Preparing for Your Journey
Puglia, Italy
The Art of Visible Mending with Arounna Khounnoraj
October 3 - 10, 2025
WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU!
We are so excited to spend time with you in Italy as we learn all about visible mending with the amazing Arounna Khounnoraj. Please take a moment to read through this document in full as it contains important information related to your Ace Camps Travel Trip. The purpose of this document is to help you prepare for your trip. Your Ace Camps Travel trip will connect you to an incredible community where you’ll meet and form bonds with many wonderful individuals. Given the small-group nature of Ace Camps Travel trips, the health, safety, and well being of you, other guests, the instructors and workshop hosts, and the local communities are a key priority for us.
Please take a moment to read through this document in full as it contains important information that will help you prepare for your Ace Camps Travel trip.
GENERAL
Your Ace Camps Travel Host
We want every aspect of your trip to be an amazing experience. To help us do that, you will have the support of an Ace Camps Travel Host who travels with the group and is there to make sure your trip runs as smoothly as possible. While they are not a local guide, they will assist you in answering questions you may have along the way. We will introduce you to and send you your Tour Host’s contact info closer to the Trip start date. If you have questions between now and then, please continue to email us at hello@acecampstravel.com.
Group Travel Etiquette
Please remember this is a small-group travel experience. It is important for you to join us with compassion, patience, and respect for everyone you interface with during your Trip. For example, if you asked to meet at a certain time, please be on time to avoid keeping the rest of the group waiting. If you choose to skip any activities or meals, please confirm your absence with the Ace Camps Travel Host directly so we’re not worried about your location or well being.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is required for all guests that includes: trip cancellation/disruption insurance; travel medical insurance; and medical evacuation insurance. Ace Camps Travel does not sell travel insurance. If you have questions, we suggest you discuss concerns about your coverage directly with a local travel insurance provider. Please ensure your listed emergency contact has all of your travel and medical insurance coverage details.
Itinerary Disclaimer
We do our best to keep to the itinerary on the Trip Details page of the Ace Camps Travel website. However, sometimes adjustments may occur. For example, we may need to make changes to the itinerary due to inclement weather, timetable changes, or circumstances beyond our control. While we do our best to plan ahead and prevent this from happening, it may be unavoidable. It can also happen with little notice, so please bear with us if we have to make modifications to the itinerary on the fly.
Smoking, Illegal Drug Use + Alcohol
Unless it is specified on the itinerary, alcohol is not usually included with meals. If you would like to have alcoholic beverages during your trip, you will need to pay for these separately. Ace Camps Travel Trips are 100% smoke free and we do not tolerate any kind of illegal drug use. We require responsible alcohol consumption.
COMMUNICATION
On-the-Ground Communication with WhatsApp
While on the ground in Italy, we will be using WhatsApp to communicate. Before you arrive in Bari, please make sure you have the most up-to-date version of WhatsApp downloaded, installed, and an account set up and working on your mobile device. Your Ace Camps Travel Host will use WhatsApp to send you daily reminders, updates, and any other important information during the course of your trip. In addition to one-on-one communication with your Ace Camps Travel Host, we’ll be creating a group chat with all registered guests where we will send updates that affect the entire group while on the trip. We encourage everyone to engage on the group chat, as it’s a great place to get to know the rest of your new Ace Camps Travel friends, discuss travel plans and ideas, and share trip photos.
Emergency Numbers
In the case of an emergency, the local emergency number to dial in Italy is: 112 (police, fire and medical aid).
Mobile Phone Usage
Using an ‘e-sim’ app to have data on your phone while you travel (depending on your phone model). There are several companies offering e-sims that can save money instead of roaming through your network provider. Companies like Airalo offer various Italy or “All Europe'' options to choose from. Note: While e-sims are great, they do take some time to set up and install so be sure to spend some time before you leave your home country setting it up so you can just turn it on once you land (while we love to help where we can, our Ace Camps Travel Hosts aren’t tech support specialists).
Note: While e-sims are great, they do take some time to set up and install so be sure to spend some time before you leave your home country setting it up so you can just turn it on once you land (while we love to help where we can, our Ace Camps Travel Hosts aren’t tech support specialists).
SOCIAL MEDIA
If you are taking photos and would like to share them as a part of our trip story please tag your posts and/or stories on Instagram with @acecampstravel or hashtag #acecampstravel
ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE
Entry Requirements
To enter the EU, you will need a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after your arrival date in the EU. Nationals of most countries, including US passport holders, do not currently require a visa to enter Italy. However, some nationalities may need a Schengen visa. Requirements differ from country-to-country and are subject to change. Be sure to check with your local government office for more information.
Arrival Information: Friday October 3, 2025
This trip starts and ends in Bari, Italy. The closest airport is Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport (BRI). You might also arrive in Bari by train from another part of Italy. Learn more about train travel options here.
Your Bari Arrival Hotel details:
Imago Plus Hotel
Via Altamura, 26, 70122 Bari BA, Italy | T +39 080 416 8137
The best way to get from the airport to the arrival hotel in Bari is by taxi. Helpful Tip: If you decide to take a taxi, make sure you go to the official taxi line to get a taxi (don’t be fooled by the entrepreneurial folks who approach you in the terminal or at baggage claim). Check in time is 2:30pm on October 3. If you arrive earlier than 2:30pm, you can drop off your luggage at the front desk and they will store it for you until your room is ready. The hotel rooms are preassigned. If you are in a shared room, you will meet your roommate when they check in. We will stay 1 night in Bari before we leave for Southern Puglia on October 4.
Gentle Reminder: Please complete your Arrival and Departure Form as soon as you have your flight details.
Welcome Dinner: Friday October 3, 2025
Once we’re all settled at our hotel in Bari, we’ll be hosting a casual meet + greet welcome dinner so you can get to know the group. Please plan to arrive at our hotel no later than 4:00 pm on October 3, 2025, if you want to join the welcome dinner. This will give you enough time to check in and get settled before dinner. We’ll share more specific details about when and where to meet for dinner a few days before the Trip start date. If you can’t join the welcome dinner, your Ace Camps Travel Host will be in touch with you to make sure you have all the information you need to join the group the next morning.
Departure Information: Friday October 10, 2025
On the morning of October 10, 2025, we’ll have a private transfer from Southern Puglia to Bari. The shuttle takes approximately 2 - 2.5 hours. Our final drop off point in Bari will be provided once we receive everyone’s departure plans. Our aim is to arrive in Bari late in the morning. Please keep this timing in mind if you are booking onward transportation.
Note: If you need to depart earlier, you’ll need to arrange your own transfer from Southern Puglia onwards.
Helpful App for Jet Lag
Help manage jet lag with Timeshifter.
HOTEL
We will stay in two different properties over the course of the trip:
October 3 - 4, 2025 - 1 night
Via Altamura, 26, 70122 Bari BA, Italy | T +39 080 416 8137
About the Imago Plus Hotel in Bari: October 3 - 4
Location: Our hotel is located in the city center a short distance from old town Bari. There are several restaurants, and cafes within easy walking distance.
Room Setup: Rooms include either a large bed or two twin beds and an ensuite bathroom. Guests booked in shared rooms will share the room with one other guest. All rooms have windows however, some rooms have limited to no view (frosted windows) due to the close nature of the surrounding buildings.
Our group will occupy all eleven one-of-a-kind rooms, each with a unique location theme and original artwork and photography by photo journalist Antonio Ottomanelli. You can read more about each room here.
Amenities + Food: There is a small roof top garden located on site- as well as a cafe and bookshop.
Room Amenities:
Hair Dryer
Shampoo + Conditioner in solid bar form - this hotel is plastic free
Tap water is safe to drink in Italy. You can use this to refill your reusable water bottles. The hotel will also provide water glasses you can use in your room
Kettle + Coffee maker
October 4 - 10, 2025 - 6 nights
Palazzo Bevilacqua (this is a private villa)
Via Isonzo 24 Muro Leccese, 73036, Italy
About Palazzo Bevilacqua Villa: October 4 - 10
Location: Palazzo Bevilacqua is located in a village called Muro Leccese. The property consists of three villas and gardens connected to one another. This is a semi-rural self-catering property and there are very limited resources on site. The adjacent village is small and quiet. This is not a large town with an active entertainment scene or plentiful restaurants or cafes. We chose this location as it is the perfect place to disconnect for a few days, embrace your creative side, and build community with other like-minded individuals.
The villas were originally built in the 16th century, which means each room has its own unique charm, including some antique details. Rooms are located around the property, there are a lot of stairs to and from some of the rooms.
As this property will be shared by all of us. We ask you to please be considerate and understanding of others' space. We will need to work together to keep the space clean and enjoyable for everyone.
Room Setup: Rooms include either a large bed or two twin beds. When making your original booking each guest selected a specific room type, some rooms have ensuite bathrooms, some rooms have private but separate bathrooms (accessed via the hallway) and some rooms have shared bathrooms. Each guest has been pre-assigned a room based on their original booking selection.
General Amenities + Food: As this is a self catering property, there are more limited resources available at the villa property itself. At the villa, we will provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner as shared, family-style meals. There are no menus to choose from. If you are very picky about food or drinks, we suggest you bring additional supplementary snacks of your own - be sure to pick these up in Bari in advance of meeting the group. Alcohol is not included with meals. If you would like to have alcohol during your trip, you can pick up some bottles in Bari to bring with you. Additionally, sometimes the villa has bottles of wine for sale - if this is an option, we will let you know closer to your stay.
Additional important house notes:
The house and exterior property are 100% non-smoking.
The tap water at the house is safe to consume. Please bring a refillable water bottle to use during your stay.
Bathrooms have shampoo and conditioner, however if you are picky, please bring your own.
The swimming pools will be open (but not heated), please bring a bathing suit if you would like to swim.
There are hair dryers at the house.
There are simple laundry facilities (including detergent) on site.
Additional Considerations for Guests in Shared Rooms:
If you are a light to moderately light sleeper we strongly encourage you to bring ear plugs, a sleep mask, and install a white noise app on your phone with earphones to assist in your personal slumber.
HEALTH
Illness (including COVID)
Our goal is for each of our guests to enjoy the amazing trip we’ve put together. To ensure that happens, we make the health and safety of the group as our top priority. Please keep in mind while traveling with a group, you may need to take additional precautions.
In the days leading up to and during your Ace Camps Travel Trip, thoroughly washing your hands, wearing a KN95 mask if you feel ill or if you display symptoms of illness, and keeping a safe distance from others who exhibit signs of illness are small, but impactful, things you can do to keep the trip safe for everyone. Please make sure you bring KN95 masks, hand sanitizer, and a few COVID tests on the trip in case you or those around you start to have symptoms of an illness.
During the trip, if you feel unwell, please alert your Ace Camps Travel Host immediately, wear a mask, and keep a safe distance from others until we know more about your situation. If you exhibit signs of, or test positive for an illness, you should be prepared to follow the advice of local health authorities as well as the Ace Camps Travel Host to ensure the health and safety of the entire group. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, viral nature of your illness, and where we are staying, there may be a need to mask, distance, self isolate, or remove yourself completely from the trip which will be determined by the Ace Camps Travel Host with the best interests of the group health and safety as the main priority.
Per the Ace Camps Travel Terms and Conditions, you are responsible for any additional costs if, due to illness, including COVID, you have to leave a trip early as determined by a health care provider or the Ace Camps Travel Host. This is one of the many reasons we require you to purchase travel insurance.
Medications and Vaccines
You should consult with your doctor and a specialized travel doctor at least 5 - 6 weeks before the date of your departure for any necessary vaccinations and specialty prescriptions. You may want to ask about a wide spectrum antibiotic in case of gastrointestinal or other infections. If you have a medical condition, you should also share your travel plans with your doctor. We encourage you to travel with medications that can help you if you encounter health issues. Here are a few common concerns you may want to consider bringing medications for, though what you choose to travel with is up to you and/or you and your doctor
Motion sickness, if car or bus rides affects you as we have some very long travel days
Nausea, indigestion, or an upset stomach
Diarrhea/Dysentery
Constipation
Minor aches and pains
Minor and severe allergies
Cold/flu symptoms
Bug repellant/spray
Minor cuts and bruises
Stomach Issues
Stomach issues can occur when traveling and eating new types of cuisine. We strongly recommend bringing various medications to ensure if you have any issues, you are able to manage them and continue enjoying your trip.
Eye Glasses + Contact Lenses
If you wear eyeglasses, it is advisable to carry an extra pair on the trip. If you wear contact lenses, you may want to take an extra pair of back-up regular glasses.
General Fitness
To take full advantage of your trip to Italy it is best to be in good health. You will be participating in some walking tours and you may find many of the sidewalks and streets are cobblestone and can be slippery in wet weather.
Water
Tap water is safe to drink in Italy. Please bring a refillable water bottle of your own and avoid using single use plastic bottles.
MONEY
Cash + Credit Cards
Italy uses Euros as the local currency. While many places in larger cities take credit cards, we recommend having a combination of cash (Euros) and credit cards on hand. Helpful Tip: We recommend that you get some cash in Bari (if you aren’t bringing any with you from home) as there are limited ATM’s in Muro Leccese.
Gratuities
Tips and gratuities for your guides, group drivers, and group meals are taken care of by Ace Camps Travel. At the end of your stay in Bari and Muro Lecesse, you’re welcome to leave a small tip for housekeeping, if you choose to, which you can leave in your room.
WHAT TO BRING
Now onto the fun stuff - what should you bring?!? Below are some suggestions, based on our experience. Particularly once we get to Muro Leccese, you may not be able to find all the resources you’re likely used to at home so please keep this in mind when you’re planning and packing.
General
PASSPORT (make sure it has at least six months on it) and consider bringing a photocopy and/or passport photos. In the (hopefully!) unlikely event your passport gets lost or stolen, an extra set of passport photos can make it easier for you to get a replacement)
Travel plug adapters, depending on the country you are traveling from.
Clothing
Layering pieces, including a light jacket, and scarf or shawl, for cool mornings and evenings, with much warmer daytime temperatures
Rain shell and/or small umbrella (rain showers are always a possibility!)
A zippered day pack and/or a small-ish bag you can safely carry around during your travel and walking tours
Bathing suit (the Puglia villa has an unheated pool)
Footwear
Comfortable and supportive footwear you feel comfortable walking in for moderate distances and on a variety of terrain. This Ace Camp Travel trip includes walking tours where the ground may be uneven, and could involve gravel, stairs or cobblestones, and you may be on your feet for a few hours at a time.
Personal Items
Glasses and/or prescription sunglasses if needed
Earplugs (high quality foam or sleep focused noise dampening, such as Loop)
Toiletries kit, including your own shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, if you are particular or there are certain brands you prefer to use while traveling
Sunscreen with SPF of 30 or higher, sunhat, sunglasses, and lip balm with sunscreen
High quality bug spray
Tissues
Refillable water bottle
Hand sanitizer
KN95 masks–in an effort to keep our group as safe as possible, you may be asked to wear a mask
Personal supply of COVID Rapid Tests–you may be asked to take a COVID test at any point during your Ace Camp in an effort to keep our group as safe as possible.
Required Workshop Supplies
The majority of your workshop supplies for your learning sessions with Arounna will be provided in Italy however there are few items each guest will need to bring as personal supplies.
2 x Button up Shirts (think workwear/office style button up shirt as an example)
Shirt Details- please read carefully: You will be splicing two shirts together to create one (you will leave with only one shirt in the end) so please bring two shirts that you are not precious about as they will both end up getting cut and patched together.
Ideally these shirts are second hand or used, example: they are your own old shirts, your partners or family member’s old shirts or shirts you find in a thrift shop. Please ensure both shirts are washed before you arrive in Italy.
Colour: The shirts can be plain or patterned (stripes, plaid, dots etc) and ideally colours or prints you are excited to combine and wear!
Material: The shirts must be cotton or linen - please do not bring shirts made from any other material.
Size + Fit: These shirts should be oversized in fit. Being oversized means you have more flexibility to customize it, however if your shirts are very fitted and tailored there will be little to no room for customization.
Optional Workshop Supplies
Fabric Remnants: You are welcome to bring fun and/or spare fabric remnants to work with on your projects. Cotton or linen - no thinner than quilting weight and no thicker than canvas.
Sketchbook + pencil/pens: If you would like to have a place to take notes + sketch ideas, please bring your preferred sketch book and pens/pencils.
Luggage
We have limited space in the transport van. Please limit your luggage to no more than: 1 checked bag; 1 carry-on bag, such as a small backpack; and 1 personal item, such as a purse. We suggest keeping important items in your carry-on in case your luggage gets lost en route to Italy. We also suggest putting AirTags in your luggage (both checked and carry on) so you can track their location, in the event they get lost in transit.
Weather
Days are usually warm with balmy evenings. Daytime temperatures usually range from 57°F to 74°F, which means you should pack layered clothes for your stay and a light jacket. Rain is always a possibility so please prepare footwear and clothing for occasional showers.
THANK YOU AND SEE YOU SOON!
Thank you for taking the time to review this information, we hope these details help with your travel planning and prepare you for your time exploring Puglia. If you have questions between now and then, please continue to email us at hello@acecampstravel.com. See you in Bari!
