Kauai- hiking the Na Pali Coast

Kauai is probably my favorite of the Hawaiian islands and one of the most lush. This is the island where so many movies, including Jurassic Park, were filmed.

There is one part of the island, the Na Pali Coast, that is inaccessible by car so the only way you can get there is by boat or hiking.

If you decide to take a hike, the short trail is about 2 miles.
These are some of the views you might see
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If you prefer not to get muddy and take a boat instead, you might be treated to views like this

Should you book your honeymoon online?

My friend, Laura Frazier, posted this blog a couple of days ago and I thought she made some excellent points that I think are so important when deciding which travel consultant to use when booking the most important vacation of your lives- your honeymoon.

"At least a couple times a month someone will call me or walk into my office and ask the question that’s probably somewhere on your mind right now-why should I use a honeymoon specialist?

There are just as many myths about travel agents as there are about Jell-O. I mean, we’ve all heard that Jell-O is made from horse hooves right? And that there’s a giant wall around the Jell-O factory so no one can see in. And travel agents went out of business when the internet came out. And everyone knows that the handful of travel agents that are still around cost way more than booking it yourself online.

Well, while I am still waiting for someone at Jell-O’s customer service dept to get back to me about the horse hoofs, (hey I am a vegetarian after all!), I can clear up some of the myths about travel consultants for you.

Travel consultants aren’t what they used to be. Just like Madonna, we’ve had to constantly reinvent ourselves to stay current. We’ve packed away our bangle bracelets and paper airline tickets, and moved into the electronic world. In fact, what you may not have realized is that travel consultants are much better today than they were in the past. Thanks to the internet, there’s an unending amount of travel information available everywhere. Since there’s nothing we hate more than looking uninformed, (or even worse knowing less than you do), we spend an ungodly amount of time doing research, attending seminars, and traveling to the destinations we sell.

To the internet retailer, travel is a commodity. It’s an airline ticket and a hotel room. To us, travel is an experience. It’s a week of your life that you probably saved up for a year or two to enjoy. It’s laying in the sunshine or having a great dinner. And, if you’re working with us, it’s likely that it’s your honeymoon or destination wedding, which is probably one of the most memorable trips you’ll ever take. An online travel site will happily take your money, and a week of your life, without ever bothering to make sure that you really intended to go to a clothing optional resort, or that you clearly understand the difference between a European and all inclusive plan. However, a good travel consultant will take the time to make sure that the trip you’re about to embark upon is actually the trip that was just a dream floating around in your head for months on end.

Price vs. Value- So we’ve all heard that it costs more to use an agent than it does to book online. Sometimes that’s true. Most of the time, it’s not. We have access to the same pricing and promotions as you’ll find online. And we frequently have access to upcoming promotions that you’re not going to be able to see yet. (Think an online site will tell you to wait a couple of weeks before booking because there’s a great sale starting later?) Feeling like you got a great deal is exciting! But, it’s important to remember that price and value are not the same thing. Sure you can find a resort that looks fantastic online (but will it actually be that fantastic in person? Will the internet tell you that the beach is rocky or the beds are hard as rocks or that reservations are required for the specialty restaurants and that in your 7 night stay, you are only entitled to eat at them 3 times- the rest of the time you get the buffet for dinner?)

What you also can’t see is that you’ve just dug out your passport and traveled for hours to this exotic location, only to find that the chicken nuggets and Jell-O jigglers are the highlights of the lunch buffet.

Oh they didn’t mention that on the website? Maybe you should ask a travel consultant!"

The main point of this article that Laura posted is not whether you can book your honeymoon online but rather why you should contact a honeymoon specialist.

A point that happened first thing this morning. I picked up email at 745am to find an email from honeymooners in Hawaii. Their tour to Pearl Harbor had problems due to traffic, then crowds, then high wind and they didn't get to see the Arizona- the groom's reason for going to Oahu. I called the travel supplier (5am their time) to see if we could re-arrange their flight to Kauai and get them back to Pearl Harbor this morning. What internet company do you think will do that for you.

My Vacation Lady is a vacation and honeymoon specialist. Our goal is to make sure your vacation or honeymoon will create memories to last a life time. We look forward to sending you away very soon on your dream vacation!

Mexicos new rules on using US $$

I have brought this up before but since Mexico is such a big travel destination for Americans, I thought I would bring this back as a reminder.

"Traveling abroad means converting to the local currency, right?
While Mexico has had a very liberal acceptance of US dollars for decades, the Mexican Government passed a new anti-money laundering law beginning September 14, 2010.

With this new law, the use of American Dollars (CASH) to make purchases in Mexico will change. Other payment methods such as credit cards of all types and all issuing banks, Travelers Checks, Mexican pesos and non-American foreign currencies (such as Euros or Canadian Dollars) are NOT affected in any way by this new law.

The most noticeable differences to your customers will be:
• Hotels and Exchange Booths, and Local Banks will only be able to change a maximum of $1,500 USD CASH per person per month into Mexican Pesos. Previously there was no limit.
• Businesses (including restaurants, shops, and Destination Managment Companies/Tour Operators) will only be able to accept a maximum of $100 USD CASH per transaction - but the number of transactions per customer is not restricted.
• Certain businesses may not be able to, or may choose not to accept American Dollars for any purchase at all (this may include shops, etc), however still accepting Mexican Pesos.
• If a customer wants to purchase an excursion (for example) that costs $150 US dollars per person, customers will only be able to pay $100 of this amount in USD CASH and the remainder will need to be in another form of payment (credit card, Mexican pesos, etc).
• Airlines are advising that within Mexico, they will only accept Mexican Pesos and credit cards for any fees (including baggage fees).

Vacationers should never carry large amounts of American dollars with them abroad, but instead they should consider either using a Credit Card, taking or locally withdrawing Mexican Pesos from an ATM (very easy and convenient), or use Travelers Check's (of any currency)."

For my clients visiting Mexico, their hotel bills and round trip airport transfers are already included in their pre-paid vacation packages. We can certainly pre-book excursions that are paid for in US $ to avoid any exchange rate fees.

Cancun's new Underwater Museum

The title may sound odd but this is one of Cancun's new attractions in the National Marine Park.

With hundreds of cement sculptures placed at the depth of 27 feet below the surface, it is art with a purpose.
"The cement sculptures constitute an artificial reef, providing surfaces for new coral growth and a habitat for fish and other sea creatures. It also diverts snorkelers and scuba divers, thereby reducing wear and tear on the natural reefs nearby. Local tour operators ferry visitors to the site for diving, snorkeling or glass-bottom-boat rides."

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Dr Beach's List of the 10 best beaches in the US

Dr. Beach is actually a scientist and college professor who loves sand. His specialty is studying beach erosion but got started ranking beaches in 1989 when a travel writer asked him what some of the best beaches were. Little did he know that this was the start of something big.

His list of the top 10 beaches in the United States, includes a few of my favorites in Maui and Waikiki. Does his list include any of yours?

Check out his list here

Do you use all your vacation time?

If you are like 50% or more of the working Americans, you don't use up all of the days your employer gives you for vacation.

I was talking to a friend yesterday who mentioned that after her vacacation next week, she would still have 3 days left over. She was going to "save" them, in case of snow or illness. With many employers adding PTO to benefits rather than vacation days + sick days + personal days, and lumping them all together, most Americans are losing out on days off that they are entitled to.

A friend once told me, no one ever said, as they lay dying in their hospital bed, "I wish I worked more and stayed away from my family more". Not to be so morbid but it really made sense to me.

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Sunrise over Haleakala

One of the most amazing sights you can see in Maui, is the sunrise over Haleakala.

At 10,000 feet above sea level the visitors center is the ideal spot to view the sunrise (or in my case, the sunset). Whether you want to drive up on your own, take a tour or even take a sunrise tour and bike down the crator, sunrise over Haleakala is a Maui must see/must do.

Please remember that is will be COLD at the summit. For most visitors to Hawaii, winter coats, gloves and scarves are not going to be gear that you would normally pack, but please do pack some cold weather outer wear if you intend to go up to the summit.

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