- Ok this might not be an earth shattering piece of advice, but USE sunscreen. Don't just bring it on your honeymoon, if you are laying in the sun on day 2 of your Jamaican vacation, use it or you will be torched by sunshine beams. - Aaron Nolan
- Best Advice... sleep in and enjoy the buffet while you leave work behind! Travel tip.... buy a kindle and take it everywhere! - Mindi Wilkins
- Pack light but use a larger bag, so you will have PLENTY of room for souvenirs and purchases you buy while on vacation. I, also, usually back a smaller duffle bag (easy to fold up)in my larger suitcase just in case I need to check another bag (my husband hates this, because it means I spent too much money shopping while on vacation:-) . - Lee McAhren
- Roll your clothes. You really can get so much more in your suitcase that way.- Jeffie Thomas
Monday, June 28, 2010
The Savvy Travel Tote goes to...
Lee McAhren was randomly drawn as the winner of our Blogiversary Giveaway! Congratulations girl! Thanks to those who commented with insightful travel tips. I thought I'd include them for all to see.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
1st Blogiversary
This week marks a special milestone for our blog! It's our 1st Blogiversary [anniversary for a blog]. In honor of a year full of fun travel related posts, we are giving away a Savvy Traveler Tote. All you have to do is leave a comment with one of your favorite travel tips [we want to learn from you too]. Don't forget to include your email address. We will draw a winner on Friday, June 25th!
The tote is a large beach bag that also unzips so you can lay it out on the sand and put your beach towel over it. It is also complete with an attached blow up pillow. Inside the tote you'll find:
- Photo Book that holds your vacation memories
- Frisbee and Water Bottle from Celebrity Cruises
- Passport holder and luggage tags to match
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Ashley + Curtis - The Royal Playa del Carmen
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Sassy Luggage Tags
Recently I was in Ft. Smith for a girls weekend and I stumbled on these super sassy, adorable luggage tags at Inscriptions. How fun are these? In person they are even better...the metallics come to life. Make a statement on your next trip with these sassy luggage tags. Ooh lah lah.
They say various fun phrases...
Woo Hoo
I Love Travel
Shoes. Check. Jewlery. Check. Lipstick. Check.
Jetsetter
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
and the Winner is...
Congratulations Jessica from California! You are the lucky winner of our Keepsake Book Giveaway. Your package has already started its journey from Arkansas to California.
Best Wishes and Enjoy!
1500 Vacation Dollars at Palace Resorts
Palace Resorts in Mexico and the Dominican Republic rolled out a new promotion June 1st that is sure to sweeten your vacation taste buds. When you stay 5 nights or longer you'll receive 1500 Vacation Dollars to spend on the resort. [And if you are staying 3 or 4 nights, no worries you'll get 750 Vacation Dollars]. Vacation Dollars can be used on room upgrades, spa and beauty salon treatments, golf outings, romantic dinners, upgraded wine list and the Precious Wedding Collection. Restrictions apply. Click here for details.
This Summer, Kids 12 and under stay and eat free! Travel by August 31st.
And, for the cherry on top... This month when you book your Palace Resorts vacation combined with air you can save up to $100. Book by June 26th.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Jacob + Heather's Honeymoon in Jamaica
A little testimonial from the Bride...
We LOVED Sandals Montego Bay. We loved the playmakers and how energetic and entertaining they were. Yet they were un-intrusive if you wanted to chill. We loved the mature plant life on the resort as well - something we noticed was not present at a lot of the other resorts in the area - at least not to the same degree. The beach was beautiful and clean and there was plenty to do on the resort. The food was great. The room was great. The service was great. We were very comfortable there and felt like we had the perfect balance between rest and play. We also went horseback riding and had a blast! We definitely would like to go back some time...Thank you for allowing us to plan your Honeymoon. It was our pleasure to serve you guys. Best wishes to you two!
Friday, June 11, 2010
The One and Only Destinations
Recently we have been hearing more and more about clients referring their friends and family to Destinations. [Yeah, Thank you!] What can be confusing is that there is a "Destinations Travel" in Bentonville. There is no affiliation with us, we are simply the one and only "Destinations."
Please be aware of this when referring friends and family. We would be delighted to serve them. Our best advice is to recommend Destinations in Fayetteville, give them our card, send them to our website [http://www.mydestinations.travel/] or email them our contact information so as not to confuse them when they open the Yellow Pages.
Thanks for your referrals and trust in us! Come by and visit us.
Your Favorite Vacationistas, Tracee & Sarah
Please be aware of this when referring friends and family. We would be delighted to serve them. Our best advice is to recommend Destinations in Fayetteville, give them our card, send them to our website [http://www.mydestinations.travel/] or email them our contact information so as not to confuse them when they open the Yellow Pages.
Thanks for your referrals and trust in us! Come by and visit us.
Your Favorite Vacationistas, Tracee & Sarah
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Keepsake Giveaway
It's hard to believe that we are almost halfway through 2010. Where has the time gone? After a busy Winter and Spring, we have finally taken time to breathe. We are so thankful for steady business. Thank you to all of our wonderful clients for trusting us with your travel arrangements. We love serving you!
In honor of Bridal Season and June being the biggest month for Weddings, We feel like doing a giveaway [just feeling generous]. So, for all of you Brides, we are giving away a Sandals Keepsake Book complete with it's own piece of luggage for storage. It's super cute.
So here are the rules...
Leave a comment on our Blog and you'll be entered into a drawing to win. Make sure you include your email in your comment so we can contact you if you're the lucky winner. Anyone is eligible, if you aren't a recent Bride you can always give it to a friend. We will draw the winner on Tuesday, June 15th.
Best of luck! Let the comments begin.
In honor of Bridal Season and June being the biggest month for Weddings, We feel like doing a giveaway [just feeling generous]. So, for all of you Brides, we are giving away a Sandals Keepsake Book complete with it's own piece of luggage for storage. It's super cute.
Leave a comment on our Blog and you'll be entered into a drawing to win. Make sure you include your email in your comment so we can contact you if you're the lucky winner. Anyone is eligible, if you aren't a recent Bride you can always give it to a friend. We will draw the winner on Tuesday, June 15th.
Best of luck! Let the comments begin.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Discovering Fiji
Last month GOGO Vacations conducted a Learning Conference in Fiji and I had the opportunity to go. From learning about the Fijian culture, to staying in lavish hotels it was an amazing experience.
[Getting there]
I boarded three planes - Northwest Arkansas to Dallas, Dallas to Los Angeles and finally Los Angeles to Nadi, Fiji. After 14 hours of air time, skipping over a day, and being 17 hours ahead of my body clock, I arrived in Nadi, Fiji and began the trip of a lifetime. [For those who may already be turned off by the long flight, you have to know that it’s totally worth it.]
[Geography 101]
Did you know that Fiji is made up of over 300 islands, and only some of them are inhabited? Fiji is located in the South Pacific; it is East of Australia [just a 3.5 hour flight] and North of New Zealand.
[The People]
Did you know that Fijians are known as the friendliest people in the world? I found them to be warm and welcoming individuals. Fiji has about 838,000 people - indigenous Fijians, descendants of settlers from India, Europeans, people of mixed race, Chinese and Pacific Islands. Fijian and Hindi are the first languages that majority of the population speaks. A vast majority of the people also speak English, and you can count on those working at the resorts and in the tourism industry to do so.
[Bula Spirit]
Before I go any further you must comprehend Bula! When in Fiji, you will hear Bula left and right. Loud BULAS, soft bulas, sweet bulas. It is the universal greeting in Fiji. It means welcome, hello, hi there, g’day, cheers, how are you? and, good health. Probably before you even leave the airport you’ll be saying Bula! yourself.
[Where I spent my time]
I spent my time on Viti Levu, or the mainland as we like to refer to it. We flew into Nadi [pronounced Nan-dee] and headed South to Outrigger on the Lagoon outside of Sigatoka on the Coral Coast. The hotel was very authentic with thatched roofs and bures [aka bungalows] and beautiful scenic views. The highlight of the resort was definitely the spa. Bebe Spa [pronounced behm-beh, which means butterfly] is set way up high overlooking the resort with the most breathtaking views of the land. I indulged myself with a Fijian Bobo Massage that was to die for. It was simply an ahh-mazing experience from start to finish and left me feeling rejuvenated after the long flight. I also took part in a Reef Walk one afternoon during low tide and saw some really cool creatures - blue starfish, sea urchins, bright colorful fish, coral and oysters. We harvested two gigantic oysters while we were out there. What a cool experience.
After two days at Outrigger, we headed to Denarau Island, a manmade island connected to the mainland by a causeway. We stayed at the Westin, but my favorite resort in the area is the Radisson. In Denarau they have what’s called the Bula Bus – you can buy a day pass for a nominal fee and it comes every 10 minutes to pick up/drop off at the hotels and Port Denarau – where all the shops are and the marina is located. Port Denarau is the starting point for those who want to head off to the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands – and these Northern islands are where it’s at. I would advise North American travelers to spend majority of their time there. One day we were fortunate to charter a boat out to a small island called Tivua. We got to snorkel and have a traditional meal once we arrived.
After Denarau, we headed to the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa (about 40 minutes from Nadi International Airport). This was by far my favorite resort and beach on Viti Levu. It is the only resort on Natadola Bay and the only stretch of natural, white sand beach on the main island of Fiji, Viti Levu. Forbes Magazine voted Natadola Bay as one of the 25 best beaches in the world in 2008. This resort is simply breathtaking. I had a stunning view of the crystal blue water from my room. My balcony was complete with a modern soaking tub and a beach bed. The room was stylish with all the modern technologies that wow travelers today. Just take a look at my pictures. Need I say more? I would return to this luxurious resort in a heartbeat.
[The Rich Culture]
During our day of seminars, the Fiji Tourism Board set up something really special for us. They had stations for us to rotate through so we could learn about the Fijian Culture. There were two that stuck out to me most of all. First we learned how to make Kokoda [pronounced ko-kahn-da] a traditional Fijian dish served with most meals. It is a cold soup made with white fish, onions, hot peppers, tomatoes and coconut cream. You cook the fish in a lime juice bath and then mix in the other ingredients. Second, we made kava, the National Drink. It is made from powdered pepper root. First you crush the root to a fine powder and then mix it with water. The drink is beige colored and you drink it from a coconut shell. This is one of their favorite ways to socialize. You must clap once or twice, drink the kava and then clap again while saying bula. During ceremonies or special occasions, kava is prepared and offered with elaborate ritual.
[The takeaway]
Fiji is beautiful and the natives are friendly. If you want the true experience of the South Pacific plan to visit the Northern Islands like the Mamanucas or the Yasawas. Or, for the outer island experience on the mainland, check out the InterContinental and you won’t be disappointed. My time in Fiji was rich and I have many warm memories to keep with me for a lifetime.
[Getting there]
I boarded three planes - Northwest Arkansas to Dallas, Dallas to Los Angeles and finally Los Angeles to Nadi, Fiji. After 14 hours of air time, skipping over a day, and being 17 hours ahead of my body clock, I arrived in Nadi, Fiji and began the trip of a lifetime. [For those who may already be turned off by the long flight, you have to know that it’s totally worth it.]
[Geography 101]
Did you know that Fiji is made up of over 300 islands, and only some of them are inhabited? Fiji is located in the South Pacific; it is East of Australia [just a 3.5 hour flight] and North of New Zealand.
[The People]
Did you know that Fijians are known as the friendliest people in the world? I found them to be warm and welcoming individuals. Fiji has about 838,000 people - indigenous Fijians, descendants of settlers from India, Europeans, people of mixed race, Chinese and Pacific Islands. Fijian and Hindi are the first languages that majority of the population speaks. A vast majority of the people also speak English, and you can count on those working at the resorts and in the tourism industry to do so.
[Bula Spirit]
Before I go any further you must comprehend Bula! When in Fiji, you will hear Bula left and right. Loud BULAS, soft bulas, sweet bulas. It is the universal greeting in Fiji. It means welcome, hello, hi there, g’day, cheers, how are you? and, good health. Probably before you even leave the airport you’ll be saying Bula! yourself.
[Where I spent my time]
I spent my time on Viti Levu, or the mainland as we like to refer to it. We flew into Nadi [pronounced Nan-dee] and headed South to Outrigger on the Lagoon outside of Sigatoka on the Coral Coast. The hotel was very authentic with thatched roofs and bures [aka bungalows] and beautiful scenic views. The highlight of the resort was definitely the spa. Bebe Spa [pronounced behm-beh, which means butterfly] is set way up high overlooking the resort with the most breathtaking views of the land. I indulged myself with a Fijian Bobo Massage that was to die for. It was simply an ahh-mazing experience from start to finish and left me feeling rejuvenated after the long flight. I also took part in a Reef Walk one afternoon during low tide and saw some really cool creatures - blue starfish, sea urchins, bright colorful fish, coral and oysters. We harvested two gigantic oysters while we were out there. What a cool experience.
After two days at Outrigger, we headed to Denarau Island, a manmade island connected to the mainland by a causeway. We stayed at the Westin, but my favorite resort in the area is the Radisson. In Denarau they have what’s called the Bula Bus – you can buy a day pass for a nominal fee and it comes every 10 minutes to pick up/drop off at the hotels and Port Denarau – where all the shops are and the marina is located. Port Denarau is the starting point for those who want to head off to the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands – and these Northern islands are where it’s at. I would advise North American travelers to spend majority of their time there. One day we were fortunate to charter a boat out to a small island called Tivua. We got to snorkel and have a traditional meal once we arrived.
After Denarau, we headed to the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa (about 40 minutes from Nadi International Airport). This was by far my favorite resort and beach on Viti Levu. It is the only resort on Natadola Bay and the only stretch of natural, white sand beach on the main island of Fiji, Viti Levu. Forbes Magazine voted Natadola Bay as one of the 25 best beaches in the world in 2008. This resort is simply breathtaking. I had a stunning view of the crystal blue water from my room. My balcony was complete with a modern soaking tub and a beach bed. The room was stylish with all the modern technologies that wow travelers today. Just take a look at my pictures. Need I say more? I would return to this luxurious resort in a heartbeat.
[The Rich Culture]
During our day of seminars, the Fiji Tourism Board set up something really special for us. They had stations for us to rotate through so we could learn about the Fijian Culture. There were two that stuck out to me most of all. First we learned how to make Kokoda [pronounced ko-kahn-da] a traditional Fijian dish served with most meals. It is a cold soup made with white fish, onions, hot peppers, tomatoes and coconut cream. You cook the fish in a lime juice bath and then mix in the other ingredients. Second, we made kava, the National Drink. It is made from powdered pepper root. First you crush the root to a fine powder and then mix it with water. The drink is beige colored and you drink it from a coconut shell. This is one of their favorite ways to socialize. You must clap once or twice, drink the kava and then clap again while saying bula. During ceremonies or special occasions, kava is prepared and offered with elaborate ritual.
[The takeaway]
Fiji is beautiful and the natives are friendly. If you want the true experience of the South Pacific plan to visit the Northern Islands like the Mamanucas or the Yasawas. Or, for the outer island experience on the mainland, check out the InterContinental and you won’t be disappointed. My time in Fiji was rich and I have many warm memories to keep with me for a lifetime.
Bula!
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