Travel Tip: The Joys of Travel

When we think about our vacations, we focus on the trip itself.  But planning and taking a trip is so much more!  The Joys of Travel: And Stories That Illuminate Them, which is now available in paperback, explores all the different ways travel affects us.  Veteran travel writer, Thomas Swick, reflects on what he has identified as “the seven joys of travel”: anticipation, movement, break from routine, novelty, discovery, emotional connection, and heightened appreciation of home.  Each element unique in its own way.  Coupled with the personal essays are seven true stories that illustrate these “joys”; many that we take for granted.  The book also offers tips on how you can get the most out of your trips, including strategies for meeting locals, and examines how various modes of transportation affect your experience.  Swick also supplies you with the titles of travel classics that will not only prepare you for the places you visit, but make those places more meaningful once you arrive.

Trip Review: A Korean Adventure

The Harrison Family from Collinsville, IL (2 adults and 2 young adults age 18 and 21) ventured to Korea recently to coincide with the end of their college daughter’s study abroad program in Seoul. There’s nothing better than having your child as your guide and insight into the local culture, food, transportation and more.  They began their 15-night custom tour in the capital city with a stay at the Somerset Palace apartment hotel where they spread out in a two-bedroom apartment with kitchen and laundry.  A nice upgrade to the penthouse suite was appreciated by all; especially for the amazing views!  Their experiences in Seoul ranged from ancient to modern with a visit to temples, palaces, several museums and gardens as well as a bunny café, K-Pop concert, local amusement park, animation center and more.  They also enjoyed great views of the city from the N Seoul Tower and cable car ride and one full day with a private guide.  They also found it easy to get around by subway (thanks to a subway app) and purchased a T-Money card at a convenience store.  The card can be used on the subway, in taxis (relatively inexpensive) and buses.

A flight to Jeju Island began their next 3 nights with a stay at the Hotel Leo.  Jeju is Korea’s largest island and popular with locals and tourists alike for its beautiful beaches and lush countryside.  They started off their two days of private touring with a West Coastal Road drive that included beach trails, lava cliff, waterfalls and more. The Manjunggul Lava Cave on the island was a highlight and quite unique in the world.  The natural monument is a long tunnel/cave created by the lava flowing out to the ocean.  The following day the drive took them east including visits to the Glass Castle Museum, parks, forests and more.

The family then flew onto Busan to explore Southern Korea with four days of private touring.   They stayed at the Ibis Ambassador in the City Center.  Busan is the country’s 2^nd largest city and home to beautiful mountains, beaches, hot springs and a rich urban core.  Their itinerary included a nice mix of visits to cultural, historical and natural sites.  Some of the highlights included the aquarium, Maritime Museum, cable car ride across the marina, fish market, the colorful Gamcheon Culture village and Chinatown.  The Haedong Yonggungsa Temple was a highlight.  It is built into the side of a cliff.  It is rare to find a temple along the shore line in Korea as most are located in the mountains.

One day was dedicated to exploring nearby Gyeongju which is known as a museum without walls.  The city has more tombs, temples, rock carvings, pagodas, Buddhist statuary and palace ruins than any other place in the country.   Their tour included visits to grottos, temples, local craft village to see artisans in action, flower fields and to a traditional hanok folklife village to see the traditional Korean houses first built in the 14^th century.

A flight back to Seoul with an overnight stay before their flight home ended this amazing and memorable adventure for all.  They particularly enjoyed having privately guided tours for most of the trip as it gave them a great amount of flexibility to adjust their plans as needed based on weather (June is pretty wet in Korea) and other interests.

Trip Review: A Month in Israel

Lauren and her family traveled to Israel this summer.  One goal was to visit family, but also to give Lauren’s husband his first Israel experience (and her 12th!).  An apartment rental in Tel Aviv near the beach was a great home base for working during the week with week-ends spent traveling around the country.  Highlights of Tel Aviv included visits to Old Jaffa, walks and bike rides along the beach promenade and Tel Aviv Marina, visiting the Diaspora Museum and working out with the locals at the gym!

A 3-night privately guided tour of the Galilee and Golan in the north included a stay at a kibbutz guest house.  The Hagroshim Hotel near Kiyrat Shmona was recently renovated and our one bedroom/two bathroom premium suite was modern and well appointed with a large furnished patio.  We loved the super cool television that appeared to be just a piece of glass.  The resort offers a huge outdoor pool, indoor pool, large gym, two restaurants, spa and more.  Our tour included the Roman ruins of Caesarea where a reenactment film introduced the area’s layers of history in a kid-friendly way.  We ventured to Haifa to see the amazing Baha’i Gardens and enjoy the amazing views.  In Safed we visited the unique synagogues and learned about the mystical history of thetown.  A visit to the Crusader ruins in the coastal town of Akko was highlighted by a kid-friendly virtual reality experience where we learned about local Crusader life and played games from that time period.  A stop at Mt. Bental provided an overlook of the Golan Heights.  We also enjoyed a tasting at a local winery and a visit with a long time resident of Kibbutz Degania; the first such cooperative in Israel.  Active adventures included a jeep tour of the Golan, kayaking down the Jordan River and hikes in the Tel Dan and Banias national parks.  A culinary and cultural highlight was a hearty meal at the home of a local Druze family and learning about their religion and history.

Our trip to Jerusalem coincided with the opening of the Jerusalem Festival of Light which features dramatic light-ups of the ancient architecture of the Old City as well as the installation of light statues, performances, and pieces of museum artwork from artists around the world. A visit to the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, the Jewish Museum (including the Dead Sea Scrolls and Holyland model) rounded out our time there. We stayed at the gorgeous Waldorf Astoria; nicely located within a short walk to the Old City through the Mamilla Mall.

The last trip was to Jordan to see Petra and desert landscapes of Wadi Rum.  We flew from Tel Aviv to Eilat, crossed the border and were met on arrival by our guide, driver and a visa facilitator.  Our privately guided tour began in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Wadi Rum where Bedouin hospitality abounds.  Our stay in a 2 bedroom family suite at Sun City provided plenty of space for our family of three and a fully furnished deck.  Other accommodations include really cool martian domed tents where large windows offer expansive desert views.  Meals at the camp included dinner cooked in the ground and plenty of local delights.  Activities included an interpretive jeep tour of the desert along with a sunset camel ride.  We moved onto Little Petra the following day to learn all about this desert trading post; especially about the sophisticated methods for water collection.  We enjoyed our overnight stay at the Movenpick Petra with its Swiss hospitality and chocolate bar!  Our connecting rooms and the pool were nice too.  We saved our last day to walk into Petra to see this hidden city of the Nabateans.  With only 95 percent of the site excavated; its amazing to think what else will be found.  The rock formations, building facades, caves, amphitheater, temples and more make this one of the world’s more unique historical and archeological experiences.

Travel Tip: Mobile Passport

For those without Global Entry, currently 25 airports (and one cruise port) allow you to breeze through passport and customs control with the Mobile Passport app (https://mobilepassport.us/). Just download, put in some basic details and as soon as you land in the U.S. from an international trip, you just go back into the app and answer a few custom questions.  The app will provide a bar quote receipt (valid for 4 hours) that you can use at customs and immigration in lieu of the traditional paper form and with a designated Mobile Passport lane that is usually much shorter than the regular lines.  Each time you travel, you just need to update the flight numbers.

Trip Review: Hawaii Adventure

The Tegtmeyer Family from Wichita Falls, TX (parents and two young adult sons aged 21 and 18) ventured to Hawaii earlier this month to celebrate a high school graduation.  Their trip began in Honolulu to see Pearl Harbor.  Unfortunately the USS Arizona is currently closed due to cracks in the structure, but the boats are still going out to take you around the memorial and there is an informative video and displays at the Visitor Center along with a variety of other monuments and museums.  They found Waikiki Beach to be a bit busy, but also cool.  They stayed at the Ohana Waikiki Malia where they appreciated the friendly and helpful front desk.  Next they ventured to Maui and stayed in a condo at the Palms at Wailea.  They enjoyed the beautiful landscaping, pool, hot tub and the gorgeous sunset views right from their condo.  They had a great time at the Old Lahaina Luau.  They also took the Road to Hana which they enjoyed even with the long ride.  Next they moved onto The Big Island despite the volcano activity.  What an opportunity to see this amazing natural phenomenon!  The Family Traveler monitored the volcano activity daily since the eruption began and we had to cancel their hotel that sat right at the edge of the crater.  Instead they stayed at the Doubletree Naniloa in Hilo which they said was awesome.   There was a friendly front desk, bartenders, tour desk and of course the cookies!  The family enjoyed the  hotel pool, restaurant and shop.  They rented a car and drove around to Kona to stay at the Fairmont Orchid.  They loved their double shower in the very large bathroom and appreciated the comfy beds!  From Kona, they took a helicopter tour over the volcano and said it was really worthwhile.  A once-in-a-lifetime experience!  They had no problems with the air quality or affects of the volcano.  There was some vog (volcanic smog) near the Kona airport where it was hazy, but no smell.  No issues elsewhere.  They spent lots of time walking, biking as well as relaxing by the beach and pool.  Overall a wonderful trip for the entire family.

Travel Tip: Hotel Check-Out

Here are some important tips when it comes to hotel check-out:

Double Check the Safe

Make sure your safe is emptied before leaving the room.  One way you can remember is to leave one of your shoes inside the safe!  Don’t forget to also check under the bed, in the drawers, all the room outlets for your electronic chargers and the bathroom. If you have an early flight or checkout time, pack up as much as you can the night before; so that last-minute rush isn’t too harried.

Double Check Your Bill

You’ll want to scan your bill for anything that looks fishy — such as charges for snacks or drinks when you didn’t touch the minibar, or a dinner in the hotel restaurant that was charged to the wrong room number. Be sure to dispute these charges right away and get an updated copy of the receipt before you check out.

Use a Credit Card

Just in case you need to dispute a charge, paying with a credit card is the best way. Disputing your bill after paying with cash is a lot harder than working with a credit card company to get a chargeback. If you pay with a debit card, you may not have the protection to challenge a charge. Also, some identity thieves like to target hotel guests. Most credit card companies are set up to detect suspicious behavior, but some debit cards aren’t as well protected.

Travel Tip: Fly Baby Fly

Forget lugging heavy equipment through the airport, stressing over packing and finding baby friendly accommodations. FlyBaby will help traveling with your little ones in North America a little easier.  They deliver rental baby gear right to your destination!  Just download their app and you are on your way  (https://www.flybabyapp.com/). They can deliver the crib, stroller, highchair and more to your hotel, apartment, etc).

Trip Review: Jamaica Resort Inspections

Lauren traveled to Jamaica last month for meetings with one of our travel agency consortiums, The Traveri Group, to tour resorts, discuss our best practices and learn from other agents.  She had the opportunity to tour multiple resorts in and around the Montego Bay area as well as meet top resort staff members. Lauren stayed at both the Royalton Blue Waters and the Hyatt Zilara/Ziva.

While the Royalton Blue Waters fell short on service; they delivered on room quality and amenities.  The property is located in Trelawny Beach about 25 minutes from the airport.  The resort opened in late 2016 and shares some facilities with the more mid-range Royalton White Sands next door that was renovated from a previous resort.  The Blue Waters offers 228 spacious suites with high tech features (your room bracelet is also your room key!) and lovely bathrooms with a split shower and toilet.  The resort features a lazy river and infinity pools, full service and beautiful poolside cabana rentals, excellent fitness facilities and fitness classes, plenty of dining options, decent size beach, small island off the beach for spa services, tennis, an air conditioned lobby and more.  It shares a water park with lots of slides, kids and teen clubs and large evening entertainment area with the White Sands which also has family suites for 5 with bunk beds in a separate area of the room.

Lauren also stayed at the Hyatt Zilara. This adult-only resort shares facilities with the family-friendly Hyatt Ziva next door; one of our most popular in Jamaica.  She enjoyed exploring all of the amenities and recreation including a long stretch of beach, great pools, plenty of dining options (most of the Ziva side), large spa facilities, excellent fitness facilities (the main one is open 24 hours), cabana rentals (we enjoyed with endless jerk chicken service and handy when a passing shower came by), evening shows, kids club and more.  All rooms will soon feature a king or two queen beds!  That makes us very happy.  Lauren’s room on the Zilara side was modern and spacious with nice ocean views.

A visit to the Hilton Rose Hall proved why this property is also very popular with our families looking for an excellent value and rooms with two queen beds.  While interior hallways and smallish rooms mark the hotel’s age, recent updates include updated rooms, new food venues, expanded beach (more than double in size!) and more.  The highlight here is the large waterpark area with slides, fast moving “lazy” river and pools.  The mature landscaping makes this quite the oasis with cabana rentals available.  Plenty of tennis courts, gym, lots of dining options and spa were all in good shape.  The children’s facilities could use an upgrade, but activities abound for children and teens.

The Jewell Grande is located between the Hilton and the Hyatt.  It’s a unique condo style and all-inclusive property that is ideal for families who are just looking to chill by the small beach with waterports, hang out at one of the two pools, play golf or tennis nearby (not on property), enjoy some spa treatments (including a Himalayan Salt Therapy Lounge) and eat in a wide variety of dining options.  There is also a children’s program, small playground and nice grassy area for little ones to run.  The resort features up to 3 bedroom condos with full kitchens (private chef services are available), spacious living rooms, washer/dryer and gorgeous ocean views from the expansive and furnished patios.

Our tour of Half Moon Resort covered the major renovation that will be finished by the winter holidays.  It will completely reshape this old-school Jamaica resort where Mindy and Lauren enjoyed their villa stay with our extended family several years ago.  Highlights will include new rooms and suites, a vegan restaurant and centrally located lobby.  We toured several beachfront suites that are spacious for families and one of the larger villas (that include cook and butler services) that was in need of some updating.  Their fitness, tennis, golf and equestrian facilities are still second-to-none in the Caribbean and their spacious and lushly landscaped spa was divine.  Especially when they treated us to foot massages!

Lauren also visited the Iberostar Rose Halls Suites and the adult-only Iberostar Grand where staff go out of their way to please their guests.  We toured the rooms (two double beds + day bed at the Suites), had a lovely dinner at the Italian restaurant and enjoyed a beautiful  sunset by the nicely landscaped pool at the Grand.  There is also a small casino between these resorts.  Our families really enjoy this property as well, but we hope future renovations will brighten up the somewhat dark rooms.

Visits to Breathless and Secrets also offered a glimpse into these adult-only properties and their facilities.  Especially enjoyable was an Indian restaurant on the roof of Breathless with amazing city views.

And of course a visit to Scotchies for some amazing jerk chicken, Red Stripe beer and festival!

Travel Tips: Food on a Plane

Surprisingly, the TSA allows almost all food items through the security checkpoint, so long as none of them are liquids (or non-solid type foods like hummus, creamy cheeses and peanut butter) in amounts exceeding 3.4 ounces. It’s very easy to bring on healthy snacks and meals; especially for long flights.   Items allowed for travel in your carry-on include baby food, bread, candy, cereal, cheese, chocolate, coffee grounds, cooked meats, cookies, crackers, dried fruits, fresh eggs, meat, seafood, and vegetables, frozen foods, gravy, gum, honey, hummus, nuts, pizza, salt, sandwiches, and all sorts of dry snacks.  There are some exceptions to the rule, and some special instructions for liquids.  Canned foods, partially melted ice packs, and alcoholic beverages provide the most trouble in getting through security checkpoints as these come with specific stipulations on when they can and cannot be transported in carry-on luggage.  For example, ice packs are completely fine as long as they are fully solid while going through security. If they have any liquid inside of them at the time of screening, the ice packs will be taken out. Similarly, if canned food items that contain liquids appear suspicious to TSA security officers, they may be taken out of your checked bag.  Check out https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/food for more details.

Trip Review: Paradisus La Esmeralda

Jen from The Family Traveler and her family along with the Klein/Castello Family from Philadelphia (a total of four adults and four children ages 12-14) spent their spring break at the Paradisus La Esmeralda in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Overall, Jen explained that they all loved the resort.  She said it’s absolutely beautiful and the staff and service were excellent.  She thought that the staff was very friendly and always had smiles on their faces.  The guests that she met at the hotel all seemed to enjoy the resort as well.

The two families stayed in the Family Concierge section and enjoyed their butlers.  Added amenities in this section include a private beach area, dedicated concierge lounge, complimentary cell phone to stay in touch with your butler, VIP check-in and out, kid-sized bathrobes and mini-slippers, preferential dining and spa reservations and more.  The families stayed in two versions of the resort’s One Bedroom Suites (one has two beds in the master bedroom and the other has a king).  Both families enjoyed their balcony jacuzzi which was filled several times by their butler complete with floating balloons.  The children also loved the late afternoon snacks and activities (including a scavenger hunt in the room) provided by their butlers.   Tip: the resort has drying racks to put on the balcony for wet bathing suits; they are on request.

Like other resorts, people got up very early to save seats at the pool which isn’t great for families that aren’t early risers.  Jen’s family ended up being towards the back of the Family Concierge pool area most days – her one complaint is that the waiters rarely came to that back area to see if they wanted drinks or food (she did mention to the resort).  Overall they all liked the Family Concierge Section – it was smaller and quieter and the dedicated concierge pool is heated.  The cabanas/palapas were great and many were available without an extra fee (first come; first served).

They loved the restaurants, except for Mole, the Mexican one and were able to confirm their dining reservations in advance through the Family Concierge.  It was upscale Mexican; so they struggled to find things to eat.  Studying the menus in advance is worthwhile.  This resort is also very good and attentive about food allergies.  Jen said that the food at this resort was the best she has had at an all-inclusive!

The resort has a supervised children’s program for ages one to twelve that offers a variety of activities geared mostly toward the younger

children. The foam party was a hit with their families and Jen enjoyed the water aerobics.  One night there was a fun children’s carnival.  Unfortunately they never saw any of the shows because they started at 7:30 which is also when they were having dinner .  They took advantage of the complimentary catamaran ride which was really fun.  Waverunners are available for an added cost.  Jen’s family also enjoyed an excursion off property that included ATVs, zip lining/rappelling, cenote swim and yummy lunch with Lomas Travel.  There were 13 people on their tour which did result in some waiting times.  The Castello Family took a full day tour with Altournative that included the Tulum ruins and their own Jungla Maya Native Park with Mayan ritual, zip lining, rappelling and cenote along with an excellent lunch. They said that their guide was terrific.

Overall a great vacation for all!