Alternatives to Resort Vacations

Posted on August 12, 2017 by Ruth Adams
At the beach in Costa Rica

Manual Antonio National Park Beach

Alternatives to Resort Vacations

Are you looking for alternatives to resort vacations this winter?  Just want some ideas? Then you have come to the right place…..but for many of these vacations you need to book sooner than later- last minute bookings are simply not available!

Consider An Independent Vacation To Central or South America

Last year, I booked an an independent trip to Merida Mexico for clients.  They explored the city, went on day trips to the Cenotes and the Mayan Ruins, and then headed to the beach to chill for a few days of downtime.  Easy peasy……..transportation and day tours all arranged ahead of time with accommodations.  Ate at local restaurants, and the money spent stayed in the community…….

This is so easy to do in so many countries-whether Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica. An independent trip is just one of the alternatives to resort vacations.

Consider A Small Group Tour for Your Explorations

Want to head to Costa Rica or Belize, but don’t want to go on your own?  A solo traveller?  Or even a small group of travellers?  Looking for someone to take the lead, and ensure you stay safe while getting a real taste of what the country is about with local guides? Small group tours are the way to go…….12-16 people- a wonderful change and a great alternative to resort vacations.

Consider one of the many offerings with G Adventures, Exodus Travels, Intrepid Travel, or one of the other small group tour operators (just contact me for more ideas).  Most require deposits to hold your spot, with the balance due about 2 months in advance. Flights are extra, but the experience is worth it. You will never again settle for the more traditional way of travel. If your passion is cycling, hiking or history- you are in luck, as most tour operators offer lots of options to indulge your passions.

Exploring Costa Rica

Here is just one example- likely one of the hottest trips offered by G Adventures…… Explore Costa Rica. This trip has a little bit of everything, and is for 2 weeks. Here is just one of the trips offered which explore Costa Rica.

Costa Rica may be small but it offers big adventure. This two-week tour ventures off the beaten path to a lush and wild world. Stop in at a reforestation project, visit a sea turtle conservancy program, opt to zip-line through the jungle canopy, and have a soak in volcanic hot springs. Riding a wave of “pura vida,” experience pure travel joy.

Priced from $2549 plus flights, this is an incredibly popular tour that sells out every year in all of its tour dates. Here is a map of its itinerary…….

Explore Costa Rica with G Adventures (alternatives to resort vacations)

Itinerary for Explore Costa Rica

If this trip appeals, or you are looking for something more active- or not as long, or not as expensive, just let me know…….but contact me soon, or they will be sold out.  Obviously small groups mean they are limited in size. Large resorts and cruise ships do not sell out near as quickly.

The universe likes speed. Don’t delay. Don’t second guess. Don’t doubt. When the opportunity is there, when the impulse is there, when the intuitive nudge from within is there, act. That’s your job. That’s all you have to do.  

~Joe Vitale

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Travelling to Southeast Asia

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Ruth Adams

Many people look at travelling to Southeast Asia as an exotic far away place- I am here to say it is exotic, it is far away- but it is very do-able……

Why do I say it is do-able?  Well if you can wrap your head around the long flights, it is an inexpensive place to visit- in fact even air fare if booked far enough in advance is not expensive……for instance, you can easily fly there for $1100 return……and resorts on the islands are inexpensive, hotels in the various countries are also inexpensive, and food is fresh and delicious……pricing chart for that below:

Asia: Price of Goods in US$, which in US would Cost $1*

As you can see, SE Asia is an inexpensive place…..

When To Go To Southeast Asia

The next decision would be to decide when to go, where to go, and how to travel once you have arrived. When to go will depend on where to go to some degree…….and why you are going……For instance, if you are going during the winter months of the northern hemisphere, perhaps you are looking for sunshine- and in most of southeast Asia you will find that……prices are a bit higher as well, so you might definitely want to book further ahead to take advantage of deals if your budget is a concern.

But if on the other hand the cold northern winter months are not a consideration, then the shoulder months would be your next choice. I went in October and the weather was perfect……but it was mentioned that this was the tail end of the rainy season, so obviously I had my fingers crossed.  (All was good.)

I would not advise first time travellers to go during the rainy season- in most parts of SE Asia this runs from May or June until October- with the worst months being July and August……

How To Travel in Southeast Asia

Finally, think about how you want to explore when you arrive- independent travel (train and bus for instance)- I had clients that just had me book their air, and they created their own itinerary with some input from me.

Another way which can be inexpensive would be taking a small group tour- for the younger set something like this one: Vietnam and Laos on a Shoestring – priced from just $2249 for 20 days- not including flights.

Or for a tour with more inclusions try this one: Essential Vietnam and Cambodia for 17 days- priced from $2499.

Finally- for comfort and adventure- try this one that I was on…… Discover Southeast Asia for $4199 for 18 days. For more information see this blog post: Discovering Southeast Asia.

Finally there are the more traditional tours (large group tours) such as Exploring Vietnam and Cambodia with Globus Journeys- priced from $3679 for 13 days…….or River Cruises such as this one with Scenic- Highlights of Vietnam, Cambodia and Luxury Mekong – priced from $10,465 for 17 days…….as well as ocean cruises that allow stopping in ports, with perhaps excursions to see certain highlights.

All good options- just depends on your style of travel! For more information, please do not hesitate to contact me……..

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