I had an adventure of a lifttime and would not have missed it for the world even if I had known I would be caught in quicksand and stranded in the rainforest. I'll hold dear to my heart the camaraderie, and will always remember our splendid teamwork
A monkey and his flower (Marti deMetropolis)We kayaked down the Shiripuna River, camped in the rainforest under a full moon and trekked the Amazonian basin blanketed by a forty-foot high jungle canopy. Magnificent bromelaids grew on braids of vines. Zillions of creatures hid in the lush trees and damp earth, and predators prowled mostly unseen. The forest is vast and the animals are shy.
When Mother Nature and the unpredictable happened that's when our adventure really kicked into gear. Due to the unique fluctuation of water level, the canoe from where we fished for piranha just minutes ago got stuck.
To lighten the load, we had to jump out. I went first. And, folks, it wasn't into the water or friendly mud. Sinking-mud is a different ball-of-wax, so to speak. Not having the grace or the strength of the Huaorani who step, hop, step through the muck, I continued to slowly sink. My rubber boots filled up and soon I was belly-button deep. The image of Bear Gryllis on Man vs Wild on TV flashed through my mind. He had demonstrated how to survive the man-sucking mud and I'm still here to prove that it works. The secret is to get horizontal on your stomach then get your legs up to the surface and boogie like a caiman to solid soil. I've gotten a lot of mileage out of that story.
Creating a checklist was very beneficial and meeting objectives on certain dates helped as well (to keep my trip organized). The Adventure Travel personnel helped keep me on track which is why my trip was so successful. Communication from both travel agencies (AT/MT) was vital.
Iziah Carthens
3 days ago
This is an amazing company to work with. I generally do not use tour companies as I am more of an independent traveller so I was slightly reticent. They were fantastic from the start - 10/10 - from lining up a phone call to discuss requirements, then their ongoing communication in the lead up to the tour and during it (thank you, Franny and Phen). They also explored cost-effective options (eg group transfers). The tour was in Patagonia so Adventure Life organised a pickup from the El Calafate airport to the El Chalten accommodation, two day hikes with a private guide and then to the El Calafate accommodation. A tour coordinator came to the hotel to explain, using the maps, what was involved in each day tour and what should be expected, and patiently answered all questions. The tour guide Marcos was excellent - very professional, knowledgable, communicative and at all times felt very safe with his navigational skills (important in the Patagonian wilderness). On the second day I forgot to take hiking poles so Marcos kindly gave me his. I honestly wouldn't have changed a thing and would happily recommend and book through them again.
Petrina Sta
5 days ago
Adventure Life has been great throughout my planning process for our up and coming Galapagos cruise. Kevin Moore, in particular, was very helpful in assisting me in making choices and providing me with options. He was also very patient, as I worked through figuring out what I really wanted in this vacation.
Lucy Greenway
5 days ago
Adventure Life was a pleasure to work with. They helped us find different options for our charter and answered a lot of questions with patience and clarity.
Brooke Hopper
6 days ago
Excellent service, great hotels and well organized excursions with expert guides! Highly recommended!
