|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dear fellow traveling families,
Thanks for reading our newsletter!
We are so excited to announce that at the end of summer, we will be introducing Peru and Ecuador as the latest Quivertree destinations. While the treasures of the Galapagos and Machu Picchu are well known, these 2 countries offer an almost endless list of highlights from history to culture, bustling markets, volcanoes, Andean peaks, the Amazon and more. The list goes on and on. We have established a presence in both Cusco and Quito, and just cannot wait to start!
 | | Nurick kids at Machu Picchu |
As a reader, you will get the chance to preview upcoming specials before they are posted to our website. If there is anything that interests you, please let us know. In addition, we update our Facebook page daily, so check it out to keep current with all news Quivertree and Family Travel related, see our latest photos, and join us in our online surveys.
This month we have some terrific reading for you! We have a trip report from Morocco and Philip's reflections of his family's trip to Peru and Ecuador.
| | Hiking in Morocco |
This has been a great summer. Over the last few weeks, Quivertree had families traveling to destinations as diverse and exotic as Morocco, Turkey, Spain, Colombia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Israel! And Gideon and Philip's own families were in Ecuador, Peru, Myanmar and Thailand!
|
|
Marty, Paulette, Justin and Graeme's trip to Morocco. A trip report from a Quivertree family just returned.
Traveling with a teenaged and pre-teen son brings a challenge: keeping everyone interested, engaged and happy. When we decided to ask Quivertree to meet this challenge and show us Morocco in 13 nights, we knew this was a tall order. Having just returned from our vacation, we can happily report that Quivertree exceeded our expectations, and put together a trip that we all thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. There were no disappointments, no glitches, only highlight after highlight. Kudos to Quivertree for customizing a trip to suit our tastes and for making it so memorable.
 | |
All dressed up, Moroccan style
|
Morocco has fascinating history, culture and geography. The incredible sights, sounds, tastes and even smells make Morocco a unique multisensory experience. We took in so much: the warren-like medina of Fes; the hillside charm of Chefchaouen; the bustling Djema el Fna and beautiful gardens of Marrakech; the tranquility and hospitality of La Pause; the beautiful Ourika and Imlil valleys; the views and fresh air of the high Atlas mountains; the quaint quirkiness and fresh breezes of Essaouira; the spice markets everywhere; and the food, ahhh, the food!
 | |
Morocco - a great food destination!
|
We decided to go first class and we were made to feel not only absolutely safe, comfortable and welcome, but pampered the whole way. We chose to stay in small local-flavored accommodations, which for the most part were Riads and other small inns, and the hospitality and service we received were superb. We especially enjoyed a family cooking class in Essaouira. Even more importantly, we had an outstanding guide and driver, with a very comfortable, spacious air-conditioned vehicle in which we toured the country; they shared their vast intimate knowledge of Morocco, giving us a colorful in-depth experience.
Our two sons were happy the whole time, and on our return, have agreed that this was possibly our best ever family vacation (and we have had some great ones!). It was fun, educational, a great bonding experience, and a chance to meet some wonderful people. I am convinced that this was in large part because Quivertree gave us the absolutely best possible experience we could have had in Morocco. We will cherish our memories of our Morocco trip always. Thanks, Quivertree!
 | |
Cooking class
|
|
|
Personal reflections of Peru and Ecuador by Philip
We just returned from a 4 week family trip to Peru and Ecuador. This is a spectacular part of the world, well known not only for its 'big' sights like Machu Picchu and the Galapagos, but also for its incredible Incan history and amazing landscapes - volcanoes, Amazonian jungle, glorious valleys and Andean peaks. It's also a terrific area for adrenaline charged activities: hiking (including of course the Inca Trail), rafting, mountain climbing, horseriding, biking. The possibilities are endless.
 | | Cusco street scene alongside ancient Incan walls |
But for me the most distinctive aspect of the trip was being immersed in a special history and culture. Walk the streets of Cusco and you'll pass huge stone walls laid down by the Incas many hundreds of years ago. Quito's churches date back to the sixteenth century. And the ancient traditions and cultures are still going strong.
 | | Indigenous community visit |
One of our highlights was a private visit to a local indigenous community just outside of Cusco. They happened to be celebrating the holiday of the birthday of the sheep. Yes, they were! This entailed my having to place an offering in the fire and drinking some chicha beer, Liora dancing with said sheep, and the kids lapping it all up and then dancing with the local women. After sharing some home made food (made in the clay oven), we checked out their woven goods and took a look at the after school program. All in all, a very special visit, and one of the main reasons we travel - to get a taste - no matter how brief - of how people really live in other parts of the world.
 | | Incredible experience |
 | | Dancing to celebrate the sheep's birthday |
|
|
Notes, tips and observations
We think families - well at least us parents - will agree one joy of travel can be the food. So here's a list of some heavenly foodie destinations.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thailand/travel-tips-and-articles/76220
In these days of a weak dollar, it's nice to know the greenback still has value in some places! And most of these are fabulous Quivertree destinations.
http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=1285&category=44
And here at Quivertree, we recently posted our favorite family travel tips. Here's the link
http://quivertreeworld.com/pdf/Quivertree-Top10-TravelTips.pdf
Here's Tripadvisor's Top 25 destinations for this year. Number one is one of our big favorites - Cape Town, South Africa!
http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Destinations
And finally a few photos that represent the surprises of traveling. First from Philip's trip to Ecuador outside the baths at Banos. What does number 4 in English mean? Sadly the Spanish won't help this time!
And then, from China, still the world's best signmakers...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feel free to contact us with any questions at (1800) 235-9941 or (778) 986-6727.
We're here to help you!
Sincerely,
Philip and Gideon Nurick
Quivertree Family Expeditions,Inc.
http://quivertreeworld.com |
|
|
