Ecuador’s secrets

by Leave a Comment

If you saw my earlier blog post, here’s the answer to that geography quiz:  Ecuador.

In a country roughly the size of Colorado — and known mostly for its offshore treasures, the Galapagos Islands — you can also find ancient Incan ruins, beautiful colonial cities, unspoiled Pacific beaches, thriving Indian markets, dry mountain highlands, misty cloud forests, and steamy Amazon jungle.

While US tourists represent about 25% of all visitors to Ecuador, many of those (sadly) see only the international airport in Quito or Guayaquil, before setting off on a Galapagos cruise. They’re missing some of the country’s best-kept secrets!

galapagos-islands

The Pacific coast offers world-class surfing, whale-watching, and the remnants of pre-Colombian cultures.

In addition to the capitol city of Quito (a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with churches, convents and plazas), the Andean highlands offer the world’s highest active volcano in tropical latitudes, high-altitude wellness spas and hot springs, native craft markets, Incan ruins, and outdoor adventure like ziplines, rafting, hiking and horseback riding.

Ecuadorean cloud forest

Further to the east, Ecuador includes a large area of Amazon rainforest, where visitors can stay in jungle lodges or on river cruise boats, and enjoy tours by naturalists or indigenous guides.

Ecuadorean Amazon

The country is easy to navigate, with a good road system and four national airlines (the longest flight between any two points in the country is just 45 minutes), and it is a year-round destination, with a fairly steady climate and twelve full hours of daylight every day.

Ecuador is clean and safe, it is in the same time zone as the eastern United States, it uses the US dollar as its official currency, and the city of Cuenca (the “Florence of South America”) was recently named the “Best Place in the World to Retire” by International Living Magazine.

So what are you waiting for? I know I am making plans to visit Ecuador next year, and will definitely be combining some time on the mainland with my Galapagos cruise.

Test your knowledge of geography

by Leave a Comment

What country will I be blogging about this weekend?

Here are a few hints:

  • It is the only South American country to use the U.S. dollar as its official currency
  • It is about the size of Colorado
  • Square mile for square mile, it is the most bio-diverse country on the planet

Any guesses?

Babies On Board

by Leave a Comment

A cruise is a great option for multi-generational vacations, but what about the very youngest family members? How easy is it to cruise with an infant?

In my opinion, it depends.

It depends on the child, the parents, the ship, the destination, and whether you have other willing helpers (grandparents!) along for the ride. Granted, if you’re traveling with an infant (on land OR at sea) it’s not going to be the same relaxing experience you enjoyed pre-children, but some careful choices up front — along with the guidance of an experienced travel professional — can make all the difference.

Some cruise lines, like Disney, are clearly aimed at families and would be expected to offer kid-friendly amenities (and they do). But you might be surprised by some of the more upscale lines that also go out of their way to make things easier for moms and dads. Cunard, for example, provides nannies, late-night babysitting, and a well-stocked children’s library.

For a great round-up of some of the most baby-friendly cruise lines — and a guide to some of the important things to think about when planning a cruise with your little ones — check out this article.

Caribbean Villas for the Holidays

by Leave a Comment

Haven’t made your plans for the December holidays yet?

Thinking about running away with friends and family to sit on a beach in the Caribbean this year?

It’s not too late! 

turtle_beach_villa_pool

Normally, by this time of year, you’d be hard-pressed to find availability for Caribbean villas over the holidays, and any that were still available would be requiring a two-week minimum stay. But not this year.

I’ve been receiving promotional emails from several of my villa vendors touting last-minute availability (and decent pricing) for 3-, 4- and 5-bedroom villas in Turks and Caicos, Barbados, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and the USVI.

Caribbean villa

Just imagine…your own private beachfront hideaway, surrounded by your closest friends/family, with staff (if you want it) to do the cooking and cleaning. That sounds like a holiday to me!

If you’re interested, don’t delay. Give me a call today.

Facebook-square Instagram Linkedin Pinterest-square

You provided excellent guidance for us. I appreciated that you really had us think about what was most important to us when we were selecting the right cruise – and not to totally focus on what other people had to say. THANK YOU for helping to make this a memorable trip for our family! It really was a trip of a lifetime!

– Clare and Mark (family cruise to Alaska)

The level of service we experienced was out of this world (and we did NOT make it easy on Ann). We weren’t quite sure where we wanted to go, when we would be able to go, or what “vibe” we were going for. After asking us some key questions (what we liked, didn’t like, why, etc.) Ann helped us narrow down our trip details and planned the honeymoon of our dreams. She helped book some of our excursions, answered some emergency questions while abroad and was always available/willing to help. I think it’s safe to say we won’t be using anyone else for future travel planning – Ann is a rockstar!

– Carli (Italy and Spain)