Is it bad to say the  G word??

The G word "Group"

Question: When is Group Travel okay? Even preferred?

Answer: Lots of times!

I used to have my nose up in the air about traveling in a group. What if I had nothing in common with the other people? What if I had no alone time? Well go on just one great group trip and those concerns go right out the window! 

I love designing groups to travel because I’ve found it’s one of the best ways to see the sights, taste the flavors, and truly experience amazing locations with the shared energy of like-minded companions. 

None of “If this if it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium”. When I create a group itinerary, l include the best of the best, in a fun-filled, yet thoughtful timeline. One that won’t leave you dropping exhausted into your bed every night, but still humming a happy tune while going over your photos from the day. One where you truly appreciate the sights and sounds of the destination. 

I get asked a lot about why someone would want to join a group? Well, it’s a great way to travel, whether you’re solo, part of a couple, with a friend or traveling with your adult kids. It allows you to see more and enjoy stress free time.

Travel is also about relationships. You make fast friends while still having the time and space to do things on your own or with a new friend you've just met. I’ve met some of my dearest and longtime friends when traveling in a group.

I love planning travel for my individual clients, but I don’t get to go on their amazing itineraries. If it’s one of my “Come Travel With Me!” groups I get to fulfill a bucket list destination and travel with you. That is the best of all worlds and you just know it will be spectacular! 

I’ve put together another fabulous itinerary. This time to Morocco! It’s perfect for a group- hitting all the highlights, exploring little known places, & enjoying the awe-inspiring views. Hot air balloon ride anyone? Camel ride to glamping in the Sahara? See the stars like you have never seen them before? I know this will truly will be the beginning of many beautiful new friendships! Travel is all about shared experiences that create bonds for life. 

We had a great time in Egypt!

Now Come to Morocco with me!

You’ll see stars like never before in the Sahara night sky. You’ll taste the flavors and culture as you take a bite of your delicious tagine dish. Play It Again Sam, in Rick's Café.

Check out my Mysterious Morocco experience.

I have space and would love to travel with you. This could be the perfect group!

What are your travel plans for 2023?

Everyone is still madly wanting to travel. Many opportunities for 2023 are already sold out. Don’t put off making plans now.

Enjoy reading our blog? Sign up for the newsletter to be a We Make Travel Easy travel insider. 




La Orana: Tahiti

Photography/Post by Larissa Rolley

Tahiti: Maybe it's the sun-kissed beaches, the sparkling waters, the breathtaking waterfalls or the gourmet French Polynesian cooking.  Perhaps it’s the snorkeling and diving, the surfing or the amazing tours through the rainforests. Or is it that the mailboxes in front of each residence are actually for fresh French bread delivery, not mail. It could be the lagoons, the star-filled night skies, the fascinating culture and the welcoming Polynesian people that you hear calling out to the traveler, voyager, adventuress or wanderlust in you.

Traveler — one who is traveling or who travels often.

Our best memories come from traveling. It starts with that first trip, the one where we get hooked on discovering the unknown. We learn that with each exciting visit to a new locale, we unearth more about ourselves. Before first embarking to Tahiti, I thought "well, if you've seen one beach with a palm tree—then you've seen 'em all!" How wrong I was. Like the boroughs of New York or the arrondissement in Paris, each Tahitian Island has its own unique qualities that make it worth visiting. And if you can do it with a  friend, family member or a partner, you'll find that there is no more rewarding bonding experience than creating those South Seas memories together.

Voyager — one who goes on a long trip to a faraway land, especially by ship.

Authentic personal experience can only be obtained through face-to-face contact and cultural exchange. During a foray to the South Pacific, a place untouched by the masses, you'll have the opportunity to make these connections with the Polynesian people. Stop at a roadside food stand for a visit with the locals and pick up some fresh firi-firi (long, twisted pastry) or sink your teeth into the freshly-picked mango they offer you. At each island, you'll be welcomed with open arms and big smiles. Tahiti's natural beauty and treasures are laid in front of you; turquoise lagoons that teem with wildlife and yield luxurious pearls, lush forests that grow pineapples and breadfruit and maohi (native Tahitians) that warmly share their culture with you.

Adventuress — a woman who enjoys or seeks adventure.

An adventuress gravitates toward natural environments in remote locations that offer up exciting activities. Whether it is SCUBA diving, snorkeling, paragliding or following hidden trails through green valleys to waterfalls—Tahiti offers the adventure traveler a deep connection to land and sea. If it is a new endeavor, lessons and small group excursions are available to provide guidance and camaraderie.  And if you're an adventuress traveling solo—you'll share these incredible moments with new friends who share your penchant for adventure.

Wanderluster— one who has an innate desire to explore.

Being a traveler is not the same as a wanderluster, who is lured by the thrills of discovering new places. Social media and modern communication tools may bring the world to your fingertips, but one knows more of a road by having traveled it than by having seen pictures and heard descriptions of it. But what you see on social media is true; the water really is that color of turquoise. What social media isn't sharing with you though, is the scent of Tahiti and her islands. Oooh, those tiare flowers smell divine!

How are you going to see these islands? Unlike traveling by car or train, traveling by water brings out a different kind of awe—one you can sit back and appreciate as you take in the expanse and beauty of the horizon. Discover hidden coves, explore uninhabited islands, relax on private beaches. These extraordinary places will open up special, new experiences for you. Before you realize it, you'll slide into a new existence... one that you will not want to leave: Tahiti.

Enjoy reading our blog? Sign up for the newsletter to be a We Make Travel Easy travel insider. 

When is the best time to buy air fare?

This is a very common question and it changes over time. I’m not sure I found the best crystal ball, but here’s what the experts are saying in 2019.

johan-van-wambeke-_2VioFUgQVg-unsplash.jpg

1. Tuesday seems to be most beneficial:

If you want to get Geeky about it, then 3 pm EST for US domestic flight is said to be best. Why? Airlines release weekly sales early on Tuesday mornings. That alerts their competitors to match prices.

2. The Goldilocks Principle:

Don’t shop too early or too late. The just right spot is:

US Domestic flights: Between 90 to 30 days before departure.

International flights: 165 to 45 days before departure. That has come down. It used to be 255 days.

3. Holiday/Peak Season Travel:

For US travel buy at least 2 months in advance.

4. Be on the lookout for flash sales.

One never knows when an airline can drop prices for a day or so.

5. Compare prices:

No airline has the corner on the cheapest fare. Southwest is not always the cheapest. Check it out.

6. Cheapest days to Fly:

In the US, Tuesday Wednesday and Saturday. Most expensive, Friday and Sunday.

7. Convenience verses price:

Non-stops are convenient, but you pay for that. If you are wiling to make a stop or two, you can save bucks.

8. Book tickets one at a time:

If you are traveling with a companion, check the price for each ticket separately to save money. Airlines have fixed amount of tickets in a fare basis. For example, if they have one left at $100 and you want two tickets, they have to sell you the 2 tickets at the same price. It’s a setting in their system. That means you will pay $250. If you bought one at a time, you would pay $225. Sometimes it’s worth having everyone on one itinerary, especially if you are traveling with children. You have to weigh the cost verses other concerns.

Now you know what the experts say. Use what you can, but don’t let price be the only driver in choosing your flights. Sometimes convenience is worth the difference.

Another piece of advice: Connecting times between flights

For a domestic flight at least 1 hour. For a connecting flight in Europe at least 2 hours and three might be better. For return to the US from an international flight, 3 hours. Especially if you are going through passport control at a major airport. That can take a lot of time, if a lot of flights land at the same time. Then you may have to change terminals to get to your domestic connection

The days of tight connections between flights are long gone. Give you self that extra time, Relax, have a glass of wine or a cup of coffee or do some shopping in the tempting stores. It’s just not worth the stress. You are traveling to relax and have fun. Airports have become much more user friendly. Some even have great museum exhibits or yoga rooms. Check it out next time.

Happy Landings!

Call me, let's talk! 415 931-1945.
Prefer to email? info@WeMakeTravelEasy.com

Venice or Vanish?

I love Venice. It’s like walking back into time; living in a world without cars and buses. Not an Uber in sight! If the canals flood, you put on high rubber boots and walk on the raisers laid out in the streets. That on the surface (pun intended) seems charming and uniquely characteristic. But there is a more serious side to all this.

1.jpg

Climate change, sea levels rising, cruise ships and thousands of tourists descending on a delicate infrastructure, is cause for serious concern. How can we let the home of so many art and architectural treasures be lost?

Venice was built with technology from the year 450. It hasn’t been updated much since then. Unlike the Dutch, who over the centuries, upgraded their water removal technologies, Venice had been sinking. Venice is about 6 feet below what it was back in 450 and continues to sink 1.5mm/year. Sea-level is rising 5.6 mm/year.

MOSE (Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico, or “Experimental Electromechanical Module”) is a sophisticated engineering system of gates, designed to create a temporary wall at high tide. Even though it was started in 2003, it’s still not finished due to corruption, scandal. financial and structural issues. Projections for completion are 2020. It will not protect Venice, as well as the Delta Project protects southwestern Netherlands. But it’s a start.

Venice has other solutions to help. One being talked about is to ban large cruise ships that create huge damaging waves in the canals. Another is to create rules to try to reduce the number (60,000) tourists that visit this city (of 55,000 residents) each year.

If you plan to visit Venice, here are some things NOT to do. Get caught and you risk a fine, ranging from $27-$550.

  • Leaning against storefronts

  • Picnicking

  • Lying down on public benches

  • Feeding pigeons (that should be an international law)

  • Buying from street traders (I hope that doesn’t mean the street artists)

  • Standing still on bridges (don’t linger as you take your photo)

  • Drinking on the street after 8 p.m. (No “Roadies” in Venice)

  • Swimming in the canals (Who would do that, the canals are so polluted)

  • Affixing padlocks to bridges (this is happening all over Europe, the locks are damaging infrastructures)

  • Wearing a bikini (The only beach is on Lido island)

  • Being bare-chested (that goes for men too!)

  • Riding a bicycle in the city center (This isn’t Amsterdam)

  • Walking a bicycle through the city center(Leave the bike home)

Now that you have the above down pat, Here are the unofficial cultural faux pas to avoid:

  • Men – Never wear open toed sandals.

  • Venetians drink Martinis, not Bellini’s

  • Don’t drag your wheelie suitcase over the cobblestones. The noise is annoyingly loud.

  • Café Florian in St Mark’s Square opened in 1720. Tourists sit out front. Venetians know the better priced coffee, tea and cocktails are served in the quiet, back bar.

  • Spaghetti alla Vongole, a beloved Venetian dish, is never to be eaten with Parmesan cheese on top. If you do, you might find yourself swimming in the canal (with the aid of a little push from a fellow Venetian diner) and end up being fined as well (see the rule above about swimming in the canals).

Go to Venice, enjoy its uniqueness, its charm, the art, the architecture and more. But remember, you are treading through a very delicate antique.

Please be respectful and careful.

We want this treasure to last for many more Millenniums.

Call Me - Let's Talk ! 415-931-1945
Prefer to Email? info@WeMakeTravelEasy.Com

Enjoy reading my blog? Sign up for my newsletter to be a We Make Travel Easy travel insider.