travel planning

Dominica is a haven for anyone interested in learning more about or experiencing unspoiled environments. Ya gotta love anyplace that has rainforests and whales in close proximity.

photo credit: Sharkbait

Any suggestions for great things to do in Dominica? Add a comment below and help promote family harmony.

Dominica is the seventh port of call on our holiday cruise. Despite quite a number of cruise ships stopping by, Dominica remains relatively unknown compared to some of its larger and more populous neighbors that also boast better funded tourism bureaus. Hopefully some of the more worldly readers of these posts will contribute some suggestions as comments.

Fortunately, we have been to Dominica a couple times. On past trips to Dominica, we have gone whale watching. Being in relatively close company to Sperm Whales and their calves, is an amazing and highly recommended experience. Having thought Humpback Whales were huge in Hawaii, the Sperm Whales are startlingly massive – often 30 to 50% larger than the Humpbacks.

This time, we are planning on turning our sites inland. One experience that caught our eye was the Extreme Dominica Canyoning Tour which fundamentally involves rappelling down rainforest waterfalls. This may result in a split experience for our family, but my younger daughter is considering it. continue reading →

Tagged as: caribbean, cruise, destination, inspiration, travel

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The sixth stop on our Celebrity Millennium holiday cruise is Scarborough, Tobago. Having never previously visited Trinidad or Tobago, based on our research, we would normally take one of two approaches – the first, hire a car and do some exploring, or second, taking a comprehensive tour of the island.

photo credit: Jenni Ripley

Any suggestions for great things to do in Tobago? Add a comment below and help promote family harmony.

Going to destinations where not a lot of friends have traveled can cause some to hesitate. With our family, it is quite the opposite – we love exploring and sharing the stories of our discoveries plays an integral role in the arc of our total vacation experience.

It is always such a shame to hear people returning from a destination with tales of an average vacation experience, only to learn that they either stayed rooted to their hotel, or ventured out only to hit notoriously overrated tourist traps. It may occasionally take a bit more preparation, but great vacations often hinge on one or two cornerstone experiences.

Often those experiences may happen accidentally or wildly exceed expectations due to a confluence of circumstances. The formula that works for us is to find unique experiences as a starting point and see where they lead us.

Based on our preliminary research, a good portion of Tobago’s highlights are water-related, so we are leaning toward the tour path, with the Island Girl Catamaran earning strong consideration. continue reading →

Tagged as: caribbean, cruise, destination, inspiration, travel

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Grenada remains a bit off the beaten path when it comes to Caribbean vacation destinations, but that turns out to be a benefit in terms of experiencing some of the charm of the old Caribbean before commercialism by global brands changed the face of the unique local destinations.

photo credit: SunCat

Any suggestions for great things to do in Grenada? Add a comment below and help promote family harmony.

The spice island, Grenada is the fifth stop in our holiday cruise on the Celebrity Millennium. Constantly seeking exceptional destination experiences, we are hoping to capture some creative suggestions in the comments.

Having visited Grenada on the Queen Mary 2 a couple years back, there is a sure bet recommendation for those wanting to see the best of the island and learn about its history. I would have to rank Mandoo as the most knowledgeable and personable tour guide I have ever encountered. The man is a walking encyclopedia for Grenada and has such a depth of knowledge that he is able to easily tailor tours to focus on the specific interests of the participants.

Grenada epitomizes “old school” Caribbean with is River Antoine Distillery – not only established in 1785, but still making rum essentially the same way since its inception with its water wheel driven mill and open storage tanks. Much of the spice production also uses traditional methods

One alternative for an excursion heavy cruise itinerary is always to find a stretch of scenic, uncrowded beach for some relaxing, unstructured time. This time around, we just might wind up on Grand Anse Beach. continue reading →

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Barbados has provided some of our most beloved travel memories. In this fourth post in a series featuring the ports of call on our holiday cruise, we are returning to Barbados for a third time and seeking new experiences that will top those of the past.

photo credit: Jens Karlsson

Any suggestions for great things to do in Barbados? Add a comment below and help promote family harmony.

The most vivid memory is our first visit 25 years ago when we were playing chicken with a hurricane. It’s interesting how conditions that would typically make some complain that their vacation was ruined by inclement weather can result in great memories.

In our cases, the stormy weather resulted in body surfing with locals in 10 foot swells and retreating in our mini-moke from torrential rains by hunkering down in the St. Thomas Parish post office. Considering mini-mokes lacked doors and only had a canvas roof, driving through sugar cane fields with water cascading across the road was exciting, albeit not that smart – especially since cell phones were not common in 1985.

Before assuming that we may be exaggerating the conditions, we encountered two Brits who were lost driving their mini-moke because their map was blown out of their hands – while sitting inside the car, parked…

On our last visit, we toured the Concorde Experience at the Christ Church Airport – the unique and historic British Airways Concorde. It is a great way to relive a chapter of aviation history.

This time, we were thinking about surfing lessons with Zed’s Surfing Adventures. My daughters are game and I hear Zed and Junior are terrific teachers. continue reading →

Tagged as: caribbean, cruise, destination, inspiration, travel

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The Caribbean offers something for everybody, which can be a challenge – too many attractive alternatives competing for your precious few hours spent in port off the cruise ship. In some cases, it can be a cruel tease, with tempting one-of-a-kind experiences that may not align well with the disembarkation / embarkation schedule of the cruise ship.

photo credit: Ben Alman

Any suggestions for great things to do in St. Lucia? Add a comment below and help promote family harmony.

This is the third post in a series featuring the ports of call on our holiday cruise. Today’s stop is the beautiful island of St. Lucia.

We have been to St. Lucia a couple times, again on cruises. The last trip featured a memorable stop at the Soufriere Volcano’s Sulpher Springs mud baths and the remainder of the day on Jalousie Beach. We generally aren’t big repeaters, preferring to discover new adventures.

That said, it looks like Spencer Ambrose Tours has a great Jalousie Beach Break that combines nautical transportation and some waterfront sight seeing with a day at the lovely beach tucked between the majestic Pitons. I could certainly be talked into returning to Jalousie.

Family background – I like adventure and my wife likes the beach and shopping. Our two daughters are 13 and 20 years old respectively. A personal, yet admittedly unrealistic, goal is to partake of activities that would avoid interaction with teenage or twenty-something boys…

With that in mind, please let us know what you think are the best activities for our day in port. continue reading →

Tagged as: caribbean, cruise, destination, inspiration, travel

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