International/Outdoor Adventure trip? (cycle, hotel, hotels, airline)

[flpyrner]

Trying to decide on an international trip but there are just so many places to choose from. Rough life, I know. Anyways, my SO and I have a total traveling budget of $6,000 and 2 weeks between us. We are pretty active. We compete in marathons, triathlons, mountain bike races, ect so we've got pretty good fitness. We like to translate our active lifestyles to our travels and do & explore fun things. We love backpacking/hiking, mountaineering, snorkling, rafting, kayaking, cycling but we also want to spend a couple of days relaxing. We are not luxury travelers, so don't need 5 star accomadations or anything. I've been to Asia a couple times but with only 2 weeks, I feel that Asia is too far. We would be flying out of DFW and ideally, I would like to keep travel times (flight + layover) to 15 hours total. Random places on the top of my head: Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Iceland, Spain, Italy......what would you suggest with the time and money contraints above and our criteria. Any help or advice would be gladly welcomed. TIA!

[almost3am]

I can only comment on what I know, so here are a few:
-Machu Pichu of course
-Julian Alps has an awesome hut system. I hiked in Slovenia a few years back (Triglav) and had a great time
-I recently hiked in Serra das Orgaos in Teresopolis Brazil (not too far from Rio). They had a hut system, but I only did an all day hike. It was really pretty.
-A previous trip to Brazil I hiked in Itatiaia National Park and had a great time, really cool plant life and ran across some monkeys and a couple really big birds

Brazil is pretty expensive to get to these days, not sure about other countries.

[mdp_az]

If you're interested in mountaineering, keep in mind that some of the best peaks in South America are at 17-20k+ feet in elevation, so you'll need quite a few days to properly acclimatize before climbing. That said, I think you could have an amazing trip there on a $6k budget.

How about setting a base in Chamonix, France, the adventure capital of Europe and exploring the Alps from there. Alaska and the Canadian Rockies could also be in consideration, though that might not be "international" enough for you.

[rational1]

The Alps in the summertime are doable on that budget. Could be France, Italy, Switzerland or Austria. Austria probably the cheapest.

I am not a fan of Chamonix as a center because it is lower in elevation and really just off the highway. Carless villages like Zermatt, Saas Fee, Obergurgl, etc. will be a better experience.

[sponger42]

If you reverse your decision to rule out Asia: I suggest you do the Taiwan Triad:

1. Bicycle around the island (maybe just along the beautiful East Coast if you don't have time to make the whole circuit).
2. Swim across Sun-Moon Lake.
3. Climb Snow Mountain.

All of these things are do-able for reasonably fit individuals without any special equipment. Hotels are reasonable and very nice. There are tons of Hotel/coffee/resturants especially catering to bicycle tourists.

Inbetweentimes you can visit night markets, clubs, and tea houses in Taipei, relax on the black sand beach in Yilan, and party like it's 1999 down south in Kenting.

[Chava61]

Originally Posted by flpyrner

Trying to decide on an international trip but there are just so many places to choose from. Rough life, I know. Anyways, my SO and I have a total traveling budget of $6,000 and 2 weeks between us. We are pretty active. We compete in marathons, triathlons, mountain bike races, ect so we've got pretty good fitness. We like to translate our active lifestyles to our travels and do & explore fun things. We love backpacking/hiking, mountaineering, snorkling, rafting, kayaking, cycling but we also want to spend a couple of days relaxing. We are not luxury travelers, so don't need 5 star accomadations or anything. I've been to Asia a couple times but with only 2 weeks, I feel that Asia is too far. We would be flying out of DFW and ideally, I would like to keep travel times (flight + layover) to 15 hours total. Random places on the top of my head: Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Iceland, Spain, Italy......what would you suggest with the time and money contraints above and our criteria. Any help or advice would be gladly welcomed. TIA!

I have been to Ecuador including the Galapagos Islands and it is definitely a place where one can do outdoor activities and relax.

[flpyrner]

Thank you so much for the suggestions and advice!

-Machu Pichu of course
-Julian Alps has an awesome hut system. I hiked in Slovenia a few years back (Triglav) and had a great time
-I recently hiked in Serra das Orgaos in Teresopolis Brazil (not too far from Rio). They had a hut system, but I only did an all day hike. It was really pretty.

Yes, Machu Pichu is exactly what I was thinking when I thought of Peru. I was also thinking of the Alps but didn't even think from Slovenia. Serra das Orgaos looks amazing, but yes, I was a bit worried on $$ for Brazil. I'll have to do the research to see if that is a viable option.

If you're interested in mountaineering, keep in mind that some of the best peaks in South America are at 17-20k+ feet in elevation, so you'll need quite a few days to properly acclimatize before climbing. That said, I think you could have an amazing trip there on a $6k budget.

How about setting a base in Chamonix, France, the adventure capital of Europe and exploring the Alps from there. Alaska and the Canadian Rockies could also be in consideration, though that might not be "international" enough for you.

Yes, very true about acclimization and S. America. I was just in the Himalaya's this past fall and 18,000+ was BRUTAL! I was there for almost a month. I agree with being able to get more bang for my money in S. America, that's why it holds a big appeal to me but I worry with 2 weeks it won't be enough time to do peaks like Aconcagua or Cotopaxi. I don't want to it blitzkrieg style and end up with HAPE or HACE.

Not sure if Chamonix is within budget. From my very limited knowledge, I thought it was a bit expensive on the French side and a stretch for my budget? I love Alaska and the Canadian Rockies....I've already been though. Alaska is where my love of the mountains began!

The Alps in the summertime are doable on that budget. Could be France, Italy, Switzerland or Austria. Austria probably the cheapest.

Thanks for that tip! I was originally thinking Italy would be cheapest.

If you reverse your decision to rule out Asia: I suggest you do the Taiwan Triad:

1. Bicycle around the island (maybe just along the beautiful East Coast if you don't have time to make the whole circuit).
2. Swim across Sun-Moon Lake.
3. Climb Snow Mountain.

All of these things are do-able for reasonably fit individuals without any special equipment. Hotels are reasonable and very nice. There are tons of Hotel/coffee/resturants especially catering to bicycle tourists.

This sounds like a ton of fun as well but I just did a quick search on ticket prices and for 2 RT tickets to Taipei, it is more than half of our budget just on airfare. 18ish hrs total flight time is doable but def on the top end of my spectrum for a 2 wk trip. I will have to tuck this away for another time. Thank you though! Oh, and gear wise.....both of us are gear whores. We don't have a gear closet......we have an entire room dedicated to our gear!

I have been to Ecuador including the Galapagos Islands and it is definitely a place where one can do outdoor activities and relax.

Originally that is why I threw Ecuador in the mix thinking about the Galapagos Islands but just did some light research and not sure if it would be feasible with our budget. Is everything packaged in the Galapagos?

Thank you everyone for all the awesome suggestions and advice. My travel list and ideas has gotten longer!

[mdp_az]

I think with two weeks in Ecuador you could spend a few days touring Quito and the surrounding area while adjusting to altitude and then still have enough time to knock off Cotopaxi and Chimborazo with adequate rest time in between. If your physical conditioning and the weather are good you could possibly throw Cayambe in for the trifecta. Accessibility to these mountains is great so you don't kill a lot of time on long approach hikes.

Aconcagua will be another story altogether. Just getting to BC is a chore and can take a while, then you have to spend a few days progressing slowly up the mountain so you don't get hit w/ altitude sickness. Two weeks is almost certainly not enough time for that one. It's become so overrun with tourist climbers though; I'd probably prefer to hit the lakes region around Bariloche and do some peak bagging there instead if I were looking at Chile or Argentina.

[Chava61]

Originally Posted by mdp_az

I think with two weeks in Ecuador you could spend a few days touring Quito and the surrounding area while adjusting to altitude and then still have enough time to knock off Cotopaxi and Chimborazo with adequate rest time in between. If your physical conditioning and the weather are good you could possibly throw Cayambe in for the trifecta. Accessibility to these mountains is great so you don't kill a lot of time on long approach hikes.

Originally Posted by flpyrner

Thank you so much for the suggestions and advice!

Originally that is why I threw Ecuador in the mix thinking about the Galapagos Islands but just did some light research and not sure if it would be feasible with our budget. Is everything packaged in the Galapagos?

Thank you everyone for all the awesome suggestions and advice. My travel list and ideas has gotten longer!

I lived a year in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Definitely I recommend visiting Quito (the capital) and nearby Equator line as well as Cuenca (Ecuador's 3rd largest city). Another town that I visited was Riobamba located between Guayaquil and Quito in the mountains. I have also heard that coastal town of Manta is nice, but I have never been there.

As for the Galapagos Islands, the best way to see it is to buy a package deal which includes staying on a boat. It is also possible to buy the airline ticket/s separately and then buy a separate package which includes hotel and full board (3 meals a day) on one of the main islands with day trips (some by boat and some around the island depending which one you are on). The only way to get to see the uninhabited islands is with a guide. In order to make this cheaper for you it might be better to buy these package deals while in Ecuador locally then from the USA before you travel.

[Xica_da_Silva]

I agree with mdp_az. Mainland Ecuador sounds like the most reasonable option considering your limited amount of time and your proclivities. Also, I don't think Aconcagua is realistic with only 2 weeks.