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  • Our Adventures
    • Africa
      • Ultimate Africa: Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe Safari 2012
      • Safari Serengeti: Tanzania Lodge & Tented Safari 2012
      • The Best of Kenya & Tanzania 2012
      • Out of Africa: Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya & Tanzania 2012
      • Namibia & the Skeleton Coast: Africa's Last Wilderness 2012
      • Morocco Sahara Odyssey 2012
    • Antarctica
      • Antarctica's White Wilderness 2012
    • Asia
      • Heart of India 2012
      • Soul of India: The Colorful South 2012
      • Nepal & the Mystical Himalayas 2012
      • Imperial China, Tibet & the Yangtze River 2012
      • NEW! Mongolia & the Gobi Desert 2012
      • Ancient Kingdoms: Thailand, Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia 2012
      • Inside Vietnam 2012
      • Discover Thailand 2012
      • From Siam to Saigon: Thailand & Vietnam Revealed 2012
      • NEW! Burma: Land of Golden Temples & Floating Gardens 2012
    • Central America
      • Real Affordable Costa Rica 2012
      • Costa Rica: Natural Parks & Tropical Forests 2012
      • Route of the Maya 2012
      • Panama Canal Cruise & Panama: A Continent Divided, Oceans United 2012
    • Europe
      • Hidden Gems of the Dalmatian Coast & Greece 2012
      • Treasures of the Aegean: Greek Island Cruise, Athens & Istanbul 2012
      • Cruising the Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina 2012
      • Turkey's Magical Hideaways 2012
      • Turkey's Sacred Lands & Ancient Civilizations 2012
      • The Baltic Capitals & St. Petersburg 2012
      • Untamed Iceland 2012
    • Middle East
      • Israel: The Holy Land & Timeless Cultures 2012
    • South America
      • Machu Picchu & the Galápagos 2012
      • Ultimate Galápagos Exploration & Ecuador's Amazon Wilds 2012
      • Amazon River Cruise & Rain Forest 2012
      • Real Affordable Peru 2012
      • NEW! Colombia's Colonial Jewels & Caribbean Coast 2012
      • The Wilderness Beyond: Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego & the Chilean Fjords 2012
      • Chile & Argentina: The Andes to Patagonia 2012
    • South Pacific
      • Pure New Zealand 2012
      • Ultimate Australia 2012
      • Australia & New Zealand: An Adventure Down Under 2012
    • New Adventures
      • NEW! Mongolia & the Gobi Desert 2012
      • NEW! Burma: Land of Golden Temples & Floating Gardens 2012
      • NEW! Colombia's Colonial Jewels & Caribbean Coast 2012
    • Cuba with the Foundation
      • A Bridge Between Cultures 2012 – Read more on the Grand Circle Foundation website
  • Ways to Save
    • Solo Friendly Travel
      • 10 Reasons to Travel Solo with OAT
      • Lowest Solo Traveler Prices in the Industry: Guaranteed
      • Solo Traveler Challenge
      • Find a Roommate
      • What Solo Travelers Have to Say About OAT
      • Top Solo Adventures
    • Refer and Earn
      • Refer and Earn

        When you refer new travelers to OAT through our Vacation Ambassador Referral Program, you’ll earn $100 per person in CASH or credit—and the more travelers you refer, the greater the rewards. New travelers you refer enjoy instant savings of $100 per person off their first adventure.

        » Learn More

    • Group Leader Program
      • Group Leader Offers
      • Group Leader Tips & Tools
      • Meet the Group Sales Team
      • FAQs
      • Group Leader Spotlight
      • Popular Group Adventures
    • Good Buy Plan
      • Good Buy Plan

        Guarantee your trip price—and save up to 10%—with OAT's exclusive Good Buy Plan.

        » Learn More

    • Frequent Traveler Credits
      • Frequent Traveler Credits

        Every time you travel with OAT, you'll receive a Frequent Traveler Credit worth 5% of the advertised cost of your trip, applicable toward the next OAT adventure you take within one year.

        » Learn More

    • Travel Protection Plan
      • Travel Protection Plan

        When you purchase OAT's Travel Protection Plan, you can cancel your OAT adventure at any time—up to the day of your departure, and for any reason—and retain the FULL value of your trip, including your deposit.

        » Learn More

    • Last Minute Travel Deals
      • Last Minute Travel Deals

        Act now to take advantage of these terrific savings on last-minute departures, available exclusively on our website. You won’t find these deals anywhere else!
        Last updated: Friday, February 3, 2012

        » Learn More

    • Maximize Your Savings
      • Maximize Your Savings

        Travelers love the value we provide—and we’re proud to offer discovery-rich adventures and the lowest prices in the industry. Learn how you can save even more, whether you’re traveling with a companion or solo.

        » Learn More

    • Lowest Price Guarantee
      • Lowest Price Guarantee

        Reserve a 2012 departure of any OAT Land Adventure and you’re guaranteed to receive our lowest price. If we reduce the price of your main departure, we will automatically refund the difference to you.

        » Learn More

  • OAT Difference
    • Adventure Travel
      • Adventure Travel

        Adventure travel with OAT is a journey beyond the familiar, one that takes you into the very heart of a destination—to meet people where they work and live.

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    • OAT Advantages
      • OAT Advantages

        Journey with the leader in adventure travel and watch your dreams take flight, thanks to the principles which ground every OAT adventure: value, choice, discovery, and carefully paced itineraries.

        » Learn More

    • Small Groups, Big Discoveries
      • Small Groups, Big Discoveries

        When you discover the world in an OAT small group, you’ll journey off the beaten path to the places the big tour groups miss—and enjoy an intimate, discovery-filled adventure filled with personal connections, shared experiences, and treasured memories.

        » Learn More

    • Trip Leaders
      • Trip Leaders

        No matter where in the world you venture with OAT, you'll have one of our resident, expert Trip Leaders by your side. All are fluent in English and possess the skills, certification, and experience necessary to ensure an enriching adventure.

        » Learn More

    • True Choice
      • True Choice

        New for 2012, you can customize your trip, creating the OAT adventure that's right for you. When you make your reservation, you can choose our standard air routing—or you can request that one of our Air Travel Consultants contact you to discuss other options.

        » Learn More

    • Sir Edmund Hillary Team
      • Sir Edmund Hillary Team

        Many OAT travelers return to discover the world with us time and time again, and to show our appreciation, we've created the Sir Edmund Hillary Team, a membership rewards program for travelers who've joined us on three or more adventures.

        » Learn More

    • Awards
      • Just Announced: Condé Nast Traveler’s 2012 Gold List and Platinum Circle
      • Condé Nast Traveler's 2011 Gold List
      • Travel + Leisure Magazine's 2010 Global Vision Award
      • Condé Nast Traveler's 2010 Reader's Choice Awards
      • Travel + Leisure Magazine's 2010 World's Best List
    • Grand Circle Foundation
      • Index

        Grand Circle Foundation

        Simply by traveling with OAT, you support the work of the nonprofit Grand Circle Foundation. Alan and Harriet Lewis created the Foundation with the mission of changing people’s lives through travel—which includes both the travelers who journey with OAT, and the local people who welcome us so warmly into their homelands.

        » Learn More

    • About Us
      • The Grand Circle Family of Travel Companies
      • Our History
      • OAT: Our Story
      • Our Vision, Mission, and Values
  • Community
    • Harriet's Corner
      • Harriet's Journal
      • Travel Talk
      • Community News and Views
      • Traveler Stories
      • Global Kitchen
      • Harriet's Favorite Adventures
      • Video Collection
      • Upcoming Events in Boston
      • Harriet on Facebook
    • Travel Forum
      • Travel Forum

        Exchange thoughts, experiences, and opinions openly with other travelers, whether you're looking for information on a future trip, or have valuable insights from your own travels you'd like to share.

        » Learn More

    • Travel Companions
      • Travel Companions

        Connect with like-minded OAT travelers and meet new people who not only share your love for travel, but who might also become your new friends as you explore the world together.

        » Learn More

    • Facebook
      • Facebook

        Learn more about our Facebook online community, a place where you can stay connected with OAT and your fellow travelers. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions, get advice, find travel companions, learn what’s new at OAT, share your photos, videos, and stories, and more.

        » Learn More

    • Traveler Celebration Events
      • Traveler Celebration Events

        Our regional Traveler Celebration Events are opportunities for you to meet other world travelers who share your passion for learning and discovery, swap travel stories, and give us feedback on how we can to make your experience even better—plus, you’ll be one of the first to preview upcoming trips.

        » Learn More

    • Traveler Photo Contest
      • Traveler Photo Contest

        This year, we received thousands of Photo Contest entries, representing countries all around the world. Congratulations to all of our winners—and to everyone who entered our contest.

        » Learn More

    • Grand Circle Gallery
      • Grand Circle Gallery

        Grand Circle Gallery in Boston invites you to view our extensive collection of vintage travel posters and breathtaking black-and-white photography from Alan and Harriet Lewis’ private collection, as well as special exhibits on other travel-related themes.

        » Learn More

    • On the Road with Alan
      • Travel Experiences & Cultural Discoveries
      • Global Impacts
      • Meeting Worldwide Challenges
      • Leadership & Development Programs
      • Driving With No Brakes Book
Community
  • Harriet's Corner
    • Harriet's Journal
    • Travel Talk
    • Community News and Views
    • Traveler Stories
    • Global Kitchen
    • Harriet's Favorite Adventures
    • Video Collection
    • Upcoming Events in Boston
    • Harriet on Facebook
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» Request your FREE copy of 101 Tips for Women Travelers
» Read about Harriet’s life, in her own words

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January 18, 2010

I love opening up my inbox to find emails from OAT travelers sharing inspiring stories—and colorful pictures—from their travels with us. Whether you have visited the Bazaars of India, traveled through the lush jungle of Chitwan National Park in Nepal, or wherever your adventures may have taken you … your photos capture the true beauty and experiences you encounter when you travel. Here, Ron & Swee S. share a photo from their Heart of India trip that was published in their local newspaper and Ruth H. writes in about her recent adventure to Nepal, where her OAT group immortalized themselves on a restaurant wall.

We traveled with OAT to India and Bhutan in March and April. Our Baton Rouge newspaper, The Advocate, invites local people to submit photos taken on their vacations. We submitted one of the two of us in front of the Taj Majal. It appeared in July!

Ron & Swee S.
8-time travelers & Vacation Ambassadors
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

I wanted to forward a photo to you from our Nepal & the Mystical Himalayas trip this November. We had our welcome dinner at Rum Doodle, a Kathmandu restaurant known for its drawings by Everest climbers from all over the world (Sir Edmund Hillary included). Our group could not resist adding OAT to the walls. Since we could not claim fame to climbing Everest, we became the Hotel Everest Stair Climbing Team 2009, in honor of the hotel's very slow elevator. This was just the start of a magnificent trip to Nepal. Thank you for adding Nepal to OAT's destinations.

Looking forward to more exciting adventures with OAT.

Ruth H.
4-time traveler & Vacation Ambassador
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

OAT travelers aren’t the only ones who write in about their adventures; I also hear from our wonderful Trip Leaders, too. Recently, Prabhu Singh, a Trip Leader on our Heart of India adventure, forwarded me a wonderful email he received from OAT traveler Bette C., in which she lets the friends she met along the way know how this trip has brought two big changes in her life—her perceptions of India and great new friends.

It's hard to believe we've been home a week already! I still find that when I am sleeping, I am dreaming of India and wake up and think I am still there!

It was a fabulous trip and I learned so much about this warm, welcoming country! I have a whole new view of India and how well it is dealing with all the challenges of being a developing democracy.

Thank you so much, Prabhu, for helping us to get such insight into the history and current events of the county you love so much! I am recommending to all my friends that they must plan to visit India.

Bette C.
First-time traveler
Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Ask Harriet a question or share your thoughts with her

Do you have a question you’d like to ask me, or comments about the stories featured in Harriet’s Corner? Please email me at harriet@oattravel.com.

Travel Talk Archive:

  • 2012
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