Hello, Wanderluster!
If you’re like more than half of our tour participants, you make your travel plans in the month or 2 prior to your departure. That means there’s still time for you to join the Vietnam and Cambodia or Bhutan Buddhism tours, both departing in March.
Next month, catch up with me in NYC when I will be speaking at the NY Times Travel Show and at The Traveler bookstore on Bainbridge Island. Then in April, I’m off to speak at Travel Bloggers Unite in Umbria, Italy.
Stories for the WanderWomen Write Travel Writing Contest are in the hands of our judges. In the coming weeks, they’ll be reading through the top submissions and we should have winners announced in mid-February. Grand Prize is a 7-day luxury stay for 2 to Secrets Huatulco Resort & Spa in Mexico (value $3,800)! Category winners will receive a Briggs & Riley 22″ Explore Upright bag (value $290).
In case you missed the 2011 tour, we’re going back to North India in the fall of 2012! We’ve kept the highlights (Taj Mahal, Diwali festivities, Rajasthan) but have included a theatrical performance, a walking tour of Delhi and a stay in a castle! We’ve also lowered the price 🙂 Sounds too good to pass up, doesn’t it? See the full itinerary.
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***WanderTours***
Read Testimonials from previous participants. See tour videos and Beth’s photo galleries of Bhutan, India, Vietnam & Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, Santa Fe and River Rafting.
VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA TOUR (women-only) March 8 – 24, 2012 MUST BOOK NOW TO SECURE YOUR SPOT!
Back by popular demand is the Vietnam and Cambodia cultural tour with a few new stops! The 2012 tour includes a visit to Phnom Penh, a ride down the Mekong River from Cambodia to Vietnam, a visit to the Sapa region of North Vietnam AND an overnight on a houseboat in Ha Long Bay. You’re gonna love this tour! See the full itinerary.
BHUTAN BUDDHISM TOUR (women-only) March 27 – April 7, 2012 DON’T DELAY… FLIGHTS INTO BHUTAN ARE NEARLY SOLD OUT!
Whether you’re a practicing Buddhist or you simple want to know more about how the Bhutanese practice, this tour will be a wonderful way to tap into the very spiritual and mystical side of the Kingdom. Meditate with a monk, take a yoga class and hear a lecture given by a Buddhist scholar. You can’t help but feel the power of Buddhism in this Himalayan country and this tour will help you understand the basis for their beliefs! See the full itinerary.
SANTA FE CULINARY TOUR (women-only) June 20 – 24, 2012 BOOK BY MARCH 1 TO RECEIVE A FREE BOOK ON NEW MEXICO!
Yes! We’re bringing back the culinary extravaganza to Santa Fe. We’ve expanded this mini-tour by one day and added more culinary-focused experiences including a wine-tasting, a 4-stop chocolate trail and a farm visit. Scheduled for the summer for those who can’t break away other times of the year. See the full itinerary.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA MT. HAGEN SHOW CULTURAL TOUR (co-ed) August 4 – 17, 2012 This incredibly unique journey to Papua New Guinea features the Mt. Hagen singsing, a tribal celebration like none other. The tour also includes a journey through the waterways of the fantastic Sepik River AND a trip to the Tari region, home to the famed Huli Wigman! Truly a once in a lifetime experience. See the full itinerary.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA GOROKA SHOW CULTURAL TOUR (co-ed) September 9 – 21, 2012 The Goroka Show Cultural Tour features 2 days at this famed singsing in the Highlands that attracts nearly 75 tribes from around the country. In addition to this magical festival, you’ll have a chance to float along the Sepik River in the north and enjoy the natural beauty and birdlife of the mountains in the Mt. Hagen region. See the full itinerary.
NOTE: The 2011 Papua New Guinea tour sold out – don’t delay in sending a deposit to secure your spot!
ROGUE RIVER RAFTING TRIP (women only) September 9 – 12, 2012 JUST ANNOUNCED!
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced rafter, the generally moderate whitewater of the beautiful Rogue River in Oregon is ideal and might just be the perfect rafting trip. Rapids such as Blossom Bar and Rainie Falls are sure to inspire a generous dose of adrenaline. Expect sightings of abundant wildlife on the way and be serenaded by boisterous crickets and the rush of the passing river while you camp along the sandy beaches at night. See the full itinerary.
MYANMAR (BURMA) CULTURE AND PAGODA TOUR (women-only)
October 29 – November 9, 2012 SECURE ONE OF THE LAST SPOTS!
Burma seems to be all the rage these days. Get in on this trip just as the country is opening up to the outside world and slowly but surely changing its reputation. This 12 day adventure includes Burma’s highlights – the pagodoas of Bagan, the magic and artistry of Mandalay and the peaceful and tribal-filled region of Inle Lake. Four spots filled within an hour of this trip being announced. It will sell out – don’t miss your chance. See the full itinerary.
NORTH INDIA CULTURAL TOUR (women-only)
November 4 – 17, 2012 JUST ANNOUNCED!
Join us on this unique tour of Northern India – a destination we know well. Visit the Taj Mahal, be immersed in a Bollywood-like cultural extravaganza in Delhi, get to know the cuisine through an intimate cooking demonstration and enjoy spectacular Diwali festivities with a local family. This tour covers the best of the North including Delhi, Agra, Chambal and Rajasthan (with a Varanasi add-on). See the full itinerary.
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Welcome to the Wanderlust Team!
I’m thrilled to announce the addition of 2 new staff members to the Wanderlust and Lipstick/WanderTours team.
Donna Pluta is our Director of Sales and Marketing. She grew up in Western Massachusetts, has lived in New York City, Portland and now Seattle. She obviously enjoys being on the move and trying new things.
Donna has driven across the U.S. twice (both north and south routes) as well as from San Diego to Seattle. She’s traveled to Jamaica, New Zealand, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Holland, France and England and is continously anticipating what she will experience (mostly eat) next. Donna lives on Lake Washington in Seattle with her dog Hazel and boyfriend Olivier (and remains on the hunt for the best bagel in Seattle!).
Lauren Van Mullen is our Website Manager and Client Liaison. She is a Southern California-based writer who puts down her pen and picks up her calendar to help organize Wanderlust & Lipstick and WanderTours. When she isn’t traveling around the world herself, or writing about it, she loves getting to know other adventurers and swapping stories. Remind her to tell you about the time she and Beth faced down wild dogs and an angry bull in Rajasthan…
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WanderWomen Write Travel Writing Contest
Winners of the WanderWomen Write Travel Writing Contest will be announced by mid-February. The Grand Prize is a luxury stay for 2 to Secrets Huatulco Resort & Spa in Mexico. 4 category winners will receive a Briggs & Riley 22″ Explore Upright bag! Good luck gals!
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**February Contest**
Win Body Bands from Dovetail!
I’ve always said I’d make a million bucks if I could create the perfect way for women to keep their money and passport safe on their person. Dovetail may have beat me to the punch! Their body bands get tucked discreetly underneath your clothes so no one even knows you’ve got them on. YOU CAN WIN A SET THIS MONTH!
All new newsletter subscribers during the month of February AND all new RSS subscribers (add your email to this page) will be entered to win body bands from Dovetail. 3 winners in all. Value is $48/each!
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**January Contest Winner**
Congratulations to Debra W. from Vancouver for being the winner of our January contest! Debra is a new newsletter subscriber and was randomly chosen to win a SteriPEN Freedom valued at $120! Yay for Debra!
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Wander Recommendations
On the Bookshelf
Road Fever by Tim Cahill
Sometimes oldies really are goodies. I recently started re-reading this book – it was likely one of the first travel books I ever read (nearly 20 years ago). It’s the first-hand account of the author’s crazy road trip with an endurance driver as they make their way from Tierra del Fuego to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska in a truck. The goal? To break the Guinness Book of World Records. Spoiler alert – they make it, in 23.5 days
In the iPod
Clandestino by Manu Chao
I’ll never forget getting in to a taxi in Paris and hearing Manu Chao blaring from the radio. It was such a European moment for me and nearly a decade later, the memory is still as clear as day. But I love Manu Chao for more than just my Paris moment. He’s fun and is high spirited! The music is layered with so much going on that it never gets boring. With songs in French, Spanish and English, it’s an audio journey that will take you around the world and back.
In the DVD Player
Pururambo directed by Pavol Barabas
There’s SO little documented about remote areas of New Guinea. That’s what makes a documentary like Pururambo so completely fascinating. It’s the raw, untouched nature of the locals. You’ll see first contact with westerners that’s mind-boggling (and apparently still happening deep in the jungle). You’ll stay glued to your chair to see if these explorersout alive. (Available on Amazon but you can rent it on Netflix.)
Wander Gear Review
MPG Synergy Jacket
While I don’t look anywhere near as chic as this gal, I have to admit the MPG Synergy is one classy jacket. This 3/4 length coat is waterproof and is primarily polyester with 10% spandex. The cut, with its trim waste is all girl so that even when you’re all wrapped up in the rain, it still looks feminine. Read more…
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Got Wanderlust?
Need something to inspire your travel dreams?
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Wanderlust and Lipstick: Traveling with Kids is the practical guide for traveling with children. Learn how to turn possible roadblocks into opportunities for stretching your family’s travel wings.
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India is a magical destination that awaits you. Discover the joys and challenges of the subcontinent in Wanderlust and Lipstick: For Women Traveling to India and start planning the journey you’ve been dreaming about.
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Upcoming Wanderlust and Lipstick Events
March 3, 2012                                     March 21, 2012
New York Times Travel Show                Talk on India at 7:30 pm
Jacob Javits Center                              The Traveler Bookstore
New York City Bainbridge Island, WA
April 21, 2012                                      May 5, 2012
Travel Bloggers Unite                           Talk on Burma at 10:00 am
Umbria, Italy                                          Talk on Papua New Guinea at 1:00 pm
                                                             The Savvy Traveler, Edmonds
See Beth’s calendar for details.
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Wanderlust in the News
In case you missed these mentions, interviews and reviews:
* Trips Magazine – 5 Things to do in Papua New Guinea
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Parting Words
From Muriel Rukeyser… “The journey is my home.”
Until next month…
Travel Well!
Beth
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