This seemed to be the year of negative media coverage for the Dominican Republic.  Media sources sensationalized it to such a degree, the general public must have thought every other person visiting there was passing away!  This quick, informative video gives you "the scoop". 

Spoiler alert - There's no reason to fear the D.R. As we anticipated, The State Department indicated the FBI's extensive toxicology testing was consistent with the D.R.'s findings ~ deaths due to natural causes. {So anything you thought you believed from the media; just wipe that slate clean.}

We've been witness to this year after year.  The media loves to attack Mexico (usually unjustly).  However, Jamaica, Bahamas, and Fiji, have each took temporary possession of the torch in recent years.  Confession: It drives me completely batty. 

I don't use the word "hate" lightly, but I do hate that media is continuously rotating fear based headlines for the sole purpose of obtaining clicks, reads, views & ratings... because in my estimation, about 90% of these destination stories are overly sensationalized, not vetted, thoroughly investigated or substantiated. Further, the perspective they shove down our throats is so narrow minded. It is not strictly fact based news where you can determine your own thoughts/feelings/conclusions. It's a speculative, strongly implied, demanding narrative that leads viewers down a rabbit hole of guilty until proven innocent. It creates devastating impacts on countries and their citizen's livelihoods. The negative connotation just sticks in the minds of viewers/readers forever after (we see/hear it every day). 

We are in the D.R. at least once every year. We made a second trip this summer, during the height of the media coverage, for nothing more than to report live & demonstrate that you don't have to fear the crap they're force feeding you. (The sunny days, sand between our toes, warm waters and friendly locals didn't play any part in the decision making process for this second, impromptu visit! ;) ) 

This isn't the end. Another destination will be in the crosshairs of media's attempt to boost ratings before we know it. Do me a favor?

• Don't assume everything you digest is fact
• Don't develop a preconceived notion of a destination without first seeking real facts
• Do discuss news coverage with a respected Travel Advisor or visit  travel.state.gov for more information.
• Do take into account perspective. Look at the issue through a wider lens.  

Okay, rant over. In brighter news... travel to the D.R. is still heavily discounted.  Who's with me?!?
        

​Progress4theCure is the kick off party, hosted by Progressive Chrysler Dodge Jeep and Ram, for my101.7's Pink Aware Campaign.  There will be a lot of family fun, food, friends, prizes and giveaways.

​We have donated the following to benefit this cause:

DO NOT tell me about how you are terrified to visit Mexico!! Is this the craziest thing you have heard relating to Mexico the past few months? I encourage you to think for yourself, to see past political agendas and media hoopla and look at FACTS. It feels like every other day, there is new media frenzy about how big, bad and dangerous Mexico is and I roll my eyes, let out a little “pfft” in disgust but yet it seems the general public at large is really buying into this! Has perception always been more important than reality?? Probably.

Let’s talk FACTS. Some of the most recent headlines include “US State Department Issues Travel Ban for Cancun, Los Cabos” from CW33 NewsFix. What the....? Well, turns out this click bait article completely changes the headline after you click on the story. From Dallas News; “Stay Away from Cancun, Los Cabos, State Department Warns US Travelers”. From Bloomberg; “U.S. Warns Citizens about Traveling to Cancun”. Well, Dallas News & Bloomberg; you must have misread the announcement because there was nothing siting “stay away from” or that singled out Cancun but perhaps you thought these headlines would be more impactful, create more fear since a bulk of tourist resorts reside here? Fear sells after all.

The official US Department of State advisory reads: “Quintana Roo (includes Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, and Tulum): U.S. citizens should be aware that according to Government of Mexico statistics, the state of Quintana Roo experienced an increase in homicide rates compared to 2016. While most of these homicides appeared to be targeted criminal organization assassinations, turf battles between criminal groups have resulted in violent crime in areas frequented by U.S. citizens. Shooting incidents, in which innocent bystanders have been injured or killed, have occurred.” Scary stuff, right? I have another headline for you America ~ the same can probably be said for your State! In all fairness, the FBI has not published the final 2016 violent crime reports for Ohio (the Uniform Crime Reporting Program data will not come out until this fall) but for Canton, Ohio, I can tell you there were 9 homicides in 2015, 12-13 in 2016 and appears to be at least 12 so far for 2017. What do you know… “Canton, OH is Experiencing an Increase in Homicide Rates Compared to Previous Years.” Are you scared to walk out your front door??
​
Let’s break it down a bit more. Quintana Roo itself has a population of 1,501,562 (2015) and nearly 10 million tourists visiting this Mexican State annually. So, for roughly 11,501,562 living in & visiting this destination; there have been 169 murders, approximately 2 of which appear to have been tourists so far this year. I don’t like to hear of anyone dying… but 2 out of 11.5 million? Even 169 out of 11.5 million? Seriously?? Why are these even headlines to begin with let alone ones so heavily slanted to make you think the worst??

Returning our focus back to Ohio; those residing in Canton have 1 in 88 odds of falling victim to violent crime. Akron = 1 in 168 | Cincinnati = 1 in 108 | Cleveland = 1 in 66 | Columbus = 1 in 183 | Toledo = 1 in 89 | Youngstown = 1 in 136. Yet you’re considering cancelling your vacation over this recent “horrific news” about Mexico? You’re spending your lunch break telling coworkers how you will never go to Mexico?? They are wholeheartedly agreeing with you?!? WHAT!? You're welcome to do whatever you feel is right, but as for me... I'll take my odds in Quintana Roo vs. Ohio on any given day.

Can I remind you that 49 died in the Orlando nightclub shootings in June 2016 and in January 2017 5 people were killed at the FLL shooting? Are you terrified to go to Florida (after all, this is just two stories; we all know the actual homicide rate is greater than these 54)? Funny, my Disney bookings are at an all-time high this year. I’m not saying you should be scared to go to Florida, I’m not… but this math & logic does not add up. So why is everyone jumping on the bandwagon against going to Mexico? Are we being conditioned to fear Mexico? (If so, why – nations tend to side with others that hold the same or similar religious & political dogmas; and Mexico is a fiercely strong God-fearing country.) Are media outlets just trying to drive viewership via fear-based tactics (and it’s working)? I suspect this has more weight than anything else. Is it because those things foreign to us here in the US creates a mental connotation of fear or skepticism?

Great news for Northeast Ohio!!  Last week, we announced the return of additional non-stop flight options from Cleveland ("CLE") to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic ("PUJ").  These flights will be available for:

6 Night Stays Departing Fridays - March 10, 2017 - May 12, 2017 {Which, IMO, is one of the better times to travel here due to low pricing, less crowds and shoulder month weather.}

6 Night Stays Departing Mondays - May 22, 2017 - August 7, 2017

The great news continues to roll in for our area.  First the Cavs win the NBA Finals then MORE non-stop flights are announced from CLE to Montego Bay, Jamaica ("MBJ")!!  I can hardly contain my excitement! June has been an incredible month for CLE

6 Night Stays Departing Saturdays - May 20, 2017 - July 1, 2017

You will not find these flights listed in online travel sites/booking engines. Please consult your local travel professional (or your favorite travel agent ;)  ) to inquire. 

Want to find out more about what there is to do & resort options in Jamaica?  Scroll on down to our last blog entry that focused completely on this amazing destination!

​I love to uncover & rediscover ruins within jungles. Temples, dwellings, fortresses, beheading blocks, mystical spheres.., as long as it is in a jungle and monkeys & wild birds are close by, it's all good. This little passion has led to some fascinating experiences throughout Central America, Mexico and Southeast Asia.

When I heard of a Maya World Specialist Course, how could I say "no"?  It was a huge investment of time but the education and knowledge obtained through this course was amazing!

The Mayan Empire encompassed what today is Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras & El Salvador.  Currently, there are 120 archeological sites to view but THOUSANDS are still kept hidden by dense jungle!  We learned about all 8 "Pueblos Magicos" (magic towns), 13 Unesco World Heritage Sites, sites currently being excavated and ruins where you are guaranteed to see no other human beings while you are there. Many of these are not widely known because they involve anywhere from a 2 hour to 7 day hike just to reach them (unless you try to helicopter in). These sites are just as spectacular as the Unesco sites but eerily absent of tourists. It adds a layer of excitement as you feel as though you were the first to stumble upon it since the last Mayan left.  El Mirador in Guatemala is a great example of this. It is the largest pyramid in the world! It proudly stands over 108 feet taller than the famous Khufu pyramid in Egypt. Bet you never heard of it though.  

As we enter into December, I stop to reflect upon the adventures we have had throughout the year.  Naturally, my thoughts turn to travel.  

There are a ton of undisputed benefits of travel.  Yes, you will become more "worldly", learning about new cultures, engaging with different people and making new friends.  It allows you to decompress from your hectic life as you relax and rejuvenate.  It sharpens your mind as you navigate through new places, with different rules, different languages and new challenges.  It gives you the capacity to be more compassionate when relating to others.  It quenches a thirst for action and adventure. But for me, it's all about the memories.  

In our monotonous existence, one day blends into the next which bleeds into months and before you know it a year has gone by filled with memories of nothing but work, maintaining the household, work, kids/pets driving you crazy, work, gotta fix this & that, work... you get the picture.  But I bet you can recall stories or something special or unique from every vacation you have been on, right? Those traveling memories tend to stick out a bit, don't they?  Think about the last vacation you took & then try to recall what you had for dinner each night last week.  Which do you remember more clearly?  You simply can't put a price on travel memories.  They leave you with a lifetime of laughter, wisdom, intrigue, and warmth to share with others or treasure for yourself.

I leave you with a funny travel memory my daughter & I will remember for the rest of our lives.  It was well after midnight & we had just arrived at our hotel in Tokyo, Japan.  My daughter had never seen a bidet before and this hotel boasted the most sophisticated one I had ever witnessed.  She was so curious and excited to try it out. I don't think it was exactly what she expected.  It was nothing short of hysterical.

Get in touch with us to start planning your next memorable moment :)



        

Did you know there are over 500 temples in and around Chiang Mai, Thailand?  Wat’s up with that??  You can’t drive a few blocks in any direction without seeing an ornate Temple/Wat. 

With so many families in this region living in poverty, it is not uncommon for a family to send their young males to become a novice monk.  In doing so, they know their child will be fed, schooled and clothed whereas they may not be able to provide that themselves.  A day in the life of a monk/novice monk consists of approximately three hours of meditation and prayer, an hour of chanting, several hours of school and homework, walking barefoot around the neighborhood and accepting alms (offerings of food).  In fact, in this land of temples, Chiang Mai is one of the greatest locations in the world for meditators.  You can live a day as a novice monk would, although I would not recommend it for you night owls as the typical day starts at 4:00am.  (That right there would count me out.)  There are even sessions where you can learn more about offering alms and participate in this event.  These sessions start before 6:00am.  Even though I was interested in this, I couldn’t drag my butt out of our fabulous, boutique, accommodations that early. 

So, I did the next best thing.  I did want to visit unique temples and observe monks in their day-to-day lives, just not before dawn.., or more honestly, before lunch.  (This was the “relaxing” part of our trip after all.  Ha!)  After much in-depth research, I identified what I believed to be the “13 Coolest Temples in Chiang Mai” and set out to explore each of those.  I hired a private guide who used to be a monk himself to make the most of our time and learn as much as we could.        

You can view these temples on the You Tube video below or by checking out our Flickr set here:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/myfavoritetravelagent/sets/72157647885997225/

#ChiangMaiThailand #ChiangMai #TemplesofChiangMai #Thailand #Travel #Tourism #Vacation, #WatBuppharam #WatChediLuang #WatChiangMan #WatKuanKama #WatLokMolee #WatMahawan #WatChetawan #WatPhaLat #WatPhraSingh #WatPhraThatDoiSuthep #WatSriSuphan #SilverTemple #WatSuanDok #WatUpakhut

Right now, smart travelers are wrapping up their winter travel plans.  Why is that so smart you may ask?  The following five reasons are something smart travelers already know and you should too: 

1.       Right now, there are still a decent amount of good flight schedules available for winter travel.  You want to secure those before the prime schedules disappear, leaving you with options that contain extra and longer layover(s).  Trust us when we say that one less flight with the dozing sumo wrestler seated beside you or squatting on airport floors, huddled with other travelers around that one power socket to recharge is NOT a bad thing!

2.       By putting a deposit on your vacation now, you can essentially put your vacation on lay-a-way!  In most cases, travel agents have the ability and flexibility to derive weekly, bi-weekly or monthly payment plans for you.  In conjunction with or alternatively, you can start saving up for that “something special” on your vacation.  Perhaps an excursion on land or water you have always fantasized about or a special dinner?  While the get-a-way itself creates an amazing experience, it’s the “something specials” that solidify incredible memories you will chat about for a lifetime.

3.       Early booking bonuses!  My eyes light up like a child on Christmas morning when I see these!  Many moons ago, you may have been better off to wait until the last moment to secure your vacation plans.  Not today.  In addition to our #1 example above, resorts/hotels want to ensure their properties are well booked in advance.  Hence, offerings of early booking bonuses.  In addition to savings for booking early, we may now find “Kids Stay Free”, “Extra Free Nights”, “Free Room Upgrades”, “Special Coupon Booklets” or “Special Free Amenities” to name some of the more common privileges of booking in advance.  You will be hard pressed to find these deals when not booking in advance.

4.        If you have school aged kids, you should now have their school calendars for the upcoming year or can retrieve it online.  You can identify any days off and build your vacation around those days so the kiddos won’t miss as many days off school (or avoid days missed during critical, State mandated testing periods).

5.       If you want to escape the winter conditions of home & head to a tropical paradise, this is the perfect time to snag up school clothing sales.  Summer and swim wear will be hitting the clearance racks soon and it is a great time to stock up on your vacation wear.  (Have you ever tried to purchase a vacation bathing suit during winter?  Ugh!  You’re forced to purchase online & pray that it looks as good on you as it did on the model.  Know how many times that has worked for me?  Humph!)

So, if you have been flirting with the idea of a winter get-a-way, act now!  Also, if you want to escape or retreat to a cabin for a family/friend get-together during spring or summer holidays, you also want to take care of those reservations now as these prime accommodations book up nearly a year in advance.  As a little nugget of advice, store this information for next year; try to have your winter vacation or upcoming spring/summer holiday booked before Labor Day next year. 

Want to escape but you don’t know to where?  Give us a call; we love to chat travel!  In discovering your tastes and desires, we can pull from our own extensive travel backgrounds and industry knowledge to point out some destinations that may suit you perfectly!  If you would rather we contact you, simply fill out & submit the form below.