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Travel Blog
Join Travelers Trails in New Zealand 3/29/2006 10:12:43 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment Sometimes I think I am one of the luckiest folks in the world. I get to travel to beautiful and exotic locations - and it is my job to do that!
We have a group forming that is traveling to New Zealand next October. Last night we had a presentation by the Collette Vacations representative to show folks what they will be experiencing.
The presentation got me excited all over again. The Collette representative had been a tour guide in New Zealand for 6 years, so he knew his stuff and his excitement about the area was contagious. He showed pictures of the stunning landscape, showed many of the exciting things we will be doing. I remembered JetBoating on the Shotover river near Queenstown, cruising the Fjords in Milford sound, joining the Maoris for a fun evening Hangi (a feast and show exhibiting their culture), and traveling through the Bay of Islands.
I have been to New Zealand myself and can barely stand the wait until I can return. We have a fun group of people already signed up and would like you to join us (but only if you plan on having a great time along with us!). We have a firm policy, you can only travel in our groups if you plan to enjoy yourself thoroughly.
If this sounds interesting you can see the details by clicking on Exploring New
Zealand. | Visiting Costa Rica 3/28/2006 12:32:23 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment I just returned from my second trip to Costa Rica. It is not hard to see why this has become one of the favorite spots for visitors.
The country is very beautiful with an abundance of flowering trees and shrubs, and of course many exotic and colorful birds.
The country is about the same size as West Virginia, yet it has many microclimates, with rain forests, cloud forests, active volcanoes and rivers with white water rated up to class 5.
It is possible to go white water rafting and fly through the forest canopy on a zip line in the same day.
In Guanacaste, there is world class surfing on the Pacific Ocean, while just a few hours away in Tortuguero you can experience the "Amazon of Costa Rica" viewing macaws, sloths, monkeys, and at the right time of the year, sea turtles coming to nest.
It is truly an eco paradise.
When traveling there one does need to factor in that the country has no super highways, so distances between places can be deceiving. A drive that might take 2 hours in the US, might take 4 hours in Costa Rica, but the scenery along the drive is marvelous. On the drive to Monte Verde, the last 50+ miles were gravel roads. It can be an arduous trip, but well worth the time and effort.
Fortunately, I was not forced to do the driving. We traveled with a Collette Vacations group. The tours was well paced, staying 2 nights in each resort, and accompanied by a very experienced, very good guide.
I have traveled extensively independently as well as with tour groups. Both have their strong and weak points, but in a new place I prefer an escorted tour. They take care of all arrangements, porter your bags, overcome the language barrier, and best of all (for me), do all the driving. Collette Vacations did all these things well and helped make this one of my more memorable trips. | Great News and Great Savings If you have been reading my travel blog, you know that I really love and recommend river cruising. Now Viking River Cruises is offering $500 per person, yes that is $1000 per cabin off selected river cruises, namely:
Grand European Amsterdam-Budapest Oct 15 ,29
Budapest - Amsterdam Jun 25, Jul 09,23,Aug 06, Sep 03,17,Oct 01,15,29
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Belgium to Switzerland Antwerp - Basel July 31
Basel-Antwerp Jun 1,25, Jul 19, Aug 12, Sep 5,29, Oct 23
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European Adventure Vienna -Amsterdam Jun 30, 24, Aug 17, Oct 04
Amsterdam-Vienna Jul 12,Aug 05, Sep 22, Oct 16
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Eastern European Odyssey
Budapest-Black Sea-Vienna Jul 23, Sep 17, Nov 12
Vienna-Black Sea-Budapest Jul 09, Aug 06, Oct 29
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These are great itineraries. It is limited to Cat A and B only. The promotion is valid through April 28, but these will not last that long.
Email us at info@travelerstrails.com or call 888-627-7157 to learn more and book your cabin. | |
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