritual connection with nature and rainforest are commonplace. Cultural tourism of this nature is always dangerous (in terms of its negative influences on the cultures it lauds) but where done right it can serve to sustain and support traditional cultures and knowledge banks and teach visitors about a different way of seeing the world.

Our Amazon Tours:

For a full listing of our tours in and around the Amazon, check our collection of tours in Peru and Ecuador.

Adventure in the Ecuadorian Rainforest.

The Amazon can be done in comfort, but part of the great appeal of the rainforest is the thought of experiencing pristine rainforest well away from tourist comforts and convenient board walks. You need to be willing to put up with a little discomfort along the way, but the rewards are immense. We'd recommend combining one of these tours with a visit to the Galapagos, making sure you have a little time scheduled in for some beach relaxation along the way.

Canoe Expedition on the Aguas Negras
Perhaps the ultimate Amazon adventure, spend 8 days paddling deep into the Cuyabeno reserve on the Aguas Negras river. This is not a trip for the feint hearted, expect long days paddling, very little comfort but expect a true insight into pristine rainforest on this expedition.

Cuyabeno River Canoeing
Our shorter, more accessible five day expedition on the Cuyabeno River in North East Ecuador. Hike in the jungle, paddle through flooded forests and visit local indigenous communities

Rafting on The Amazon
Three day trip rafting the Amazon in Ecuador. World-class white water awaits you, as do jungle canyons, thermal pools and a visit to a local indigenous community. Evenings are spent relaxing in a river side jungle lodge surrounded by excellent wildlife.

Kayaking the Amazon
Spend six days kayaking the Amazon deep into the rainforest to visit a local Huaroni community. Paddling through flooded forests, local guides will introduce you to the Amazon’s magnificent plant and wildlife as well as teaching you about their exceptional heritage.

Andes & Amazon trekking tour
Spend 7 days hiking along some of Ecuador’s most interesting and isolated nature trails, explore archeological sites, encounter indigenous communities & stay in fine historic haciendas and jungle lodges.

Experience the unique cultures of the Amazon Rainforest

Gaining an insight into the lives of the indigenous tribes of the Amazon is no simple task. The Huaorani Eco Lodge is a unique sustainable tourism project that takes you deep into the Huaorani territory. The lodge and programs were developed by the Huaroni communities, with the majority of development decisions and employment taken by the Huaorani. This tour would make a perfect counterpart to a visit to the Galapagos for those with an interest in cultural and eco tourism.

Huaroni Amazon Eco Lodge
Part of a unique project of sustainable tourism, this five-day tour takes you to the heart of the Huaorani territory for a fascinating insight into daily life whilst staying in a beautiful Amazon Eco Lodge.

Amazon Tours: Explore the Peruvian Rainforest

The Amazon Rainforest is a must do for most visitors to Peru. The rainforest here is probably as pristine as you can get. Put simply there are two regions to explore, Tambopata is easier to get to, whilst the Manu reserved zone offers a pristine rainforest experience for more adventurous travellers.

Explore Manu National Park
For a true slice of undisturbed rainforest, Manu's reserved zone is hard to beat. Expert guides lead you on a nine day journey staying at simple traditional lodges and camping along the way. This is not one for those looking for a boutique luxury lodge!

Rainforest adventure in Tambopata
Tambopata offers a bite sized slice of rainforest for less hardy visitors, the comfort is dialled up here, staying in a beautiful eco-lodge situated in the Tambopata Reserve. The highlight for most is the amazing sight of Macaws gathering at a clay lick.

Family Rainforest adventure in Tambopata
Take the family for a 5-day educational Rainforest expedition in Peru. This trip has been put together specifically with children in mind. Hike through the jungle, spot caiman in the river and learn about how the fruits of the forest are used by the local tribes.

When is the best time to visit the Amazon Rainforest?

The Amazon Rainforest is necessarily hot and humid. There isn't really such a thing as a dry season, as it is wet year round, but December to March is wettest. If you are planning a canoe trip, this is the best time as the rivers run higher, meaning you can penetrate further into the jungle on small tributaries. There is also more chance of seeing birds and monkeys by the river. The 'dry' season offers more comfort (less rain) and the chance to see caimen and migratory fish in the shallows. Bugs are an ever present feature of the rainforest and strong insect repellent, malaria tablets and yellow fever injections are usually necessary evils.

Inspiration and Resources

Anybody planning a trip to the Amazon simply must get hold of a copy of Bruce Parry's excellent Amazon series for the BBC. The series traces a route from the source all the way to the mouth in the Atlantic and is fascinating watching.