Up Close and Personal

It is difficult to pick one favorite moment from our recent Florida vacation – however our Serengeti Safari at Busch Gardens in Tampa, stands out as a moment we will treasure for a long time. There are many ways to see the animals of Busch Gardens but there are a few unique opportunities to get up close and personal.

The Serengeti Safari experience takes you in an open-truck on the African veldt. This is an intimate experience that is prebooked with a time reserved for your party. As you explore the 65-acre Serengeti Plain, you’ll meet some magnificent animals and learn a great deal too.

Get nose-to-nose with a giraffe. Learn a thing or two about zebras. Understand exotic species like bongo, eland and ostrich as your guide helps bring you closer to the wildlife and wild places in this world we share. No two experiences are the same.

The highlight for my family was hand feeding the giraffes. Roman lettuce is their green of choice. These guys are big—and my children were far more comfortable with them than I was.

Photo opportunities on the Serengeti Safari are unbelievable. Be sure to bring your camera so you can share your Serengeti adventure with everybody back home. Plus a photographer goes out with you too, so this might be the chance to get the perfect family photo.

The 30-minute, open-truck tour is $33.99 USD, but the memories are priceless!! For more information check out.

And if you go say hi to Dolly for me – she’s the oldest (and friendliest) giraffe there, based on our photo together I doubt she’d say the same about me.

Until next time,

Melanie Taljaard

Books that will take you there

By now you’ve probably realized that I spend a fair amount of the work day talking travel with colleagues. Now and again I do change it up and talk about travel… books. With only a few weeks of vacation, sometimes I need to escape vicariously. I make a habit of checking in regularly with other passionate travellers to find out what they are reading. I don’t have a lot of time to read, so I am always in search of those stellar books that really take you on an adventure with the turning of each page. You know the books I mean, the ones where you can feel the warmth of the sun on your face or smell the local cuisine. As the author builds the characters she paints vivid images in your mind of the surroundings and you find yourself longing to experience this destination for yourself. Funny it seems my reading time these days if often on planes, don’t you love an airport with a good bookstore? Books and travel just go together so well.

Favorite travel books have defined destinations for me, before I visit the destination and then as I explore the destination the book becomes the frame of reference – this was the case with In a Sun Burnt Country—Bill Bryson’s colourful book about Australia. The book painted such an amazing picture of Australia that in my mind there are some memories that I can’t recall if I experienced the cultural icon or read about them, perhaps that says more about my memory than the quality of the book.

Other books transport me back to those favorite destinations where I longed to linger just a little longer. True escapism is reading somebody else’s vivid tales when their interests and reactions to cultural experiences mirror the exact ones I had in that country, reading such books truly creates mini vacations.

I’ve sorted a few of my favorites by destination and are as follows:

Around the World
Three Weeks with my Brother by Nicholas Sparks
Leaving Microsoft to Save The World by John Woods

Russia
To Russia with Fries by George Cohon

France
A Year in the Merde (and all the sequels to this one all provide ample opportunity for a good laugh) by Stephen Clarke
Weekend in Paris by Robyn Sisman
French Woman Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano – I actually ‘heard’ this book (audio books are such a great way to get through more books on a jammed pack schedule) this one is read by the author with an appropriate and quaint French accent which truly brought the stories to life.

Various Countries
Red White and Drunk All Over by Natalie MacLean – a Native Nova Scotian’s self discovery of wine throughout France and California. I appreciate the back roads overview of France offered in this book, it went well beyond typical portrayals of Paris and Provence and much of book was set in the area of France where I too had lived.
Bill Bryson (anything) and including: In a Sun Burnt Country, Notes from a Small Island, I’m a Stranger Here Myself
Eat Love and Pray by Elizabeth Gilbert

Here are just two on my list that I have not read but that come highly recommended by passionate travellers: Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson (on Pakistan and Afghanistan) Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy is sure to have you dreaming of a vacation in Greece.

What’s on your list of books that will take you there?

Until next time
Melanie Taljaard

Blogging, Logging, and Sharing those Memories

With digital cameras, cameras on your phones, expanded memory cards, laptops that go virtually everywhere, it is easy to come home with hundreds and thousands of pictures, but what next?

What is the best way to store and share all those moments? Not everyone is on Facebook and the album size is limited, but it is so easy and based on your status, friends have already been asking you about your trip.

I take a ton of photos – and with half of our family living a few continents away I have had a chance to evaluate a few tools for sharing photos and here are my favorites.

Shutterfly is a great tool for creating and sharing albums and perhaps the best place to start if you are not keen on social networking tools like Facebook. The interfaces are very user friendly. It is easy to add comments to photos, and to reorder them. You can create one large album with all the photos and then create different albums just selecting some of the photos from the main album. It is also very easy to order prints from Shutterfly. I am now using Picasa (a Google tool) it offers a few more features for online photos (but does not offer the ability to order prints or other photo products). Here is a link that compares sites like Shutterfly and Picasa. With Picasa make sure that you mark your albums private – otherwise they can be publicly searched.

While I love the ease of sharing photos online I am still largely attached to looking at physical photos. I think photo books are the perfect tool to affordably capture all travel memories. You can have photo books created through camera shops and online photo service providers. I have produced many books through www.blurb.com and I am always pleased by the results.

You simply download the software to your PC and then upload photos. There are countless templates, formats and adaptations that can be made. Once images are uploaded on a photoshare site you can do a highlights album on Facebook or simply post the link to your photo site on Facebook.

These memory keepers are surprisingly affordable too. Pricing depends on cover options and length, but a recent book with over a hundred pages (and several hundred photos) cost just over $50 US I couldn’t have printed all the pictures for that. I’d also suggest that once you do the work of putting the book together, print some extras (you can quickly just change a title or dedicate page and give the children each their own copy).

Until next time
Melanie Taljaard

Must Have Travel Accessories and Gadgets

I am back at it; the actual vacation wasn’t quite as long as the vacation from my blog entries. The trip was great – and there were many moments and experiences worth a blog entry—while I sift through those experiences I have to tell you about my new must have travel gadget.

Of course, there are countless nifty tools to be had, over the years I have gathered a few items that add a great deal of benefit for the little space and weight they take up. On our recent trip to Florida, I found a new tool that I didn’t know I needed, and now I won’t travel without.

For years, my Ipod was the must pack item. It serves so many purposes – of course music on the plane (often used to tune out other passengers as well), an alarm clock, it stores favorite photos and notes too. I also love to load my Ipod with audio books and walking tours of the select destination. The more modern hotels have caught on to travelers attachment to ipods and started offering docking stations in hotel rooms.

Recently the Ipod has slide off the list of must pack items (fortunately there is still room for both). While in Florida, I fell in love with the GPS. Until now I didn’t think I needed a GPS, and living in Halifax I probably don’t need one. But when I travel anywhere that I will have to drive I’ll be packing the GPS.

For navigating a new city, there was nothing like it. I instantly fell in love with the GPS. While until now I have survived by asking for directions or preprinting out directions, but, it is so easy to take a wrong turn from those directions. With the GPS of course, it simply recalculates and sets you right. I also loved the time to destination feature.

So in case I am not the last person in the world to fall in love with this tool, if you don’t have a GPS you must try one on your next vacation. Most major rental car companies offer GPS tools as an add-on to a rental or if you do the math, you might be better off buying one before the trip. Either way it is now on my must pack list. If you are a little technology shy—not to worry, these tools are very user friendly.

Here are just a few of the others in my must pack list – a journal – despite all the technology in my suitcase I can find countless uses for a good notebook. I have also started packing a pashmina wherever I go. These oversized scarves come in handy all the time – from a mini blanket on the plane to taking the chill off in cold conference rooms or restaurants or used for wrapping up fragile items upon my return as well. I now take one wherever I go.

I’m still sitting on the fence on the hand held scale (for suitcase weighing that is). I didn’t throw it in the suitecase this time, I thought it was adding extra weight to the case, but after a little shopping I wondered if I’d be paying for extra baggage. I knew I wasn’t over the total limit, but now with carriers putting a strict 50 lb per bag limit, I could have used the scale to evaluate the distribution.

In light of all the crazy travel news of late, I have to mention one more must pack – insurance! There have been times when I have skipped insurance – thinking I am young and healthy. Then I realized that baggage departments and weather delays do not discriminate based on health or age. Get the travel insurance – it is affordable and protects you against virtually any travel hiccup.

What are you must have travel accessories or gadgets?

Until next time
Melanie

I’m Outta Here

 
If I could put an out of office on my blog, this would be it. I off to Florida to be inspired for my April blog entries. It’s a long overdue family vacation.

This time around we are trying the Holiday Home approach, and friends with children of the same age will be joining our family. Our hopes are that once the children are asleep we can enjoy the living room and patio as adults. Given what’s on the schedule I might be turning in when the kids do….It makes me wonder if you can call it a vacation when you cram in more half a dozen theme park days, an NHL hockey game and various trips down memory lane.

I have vowed to keep my computer time to a minimum while away but I’ll pack a note pad, and I’ll be blogging again in mid April.

In the meantime, if you have a moment, check out the last minute/ hot deal section of our website and you might be travelling too, with deals like this it’s hard not to think about being spontaneous and doing a last minute sun getaway
http://www.maritimetravel.ca/hotdeals.asp Once on the last minute page you can select a gateway and see the specials from the closest airport.

Happy Travels

Melanie

Travel vicariously; follow the Smar’s World Cruise Journey

Have you ever dreamt of embarking on a world tour? I have often thought about going over-land from London to Cape Town, or buying an around the world air ticket and planning my stops as I go. More recently, I have been inspired by customers from Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia who have embarked on a 117 day cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Stockholm with stops throughout the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal and South Pacific; South America and Australia; Asia and India; and the treasures of ancient civilizations in the Southern Mediterranean and Europe. (In fact there are more than 37 port of call on this amazing cruise).

These intrepid travelers are logging their journey with daily updates as they globetrot. Karen and Carson Smar, originally from Alberta have retired to Smith Cove, Nova Scotia and for almost half of 2009 they will call the Tahitian Princess home. Here is a link to the ship http://www.princess.com/learn/ships/ta/index.html

For a sense of this exciting itinerary check out next year’s equivalent “&gt”>http://www.princess.com/pb/itineraryDetails.do?voyageCode=K003&tourCode=&date=0110&noOfPax=2&resType=C&definition_name=”>”&gt

Charlene Walker from our Digby branch helped the Smars put this journey together and has agreed to post their almost daily updates to her own webpage. To follow the Smar’s journey of a lifetime, view Charlene Walkers’ personal webpage http://www.maritimetravel.ca/1168/CharleneWalker the entries are in reverse order.
Until Next Time
Melanie

Long Stays and Trans- Atlantic Cruises

I am a long way from retirement, yet I find myself considering certain vacations for that time in my life. When I see great deals that are more conducive to open schedules I often try and ‘sell’ my folks or other retirees, but these are the kind of trips that everyone with a bit of time should consider. From Transatlantic cruises to house exchanges, long-stays in the Mediterranean or a motor home holiday in New Zealand—some holidays take more vacation time than the average Canadian earns in a year, but are perfect for sabbaticals, teacher’s summer vacations or retirees.

As Canadians, we are one of the Counties with the least amount of vacation. CNN Money did an in-depth (and fascinating) review of the number of vacation days by country. Finland came in high with 44 days (vacation and statutory holidays combined), of the 49 countries evaluated, Canada came third from the bottom with an average of 20 days off per year. For the full report check out http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/12/pf/vacation_days_worldwide/
Do you recall the beer campaign that attempted to lobby for an additional statutory holiday? Until that happens, I’ll keep logging my favorite travel idea in hopes they still appeal when time allows.

So what’s top on my list? France, Portugal and Spain’s long stay program. During the European off season (November to March), this region is extremely affordable for Canadians to escape winter. While Europeans and visitors the world over flock to these Mediterranean shores in high-season, the winter is their off season and the accommodation prices are accordingly low. Often for much less than $100 per day you can rent self-catering apartments that would be perfect for any Canadian snowbird willing to spread their wings a little further and the cultural experience would far outweigh the hassles of the longer flight.

Have you ever cruised before? There certainly is a cruise itinerary for every traveller. Did you know that typically the passengers tend to become more mature as the itineraries become longer? If you have a little longer, there certainly are some great deals and interesting itineraries for the more open schedules. Each spring, many of the ships that ran Caribbean itineraries during the winter reposition themselves to the Mediterranean and then they return again in the fall. As these ships move across the Atlantic the cruise lines offer some amazing deals – quite often 10 days or more under $1000. These itineraries are often referred to as Transatlantics (depicting the routing) or repositioning (as they do reposition themselves throughout the world). It can be challenging to find the airfare to match up the departure and arrival (you’ll be buying two one-way tickets). But with a creative travel agent working on this, it won’t be a problem.

RVing holidays also speak to me (maybe it is the ad campaigns they run every summer… Go RVing). Ok, I’ll admit the exotic RVing holidays with the extended timelines have the most appeal, but I may settle for one closer to home. Called motorhome rentals in New Zealand, I can’t think of a better way to explore this relatively small country, given so many of the must see features are the great outdoors. I had a good friend who did one of these while she was on maternity leave just the three of them, she still raves about the motorhome approach to seeing a country with a young family.

Not unlike the cruise lines that reposition their ships, the RV rental companies located in the Western United States offer amazing deals repositioning their vehicles, one-way rates can be under $50 per night for your vehicle with no drop fee. These vehicles make amazing use of space and the special rates apply to some routes that are a must see. RVing up the American coast to Alaska and throughout Newfoundland (that is two different trips) also really appeal. I hope some of these trips are still a possibility in 20 or 30 years when I do retire, what is on your retirement travel list?

Until Next Time
Melanie

Party of 5 Please

Now and again I get asked if we are planning on having more children. To which I often reply in jest “No with two children we still fit in a sedan and can stay in a standard hotel room.” While my passion for travel is strong, it really was not the driving factor of our family planning, but it certainly does make hotel selection much easier. If you’ve tried planning a vacation for a family of more than 4 you know what I am talking about.

Many Canadian and American hotels will gladly provide a cot and allow more than four guests in a room – but you can’t assume the same flexibility in the Caribbean. We learned this when we planned our Bermuda getaway – having fallen in love with a funky resort that set the occupancy at three people per room. In that case, the grandparents benefitted and came along, only assuming a child on paper to appease hotel management.

While you might say that families are typically getting smaller today, with blended families on the rise, we regularly see families of more than four packing their bags to escape winter. While once international travel was reserved for adults, an alarming number of children today are collecting stamps in their passports.

Hands down, the most versatile accommodation arrangements for larger families are Holiday Homes or renting private villas. Holiday Homes in Florida offer amazing value and convenience for larger groups. For about the same price as a hotel room, you can have an entire house, which gives you all the convenience of home, plus your own private pool. When booking Holiday Homes, use a travel agent to protect your booking. With the instability of the American real estate market the backing of a travel company ensures your accommodation when you arrive in Florida. Watch for my April blog, as I report on our experience in a Florida Holiday Home.

While renting homes in Florida has become very popular, homes, condos, villas and apartments are an option at most of your favorite destinations. There is growing interest in what is called ‘self catering’ options the world over, including private villas in the Caribbean and Mexico as well as throughout Europe.

If it is an all-inclusive that you are after for a family of four or more, there are some options. Beaches, who is known as the Ultimate Family Vacation Resort, has several resorts that allow three children per room including the following in Negril, Jamaica: Beaches Boscobel Resort and Golf Club (link), Beaches Sandy Bay Negril, and Beaches Negril Resort and Spa. In Punta Cana, the Colony Bay (link) also allows 3 kids in a room. In the Cancun area, the Oasis Palm Beach, the Grand Oasis Caribbean Resort and the Crown Paradise Club all accommodate 3 kids in the room. Cuban hotels may have the strictest guidelines on number of people per room. So if your planning on a party of five or more, why not work with one of our counsellors who do this all the time.

Until next time,

Melanie

Must See Markets

When travelling in foreign countries I always make time for markets – the straw market in the Bahamas, Covent Gardens in London, and Green Market Square in Cape Town South Africa all top my list (the list is long though).

In fact, my passion for markets is so strong, if I can’t make it to an outdoor market, a tour through the local grocery store also intrigues. Watching the locals shop tells so much about the culture; from the selection of local delicacies to the people watching, visiting a market offers unparalleled local insight. A stroll down the international food section of a foreign supermarket can be entertaining – observing what a country chooses to import from around the world. After being away from home for over a year, it struck me funny to see a package of Oreos in the Harrods International Food Halls, the familiar package was considered exotic and was priced accordingly. Back to the outdoor markets, here are just a few favorites.

Camden Town, London this open air market is a feast for the senses, located at the north of the city with stalls winding in and around canals, the setting has as much character as the goods being sold. The market offers a huge selection with plenty of dining options and pubs among the stalls. While London has a number of great markets, Camden tops my list in terms of variety of products and layout. Give yourself lots of time if you plan on visiting the markets of Camden, it takes a little while to get there from the centre of London and once you’re there you’ll want to have at least a few hours. http://www.camdenlock.net/

Both London and New York offer a lifetime worth of fantastic markets, but Bryant Park, in New York stands out as a must see market, especially at Christmas time. Starting in late November, Christmas stalls appear around the temporary outdoor skating rink. Fine Christmas crafts and creative gifts abound, all set among stalls of hot chocolate and candy apples. The little ones will enjoy the carousel here too. As for Christmas markets, I have yet to experience the European version (in particular I hear rave reviews about the German markets). These are on my bucket list; last December a group of our travel counsellors experienced many of these markets on a Christmas Market river tour, now that sounds like my kind of Christmas shopping.

Granville Island Market, Vancouver 

A quick water taxi ride away from Downtown Vancouver is a must see market that truly offers something for everyone. Granville Island is home to my favorite toy store.  When I commented to the owner on the originality of product he told me the selection was intentional, and all toys were powered by imagination not batteries. The market is described by some as a center for epicurean delight, and while this market is sure to please the pallet, there is great shopping and entertainment too.  http://www.granvilleisland.com/en/home

Cape Town South Africa

 is home to two must see markets. Green Market Square, in the heart of Cape Town, offers a wide selection of African Arts and Crafts (and amazing paintings too). Additionally, this market offers the convenience of a central location and is open daily. Green Point Market is considerably larger and located outside the stadium, choice abounds at this Sunday (and holidays) only market. Be prepared to haggle at both of these markets and you’re sure to come away with unique keepsakes of your African Adventure.

While the list could go on and on, I will close with one more market which tops my list, the Flower Market, Latin Quarter of Paris. This is a must see market largely because it finds its home amongst the hustle and bustle of a young and vibrant area of Paris. The Latin Quarter is home to several Parisian universities including the Sorbonne, and book stalls and cafes pepper the streets in alarming numbers (but can there ever been too many cafes or bookstores?). At the market itself you will find flowers from around the world in arrangements sure to inspire a hotel bouquet (unlike other markets you just can’t stock up on gifts here).

What tops your list of must see markets? What about eating Eating Al Fresco?   Where are your favorite outdoor dinning spots?  Help inspire my next entry by sending your suggestions.

Until next time

Melanie

Escaping Winter

It seems everywhere I go these days conversations turns to travel. Perhaps our active Canadian winter is partly to blame as people dream of warmer climes. Personally, I think people like to share stories from their travels as a momentary escape from the daily routine, the trip may only last a week but the memories are relived again and again. With travel, there is often as much joy in the anticipation as there is in the journey – many people spend months planning and years reminiscing (and let’s not under estimate the bragging rights associated with the holiday).

With our newly launched website, a weathered passport, access to over 300 travel experts 2009 is the year to launch the Maritime Travel Blog. I hear countless travel tips and insider advice from spending the days working with travel partners and agents. In this position, I am regularly asked for personal travel advice. One of the most common questions I am asked this time of year is by those people dearly in need of a winter sun getaway, but have not booked yet. The burning question on these folks minds is, do I book now or hold off for a last minute deal?

Over the years I’ve realized there are two camps of travel planners. Those who book early and take great pleasure from knowing their spot in the sun is reserved just for them. (These travelers also usually reap savings for booking early). And with each and every winter storm these are the folks that can brag about the number of sleeps until they fly away. These are the people that make you think, I should have booked early this year.

So what’s the benefit of the early booking? In addition to the savings and the joy of anticipation, there are a few other benefits; there is also better availability on dates and hotel choice. If you are hoping to get away over March Break or Easter or other holidays the earlier you book the better. Also for larger families and groups you’ll want to reserve early – requests like adjoining rooms are always best done with as much notice as possible. And here is a little insider secret, did you know you can travel first and pay later? Perhaps you want to book early, but don’t want to tie up cash; you can actually use our Travel First Pay Later plan, so you have the benefit of the travel booking without outlaying any cash until you come back.

For those travelers who are happiest to book at the last minute – there are a few tricks to finding the best deal. If you have narrowed down dates or destinations, share this information with a travel agent – they can watch for specials for you. Sign up for our Holiday Club newsletter we’ll send inspiring ideas and great savings directly to your inbox. In fact our Hot Deals page has a long list of great deals it is updated several times a week by gateway.

Until next time, happy travels – if you have a comment or a topic you’d like covered please send it along.

Melanie