Travels & Trips for 2023 & 2024
There is nothing as much fun as the chance to head out on a trip, except to know that you have a small pod of friends to travel with you to enjoy the way. We are delighted to be back post pandemic!
My note book is full of memories and fresh ideas for you and yours when you decide to go to: a couple of lessons: A) late February 2023 was much more stormy than expected! Climate is changing the weather. The winds had picked up already limiting our visits to glaciers and penguin colonies.. The conditions are simply unpredictable – the safer months are late November, December and January maybe into the first two weeks of February.
Need a little inspiration?
Whether you are a seasoned traveler or first time toe dipper, you will know when to explore for yourself! Let’s be in touch! Here are our suggestions!
Favorite New Views and WHEN TO GO:
SPAIN – Spring is beautiful in Northern part of this country in April & May; or choose the Fall season after the summer heat abates. Try out September or October, but we have learned to respect Columbus Day when the country shuts down for serious celebration in the streets! This trip can be adapted to your preferred level of activity: from day hikes to van touring. See a few stories here: https://newviewtours.com/all/gardens-art-of-spain
FRANCE – The Castles and Caves tour is in a beautiful and popular part of the country. Consider September or early October before some caves close for the winter season. This trip involves walking on cobblestones, walking in well-worn dark passages of the caves with uneven lighting. The castles all have steps and cobblestones. There are new interpretations of the “meaning”of the cave paintings. Fertility marks? Hmm. Come look forself. We have excellent guides to recommend.
https://newviewtours.com/traveljournals/france/france
ECUADOR – on the equator, this country is open and beautiful 12 months of the year. The predictable rainy season in January and February is uneven, so we go anyway and find delightful days; welcoming hacienda experiences, walks and hikes in unique ecosystems with the company of well-trained English speaking guides – so special. Hacienda Cusin has hosted New View Tours small groups of friends and families for over twenty years! we are grateful to them for this. We predict you too will feel at home while you find a new view at the same time! This trip adaptable to all activity levels. https://newviewtours.com/calendar/peaceful-gardens-trails-a-trip-to-ecuador
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS TOUR – A morning flight from Quito via Guayaquil transports you to the once remote volcanic islands. Some are, yes, populated including hotels and restaurants. Others are completely uninhabited. To create the lowest impact on the abundant endemic species, please consider a cruise. The boats are carefully regulated to avoid crowds. You will disembark at various unique spots as if to be the first to discover each and every variety of wildlife; bird, reptile, or animal still existing, thriving, relatively undisturbed. We have excellent local contacts. Be in touch so that we can arrange a 3, 4 or 8 day excursion at your activity level. (The cruises can be arranged for families with children 6 years and older)
https://newviewtours.com/traveljournals/equador/galapagos-travels
PATAGONIA, CHILE – The seasons are the reverse of our own, so a November to February excursion is at the peak of summer and a beautiful time of year. Our trip this year starts in the Fall season. We expect to see the changing colors of the papallacta trees, among other treats. Will the blue calafete berries still be on the bushes? We add on a new view of Tierra del Fuego, thanks to the preparation of our host, Tamara, who lives there. The Torres National Park will be a “must”, now one of 17 spectacular national parks in the southern Andes, thanks to the foresight of the Tomkins Conservation Foundation and the country of Chile. This is a marvelous trip for the intrepid travelers among us. It is important to be able to walk distances comfortably, and be able to make long van trips.
OUR 3 TRIPS – FEBRUARY 2023!
We assembled in February for three excursions: a cruise in the Galápagos Islands on a 16 pax yacht for seven nights; a van transfer to the High Sierras of Ecuador to find “Mountains in the Sun” (which included some rain, too) to stay at the 1602 restored Hacienda Cusin. Here we took a full no-bus day to find tranquility, beauty. We could explore this enclave of world-renowned diversity: the flora and fauna amidst a magnificent collection of art and gardens. Four of us continued to El Refugio lodge in the Intag Cloud Forest, returning to this remote destination with excellent bird watching amidst an emerald ecosystem in a cloudy, warm and wonderful place. We visited the capital city of Quito: a World Heritage site since 1978 considered the most stunning colonial capital city in South America. Staying at comfortable hotels with a variety of restaurant to choose from, we found too many museums for our days. We selected the Alabado Pre Columbian Art Museum, redone and remarkable balance of contemporary presentation in a colonial hacienda displaying preColumbian ceramica from all the South American cultures.
We continued down the continent, changing planes in Santiago, Chile to reach the plains of southern Patagonia, Chile. We met four new travelers with great cheer. Refreshed and ready to go in Punta Arenas, the port city farthest south in Chile. We stopped to explore King penguin colonies, again we saw where condors choose to collect their adolescents in a private estancia preserve. We added a “new view” – a retreat in Tierra del Fuego (Chilean side) our farthest stretch south! Laguna Deseado Lodge, the only one on this large island accessible by ferry only. Our private guide managed our likes and preferences tho winds blew and rains clouded our original itinerary, we did our best to adapt and re arrange. We next travelled north to the well-designed yurts at Patagonia Camp. Daily options to hike or drive kept us out and about the Torres del Paine National Park exploring this remarkable, pristine park of glaciers, huge rock formations, and hearty plant life that survives the harsh winter season.
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