What’s your hyper-fixation? From playing with my ‘skip-it’ in elementary school, to learning marching band music in high school, mastering my masters, marking items off of my 30 by 30 list, it seems every season of life has it’s own hyper-fixation. My current one is travel, and in a more specific, general way, my current hyper-fixation is Korea.
But why? People ask me that a lot. The simple answer, is that it’s a pandemic hobby that stuck. Probably because the speech therapist in me is enjoying the challenge of learning a totally foreign (to me) language. And maybe the urbanite in me that enjoys learning about other cultures.
I think Korea became a hyper-fixation for me because access to it has drastically changed in the last decade. The amount of food, entertainment, and educational resources available from Korea is a direct result of its economic growth and globalization, something South Korea has proactively pursued. My discovery of it, is just the result of good marketing. 🙂
But I think the best way I can describe it is that Korea feels a bit like the multiverse. If you aren’t familiar with this sci-fi concept, it’s the idea that there could be countless versions of you, simultaneously living in parallel universes, but never crossing. Being in Korea feels like I’ve stepped into an alternate universe, one with it’s very own rules and history that exist entirely independently of mine, because it does. But learning Korean and going to Korea, it’s shapeshifting my life in very interesting and delicious ways.
Visiting and learning about Korea totally shattered my stereotypes of Asia. Having visited Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, I had this idea that Asia was mostly tropical, with extremes of poverty and wealth, leaning more to the poverty side. Perhaps a little dirty. With cheap, spicy food and cheap, but nice hotels. I had seen enough in the media to know that there were places like Singapore and Tokyo that were very modern, wealthy, and clean, but it didn’t really sink in until I experienced it for myself.
So far I’ve spent around 5 weeks on the peninsula, over the course of 2 summers. This summer I went for 10 days, and went back after a week for another 10 days! I watch a lot of Korean TV. I’m even learning Korean, taking classes and private tutoring in variations over the past 3 years.
From these experiences I have learned that Korea has a very old, well preserved culture (and history) that somehow fast-tracked its way to the future. It is a clean, quiet country, unless you’re walking down a pub street, which is the only place I’ve heard Koreans raise their voice. It has ancient wooden homes and palaces surrounded by tall glass sky-scrapers and clever considerations, like massive umbrellas for cross-walk waiting zones. Because it was modernized within the current generation and because the population values respecting public space (two features New York lacks), trains are efficient, public bathrooms are clean, and it’s one of the safest countries in the world.
That last point, safety, plays a big role in what it’s like to discover Korea on foot. There are some- many- places of the world I would love to learn more about, but don’t feel safe doing so. Korea, isn’t one of them. In Korea, you have the freedom to be curious, to follow some stairs to see where they lead. To try street food without fear of its side affects. And because it’s the multiverse and nothing is like home, everything is a discovery. How to pay your bill in a restaurant. How to pay toll in a toll booth. How to use chopsticks and a spoon together. How to greet with a bow. How to handle typhoon rains. How many mountains Korea has! Because Korea is so safe, all those strange things, become an adventure. And I love it!
Other things I love about Korea: the general values of politeness, how cute everything is, the scenery, the food, peach iced tea, the convenience of the convenience stores, that not everyone speaks English but that most of the major signage is, how walkable everything is, that someone will always help you if you need it, but that most things you can figure out on your own.
So that’s why South Korea is on my travel itinerary again for 2024. Because I love it. And I love sharing it with others. Who knows how long this hyper-fixation will last, but as long as I’m actively learning Korean, I’d like to keep visiting. If you’d like to join me, check out my summer 2024 group trip option. If you’d like to take yourself, stay tuned for some travel blogs of my trips so far.
In August, 2023, I spent a very warm week in Japan with my friend, Yolanda. I say warm, but really, I mean- one of the hottest and most humid weeks of my life. I had little to no premonition that Japan is as humid as it is, so I want to be sure to thoroughly inform you- do not go to Japan in the summer. That’s it.
Japan is a beautiful country steeped in history and natural beauty, with some surprisingly modern technology thrown in. When I look back on my pictures now, I marvel at the cool experiences we were able to pack in in such a short time. But when I remember Japan, I remember heat and frustration.
In summary, probably the most challenging day of my entire summer of travel was the day a typhoon canceled our bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto, requiring a 7 hour work around, in 100+ degrees, with no seat reservations. It resulted in many hours of standing, sweating, and staying positive. Thankfully most problems are solvable, including that one, and we made it to our destination.
What I learned from this experience is, 1. do not travel in Japan in the summer if you can *at all* help it. 2. Japan is not the most intuitive place to travel. English isn’t always available when you need it. How people form lines doesn’t always make sense to me. And the public transportation is run by separate private companies, rather than the government. There are passes that allow to you access all of them, but figuring out which pass you have and how it can help you, can be confusing. 3. So plan to be flexible, because Japan is bound to be an adventure.
What we did:
With only a week is discover the country we decided to stick to the highlight reel: 3 days in Tokyo, 2 in Kyoto, and 1 in Osaka.
Tokyo
Day 1 we arrived and got convenience store instant ramen for dinner. Convenience stores in Japan are a whole thing, with everything from food to clothes to medicine to electronics, they really have anything you might need. As a standard rule, you really should get a meal there at least once.
Day 2: For our first full day in Tokyo we visited Team Labs (an interactive, all sensory experience), commuted through a wicked summer downpour, did a food tour in the Asakusa neighborhood, and explored Ueno Park. We decided that Tokyo has Asian New York vibes and we liked it, even if it was somehow hot and rainy all in the same day.
Day 3 we tried to visit the Imperial Palace but discovered we didn’t get our tickets in time, so we walked around it, making instagram reels about how hot we were before heading to the Shibuya neighborhood. Shibuya is known for its shopping, cafes, and busy intersections, including the Shibuya Crossing, one of the busiest pedestrian intersections in the world. We tried it all, of course, before heading to the top of Shibuya Sky for panoramic views of the city. We didn’t have a chance to try out all the observation decks in the city, but I would recommend Shibuya if you get a chance.
Day 4 was our disastrous travel day.
Day 5 was our day in Kyoto. Kyoto was the former capital and cultural center of Japan. We visited countless shrines and temples, did a walking tour, and passed a Geisha on her commute. Our time in Kyoto really helped me to understand the religious history and values that Japan holds. I had no idea that Japanese are such religious people, but even still there are personal shrines in front of homes and businesses, in addition to the dozens of large locations in the city.
Day 6 we took a train to Osaka and discovered the world of tiny streets, large signs, and shopping.
Day 7 we took the train to the airport to depart on the next leg of our journey.
If you ever get a chance to visit Japan, don’t go in the summer. Do eat all the good sushi, mochi, Cremia Ice cream, a quality beef. Walk the winding streets and feel the history. And enjoy whatever you discover along the way. I also recommend booking things in advance and doing your research on where to eat. Japan has some of the best food in the world, but we found that it’s easy to miss if you are trying to avoid lines. So, just do your research.
Bonus: me, looking and being especially sweaty.
Fun fact: I had to buy a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from my face because in Japan, the humidity prevents your sweat from drying.
I’m not saying that you should NEVER go to Japan in the summer. I’m just saying, you will like it better if you don’t. I hear cherry blossoms in the spring and red maples in the fall make those seasons better times to visit.
In the midst of my 2023 summer of travel, I made a little, 2 day solo trip, to Copenhagen, Demark, mostly because I knew I’d need a day off between hosting back to back tour groups, but also because my teenage bedroom boasted a framed poster of Copenhagen’s painted houses and I wanted to see them for myself.
Since it was supposed to be my down time, I kept the sight seeing to a walking tour and roaming the shops between loads of laundry and sleeping.
But Copenhagen is amazing and I want everyone to know!
It’s a cool 60-70* in the summer. Love! It has a rather relaxed vibe for a city, with low buildings and cobblestone streets and looong sunshiny days due to its northernly location.
It’s a city that experiences a month of darkness in the winter, which I think makes summer extra precious somehow? They also have the tastiest pastries, cute shops, and a surprising number of Spanish speaking tour guides.
Fun fact: due to the limited winter sun, most of Denmark does not use curtains. It’s your job, as a respectful person of society, to not look into people’s houses, according to my Spanish tour guide.
It’s also home to Denmark’s royals, who supposedly make frequent public appearances, including unguarded morning jogs. Everyone loves them for this. We got to catch a little changing of the guard action on our tour.
My advice if you go: get groceries for some meals because food is not cheap! And do a walking tour, it’s a great way to see the city and get some context for it all. And maybe go for more than 2 days. Now I just want to go back.
NOTE: Due to increased violence in South America, specifically Ecuador, this itinerary has changed. Read more to see how.
What this trip is:This is a 10 day group trip of the highlights Peru. We will start and end the trip in the capital of Lima, to allow for round trip flights. Our itinerary will include a day trip to sand dunes and islands, and spend several days in the historical cities of Cusco and Machu Pichu. The target dates are July 5-14th, 2024. The target group size is 8-10 people. The age is 21 and up. The price is $1550 + airfare and food. The registration deadline is March 10, 2024.
Goal: The primary goal of this trip is to explore the culture and history of Peru. The secondary goal is to have fun doing it. I cannot promise you that I won’t make any mistakes as a newbie tour guide, but I can promise that I will be responsible to solve it. You can just relax and enjoy the ride! Along the way you can anticipate 1000+ years of history, the rugged beauty of the Andes Mountains, and more kinds of potatoes than you ever thought possible. They say Peru has over 4000 varieties of this starchy vegetable, can you imagine??
Itinerary: Fly in Lima, Peru on July 5th and home on July 14th. Along the way we will explore the capital of Lima, take a day trip to sand dunes and islands, and spend several days in the historical cities of Cusco and Machu Pichu. Specific details, including optional tours and daily itinerary can be found here.
What to Expect of South America in August: It will be winter while we are there. As it is close to the equator, we can expect moderately warm temperatures, especially in lower elevations. However, as we will be in the Andes Mountains, sometimes at elevations of 11,000 feet or more, we can expect it to be cold. Another thing to consider is the types of insolation in the buildings as buildings in the area may not have good heating systems due to how short the cold season is. It is realistic to expect to pack layers, or stock up on the llama wool outerwear that the region is famously known for.
Speaking of elevation, we are talking about 10 days in a very high part of the world. You can expect countless stairs, hikes, and walks, and not just on a ‘hike’ but even just to our hotel. Pretty much everyone can expect to struggle with altitude sickness at some point. There are many local remedies and medications we can try, but I am also intentionally scheduling this trip to go from lower to higher elevations in the hopes that we will build up resistance and reduce any side affects. However, with this in mind, you will need to be gracious with yourself and others as no one really knows how we’ll feel until we get there. It would also be in your best interest to be physically active before the trip to reduce fatigue as much as possible. Above all else, you must have a clean bill of health to travel.
Another thing to consider is that, because of how the tourist industry has developed in these regions, many of the activities are only accessible with a guide, especially things that involve hiking. I will try to offer a variety of tours so you can get what you want out of each area we are in, but if you are a person who prefers to wander independently, you will need to expect to curtail that wandering some days on this trip.
Special note: This is a train and bus to hike around Machu Pichu style tour. This is not a hike the Incan trail tour, just to be clear.
Note on the flight: You will be responsible to get yourself to Lima, Peru on July 5th by 5pm and leave on July 14th.
*Note on Safety: Due to an increase in violent and nonviolent crimes in Peru, this trip requires an understanding and agreement that safety is our first priority.
Please read the US State Departments’ view on Peru’s Safety, especially noting the tab under ‘safety and security’. Please understand that if you join this group, you 1. Understand that we will do everything we can to be safe, but I can make no guarantees. 2. You are agreeing to travel as a group, never alone, especially at night and 3. we will not be out at night, even as a group, unless we have determined that we are in a very safe location. Peru, reportedly, has a 7 pm sunset in July.
What to expect from me: If you don’t know me well, you can read about me here. If you want to learn more about my travel style, click around on my page or find me on instagram @tripsbycamille. I’ve reviewed many of my previous adventures. I have been to 30 countries and counting, the majority of which I have had a significant role in planning. I do enjoy figuring out the details, but I also love the travel itself. Sometimes things don’t go as planned but my favorite part is when they go better than planned. So I keep planning and going because I love the surprises that travel brings. I’m excited for the opportunity to share these surprises with you and want to thank you profusely for even thinking this is an idea worth reading about.
Special note: I do speak Spanish and will be the acting translator for those who need it on the trip.
What I expect from you: I expect that you are adults. For this reason (and my own legal liabilities) you must be at least 21 to join the trip. I am agreeing to coordinate but I’m not agreeing to be a chaperone or a maid. I ask that everyone is considerate and responsible, that you ask for help if you need it, chip in where you can, keep track of your own travel documents, and you don’t wander off without telling someone.
I always say that travel is a gift. It’s an incredible privilege and my hope is that we can all keep this in mind as we go. Gratitude and grace go a long way about half way through a trip when the sun is beating down and you don’t know where the nearest bathroom is and maybe your travel coordinator is scrambling to pull the group together. So, I am asking that you bring your gratitude and your flexibility because we’ll be growing together.
Luggage Policy: If you haven’t traveled much internationally you are going to be surprised by my next statement, but everyone will be allotted one carry on suitcase and one hand bag/backpack. First, because we are being budget friendly and probably basic economy airfare. Second, because mountains= stairs and you do not want to be lugging a full sized suitcase over the Andes. Also, we will be traveling by plane, taxi, and public transportation. You will be very thankful for packing light, even if it means you have to decide what you will wear before you get there. In light of this, I will be booking accommodations with a washer and dryer at some point on our trip in case you need to do any laundry.
Note: Some people in my past groups have opted to carry large backpacks rather than pull a suitcase around. My only word of caution in this regard is that you will possibly be carrying that backpack for a half an hour or more, depending on the commuting situation. Since this always makes me too hot and tired, I opt for a suitcase, but that’s just me.
Additionally, I recommend that everyone pack a ‘daypack’ sized back pack or crossbody to use for carrying water, clothing layers, etc. A drawstring backpack, while handy, will not be comfortable for all day wear.
$1550 plus airfare, food, souvenirs, and optional tours. Should this change, you will be given adequate warning.
What Is Included
Trip Planning Fee: itinerary formation and managing tour and within trip transportation bookings
Transportation between cities: Flights from Quito to Cusco and Cusco to Lima. Transportation on day trips. Train to Machu Pichu. Basically, things that can be booked in advance. Spontaneous taxis, bus from the airport, etc, are not included in the trip price as they are difficult to calculate in advance.
Accommodations: These are double occupancy accommodations, allowing for you to share a room, but not a bed. If you are traveling with someone who you would be willing to share a bed with, let me know and I will calculate a discount for you. If you are wanting your own room, that is an option for a fee as well. Some locations may be hotels, lodges, airbnbs, or hostels. I prefer airbnbs as they get you into local neighborhoods, but I will be cross-referencing prices and booking other options if they are better.
Tours: 2-day Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu Tour, Island and Desert Day Trip from Lima, and Lima Walking Tour are all included. For more details, follow this link.
Specific Transportation: Your international flights and public transportation. It is impossible for me to guess how much tickets will cost from each of your homes, or to calculate how many bus rides we will be taking, so I am not able to include that in the price. However, I am happy to help you with booking, if you have any questions, and will be helping you purchase public transit tickets upon arrival.
Meals and food: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee shop stops, empanadas, etc are not included in the price. This is to allow you maximum control over your food budget and preferences. The internet recommends budgeting an additional $20-$50 a day to cover this cost, although I would keep in mind the rising price of food. I am not opposed to getting groceries for breakfast some days, or packing lunches, if the group wants to cut some corners.
Sim cards: I tried to include this last year and learned that everyone has different needs depending on their phone plan. For this reason, I will not be including it this year. If you would like advice about this, I’m happy to give it as the date of travel approaches. However, most people opt to pay the roaming fee to their phone company and keep it simple.
Souvenirs.
Extra tours or excursions, specifically Cusco Market and Food Walking Tour ($48) and Rainbow Mountain Hike from Cusco (starting at $34). If you opt out of the tours, you are welcome to use your free time as you wish. For more information, follow this link.
Travel insurance (including health insurance). Given the events of 2020, I do recommend travel insurance. I have found World Nomad’s Travel Insurance to be reasonable in the past, although I haven’t needed to file any claims yet.
You can sign up by following this link SIGN UP and completing the trip application.
The Payment Plan
If you have read all the way to the bottom of this page, I’m assuming you are pretty interested in this trip. Hooray! If you are ‘in’ and ready to make it official here’s the plan:
Follow the link to Sign up and confirm your spot.
The registration deadline is March 10, 2024 and the registration fee is in the form of a $100 non refundable deposit that will go towards the cost of your trip. If, for some reason, I need to cancel the trip, I will refund the money to you, no cost.
You may choose the pay the entirety of your debt at the time of registration or within 60 days of registering.
Pack your bags because…
Summer 2024, we will head out on the adventure of a lifetime!
NOTE: Payments are accepted via cashapp and venmo. I will share my accounts to receive payment when you sign up. This trip is non refundable and any travel insurances that you wish to purchase will be additional costs to you. Prices are subject to change, with adequate notification to participants.
There! That’s the whole thing! (For now.) (I think.)
If you have any questions, email me at: tripsbycamille@gmail.com or contact on my socials.
What it is:This trip is an 10 day group trip of South Korea, with an optional 4 night extension to Jeju Island. The base trip includes 3 nights in Seoul, 1 night in Gyeongju, 2 nights in Busan, and 2 nights in Seoul. As an optional extension, you can add 3 nights on Jeju Island (South Korea’s Hawaii), and 1 night in Seoul to round out your trip. Transportation on the mainland will be via train, bus, uber, and public transportation. If you choose the extension, this includes a road trip around Jeju Island, sometimes called the Hawaii of Korea. The base trip target dates are August 8-17, 2024, with the extension ending on August 21st. The group size is 8-10 people and the age is 21 and up. The target price is $1500 for the base trip + airfare and food, and $1900 with the extension + airfare and food. The final registration deadline is March 10th, 2024.
Goal: The primary goal of this trip is to explore the culture and history of the Southern half of the Korean Peninsula. The secondary goal is to have fun doing it. I cannot promise you that I won’t make any mistakes as a newbie tour guide, but I can promise that I will be responsible to solve it. You can just relax and enjoy the ride! Along the way you can anticipate nearly 2000 years of history, family style meals, humidity, mountains, and coffee shops! There is no end to the cute cafe culture in South Korea. Of note, as this is a road trip, you can expect off the beaten path stops, allowing you to experience unfiltered South Korea at its finest.
Itinerary: Special note: The itinerary has been updated based on feedback from interested parties. Read the details here.
Fly to Seoul, South Korea on August 8, 2024 and home from Seoul, South Korea on August 17, 2024. The base trip includes 3 nights in Seoul, 1 night in Gyeongju, 2 nights in Busan, and 2 nights in Seoul. As an optional extension, you can add 3 nights on Jeju Island (South Korea’s Hawaii), and 1 night in Seoul to round out your trip. Transportation on the mainland will be via train, bus, uber, and public transportation. If you choose the extension, this includes a road trip around Jeju Island, sometimes called the Hawaii of Korea. A volcanic island rich in natural beauty, small towns, waterfalls, tea plantations, and unreal sunsets, this extension will round out your trip with some vacation down time. We will fly back to Seoul for one night to catch our flight home on August 21st. Optional tours are noted in the itinerary and below.
What to Expect of South Korea in August: It will be hot and muggy. August is still part of South Korea’s rainy/typhoon season, and while the monsoon rains will have passed by then, it will still rain and/or drizzle every few days. Or every day, who knows? You will want to pack cool clothes. You can also pack a small umbrella and fan, or buy them as souvenirs. Also, many meals in Korea are served family style, or in the least, shared side dishes. This is a great way to try out everything and see what you like!
South Korea is roughly 97% Korean, so you can expect to be a minority, especially in rural areas. With that in mind, it will be our job to be considerate of the culture and norms as we are the outsiders there. That being said, there are many English speakers and signs in touristy areas to help us navigate. Don’t worry, Korea is an incredibly safe and interesting place. Crime does happen, but it’s fairly rare. So just enjoy the ride. You will be endlessly entertained and curious, wonderful feelings to have when traveling. And I will help you the best I can, leaning very heavily on lessons I learned from my previous trips to Korea and my 3+ years of Korean language studying.
Because this is a road trip, you can expect several hours in the car, specifically within the 5 day road trip portion of our itinerary and the Jeju Island portion, should you select that option. Don’t worry, South Korea is much smaller than the US and our longest drive will be under 5 hours. I will try to offer a variety of tours so you can get what you want out of each area we are in, but if you are a person who prefers to wander independently, you will need to expect to curtail that wandering some days on this trip.
Also, you can expect to walk, a lot. Korea is 60% mountainous and the mountains don’t level themselves for the cities. You will be hiking every day. On the plus side, it gives you a lot of freedom to eat whatever you want! Not to mention, we will be relying on public transportation when in cities. South Korea is very walking and public transit friendly, but that can make it tiring. You should be physically and emotionally prepared to walk more than 10,000 steps a day. Above all else, you must have a clean bill of health to travel.
Note on the flight: You will be responsible to get yourself to and from Seoul Incheon Airport, arriving by August 9 and leaving August 17 or 21st. If you want to extend your trip in any way, you are welcome to do so. If you need help with figuring out flights, please let me know.
What to expect from me: If you don’t know me well, you can read about me here. If you want to learn more about my travel style, click around on this website or find me on instagram @tripsbycamille. I have reviewed many of my previous adventures here. By the time of this trip I will have been to 29 countries, the majority of which I have had a significant role in planning. I do enjoy figuring out the details, but I also love the travel itself. Sometimes things don’t go as planned but my favorite part is when they go better than planned. So I keep planning and going because I love the surprises that travel brings. I’m excited for the opportunity to share these surprises with you and want to thank you profusely for even thinking this is an idea worth reading about.
What I expect from you: I expect that you are adults. For this reason (and my own legal liabilities) you must be at least 21 to join the trip. I am agreeing to coordinate but I’m not agreeing to be a chaperone or a maid. I ask that everyone is considerate and responsible, that you ask for help if you need it, chip in where you can, keep track of your own travel documents, and you don’t wander off without telling someone.
I always say that travel is a gift. It’s an incredible privilege and my hope is that we can all keep this in mind as we go. Gratitude and grace go a long way about half way through a trip when the sun is beating down and you don’t know where the nearest bathroom is and maybe your travel coordinator is scrambling to pull the group together. So, I am asking that you bring your gratitude and your flexibility because we’ll be growing together.
Luggage Policy: If you haven’t traveled much in Asia you are going to be surprised by my next statement, but everyone will be allotted one carry on suitcase and one hand bag/backpack. First, because we are being budget friendly and probably basic economy airfare. Second, because travel= stairs and you do not want to be lugging a full sized suitcase over the notorious mountains of Seoul. Also, we will be traveling by train, car, and public transportation. You will be very thankful for packing light, even if it means you have to decide what you will wear before you get there. In light of this, I will be booking accommodations with a washer and dryer at some point on our trip in case you need to do any laundry.
Note: Some people in my past groups have opted to carry large backpacks rather than pull a suitcase around. My only word of caution in this regard is that you will possibly be carrying that backpack for a half an hour or more, depending on the commuting situation. Since this always makes me too hot and tired, I opt for a suitcase, but that’s just me.
Cost
Base trip: $1500 + airfare, food, optional tours, and souvenirs.
Base trip with 4 night extension: $1900 + airfare, food, optional tours, and souvenirs.
*Depending on final train costs, size of the group, and lodging needs. Should this change, you will be given adequate warning.
What Is Included
Trip Planning Fee: itinerary formation and managing tour and within trip transportation bookings
Transportation between cities: Trains and buses between cities in South Korea, as well as rental car fees and flights to Jeju Island are included. Spontaneous taxis, bus from the airport, parking fees, etc, are not included in the trip price as they are difficult to calculate in advance.
Accommodations: These are double occupancy accommodations, allowing for you to share a room, but not a bed. If you are traveling with someone who you would be willing to share a bed with, let me know and I will calculate a discount for you. If you are wanting your own room, that is an option for a fee as well. Some locations may be hotels, lodges, airbnbs, or hostels. I prefer airbnbs as they get you into local neighborhoods, but I will be cross-referencing prices and booking other options if they are better.
Included Tours: DMZ, Night Market Food Tour, Hanbok rental, Wolji pond tickets, Busan cable car, Busan Guided Tour, Nami Island Day Trip
What Is Not Included:
Your international flights and public transportation. It is impossible for me to guess how much tickets will cost from each of your homes, or to calculate how many subway rides we will be taking, so I am not able to include that in the price. However, I am happy to help you with booking, if you have any questions, and will be helping you purchase public transit tickets upon arrival.
Meals and food: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee shop stops, bingsu (Korean shaved ice), etc are not included in the price. This is to allow you maximum control over your food budget and preferences. The internet recommends budgeting an additional $35-$45 a day to cover this cost, although I would keep in mind the rising price of food. I am not opposed to getting groceries for breakfast some days, or packing lunches, if the group wants to cut some corners.
Sim cards.I tried to include this last year and learned that everyone has different needs depending on their phone plan. For this reason, I will not be including it this year. If you would like advice about this, I’m happy to give it as the date of travel approaches. However, most people opt to pay the roaming fee to their phone company and keep it simple.
Souvenirs.
Extra tours or excursions. Optional Tours: Namsan Tower ($23), Busan Yacht Tour ($20), Seoul Cooking Class ($78), Udo excursion (~$30). If you opt out of the tours, you are welcome to use your free time as you wish. For more details, follow this link.
Travel insurance (including health insurance). Given the events of 2020, I do recommend travel insurance. I have found World Nomad’s Travel Insurance to be reasonable in the past, although I haven’t needed to file any claims yet.
Sign Up
You can sign up by following this link SIGN UP and completing the trip application. Registration deadline is March 10, 2024.
The Payment Plan
If you have read all the way to the bottom of this page, I’m assuming you are pretty interested in this trip. Hooray! If you are ‘in’ and ready to make it official here’s the plan:
Follow the link to Sign up and confirm your spot.
The final registration deadline is March 10, 2024 and the registration fee is in the form of a $100 non refundable deposit that will go towards the cost of your trip. If, for some reason, I need to cancel the trip, I will refund the money to you, no cost.
You may choose the pay the entirety of your debt at the time of registration or within 60 days of registering.
Pack your bags because…
Summer 2024, we will head out on the adventure of a lifetime!
NOTE: Payments are accepted via cashapp and venmo. I will share my accounts to receive payment when you sign up. This trip is non refundable and any travel insurances that you wish to purchase will be additional costs to you. Prices are subject to change, with adequate notification to participants.
There! That’s the whole thing for now! (I think)
If you have any questions, email me at: tripsbycamille@gmail.com or contact on my socials.
If you give a girl a passport, she will probably want to travel.
She’ll start with an easy mission trip to Central America, which will inspire her to learn Spanish better.
If she learns more Spanish, she will want to find a job that uses it. Maybe even a career.
If she wants a career, she’ll need to go to college. She might decided to become a speech therapist and combine her love for Spanish with her love for language.
If she wants to be a bilingual speech therapist, she’ll have to move to New York, because that’s where the bilingual speech therapy programs are.
If she moves to New York, she’ll be exposed to even more cultures and languages and food, and she’ll want to travel more.
If she wants to travel more she might become a tour guide so she can travel all the time.
If she can travel all the time, she might inspire you to go with her.
If you want to go with her, you will need a passport too.
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At the start of last year I had this dream to take a trip around the world in celebration of paying off my student loans. That trip did end up happening, in some form, but at the time I was afraid that it wouldn’t. Enter, a well timed flight discount email- and my friend Rachel and I booked ourselves a spring break trip to Panama. Panama has been on my list for awhile because I heard it was nice and there are often cheap flights. If you read my post last week you may notice that Puerto Rico and Panama share several similarities.
One of my goals of this trip was to see if I could enjoy slow travel. My friend Rachel is a pro and is very good at savoring moments. I still have much to learn, I learned. It was a very hot and humid time of the year, so I can’t say I’d recommend that. But it’s a beautiful and interesting place, so I DO recommend that.
The Highlights
As with Puerto Rico, Panama has an old city, or Casco Viejo, that was colonized by Spanish conquerors. We took a walking tour through Guru Walk, which I enjoyed!
It also has a rain forest, within the city limits. Rather, several rain forests I believe. We didn’t see too much wildlife in the one we went to, but supposedly you can see sloths there.
Also like Puerto Rico, it’s capital is on the ocean. We took a ferry to a nearby island, Taboga,for a idyllic day in the sun.
In contrast to Puerto Rico, Panama has more cash flow with the Panama Canal generating income and bringing foreigners to it’s country for decades. This brings more options in restaurant variety, nice hotels, and overall safer vibes (in my opinion). It’s cool to visit the canal and see it in action. I especially enjoyed seeing the big ships up close on our ferry ride to Taboga.
Other highlights of the trip included daily breakfast and swim at our fancy, but cheap, hotel. We stayed at the Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Panama Punta Pacifica and I do recommend.
The view from our hotel pool deck.
Panama City is also a great city for wandering and I enjoyed the shopping in Old Town and the views in every general direction.
Tips:
Get a SIM card from a local phone company and then use Uber. Both are very cheap and make navigating so much easier! We got our SIM card at a mall by our hotel, but I think you can get them at the airport too.
You don’t need Spanish to navigate Panama, but it always helps.
When you do your research, be sure to specify Panama City, Panama, or the google will give you Florida.
Why Panama:
If you are looking for something with the accessibility of Puerto Rico that actually gets you a passport stamp, Panama is a good choice!
It has a variety of history and modern, urban and nature that give you plenty to do.
There is enough to do to keep you busy, but it’s also a beautiful place to just relax.
Fresh seafood and fruit. Need I say more?
It’s the safest I’ve felt in Central America. We even wandered the streets at night and never ran into any shady people, both in the old town and downtown. Maybe it was an anomaly, but I appreciated it.
Like Puerto Rico, it’s an easy destination for a spontaneous or shorter trip, since the flights are always cheap and the weather is always sunny.
It’s basically summer. Do you have any travel plans this year? If you don’t, may I suggest, Puerto Rico? A few weeks ago I was chatting with some friends about our favorite travels, and they listed Puerto Rico in their top choices. Some winning attributes are the tropical climate, ease of access (Americans don’t even need a passport), and the variety it offers. Back in 2021, when the world was just coming alive again, my friend Esther and I made a quick summer trip to the Island. My only caution about Puerto Rico in the summer is that it is technically rainy season, and you will probably be rained on at many points of your trip. But the showers don’t last long and the humidity isn’t unbearable, so I wouldn’t let that keep you from going then.
Our trip was just 5 days, which we mostly spent in the capital, San Juan. For colonial architecture, visit Old San Juan and Castillo del Morro, the fortress at the tip. We found many cute spots to pose for pictures and even more wonderful spots for food. I highly recommend piraguas– freshly made shaved ice, and Anita’s Gelato. Mofongo is another local food you should try. It’s basically the mashed potato version of plantain.
We ate. Well. We experimented with instaworthy poses around town.
We also rented a car for a visit to El Yunque National Rainforest. It rained, as a rainforest does, so we had to leave earlier than we planned since the mountainside was turning into a waterfall. But boy, was it entertaining and beautiful! I definitely recommend bringing ponchos for this part!
We hiked a rainforest and it rained.
For our last day, we went to the beach. San Juan is right on the coast, so the beach is a must.
We stopped at the beach on the way to the airport.
Tips:
You don’t need Spanish to navigate Puerto Rico, although it always helps.
Ubers and taxis are the most convenient way to get around.
As always, please travel smart. Puerto Rico can sometimes have unrest and, as with most major cities, there are more and less ideal places to stay in San Juan. Old San Juan and the hotel beaches are usually a safe bet.
So why Puerto Rico?
It’s an American territory, which makes it accessible, but also Spanish, so it doesn’t totally feel like you’re in America.
The Old Town and Fortress are especially interesting. Colonized by Christopher Columbus himself, one can’t help but notice the impact of Spain on this little island.
It has a nice variety of urban and rural– coffee shops and road side stands, ubers and frogs, walking and riding.
The Spanish dialect is one of my favorites. I picked it up working with Puerto Ricans while I lived in Pennsylvania, which really helped because it’s not so intuitive. Basically, they drop most final consonants and pronounce R’s as L’s, among other things. I love that they own it and often their menus reflect the pronunciation. Kind of like ordering ‘chicken ‘n biscuits’ in the South.
It’s a great destination for a long weekend or spontaneous trip as it doesn’t require too much travel planning and the flights are usually cheap.
Bonus: A selfie with Jesus- because He’s my favorite celebrity.
Welcome to my new page! I have officially outgrown my original, unpronounceable, travel blog ‘apanueloworld.’ This is new site, Trips by Camille, is meant to be my catch-all for my travels past, present, and future. But more than that, this will be where you can find information about my group trips, should you be feeling nosey and/or interested in joining them. So welcome, make yourself at home! Be sure to click around and see what’s new. If you have any opinions about where our next trip should be, be sure to fill out the questionnaire before leaving!
You may notice that I transferred my travel guides from apanueloworld to my new site, just for ease of accessibility. If these posts look familiar, thanks for following me here!
*Originally posted on apanueloworld.com regarding a trip in 2016.
In the Spring Break of 2016, I went on a flying trip through Chile. It was a sister/cousin girl trip to visit my cousin Carissa while she lived there. Not to mention it helped me knock off 2 times from my 30 x 30 list (cross the equator and travel with my sisters). All in all, the week was a smashing success. I wasn’t so sure when we started this dream how it would turn out. And I felt a lot of the responsibility being the oldest, the only fluent Spanish speaker, and the planner of the trip. But where I fail, Christ abounds. And somehow all the details worked together to remind me again, what an incredible gift it is to travel.
Now, chances are, you know every little about Chile. You may know it’s in South America. Win! But what I don’t think you know is that if there is anything you want to experience while traveling- you can experience it in Chile. Don’t worry- you will soon see what I mean.
Great Things about Chile:
Alex and Carissa. They lived there. They hosted us. And Alex let Carissa traipse around the country with us for a few days, while being 5 months pregnant. They are fantastic, brave, loving people. And I’m so lucky to call them family.
The spectrum of views. Chile actually has a law against restraining people from enjoying its natural beauty. Which means we got to hike through someone’s hill-side to chase a sunset and stop along the side of the road to capture a river. And no one stopped us, even when we had to climb barbed wire fences! Now, this law is not without its merit. Chile is a beautiful country. Chile is 2,653 miles long. That’s roughly 800 miles longer than the US is wide. With the ocean to the West and the Andes Mountains to the East, the length of the country faces a variety of climate shifts as it crosses each longitudinal marker. In planning the trip it was my goal to see the spectrum of Chile’s infamous geography. So, we started in the South and moved our way North. Here’s a summary in panoramas. {Coyhaique, Chile, in the Patagonia region} {Hilltop view in the capital, Santiago} {Hillside view in Valparaiso, a coastal city made up of 45 hills} {The colorful Valparaiso streets} {Another Valparaiso view. We loved our day trip here!} {Salt flats in the desert of San Pedro de Atacama, the driest desert in the world.}
The culture. It’s an interesting combination of ‘cold-climate’ culture and Spanish culture. It includes kissing your friends on the cheek and squeezing by strangers on the train. The Spanish is a delicious flavor of sloppy pronunciation and unique vocabulary that was just close enough to Honduran Spanish to keep me mostly in the loop. And the country, as far as I can tell, is safe to travel. As a leader of a group of girls, I was concerned about safety. I was intentional about not being out after dark unless I felt safe in the neighborhood, which turned out to be almost everywhere we went. Which was a good thing because the sun set at 7 there.
The varieties of weather. As Chile is on the other side of the world (hemisphere wise) it was fall in Chile while we were there. However, the farther North you go, the warmer it gets. Makes it awfully tricky to pack when you anticipate snow-capped mountains and desert flats in the same one week span. To give a picture: {Guess the weather today: but ask a local.} {What about here?}
The food. To be fair, it’s not ALL the best in the world. But they do literally have the best ice cream (it’s rated in the top 25 in the world). And, I really enjoyed that shrimp empanada I had! {See, even Carissa approved!}
The dogs. In Chile, stray dogs abound. But unlike anywhere I’ve been in the world thus far, stray dogs are cared for. Fed. Petted. Enjoyed. And they followed you everywhere.
So, that’s what I loved about Chile. Now it’s time for some trip highlights.
{Drinking tea in the Andes after a steep hike to chase the sunset on our first night.}
{Our last night of blitz, golf, and parting conversation.}
{Gasping at views as we drove.}
{The sunrise through our floor to ceiling apartment wall of windows to wake us.}
{Crossing the equator. Here we are when the flight map showed we were there.}
{Traveling with these all-stars. They didn’t get mad when I accidentally booked a tour for the wrong day and daily told me how much they liked my planning. Travel isn’t just what you see, it’s who you see it with. And these gems, they made that 13 hour flight worth it!}
Things I would do differently next time:
Stay longer. Short trips mean you miss things, like experiences or sleep, or both. I think we crammed a lot of things into our week in Chile, so I have no regrets about what we missed out on, as I don’t think we would have had time for anything else. But what we didn’t get much of was sleep. You can tell sometimes in these pictures by the looks on our faces and our post taxi nap hair.
What I would do next time:
All of it. Again and again. I mean, what’s not to love?
{See, even Carissa approved!}
Trips by Camille 