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Paris


Jennefer at the Eiffel tower
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The Louvre, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, San Chapelle, the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, where else can you find all of this?  Why of course it’s none other than Paris, France and since I just returned from a study tour where I became a Certified France Agent, I thought I’d tell you a bit about it.
 
Paris has long been known as the city of light, a great place to be in the spring time, a city of fashion, a city of art and a very easy city to sightsee and navigate in.

I love the night life, like Moulin Rouge, or strolling down the Champs Elysees to see the Arc lit up at night.
Daytime brings museums like the Musee de Cluny, the Louvre, the Pompidou Center or Musee Picasso, take your pick as there is a museum for every taste and any kind of art.

Don’t forget the Churches and Cathedrals, there are those mentioned above as well as others such as St. Sulpice made more famous by author Dan Browns ‘Da Vinci Code.’
 
For a break in your day, why not stop at Angelina’s for world famous hot chocolate and a fabulous French pastry, or the stop into the Welcome Café for some Crepes Sucre or Crème Brule?e and a Café au lait, both are across from the Tulleries along the Rue De Rivoli.
 
And lastly, don’t forget to stroll along the Left Bank and just enjoy the sights of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

I’ll return to Paris again as there are always new things to see and in the meantime, please call if you need help with your travel plans to France, because you get “Personalized help from a travel expert at no extra cost” when you call Totem Travel.

Jennefer~

Sandals Royal Bahamian


Sandals Royal Bahamian
I just came back from a trip to the Bahamas, where I stayed at the Sandals Royal Bahamian resort. We had a great time and were treated like royalty.

We arrived to beautiful 80 degree weather with blue skies. Once at the resort we were taken to our rooms almost immediately. Our room looked out over the ocean and I could see the cruise ships coming and going from downtown Nassau, and from the right vantage point I could even see Atlantis Paradise Island in the distance.

We checked in, changed in the room and then relaxed by the pool for an hour or so before we grabbed some dinner at the buffet before crashing. As usual, coming form the west coast always does a number on you when you head to east.

We awoke to sun and sand and as per my usual Sandals routine I slipped into my swim suit and flip flops and headed for the pool. We made a quick stop for some breakfast and then spent the day strolling between the pool and our lounge chairs, books in hand. That evening we had dinner at the Crystal Room restaurant, it was wonderful food and I fully recommend it.

After that the days are pretty much the same except that the next day was a beach day with dinner at the Baccarat French restaurant. The next day it rained for most of the day so we read books and watched movies and played games in the Royal Theatre with lots of others escaping the rain and had our dinner at the Italian restaurant, Casanovas.

The next morning dawned bright and beautiful and we had a choice to make…beach or pool or town? We headed into Nassau for some duty free shopping; electronics, jewelry and liquor and to see what we could find at the straw market such as purses, shells, beaded bracelets, t-shirts and more. We finished our day with dinner on the off-shore restaurant called Bombay’s.

I forgot to mention the English Pub with authentic furniture imported from Scotland and England, the wedding gazebo where couple after couple had their free weddings, the off-shore island we’re you can spend the day swimming, lounging in the sun or relaxing in the Zen Garden as well as have dinner at night, hot tubs, fitness room, aqua aerobics classes, snorkel and scuba boats and more.

That’s a Sandals stay, everything’s included, so many activities I couldn’t do them all, I was lucky enough to hit every restaurant and that was the only work I did the whole week!

Kona Village – an all inclusive resort in Hawaii!


Kona Village Hawaii

I have had so many requests for an all-inclusive resort in Hawaii.  Finally, I can say that there is a very nice resort offering a near all-inclusive program. Beverages are not included, but all of your meals are!   About time, don’t you think!

Kona Village is a very unique vacation property.  Barefoot luxury and relaxation is the focus but fun and activities are abundant as well!

There are no TVs, telephones, or radios in any of the “Hales”.  Hales are private (or semi-private in the case of the duplex hale) bungalows, much like the Bures of Fiji.  Each hale includes bathrobes and slippers, hair dryers, iron and ironing boards, in-room safe, 100% Kona Coffee plus a selection of refrigerated soft drinks, juices and bottle water. Hales are not air-conditioned but cooled by tropical breezes and ceiling fans.

Not planning to be at the resort for lunch?  No problem, box lunches or a lunch voucher for select island restaurants are included.  Tuesday night, don’t miss the Paniolo night BBQ!  Great grilled steaks, fabulous salads and side dishes, as well as many native Hawaiian dishes….lomi lomi salmon, poi, bread pudding and coconut flan. On Wednesday and Friday night is the Luau. On Monday the focus is on Hawaii’s sacred traditions and history.  You will enjoy as the stories are told in movement and drumbeat. On Wednesday, the story of the time when Polynesians settled in the islands in the Pacific Ocean, including Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand and Hawaii.  The highlights of this show are the Samoan fire knife dancers, New Zealand’s Maori songs and the hip-shaking Tahitian dances!
Kona Village also has a full service spa offering massages, facials, and other spa services.  Unfortunately, these services are not included in the all-inclusive program.  However there are many activities that are included – tennis, snorkeling, kayaking, boogie board surfing, to name a few. Arts and crafts are also a big hit at the resor and Kona Village offers a children’s program for kids age 6-12 years old.  It operates daily except for the month of May and September. They even offer historical, botanical and petroglyph tours for those that want to learn something on their vacation!.

I hope you’ll contact me to help plan your vacation at Kona Village.  You can reach me at 425-821-4100, 800-321-7907 or sandi@totemtravel.com.  Aloha!

Seattle area wedding shows & honeymoon planning nights


The ball dropped in Time Square so that means the wedding & honeymoon planning season has officially begun!  Totem Travel will be at the Bellevue wedding show Janaury 19 & 20 and the Lynnwood wedding show January 26 & 27.  Please see www.BridesClub.com for details and directions.

Immediately following the shows we begin our 2008 series of honeymoon and vacation planning nights.

Our January 30 event will highlight 17 Sandals & Beaches all inclusive resorts located on 5 beautiful Caribbean islands.  The evening begins at 6p with registration and refreshments followed by a slide show.  We’ll have three Sandals Specialists on hand to answer all your questions and couples wishing to make reservations will receive a $250 resort credit or discount off  qualifying honeymoons in addition to the lowest sale prices available.

On February 4 we’ll turn our attention to the lovely islands of Tahiti including Bora Bora, Moorea, Tikehau, Manihi, Huahine and more.  And on February 6 our Europe Specialist will cover the most popular countries and itineraries including Italy, France, Spain, England, Scotland and Germany.

Please RSVP to linda@totemtravel.com or call (425) 821-4100 or (800) 321-7907 for more information.  We hope to meet you at one of our upcoming events, but until then Happy New Year and Happy Travels throughout 2008!

Manihi – an atoll in the Tuamotus


Manihi Overwater Bungalow
View slide show.

I made my first trip to the South Pacific many years ago and have returned several times visiting all the most popular islands and resorts.   On a recent trip to Tahiti, I was fortunate to spend a few days on Manihi in the Tuamotu Islands.

Manihi is an atoll, meaning that the highest point of elevation is only a few feet above sea level and the island itself is a coral reef. For an avid scuba diver and snorkeler like myself, atoll is another word for heaven. 

To reach Manihi you must first fly to Papeete, which is approximately 8 1/2 hours non stop from LAX.  If possible,  I recommend an overnight flight for several reasons – sleeping makes the flight seem shorter, you can get to Manihi without an overnight stay in Papeete, and an early arrival means more time on vacation.

The one hour interisland flight is your first opportunity to sightsee, so make sure you take a window seat!  You’ll be flying over dozens of tiny islets and reefs and see every shade of blue imaginable.  When you arrive on Manihi a golf cart will whisk you and your luggage from the airport to the Pearl Resort, the only accommodations on the island.  Hint – after the daily flight the airport is deserted and becomes a bicycle path, so don’t miss your chance to do wheelies on the runway!

Your first view of the resort will probably be the horizon swimming pool which disappears into the turquiose lagoon beyond.  An adjacent open air bar offers refreshments and shade and the peaked roof restaurant  has seating indoors and out.  Manihi accommodations come in 4 flavors – beach & premium beach bungalows, overwater and premium overwater bungalows.  I loved both beach and overwater accomodations for different reasons but would skip the standard beach bungalows which have a limited view. 

The premium beach bungalows are very spacious and have open bathrooms (the toilet is enclosed), louvered windows to let the tropical breezes blow through, a big porch and beautiful views of the lagoon.  The overwater bungalows are lovely and offer Tahitian t.v. (viewing windows in the floor) and stairs leading from the deck into the water.  Premium overwater bungalows have A/C. 

Snorkel gear is complementary for all as are kayaks, outrigger canoes and mini golf.   The snorkeling and scuba diving is fantastic with water temperatures between 79-84 degrees and schools of barracuda, turtles, deep-water sharks and dolphins year round.  November through April, you can dive with Hammerhead sharks or Eagle Rays and July through October you’ll see Manta Rays and Grey Sharks.

Other popular acitvities include a trip to the Black Pearl Farm, a motu picnic, reading in a hammock or biking about the island.  Manihi is not for those wishing a fast pace.  But for those seeking privacy, beauty and romance, it just might be paradise!

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