Inca Trail, Peru

Inca Trail Tours are one of the most famous treks in South America. The 26 mile hike offers travelers natural beauty, culture, and adventure. Hikers will experience beautiful mountain scenery, lush cloud-forest, subtropical jungle, and of course an incredible mix of Inca ruins. Culminating the challenging trek is the arrival at the ancient Inca site, Machu Picchu. Travelers should anticipate spending at least 2 full days in Cusco prior to the hike in order to adjust to the altitude. The best time of year to hike the Inca Trail is during the dry season, which lasts from May to October or November. The rainy season is from December to April, and the trail is closed in February due to heavy rains. However, light rain at Machu Picchu is not uncommon year round. Day time temperatures can range anywhere from 50-82ºF, with night time temperatures from around 32-50ºF. 

Egypt tourism has experienced a major lull in the recent months following the country’s turmoil. However, as we recently wrote about on our blog, Egypt is Back and Even Better. Now is a great time to visit the unique country. As mentioned in our previous Know Before You Go blogs, researching cultural norms and practices of your host country is an essential part of trip planning. Whether you are already planning Egypt tours or just hoping to someday visit the Pyramids of Giza here are a few tips for being culturally responsible in Egypt.

We are always striving to improve our services and one of the best ways to do that is to consult with our clients. Speaking with clients who have recently returned from their trips is the best way for us to gauge how we’re doing. We pride ourselves on being unique, unlike any other travel agency, by providing completely customized itineraries and access to the world’s most unique boutique hotels, eco lodges and private tours. But don’t just take our word for it; hear what our clients have to say! Global Basecamps’ reviews can be found at the following locations:

Adventure.Travel: Adventure.Travel is an informational site that offers reviews to help travelers plan their next adventure. We have a 5 star rating on Adventure Travel Trade Association’s directory.

Given the plethora of tours and exotic destinations, planning an adventure can be both exciting and overwhelming. With so many distractions, the well-being of the people who support these incredible destinations are often overlooked. The consumer’s lack of awareness is a major underlying issue in this struggle for human justice. This next blog series will shed light on the ongoing socio-cultural impacts of the tourism industry as well as solutions that can be taken to prevent being a part of the problem.

Reaching the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and inhaling the magnificence of the African safari is undeniably an experience of a lifetime. As you revel in the raw natural landscape, take a moment to ponder the contributing factors that went into making this glorious life changing moment a reality.

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Porters are undoubtedly the backbone behind any mountain expedition. These hard working individuals undertake the daunting task of carrying the enormous load of gear for the entire trekking group. Imagine the difficulty of climbing this challenging peak with as much as 66 lbs on your back? Bearing the burden, is only a portion of the hardships that the porters must face. The harsh environmental conditions and lack of proper equipment present various health implications including: exposure, hypothermia, frost-bite, altitude sickness, and in the worst cases, death. Many tourists misconceive the severity of the situation, by making the assumption that porters are accustomed to such extreme conditions. This premise is far from the truth, according to the International Porter Protection Group porters suffer from more accidents, illness and deaths than Western trekkers. Inadequate clothing, footwear, shelter, nourishment, medical care, insurance, and wages also contribute to the problematic life of the porter.