Corporate Travel Awards
In today's very competitive sales environment, incentives are prefect for driving sales, motivating salespeople, and thanking top achievers. ...Continue Reading >
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WELCOME TO TRAVEL OPINIONS PROAs long as I can remember my passport has always been full of the colorful entry and exit stamps from my travels around the world. From a very young age I knew that I had the travel bug and the deep need to go places that most people would not think of. When I had kids I started traveling with them as soon as they could sit up. And I never had a screaming child or one that misbehaved. More about this later. I love an adventure and I’m always looking for the next place that will leave a lasting impression on us and the people we meet. Each trip we also like to bring needed books or supplies to one of the remote places we visit. Most of all I want to share how I plan my trips and how...Continue Reading >> |
This Just In
In today's very competitive sales environment, incentives are prefect for driving sales, motivating salespeople, and thanking top achievers. ...Continue Reading >
Christmas in Ecuador and the Galapagos
For many tourists, Ecuador travel means only one thing: the Galapagos Islands. They say the island are being overrun with people. I being one of them. But the time that I was on the islands I did not see many people because all the rules that you must be with a certified guide has truly made the Galapagos an experience that should be on every ones list of places to see. I will talk more about the Galapagos later. The rest of the country really deserves more than a quick stopover on the way in or out and I wanted to see why this county has a two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The cultural heritage of Quito was so important that it was the first city in the world to be declared World Heritage Cultural ...Continue Reading >
It is Breakfast Somewhere in the World
For me, one of the most exciting things about travelling is the different foods you can enjoy, and, more specifically, the different breakfasts that you can experience. International hotels will almost always offer a standard meal of toast and cereals, but, if you’re lucky, this will often be served alongside more traditional fare. Here are a few breakfasts from around the world:
Wales- Laverbread and cockles
Laverbread is a type of edible seaweed that can be found on the rocks of the ever nearby coastline in Wales. Cockles are a kind of mollusk and are most often served fried.
Spain- Churros con Chocolate
Churros are a kind of long, thick doughnut that are often served with hot ...Continue Reading >
Travel Addict
My not-so-secret addiction to traveling... ...Continue Reading >
Traveler Beware: Secure Flight Program is Mandatory
Travel News: TSA's Secure Flight Program ...Continue Reading >
Facts about Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is celebrated by millions around the world. Check out some cool stats about this global celebration! ...Continue Reading >
Last Days of the Masai
Joshua Hammer shares how Tanzania's Masai are losing their land and way of life to tourism and wildlife conservation. ...Continue Reading >
Willie Smits: The Red Ape Man
Introducing Willie Smits, the man who has dedicated his whole life to fighting deforestation and saving orangutans. ...Continue Reading >
A paradise of Parisian foods on tourist-beloved rue Cler
The reason I wanted to share this with my readers is because I have been here and I love this place. I hope you enjoy reading about this wonderful Paris street market.
The Paris market street of rue Cler, in the 7th arrondissement, is a foodie's dream.
By STORY AND PHOTOS By Nancy Leson
Seattle Times food writer
I still remember my first sight of rue Cler — the Paris market street canonized by European travel guru Rick Steves, idolized by tourists and beloved by lucky denizens of the 7th arrondissement who call its well-trod cobblestones their own. One look and I cried real tears.
Why? Because it was my first trip to France, spring was in the air and my husband-to-be and I had ...Continue Reading >
Sit back and enjoy a movie at 35,000 feet
By Michael Ventre
msnbc.com contributor
High-backed comfortable chairs, surround sound, cup holders built into the armrests, extra leg room, “black box” screen aspect ratio ... these are just some of the amenities offered in the modern state-of-the-art motion picture palaces.
Airlines, of course, offer none of that.
In fact, as human experiences go, watching a movie on an airplane is generally considered to be as entertaining as reading the SkyMall catalog for the third time. It’s just there, like the “Occupied” signs on the lavatories and the occasional updates from the pilot over the P.A. system.
But is it really that bad? Does flick-watching on a plane get a bum rap? If you’re ...Continue Reading >
Babar and Me and the Deep Blue Sea from Condé Nast Traveler on Concierge.com
I love wonderful stories of places I want to go. When I found this story I wanted to share it with my readers. Enjoy!
The Andaman Islands, closed to foreigners until 1995, are the ultimate tropical mystery in that cabinet of wonders called India. Tony Perrottet loses himself in a place of unearthly perfection, where crabs climb trees, elephants swim, and man has barely left his mark
"Just don't swim in front of him," whispered Sanjit Biswas, a worker at the jungle lodge where I was staying in the Andaman Islands. "That can spook him." My guide from Bangalore nodded in solemn agreement. "Rajan's a little bit fussy. Sometimes he just won't go in, and nobody can really force him."
Okay, I thought, ...Continue Reading >
Tokyo Disneyland
I love Disneyland and have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit all of the Disneyland's. Tokyo was are favorite because of how clean the park was and how in order the park was. When the Japanese waited for a parade they sat on small mats and all in a line. It was fun to hear the Japanese language at Disneyland. Enjoy the photos of Michael and Annie at Tokyo Disneyland.
URAYASU, Japan — Snow White and Donald Duck cavorted before hundreds of fans Friday as Tokyo Disneyland reopened after five weeks, marking a tentative step back toward ordinary life for a Japan still reeling from natural calamities and a nuclear crisis.
The popular resort shut its doors after the massive ...Continue Reading >
Rising Above His Plains Life
For Masai tribesman Jackson Njapit, taking tourists up in hot-air balloons seemed magical — and lucrative. He came to America to get his pilot's license, and after some bumps saw his dream get off the ground. ...Continue Reading >
Ashford Castle: A Fairy-Tale Setting in a Luxury Hotel
Follow our journey to beautiful and history Ashford Castle, nestled in Ireland's lush andscape ...Continue Reading >
Our 145 Mile Holland Bike Tour
When arranging for a tour overseas, there are a couple things you have to consider and a lot of research that goes into it. Check out ...Continue Reading >
Just Us Girls Exploring London
Get the scoop on everything you need to hit and miss in London, plus an insider tip on the best way to fly for free! ...Continue Reading >
Thailand: Secret Retreats and Destination Spots
How to explore Thailand: Find out the secret hidden retreats known only to pro travelers ...Continue Reading >
Tour of Asia Starts with Researching and Finding the Perfect Guide
Find out how getting your personalize tour guide turns a vacation into an experience of a lifetime. ...Continue Reading >
Exploring Japan with Annie the Geisha, Michael the Samurai in Gion, Kyoto
Learn about the art of the Geisha and tap into the curiosity by dressing up in a traditional Geisha outfit or having one at your next Kyoto dinner party ...Continue Reading >
Yosemite and Rafting the Tuolumne River
This gallery contains 5 photos.
Here I go again off on another adventure with my teenagers. This time we were on our way to explore Yosemite and to go white water rafting. We cheated and took a plane from Orange County to Fresno and rented a car to save six hours of a boring drive. Before we arrived in Yosemite we went on a two-day white water rafting trip on the Tuolumne River a class 3-5 when it comes to getting wet. We stayed the night at the Groveland Hotel. The hotel was a traditional bed and breakfast complete with a teddy bears to snuggle with. The next day we went to the meeting spot to join Zephyr White Water Rafting Company for two days on the Tuolumne river.
I arranged to have our own boat and we loved it. ...Continue Reading >
Travel Scams Around the World
You may have heard of, or fallen victim to, the old "catch my baby while we pick your pockets" scheme. The new class of tourist rip-off makes that look like chump change.
By Ray Pagliarulo, Reprinted from Budget Travel. See this photo? This is me I was a vitim of a pick pocket in Amersterdam.
Orlando
Here's a scam so bad even Mickey Mouse took a stand. Guests in hotels around Disney World have been finding pizza delivery menus conveniently slipped under their doors, but place an order-and make the mistake of giving your credit card number-and you'll really pay. The phone number isn't connected to a pizza parlor but to identity thieves. Disney World supported a law designed to crack down ...Continue Reading >
In China, foot binding slowly slips into history
FOREIGN EXCHANGE Reprinted from a LA Times story I thought was really interesting
In the village of Liuyi, China, there are only about 30 women left who followed a once-common tradition that was painful but also bonded mothers and daughters.
But the eyes are drawn to Fu's deformed feet and the tiny, ornate shoes on the floor next to her, both objects marking the 76-year-old as one of the last of a kind.
For almost a millennium, the practice of foot binding was prevalent across Chinese society, starting with the wealthier classes but over the years spreading down through urban and then poorer rural communities. Now the ancient, some say barbaric, practice is almost gone.
Isolated from ...Continue Reading >
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer Opportunities are everywhere but they cane be overwhelming. I will be travling to South East Asia this summer and here are a few of the ones that I will be going to.
Baan San Fan Orphanage in Thailand
Barnherm Nuang Mai in Thailand also a CNN Hero
Goodwill Travel
When it comes to traveling I truly believe that everyone can find one place on their trip to do good, give back or just take the time to help. Since my kids could sit up I have traveled with them and we always spend a day doing something for someone else. Now that they are teenagers they can remember the day they brought books all the way to Chiang Mai Thailand. We took with us enough books for the children of the Karen Tribe. They are the long necks located in the hills of Northern Thailand. They were amazing children in the village. They really enjoyed the books. ...Continue Reading >
Around the World Etiquette for Gift Giving
The exchange of gifts is a key part of many cultures, but what you give is as important as how and when you give it. (So much for it being the thought that counts.)
Here, a detailed guide to choosing the perfect present to bring to friends and colleagues overseas.
Plus: How best to receive—and refuse—a gift. I found this guide while reading Condé Nast Traveler Articles : November 2010. Enjoy
The giving of gifts is a language of symbols, and there are those who speak it like poetry. They see balance in pairs, endings in clocks, doom in the most innocent of flowers. Then there are the rest of us. We are the ones who had to ask ourselves why President Obama's gift to Prime Minister ...Continue Reading >
- Renting a Car Abroad? Protect Yourself with the Right Credit Card April 19, 2012
- 3 Reasons Why It's Crazy Not to Enter our Dream Trip Contest April 18, 2012
- Photos from the Danube: The Pros and Cons of River Cruising April 17, 2012
- Onboard the Versailles of River Ships: Photos from my Rhine River Cruise April 12, 2012
- Photos from my River Cruise Along the Seine April 10, 2012
- My Newest Travel Rewards Credit Card March 30, 2012
- The Williamsburg Lodge, Virginia: My Favorite Family Resorts March 27, 2012
- The Tides Inn, Chesapeake Bay, Virginia: My Favorite Family Resorts March 26, 2012
- Sandpearl Resort, Clearwater Beach, Florida: My Favorite Family Resorts March 23, 2012
- The Royal Hawaiian, Honolulu: My Favorite Family Resorts March 22, 2012