2016 Top Hotel Choices World Wide - India Top 10

A Luxurious Adventure as Only India Can Offer

Incredible India with Sandy

THE OBEROI RAJVILAS HOTEL, JAIPUR

The 2016 Report of Top Luxury Hotels has named our hotel choices in the top 10 worldwide. Are you intrigued by the idea of a trip to India, but feel like a vacation there will take you too far out of your comfort zone? For most people, thoughts of India conjure commotion and chaotic city streets, not exquisite luxury.

But this dynamic, colorful country is filled with luxury, if you know where to look — and how to travel. Travelers who are willing to seek out the refined are rewarded with a side of India that’s seldom experienced. Come with me and experience an India you never imagined. I guarantee that this will be a trip of a lifetime. Stay at the Most Exclusive Safari Camp. See tigers in the wild!

Optional extension to Cochin. This trip is almost maxed out, don't miss your chance. 

Warning, you may want to go back!

Travel Dates: Oct 22 - Nov 4, 2016. 

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Will the Friendly Skies Become More Friendly??

There are many opinions and reasons for why United went from a great airline, to what I consider mediocre today. In 1994, when the Employee Ownership took place (ESOP), I personally felt an immediate decline in service.  Others have statistics that indicate initially it went up, but then due to other market factors, the airline tanked. The Friendly Skies were no longer friendly.

MileagePlus Members 

If you are a member of United’s MileagePlus program, you will have most likely found it difficult to use your miles. At least more difficult than other carriers.

Well finally United has gotten the message and is promising change. Things are supposed to become simpler, starting October 6th. Under the new program award travel will be based on one way.  This should allow for round trip as well as multi-city itineraries. United is claiming you should be able to book complex, multi-city itineraries, online at United.com.

Under the new program, the Round the World award travel will go away.  However, the one-way booking will allow you to customize your itinerary and not have the previous one-way rules and other restrictions.

Change fees: 1K and United Global Services members will not be affected.  Platinum on down will have increased fees. 

For a more in-depth analysis of the changes click here. 

International Business Class Travelers

United is introducing its United Polaris service starting December 1, 2016. The new service will also feature personal suites, 180-degree flat-bed recline, 6’6"of bed length and direct aisle access. Not sure how couples traveling together will be seated with the direct aisle access. Similar pods on British Air have center section seating together and Etihad has “couch” seating in the middle.

The new personal space amenities will include working and dining surfaces, 16-inch TV screens, Saks Fifth Avenue bedding as well as improvements in wine and food selections.

The lounges promise to make pre-flight and layovers more pleasant, with spa-type showers, beds for sleeping and improved meal service.

The first Polaris Lounge will open at Chicago’s O'Hare International Airport on Dec. 1st. Followed by New York, Washington D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Tokyo, Narita and Hong Kong. For a virtual peek at what this will all look like click here. 

Now you may actually be able to use all those miles that have accumulated in your MileagePlus account after all. 

Where shall we plan your trip???

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What’s so special about August 23,2016?​

This is the day, this year, that you can catch a break on airfares! 

If you put off your late summer vacation or if your travel dates are flexible, take advantage of this. The sales will be happening in just a few weeks. It happens every year and this year the special date is August 23rd. If you start looking now for airfares that start on August 23rd or after, you could see a 15-20 percent drop in price. Ofcourse that always depends on from where to where you are going. You might see more or less of a savings, but you should see some.

What’s so special about August 23?

School starts for many kids in mid-August. Supply and demand kicks in and the airlines want your tushes back in their seats. They will tempt you with reduced fares.

How long will this last? Typically, this lasts till mid to late October. Prices may even drop a little more.

What about other savings in 2016? 

You bet. These are some of the optimal times for domestic and European flights.  Perfect time to take advantage of reduced river boat cruise fares combined with reduced air to Europe.

Mid to late October and the First 2 weeks in November (particularly for domestic flights)

I can personally vouch for this.  Last year I booked an open jaw, from San Francisco to Dallas in late October.  The return was mid-November; Seattle to San Francisco. My fare was $239.

After the first week of January through mid to late March (except for President’s weekend and those warm beach destinations)

When are the most expensive times to fly? 

Of course it’s around the Holidays. If you have to fly, it can be cheaper on the Holiday itself. However, the airlines are getting wise to that.  What you might gain is last minute availability.

Thanksgiving (Nov. 24): This itinerary is traditionally one of the most expensive, departing the Wednesday before and returning the Sunday after. If you can leave a day or two before and return on the Saturday or the Monday after, you'll save.

Christmas (Dec. 25) and New Year's (Jan. 1):  They are usually peak travel periods. For Christmas fares really start to spike around December 18th. Return after New Year’s around the 3rd. Later, if the 1st falls on a Friday or over the weekend.

Where do I find these deals? The sales have started.  Check out Southwest. Book now for travel beginning when??? You got it, August 23rd. 

Words to the Wise: Always compare fares: No airline has a corner on the cheapest fares all the time; not even Spirit, Frontier or Southwest.

Airfare alerts: Airlines can run a "quiet sale” if they need to fill a route. All the fare tracking sites have a way to track fares to a location you want.  I still get fare alerts for a trip to Palm Springs, weeks after I flew.

Be flexible: If you have the ability to fly on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday, you can usually save. 

Now that you got a deal on your air, where do you want to go?

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Zebras and Zika Virus, Who Knew???​

Just when you thought you could enjoy summer and not worry anymore about West Nile Virus, along comes Zika.

As we become more mobile, so do the mosquito-borne viruses. For decades, we in the US, have been spared things like malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, encephalitis, and more. Travel to mosquito-friendly environments is now something we have to be concerned about, as well as those unwanted and unbeknownst “souvenirs” fellow travelers may bring back.

According to the CDC, the US is at very low risk for Zika to become endemic or epidemic in the US.  Southern states are most at risk. However, weather patterns aren’t warm enough for mosquitoes to survive winter in the South. Screens and A/C, control exposure to mosquitoes during warm weather.

If those warm Caribbean beaches or tropical paradises call to you, here are some precautions to take to help minimize the chance of you contracting Zika. 

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. 

DEET—an ingredient first developed in 1944 for use by the U.S. Army is one of the most effective anti-bug bite chemicals and is available in most insect repellents. Even though most people who use DEET, don’t experience any adverse side effects, "Miss Organic and I Avoid as Many Chemicals as Possible", would prefer other alternatives.

This is Where the Zebras Come in; Wear Stripes. 

On safari, you might notice all the animals (including humans) being bothered by flies, mosquitoes and other biting insects.  Yet herds of Zebras are not even swishing their tails. As a guide explains, the zebras' black ­and­ white stripes play optical illusion with mosquitoes, making it too confusing for the critters to land and bite. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology found that stripes attract fewer flies than solid colors and the most effective stripe patterns were those similar in width to the zebras’. Horseflies have limited abilities to see polarized light. Conjecture is the vertical stripes on a zebra confuse the fly's brain and stop it from seeing the animal. Start shopping for stripes.

Insect Repellent Clothing. ExOfficio and Insect Shield sell clothing and accessories made from fabrics coated in permethrin—an insect­ repelling, tick­ killing chemical that has few known side effects.  Permethrin is listed in the World Health Organization's Model Lists of Essential Medicines for both Adults and Children. If you don’t want to invest in new clothes or the styles don’t appeal, you can soak your own clothes in permethrin for a few hours or spray it on before going out.  I don’t know what effect it may have on fabrics, so read all the labels before you try this.

Picaridin and Lemon Eucalyptus Oil. Consumer Reports found a combination of Picaridin and lemon eucalyptus oil outperformed DEET in keeping mosquitoes away. Sawyer Picaridin and Natrapel 8 Hour were the only ones that also kept Culex mosquitoes (West Nile disease) and deer ticks (Lyme disease), away for at least 8 hours.

Wear Woven Nylon or Polyester Clothing. A non­chemical way to avoid mosquito bites is an impenetrable barrier between your skin and a bug's probuscis. Woven nylon or polyester clothing is best.  Knits are easy for mosquitoes to bite through.

Bounce Dryer Sheets. A 2010 study published in horticultural journal HortSci concluded that Bounce was particularly effective in keeping fungus gnats at bay: "Based on the results from our study, under laboratory conditions, Bounce fabric softener dryer sheets do in fact repel B.sp. nr. Coprophilia adults." (fungus gnat). Worth a try, at least you’ll smell nice.

Carry a Fan. Low­ tech, but effective, is air movement. Fanning yourself while spending time outdoors discourages insects from landing and biting.  Added benefit, it helps keep you cool.

Build a Smudge Fire. Around a campfire or beach bonfire add insect repellent herbs like lavender, citronella, mint, sage, and lemon balm to a smoky fire to help keep bugs away.

And if this is all too much, there is always Iceland. 

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