Destinations

IMPORTANT – If booking international travel, PLEASE make sure you have a valid passport at the time of book. Also, COVID Travel, Testing and Health Requirement information is provided by your Travel Advisor as guidance only and can change without notice. Always reconfirm information by checking government & airline websites before booking and traveling.

This beautiful part of Italy is not a hidden gem anymore but it is still a very charming destination for just a few days. I just returned from three nights staying in the town of Vernazza and was able to experience hiking, train ride and boat ride. You can stay in any of the towns and still enjoy all three activities.

Monterosso Al Mare offers more hotels, Corniglia is smaller and less crowded. To avoid crowds on the trails, make sure to start hiking around 8.00am. If you are driving, you need to reserve a parking spot in advance on line. You can reserve in La Spezia or Levanto. For the real serious hikers, along with the main trail going from one town to the next, you have many other trails in the park. They are quite steep but it is worth every pain you might have the next day! You will be by yourself and you will have the most amazing views.

On your next trip to Italy, do think of Cinque Terre if you are traveling in the northern part of the country.

Happy trails…

Fondly,

Murielle Blanchard
(801) 483-6533

We were lucky to go nonstop from San Francisco on Singapore air in premium economy. This gives one a bit more legroom and recline plus upgraded meal service. A 16 1/2 sounds daunting but with some hours of sleep a few movies and a good book it wasn't too bad.

My husband I decided to celebrate our 30 year anniversary in Hawaii. He had never been and I have been to Oahu and Maui so we decided on Kauai. Over the years I have sent many, many clients to Kauai and have a few favorite resorts.

I decided on the Kauai Marriott Resort on Kalapaki Bay. The Marriott is a first class resort set on a beautiful beach right where the cruise ships dock. The rooms are very large and the service and amenities are second to none. Kauai is a very lush and tropical island with many beautiful beaches. Some of the highlights while touring the island were Anini Beach on the North shore, the boat ride through the Fern Grotto, absolutely stunning and of course Waimea Canyon, a must see. We are hoping to return to Kauai again soon.

After being in the air for 17+ hours on flights from Salt Lake City to Sydney, one might rightly think that spending time on solid ground would be your first choice for seeing Australia; however this was not the case on my recent Amazing Aussie Adventure and Educational Conference sponsored by our friends and travel partners at Travel2. I got to experience a portion of this beautiful and diverse country affectionately known as the “Land Down Under” not “down under” but rather from “up above”; on a gondola, a canyon rim, an iconic bridge, a helicopter and a hot air balloon.

My arrival into Sydney was at 8:00 am, and I was ready to beat the jetlag with a full day of immersing myself in the New South Wales lifestyle. Our Destination NSW host, Tenille, met us at the airport and we were off to the Taronga Zoo where I got my first up-close views of koalas, kangaroos, and wallabies.

I won a 4 night stay at the Secrets Akumal property near Tulum, Mexico. The resort will be a year old next week and is very clean and the staff is extremely helpful. I stayed in an Ocean View Suite on the 4th floor. The rooms are large with the stone marble floors and tiles. Over the palm trees, I could see the beautiful ocean and of course there are the beach front rooms. The beach is wonderful, nice and wide with soft white sand. There is wonderful snorkeling in front of the property with lots of fish and turtles. There are 3 lovely pools. The one closest to the main building is the quietest, the middle pool is nice and the one closest to the ocean had a swim up bar and was very busy.

The beautiful grounds have the fire pits, cabanas, hammocks, swings and many areas sectioned of for water with one pond full of fish. They do have a nice spa, and we enjoyed the nightly entertainment with shows and music. We were able to sit on our lanai and listen to the music.