Travel and Chocolate: These are a few of our....

If you are familiar with Pat and Mike's Travel and what we do, you are well aware that we do not specialize in the Caribbean. There are a lot of agencies that focus exclusively on the East Indies, and most are based along the right coast serving those folks that can get to St. Kits or Grenada in one flight.

However, after seeing "A Chocolate Tour of the Caribbean" from Sunday's New York Times, we may have to reconsider in the future. A chocolate-based vacation itinerary sounds pretty darn great, don't you think?

Planning for the unexpected

As we hurt for our friends and muster resources to contribute what we can to help out those on the Atlantic coast, we are also reminded of all those whose travel plans were disrupted for days by Superstorm Sandy. One never knows when such a situation will strike, whether it be natural or man-made.

While unanticipated travel disruptions are certainly frustrating, there are several things to add to your travel checklist so that you can be better prepared for the unexpected. This is especially true for international travelers.

• Be sure to have at least three nights' hotel money in cash. When it turns out you didn't need it on your last night of travel, buy yourself (or others) some nice gifts.
• Pack a flashlight. The new LED flashlights are small, bright and have a very long battery life. Great for digging things out of your bag and purse, too.
• Carry some small snack items with you, such as a bag of nuts, a packet of nut butter, or dried fruit. Just don't eat them all while waiting in line at the museum!
• Inform your family or close friends of your planned itinerary. Bonus: It makes them a little jealous!
• Carry a sun hat and warm hat tucked away in your backpack or purse. Conditions change and you never know when you'll be caught out longer than expected.
• Relax and embrace the unexpected. One of the joys of travel is never knowing for certain how things will unfold. If you find your plans must change, make the most out of wherever you are.

How long is that flight!?

How long is too long for a flight? Well, I suppose it depends on how great the destination is, and whether you're going out or coming home.

Singapore Airlines recently announced that it was ending the longest commercial flights in the air when it stops direct service between New York and Singapore. As reported by USA Today on 10/24/2012:

Once those routes come down... the new world's new longest routes will be Qantas' nonstop from Sydney to Dallas/Fort Worth (about 8,576 miles or 7,452 nautical miles) and Delta's route from Atlanta to Johannesburg (8,434 miles/7,329 nautical miles).

Bold added to draw your attention to the J'Burg - Atlanta route. We recently returned on that flight after our amazing safari adventure in Zambia. Was it long? Yes! Was it too long?

Well, all I can say is that it is a small price to pay for a trip-of-a-lifetime like the one we had. If you haven't seen our pictures, check out our Zambia photo gallery. I'll bet my frequent flyer miles there and back that anyone who was with us feels it was well worth the 16-hour ride, too. 

Sometimes it is nice to be reminded that it is still a very big world, ours for the exploration.

Happy New Year from Pat and Mike's Travel

I'm always pleasantly surprised when travel industry surveys mention destinations as "up and coming" when we've been going there for ages. For example, a recent survey from Travel Leaders lists Croatia as the top destination for Europe in 2012 and Vietnam as the top destination for Asia. We've been taking clients to these great destinations for years, so we hope you'll join us on one of our small-group tours to these lovely countries. The food, the people, the scenery--both countries are a feast for your senses!
 
Other trends and hot destinations that are shaping up for 2012:

• River cruising (this is a great way to travel through the heartland of a country without having to unpack!)
• London (the Queen's Diamond Jubilee is in June and the Olympics start in July, so London will be the place to be this summer)
• Literary tourism (everything from the Harry Potter theme park in Florida to the dark and snow-filled streets of Steig Larsson's Stockholm)
• Cuba (while the State Department guidelines are still strict, it's probably just a matter of time before Americans can get there more easily)
• Myanmar (since Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit and Aung San Suu Kyi's call for responsible tourism, this remote country is attracting the interest of travelers)

We hope you'll join us on one of our small-group trips this year. And wherever your plans may take you, we wish you a healthy, happy, and travel-filled 2012.

Flex Those Travel Muscles

Spring is just around the corner here in Portland, or at least I certainly hope so! It's the time of year when I take off my rain jacket, shield my eyes from that shining orb in the sky, blind myself and others with glimpses of my winter-white skin, and assess the damage from spending the winter eating frozen Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies and those skipped workouts in the rain.

 

So, it's time to flex those muscles yet again. Amazing how much easier it is to enjoy being outdoors when it's not rainy. And it's also time to flex those travel muscles! After a few months at home, my feet are itching for some adventure. (At least that's what I'm hoping they're itching from, and not some unidentified issue with my old running shoes.)

 

Whether you want to join us on one of our great small-group trips or build your own adventure, we can help! Check out our tours listed below or let us do the planning for you and a group of your family and friends.

 

It's a big world out there -- explore and enjoy! Treat yourself to a good stretch on the road.