Intelligent Travel

Jenss Family Travels: Welcome to Bhutan

Check out this and other posts at our new blog website: www.intelligenttravelblog.com

Rainer Jenss and his family are currently on an around-the-world journey, and they're blogging about their experiences here at Intelligent Travel. Keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts, and follow the boys' Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids.

Land of the Thunder Dragon . . . Kingdom in the Clouds . . . Shangri La . . . Himalayas . . . Gross National Happiness.

Read anything about the Kingdom of Bhutan, and these will likely be among the buzzwords you'll come across. They're what piqued my curiosity a few years ago while researching possible adventure vacation options for a friend and I. Investigating a little further, I discovered that this remote country nestled between Tibet and India only allows about 20,000 foreign visitors a year, perfect for someone like me who was looking for something unspoiled and exotic. And after being exposed to Buddhism's basic principles through years of practicing yoga, I could further explore the religion in this remote part of the world.

When our family's around-the-world trip became a reality I had to inform my trusted travel companion that the "boys only" trek to Bhutan would have to wait. But as Carol and I started mapping out our route through Asia, I couldn't resist tossing up Bhutan as an option. Was it a risk to take Tyler and Stefan to such an isolated country in a region we knew little about? 

We noticed that National Geographic Expeditions offered tours there and asked if Bhutan was a good family-friendly destination. They responded with a resounding 'yes,' and with their enthusiastic endorsement, we made it work, anticipating that this might just be the highlight of the trip.

If there were any trepidations about how we would handle Bhutan's harsh terrain, spicy food, or unique culture, we figured the six weeks spent in Asia leading up to the trip would have us prepared. The kids seemed thrilled to be going on another tour because of the positive experience they had in China, so when we met up with the group in Bangkok, I wasn't surprised to see Tyler and Stefan immediately gravitate to the trip's expert, Richard Whitecross.

Jenss Family Travels: Sayonara Japan

Rainer Jenss and his family are on an around-the-world trip, and they're blogging about their experiences for us here at Intelligent Travel. You can keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts and following the boys' Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids.

Week Three of our immersion into the world of Japanese culture brought us to Tokyo, the city that fueled my longing to return to this country after my first visit there some fifteen years ago. Since we had gotten acclimatized to city life from our time in Kyoto (not to mention Beijing and Shanghai the previous month), dealing with crowded train stations, especially the subway platforms of Shinjuku, which are the city’s busiest, didn’t faze us. Besides, the boys were too fixated on the various types of trains that shuttled us around the country to even notice.

So besides zipping around on the Japan Railways, we aimed to find some activities that would strike a balance between kid-friendly and culturally enriching. Sorry guys, we didn’t come all this way to go to Tokyo Disney!  Fortunately, this proved to be far less challenging than I originally thought because Tyler and Stefan were becoming fond of Japan. Furthermore, they enjoyed learning the basic phrases and didn’t seem bothered at all by the language barrier. This proved quite helpful as we headed out on our first day trip in Tokyo.

But while seeking cultural experiences, we had to admit that there’s only so much that will hold the interest of an eight- and eleven-year-old. If Carol and I had been here by ourselves, we surely would have attended the Kabuki Theatre to take in one of the oldest and most traditional Japanese art forms. Instead, we found ourselves in a place called Kidzania, a child-sized replica of a real city that enables kids to learn about the adult world, and the value of money and work, by experiencing various professions. So what could possibly be so culturally relevant about that?  For starters, I must admit that I was growing rather fatigued from continuously asking the kids to mind their manners since we arrived in Japan. After all, this is a country that from early childhood emphasizes discipline and restraint, and nowhere was this more evident than in a children’s entertainment center. With all due respect to American families back home, Kidzania confirmed that the Japanese by-and-large have their children under control and very well behaved, which only added to my anxiety of scrutinizing our children's every move. Nevertheless, Carol and I were amazed at how well they adapted to the culture. Kids are certainly known for their resilience, but I never would have imagined that they both would be eating several varieties of raw fish, pickled vegetables, soups and noodle dishes by the time we left. Stefan has even gone so far as to say he’d rather eat a meal with chopsticks than a knife and fork.  And Tyler was completely serious when he requested a heated toilet seat for his next birthday.

Jenss Family Travels: Japan's Secret Gardens

Rainer Jenss and his family are three months into their around-the-world journey, and they're blogging about their experiences for Intelligent Travel. You can keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts and following the boys Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids.

Three important occasions marked our second week in Japan: a milestone, a birthday, and an anniversary.  It was also a time that brought to light the joys and unique challenges of spending a year traveling with your family. 

To celebrate Carol’s birthday and our fifteen-year wedding anniversary two days later, we had made plans to be in Kyoto because I had been told, by the editor-in-chief of National Geographic Traveler no less, that it was one of the most magnificent places on Earth. Needless to say, expectations were high when we arrived via bullet train from Nagasaki after spending most of our first week in the rural areas of southern Japan (like the well known EuroRail pass, Japan Railways had two week unlimited travel passes available that are good throughout the country – a big plus).

Over the course of the first three months of this trip (a hint to what the milestone is), I repeatedly emphasized to the boys the importance of first impressions. “When you initially meet someone,” I explained, “how you act towards them in the first few minutes will likely form their opinion about you forever.”  I further clarified that this also applies to places and objects, and told them that judging something before getting to know it was foolhardy. In the case of Kyoto, I realized I needed to heed my own counseling. This was a big city. Not New York or Tokyo big, but big enough where 1.47 million people call it home and mass transit is the best way to get around. This was not the vision I had, however, from admiring so many photographs of its famous temples and gardens. It is also not the romanticized pre-WWII Memoirs of a Geisha Kyoto either.  Experiencing the tranquility of meticulously manicured rock gardens or seeing a genuine geisha was going to take some effort and experienced guidance. Or maybe a babysitter, for as the week progressed, I become obsessed with this quest for enchantment. But could it even be possible with two children and a host of other tourists to contend with? I was determined to at least give it a go.

Jenss Family Travels: People to People in Japan

Rainer Jenss and his family are currently on an around-the-world journey, and they're sharing their experiences with us here at Intelligent Travel. You can see all of their stops so far by bookmarking their blog posts here.

After we went against our instincts and booked a group tour in China, Carol and I had mixed feelings on where we should head next. Japan was another country in Asia that we didn’t think we could handle without some professional assistance. For weeks before we left, we deliberated about even including this country on our itinerary since Carol's initial research confirmed what we suspected, that Japan would be a pretty expensive destination for a family of four. After all, there seemed to be more affordable options to consider in Southeast Asia that wouldn’t break the bank. But I was pretty adamant since I had always wanted to see more of the country after traveling to Tokyo for business in the mid-'90s. Besides, I thought the boys would be very interested in the place that invented Nintendo, sushi, and origami. I was determined to make it work even though we didn’t know anyone who could help us with housing. Renting a car didn’t seem practical and youth hostels in Japan were not really an option for us. And when we looked into organized tours, they were pretty cost-prohibitive. Finally, at the recommendation of a friend who had traveled around the world with her own family for two years, we contacted the national tourist board for counseling.

I was a bit skeptical at first, but after I talked to the Japanese National Tourist Organization and explained to them our situation and budget, they seemed quite enthusiastic and confident that they could help. Specifically, I emphasized that we wanted an authentic experience – to immerse ourselves in the culture as best we could – not just stay in hotels and see all the major tourist attractions. Moreover, we wanted a relaxed schedule that wasn’t too hectic. After all, we were not your typical tourists. This was just three weeks out of 54 for us, and we had home schooling to do! So after a few rounds of revisions, we came up with an itinerary that seemed to fit the bill and budget, and on the last official day of summer, we landed in Fukuoka to begin our quest to discover the real Japan.

Jenss Family Travels: Inside China

I’ve always thought there were two types of international travelers in this world:  those who go with organized tour groups and those who don’t. Carol and I would vehemently classify ourselves as the latter. Following a predetermined timetable or sticking to a daily schedule was not a way we typically chose to explore a new destination. Furthermore, the idea of adhering to a fixed agenda discouraged us from tours in the past.

As we prepared to tackle planning for China and other areas of Asia, however, we realized that we couldn’t just wing it, especially with two small boys in tow. For many, having flexibility is exactly what offers up the thrill of traveling in the first place, but in our case, we decided to shelve the negative associations we had with tours in favor of the security they’d give us in handling the language barrier, transportation needs, and logistics of traveling in this country as a family. So we splurged and went with an operation I know well, National Geographic Expeditions, to give us a more in-depth and inside look at China.

The night before we were to meet the other members of our group and tour guides, I warned the boys that there would be no other kids to play with on this segment of our trip and that mom and dad would likely be among the younger people in the group. This was to be a more "academically" focused excursion and I wouldn’t say it was exactly tailored for an average eight- and 11-year-old.  This was indeed the case, but as we would quickly realize, there were some wonderful personalities accompanying us. As it turned out, we were very fortunate that most of our fellow travelers found Tyler and Stefan an added bonus to the trip, not a hindrance. (This was a much welcomed relief since we were not on one of the dedicated family trips that are offered specifically during the summer months, and I was fairly obsessed with having the kids behave and not spoil anyone else’s experience.)   

Beijing’s Encore

Rainer Jenss and his family are two months into their around-the-world journey and they've just landed in Beijing, where they've found that they're both tourists and tourist attractions unto themselves. Follow along with the Jenss family by bookmarking their blog posts here.

As we prepared to touch down in Beijing after a long day’s journey from Honolulu, I flipped through the in-flight magazine to the section with the airline route maps just to confirm that we were in fact going to be halfway around the world from our hometown when we landed. My rough calculation had us just east of the official marker, but close enough. I did this just in case a psychological boost was needed for Tyler and Stefan - if they started getting homesick or didn’t like Asia, I could easily tell them that from now on, we’d be traveling back towards home. (Even though that’s actually not completely accurate, it sounds good.)  So much to my delight, after our first week in China, I don’t think I’ll need to pull this out anytime soon, for the boys are having a ball, thanks to some good fortune and surprises.

As the day arrived for us to leave the U.S., it wasn’t hard to notice that the kids were a bit nervous and less enthusiastic than they had been leading up to our departure. Stefan had no inkling of what China would be like and Tyler was concerned about the language barrier. The layover in Tokyo, however, turned out to be a blessing, because it gave them a very good first impression of Asia via the cool Japanese products in the terminal shops (particularly the origami store). The sushi and noodle restaurant we sampled didn’t hurt either. When finally arriving in Beijing, we were greeted by a friend-of-a-friend whom I had only met via e-mail. She’s an ex-pat living in the suburbs who offered to put us up for as long as we wanted. Having two children of her own made it especially welcoming for the boys, and for Carol and I, we had a voice of experience that could familiarize us with China and help navigate the city. 

After two days of acclimation, we ventured out on our first excursion into China, hiring a guide to assist us in experiencing Inner Mongolia (an absolute must given the immense language barrier). We were particularly intrigued with the notion of sleeping in a yurt out in the wide-open grasslands – kind of like camping Chinese style. As expected, the boys got a kick out of it, but apparently, so do a lot of other Chinese tourists. Much to our surprise, big tour buses rolled en masse into this small "middle-of-nowhere" location two hours outside of Hohhot, the region’s capital.

To our further amazement was the fact that of all the hundreds of other visitors, we were apparently the only Westerners – I mean only. Subsequently, we became as much of a tourist attraction as the Inner Mongolian countryside. This was also the case when we visited the outskirts of the Gobi desert. Our camel trek turned into a massive photo shoot, making us feel more like grand marshals waving in a parade than camel jockeys. Stefan, in particular, was in hot demand to get on film. One man even went so far as to kiss him square on the cheek.  This fascination with blonde hair and blue/green eyes even carried over when we returned to Beijing. 

The U.S. Top Ten List

For the last two months, Rainer Jenss and his family have been traveling across America on the first leg of their around-the-world trip. Bidding farewell to the shores of Hawaii, they now recount some of their favorite stops along the way so far. You can follow them on their trip by bookmarking their posts here.

For most families, Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer vacation. For us, it meant the dress rehearsal was over and the real deal begins.

It’s hard to believe that two months have already passed and with the exception of a brief interlude in Quebec, we haven’t even left the country. Sure, it’s quite a long time to be on the road and we covered many miles, but the U.S. was pretty easy to navigate, even though we had no experience with many of the places we visited. And that was precisely our intention when we mapped out the itinerary -- start with what’s familiar to ease us (especially the boys) into this yearlong voyage before venturing off to Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America. There would be no dealing with different languages, going through immigration and customs, sampling new and strange foods, or driving on the other side of the road. But that all changes starting now.

We hopped a plane from Honolulu to Tokyo, where we’ll connect on to Beijing. To close the first chapter of the trip, we decided to have some fun and do a Top Ten List of the "Best of America" for the boys’ blogs that they’re posting on the National Geographic Kids website. Although our children’s perspectives were not too far from our own, I wanted to share what Carol and I found best about this country as we experienced it during the last eight weeks. Important footnote: We traveled through only 20 states, almost exclusively in the northern half, so there’s a whole lot of territory not in consideration here that could easily make it on a list like this, so this is by no means definitive.

Favorite City: Seattle was one of my favorite U.S. cities before this trip, and our stay there this time around further solidified that distinction. The laid-back vibe, excellent food, cool music scene and gorgeous surroundings hold special appeal for us. I also had never entered the city from the east, and doing so through the Cascades showcased even more of Seattle’s beautiful nearby environs that I had not seen before.

Best Beach: I added this because a summer vacation for our family would be incomplete without visiting one. To be fair, I’ll divide this into three categories. The east coast: White Crest Beach in Wellfleet, Cape Cod. The west coast: Oswald West State Park Beach in northern Oregon. Hawaii: Honokalani Black Sand Beach at Wainapanapa State Park. This is certainly not the prettiest, but we found it the most memorable and unique.

Not All Scenic Drives Are Created Equal

Rainer Jenss and his family are in the seventh week of their year-long around-the-world trip, and they're blogging about their journey here at Intelligent Travel. You can follow all of their posts by bookmarking the link here.

I actually found myself quite sentimental handing over the keys to the car that had just taken us from New York to California in the first seven weeks of our trip. “13,162 miles, is that the best you could do?” the dealer asked sarcastically as he took possession of the vehicle. Ah, little did he know that 8,235 of those were put on the odometer in just the last 35 days. And to top it all off, it was done with an eight and eleven year-old in the back seat.

So how did we survive all those miles and time in the car without calling it quits before we even left the States? We made it a rule that the boys could only play with their handhelds or watch videos during long car rides and plane flights during this year-long trip. As a result, they actually seem to look forward to the extended periods of inactivity we’ll face on the road. Then there’s the satellite radio. There's a station for practically every musical genre, so when driving in Chicago, the blues channel got top billing.  In Wyoming, we put on bluegrass, and as we drove around San Francisco, nothing but the Grateful Dead channel would do. I’m sure I’m not alone in the importance I place on the musical soundtrack that accompanies me on long car rides, especially on drives that are scenic and "driver friendly," i.e. open road. In fact, maybe I’ll start a book called “Roadtunes” in the spirit of “Roadfood” that helped us out so much!

Of course, then there’s the drive itself that made it all worth it. Sure, there are stretches that don’t offer much in terms of scenery or points of interest, but they’re not nearly as boring or tedious as I had imagined. Carol was fascinated by all the hay bales in the central states, while Tyler enjoyed spotting all 50 state license plates, and Stefan kept a lookout for cool vanity tags, "ICE CRM" being his favorite. And every so often, we had the opportunity to take one of those epic drives you read about in travel magazines or guidebooks. We drove classics such as the 27-mile Acadia Park Loop Road, the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, and through the Serengeti of the U.S. in Yellowstone before we reached Highway 101 and began cruising down the famous Oregon coastline to California. When we pulled into Cannon Beach, Oregon, last Saturday night, everything seemed set for what should have been the highlight of the cross-country voyage.

Jenss Family Travels: Coast to Coast

Rainer Jenss and his family are in the midst of a yearlong around-the-world trip, and they're blogging about their travels here at IT. Keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts here.

I am a big fan of Michael Palin for two reasons. First and foremost, I love Monty Python. But perhaps my favorite work of Palin's comes not by way of his comedy, but for the series of travel documentaries he produced for the BBC over the past 20 years that feature him traveling Pole-to-Pole, Around the World in 80 Days, and Full Circle. What I'm particularly intrigued by is that he makes it a priority to travel over as much physical landmass as possible during each of his journeys and whenever possible, does so without the use of aircraft. His objective is to capture the true essence of what lies between different geographical locations, gaining the perspective that distance, space, and time provide.

In retrospect, watching these programs probably helped influence our decision to travel around the world for a full year, without stopping or coming back home for the duration, as much as anything else. As a frequent business traveler, I have taken my fair share of cross-country flights from New York to the West Coast, and noticed that rarely do passengers look out the window or know where they are during the roughly six hours on board the plane. Instead, we get in our seats, sleep, eat, read a book, work on our laptop, or watch a movie and then BAM - we step out into a different city thousands of miles away that still speaks English, and has plenty of Starbucks and copies of USA Today. Frequent flier is really a more accurate term for who we are and what we do. After all, a true travel experience provides you with a sense of place, something a cross-country flight just can't capture. Never before had I had the time or opportunity to do it the Michael Palin way, until now.

For the last six weeks, I've blogged about our family's cross-country trek that took us through 18 states (and two provinces in Canada), covered 7,600 miles, and didn't find us in a single airport. We witnessed incredible scenery, met warm and friendly people, and experienced the country in a way too few people get a chance to do, along one continuous trail from one coast to the other. As a result, I don't think any one of us will quite look at a map of the U.S. the same way again, or board a plane without appreciating the distances they cover and landscapes they fly over. So as we drove into Seattle six weeks after we left home, we celebrated the fact that we had now officially driven across the country, and there was still so much more to see and do.

Jenss Family Travels: Glacier National Park

In between rapids along the Flathead River, our whitewater rafting guide Nick asks our group of nine to guess what percentage of visitors to nearby Glacier National Park don't ever venture more than a half a mile away from their car during their stay. I guess 50 percent. Carol says 60 percent. More like ninety percent, he tells us, much to our amazement. Whether he’s 100 percent accurate or not, I find this figure especially hard to believe considering just the day before, I felt like I was sharing one of the park’s most popular hikes, the Avalanche Trail, with half of Montana’s population. It was so crowded (for hiking standards) when we set out on the 4.7 mile loop, that I told Carol and the kids that we were on the Disney Trail, and that we should have gotten a FastPass.

Glacier was, in fact, the sixth national park we would visit during our seven-week cross-country odyssey that begins our around-the-world trip.  That’s six of the 58 officially designated national parks in the U.S.  No wonder Tyler made the sarcastic comment that America was being overrun by national parks. “Hey, that wouldn’t be such a bad thing, would it?” I told him. But his comment made me wonder. Would this be the impression Tyler takes away from his trip across America, that the country is nothing but beautiful mountains, lakes, landscapes and hiking trails? That wildlife runs wild outside the confines of the New York metropolitan area in which he was raised? Probably not, but as I observed the multitude of other vacationing families accompanying us, I realized that many children are getting the same opportunity to see these magnificent wonders, and I hoped they are getting the full experience, which must involve getting out of the car.

So how do you make the most of your time at a national park during the peak season and with kids in tow? There are certain rules that most seasoned travelers swear by (but often break) when in the throes of a family vacation. Go to the most popular attractions early or late in the day; venture off the beaten path; and allow yourself more time to take everything in. Even though we are traveling for a year, I have to admit we didn't follow every rule every time. But here’s some of the best advice I've gathered after the final leg of our national parks tour.