The best travel agents travel and we certainly do! This year we visited Europe, Australia, Hawaii, Mexico, Fiji and most if not all of the Sandals couples only all-inclusive Resorts. Here’s our report-

Linda visited a dozen posh resorts on St Lucia including Jade Mountain and Ladera and while in the Southern Caribbean made a quick trip to see the new Sandals Grande Antigua Resort. In Playa del Carmen Mexico she visited the family friendly, all inclusive Iberostar Paraiso Maya. Scuba diving in the cenotes was a highlight! April took her to London and France with a focus on art, architecture and history and she particularly enjoyed Normandy and Mont St Michel.

August took her to Australia for another visit and a stay at the incredible new Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island. Linda is hosting an Australia Night and VIP movie premier December 3rd, so let her know if a trip to Australia is in your future. In November she’ll be hitting some romantic resorts in Fiji and before year end, she’ll be picking up a special sales award in the Bahamas. It’s been a good year!

Jennefer completed the France Specialist program last fall with a few days in Paris and in touring the Loire Valley, Chateau Chenonceau was her favorite castle. In December she investigated all 3 Sandals Resorts on St. Lucia. April took her to Ireland to kiss the Blarney Stone, climb the Giants Causeway and explore numerous castles and ruins, she even stayed overnight in beautiful Dromoland Castle. She especially liked Northern Ireland and says they are welcoming tourists after many years without them.

Next week she leaves to see Sandals Grande Antigua Resort, only one of all the 12 Sandals couples only all-inclusive resorts. There is still time this year and she may fit in a quick trip to Jamaica to update her knowledge of the Beaches family all-inclusive resorts.

Sandi has enjoyed two completely different cruises; she sailed Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Sea on a Fall Foliage Cruise where her favorite port of call was in Portland, Maine. Her other cruise was an eastern Caribbean on Carnival’s Valor where the beautiful beaches of St. Thomas and St. John were her favorites and screamed destination wedding!

Sandi was also assigned the task of visiting the Big Island of Hawaii, tough job I know, but someone’s gotta do it! She’s in Cancun right now seeing the newest all-inclusive family resorts and will take her first trip to St. Lucia next month, so watch for her reviews, blogs and pictures once she’s back.

As you might imagine, we have lots of destination information to share and thousands of pictures, so check out some of our other posts, subscribe to our RSS feed and check back regularly for new information. You can also jump to www.TotemTravel.com to find planning information and packages; an event calendar for upcoming agency events; useful links for weather, security, passports and more.

So whether you want fun in the sun, an educational family vacation, the culture and history of Europe or a romantic getaway for two, Totem Travel has been there… recently! Please call when it’s time for your next vacation, 800-321-7907 and remember to also let your friends and coworkers know they can “Get personalized help from a travel expert at no extra cost!”

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On my last trip to France I was excited that I would be visiting the Loire Valley, a region I had not seen on previous visits. My time was to be spent visiting the Chateau’s and I had no idea I would love it so much, I should have, knowing how I love visiting the castles of England and Scotland.

One of my favorite was Chateau de Chenonceau, it’s the stuff fairy tale’s are made of. Starting with the long tree lined drive, walking in was like walking through a tunnel of trees, I can only imagine arriving by a horse drawn carriage back in the 13^th century when the Chateau was built. As you come to the end of the tree lined drive you get your first glimpse of the beautiful Chateau. It’s built along and actually above the Cher River and is boarded by deep moats on the other sides.

The Chateau has had many owners and guests come and go over the years including Francois I, Henry VII and VIII, Catherine de Medici, Francis II and Mary Stuart to name but a few, giving the Chateau a rich and varied history. The architecture shows not only the influence of those in the Loire Valley but also Italian Renaissance as well.

Inside the Chateau you can visit the chapel, the drawing rooms where the kings received their guests, the Gallery over the river where great dances and parties were held, the kitchens that fed all the inhabitants and guests as well as the bedrooms of the famous owners and we haven’t even mentioned the art collections. The Chateau has a great IPod guided tour that is definitely worth the time to take, it’ll be a few hours long.

Before leaving be sure to stroll through the gardens and marvel at this beautiful Chateau and the stories it could tell if walls could talk.

If you’d like to book a trip to France that includes Chenonceau or other Chateau’s of the Loire Valley contact Jennefer the France Certified Specialist at Totem Travel by calling 800-321-7907 or shoot me an e-mail at jennefer@totemtravel.com.