Escape the Freeze: Discover the Warm Wonders of Tahiti

As this is written, my husband tells me it’s freezing cold in Wisconsin. Where I am, on the island of Tahiti, it’s warming up to about 80 today. Maybe a little rain later. It’ll be a busy day here, but perhaps I’ll get in some poolside sun here at Te Moana Tahiti Resort.

            I should explain. I’m here on a working trip. (Really.) I arrived from Cancún, Mexico, where I’d attended a conference last Thursday. The next day, I flew five hours to Los Angeles, and after a five-hour layover, it was eight hours to Papeete, the capital city in the Society Islands, of which Tahiti is the largest. After arriving on Saturday morning local time, it was right to work, joining nine of my U.S. travel colleagues in a six-day inspection tour, during which we’ll be hard at work on behalf of our clients. (Honest!)

            We’re visiting a dozen new and remodeled properties on some of the most scenic islands in the archipelago, so that when I come home, I’ll be able to help my clients find their next dream vacation. If you choose Tahiti, I want to make sure you’ve made the right choice. So, I thought it might be nice to fill you in on the history and culture of this beautiful place. (See, I really am working!)

            The Society Islands are an archipelago of 14 islands in two groups, the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands. Settled by Polynesians about a thousand years ago, they were first sighted by European explorers in 1767, when a British ship, HMS Dolphin, arrived in search of fresh food. Captain Samuel Wallis and his crew suffered from scurvy, a common affliction on long voyages in the age of sail. The islanders were in need of iron for knives, axes and fishhooks, and so a trading relationship was quickly established. What made the islands especially popular for European sailors was that Tahitian women were renowned for their beauty, along with their eagerness to exchange favors, shall we say, for iron and other goods.

            The islands became a French protectorate in 1843 and a colony in 1880. Today, they are a part of French Polynesia. Generally known by the name of the largest island, Tahiti, the 14 islands have a combined land area of 610 square miles and a population of 276,000. By comparison, the Hawaiian Islands, which are in the same time zone, are much larger and more populous. The seven major inhabited islands of Hawaii total over 6,300 square miles and are home to nearly 1.5 million people.

            Being much smaller and less populated than Hawaii, Tahiti is known for its intimacy, not to mention its natural beauty and friendly people. The average daily high temperature is about 80 degrees, varying only slightly from the warm season (November-March) to the cool season (April-October). The heat, high humidity and volcanic soil have combined to cover much of the islands with dense tropical forests, but there are plenty of hiking trails on the islands, not to mention some of the world’s most beautiful golf courses. Swimming and diving are very popular tourist pursuits, of course. Transportation from the international airport on the big island of Tahiti to the outlying islands is by small plane or boat. Another popular way to see the islands is by cruise ship. In 2015, my husband and I spent a very pleasant week aboard the Paul Gaugin, which carries only 330 guests and stops at all the major islands in the chain.

            The ship is named after one of the most famous people ever to live here, the French post-Impressionist painter and sculptor Paul Gaugin, who spent his most prolific periods in the islands in the late 19^th century. One of his sculptures sold for nearly $31 million a few years ago.

            And speaking of ships, one of history’s most famous, HMS Bounty, arrived in Tahiti in 1788 on a mission to collect breadfruit plants and transport them to British colonies in the West Indies. Over its five-month stay, most of the sailors lived ashore with Polynesian women. When Captain William Bligh ordered them back to the ship for the voyage home, many of the Englishmen weren’t pleased. Led by Lt. Fletcher Christian, they mutinied, set the captain and some loyalists adrift in an open boat, and set out to live their lives. Some returned to Tahiti, and others sailed to isolated Pitcairn Island, where their descendants live to this day. The “Mutiny on the Bounty” was made into five movies, with some very famous actors starring as Christian: Errol Flynn (1933), Clark Gable (1935), Marlon Brando (1962) and Mel Gibson (1984). Brando was so entranced with Tahiti, where his movie was filmed, that he bought a nearby 12-island atoll, Tetiaroa, and built a home there. A new resort, the Brando Hotel, opened there in 2014, and I can attest to its beauty.  

            Tahiti is on the bucket list of a lot of Americans, for good reason. We can help you get there. Give us a call!

Sue Tindell

 

Get Ready for 2025-26 Adventures: Discover Tahiti, Greenland, & More!

Many of our clients are now planning their 2025 travel, and some are booking into ’26. Cruises are filling up fast, and many foreign attractions are starting to limit visitors, so it certainly pays to plan ahead, perhaps way ahead. But sometimes just deciding where to go is the hardest part. Let’s take a look at some exotic locations you may want to visit in the next year or two.

·         Tahiti. The Society Islands of the South Pacific, best known by the name of their biggest island, top a lot of bucket lists, and for good reason. An eight-hour flight from Los Angeles, Tahiti lies in the same time zone as Hawaii, so jet lag is minimal. A part of French Polynesia, the islands are well-known for their glistening beaches, pristine waters and friendly natives. Each of the islands in the group have something to offer, but my favorites are Bora Bora, for its over-water bungalows, and Moorea, with its natural beauty that invites hiking and exploring. Another is Rangiroa, which has beautiful pink sand beaches. The Brando resort on Tetiaroa is the place to go for understated, Robinson Crusoe-style luxury. In the coming week, I’ll be spending several days among the islands, scouting out new and remodeled properties.

·         Greenland. The world’s largest island, which is politically a part of Denmark, has long been considered too remote to visit, at least easily, but that is changing. Just last week, a new international airport opened in the capital city of Nuuk, and next summer United Airlines will start offering non-stop flights to Nuuk from Newark. Previously, U.S. tourists had to fly through Oslo or Copenhagen. Greenland hosts about 130,000 tourists per year, arriving by air or ship, to hunt and fish, explore its Arctic tundra and see its wildlife, ranging from whales to musk ox to reindeer and polar bears.

·         East Africa. My husband and I spent nearly all of October exploring Kenya and Tanzania. First came our climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro, a bucket-list item if there ever was one. If you’re ready for the challenge—or think you might be—we’ll be happy to set you up with an experienced, reliable outfitter for what will surely be one of your life’s greatest adventures. Or maybe a safari is more your style. Our recent safari took us through five camps, winding up in the marvelous Serengeti, where we got up close and personal with rhinos, giraffes, elephants, even lions. (Not too close with those.)

·         Lovable cities. Maybe exploring new urban landscapes is more your cup of tea. And speaking of tea, London has just been crowned the best city in the world by marketing consultants Resonance and Ipsos, which ranked world cities based on “livability, lovability and prosperity.” The capital of the United Kingdom is renowned for its museums and nightlife. Paris is next, thanks to its shopping and sightseeing; leading the way for the French capital is the newly restored Notre-Dame Cathedral, which opens this weekend after a five-year-long renovation from the devastating 2019 fire. New York is third on the list, with its Broadway shows and top-tier dining. Rounding out the Top 10: Tokyo, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Dubai, Berlin and Singapore.

There’s truly something for everyone waiting for you out there. Ready to explore in ’25? Give us a call!

 

 A Global Culinary Thanksgiving: From Italy's Pasta to Kashmir's Bread

It’s Thanksgiving week, and everybody’s thinking about food. Whether we’re spending the holiday at home or traveling, food—and probably lots of it—will be a part of our weekend. In the U.S., our Thanksgiving tradition goes back to the Pilgrims of the 17^th century. President Abraham Lincoln established the day as a national holiday on the last Thursday of November in 1863. Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book, had campaigned for the holiday for decades.

            When we travel, we like to sample the foods of the places we visit. My husband is on a quest to find the best Bolognese pasta sauce; so far, he says, the most delicious he’s had was prepared by a Macedonian chef on board a cruise ship during our sailing around Italy in 2007. Italy, of course, is world-renowned for its cuisine, but it’s not always about pasta.

            One of Italy’s most famous exports is Parma ham, frequently used in prosciutto. It enjoys a special protected status: only meat cured in the northern region of Emilia Romagna using Italian-grown pork legs, salt and air can be certified as authentic Parma ham, with annual sales of $1.6 billion. Tourist foodies flock to the region for Parma ham, balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese. But a warming climate and the spread of viruses affecting the pigs are causing shortages of Parma ham. Some countries, like China, Japan and Taiwan, have closed their markets to Parma ham because of African swine fever. The U.S., Canada and Europe have implemented regional bans, depending on where the virus has been most prevalent. But the industry is adjusting and visitors to the region are still enjoying Parma ham and other local delicacies.

            Here in Wisconsin, we love our cheese. They love it in Europe, too. Earlier this month, the World Cheese Awards were handed out in Portugal. In the biggest contest ever, nearly 4,800 cheeses from 47 countries were judged by a panel of 240 experts. The winner: Queijo de Ovelha Amanteigado, a soft, ewes’ milk cheese produced by a small, 10-employee shop in Soalheira, Portugal. Among the 13 other cheeses that made the finals were five Swiss cheeses, plus entries from the U.S., Brazil, Norway, Italy, Germany and Spain. Cheeses from Norway and Switzerland were winners in the past two years.

            The judging was a spectacle by itself. Over 100 tables were set up, each one filled with around 40 cheeses of all shapes, colors, sizes, ages and textures. The winner was described as “voluptuous” by one of the judges. The lone American-made cheese in the finals was produced by Cellars at Jasper Hill in Vermont. Holland’s Family Cheese of Thorp, up here in northwest Wisconsin, had some entries in the field.

            Fresh bread always finds a place on our Thanksgiving table. We’ll get a loaf or two from one of the many fine bakeries in our area, but when we travel, we like to sample local breads. France is generally regarded as one of the best bread producers in the world, but that status might be challenged now by a place generally known for its soaring mountains and political tensions.

            The Kashmir region of northern India has been contested between India and Pakistan for a long time. Centuries before those countries even existed, the famed Silk Road trade route passed through Kashmir. In the city of Srinagar, amidst the natural beauty of the Himalayas, bakers known as kandurs produce breads that are gaining worldwide recognition among bread gourmands. Nearly a dozen varieties are baked, each one with its own peculiar ritual and time of day to be consumed.

            A Kashmiri kandurwan uses clay tandoor ovens to bake its breads, with methods common in Central Asia. The baking technique has remained largely unchanged for centuries, deeply ingrained in Kashmir’s culture. Crisp-on-the-outside, pillowy-on-the-inside, circular girda and crunchy, thin lavasa are staples in the region’s homes. Picking up the bread at a bakery is a social occasion, with customers visiting while shop boys wrap their breads in day-old newspapers. At home, the bread is consumed along with noon chai, a savory tea. One of the region’s special-occasion breads is bakarkhani, a layered bread that is baked in sizes ranging up to 3 feet in diameter, typically served with mutton dishes.

            Many of Kashmir’s bread traditions, including recipes, are passed down through the generations as oral history, but restaurants in greater India are picking up on them. Kashmiri breads can now be found in Mumbai and other Indian cities, imported by chefs who have learned how to replicate the region’s baking process. It’s only a matter of time, we think, before Indian restaurants in Europe and the States start featuring Kashmir-inspired bread.

            Ready to explore the culinary delights of other countries? Give us a call!   

         Sue Tindell

 Fly Confidently: Quick Compensation for Flight Disruptions!

We don’t want anything to go wrong when we travel, but sometimes it does. One of the most common mishaps our clients encounter is a canceled or delayed flight. Usually, we can help them get on another flight fairly quickly, and their trip won’t be seriously disrupted. Sometimes, though, things can go catastrophically wrong. Whether the airline’s mishap affects you short-term or long-term, it’s nice to know that now, you will be compensated for your trouble.

            Last April, the Department of Transportation issued new rules that dictate how airlines must handle customer refunds for flight cancellations, delays and other disruptions. The rules are now in effect. There are clear standards for what constitutes a delayed flight, and refunds must be provided within 20 days.

            Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, “Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them, without headaches or haggling.” It took about six months for DOT to get things squared away with the airlines, but as of October 28, the new rules are in place. Here are the highlights:

·         All customers are now entitled to automatic refunds of their original payment when an airline cancels a flight for any reason. This catches U.S. travelers up to Europe, to a certain extent; since 2004, European airline customers are entitled to payments up to 600 euros for a flight disruption. Until now, American travelers would usually be frustrated by airlines pushing vouchers or flight credits in lieu of refunds. Sometimes customers were directed to call a customer service line (usually an unpleasant experience) or fill out a long form. The new rules allow passengers to request a full refund to their credit card or cash, whichever they used for their original payment. If they’ve already traveled partway on their original flight, they are not refunded for the segment completed.

·         Passengers are entitled to refunds for a “significant change” in the flight schedule, and DOT has defined what that means: a change in departure or arrival time greater than 3 hours for domestic flights or 6 hours for international; a change in either arrival or departure airport; an additional connection that wasn’t on the initial itinerary; a downgrade in the class of service previously booked and paid for. Disabled passengers can also get a refund if they’re routed to a different airport or aircraft that is less accessible.

·         Passengers must decline the airline’s offered alternative flight to be eligible for the refund. Airlines must also automatically refund a passenger if they can’t provide a service upgrade, like premium seating or onboard WiFi, if already paid for.

·         Here’s a big one: airlines must now refund bag fees if they don’t deliver your checked baggage within a certain time of the flight’s arrival. That time limit is 12 hours for a domestic flight or 15-30 hours (depending on the length of the flight) when an international flight arrives. You’ll still have to fill out a “mishandled baggage” report with the airline to get the refund.

·         Gone are the days when we were due a refund but had to wait a long time for it, even after promptly filling out all the paperwork. There are now strict requirements for airlines to process claims: 7 business days for credit card payments, 20 for other payment methods.

·         There are several circumstances in which airlines will have to automatically issue refunds, meaning passengers won’t be stuck with massive paperwork or long waits on customer service lines.

·         Passengers’ rights are also affected by the new rules. If you can’t fly because you’ve been restricted by a government, or advised against it by a doctor, due to a “serious communicable disease,” you will now be entitled to a transferable voucher valid for five years from the date of issue. Airline vouchers have traditionally been non-transferable and valid for only a year. This rule goes into effect next April.

·         Finally, airlines are required to inform passengers that they are entitled to a refund for a canceled or significantly altered flight. If the airline doesn’t do this and its customer service doesn’t resolve the issue, passengers can now file a complaint with the DOT.

Airlines don’t like to be socked with government penalties. Since 2020, they’ve had to pay $164 million in fines, according to the DOT. This may be why flight cancellations hit a record low of 1.2% in 2023. But if you happen to be in that 1.2%, it’s not much fun. At least now it won’t be terribly costly. Ready to get out there and see how the airlines are doing? Give us a call!

To the top of Africa--almost

              That would be Mt. Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania. Kili is an extinct volcano, and at its official summit, you can say you’re on the highest point in Africa, just over 19,400 feet. It was something Dave and I had talked about doing for years, and this was it. We trained hard for months with many visits to the gym to build up our strength and weekend hikes around the area. Armed with new backpacks and plenty of other gear, we flew out of Minneapolis on October 3, arriving in Moshi, Tanzania, the next evening. At the hotel we met our climbing companions, 13 other folks with a total of 5 countries represented. On the 6^th, our outfitter, Ultimate Kilimanjaro, transported us to the Lemosho Gate and we were off.

            From the gate to the eventual exit would be 43 miles, and there were no easy miles among them. In fact, it seemed there were no easy yards; the trails were much more difficult than advertised, strewn with rocks and sometimes blocked with boulders so large we literally had to climb over them. But our outfitter did a great job, with porters rushing ahead of us every day to set up camp and have it all ready to go by the time we arrived late in the afternoon. The food was delicious and there was plenty of it, our tents and sleeping bags kept us warm and dry through the frigid nights and the guides provided excellent advice and checked our medical condition twice daily. One gal, from Florida, had to turn back after two days due to altitude sickness, but we did just fine. But the difficult trail took a toll on Dave, who’d had foot surgery just six months earlier, and on the day we were to hike to the base camp, we were told Dave would have to turn back. I accompanied him as a guide and porter were dispatched to take us down to the exit gate, a rugged journey that took us two days.

            We arrived back in Moshi a day before our colleagues, and when they staggered in they told us only 8 of the remaining 12 climbers made it to the summit, scaling the final 4,000 feet in the early-morning darkness, lit only by their headlamps and buffeted by bone-chilling winds. As dawn finally broke, the survivors made it to the summit after a 7-hour climb. Then they had to turn around after only a few minutes and go all the way back down, plus another several kilometers to the next camp. All told, they were on the trail about 17 hours that day.

            Two nights in Moshi gave us a chance to clean up and get some rest, and then we flew to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, for the next leg of our trip, a safari outfitted by Alexander + Roberts. We stayed at the beautiful, historic Fairmont Norfolk Hotel—Dave was excited to learn our room was right next to the one Teddy Roosevelt had when he was there to start his own safari in 1909—and met our new group. After three nights in Nairobi, we set out for our adventure. Over the next ten days and nights, we stayed at five different camps and explored landscapes ranging from heavily forested to desert, and we saw animals. A lot of animals, in their natural state thanks to strict conservation laws in both countries.

            More than once we saw lions, sometimes coming within a couple dozen feet of them. One morning we saw a group dining on a zebra, and the next day another pride was feasting on a wildebeest. Elephants walked past us without an apparent care in the world. There was an amazing variety of antelopes, ranging from small gazelles to the moose-sized eland. We saw hippos and crocodiles in the Mara River, including a tragic example of nature in action, when a croc captured a wildebeest that had made the mistake of trying to ford the river on its own. We saw rhinos up close and a leopard. Lots of giraffes, too; in fact, at the Giraffe Center in Nairobi we were able to feed some. There were large herds of wildebeest and zebras, the occasional buffalo and an amazing variety of birds. At our camp in the Amboseli region, black-faced monkeys were all over, and you had to be careful if you were dining out in the open, because it was not uncommon for a monkey to swoop in and grab something off your plate. We saw baboons and warthogs and mongoose and lizards and so much more.

            The people we met, especially the ones who guided us on our game drives and staffed our lodges, were uniformly nice and provided excellent service. Yes, there were several moments when we drove through the crowded streets of a Kenyan or Tanzanian town and realized we certainly weren’t in Wisconsin anymore, but the people seemed relatively happy and hard-working. One thing was for sure, they really like Americans over there, and not just because we bring our credit cards. What we sometimes take for granted over here, they dream about over there.

            An African safari, even if you don’t combine it with a climb of Kilimanjaro, can be one of the best travel experiences you’ll ever have. Interested in finding out more? Give us a call, we’ll help you put a trip together and you’ll have hakuna matata (Swahili for “no worries”)!

Navigating Travel Challenges with Grace:
Tips for a Smoother Journey

Travel can be one of life’s most exciting and meaningful experiences, but it can also be stressful and frustrating. Sometimes, things are out of our control—lost luggage, delayed flights, messed-up reservations, and more—but many things are well within our ability to smooth the waters, so to speak, and make our experience enjoyable, even if there’s a problem. Travel consultant and writer Christopher Elliott recently noted there are certain things that you definitely should not say if you’re traveling, encounter a problem and approach someone for help.

·         “Why can’t you just do your job?” That’s disrespectful and demoralizing for the person who, after all, is the one you want to fix your problem. Show empathy and respect by saying, “How can we fix this?”

·         “Do you know who I am?” Travelers who have to declare how important they are, whether they’re an elite-level frequent flyer, an “influencer” or a show business celebrity, are just annoying. Employees will find a way to make their lives miserable.

·         “I’ll sue.” Usually accompanied by yelling and swearing, this threat rarely gets the traveler anything more than a downgraded seat section on a rebooked flight or a less-than-desirable room at the resort.

·         “It’s my anniversary.” Hotel marketers say this is a well-known trick to get special treatment. Someone arguing with the desk clerk and using that excuse to demand better accommodations obviously doesn’t realize that everybody else waiting in line is there for some occasion or another, even if it’s just business.

·         “I know the CEO.” Definitely not the right thing to say, and virtually a guarantee to produce a less than enthusiastic response to whatever the problem may be. A related threat, demanding to be given the name of the employee’s supervisor, is also very unlikely to produce results. The best way of getting what you want is to let the facts of your case speak for themselves.

·         “But I’m American.” Absolutely the worst thing to say if you’re traveling overseas, or even overland to Canada or Mexico. In some parts of the world, that declaration will guarantee poor service. Also, remember that there are plenty of people in the world who don’t speak English.

 

So, what should we do when a problem arises and we really would like better service?

·         Be calm. Emotion is the enemy, whether something’s gone wrong or you just have a special request. A level-headed, rational approach is always best. You don’t want to have security showing up to escort you away.

·         Be factual. Describe what you want without embellishment. Let the facts speak for themselves. Every customer at the hotel or the resort, at the airport gate or on the ship, is important to the company. They want you to enjoy your experience so you’ll return (and spend more money). Plus, they know word-of-mouth and online reviews are important in generating new business—and preventing the loss of current customers.

·         Be friendly. Employees are people, even if they don’t look exactly like you or speak your language very well. In your own work, you know that every now and then things will go wrong, and your response is to bend over backwards to help. Well, the people you’re dealing with now that you have the problem are no different.

Travel is at record-setting levels world-wide, but expectations are sky-high, too. Getting preferential treatment is hard, but getting the worst treatment is only a few careless words away.

Ready to get out there and see for yourself? Give us a call!

Sue Tindell

 

Coolcation Adventures: Discover North America's Chilly Charm!

Autumn is here, and the weather is turning cooler, leaves are falling and we all know what’s coming. Many of our clients are already calling to inquire about winter getaways. Those are always to someplace warm and sunny, where they can leave the cold and snow of Wisconsin behind for at least a week or two.

            But many people are getting away from warm weather, too. Publications like USA Today and Vogue are saying that the next big travel trend is the “coolcation.” No, not “cool” as in something trendy and stylish, but as in temperatures, and they’re not that far away. Here are the top ten “coolcation” destinations in North America:

·         Anacortes, Washington. This town on Fidalgo Island, off the Washington state mainland, has temps around 70 degrees in midsummer. A ferry makes it a popular destination, surrounded by the beautiful waters and mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Sea kayaking, hiking and wildlife watching—harbor seals and orca whales, to name two—are popular activities.

·         Prince Edward Island, Canada. This island province in the Canadian Maritimes is known for its red sand beaches, lobster and mussels, and inspiration for the Anne of Green Gables books by Lucy Maud Montgomery. You can get there by car across a bridge from New Brunswick, by ferry from Nova Scotia or by plane. Go during the “shoulder” seasons (fall and spring), for bracing walks on the beach and drives along the coast.

·         Yellowstone National Park, Montana and Wyoming. The park is open year-round, although most visitors come in the summer. Off-season Yellowstone is a great destination, avoiding most of the tourists and the mosquitos, and you’ll see a lot of wildlife. Camping is a great way to enjoy the park to its fullest, but bring plenty of bear spray, food and water, and a waterproof tent.

·         Portland, Maine. Another great off-season destination, Maine’s seacoast town offers a local brewery, great coffee shops and downtown streets that look straight out of a 19^th-century nautical painting.

·         Madison, Wisconsin. Yes, our very own state capital makes the “coolcation” list. Known for its big-city feel in a small-town package, it’s filled with arts, great food, parks and two beautiful lakes, not to mention Badger football in the fall. The Capitol building is known for its renowned architecture.

·         Logan, Utah. Situated in the Beehive State’s Cache Valley, Logan is surrounded by mountains that provide great hiking and camping, and plentiful hot springs to relax in. For great dining, try the Tandoori Oven, said to be the finest Indian restaurant in the state.

·         Woodstock, Vermont. No, not the site of the famed 1969 rock festival. That was in upstate New York. The one in Vermont is a quintessential New England town, right down to its wood-covered bridges and amazing fall color, which makes autumn the best time to visit. Notable stops are the farmers market and a quaint bookstore. There’s hiking nearby at Quechee State Park.

·         Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. For a combination of European romance and outdoor adventure, this city on Vancouver Island, just off the B.C. coast, has arts and crafts, great food, music and more. Architecture buffs will want to check out places like Hatley Castle, and there’s whale-watching tours out on the water. Gardeners and flower buffs will definitely want to go inland a little bit to see Butchart Gardens.

·         Salem, Massachusetts. Best known for the 17^th century witch trials, Salem is ideal for anyone who loves history and maritime culture. Walking tours and the Salem Witch Museum set the tone, and colonial life is on display at Pioneer Village Salem. There are also art museums and great restaurants.

·         Missoula, Montana. A college town in the middle of the Bitterroot and Mission Mountain Ranges of the Rockies, Missoula has a first-rate arts and music scene, the Lolo Hot Springs Resort, access to hiking and mountain biking trails and a wide variety of restaurants. Plus, you’re only a spectacular drive away from Flathead Lake and Glacier National Park.

With our own weather cooling off, a “coolcation” might not be on your bucket list till next summer. But when it’s time to start planning, give us a call. We’ll take care of the details, you just get out your hiking boots!

Sue Tindell

 

From SpaceX to Delta: Unforgettable Journeys and Record Breakers

           Last week, four tourists returned home following the trip of a lifetime. No, it wasn’t the 9-month-long round-the-world cruise we wrote about last week. This trip went up, and up, and up, farther up than any humans had been in 52 years. The Polaris Dawn mission by the company SpaceX sent two men and two women 870 miles from Earth. The last time anybody went that far was the final Apollo mission to the moon in 1972.

            Leading the mission was Jared Isaacman, a 41-year-old high school dropout who founded a company at age 16 that a quarter-century later resulted in him having a net worth of nearly $2 billion. He’d already flown around the world as a pilot, setting a record for circumnavigating the globe in a light jet at age 21. This was his first spaceflight, and he became the first civilian to walk in space when he exited the capsule nearly 500 miles above the planet. He was joined by SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis, who is also a classical violinist. She brought her instrument along and joined up with orchestras on earth, linked up by the Starlink communications system, to perform “Rey’s Theme” from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” This wasn’t the first musical performance in space; that came in December 1965, when Gemini 6 astronauts Thomas Stafford and Wally Schirra played “Jingle Bells” on a harmonica and a handful of small bells. Those instruments are now in the Smithsonian.

            The Polaris Dawn mission got my husband thinking about how many miles we’ve traveled. My Delta app keeps track of them, and prior to our current trip to Africa, I’d flown 693,282 miles. I’ve logged more than a few on other airlines, too, but just the Delta miles would take me to the moon and back with mileage to spare. I’ve got a ways to go for the world record of miles traveled in flight, though. Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, who’s currently aboard the International Space Station, will have logged 1,111 days in space when he returns to Earth any day now. Perhaps he’ll be down by the time you read this. When he finally lands after his current 374-day mission, he will have orbited the earth 17,776 times, for a total of about 440 million miles, give or take a few. Does he get any kind of frequent-flyer status with that?
     
       Okay, space travelers are going to rack up the miles, just by definition. What about mileage records for “atmospheric” (translation: traditional) flights? Back in 2003, Fred Finn, an Englishman, set the record by reaching 13.9 million miles in the air. He commuted regularly between London and New York, and still holds the record for transatlantic supersonic flights with 714 crossings on the Concorde. Finn’s record for supersonic travel is likely to stand awhile, as there has been no commercial travel at Mach 1 or better since the Concorde’s last flight in 2003. But his overall mileage record was smashed a few years ago by an American.

            Tom Stuker, a car dealership consultant from New Jersey, bought a lifetime pass from United Airlines in 1990 for $290,000 (about $675,000 today). He has logged over 24 million miles on more than 12,000 flights, all with United and its Star Alliance partners. Stuker has actually accrued many more miles, but those he racked up on award and partner flights don’t count. He’s been to Australia more than 300 times. He once traveled for 12 days straight without sleeping in a bed, jetting from Newark to San Francisco to Bangkok to Dubai multiple times. His traveling inspired the movie “Up in the Air,” about a corporate downsizing expert played by George Clooney. In 2019 alone, Stuker flew 373 times with United, traveling a staggering 1.46 million miles.

            As you might expect, Stuker racks up a lot of frequent-flyer points. He’s spent them on cruises, hotel suites, Walmart gift cards and more. On a single day, he cashed in $50,000 in gift cards to contribute to his brother’s house renovation. Once, he even bid 451,000 miles at a charity auction to appear in an episode of ���Seinfeld.”

            Stuker admits that he would never have come close to all those miles if he’d just traveled economy class, and he never brings a checked bag. “Every town has laundromats,” he said.

            He’s still flying and adding to his record. Can anybody possibly catch him? Since airlines long ago stopped selling lifetime passes, that’s unlikely, but there is one frequent flyer who could come close. A Delta customer who goes by the name of Todd O. hit 14 million miles with the airline last year. Nobody knows much about Todd, such as his age, so it’s impossible to predict if he can reach Stuker-level mileage. At his present pace, Todd would need another 15 years or so to catch up.

            Ready to add to your own frequent-flyer account? Give us a call!

 

Be aware of local customs rules when traveling 
For many U.S. citizens traveling to foreign countries, going through customs upon arrival can be an adventure, even for experienced travelers. If you’re going to Cancun, Mexico, it might be a little more challenging.

            Cancun International Airport is the busiest airport in Mexico, with over 500 daily flights and some 13 million passengers annually. If you’ve ever been there, you know it’s a very busy place and generally runs pretty efficiently. One visitor from Florida recently found out that it might be a little too efficient.

            Tammy Levent told USA Today that she had arrived on a business visit with two check-in suitcases and one carry-on. She was flagged to one of the customs tables and told that a search of her luggage had found something that caught the agent’s attention. No, it wasn’t drugs or other contraband. It was her iPad and her laptop computer. “You can’t have both,” she was told.

            This was news to Levent, who’d brought both devices with her to Cancun several times in the past without a problem. But this was the day she found out that Mexican customs regulations allow one portable computer per foreign arrival. Tablets count, just like laptops. An extra device means a tax of up to 19% of the deemed value, which is up to $4,000 per device. Levent had to pay a $200 entry tax on her iPad, which meant it was valued on the spot at about $2,000, much more than its actual worth, especially considering it was not even close to brand-new. “This was wrong,” Levent told the newspaper. “At the end of the day you want tourism but you’re driving people away,” citing the example of a company that would be bringing employees to Cancun for a conference, with most of those visitors packing more than one device.

            The Mexican law isn’t new, but it’s only randomly enforced. The customs list says foreign travelers can bring “a portable computer equipment known as laptop, notebook, omnibook or similar.” If passengers don’t pay the 19% fine for their extra device, it will be confiscated. It’s not hard to imagine that the traveler would never see the device again.

            Michael Boguslavskiy, a specialist on Cancun trips, says the law “has actually been in effect for a very, very long time. It’s a massively outdated list at this point but it’s still there.” He points out that visitors can only bring in a maximum of ten DVDs. Who still travels with DVDs? Many Gen-Z travelers probably don’t even know what they are.

            Although the law has been around for a while, it might be getting more attention from Mexican authorities. Riviera Maya News quoted David Ortiz Mena, president of the Tulum Hotel Association, as saying, “Since Covid, it has become a global trend for people to choose to work remotely, which opens up a niche for longer-term tourism. But surprisingly, tourists are charged if they bring in more than one electronic item.”

Are cell phones allowed? Yes, up to three per person. I’m not sure anybody would ever travel with four cell phones, but that fourth one might just get taxed. Boguslavskiy also notes that the increase in device taxation could be the result of people bringing extra devices into Mexico with the intent to sell them on the black market, although he says “that’s not the case with 99% of people bringing a laptop and an iPad.” He says that only two cameras are allowed tax-free, and technically, cigarettes exceeding ten packs can be fined or confiscated. Since there’s a duty-free store right before customs, people stock up on cheap tobacco thinking it’s safe, only to have it seized shortly after the purchase.

It's a lesson for all of us: be aware of local customs rules when we’re traveling. If you’re concerned about taking certain things into a country you plan to visit, let us know, and we’ll help you plan your trip so those nasty extra taxes won’t be hitting your credit card. Give us a call!  

Sue Tindell

 

 

World Cruise experiences

For many travelers, the ultimate trip is to outer space, which is possible these days for a pretty high price, and the trip will last only a few minutes. Perhaps more realistic dreamers think that sailing around the world would be the zenith of travel, and indeed, many cruise lines offer voyages that do just that, sometimes taking three or four months from start to finish.

            Last year, Royal Caribbean decided to do a round-the-world cruise like nobody had ever done. This one would last nine months, with passengers sailing aboard the Serenade of the Seas, one of RCL’s older vessels. The voyage would include stops in 65 countries, visit all seven continents and cost anywhere from $60,000-117,600 per passenger—but that would include unlimited food and drinks. About 650 passengers were in it for the entire haul, with others coming and going with each of the four “legs” of the cruise.

            The trip launched from Miami on December 10, 2023, and 274 nights later it ended at the same port last week. How did it go?

            Many of the passengers told news outlets it was “exhausting,” or “a blur.” One woman said, “We don’t know where we were yesterday, we don’t know where we’re going tomorrow.” Many chose to sit out some shore excursions in favor of staying on board to rest, and at-sea days were very popular.

            Social media was heavily used by the cruisers, of course, with many coming aboard as bona fide “influencers” before the cruise, others becoming prominent after setting sail, like Joe and Audrey Martucci, who were new to social media but posted often with the whimsical handle @spendingourkidsmoney. They became known to their followers as “Cruise Mom and Dad.” Joe said he didn’t even know how to spell TikTok before posting his first video. (And, he added, there’s plenty of money left for their kids.) A pair of fortysomething sisters described how to live with an adult sibling and not go stir crazy. A Gen-Z female poster, who used the name “Little Rat Brain,” became known for her chaotic, wry dispatches from sea.

            It didn’t always go well for the influencers. Amike Oosthuizen, a 26-year-old from South Africa, posted a video of the treacherous Drake Passage crossing that drew six million views on TikTok. But then the platform banned her. “They said I was selling counterfeit goods, which I was not selling at all,” she told CNN Travel. She set up another account, which never achieved the traction of her first effort.

            While many of the voyagers said they formed strong friendships with their fellow passengers, things didn’t always go smoothly. Family members experienced the usual tensions that family members do; Little Rat Brain shared an inside cabin with her mother, but just took time for herself when she needed it. Other passengers noticed a disconnect developing between them and their friends and family back home. Some said they might have a little trouble adapting to life back on shore. And dealing with new-found fame might require an adjustment for the newbie influencers. Audrey Martucci said it was a surreal moment when she and her husband were ashore in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and were recognized by fans. Other people came up to them and said, “We thought you were dead.” One passenger, an elderly woman, did indeed pass away on the ship. There were unconfirmed reports that as many as four couples filed for divorce.

            With so many passengers documenting their voyage, even veteran influencers grew a little stressed by all the cameras constantly in use. Little Rat Brain said that after awhile it felt like she was trapped inside The Truman Show, a 1998 film starring Jim Carrey in which the main character is living his entire life as the subject of a reality show, without him realizing it until he finally escapes.

            “I wouldn’t do a nine-month straight cruise again,” Joe Martucci said. “It’s just way too long away from family, away from everyone and we started to feel burned out.” His wife said the nonstop itinerary made it hard to catch up on sleep. Eventually, the couple decided to cope by taking time off and slowing down during their days. Sometimes they’d skip RCL-run excursions to just “wander in the wild” around a destination.

            What was the most popular place they visited? Many of the cruisers cited Antarctica, others a visit to the Great Wall of China. The European ports of call were almost too much, many said, with one right after the other and very little down time.

            Will there be another voyage like this one, ever again? RCL says it has no current plans to repeat the nine-month cruise, but somebody else probably will. Maybe even longer, but talk, as they say, is cheap. Getting it done is a lot harder. Life at Sea Cruises had a 3-year round-the-world cruise scheduled to depart last year, but it was eventually cancelled due to a rather serious problem: the company couldn’t get a ship. Villa Vie Residences says it has one, though, and offered a 3½-year cruise aboard a refurbished 31-year-old ship that is now on its 6^th owner and has been docked at Belfast, Northern Ireland. The voyage was scheduled to begin in May, but various delays prevented sea trials from being conducted until recently, which, the owners hope, will allow them to get the Passenger Ship Survey Certification that will allow them to set up the gangplank and welcome their passengers aboard at last. Some have been waiting in Belfast for months.

            If you’re interested in a cruise, whether it’s one of those long ones or just a more traditional week or two in duration, we’ll get you on board. Give us a call!

Travel is Booming

Most of our clients have traveled within the United States as well as outside our borders. It might have been a relatively short trip by car to Canada, or by air to Mexico, or by ship throughout the Caribbean. Many other clients have gone across the big ponds, east to Europe and Africa or west to Asia and Australia. A few have visited every continent, including Antarctica.

            They’re getting out there, and so are a lot of other folks. Travel is booming, here in the States and worldwide. And when we travel, we spend money, which boosts the local economy. People who travel within the U.S., both American citizens and foreign visitors, spend the most. According to CNN Travel, travel and tourism added $2.36 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2023. That’s a new record, which could very well be broken this year.

            China is the number 2 market worldwide, but lags considerably behind America with “only” $1.3 trillion in travel-related spending last year. Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom round out the top five. France is in sixth place in terms of visitor spending but leads the world in the actual number of visitors.

            It shouldn’t be surprising that Paris is the top destination for tourism in France. The global research company Euromonitor International put together the Top 100 City Destinations Index for 2023, with the French capital at the top of the list. This year, with the Summer Olympics, Paris is once again expected to lead the way. Europe had 7 out of the top 10 cities on the 2023 index; the only non-European cities on the list were Dubai (2), Tokyo (4) and New York (8). Madrid was third, with Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, Barcelona and London in the top 10.

            There were four newcomers to the Top 100: Washington DC (48), Montreal (68), Santiago (88) and Vilnius (92). Haven’t heard of that last one? Vilnius is the capital of the small Baltic state of Lithuania. The city that led the way in number of actual foreign tourists was Istanbul, followed by London and then Dubai. The cities with the biggest year-to-year growth were Hong Kong (up a whopping 2,495%) and Bangkok (142%), due to being among the last cities to reopen after the Covid-19 pandemic.

            As we’ve mentioned before, “overtourism” is becoming an issue in many cities and countries. Last week, New Zealand tripled its tourist tax. Its International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) has gone up from US$22 to US$62, effective October 1. Visitors to New Zealand spent $11 billion last year, a huge part of the island nation’s economy, and some folks down there aren’t happy with the IVL increase. A consortium of travel professionals from across New Zealand said the country is already losing tourism business to Canada and the U.K., which have smaller entry fees. Also, New Zealand tourist visas will increase from $131 to $211 at the same time the IVL bump kicks in. Citizens of 60 countries and territories, including the U.S., can get a visa waiver that will allow them to stay for up to 3 months for tourism purposes.

            Another example of “overtourism” having an impact is in Rome. City authorities are considering limiting access to the Trevi Fountain, one of Italy’s most noted landmarks. Rome has always been a very popular destination, but it’s expected to set a new record for visitors in 2025, when it will host a year-long Roman Catholic jubilee that is expected to attract 32 million tourists and pilgrims.

            The draft plan to control access to the fountain includes requiring a prior reservation, with fixed time slots and limited access to the steps. Non-residents would be asked to make a “symbolic” contribution of a euro or two (US$1.20-2.20). The Trevi Fountain has been a tourism draw since its completion in 1762. It’s also been featured in many movies, including the famous scene in Frederico Fellini’s classic La Dolce Vita, when Anita Ekberg wades into the fountain and beckons co-star Marcello Mastroianni to join her.

            If Rome is on your bucket list of destinations, give us a call. We’ll help you get there, and by the way, don’t plan on wading in the Trevi Fountain.