If you’ve missed previous newsletter emails that I’ve sent out, you can find them below! I don’t archive the What to Be Planning ones because they are typically only relevant in the month they are sent. Let me know if any of these make you eager to travel!
The Kingdom of Jordan, in the Middle East, which once captivated ancient travelers, continues to enthrall a whole new generation as a modern, vibrant nation. There are many astounding sites to be seen, including the capital Amman, the magnificent Nabataean city of Petra, the spectacular Greco-Roman ruins of Jerash, Lawrence of Arabia’s famous Wadi Rum, and many other historical and impressive sites throughout the Kingdom.
Read MoreBecause these are usually both larger ticket items AND bucketlist items for many people, it's best to begin the planning a year or more in advance. Many people take their first safari by making the long flight over to Kenya or Tanzania for calving season (January - March, typically) or for the season of river crossings (November - December, usually).
Read MoreThis family of five came to me with a great 3-year plan - they wanted to explore somewhere in South America this year, and then someplace in Africa and Asia in the following two years. For South America, they were really feeling Brazil was just the ticket - specifically wanting to experience Rio de Janeiro and Iguazu Falls.
Read MoreAustralia is a vast country with no shortage of incredible destinations and experiences. The eight states and territories stretch across an entire continent, so exploring them all in one trip isn’t usually possible (Australia is about the same size as the USA!). But that's ok, it just means you get to come back again sometime in the future!
Read MoreGenerally, spring break falls sometime in March and is one of the most expensive times to travel to places warm and beachy. To try to avoid some of the cost and get the best availability, it's best to book early... like now!
Read MoreThere's bar and bat mitzvahs, quinceañeras, and then there's taking a trip to Thailand for your kid's milestone birthday. That's what my clients are doing anyways, and I had a blast planning their trip. They've promised their kids that during their 12th year, they get to choose a special trip to go on, and Thailand was the final decision for this kid. She is into adventure and the family is all getting SCUBA certified this summer in preparation for their November trip. She loves animals and food too, so of course there's unique elements of both in this itinerary.
Read MoreColombia is found in the northwest corner of South America, is the 4th largest country in South America, and is the only country to border BOTH the Caribbean and the Pacific. In the past, there were hard times when the country was subjected to drug and guerrilla warfare. However, it is now an emerging, increasingly popular tourist destination, with tons of AMAZING immersive experiences available. Colombia is a geographically diverse land with terrain ranging from the Andes Mountains to attractive coastlines, rainforests and grasslands, and very biodiverse as well, with many species of plant and wildlife found in its borders. (Fun fact: you can find over 4000 types of orchids in Colombia).
Read MoreMARCH is great for Europe in Fall & Winter!
Read MoreCheck out this amazing trip to Ireland I planned for a client!
Read MoreHow can you plan for a trip if you don’t have realistic expectations? Well, you can’t, so in this post, I go through some tips on creating a reasonable budget and pace for your desired trip!
Read MoreSo you found my page and are thinking about using me as your travel agent to plan your trip. Maybe you’re one who has never used a travel agent before and are considering it because of all the new requirements COVID-19 has thrown into the mix. Or maybe your time has recently become more valuable to you (new job, new spouse, new kid(s), etc.) and want to give the planning to someone else. Maybe you’re ready to travel to a more remote location that has less internet resources to make you feel comfortable with planning it yourself. Or maybe you’ve never traveled much before, and want a professional to help you on your first trip! Whatever the reason, I think you’re making a great decision to use a travel agent.
Read MoreFirst off - take any idea you have in your head of traveling with children being hard and throw it out! Trips are what you make of them, so if you start out thinking it’s going to be hard, it will be. Will there be differences to how you might normally travel? Yes. Might you have to make some sacrifices in terms of what you see and do? Yes. Must your vacation be any less magical? That is a resounding NO!
Read MoreRecently I had the great privilege of taking a 2 week trip to Europe with my 10 month old son. My husband and 4 year old stayed home and got some great daddy-daughter time in while I got to traipse along through three countries in Europe. It was a dream! I know some of you reading this might be thinking that I am crazy - taking a long haul flight with a baby and no one to help sounds awful to you. Well, never fear, I am here to tell you that it CAN be done, and it even can be FUN!
Read MoreAs the business grows, and I learn more about the value of my time and research for you, I have decided upon several changes to my business model as a travel agent. All trips planned before January 1 will not reflect these changes, but these necessary changes will give me more opportunities to maximize your vacation and experiences.
Read MoreI returned from Iceland and have been back to reality for about a month and a half now. Can I be honest here? I miss Iceland. Not the weather, but the people I met there, and the food. Let me tell you a bit more about why Iceland was great, and why I am still missing it 1.5 months later.
Read MoreI recently returned from a 5 day tour of Iceland with G Adventures, a company that hosts tours all over the world (even Antartica!). I had an excellent time, and found G Adventures to live up to all my expectations and more. G Adventures is one of the vendors I use to sell travel, and it is also one of my favorites. Here’s why:
Read MoreThere were several aspects of Iceland that I was pleasantly surprised with, and one that hit me as a shock. Overall though, it was an awesome experience and one I’d recommend to everyone. Iceland has a wonderful natural beauty, and everywhere I looked it seemed to be a perfect postcard shot.
Read MoreSo, you are about to book a trip and you get to the part of the process where trip insurance is offered. You glide right past it, hardly even considering it, pushing onwards to the rental car section. But is that really the best decision? Is it really in your best interest to decline the trip insurance? I’m here to tell you why travel insurance should be a budgeted piece of your trip.
Read MoreCruises – you either love them or you’re not interested. At least that’s been what I’ve noticed the trend to be as I’ve talked to people about them. I was in the second camp for the longest time, because, to me, cruises seemed to be wasted time on boats when I could’ve easily flown between sites and had so much more time in each place. But, after taking hours of training through Princess Cruises, I can now say that there is more to a cruise than what I originally thought.
Read MoreVoluntourism is a growing practice as travelers begin to think globally about ways they can help in the areas that they visit. There are many tour vendors that have begun creating trips with some amount of time set aside for various volunteer opportunities.
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