trip Archives - TRAVELS TOUR

The trips on offer for 2023 are as follows…

VIETNAM | May 16 – 24, 2023

On the 10-day ‘Classic Vietnam: Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh’, participants sail through limestone karsts aboard a traditional junk boat and walk the streets of imperial capitals. The trip includes vibrant Hanoi, the natural beauty of Halong Bay, the atmospheric imperial capital of Huế, and the charms of Hoi An, through to the modern day life of Saigon.

SPAIN | July 10 – 17, 2023

G Adventures’ eight-day ‘Walk the Camino de Santiago’ offers up the beautiful countryside and rustic villages of Northern Spain that dot the Camino de Santiago. Participants will complete the last 100 km of the pilgrimage route to Santiago and receive a ‘compostela’ at the finish to mark this accomplishment. It’s an active trip but at a slower, more picturesque pace, says G Adventures.

BORNEO | July 21 – 28, 2023

The magical stretch of Borneo on the eight-day East Sabah Adventure is bursting with stuff to see and do, with intriguing wildlife, skyscraper-height jungle canopies, and gorgeous coastlines teeming with tropical fish. Libaran Island offers the opportunity for close encounters with orangutans at a rehabilitation centre, prowling the streets of Kota Kinabalu by night, and otherworldly wonders in the jungle.

SOUTH AFRICA | Aug. 20 – 28, 2023

The eight-day ‘Kruger in Depth’ does one thing very, very well, says G Adventures: Kruger National Park. The trip starts in Johannesburg before setting out for the Greater Kruger Area. In addition to the chance to see elephants, lions, and giraffes on the savanna, participants will also see chimpanzees at the Jane Goodall Institute’s Chimp Eden.

For more information travel advisors are asked to reach out to their regional global purpose specialist (GPS):

G Adventures now taking applications for 2023 agent FAMs

Ecuador FAM 2022 with G Adventures’ Erin Rogers

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TRAVELLING

Superyachts and diamonds in clams: How the ultrarich travel for love |

March 11, 2023March 11, 2023

by Tracy J. Chu

When you’re a finance tycoon, oil baron or heir to the family fortune, the standard romantic gesture won’t do. The ultrarich require ultra-opulent tokens of affection.

Enter the ultraluxury romantic vacation.

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VACATION

Saskatoon family leaving on winter vacation loses $5k rebooking after Sunwing kerfuffle

March 3, 2023

by Tracy J. Chu

The Stone family on a previous vacation. Their 2023 trip to Mexico has not been as smooth of a ride. (Submiited by Adrienne Stone - image credit) — The Stone family on a previous vacation. Their 2023 trip to Mexico has not been as smooth of a ride. (Submiited by Adrienne Stone – image credit)

Saskatoon resident Adrienne Stone has had just about enough of Sunwing Airlines, after months of confusion around her family’s winter vacation booking.

The Stone family first made plans in August 2022 for a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with Sunwing. They booked a direct flight out of Saskatoon for Feb. 10, 2023.

Stone said the price for the trip was good, and that her family has travelled with Sunwing at least six times and has previously had no major hiccups.

“The odd delay due to weather, things like that, but nothing major there. They’ve always been a great airline — cheap, get you there, get you to a good resort and transportation included from the airport to the hotel. No issues,” Stone said.

Then on Dec. 30, sunwing-cancels-all-flights-regina-saskatoon-feb-1.6699783″ data-ylk=”slk:Sunwing cancelled all its flights out of Saskatchewan until Feb. 3″ class=”link “Sunwing cancelled all its flights out of Saskatchewan until Feb. 3. At the time, Stone did not think her trip would be affected, since they would not fly out until Feb. 10.

“Then I was talking to my aunt in Regina, and her flight to the Dominican was cancelled and she had said she noticed that something was up a couple days beforehand, because [her] trip was missing on the Sunwing app, and that kind of sent a red flag to her.”

Stone decided to check on the status of her own trip. Like her aunt’s, it was missing from the Sunwing app.

Stone called Sunwing and got confirmation that her trip had indeed been cancelled. She couldn’t rebook the trip out of a non-Saskatchewan airport because the transportation would

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VACATION

Family leaving on winter vacation loses $5K rebooking after Sunwing kerfuffle

February 26, 2023February 26, 2023

by Tracy J. Chu

Saskatoon resident Adrienne Stone has had just about enough of Sunwing Airlines, after months of confusion around her family’s winter vacation booking.

The Stone family first made plans in August 2022 for a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with Sunwing. They booked a direct flight out of Saskatoon for Feb. 10, 2023.

Stone said the price for the trip was good, and that her family has travelled with Sunwing at least six times and has previously had no major hiccups.

Then on Dec. 30, Sunwing cancelled all its flights out of Saskatchewan until Feb. 3. At the time, Stone did not think her trip would be affected, since they would not fly out until Feb. 10.

Stone decided to check on the status of her own trip. Like her aunt’s, it was missing from the Sunwing app.

Stone called Sunwing and got confirmation that her trip had indeed been cancelled. She couldn’t rebook the trip out of a non-Saskatchewan airport because the transportation would have been too expensive.

Stone decided to go with a refund, which Sunwing said would take 30 days. She received an invoice. But for weeks after, Stone noticed Sunwing was still selling the same Puerto Vallarta package her family had booked in August.

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VACATION

What travel insurance is and why it can help you avoid vacation headaches

January 21, 2023January 21, 2023

by Tracy J. Chu

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – Meltdowns in air travel systems and major weather interruptions create chaos and stress when people are trying to travel.

These days when you are ready to travel, it’s like a roll of the dice. One never knows if they’re going to be lucky or unlucky.

“You just don’t know when you leave for the airport what’s going to happen,’’ Stan Sandberg said, the co-founder of the website TravelInsurance.com.

A recent survey indicates 42 percent of us have experienced a travel delay within the last year.

The most recent aviation problem was last week’s massive ground stop that shut down every airport in the country for hours delaying hundreds of thousands of passengers, such as Tammara Williams.

“Our flight is set to land in Miami after our flight takes off to Costa Rica,” she said on Wednesday.

In the case of the ground stop, passengers had the right to a refund for their ticket but that doesn’t cover the expenses of missing connections and delayed vacations.

That is where travel-insurance/” data-type=”URL” data-id=”https://www.forbes.com/advisor/travel-insurance/should-you-buy-travel-insurance/”travel insurance would have helped.

“There are a couple of coverages that would apply in this instance,’’ Sandberg said. “The first is trip delay coverage. It will provide a reimbursement for the extra costs associated with delays that might be hotel, food and transportation. The second is trip interruption coverage where the delay is so bad you’re not going to be able to take the trip or miss 50 percent of the trip or more.”

Because the price of travel insurance is based on the cost of the trip, before you purchase, it’s best to compare shop using a site such as TravelInsurance.com to figure out

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VACATION

‘The White Lotus’ Season 2 Understands the Emptiness of the Instagram Vacation

November 28, 2022November 28, 2022

by Tracy J. Chu

the white lotus — Yes, ‘White Lotus’ Is Dragging Your Insta VacationFabio Lovino/HBO

A few months ago, I instagram” data-ylk=”slk:read a Vox story about” class=”link rapid-noclick-resp”read a Vox story about traveling to the “Instagram capital of the world,” Positano, that has haunted me ever since. After the writer Rebecca Jennings’ week-long trip to the Italian city, she wrote that the whole vacation left her feeling suckered, in part because she took basically the same vacation as everyone she follows on Instagram. Watching this season of The White Lotus, it’s clear the show not only understands the idea of the “Instagram vacation”—complete with recommendations from friends, Resy reservations, and Google review-based activities—but it also wants to call me out for it. And frankly, I deserve it.

Towards the beginning of season 2, episode 3, Portia (Haley Lu Richardson) is having a conversation with Albie (Adam DiMarco) about how boring life seems. “I’ve been feeling so depressed at home, and I just thought I’d come here and feel something…. And now you come somewhere like this and it’s beautiful and you take a picture and then realize that everyone’s taken that same picture from that exact same spot. You just made some redundant content for stupid Instagram.” And Albie responds with a half-hearted idea that even he doesn’t buy into: “Throw away your phone. Throw it in the ocean.” Notably, Portia continues to sit there and text on said phone, doing the literal opposite of throwing it in the ocean.

Later in the episode, there’s a scene with Daphne (Meghann Fahy) and Harper (Aubrey Plaza) that gets at this same idea in a different way. Daphne asks Harper to go on a day trip with her to a palazzo in Noto, but when they get there, Harper discovers they’re actually spending the

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ADVENTURE

Disney’s ‘Road Trip Adventure’ skates into Spokane Arena

October 22, 2022October 22, 2022

by Tracy J. Chu

Art is imitating life for Maria Starr. The veteran Disney On Ice skater laughed when asked about what the latest blade running show, “Road Trip Adventure,” is like from day to day.

“It’s funny the show is about a road trip and we’re constantly on a road trip,” Starr said. “That is our life on and off the ice.”

Starr, 30, has been a part of Disney On Ice productions since she was 17 and is on the road for 11 months of the year.

“I love it,” Starr said. “I’m in a different city every week but I’m really enjoying this show since it’s something different.”

“Road Trip Adventure,” which is slated for Friday through Sunday at the Spokane Arena, is making its debut in many Western cities.

“It’s the first time we’re taking the show in this part of the country,” Starr said. “Disney on Ice fans will enjoy this show since it’s the most interactive show I’ve ever been part of,” Starr said. “When Mickey and Minnie Mouse drive their magic mobile around the ice sometimes fans end up in the car. This is a different show.”

There are some new wrinkles but there will be some familiar sights for Disney fans who attend “Road Trip Adventure.”

The characters from such Disney classics as “Aladdin,” “Frozen,” “Toy Story,” “The Lion King” and of course Mickey Mouse will be skating and engaging fans.

Mickey and the gang take the audience on an interactive run through many iconic Disney destinations from a variety of films. Prepare to hit the rooftops of London with Mary Poppins and the tropical island of Motunui with Moana and Maui.

“Mary Poppins truly feels like you’re at a Broadway show,” Starr said. “There’s also ‘Frozen,’ which is amazing but it’s a plug for me

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VACATION

Can a vacation also be a trip?

October 18, 2022October 18, 2022

by Tracy J. Chu

Here’s a question for you. Is a “trip” a “vacation” or are they two different events?

Kathleen Gerken (copy) (copy) — Kathleen Gerken

This year the Elf (my term of endearment for my husband for many reasons – including that he assures me he knows Santa) and I celebrate 50 years of marriage. We decided in January we would do some special things throughout the year, so in the spring we took a vacation and in October we went on a trip.

Ah! Vacations! Those wonderful times where the days seem endless, money is spent like Monopoly game currency, and you are truly carefree. Vacations leave you rested and better able to deal with the daily grind we call life. They fill you with a sense of calm that you feel deep in your bones. Vacations allow you to reconnect with your soul and help you to reset and recognize priorities. These are times for reflection and yes, even goal-setting. They’re times to promise yourself you will do better, be happier, be kinder.

Vacations means lollygagging over a cup of coffee and the morning paper. If you’re lucky, they involve water and sand, early morning walks on the beach and good books read near a pool with the ever-present fragrance of sunscreen. There’s the sound of waves, the warmth of the sun and a cool dip into the water.

It means waking early to see the sunrise or staying up late waiting for the moon to send its silvery path across the water as if it was a road you could step on to. It never gets old.

Vacations mean there are generally two decisions to be made each day. The first decision is “Should we go do something fun or sit by the pool in the morning?” The

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VACATION

Boyfriend questions girlfriend’s bikini on family vacation: ‘Way out of line’

September 25, 2022September 25, 2022

by Tracy J. Chu

A woman can’t believe her boyfriend let his family make horrible comments about her body.

She asked Reddit’s “Am I the A******? (AITA)” forum to weigh in. While vacationing with her boyfriend’s family, she wore a bikini. Then on one drunken night, all of the men on the trip called her a “slut” and said they would “steal” her away from her boyfriend. Her boyfriend said it was her fault.

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“Every year at the end of summer, my boyfriend’s family has a beach trip. While I was packing, I was sure to include nicer dresses in case we went out and even included a more modest bikini than I would usually wear,” she explained.

When she wore her bikini with a cover-up during the trip, no one really said anything. Then they said it all.

“After dinner, we were all pretty wasted. When we were talking about our time on the boat, my bfs dad made a comment about how everyone was staring at me because of my ‘slutty bikini,’” she wrote.

She tried to laugh it off. Her boyfriend’s mother attempted to deflate the situation. But the men wouldn’t stop.

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“His younger brother said that I basically was wearing nothing,” she wrote. “ I defended myself and said it was the most conservative suit I had, and then his older brother said that it didn’t leave anything to the imagination, and that if he were single he would have tried to steal me away. That comment made me pretty uncomfortable, and I could tell it made his wife uncomfortable too. I asked if

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ADVENTURE

Dreams are great, but enjoying the ‘now’ is what makes life beautiful – Post Bulletin

September 21, 2022

by Tracy J. Chu

As we entered the final stretch of our weeklong road trip through North Dakota, Montana and South Dakota, I felt waves of sadness rising up. When vacations and other novel experiences reach their natural conclusions, I tend to resist. This has been the case as long as I can remember.

I suddenly forget everything I believe about the value of savoring the present moment. Instead, I begin grasping for ways to hold on. If only the feelings of freedom, spontaneity and adventure could last forever.

My mind wanders.

Maybe we could sell our home, buy a camper and live on the open road while Justin sells his woodwork at art festivals. Maybe I could become an interim pastor serving congregations in transition around the country. Maybe we could house sit for people around the world while I develop a travel blog. Instead of enjoying the end of vacations, I tend to put a lot of energy into imagining various scenarios that would lead to the experience continuing indefinitely.

The final day of this particular trip was spent exploring western South Dakota. In the afternoon we took our dogs, Maeve and Finn, for a hike on a trail way up in the Black Hills near Spearfish. It had rained off and on that day, and a cold front had moved through. After days spent in the dry heat and smokey haze of Montana (due to forest fires in the region), the trail looked especially lush with lots of green trees, streams and even a waterfall.

“I just want this road trip to last forever,” I said to Justin. He tends to have a more balanced approach to vacations. He enjoys heading out for an excursion, and he also likes to come home.

“Maybe life is one big road trip,” he responded.

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