What a difference 6 years can make!

It’s been a while since I’ve been in touch. I needed a little break after the Holidays, I’m back now. 

Part One

I had another incredible trip to Africa. This time it was Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Johannesburg. My first trip, 6 years ago, almost to the date, was Cape Town, Victoria Falls and Botswana. 

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The most common remark people make after visiting Africa and going on safari, is that it is life changing. I would have to agree and it is the same after a second visit. I’ll let you know after my 3rd visit, this October to Kenya, if that holds up. I suspect it will. 

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Cape Town has changed a lot and all for the good. It’s so much like San Francisco. They could have been twins separated at birth. Down to both cities having freeways that ended to nowhere. SF’s was torn down after the ’89 earthquake, Cape Town’s is still standing. Both cities are on the water, have fog, are home to amazing chefs, diverse ethnic populations, very liberal and arts oriented and an hour’s drive from breathtaking wine country, with many boutique wineries to visit. 

What’s new in Cape Town is the food scene. So many wonderful restaurants, cafes, bakeries and coffee shops. Cape Townees are coffee crazy! And the hotels! There are so many wonderful new boutique hotels. The Silo, which is built on top of the Zeitz Mocca, the new Contemporary Art museum has the most amazing 360 degree views. My best recommendation is to go a day or so early and adjust to the jet lag at the 12 Apostles .It’s a fabulous boutique hotel away from the crowds with breathtaking sunsets, incredible service, a wonderful spa, delicious food and the best place to do nothing and catch up before you take off on your African Adventure. 

We left Cape Town for Victoria Falls, locally know as Vic Falls. You may have heard the Falls are dry. Nothing could be farther from the truth. They are exactly the same as I saw them 6 years ago. It’s the dry season. The rains are just beginning, the rivers are low and some parts of the falls that time of year, are not flowing. However, the main fall is as robust as ever. 550 million liters of water drops 305 feet every minute over the cliff at the falls. In the wet season the falls is a mile wide. 

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Going in the dry season has its advantage You can walk along the viewing paths and not be soaked from the mist. Only at the main fall section which is going strong. That allows you to take beautiful photos. In the wet season your camera would be soaked and you might slip on the slippery wet paths. 

We stayed in a safari camp this time. Last time I was at a beautiful old grand dame hotel with giraffes and monkeys on site. This time, the camp was built between the elephants’ path to the river. Since the attitude is the animals were there first, spaces were left, where the natural paths were, so as not to disturb the elephants. And it did not. The elephants would come through the camp, eating whatever tree in site, on their way to the river. On my last morning there, my tent was surrounded by elephants. I couldn’t leave. They had to send a jeep to get me. As we drove off, one rather large lady, turned around spread her ears, raised her trunk and blasted a very loud sound. My heart was beating, the jeep felt the size of a matchbox car. The driver laughed. He said she was only telling us not to come any closer. 

Off to Zimbabwe. If you are uncomfortable in small planes, this is the safari itinerary for you. We drove from Vic Fall to the camps in the Hwange National Park. 

To be continued.....

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Lost in Time - Found in Paradise

Tahiti, French Polynesia – Most people have heard of it. Paul Gauguin painted it. The Portuguese, English and French discovered and fought over it, yet relatively few have been. Why is that?

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The Tahitian Islands are breathtakingly beautiful. I would venture to say there is no place else on earth, where the crystal-clear waters, are so many shades of turquoise. The Caribbean pales in comparison. The islands are lush and thick with vegetation, displaying shades of green that emeralds would envy. It's hard to capture the true colors.

The food is delicious. Of course, they are French! The finest vanilla is grown here and exported to discerning chefs and bakers worldwide. The tuna is the best and the Japanese can’t get enough of it.

If the sea calls to you, there is every water sport imaginable. Adrenalin junkies can snorkel or dive with sharks and sting rays. Whale watch, as they migrate and stop to have their young. Even the whales know Tahiti is the spot to be. And their dolphin friends are hanging out too. Australian, Owen Smith won the World Surf League, 2019 Tahiti Pro Pres (Stop # 7 on the Men’s World Championship Tour), days before we arrived.

Prefer dry land? You can hike to mountain tops in tropical jungles, see blue eyed eels in fresh streams, visit vanilla farms, ride ATV’s. What about the allure of the prized Tahitian pearl? One perfect pearl can take a decade to form. No wonder a necklace of perfectly matched pearls, can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Tahiti is a paradise lost in time. People say it is like Hawaii in the 1920’s My first trip to Hawaii was in the early ‘70’s. Tahiti today, is less developed than what I experienced back then. There are no high-rise hotels. Some islands have no hotels, just very basic B &B’s. There are phone booths on street corners. Things run in Island Time. It’s the perfect place to disconnect from the pressure of modern life and immerse yourself in stunning natural beauty. The Japanese call it Forest Bathing.

So why do only 250,000 people a year visit the Tahitian Islands and 10 million visit Hawaii? The flight time from California is only 3 hours more; it’s in the same time zone. It comes down to cost. All island destinations are expensive and Tahiti is one of the most expensive. Which may also be it’s saving grace. If it were more accessible, to more people, it would become overrun.

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What to do?

This needs to be on your bucket list especially if you are a sun, beach, water, nature lover. Save. Bite the bullet.

Do what you need to do. Make it happen.

Options:

1 -Take a Paul Gauguin cruise. You’ll visit 5 or more Islands. You’ll get to go to a Moti, which is a stunning private island. It’s a small ship, by ocean standards, 332 passengers. I never had to wait to be seated to dine. I chose to have room service every morning and enjoyed my croissant and coffee, on my balcony, with the most gorgeous view. Snorkeling gear, kayaking and paddle boarding are complimentary. Excursions are extra, however there are so many on board activities included, you can be busy every moment. For 2 people, 7 nights, in a balcony cabin (so worth it), including meals and open bar (all you can drink, all day long), air fare from San Francisco or Los Angeles for about $1000/person/day. This is a great way to experience Tahiti and not have to sell the farm.

2 -However, if you want to go for the gold and have an over the top experience in paradise; it’s an over the water bungalow at the St. Regis Bora Bora. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more beautiful, you turn your head and your eyes feast on an even more breathtaking sight. No wonder it makes the list of top 100 hotels in the world for 2019. I had a day there, as a guest of the St. Regis. I’m dreaming of going back to stay for a few nights.

Combine options 1 & 2 and you have an amazing time you will never forget.

Dream honeymoon, romantic escape?

3 – Flying to or from New Zealand or Australia? Fly Tahiti Nui Air and you can stop over, for no extra fare. Break up that long flight with a few nights in an over the water bungalow or garden view room. Doesn’t have to be the St. Regis (they only have over the water bungalow and fabulous villas) or the Four Seasons. Le Meridian, Sofitel, Intercontinental and Hilton all are lovely options.

Tahiti is expensive. But if you plan for it, it is doable. You can be part of the select few, (250,000 a year, of the entire world’s population), who will have been to paradise AKA the Tahitian Islands.

We make it easy to experience the joy of travel without the effort.

We turn travel fantasies into realities for individuals and groups.

Call me, let's talk! 415 931-1945.

Prefer to email? info@WeMakeTravelEasy.com

How Early is Early?

If you have flown recently, it’s very likely you have experienced, delays, cancellations and/or schedule changes. More so than ever before. Since March of this year, over 500 737Max planes have been grounded. That’s a lot of planes taken out of service, with no date, as to when they will be flying again, if ever and how long it will take to replace 500 aircraft. Dozens of these planes are sitting in Boeing’s employee parking lot.

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Airlines don’t have 500 spare planes sitting around in hangers. They are flying every plane that is safe to fly. However, if the TV doesn’t work, or the seat won’t go back, there isn’t time, to send that plane, out for non-safety related repairs/maintenance. Unfortunately, you’ll just have to deal with it, for now.

If it seems bad now, just think about how Holiday Travel will be impacted. You will have to have the patience of Job, bring lots of things to entertain yourself and the kids. Maybe finally use that Yoga room at SFO. Load meditation tapes on your phone and take lots of deep breaths. Remember there’s nothing you can do, so try to make the best of it. Getting upset with airline personal, who have been dealing with this, every day since March, is not going to make it better for anyone. Random acts of kindness will go much further, than upset rants.

So, what are some practical things you can do to take some of the stress out of flying these next several months? The #1 thing you can control, is your arrival times.

Some of us can remember the days when you ran through the airport and got to the gate 15 minutes before take-off. Those days ended with 9/11. Now minimum 1 hour before domestic and 2 hours before international. However, that can depend on the airport. Some move people through security with efficiency. Others are slower than molasses. TSA PreCheck helps with domestic flights, not with international departures. It’s time to arrive even earlier.

If you fly a lot, you may want to get a credit card that gives you access to airline lounges or sign up for Priority Pass Get to the airport early. Enjoy the lounge, do your calls and emails, there. Have something to eat and drink. If there’s a delay, you are comfortable waiting it out.

International Connections need to be, at bare minimum, 2 hours, 3 hours is even better. In Europe you must go through security again. If it’s London Heathrow, add even more time.

Returning to the US has many variations. Some international airports have US customs there. You are able to clear customs before you get on your flight. You can do that in Canada, Ireland, The United Arab Emirates, just to mention a few. If you are clearing customs before your flight, you need to allow extra time to do that. If your first touch down in the US, is not your final destination, you have to clear passport control wherever you land. Plan 3 hours. Bags can take time to get off the plane, then you have to recheck them for your connecting flight. Several flights can land at the same time, creating a huge backup. Global Entry helps to avoid the huge lines and move you through more quickly.

Your connecting flight could very well be in a different terminal. You may have to take a train to the other terminal and go through security again. I missed a connection in Seattle because our jet-way broke. It took an hour to move the plane to another gate. That extra hour delay, caused us to miss our connecting flight to SFO. We had to wait 5 hours for the next flight.

The good news is airports are getting to be nicer places. Many have great local restaurants, interesting museum exhibits, lovely shops. You can get a massage, a manicure, do some yoga stretches at SFO. Think about it as beginning of your trip; enjoy what is there to make your time less stressful.

Your vacation just started earlier. Who doesn’t like that?

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High Fashion at 30,000 Feet - This is not the Red Carpet

We have all seen fashion faux pas in magazines, but on a plane, it could mean your health. Take Lady Gaga for instance. In 2010, on a transatlantic flight, she wore blue platform Alexander McQueen shoes and an outfit made of black and yellow tape. In flight, Ms. Gaga began to experience symptoms of deep vein thrombosis, a life-threatening condition commonly caused by a combo of in-flight risk factors like low cabin pressure, dehydration, immobility during a long trip and cramped seats (according to the American Council on Exercise). Symptoms include swollen or red limbs, but individuals suffering from deep vein thrombosis often exhibit no symptoms. Gaga, knew something was wrong and fortunately when she complained to the cabin crew, they convinced her to change into less constricting clothes.

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Most likely you don’t have a comparable wardrobe to Lady G. However you might have something that’s looks great but is not designed for sitting in a seat, with limited mobility, at high altitude for hours. Think tight jeans.

Tight clothes can restrict blood flow in the already-confining space of an airplane seat. Save those skinny jeans for when you arrive. My favorite travel outfit is loose fitting travel slacks from Paskho and a nice knit top.I look fashionable, but more importantly,I'm comfortable. Go for loose-fitting natural fiber garments (clothes made from cotton, rayon or linen). Give your skin and your veins some breathing space.

Part 2 of Lady G’s problem were her high heels. Any woman knows the problems these shoes offer, just standing on solid ground. When you watch the on board safety features video, they always say not to exit the plane in an emergency with high heels. They can puncture the evacuation equipment. I don’t know about you, but I want shoes on my feet if I have to run from a plane. Why not wear your bulky, but comfortable shoes and leave space in your luggage. If you have to change planes and have a long walk between gates; comfy shoes are best. And if you didn’t take my tip on how to get TSA PreCheck all the time (no shoes off), then please consider slip on shoes. That’ll save you (and everyone behind you in line) some time.

Odors are intensified on a plane, passengers are in close quarters and the air is recycled throughout the cabin. The perfect seatmate is one who doesn't smell like anything. Just because your flight is at the crack of dawn, don’t wear yesterday’s jogging outfit. I love perfume but don’t wear any when you fly. Scent is subjective. We’ve all sat next to the guy with too much after shave cologne. People with allergies or asthma could have a reaction to strong perfumes; could be uncomfortable for both of you.

You can go through a range of temperature climates in just one flight. There's the tropical feel of a jog through the sunny airport terminal, then the stuffy and warm wait while the plane sits on the tarmac, followed by the in-flight arctic chill, especially if you are seated next to a window. Layers are a traveler's best friend for varying temperatures. I always have a shawl and blanket in my carry on. Air plane blankets have become an endangered species.


You can look fabulous and fashionable when you get to your destination.
En route, look smart and comfortable.

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