Adventure Travel Archives - Ingenious Travel

Daydream Vacations: the Galapagos Islands

Posted in Adventure Travel, Family Travel, Groups, on 7 August 2020, by Maria Stefanopoulos, 0 Comments

So you’ve crossed off the last item on your “to-do” list, and you have a few minutes of extra time. Even if you are actively counting down the days to your next dream vacation, it can’t come soon enough. Since instant gratification for wanderlust is so hard to find, allow us to introduce the next best thing: a daydream vacation.

Why not take a “me” moment right now? The beauty of a daydream vacation is you get to go any time, regardless of how many vacation days you have saved. Refresh your coffee, mute your inbox notifications, and pull in a few calming breaths. Ready? Great, because we’re going to the Galapagos Islands!

Pinnacle Rock

Our journey begins at Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island – the most visited island in the Galapagos. The cone you see is basalt formed from the eruption of an underwater volcano. Let your eyes slip out of focus as you breathe in the salty air and abandon yourself in reverie of the stillness around you.

Yosemite National Park

Posted in Adventure Travel, Family Travel, Groups, skiing, on 5 June 2020, by Maria Stefanopoulos, 0 Comments

With many of us planning to stay closer to home this summer, more and more people are looking at visting national parks, with Yosemite National Park at the top of their list.

Hiking, rock climbing, skiing, biking or plain nature sightseeing – Yosemite National Park is one of the best places in the United States to do all these and more. The natural beauty of the area, with its verdant forests, scenic meadows, gorgeous waterfalls and giant sequoias, qualify the park to be on top of any nature lovers must- visit US sites.

You don’t have to be in top form to fully enjoy the scenic vistas and picturesque views of the park. You can easily reach its attractions in your car or you can hop on the open tour bus for a scenic drive around the area.

Planning a Luxury Safari | Ingenious Travel

Things to Consider When Planning a Luxury Safari

Posted in Adventure Travel, Africa, Family Travel, Groups, Luxury, on 28 June 2019, by Maria Stefanopoulos, 0 Comments

An African safari is on the travel bucket list of many of our clients. It’s absolutely a life-changing experience you will never forget.

Planning a luxury safari is one type of vacation where the advice of an expert travel professional is invaluable! From selecting the right location, the right time to see and experience the things you want to see, the perfect accommodations, the proper documentation, and the ideal safari guide, you’ll appreciate having someone “in-the-know” taking care of the details.

Here are some of the top things you should keep in mind when planning a luxury African safari…

Where to go?

Africa is a vast continent with diverse cultural and wildlife experiences. While many people consider a safari to be a “once in a lifetime” trip, the truth is that you can plan multiple safaris without repeating experiences.

Over 50 million tourists visit Africa each year with the majority coming from the US, UK, and France. US visitors tend to favor Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ghana, Ethiopia, and South Africa. The French prefer Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, and Mauritius. British tourists opt for Egypt, Gambia, South Africa, and Mauritius.

Collect Experiences – Not Things

Posted in Adventure Travel, All-Inclusive, Baby Boomers, Europe, Family Travel, Golf, Groups, Luxury, River Cruising, Unique Getaways, on 22 February 2019, by Maria Stefanopoulos, 0 Comments

As a travel professional, I value great experiences. The moments spent in awe of a beautiful view, a priceless piece of art or the wonder and pure joy on the face of a child as they experience something new and exciting are worth far more than the price of admission.

We all have a limited amount of time and money, and we are often faced with the dilemma of what is the best way to spend – or to invest – both of those resources.

We can choose from an endless assortment of high-tech gadgets, sparkly things, and material luxuries that will impress our friends and family… for a short time at least. Children (and some adults) have lists of the gaming systems, toys, and fashion labels they want for their next birthday or holiday gift.

But once we’ve bought the latest smart phone or the expensive shoes, how long do they last? How long will they continue to bring joy? And how likely are they to be truly treasured by those around us after we are gone?

Taking the Stress Out of Hosting A Group Trip

Posted in Adventure Travel, Baby Boomers, Europe, Family Travel, Girlfriend Getaways, Golf, Groups, Theme Vacations, on 30 November 2018, by Maria Stefanopoulos, 0 Comments

Going on a trip with a group is a wonderful way to travel. You’ll always have someone to explore with, you get to see things as a group you might not get to on your own, it’s safer to travel in numbers, and each person in the group will bring a different perspective to the experience. For these reasons alone, the idea of hosting a group trip often comes up as a good idea for families, friends, and even companies looking to host retreats.

If you decide to do a big trip as a group however, it’s no secret that it can be a little overwhelming. This is especially true if you’re the one putting it together. With that in mind, here’s a step-by-step checklist you can use to take the stress out of hosting a group trip:

Step 1- Decide where you want to travel to, and when you want to go.

Your best bet will be to initially come up with three options for the vacation as well as three separate times to go on the vacation. This is one of the perks of being the group organizer. Because you are setting the whole thing in motion, you can pick places you want to go and times that you are available.

Step 2- Consider the people you want on your group trip.

Will this group getaway be for business or pleasure? If it’s pleasure only, will this event limited to friends, family or a combination of the two? Or is this more about inviting people that you have common interests with, such as a networking/hobby/wine club/golf trip?

Dear Baby Boomer – It’s Time to Travel

Posted in All-Inclusive, Adventure Travel, Caribbean, Family Travel, General Travel Information, River Cruising, Travel Tips, on 5 October 2018, by Maria Stefanopoulos, 0 Comments

There’s no better time than the present to start crossing those dream destinations off your list. Whether you’ve traveled to dozens of places and just need another vacation, or have worked and waited your whole life for this – you deserve to see the world if you want to. Baby boomer travel is more than just an internet buzz phrase. It’s the new way of self care, and these days is more important to people nearing or in retirement age than simply sitting around the house in their golden years.

What’s preventing baby boomer travel?

According to Groups Today, the top three barriers to travel include:

Cost (43%)
Health (34%)
And Security Concerns (28%)

Ingenious Travel Can Meet Your Adventure Travel Needs

Posted in Adventure Travel, on 29 June 2018, by Maria Stefanopoulos, 0 Comments

Are you looking for something different for your next getaway? Then, perhaps an adventure trip is just what the doctor ordered. Ingenious Travel has partnered with Exodus Travels, and thanks to this partnership, we are proud to offer our clients:

More than 160 hiking itineraries
More than 90 cycling itineraries
Mixed activity trips featuring things like kayaking, canoeing and whitewater rafting
And so much more

Three Adventure Trips For Your Consideration

Posted in Adventure Travel, on 13 April 2018, by Maria Stefanopoulos, 0 Comments

Deciding on a destination for an adventure trip can be overwhelming. If you don’t even know where to begin, it makes it that much more difficult to come up with the perfect vacation for yourself and your travel companions. With that in mind, below are just three adventure trips for your consideration that might get the wheels in your head spinning, and help you figure out what a dream adventure trip would look like for you.

A Moroccan Holiday

Imagine immersing yourself in the culture of Morocco. You’ll enjoy things like bartering for leather goods in the medina of Marrakech, climbing the dunes of the Sahara Desert or trekking through the otherworldly beauty of the Atlas Mountains. Top sites in Morocco include:

Fez – The intellectual and religious Center of Morocco. does has many mosques and medersas (theological colleges) including the 9th century Karouine University, whose architecture is very similar to that seen in Moorish Spain.
Atlas Mountains – Perhaps the best place to trek here is the surprisingly fertile valleys of these rough mountains.
Jebel Sahro – a mountain range perfect for winter trekking
Marrakech – one of the ancient capitals of Morocco. The soul of Marrakech is the “Djemaa el Fna” square – acrobats, story tellers, snake charmers, boxing matches and food stalls provide the main draw for the population of this great city, and provides a great place to people watch.
Mount Toubkal – Located in the High Atlas Mountains, Mt. Toubkal is the highest mountain in North Africa and stands more than 13,000 feet above sea level.
Sahara Desert – the spot to be if you ever dreamed of riding a camel along sandy plains that feel like they go on for an eternity

Relax and Refresh in the Cook Islands

Posted in Adventure Travel, Beaches, Family Travel, Shopping, on 3 November 2017, by Maria Stefanopoulos, 0 Comments

Located in the South Pacific sits The Cook Islands. This stunning set of 15 islands are scattered across the area, and the largest island of the Cooks is . The Cook Islands are a fabulous place to consider escaping to in order to relax and refresh your body, mind and spirit. If you’re planning a visit to the Cooks, here are a few things you might want to do while there:

Go scuba diving. You’ll quickly understand why this is considered one of the best places in the world to go scuba diving. The area is not overrun with tourists and commercialism, so you will enjoy the life under the sea in a mostly unspoiled environment.
Hike through the Tropical Rainforest. The gorgeous terrain will put you up close and personal with the wildlife as you walk on nature’s green carpet.
Travel around by scooter. You can rent a scooter and travel at your own pace, stopping when you want to see something new.

What to Pack for a Visit to Botswana

Posted in Adventure Travel, on 29 September 2017, by Maria Stefanopoulos, 0 Comments

Botswana is fast becoming a popular destination for tourists seeking to go on an African Safari. Should it be a spot you too are considering visiting, you might start thinking about what to pack for your trip. With that in mind, here are just a few things to include on your list for your luggage:

First, and foremost, you’ll want to pack significantly less than you might be inclined to bring. You won’t have much room for your belongings, you’ll be moving quite a bit and your stuff will become heavy and difficult to carry with you. It’s also worth noting that on mobile safaris, there are weight limits that prevent you from bringing too much stuff.