-
Travel Medicine: Too Much? Not Enough?
We are getting questions about what shots and precautions for our upcoming India trip, Oct. 25-Nov 4 and for other trips to more exotic places. These questions bring up several themes:
The obvious one for us as tour operators is we are NOT medical advisers and are not equipped professionally to give out medical advice. We can tell you what one of us does for our personal health, but this is not a guideline for yours.
The second comment is that what you will need depends on what season you are visiting a country.…
-
Do not read newspapers
Returned home today to The New York Times on my doorstep. Having read half of the first section, I decided not to go to Asia, Mexico, Turkey or even to leave my apartment as there was a gas explosion in Manhattan. Then on line, I read the headline about London airport being closed due to fog; yikes.
Why do we allow print and other media to destroy our sense of adventure?
My belief is we are basically a skittish lot and any hint of trouble or misunderstanding is enough to keep us home. …
-
'Do Not Eats' on First Day of Trips
If you do not eat these food items on your first day of an overseas trip, you will feel and look better: the photo here is from our healthy Mexican Party at Ixtapan Spa in February 2014.
1- Too many salty pretzels or other salty snacks. These can include hidden salt as in dried meats, ham, salamis as on our trip to Sicily.
2- Too much oil of any kind: hidden in roasted veggies, salads, on bread or drizzled on other dishes as hummus or on steak in our Argentina trip.… -
Is your Guide Book Author Honest?
Before you buy a guidebook for your next trip, consider the author / authors!
Who wrote it? Man or woman? US or non US? How old is the author? Where do they live?
—Women will be more conscious of our needs and might include more informal information about lifestyles and markets.
—If a different generation than you, are you happy with their choices of must see’s and must eats? (exception Lets Go Guides from Harvard, written by juniors and seniors but full of deals and interesting sidelights).…
-
How to Complain about Airline Crew
As we are not allowed to carry liquids on planes we suggest you, at least bring an empty bottle. You can then be more vigilant about staying hydrated during the trip. Crew serve water/juice etc in those tiny cups and even two at a time is not enough. Drinking more for the 48 hours before your trip is also a smart idea. We have heard that some travelers have carried on frozen water as a non liquid; truly do not. Each time travelers play around with the rules, we put the airline in jeopardy of fines.…
-
5 'Do Nots' for Spa Trips to Ixtapan Spa and Canyon Ranch
—-Do not pack your sneakers! Buying new ones at a spa can be both expensive and impossible if your luggage is delayed.
—-Do not buy new spandex work out clothes! Wear what is comfy for you, spend the money on something more important.
—-Do not plan your time before you go, you will find surprises and other things to do you were no aware of: Lecture at Canyon Ranch? Walk into town in Ixtapan de la Sal? Special service like acupuncture at Ixtapan Spa?… -
Winter Warm Trips: Vietnam and Cambodia
Indochina Women’s Tour Why return to Florida or Puerto Rico when you can have a real experience plus winter sun. March is the time when most of us flag, look and feel blah and are anxious for some early blossoms.
This year, take a trip to SE Asia for the same cost as boring old Florida. And here is what you will receive:
A fabulous itinerary with gorgeous landscapes, exotic sites, and UNESCO World Heritage experiences.
The best restaurants and local food as SE Asia have become a culinary center.…
-
Exploding Cosmetics: Warning for Women Travelers
Recently I was on a plane and decided to reapply lip gloss before we landed. The pressure of the plane made the gloss explode and worst the metallic sheen of the gloss penetrated my clothes and leather bag. This can happen with any cosmetic, so how will you know ahead of time?
1- Tubes are culprits: so squeeze out all the air before you get on the plane, close quickly.
2- You may also tap containers of all kinds, it to get the air to the top before you open them.… -
Glaring Mis-representation by NYTimes Travel Ad
Of course, I read every travel brochure which hits my mailbox. Today we received a tour wrapped into our New York Times.
Headlined: 9-Day Exclusive Tour * * * * *
The hotel page of the tour brochure sets the five stars in gold highlighted rectangle entitled PURE LUXURY * * * * * as five stars.
But read further, ladies!
The hotels are then listed as 3*, 3* and 4*. Admittedly the cost is dirt cheap but as they say in the movies: cheap is cheap.…
-
Exactly what flight am I on?
It used to be that your ticket had one flight number which you searched for on the departure board. The captain announced the same number, in that uber-male ‘Welcome Aboard’ speech. Today you will see multiple flight companies and numbers for your flight, flashing one by one on the departure boards! And today these will all be announced when you board. These are codeshare flights.
Under code-sharing, an airline sells seats on ‘partner’ flights, but the flights are operated by a separate airline.…
