Destinations

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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.

One of the first things that come to mind when you mention the Hard Rock is rock stars and parties.

But the All-Inclusive Resorts have taken over and made an incredible and family friendly experience at their properties in Mexico and the Caribbean.

I had the chance to journey to the Hard Rock All-Inclusive resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republice. Once I saw the beach and felt how soft the sand was I knew the journey was worth it.

I mean talk about Gorgeous! The Hard Rock has a prime location on Bavaro Beach, with just a 15- 20 minute drive from the airport to the resort, and they have certainly added in the wow factor to the resort.

I was fortunate to be a part of a life changing trip to India. My daughter and I had the opportunity of meditating each morning and attend classes, “Unlock the Power of your Brain”. In addition to the classes we explored the “Golden Triangle of India”. The Golden Triangle consists of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. India is the most spiritual and cultural place I have ever been. I have been a travel agent for over 30 years, and traveled the globe, but India was an eye opener for me.

The flight was over 19 hours and upon arrival we headed to our hotel . India has over 1.2 Billion people and possible more that live on the streets. The capitol city of Delhi alone has over 2.4 million people. The next morning we went on a four hour cycle Rickshaw ride through the narrow streets and bazaars in Old Delhi. I was amazed at how they drive. They occupy every inch of space and their horns never stop honking. I would never recommend driving. Old Delhi was a culture shock as we weaved in and out of the alleys of the shopping area of Chandni Chowk. It was a little scary but a must-do, in order to capture the life of the lower class. We were in a colorful rickshaw pedaled by one person, but they also have auto rickshaws which you will even see on the highways. In Old Delhi, we visited Raju Ghat (the memorial site where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated), Red Fort (was the residence of the Mughal emperors), Sikh Temple, Hindu Temple and Lotus Temple. At the temples we saw and felt the spiritual worshipping around us. It was a feeling and sight to behold.

I flew to Charleston, South Carolina for the first time last weekend. I lived in the south for a number of years but South Carolina was a destination along with the southern east coast has been on my bucket list for some time.

I stayed near the convention center in a Home2Suites by Hilton. It’s a mid range priced hotel designed for the business man and families with the accommodations set up like a efficiency apartment. The hotel room had a full refrigerator, microwave, and full dishwasher!! That was a first!!!

Charleston is full of history, antebellum mansions, historic churches, set along in downtown Charleston with cobblestone streets, hidden courtyard gardens. There are homes from the 18th century that have been maintained and restored that are just beautiful.

I found the people to be friendly and helpful. We visited the waterfront park and then walked thru the old downtown parts of Charleston including the city market full of neat quaint shops and the smell of pralines (free samples) coming from the candy shops. The cruise ship terminal is right at the waterfront park so it couldn’t be more convenient to visit Charleston by cruiseship.