Travel with peace of mind

Switching gears from relationships to type of travel, this played a huge role in my experience in Ecuador and provided my dad with an interesting view of travel. Before Ecuador, I have been traveling back and forth to Southeast Asia for the last 15 years. Every time, I had a rough itinerary and a Lonely Planet, but that was the extent of it. It has always been important to me to have organic experiences in the countries I visit, and you can’t do that if everything is lined out for you. This trip to Ecuador was the first time any part of my trip was planned to this extent, even down to the airport pick-up and drop-offs. Yes, this means no midnight taxis, no learning another language just to try to find your hotel, and worry-free exploration.

There’s much to be said about independent exploration, and I do think it’s important for any trip to have some independent time to explore on your own. Going on a planned Adventure Life trip to Ecuador offered interesting insight that I may have never found through independent travel. For example, in the two destinations we visited, the Amazon and the Galapagos, you cannot travel to either without guides and logistical support, so the only way to get to these areas is through planned travel. In addition, there really is some peace of mind when you don’t have to find your transportation, or gamble on the quality of a restaurant, or leave your arrival to the next destination to chance.