Departures Travel

Travel Apps worth trying

2011-06-12T17:20:00.001-07:00

There are a few of these that I wish I had installed on my last vacation. That said, be sure that your data package will work where you are going. Make a call to your provider before you go as they often have options to ensure you are connected while you are away. The following apps are available through itunes but I have also included the website when possible.

World Customs is interesting. This app lets you know what is acceptable and what is offensive in every imaginable destination.

Hear Planet - It’s a great way to learn about your surroundings and you’ll be amazed at what you find. Click here for website

XE Currency app for IPAD - very useful while on the go and wanting to know the exchange

Skype has an app for your phone or ipad to save you $ on phone bills while you travel - click here for website

Google Latitude - see where you are and where you are going click here for website

FlightTrack Pro - shows arrivals, departures and delays without checking the board - click here for website

Cruise Finder - find cruises and information from your phone click here for website

Undercover Tourist – for Disney skip the lines - this app shows wait times and helps you navigate through the long lines go here for website

Baby Pack & Go – a custom list of things to take with you on your vacation you’re your baby. go here for website

Urbanspoon – find the best restaurants. I have used this app while travelling and it is very helpful. I don't have a link to the app but it is easily found on itunes

iTranslate – translate languages on the go click here for website

HazelMail – send your photos from your phone as postcards without ever going to the post office. I absolutely must have this one as I am always coming home with postcards in my suitcase that I had meant to mail but didn't - click here for website

SitOrSquat – bathroom finder - another must have, especially with a two-year-old in tow.Click here for website

Departures Travel's photostream

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Departures Travel's photostream on Flickr.

Top Ten Reasons to Have a Destination Wedding

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1. Departures Travel - Travel by Design ensure that you find the perfect destination and resorts to suit your groups needs; making your dreams become reality.

2. Getting married is quite a big step, so we don't ever want to say any wedding is completely and totally stress free. But, having a wedding coordinator to take care of small details makes your big day fun and relaxing

3. It’s not just a celebration, but also a family reunion and vacation for everyone.

4. It is usually more economical: There are all-inclusive packages that feature both your wedding and the honeymoon for $4,000 - $5,000, which is very reasonable compared to the average of $20,000 plus for a traditional wedding and sit-down dinner reception.

5. It is an amazing relief to have a wedding coordinator helping both families and having control of all the details.

6. Second wedding heaven: Especially if you've already been there, done that with a big wedding, second weddings are perfect for the relaxing getaway to a beautiful locale. Don't forget to ask about activities for the kids!

7. Your honeymoon begins immediately after the ceremony...now, that's not bad.

8. Pack light: You can choose your wedding clothes once you arrive in your exotic location! Think island gowns, saris, and of course, shorts.

9. Use your imagination: You can eat before the ceremony, or after. You could have a cake, or not. You could jump in the ocean, or stay on the sand. Endless opportunities.

10. Fun for those who attend: Think of what you're doing for them! A cruise, a ski vacation, or a weekend on the beach. Who wouldn't enjoy themselves?

Booking Online: Live and Learn

2011-05-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the world-wide-web, the world is at our fingertips. Travellers research vacations online, even when using an agent, and some are so brave as to book the entire excursion, one click at a time, all on their own.

My husband and I rely on informed agents to arrange our family vacations, however on one occasion we took a chance and booked ourselves. From that one experience, I learned a valuable lesson: I will NEVER do that again.

We thought we were playing it safe: it wasn’t a jungle trek or a trip to Tanzania with a wad of cash, a backpack and a baby carriage. No, our vacation was in Maui, Hawaii and the bait was an impressive private villa that my husband found online. The house was more than 6,000 square feet of wood beam and glass, only steps from the ocean. It bragged of a natural stone Jacuzzi under the stars, a yoga studio, a private beach and best of all, a massive master bedroom surrounded by windows with a king-sized bed in the middle, embraced by tropical forest and a full view of the ocean at sunset.

The photographs and description were so enticing that we ignored the enormous cost (more than $1,000 a night), a substantial down payment and the strict “no refund” policy. We bit the bullet, paid in advance and did a happy dance. Four months later, we packed up our six-month-old baby, our teenage daughter, our nanny and a caravan of luggage and embarked on what we thought would be the dream holiday of dream holidays.

We landed in Maui at night and drove through the darkness, excited to be somewhere warm and soon to be somewhere spectacular. It was a forty-minute drive to the property gate, which was well hidden and required a few switchbacks to find. The entryway was long and dark and in the distance we could see a light. As we drew nearer, the most immaculate building peaked through the palms and tangle of buildings that were otherwise invisible in the darkness. The house was awesome, an oasis at the end of a long journey. Indeed, it was more amazing at that moment, shining like a massive beacon alone on the beach, than any picture ever portrayed on a website. I was at the height of excitement, and sighed in relief for I had some trepidation over the nepherious terms.

The door to the big house was open and so we entered. The foyer was expansive and I noted several pairs of shoes at the door. “Is this the right place?” I thought. “Is someone else staying here?” Just as I was getting comfortable in the foyer, the owner with whom we had booked, Suzanne, appeared and quickly unsettled our settlement. “Oh, let me take you to your villa” she said. “What, “Isn’t this it?” I gasped. “Oh no,” she replied, “but it is only a short walk from here.” I began to feel uneasy.

She led us through the darkness, my arms growing numb as I carried my baby over stones and bush, peering through the black in hopes to avoid unseen hazards while listening to Suzanne explain the 100-year history of the plantation. As she explained, a low rumble arose to my right, and her words dissolved as the rumble grew to a deafening roar.

My heart raced, my son awoke crying (not that I could hear him even though he was in my arms) and I looked up to the heavens fearing the worst. Fortunately it was not an aerial attack, but only a jet plane taking off only a few-hundred meters overhead. Our long drive from the airport had resulted in our arrival at the very end of the airstrip, a VERY short stroll from this “glorious villa”.

“Does this happen all time?” I shouted at the top of my lungs but Suzanne could not hear me. “What?” she said. I shouted again, growing irritated. I had a distinct sense that things were going downhill and going fast. After three attempts she finally understood me and responded, “Oh, I didn’t even notice. You get used to it.” I swore out loud, but she didn’t hear that either.

After a few minutes of stumbling through the dark, sliding on wet stones and things unseen, we arrived at the “real” villa and I had an urge to punch the too bubbly, overly-oblivious, Suzanne. The building was small plywood structure that was quaint, but by no means what we had expected. The lock on the front door had been destroyed by what might have been a screwdriver, and I wondered about our safety. When we entered it smelled of must, earth and age and I determined that this was no place for a small baby. I wanted to go home and we had only just arrived.

The Villa:

When the roar and the ringing in my ears subsided, I learned from Suzanne’s rambling that the mansion online was apparently Susanne’s personal residence and not at all what we had rented. Our $1000 + a night vacation was instead an old plantation house which was built for workers more than 50 years ago.

The “perks” such as the Jacuzzi and yoga studio existed, alright, but not for us. These were reserved for the people in the “big house, aka the owners and in the light of day we found signs posted all around the property reminding us that if we were to so much as cross the lawn, we were trespassing.

I could go on for hours about the discoveries and disappointments of this vacation, but it is suffice to say it was both the most expensive and the worst holiday I have experienced.

Things I learned:

There is more than one type of cockroach and this shack had all of them
Plywood walls do not block the sound of a jet plane
Jets fly pretty much 24/7 at the Maui airport
A partially stocked kitchen may include rotted food from the previous tenant
Geckos are good…but I prefer them outside the house
Utensils rust in tropical climates, and according to Suzanne, it happens within hours of exposure to the air
Barbeques must be cleaned at least once every few years or they will plug with grease and not work – who knew?
Bugs love chocolate cupcakes – especially ants
25-year-old plungers will disintegrate if used to unplug a toilet
A private beach isn’t really that private
Pictures are deceiving
People can be deceptive
Just because something is expensive, doesn’t mean that it is all that it appears
If it doesn’t mention cleaning services, it may not have it

I came away from that adventure very disappointed, exhausted and a bit wiser although at my age, learning from experience is overrated.

My husband and I love our vacations, but since that experience, we rely on the advice of the agents.

Introduction

2011-05-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

My name is Jodi Morel and my husband and I own Departures Travel and Travel by Design, which is a division of Departures. Established in the 1980's, Departures Travel consists of agencies in Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary and Red Deer.

This blog is intended to be about travel and will be written from the perspective of both the tourist and the seasoned agent.

I will include personal stories of my own travel experiences as well as reviews and tips from our agents. I also invite you to comment and share your stories as we all have much to share and learn in this ever-changing world that we love to explore.

Jodi M.