Trip Review: Mother/Daughter Reunion in Iceland
Lauren and her Prague-resident daughter, Anna, met in Iceland this month for a special birthday celebration. The trip focused mostly on rest and relaxation, ideal in a country surrounded by amazing landscapes and an abundance of thermal waters. Entry requirements were straightforward with a covid test (or recent proof of having covid) and a health form needed to enter. Note that Iceland soon after lifted all their covid-related restrictions. Proof of vaccination will no longer be required to enter. Lauren traveled to Reykjavik first for two nights. The international airport in Keflavik, 45 minutes from town, is quite small and very easy to navigate. Lauren used a shared van service to get into downtown and stayed at the brand new Edition (part of the Marriott family). The city’s newest luxury hotel is located on the waterfront next to the super cool Harpa Concert Hall. A nice location for getting around the city. The staff was so accomodating and the rooms were lovely, albeit a little dark. Heated tile floors in the bathroom were greatly appreciated as the Florida resident tried her best to adjust to the cooler climate. The hotel has a nice coffee shop, an upscale restaurant, a cool lounge/bar vibe, and (a very dark) gym. A spa and rooftop terrace will be added soon. Lauren visited many of the family-friendly attractions in the country’s capital using the Hop-On/Hop-Off bus for some added commentary and also easily moved around on foot (with some good waterproof boots…thanks Di!). She went to The Whale Museum, and Flying Over Island in the Old Harbour area; The Culture Museum and National Gallery in the center of town, and The Perlan Museum surrounded by forest on Oskjuhlid Hill. She also saw a cool light show at the Harpa and went into and to the top of the famous Hallgrímskirkja Church for more great city views. Each place gave her a different view and perspective of Iceland’s history, culture, folklore, and nature. Her favorite place was The Perlan, a rotating and glass-domed building built on top of water tanks affording the most amazing 360-degree views of the region. You can easily spend hours at this museum learning all about how the country was formed and its wildlife, walking through an ice cave, watching a planetarium show about the Northern Lights, and more. Anna joined Lauren at the Silica Hotel located at the Blue Lagoon for a three-night stay. They both used bus services to reach the hotel. Years ago, excess water from a nearby thermal plant formed pools, and these pools were filled with healing minerals that eventually became the top tourist spot in Iceland! The Silica has its own private, thermal pools along with a gym, bar, and breakfast room. The breakfast buffet was abundant and included in the rate. The hotel felt outer-worldly surrounded by lava rock, but with a very peaceful vibe. Lauren and Anna enjoyed a special day at The Retreat, the Blue Lagoon’s spa complete with a variety of body treatments, private pool access, private changing rooms, steam, sauna, cold baths, and a healthy restaurant. They also dined at Lava at the Blue Lagoon…not really to their tastes, but high-end food and service. A private guide/driver then picked them up and took them around the southern coast of the Reykanes Peninsula and through part of the Golden Circle on their way to our next stop in Selfoss. They visited the Geysir geyser and the beautiful Gullfoss Waterfalls and ended with a very special meal at Fridheimar, an actual tomato hothouse that serves delicious tomato soup. Perfect after a cold and snowy day of touring! The up-close encounter with the Icelandic horses at this farm was an added treat. They spent the next three nights at the Hotel 360 outside of Selfoss. Owners Anna and Olafur and their two precious Icelandic sheepdogs make guests feel part of the family. The mid-century modern-style hotel has 13 rooms (including connecting rooms for families) and sits atop a hill with amazing views of the nearby volcanos and valleys. They finally had clear skies one night for an amazing Northern Lights experience. A plentiful breakfast buffet is included and the nightly communal dinner was exceptional. The hotel’s natural outdoor hot springs pool and spring-fed indoor pool contributed to a relaxing stay. They visited the growing town of Selfoss and also took a day trip into Thorsmork National Park in a super jeep. The cold weather contributed to a somewhat difficult crossing of the rivers to reach the park (they had to be towed out twice), but the views were amazing. They visited caves, glaciers, and the nearby Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. To end the trip, their private driver took them back to Reykjavik for Anna to enjoy the city for a few hours before we headed to the new and comfortable Courtyard Marriot across from the airport for their last night. Next door was a free covid testing center. They met so many wonderful people in their travels including tourists from around the world and the many foreign workers that help with Iceland’s burgeoning hospitality industry. A country of only 345,000 citizens with millions of tourists needs a little extra help. Overall they had a wonderful experience in Iceland and look forward to returning to explore more of this amazing island.
Travel Tip: Schools Out for the Summer?
Travel Guard has added some unique coverages that provide greater peace of mind for your next family trip. School year extensions are now covered! Full-time teachers, other full-time school employees, or a student at a primary or secondary school who is required to complete an extended school year that falls on or beyond your trip departure date are all covered. You can also cancel if a student needs to take a school exam during your travel dates or is required to participate in a scholastic sporting, theatrical, or musical event. This requirement just needs to be documented in writing by a school representative.
Trip Review: Xcaret Hotel
The Bortnichak Family of Yardley, PA (2 adults and 2 teens ages 14 and 18) traveled to the Riviera Maya, Mexico for winter break with a stay at the unique Hotel Xcaret. The family said the service was amazing and they had a great time! This deluxe property is an hour south of the Cancun airport. As it is owned by the group that also owns a variety of eco-parks in the region; so hotel guests get free access to these parks as well! We confirmed entrance into these parks in advance through the guest services department although several parks closest to the resort do not require advanced reservations and offer regular shuttle service. At the resort, we secured the family connecting rooms (through a shared alcove) which they said felt like having an apartment and was perfect for their needs. The resort offers free airport bus transfers which the family said was super easy. The resort is also strict about masking and sanitizing…the family said the resort was super clean and felt very safe. They liked the international feel of the property and commented that the food was excellent. We booked dining reservations for them in advance as well. They especially enjoyed the breakfast. Despite the challenge of meeting everyone’s palate, the teens loved the Hibachi restaurant and they all enjoyed Las Playas twice for fresh grilled cuisine. They said the buffet is ideal for any fussy eaters with a nice variety of options. The resort also features pools, rivers, beach, spa, gym, children’s program, tennis, watersports, and jungle trails. They did not really like such early yoga (at dawn) and a lack of daily activities where their teens tend to meet other teens when they travel, but they did take advantage of visits to the parks of Xcaret, Xplor and Xel-Ha where dad and son added on a fun Seabob experience. The power snorkel is a unique way to explore the marine life in the park’s inlet. Overall, the family had a relaxing and fun getaway and said they appreciated our guidance for a somewhat complex resort experience.
Travel Tip: Delta Credit Extension
Delta Airlines recently announced that the expiration date for outstanding travel credits and any credits issued this year to passengers who cancel flights has been extended through 2023. You just need to book the new trip by the end of 2023, for travel through 2024. The new policy includes Delta’s no-frills basic economy tickets, though a cancellation fee will be deducted from the flight credit under new guidelines announced late last year. Airline tickets and credits generally are good for one year from the date of purchase or issue. Let’s hope other airlines follow Delta’s lead!
Trip Review: Kenyan Romance
We’ve been operating The Family Traveler for more than two decades. One of our favorite types of trips to book is honeymoons for the children that grew up with our trip planning. A new generation making their way in the world. We had such an opportunity with the Berman Family from Bala Cynwyd, PA with a memorable trip to Kenya. After their Thanksgiving weekend nuptials, they set off for a 10-night safari experience through various parts of Kenya to take advantage of the diverse topography, lodging styles, and local culture. The honeymoon started with a highlight stay at the famous Giraffe Manor located in the suburbs of Nairobi. An ideal place to decompress from the long trip with flights through Germany. They said their Giraffe Manor experience was unreal where they fed the resident Rothschild giraffes in the morning and evening while cozying up in the British Colonial-style manor home. They loved chatting with the locals who worked there about the country’s culture and lifestyle; a great introduction to their stay. They were then driven to the Loldia House in the Great Rift Valley near Lake Nakuru where they spent time animal viewing and had a lovely picnic by the lake. The next stop was flying to the picturesque Solio Lodge for more animal viewing by jeep and on foot along with horseback riding. This famed lodge set in a valley between the slopes of Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Mountains is also a private rhino breeding sanctuary. A trip highlight was eating breakfast in the bush with the rhinos just a few feet away! They said it was truly incredible. Their last stop flew them to the Massai Mara for a tented stay at Angama Mara where animals were in abundance including elephants, lions (they saw a pride of more than a dozen), zebra, buffalo, wildebeest, cheetahs, and they even spotted an elusive leopard which they said was very exciting! Here they also took an early morning hot air balloon safari and saw hippos and giraffes from above. A private guide showed them a bit of Nairobi before the journey home. They let us know that the tour guides and staff at each place they stayed and each safari they went on were so incredibly genuine. They couldn’t get enough of watching animals in the wild. The Bermans also fell in love with the culture and learned everything they could about the beauty found in nature! In addition, they continue to be in contact with so many other wonderful travelers and honeymooners they met along the way.
Travel Tip: Healthy Travels
Most countries outside the US have some version of a health form that you are required to fill in before travel. When you fill in these forms varies (generally 2-3 days before travel even though some allow you to enter some or all of the data earlier). Some of these forms also require you to upload your vaccine certificates and test results as needed to enter your destination. At the end of the process, you will receive a confirmation or authorization oftentimes with a QR code. We highly recommend that you review these websites and the forms well in advance to allow yourselves to feel comfortable when the time comes to complete them. By creating accounts, watching any instructional videos, and reviewing the requirements in advance will help make your last-minute trip preparations a breeze. We can all get a bit stressed just before taking a trip and waiting to start the health form process just before travel doesn’t allow much time to reach out to the proper authorities if there are issues. We are happy to walk you through the websites and the process, but ultimately you will be filling in the forms and required data.
Travel Tip: Safe Travels
Worrying about the germs you’ll pick up when you travel? Safe Travels Kits are a patent-pending setup that includes an antimicrobial, hypoallergenic seat cover and pillowcase. With a super soft feel, they’re comfortable to use and keep you clean while you travel. They also work to resist bed bugs! Microbes can’t bind to the fabric, so you don’t have to wash after use. Simple to use on any airline seat, this clean traveling gear also works on cars and trains. The pillowcase measures 20 inches by 15 inches, and you can even use it to cover your tray table if you wish. Additionally, your set includes a surgical face mask and 10 antibacterial alcohol wipes.
Trip Review: A Florida Getaway
The Myers family of 5 from Lower Gwynedd, PA (two adults and three boys, ages 12, 16, and 18) traveled to the all-inclusive Club Med Sandpiper Bay in Port St. Lucie, Florida in August for a family getaway before their oldest left for college. They wanted an easy-to-reach location in the U.S. that offered numerous on-site activities that didn’t require a lot of advanced planning to enjoy. To get to the resort, they flew into the Palm Beach airport and took the Club Med transfers that take about one hour. The family stayed in a Connecting Family Superior Room with bay views. This category offers guaranteed connecting rooms. With over 1,000 sq. ft. there was plenty of space for them all to spread out. They noted that the riverside resort had so many activities that they could all enjoy including water sports such as paddle boarding, exercise classes, bocci, and miniature golf. The resort also showcases golf, tennis, pickleball, spa, circus program, several pools, supervised programs for infants through teens, and more. The family especially enjoyed the casino night where dad won a Texas Hold‘Em tournament! The food at this French-owned all-inclusive got especially good reviews as well as the super nice and helpful staff. Their only complaint was that it was evident that the resort was short-staffed as their rooms were cleaned late in the afternoon when they wanted to just shower and relax after a day in the sun. Mom mentioned that it wasn’t the fanciest resort they have ever stayed in but were appreciative of The Family Traveler’s advance notice. Overall they all had a great time and it was just the getaway they needed. They would definitely recommend this resort to other families.
Trip Review: A Sadness Tour
We have booked our families on unique tours all over the world…in search of new experiences, exposure to new cultures, family histories, and more. A Sadness Tour is a new one for us, albeit very relevant during the times of COVID. Ilyse Shapiro of Wynnewood, PA found a need for such a trip which she satisfied with a visit to Chernobyl, Ukraine, and a World War II-themed group tour highlighting concentration camps throughout Germany and Poland. Ever since seeing a story on 60 Minutes over 30 years ago, Ilyse always had a vision of seeing Chernobyl. She was intrigued by the eerie music the workers listened to and how they could only work for 90 seconds before getting contaminated with radiation. Her self-titled Sadness Tour began with a privately guided tour we arranged of this nuclear disaster site. She learned that there is still so much radiation coming from the reactor that workers constructed an arch around it then sealed it up. Afterward, she visited the town of Pripyat, where 45,000+ of Chernobyl’s workers lived. Today, it is an entire town ensconced by a forest. She visited the supermarket, movie theatre, school, amusement park, and more to get a sense of how folks lived and used a Geiger counter to test radioactivity. In some spots, it would be low, but over sewage grates, it was quite high. A waterfront cafe is expected to reopen in 2022 for the 70,000+ guests who visit the site every year thanks in part to the popularity of the television show of the same name. Ilyse said that this was an amazing start to her trip – a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Next up on her tour was a group tour with Globus. Ilyse had previously been to Terezin outside of Prague and was eager to experience and learn more about the atrocities of the Holocaust. Fortunately, there were only eight people on this tour (bus tours generally go out with up to 44) with a lot of free time included to explore. Before the tour started, we arranged a private tour for Ilyse of the Warsaw Ghetto and the Treblinka concentration camp. The tour group then visited the Auschwitz/Birkenau camps. It was one of the worst experiences of Ilyse’s life – going from building to building where she saw a display that included two tons of women’s braids and buns, a display of walkers, crutches, and arms, and one with combs and brushes by the thousands. Afterward were a few days of beauty to balance out the emotional toll. The tour visited Wroclaw and Krakow in Poland and then onto the war-torn towns of Dresden, Torgau, and Berlin in Germany. Ilyse took advantage of another private tour we arranged in Berlin that examined the city’s Jewish heritage and history. The group tour continued south to Weimar and Nuremberg. Each town was quaint with busy squares filled with cafes where the horrors of the past were obscured. They also visited the Buchenwald camp on a misty gray day which fit the somber mood. Next on to Munich and the Dachau camp where Ilyse learned the difference between a concentration camp and an extermination camp and how the nazis used crystal meth to stay focused and on task. After a few days of beauty and tranquility in Munich, it was time to go home. Ilyse, who has traveled around the world on her own and with her family, is thankful to The Family Traveler for making this unique trip a reality.
Travel Tip: Food Allergy Cards
Traveling abroad can raise anxiety levels for people who suffer from food allergies because language barriers can make it challenging to express dietary restrictions. Equal Eats solves this problem with its handy dietary translation cards. Choose from a plastic card or a digital version. The cards provide details in more than 50 languages about food allergies and other dietary restrictions, such as adhering to vegan, halal, or kosher diets. The cards are growing in popularity in the U.S. as well, as diners discover that handing a server a card that clearly lists food allergies can be easier than trying to explain every detail. Equal Eats is also working more with the foodservice industry and plans to offer ways to help restaurants better address dietary restrictions for their customers.
