Category Archives: 40Plus Travel
Oldpackers Tours of Bali for 2011 -An Adventure for the 40+ year old Traveler
I have been keen for a while to run a program of small group tours of some of my favourite South East Asian countries. I recon it would be a great way for me to get a free trip back to some of the places I love!
But seriously, in addition, I also think so many visitors to places like Bali, Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo & Vietnam just don’t get to see and do some of the things that make these places so memorable!
I have always been disappointed by the lack of adventure travel options for the 40+ YEAR OLD Travelers. The 40 Plus year old traveler doesn’t want to Bungee Jump, and we recognise that. We do believe, however, that they do want lower impact adventure, such as trekking, riding and diving and, in addition, also want to get some genuine experiences from an interaction with the culture and people of these beautiful countries.
Surfscool?
This is why first up , we are picking Bali to run our first
” Adventure Tours for 40Plus Travelers”
group tour.
Bali is an ideal starter as it is the most poorly appreciated country for 40plus travelers. My understanding is 90% of all the middle age visitors to Bali, DONT leave their comfortable Kuta, Nusa Dua or Sanur Hotel for any more than a day trip!! And,as there are only a couple of popular day trips, they are so overrun with other visitors, and the sights so unnatural and setup, they never appreciate them as beneficial anyway. They retire to the 5 star, multistory hotel, and spend the next 5 days getting a suntan! But, these people are genuinely missing out!
Over the coming 4 weeks , we will release dates and details of the 5 tour dates scheduled for 2011. All will be pickup from South Bali hotels, and run for 5 days (and nights, of course). Subscribe to my RSS feed NOW, to get the full details soon.
Lunchbreak in the Mountains
As a little teaser, the tour will include -
Round Bali travel, by small bus and/or motor-scooter
Escorted by tour leader and local expert
Comfortable accommodation that encompasses Balinese lifestyle and design
Many meals
daily adventure activity including White water rafting, Dawn Volcano accent, amazing Shipwreck Scuba Dive (beginner), Spectacular Rice Terraces mountain-bike ride & Surf school, and more
Cultural experiences including Monkey forest visit, spectacular temples (only a couple!) and local village home-stay.
Contact me by email - contactus “AT”40plustraveler.com, or subscribe to the RSS feed, for more information.
Where does the 40+ Traveler fit in the world of Backpackers?
What am I?
I ask this question in the context of my “travel persona”, as I read the net and look for a category of traveler that I fall into.
Here are the basic “features” of my travel persona-
- I am over 40 years of age
- I travel for extended periods of time
- I travel on a moderate budget, with the intention to make a finite amount last as long as possible.
- I choose cheap transport but middle of the range accommodation
- Although I want to see the tourist traps, I also want to experience the country the package tourist doesn’t see.
So, this is what I think I am not -
- Backpacker – They are all in their 20′s, and stay in too rougher accommodation for me. I don’t do Para-sailing, Canyoning or Bungee Jumping.
- Package Tourist – No, I don’t have a lot pre-organised. Just the flight and an itinerary outline.
- Middle aged tourist – No way, I’m away for too long, want to get off the beaten track, and will get much closer to the real country I visit. I don’t do Cruises, “cultural shows” or power shopping.
- Flashpacker – Getting closer, a backpacker who stays in hotels, but this still doesn’t define my point of difference.
What other broad classification is out there? Nothing I have been able to Goggle that I think fits.
So I guess the only option is to create my own subgroup of traveler!!!!
So this is it -
“OLDPACKER”
A person of 40 years of age or more, who travels for extended period of time, with limited pre prepared plans, and on a budget designed to be safe and comfortable yet as cheap as possible. The OLDPACKER travels light, although not necessarily with a backpack, travels by bus and train more that Air and spends long enough in the visited country to get an “feel” for the people and culture of that country or area.
Let me know if you think it can stick.( I am now recruiting more members). I am going to further work with the “whimsy’ and see where it takes me. Meanwhile, I might have a nap.
Thailand Ferry
Traveling costs for NEPAL – a guide for the 40+Traveler
This is one of a series of post I am doing, giving prospective travelers an idea of the costs they may encounter when they visit some of the countries I have visited. The assumption, of course, is they they are traveling in the same level of comfort and speed that I have traveled the country in, and that is why I am aiming these prices for the 40plus year old, longer term traveler. Not backpacker level, but definitely conscious of keeping costs under control.
Costs for NEPAL
Mt everest is there, somewhere!
Mt everest is there, somewhere!
- Getting there - Nepal is an expensive country to fly into. It depends, of course, where you are flying from, but I have never noticed flights inward at any special rates. In addition, there are only a limited number of airlines that fly to Kathmandu, the capital. We flew with the Nepalese national carrier, Nepal Airlines (formally Royal Nepal Airlines), and even that still cost us a little under $450USD one way. This airline only had 2 planes operating at the time we flew, and had an awful reputation. The windows were so scratched we cold barely see Everest as we flew over! However, it was a lot cheaper that Thai, or Singapore airlines from KL or Singapore. Even from New Delhi, flights were around about $250 each.
- Getting around - Once in Nepal, transport costs come down significantly. Some examples from our trip were – Taxi from Kathmandu airport to Thamel area 450 NR (around $8.00). Taxis around Thamel and surrounding areas 100 -150 NR ($1- $2). Bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara $10USD each
- accommodation – A bit of a tough one, as we struggled to find Accom we were happy with in Kathmandu, but were happy in much cheaper hotels and lodges elsewhere. In Kathmandu we stayed at the Manang Hotel for 1 night, and hated it, at a cost of 4400Nr (about $80.00). Kathmandu Guest house looked nice, but we couldn’t get in, costing about 1/2 of Manang. Also stayed a few nights in the Radisson, at a cost of about $150 per night. Expensive, but very comfortable (we were able to win back 1 nights accom at their in-house casino). In Pokhara, a comfortable hotel was $20USD per night. On our Annapurna Base Camp trek, accommodation in Teahouses was $4.00 per night (although you were obliged to eat at their teahouse).
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Our room, rooftop!
- eating and drinking - In Nepal we ate at travelers restaurants in Kathmandu and Pokhara, and Teahouses on the trek. I ate once at a truck-stop restaurant on the bus transfer and was VERY ILL (not recommended). In Kathmandu restaurant meals, with beer,cost about $10.00 each. In Pokhara, closer to $5.00 each. On the trek, dinner and breakfast at a teahouse cost about $10.00 total each. Food was great in Cities, and quite simple in mountains. Nepalese, Tibetan, Indian aplenty, as well as European food
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Lunch stop on Annapurna Basecamp Trek
- attractions – Like everything else, attractions were cheap. Our main cost was our 9 day Trek to Annapurna base camp. On top of the above accommodation and food costs, we also paid a porter and a guide $10 and $15 USD per day, respectively. Other attractions include Entry to Dunbar Square 300Nr each ($6) and a guide $4. Rowed across Pokhara lake 250NR (4.50). Barber Shop Shave in Pokhara 50NR ($1).
Putting in simply, once you get to Nepal, everything is dirt cheap. Accommodation in Kathmandu we found a bit testy, but if we went again, I am sure we could find good digs for $40 per night.
I intend to Blog more info on Nepal and Kathmandu later, this post was just a cost summary. I hope it helps.
Next in this series, will be “Traveling cost for BALI – a guide for the 40+ traveler”. See you then..
What is Adventure travel for a 40+ Traveler?
I read a lot of blogs that talk about “adventure” travel, and then read some of the activities and events that get classified as ” adventure travel”.
Maybe because I am over 40 years of age, and in a little bit of a different place than the regular 22 year old backpacker, but I just don’t get it! I just don’t see the reasoning for some of the adventure based activities that many people travel from one end of the earth to other to experience. I consider Bungee Jumping, paragliding and the multitude of similar activities as genuine adventures, but, really, pretty much non location specific, and, therefore, not really travel related?
I think we, as 40+ year old long term travelers, have a huge advantage over the younger travelers, in that we don’t get hung up on the adgenolin activities, and direct our energy to a different definition of adventure travel. I think we get our “adventure travel” by getting away from the tour bus activities, and into the heart of a country or region. Adventure can come in walking, riding, swimming and paddling. We get to see other people, regions, cultures and ways of life, Down low and personal, and that is real adventure travel.
As a case in point, I was in Pokhara, Nepal, last year. Pokhara is Nepal’s second biggest tourist city, behind only Kathmandu, and attracts travelers off all age, and from all areas of the world. For us it was a nice, lakeside town to spend a week or so, it was cheap and budget tourists were well catered for. For us it was our step off point for the 10 day Annapurna Base Camp trek. We would walk into the hills from only a few kilometers north of town, and not see another road for 10 days. We would pass through any small villages and towns, from 900m to 4200m above sea level, on a walking path virtually unchanged for thousands of years. This was a cultural opportunity that we felt was once in a lifetime.
setting off on Annapurna Base Camp trek
We noticed how many “backpackers” were in Pokhara, and continually saw the Para-sailing and Hawking buses carrying loads of young Europeans to there jump base, on the hill a couple of Kilometers out of town. This definitely was an “extreme” adventure these guys were having, no doubt, a bonding experience, and a memory for them to talk about for years to come.
ParaGlider takeoff near Pokhara, Nepal
What really surprised me, was once we were on the trek, we saw so very few young Europeans doing this world famous trek. Although the trek path was quite busy, it was busy with middle aged white trekkers, as well as Japanese and Koreans of all ages. The European (and American and Australian/ Kiwi’s) just didn’t seam to do the hike. It was almost staggering they would get to this remote location, in the middle of the Himalaya, and chose to Para-sail instead of Trek to the base of the worlds 10th highest mountain!
Annapurna 1 from Landruk
Just goes to prove, well who knows!
Probably just proves that 20 year olds and 40 year olds will never agree!
Traveling costs for 40+ year old travelers – Introduction
He we go, I am starting another post series!
I want to look at various counties I have visited, and try to give readers (specifically to over 40 year old readers) an idea of the costs of visiting and traveling in those particular countries. In trying to address this specifically at the over 40 year old, I am going to make assumptions on the way we (as 40+’s) choose to travel, and why this is a bit different from the the 20 year old backpackers! I am, however, assuming budget travel, and for extended time, as this is the nature of my blog, and my travel.
a cottage at Bukit Fraser, Malaysia
These costs will include an idea of accommodation, eating, traveling around the country in question, getting to the country, and all other costs I can think of that a normal, budget conscious 40+ year old will encounter when visiting the countries I will cover! It will be of a standard I expect when traveling - not flash, but safe, private and relatively comfortable (no dorms, no shared rooms and no overnight buses, to mention just a few of the discomforts a 40+ year old traveler need not endure!). It will include both the capital of main city of the country we are discussing, as well as traveling into outer areas. In addition, I will include sightseeing costs where applicable, particularly when we are talking about “must see” attractions!
As I like to travel for an extended period of time, generally I have visited the countries that are relatively cheap to visit, and will start the series with one of my favourite places in the world - Nepal! Coming soon..
Himalayan Trek – Over 40?
When we decided we wanted to go to Nepal, its was at the forefront of our mind that we wanted to go on a trek. However, I did a bit of research (a very little bit, as usual) to try to find out if both myself and my wife would be able to manage it. I was concerned, as I was well aware that the Nepalese treks that walk into the mountains, not just the foothills, pretty much leave the road on day 1, and continue to walk away from the ability to give up as you progress! Meaning that if you walk for 3 days and then don’t want to do it anymore, you still would have to walk 3 days back!
So I researched to try to get an idea of how hard it would be. Couldn’t really get a definite fix on the difficulty, although searching on the net produced lots of great images, that only made me want to commit to a trek! But really no information on the physical difficulty of the Nepalese treks, or the type of preparation and exercise one should engage in to be on the front foot. Never mind anything that was age relevant.
A Little Bit Up
So we engaged on what we thought would be appropriate. We walked for 2-3 hours, 2-3 time a week, for about 3 months before we took off on out trip. In addition, we didn’t intend to be in Nepal until about 6 weeks into our trip, and travelling though Thailand for a month or more first, would most likely produce plenty more exercise opportunities, such as swimming, some hiking, and general walking. When we left for Thailand, we were in the best shape we would have been for at least 10 years, and confident we could walk an entire day with minimal trouble.
Speaking to others once in Thailand, we started to anticipate we may have not done the right prep, so we started to do some more hill work. Unfortunately, the draining humidity of Central Thailand made this very taxing and we didn’t do nearly as much as we had wanted to.
So we get to Nepal, explore Kathmandu, and organise ourselves a a guide and porter to take us on the Annapurna Sanctuary trek. A 8-10 day trek, from Pokhara to Annapurna Base Camp, starting at an altitude of 1400m above sea level, and peaking at 4100m above sea level. It was time to see if we had prepared right!
Simple Answer – NO
So, for others (particularly our 40+ target group), I have a simple guide to give you an idea on what the trek is like, and what to do to prepare.
The trek really has 3 components
- Up – this is essentially stair climbing. It varies in steepness and consistency, but it is step after step, up to 3000 on the toughest sections. That’s not 3000 in a day, that is 3000 in a row!
- Down – opposite to above. As the trek is return, for every up, you are going to do the same amount of down stairs by the time you are finished. On the accent to the Annapurna Base camp, you still go down steps for considerable lengths of time.
- Flat – Flat is not really flat, but is just the part of the trek where the upward and downward slopes are less steep, and thus the path doesn’t need stone steps, just an upward or downward incline.
Another corner, another Mountain
So, for preparation – consider doing the following
- walking – for general fitness, need to be able to walk for 6-7 hours per day
- stair climbing – need to build the quad muscles, and calf muscles,
- stair descending – Knees and ankles need to be able to handle downward pressure.
I think there is no reason adventurers in their 40s, 50s and 60s cannot do the Annapurna treks, in-fact, you are missing out on a magnificent part of the world that will never see roads. And it wont get any easier as you get older.
Do it, but get fit first!
Whats the difference?
Hello and welcome.
This is the first post on my newly commenced blog. So if you are reading this, you are one of my first readers. Congratulations! Hopefully in a year to two, when you are still following us, and the blog has become prominent in the blogosphere, you will be able to reflect on the fact you were on board first! Maybe I will be able to find a way to thank you!
Anyway, my name is Bruce, and I am going to write a travel blog (There is more information about me on my ”about” page if you are interested) Just what the world needs, you say? Another travel blog. I expect there are probably 10 million or more travel blogs of various types out in the blogosphere already, So why another one? Well, although this is still to develop, I think I will be able to appeal to a specific group of travelers.
I love to travel, like so many people. I envy those young people who take off with a few thousand dollars in their pocket and spend 6 or 12 months traveling the world, living on a few dollars a day. It is one of those things that I wish I had done when I was 20, but as that was 1/2 a lifetime ago,it is an opportunity long since missed. However, in a different format, I think it is still possible for a “middle aged” travelers to visit some of the same places I would have 20 years ago, and live some of the same experiences. Being over 40 though, there are some things that are going to need to be quite different. Some comforts, like private and reasonably comfortable sleeping arrangements, will definitely need to be different.
So, that is what I am going to talk about. Long term travel, for non-backpackers and non-pensioners. Oh yeah, I am also going to drop heaps of photos of my travels on the site, as well as a lot of my personal, non-age related travel posts, stories and reflections. Sounds boring already!
Stay with me…please.
