Please count me in! Our family still remembers our trip with Costa Rica Expeditions (and Kenya Mendez as our guide) as one of our absolute favorite trips (and my sons were teenagers at the time, so the bar was set high!). Being able to replicate that type of experience in other parts of the world, through the advice of those who have been there already, would/will be wonderful. So I need advice on Africa, Peru, Scandinavia, China, Viet Nam...!

Hi Michael, Yes, this is a great idea, as long as you keep it small, personalized and focused. Otherwise you run the risk of becoming too much like all the other web-based travel site forums.... overwhelmingly large, no consensus, and tainted by marketing and sales pitches. I plan an adventure trip every summer for my family: so far we've been to Hawaii, Costa Rica, the Canadian Rockies, Vancouver Island, the Swiss Alps, and Tanzania. We want to have these experiences as a family before my kids, now teenagers, leave home. This summer, I'm looking at the Galapagos Islands or Australia, or possibly Vietnam. People are always interested that I'm able to research and plan these trips online, and often say that they couldn't figure out how to do that. It's difficult to find good information on the web, and even harder to find trustworthy opinions. Something like this blog would be a valuable resource. I'd like to participate, both to share my knowledge, and to benefit from other people's experiences.

Hi Debbie, I am Chief Marketing & Guest Satisfaction Officer here at Costa Rica Expeditions. I have been helping Michael with his new blog. You asked about travel to Vietnam and Cambodia so I have been in contact with a fellow tour operator for those countries. The name of the company is Trails of Indochina. I spoke with Vinh in thier offices in California yesterday and they would be delighted to help you with the planning of your trip. The person that you should contact is Vinh Lam, his email address is: vinh@trailsofindochina.com their website is: www.trailsofindochina.com. phone: 1-800-835-1376 They plan and operate trips in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Burma. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions. Happy Travels!

Hi Terri, I am Chief Marketing & Guest Satisfaction Officer here at Costa Rica Expeditions. I’ve worked with Michael for 23 years and I’m currently helping him with the blog. I’m thrilled that we made the grade for your teenage boys, I have teenagers too, a girl and a boy and I know how hard they can be to please! You said that you need advice for travel to Africa, Peru, Scandinavia, China and Vietnam. I’ve been doing some investigating and while I don’t have all of the contacts for you yet, I have a good start. For Scandinavia Delta of Scandinavia A/S Contact: Mads Tange Email: mads@delta-scandinavia.com Web: http://www.delta-scandinavia.com/ Vesterbrogade 35 DK-1620 Copenhagen V. D E N M A R K Tel: (+45) 33 31 12 01 Fax: (+45) 33 25 16 37 For China Eastern Journeys – Travels through China Contact: David Allardice, CEO & Owner E-mail: david@easternjourneys.com Web: http://www.easternjourneys.com Tel: + 852-2544-5488 Fax: + 852-2544-5489 The 5th Floor, Anton Building, No. 1 Anton Street, Wanchai, Hong Kong SAR, China For Vietnam & Cambodia TRAILS OF INDOCHINA Limited Contact: Mr. Vinh Lam (US Representative) Email: vinh@trailsofindochina.com Website: http://www.trailsofindochina.com 9092 McBride River Ave Fountain Valley, CA 92708-6464 Tel:1- 800 835 1376 (West Coast) Fax:1- 714 908 1844 Cell:1- 714 933 5252 For Africa Trans Africa Safaris Contact: Michelle Meyer, Tours Manager Email: michell@transafricasafaris.com Web: http://www.transafricasafaris.com Phone: +27-21-713 2063. I am still working on getting you a specific contact person for another two companies in Africa and onefor Peru. For Africa, we have a relationship with Trans Africa Safaris, mentioned above, we have known them for years. We also have had contact with &Beyond. As Michael mentioned in one of his posts, &Beyond has changed management and we are in the process of figuring the right contact for you. I personally travelled with &Beyond in 2008 with the kids and it was fantastic! If you would like to hear more I would be happy to share. I also wrote The Africa Adventure Company, they were recommended by fellow bloggers Shannon and Mark. As soon as I hear from them, &Beyond and Peru I’ll be back in touch with specific names and contact information. In the meantime…as we say in Costa Rica, Felices Fiestas!