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LOW and NO Tech Travel Hints- for Women Travelers
Each time I see an article about travel technology, my brain melts. Most of us, of a certain age, are just not interested in technology. Yes, we want a smartphone that works, wifi information and maybe a GPS. Beyond that, we just want a written document with all the details of our trip.
If you do not know how to operate your phone, stop right here and go to the Apple Store or wherever you bought it and learn basics.
Are we Luddites?…
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The Best $9.99 Christmas Gift
For some of you out there, please go buy yourself a world MAP. Why do we say this as we end our 25th year at The Women’s Travel Group? Besides enthusiastic and upbeat travelers who join us, there are women who are shockingly and narrowly informed about our world.
A woman called who did not book Russia because of “the wars”. We asked her what wars? She said, “my family says there are wars there”. Unless she is related to John Kerry, our US Secretary of State, I don’t think her family is privy to secret information about ‘wars’.…
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Take Advantage of Others' Travel Fears
Travel is as safe as ever. Newspapers are not as popular as ever. What connects the two subjects? To motivate you to buy a paper/read it on line/ or glance at a newsstand, head lines have to be horrifying and misleading.
Middle Eastern refugees will not attack you in Europe. Berbers will not throw a bomb at you in Morocco. No one is waiting in a niche at the Colosseum in Rome to rob you. But newspaper headlines will hint that all of this will happen, and will happen to YOU.…
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How to Go to Battle with Airplane Problems
I just saw a video of a crowd going nuts at LaGuardia when their American Airlines flight was delayed/cancelled. It is not clear what happened. So what do you do?
Don’t get crazy. Get smart.
1- Start taking notes with names/times. Take photographs of the departure screen (with a date/time set on your phone/camera). Example: the screen says delayed but the representative says cancelled. You will need to show in facts to complain.
2- Talk smart. Yelling is not the way.…
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Group Trip Deadlines & Discounts
The Women’s Travel Group has strict deadlines for bookings on most of its trips. The reason is that most resorts / airlines etc. impose these dates to control discounts. For instance, Canyon Ranch gives us a 35% discount on our group booking for Columbus Day Weekend, but the resort takes away unsold rooms in mid August– months before our arrival. This rule guarantees them that unsold rooms can be given to the general public at a higher rate, and it puts pressure on us to fill them.…
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Reading Lists for Travel: Should you Bother?
Not everyone wants to study again and many of us consider travel a non-homework activity. I personally do believe in doing some reading before a trip. There are two kinds of books for travel: travel fiction and guidebooks. The former is just as informative in the way it opens your eyes to subtleties. An example might be what a headdress might mean? Travel fiction is written by women often covers myths or religious beliefs which are hard for us to understand.…
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Travel Safety Clothing: A Big Fraud
The word, ‘safety’, gets the most attention in travel media. The word, ‘clothing’, gets the most attention in travel media from women readers. So it is all too frequent that article themes are ‘new travel clothing for women’! Today a google alert about women and travel, had another promo about a travel shirt for women. DON’T SPEND YOUR MONEY ON THINGS LIKE THIS.
The best safety tool you have is your common sense and your ability to go on a trip as rested as possible.…
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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?… -
Women's leadership exchange conference in NY
We announced our Business Breakaway to Argentina March. 7-15 2014 Make contacts and widen your network plus have a marvelous trip. Details on www.thewomenstravelgroup.com…
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Kenya Crisis
For one who always has advice, this tradegy was hard to foresee. All of my normal hunts would have come up with nothing: local English speaking papers? overseas pundits from the UK, Australian, Canadian foreign ministries did not issue ‘do not go’ warnings. Not even the fact that an Israeli shop was in this mall means it would be targeted.
From what I have read this was an extension of Somali warfare and turf battles. It might be partially due to the fact that the Kenyan army is involved in trying to stabilize chaos and guerilla blackmail in Somalia?…
