Starting this fall, arriving into Quito, Ecuador, will get a little bit more interesting. Currently, if you fly into Quito (airport code UIO) like most of our travelers, you'll land right in the middle of the city, making access to most hotels in town an easy 15- to 20-minute drive away. The new airport, scheduled to open in October or November, will be located about 45 to 60 minutes (possibly as much as 90 minutes during heavy traffic) outside the city in a more rural setting. Since most flights from the USA arrive after 8 pm, this may mean rethinking your options. Here are a few ideas:

• Book earlier flights into Quito. If possible, try to fly into Quito as early as possible. Although you might have to leave home earlier in the morning than you usually prefer, you'll be happier to settle into your hotel room at a reasonable hour.
• Go straight to Otavalo instead. This is a great alternative if you are arriving a few days before your cruise departs. What used to take two hours (from the old airport to the world-famous Otavalo Market) will now take about 75 to 90 minutes.
• What about Guayaquil? Flying into this tropical coastal city would mean missing out on the Andes, but it's a warmer option than Quito, at a much lower elevation. All flights departing from Quito to the Galapagos automatically stop over in Guayaquil anyway, so you'll eliminate one leg of the journey to the islands.

Quito’s new airport has been a long time in the works. When UIO was built, it was located to the north of Quito, but the city has long since grown to surround the airport. As a result, there is no room for expansion to accommodate increased air traffic or larger aircraft. In addition, the high altitude and mountainous terrain make the present airport riskier to operate than the new one, which will be located at a lower elevation and in more open terrain.

From 1969 to 1970, Mike Close served a year-long tour of duty in Vietnam. Five months ago, he revisited the country for the first time since the war, in a trip that turned out to be as much about change as it was about memories.

When Mike and his wife Chris decided to make the trip together with a friend from Mike’s unit, John Berend, and his wife Marjorie, they turned to Myths and Mountains, with whom the Closes had previously traveled to Peru. “If I’m going to do a trip to an out-of-the-way place, I’m not even going to talk to anyone besides Myths and Mountains,” Mike says. “They really do this out-of-the-way stuff well.”

Mike and John had both served as pilots in Vietnam’s Central Highlands and wanted to revisit the places they had flown in and out of every day. For logistical reasons they decided to do the trip by car, so Myths and Mountains President Toni Neubauer – whom Mike calls “basically a walking encyclopedia of Vietnam” – laid out a clockwise itinerary starting in Saigon. She also booked one of Vietnam’s best guides, Le Van Cuong, to accompany the group.

Unfortunately John and Marjorie had to cancel at the last minute, so Mike and Chris ended up making the trip alone. Early on, it became clear that Vietnam in 2012 was very different from 40 years ago. Dalat, part of the no-fire zone during the war, was “one of the prettiest cities I’ve ever seen,” Mike says. Further north, Buon Ma Thuot saw some of the heaviest American bombing in the country. Now, “it’s a thriving little city. There’s not a sign of the war left.”

The town of Pleiku, site of an American base during the war, had grown beyond recognition. “I lived in Pleiku for seven months and couldn’t even find within a half a mile where I lived, it’s changed so much,” Mike says.

Despite some disappointment at not being able to find some of the places he remembered, Mike was blown away by the welcome he and Chris received from the Vietnamese people. “They’ve learned to cater to tourists, and they were so friendly to Americans,” he says. “We’d go into restaurants where they didn’t speak any English, and I don’t speak any Vietnamese, and they’d fall over themselves to be helpful. It was a wonderful experience.”

Another positive change was the feeling of security. Mike had no concerns about walking around cities after dark – unlike during the war, when Saigon was “a very scary place.” He even felt safe riding cyclos, three-wheeled bicycle taxis. “When I was there in the war the odds were about 50-50 you’d have your throat cut if you took a cyclo. Not now.”

One experience that did bring back shivers of memory was the drive from Pleiku to Quy Nhon. The road travels through two mountain passes, the Mang Yang and the An Khe, which were among the most dangerous places in the country during the war. “Mang Yang in particular was very hostile. You were likely to be ambushed,” Mike remembers. “It was really kind of funny to be sitting in a van and driving through, looking up at these mountains. That got my blood flowing!”

Although Mike was based in Pleiku for most of his war service, he spent his last six weeks in Quy Nhon. On a day off, he borrowed a sailboat that was available for GI use – even though he had never sailed before. “It was pretty easy until I had to come back,” he recalls. “I didn’t know how to tack, so I didn’t have a chance of getting back to where I started.”

Instead, he landed on a beach a few miles further down the coast. When he heard a rustling in the bushes, he was petrified. Fortunately, what appeared was not soldiers but a French nun. “I had landed at a leper colony,” Mike explains with a laugh. The nun advised him to wait until the winds changed, and then he would be able to get back to the base.

As it turns out, the leper colony still exists, not far from Quy Nhon, so Mike and Chris paid a visit. They were quite impressed with what they found. The beach “almost looked like a resort beach,” houses had been built for the afflicted and their families, and a well-run hospital offered hospice care. “I didn’t think in the 1960s that there were leper colonies,” Mike marvels. “To go back 40 years later and find that it’s still there was quite something.”

Another highlight was visiting the Cu Chi tunnels, an immense underground network beneath Saigon used by Viet Cong guerrillas during the war. “I found it fascinating,” says Mike. “Anyone would be amazed at the determination and raw courage that the Vietnamese had.”

Memories of the war are fading in Vietnam, whose population has more than doubled over the past four decades. The vast majority of the population was not even alive during the war. But there are still people alive who remember, including the Closes’ guide, Le Van Cuong, who was a soldier for the Viet Cong. “He came south in 1972 with a 12-man squad, and three years later when the fighting stopped there were only two of them left alive,” Mike relates. “It was touching to hear the other side’s perspective, and amazing to see the commonality of the soldier’s experience irrespective of side. Humanity exists on both sides, and so does brutality.”

Mike’s return to Vietnam ended up being meaningful on levels beyond his expectations. “In many ways I can truly say that for me the war is over. In other ways, it never will be. There are people I will never see again, that I’ll never hear laugh again. But if there’s going to be closure, that trip will provide the sort of closure there needs to be.”

Money often presents one of the biggest challenges in preparing for an international trip. Will your credit card work overseas? Can you use your ATM card? Should you carry lots of cash? It's always best to be prepared, so that you don't find yourself in a foreign country without the financial resources you need. You can count on Myths and Mountains to make sure you have all the information you need before you go.

In Bhutan and other Asian countries, things operate very differently than in North America. Just because the ATM in your bank at home works, does not mean that the ATM in Bhutan will accept your card. In fact, it won’t. Just because you have a platinum American Express Card does not mean that the antique store in Thimphu will allow you to buy that beautiful basket. In fact, it won’t. Bhutan will sometimes accept Visa, but no other credit cards, and travelers cannot use local ATMs. Myanmar does not accept any credit cards and has no ATMs at all. In other countries such as Nepal sometimes the ATM works – but invariably, when you need it most, it doesn’t!

For countries such as these, the best thing to do is to bring dollars in cash and change them into the local currency. If you are nervous about carrying a lot of money, break it into two packets and put them in separate parts of your travel gear. Then hope you remember where you put everything!

Ethical Traveler’s 13 Tips for the Accidental Ambassador

Travel is most meaningful – and least intrusive – when you approach your destination with openness, respect, and a willingness to adapt and learn. If you behave in an informed, culturally sensitive manner, you’ll not only come away with truly memorable people-to-people experiences, but you’ll also leave behind a positive impression with your hosts. As guidelines, we present these 13 tips from our friends at Ethical Traveler (www.ethicaltraveler.org).

1. Be aware of where your money is going. Patronize locally owned inns, restaurants, and shops. Try to keep your cash within the local economy, so the people you are visiting benefit directly from your stay.
2. Avoid giving gifts directly to children. Give instead to their parents or teachers. When giving gifts– everything from pens to pharmaceuticals – first ask what’s needed, and who can best distribute these items in the community.
3. Learn basic greetings. Learn to say “please,” “thank you,” and as many numbers as you can. It’s astonishing how far a little language goes toward creating a feeling of goodwill
4. Remember the economic realities of your new currency. A few rupees one way or another is not going to ruin you. Don’t get upset if a visitor who earns 100 times a local salary is expected to pay a few cents more for a ferry ride or an egg.
5. Bargain fairly and respectfully. The final transaction should leave both buyer and seller satisfied and pleased. Haggling is part of many cultures, but it’s not a bargain if either person feels exploited or ripped-off.
6. Learn and respect the traditions and taboos of your host country. Never, for example, pat a Thai child on the head, enter a traditional Brahmin’s kitchen, or open an umbrella in a Nepali home!
7. Curb your anger, and cultivate your sense of humor. Travel can present obstacles and frustrations, but anger is never a good solution. It’s perversely satisfying, but won’t win respect or defuse a bad situation. A light touch, and a sense of humor, are infinitely more useful.
8. Arrive with a sense of your host country’s social and environmental concerns. Our site will direct you to good profiles of many popular travel destinations. It’s also very useful to read the political background section in your guidebook, and the local English-language papers.
9. Learn to listen. People in other nations often feel underestimated or patronized by travelers from the developed world. This fosters anger and resentment. Be aware that good listening skills and respect help shape the world’s view of your country.
10. Practice conservation. Never be wasteful of local resources – especially food and water. Your efforts at conservation will be noted and respected by your hosts, and will set a good example for your fellow travelers.
11. “Can you please help me?” This is the most useful phrase travelers can learn. Rarely will another human being refuse a direct request for help. Being of service, and inviting others to express their kindness, is what the phrase “global community” is all about.
12. Leave your preconceptions about the world at home. The inhabitants of planet Earth will continually amaze you with their generosity, hospitality, and wisdom. Be open to their friendship, and aware of our common humanity, delights, and hardships.
13. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.’s best line is worth remembering. “Strange travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.” Go with the flow, and give free reign to your sense of adventure!

Some brides-to-be dream of walking down the aisle in a white dress, but not Randi Lass. For years she had dreamed of visiting Bhutan, and when she and her fiancé, Patrick Reyes, decided to make the trip, Randi had an idea. Why not make the experience even more memorable by celebrating their wedding in Bhutan? With Patrick’s enthusiastic agreement, Randi contacted Myths and Mountains to see if it would be possible to arrange a traditional Bhutanese wedding celebration during a READ Global program in November 2011. The answer was a resounding yes.

The wedding was held at a 350-year-old farmhouse owned by the family of one of Myths and Mountains’ Bhutanese partners. In a Bhutanese wedding, the man comes to the woman, so Randi was picked up early in the morning and brought to the farmhouse, where the hosts helped her dress in a kira, the traditional women’s garment. The wedding guests, who included Myths and Mountains President Toni Neubauer, fellow trip participants, staff from Myths’ Bhutanese partner companies, and relatives of the farmhouse owners, arrived later in a procession with the groom, who was wearing the traditional men’s garment known as a gho. After traditional celebrations in the courtyard, the actual marriage ceremony was held in a special prayer room, with lamas conducting the rites in the ancient formal manner. Afterward there was traditional entertainment and lunch at the farmhouse.

“It takes a lot of planning to do something like that,” Neubauer says. “You have to check the astrology to see what day and time to do it. Nothing is left to chance because an error in planning could start the marriage off all wrong.”

“The wedding was way beyond our wildest dreams. I can't say wildest expectations because we really had none. Patrick and I decided come what may. The entire day was nothing short of magical,” says Randi. “We both laughed and cried because it was so hard to even believe it was reality. The ceremony by the head lama was more moving than anything I've ever experienced.”

The most memorable moment for Randi was standing at the front of the house waiting for the wedding to begin, and seeing the huge procession coming down from the mountains. “There were flags, horns, all of these wonderful people, and then there was Patrick,” she says. “There are no words for that moment.”

 

Randi and Patrick were also touched by how many people came to celebrate with them, how joyful they were over the couple’s happiness, and the tremendous hospitality of the Bhutanese people. Randi describes the feeling: “When each of them came up and presented us with white scarves, gifts, and other things, it was so hard to accept and so humbling when I know how little these people have materially. The most touching was when Dasho, the family patriarch, presented us with an actual stone from the farmhouse.”

The other Myths and Mountains participants welcomed the opportunity to share Randi and Patrick’s joy and the chance to experience Bhutanese culture from the inside. In preparation for the event they all went out and bought their own kiras, ghos, and traditional boots. “It was the highlight of the trip, without any question,” Neubauer says. “One of the things that makes Myths and Mountains a exceptional company is that we can pull off something like this. The wedding was a momentous occasion for everyone involved.”

For more wonderful photos of Randi and Patrick's Bhutanese wedding,visit their Facebook page.

With the gradual easing of political tensions in Myanmar, the southeast Asian nation is experiencing increased tourism, leading to new challenges for the country’s tourism and hospitality infrastructure. “With the change in attitude of the government, there’s a pent-up demand that’s been released,” says Myths and Mountains President Toni Neubauer. “This is a country that is going to change absolutely, and rapidly.”

Due to its political isolation, Myanmar has maintained a variety of cultures and traditions essentially free from outside influence. The country’s cultural and natural diversity are strong draws for travelers, as are its impressive archaeological sites such as Bagan.

“Culturally, Myanmar is one of the richest countries in southeast Asia. It’s the fourth-largest country in the region and has lots of resources, including gems and oil. It has a varying topography, stretching from the coast to the Himalayan foothills,” Neubauer says. “It’s also a country that has two Wednesdays, a currency that’s based on the number nine, and where people kiss by rubbing noses.”

With so much to offer, the tourism industry in Myanmar is sure to develop at a rapid pace now that political tensions have eased somewhat, although it’s impossible to predict whether the country will continue along the road toward greater global integration, or whether the government will ultimately revert back to its isolationist tendencies.

One thing is certain, however: Travelers are flocking to Myanmar these days, so anyone who wants to see the country before it changes should visit soon. But with the country’s infrastructure so stretched, it’s important to allow extra time to make arrangements. Neubauer advises travelers to plan well in advance in order to ensure that they can experience everything that this amazing country has to offer. Contact Myths and Mountains for more information.

Myths and Mountains founder and president Toni Neubauer has once again been named Condé Nast Traveler’s Top Travel Specialist for Nepal – an honor that recognizes Neubauer as not only the premiere travel specialist for the country of Nepal, but as one of the top travel professionals in the world.

“When you love a country and work hard to share this love with travelers to Nepal and the local people in the country, recognition by an organization as important as Condé Nast is extraordinarily meaningful,” Neubauer says.

Neubauer has spent much of the last 27 years traveling all over Nepal, speaks the language, and has handled everything from documentaries to weddings. Her experiences inspired her to found Rural Education and Development, or READ Global, in Nepal in 1991 as the nonprofit arm of Myths and Mountains. Now an independent 501c3 organization based in San Francisco, READ builds Community Library Resource Centers, seeds local businesses to fully sustain and support the centers, and links them with organizations providing literacy, health/HIV, microcredit, women’s empowerment, and other needed services in rural communities across Nepal, Bhutan, and India. The organization has built approximately 50 centers in Nepal, serving more than a million people.

Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Top Travel Specialists Collection recognizes the 133 most prolific travel specialists and booking agents in the business today, as judged by the editors of Condé Nast Traveler magazine. The 133 travel specialists are each recognized for their field of specialization, whether it be wine tours in France, cultural tours in Nepal, or rafting trips on the great rivers of the world. The feature can be found online (www.cntraveler.com/travel-tips/travel-specialists) and in the December 2011 print edition of the magazine. The Top Travel Specialists Collection is spearheaded by Condé Nast Traveler’s Director of Consumer News and Digital Community, Wendy Perrin.

A few months ago, our vice president, Allie Almario, headed over to Asia to do some research and development and check out some of the newest hotel properties there. Here, she shares some notes from her trip, as well as some tips for travelers visiting the region.

If you are going to spend 15 hours in a plane hurtling over the vast Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Hong Kong, I highly recommend doing it in Business Class if you can. I’m not usually an elitist, but when Cathay Pacific puts me on standby for a complimentary business class upgrade, I’m not going to say no. And I’m not going to lie – it was very, very nice.

Once in Asia, my trip was a whirlwind combination of early-morning wake-up calls, incessant jet lag, nonstop hotel inspections, and cramming in quick visits to some of Hong Kong and Thailand’s highlights.

It was my first time in Hong Kong, and the first thing that struck me was how vertical a city it is. Much of my time was spent going up and down a lot of elevators as I hopped around the city. I lucked out with perfect weather – perfect blue skies and no humidity, typical for November and December.

Taking the tram up to the Peak is a must for anyone, and the dizzying views overlooking Victoria Harbour will blow you away. Shoppers will need extra-strength willpower to resist the myriad of bargains available – from street-market knock-offs to mind-blowing price tags on glittery luxury items. Another must is enjoying dim sum, a culinary treat that is unparalleled anywhere in this world for its variety and freshness. Watch chopsticks fly in action as dish after dish after dish is presented and one variety of steamed dumpling after another parades onto your table. By the way, if you burp – no worries! Perfectly acceptable here.

The flight from Hong Kong to Bangkok is a quick three-hour jump (make sure you change your watch though – Bangkok is an hour ahead). Just weeks before my visit, Bangkok was devastated by high flood waters. Over time, waters have receded and the city has slowly begun to return to normal. I saw a few sandbags scattered about, and cars still abandoned on elevated highways (the driest and highest ground in the city), but for the most part, it’s business as usual in Thailand. In Bangkok, I hopped on tuk-tuks, learned how to make gorgeous orchid arrangements from giggling old ladies in the flower market, and thoroughly enjoyed a flavorful 18-course gourmet dinner in one of the city’s most beautiful upscale hotels.

After braving Chiang Mai’s narrow streets by bike, I tried a different form of transportation. I don’t care how jaded a world traveler you are, spending a couple of hours on top of an elephant going through the jungle is FUN. It’s like riding a gentle hairy-backed roller coaster. I loved feeding the ridiculously cute baby elephants bananas (make sure you peel them for the babies since they haven’t quite mastered full use of their trunks yet) and meeting friendly members of the Akha and Karen tribes (famous for the ladies having long, giraffe-like necks) who showed us how they made their beautiful jewelry and handicrafts.

I ended my stay in Chiang Mai at one of the most beautiful and luxurious properties in all of Thailand – the Mandarin Oriental’s Dhara Devi. This fairytale hotel offers everything from romantic Colonial-style suites to jaw-dropping $950-a-night villas complete with your very own private outdoor Jacuzzi overlooking a rice paddy. If five-star opulence is your thing, this is the hotel that will set the bar for future experiences.

Did you know? Most hotels in Hong Kong and Thailand now feature built-in plug adapters for foreign visitors. No more need to bring bulky and expensive voltage converters for your electrical gear.

Ethical Traveler’s 13 Tips for the Accidental Ambassador

Travel is most meaningful – and least intrusive – when you approach your destination with openness, respect, and a willingness to adapt and learn. If you behave in an informed, culturally sensitive manner, you’ll not only come away with truly memorable people-to-people experiences, but you’ll also leave behind a positive impression with your hosts. As guidelines, we present these 13 tips from our friends at Ethical Traveler (www.ethicaltraveler.org).

1. Be aware of where your money is going. Patronize locally owned inns, restaurants, and shops. Try to keep your cash within the local economy, so the people you are visiting benefit directly from your stay.
   
2. Avoid giving gifts directly to children. Give instead to their parents or teachers. When giving gifts– everything from pens to pharmaceuticals – first ask what’s needed, and who can best distribute these items in the community.
   
3. Learn basic greetings. Learn to say “please,” “thank you,” and as many numbers as you can. It’s astonishing how far a little language goes toward creating a feeling of goodwill
   
4. Remember the economic realities of your new currency. A few rupees one way or another is not going to ruin you. Don’t get upset if a visitor who earns 100 times a local salary is expected to pay a few cents more for a ferry ride or an egg.
   
5. Bargain fairly and respectfully. The final transaction should leave both buyer and seller satisfied and pleased. Haggling is part of many cultures, but it’s not a bargain if either person feels exploited or ripped-off.
6. Learn and respect the traditions and taboos of your host country. Never, for example, pat a Thai child on the head, enter a traditional Brahmin’s kitchen, or open an umbrella in a Nepali home!
   
7. Curb your anger, and cultivate your sense of humor. Travel can present obstacles and frustrations, but anger is never a good solution. It’s perversely satisfying, but won’t win respect or defuse a bad situation. A light touch, and a sense of humor, are infinitely more useful.
   
8. Arrive with a sense of your host country’s social and environmental concerns. Our site will direct you to good profiles of many popular travel destinations. It’s also very useful to read the political background section in your guidebook, and the local English-language papers.
   
9. Learn to listen. People in other nations often feel underestimated or patronized by travelers from the developed world. This fosters anger and resentment. Be aware that good listening skills and respect help shape the world’s view of your country.
   
10. Practice conservation. Never be wasteful of local resources – especially food and water. Your efforts at conservation will be noted and respected by your hosts, and will set a good example for your fellow travelers.
    
11. “Can you please help me?” This is the most useful phrase travelers can learn. Rarely will another human being refuse a direct request for help. Being of service, and inviting others to express their kindness, is what the phrase “global community” is all about.
    
12. Leave your preconceptions about the world at home. The inhabitants of planet Earth will continually amaze you with their generosity, hospitality, and wisdom. Be open to their friendship, and aware of our common humanity, delights, and hardships.
    
13. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.’s best line is worth remembering. “Strange travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.” Go with the flow, and give free reign to your sense of adventure!

Earn discounts with donations to READ Global
Travel philanthropy is a concept embraced and supportedby so many of our clients, and many of you have helped us raise many thousands ofdollars to support READ Global over the years. You have trekked over theHimalayas to help lay cornerstones in the foundations of libraries, you havebrought family and friends to see it in action in Nepal and Bhutan, you've evenasked your wedding guests to donate to READ!

Now, in celebration of READ's 20th Anniversary, whenyou book a new Myths and Mountains trip and donate a minimum of$250 to READ, we will match your donation witha $250 discount on the total land costs of your trip. Joinus in empowering rural villagers in Nepal, India, and Bhutan, andwe'll thank you from the bottom of our hearts (and with our bottomline).

• For new trips booked during Oct 15, 2011 - Jan 15, 2012.
• You must mention the promo code of READ250 when planning your itinerary with one of our travel specialists.
• A booking is defined as one or more travelers booking the same itinerary (i.e. The Smith family travels together to Peru; donate a minimum of $250 to READ Global and we'll deduct $250 from your total land costs for the entire family).
• *Applicable only to trips with a minimum land cost of $2000 pp or more for the booking (excludes air).
• Your trip payment must include a separate non-refundable check made payable to READ Global for