What did I expect from Poland? I’m not sure; I was just excited to go somewhere new and unexpected. What I brought home from Poland were stories of her extended history, images of her glories and pain, glimpses of her future. We easily could have spent several additional days in each city. With even more time we could have made side trips to Poland’s smaller cities, to the countryside, or to the Tatra Mountains. There was so much to see and learn that I had trouble deciding what to write about for this blog. Picturesque. Modern. Medieval. Poignant. Political. Pragmatic. This old, yet new, country left a deep impression. This newbie to Poland is now hoping to return to discover more about this resilient country.
We recently had the opportunity to experience what it’s like to travel with UnCruise Adventures, the small-ship expedition cruise line based out of Seattle, Washington. It was truly an all-encompassing way to see Hawaii and unlike any other cruise line we’ve traveled on before.
It’s always been a dream of ours to experience Machu Picchu and combine it with a visit to the Galapagos. Recently, this dream came to fruition. Sherri and I just returned from a two-week journey to Peru and Ecuador to visit these magical destinations. Some say it is the “journey” that counts, in our case, it is all about the destination!
Last month, Cruises & Beyond had the priviledge to attend an inaugural preview of the Norwegian Bliss. NCL gave travel agents and consultants alike an opportunity to experience their newest ship shortly before her first sailing to Alaska amidst a two night foray into international waters from Los Angeles. With such little time, it was nearly impossible to check out every corner of the ship, but we saw enough to give you our initial impressions of this unique vessel.
There’s a reason why we like to sell Crystal Cruises to our clients. That’s because we strongly believe Crystal is the top luxury cruise line of them all. You’ll pay a premium to sail on one of their ships, but that’s what helps make Crystal’s all-inclusive splendor happen. From 5-star culinary experiences to the unmatched personal service provided by all staff members aboard their ships, Crystal offers the best there can possibly be. It goes without saying that we love Crystal and our clients do too.
My initial plans for Vietnam only included Hoi An and Hue, to focus on central Vietnam during my short trip. When booking my flights, I found out I could fly direct from Guangzhou to Da Nang, but no direct flights were offered in the reverse direction. In order to return to Guangzhou to catch my flight home to SFO, I had to travel either south to Hoi Chi Minh or north to Hanoi from Hue. So that’s how I reluctantly wound up in Hanoi, the large, bustling, crowded capital city.
My plan of six whirlwind nights in Vietnam worked out to 36 hours to explore in each city: Hoi An, an UNESCO World Heritage Site; Hue, the former royal capital and another UNESCO Site; and finally Hanoi, the current capital of Vietnam. I always look for a walking tour at new destinations and for this journey, I lined up a street food tour in each city. History, culture and food in one go!
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