A memorable visit of Laos

On Being a Travel Planner - 12 june 2008

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:03:17 GMT

Flying over Barcelona, Spain - Ph. by D. Santal

This past month I helped clients from New Jersey prepare a six-week trip to Australia and New Zealand. During the same period, California clients planned a visit through the Loire Valley of France and a Colorado couple asked me to organize a trip to Italy and France. In the past, travelers from India and from France have used my travel planning service for their vacations. Many of my colleagues think that the Internet and greedy airlines have made our profession nearly obsolete… but I beg to differ!

Of course, it is possible to plan a trip using the Internet exclusively and those who have time to spare, who are willing to take chances, or who already know the country they intend to visit can do so pretty well. But, as in all professions, using the skills of an expert simply makes the job of planning much easier, it can save money and can often avoid costly mistakes. In addition, I am not at all convinced that it is cheaper to use the Internet; travel agencies have exclusive access to consolidators and tour operators not available to the general public.

Am I defending my profession? Yes, of course I am! When travelers pay me a compliment, it usually has to do with the issues mentioned earlier: “You saved us a lot of money because we were able to pay for hotels and excursions in US dollars before we left”, or “I would never have known about the little Provence village you encouraged us to stop in”, or “your restaurant (or hotel) recommendations were terrific”, or “you are really knowledgeable about details that make a trip unique”. Such comments are my rewards – let it be said that for a travel planner rewards are not monetary, as airlines don’t pay commissions, hotels too conveniently neglect to send the agreed on commissions, and many other organizations don’t offer commissions at all!

My profession enhances my own trips: not because I enjoy discounts (there are few of those), but because I travel for my own pleasure, and I am always on the lookout for friendly hotels that offer good value, for little known cities and museums which offer insight into a culture, for unique shops, theaters, and restaurants. Many such places have been pointed out to me by friends and also very often by clients: the ten-room hotel in Paris that overlooks the Seine and Notre-Dame, the twenty-room hotel in the heart of London’s South Kensington, the best Chinese restaurant in the world in the heart of Melbourne in Australia, the craft shop in Bangkok where only handmade Thai objects are sold… those are just a few, off the top of my head.

Not all travel planners are good, not any more than all surgeons, all plumbers, all teachers, and all seamstresses... Research is really important: I always recommend that my clients discover their destination on their own then consult me, or use me to help wade through the information they have gathered. This method saves from disappointments and it also builds excitement about a destination.

I can give advice to avoid pitfalls, or make recommendations to take full advantage of explorations. There are parts of the world I don’t yet know, in that case I only work on reservations and on timing; it is not unusual, while preparing such a trip, that I want to go to the same destination, and eventually I do go. That’s how I visited Laos, Jordan and Egypt, and how, next year I will travel to South Africa.

Walking to get to know a new place - 2 june 2008

Mon, 2 Jun 2008 19:35:39 GMT

Istanbul Modern - Ph. by D. Santal

My husband and I especially like independent tours because of what we like to see. We like cities best, we enjoy museums and historical places, we want to discover our own restaurants, go to performances we select and so on.

Most of all we walk at random, endlessly, whether we know a city of not, whether it’s raining or bright, hot or cold… Once we make up our minds to ignore the weather, we walk! Even in cities I know very well, Paris, Barcelona, London, New York, we walk!

I will never forget that first visit exploring Bangkok, under pouring rain; we came across a remarkable Thai craft store with exquisite handmade objects: the carved black wood elephant is still on my coffee table, looking his regal self; I also bought a lovely wrap-around skirt of Thai silk: I always have a little trouble putting it on, because I forget how to tie it! In London, I explored South Kensington; it is almost a village with its low buildings and row houses, its ethnic restaurants and its pretty shops, not forgetting the Victoria and Albert Museum around the corner. And Paris: that’s where, while walking, I found the oldest house in the city on Rue Saint-Honoré, built in the 13th century, it is still in use. One of the fun things to do is to look at street names, they can be so colorful: Rue des Mauvais Garçons, street of the bad boys, or Rue des Bons Enfants, street of the good children, Rue du Chat-qui-Pêche, street of the fishing cat! I also discovered several of my favorite restaurants, like Le Petit Mâchon, or La Castafiore, now closed, or Chez Jean. I have even gotten lost in Prague, and found one of their more renown jazz clubs, or in Havana, where a band of school children going through their calisthenics on a small square, surrounded me to wish me welcome and to have their picture taken in their smart school uniforms.

Some of the best spots I remember were discovered because I had gotten lost someplace. For instance, in Istanbul, unable to find my way out of the harbor area, I came across, entirely by accident, the Istanbul Modern, a contemporary art museum devoted to Turkish art. I will never forget stumbling upon the Pushkin Museum in Moscow: he is a favorite poet of mine, and I was desperately lost when I saw the building where he lived for many years and went inside (by the way, the man at the desk helped me find my way back). When I get lost, I can usually say “Where is such and such?” in the local language, but the problem is that I cannot always understand the answer! It’s an adventure well worth the frustration of being tired or discouraged at first: there is always a kind soul who can say a few words in a language I know. I also always carry a business card of the hotel where I am staying: I can show it to a taxi driver or a passer-by and find my way again: that was useful in Thailand where the written language is illegible to me! I cannot help but wonder about visiting China or Japan!

Although escorted or guided tours are great, especially for the lazy side of me, the unexpected is rare, except for the beauty of a city or a country. But that’s another story.

On Selecting the next 'place to see before I die' - 22 march 2008

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 08:28:02 GMT

The Alhambre, Cordoba - Ph. by D. Santal

We are about to embark on what promises to be yet another fascinating trip into a world we know very little: this time we will explore Jordan and also Egypt. Comments by friends and acquaintances triggered our interest, and both countries and cultures quickly found their spot on our list of “places to see before we die”.

After visiting Turkey, especially the Cappadocia area, I became fascinated by men’s ability to create a life for themselves and to establish a comfortable home in the prevailing physical environment. Sometimes there was imminent danger to be escaped, as did Christians in the 4^th century, sometimes the climate was inauspicious, such as what the Hittites encountered in the 19^th century BC. What I most enjoyed and admired, were the decorations of the houses and churches: settlers needed beauty, and they often created it out of nothing. When we heard about the city of Petra in Jordan, we knew we had to go and explore it as well. I have seen photographs of its buildings dating back to the settlement of the area by the Nabataeans in the 6^th century BC: they are elegant, spectacular (i.e. the Treasury), and very sophisticated.

As for Egypt, I have memories of the pictures of ancient monuments in my school books when we read about the ancient world, especially Egypt and Greece. Many museums around the world have vestiges from that era: there is the Obelisk on Place de la Concorde in Paris, and all the many treasures the Louvre Museum holds; years ago, I visited the National Gallery in Washington when the Tutankhamen exhibit was there… I still remember a famous quote by Napoleon talking to his armies as he was conquering Egypt in the 18^th century: “From the top of those pyramids, forty centuries are looking down upon you”. There is so much to see around the world. My personal urge to go to a particular country is often triggered by a friend’s casual remark, or a historical figure I admire, a documentary on television or a newspaper or magazine article, sometimes it’s a visit to a museum or an intriguing lecture…

Several years ago, at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, there was an exhibit on the role of the Moors in Spain: it was so well curated that I immediately sought an opportunity to go there, especially to Andalusia. We took such a trip, focusing on Andalusia, in 2005 (Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada): what an amazing world of art and faith we discovered, it took my breath away.

Researching a destination - 29 February 2008

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:03:50 GMT

Etruscan Horses - Ph. by Lee Schwartz

My clients always teach me a great deal. Before contacting me, they often do their own research about their destination to make sure they use their travel time effectively; then I give advice, make suggestions and eventually put the arrangements together. When I became a travel planner, I assumed that people who relied on my experience as a traveler did not know how to plan their own travels. I was absolutely wrong!

Correcting that assumption is one of my wonderful professional discoveries. I have travelled all over the world and I have set foot on every continent. Although I definitely do not know everything about every destination, I have numerous experiences I can share and that’s my delight in planning travels, I dearly love what I do.

My bonus was discovering aspects of a country I did not know before. For instance, when clients called me to help them prepare a trip to Italy, specifically to Tuscany, I was delighted: I know Italy almost as well as France, my native country. My imagination was already reeling at the thought of leading them through Florence, Siena, Pisa and Lucca to name only the most famous cities… Then they added: “We want to look at all the Etruscan vestiges of the region”. I was almost speechless, I had never thought about the Etruscan legacy, and I had never looked into it for myself! My clients had done their research – she is a former history teacher! They guided me as to what they wanted to see, I made recommendations on where to stay and eat. In the middle of this process, the History Channel happened to show a documentary on the role of the Etruscans in shaping culture in Italy – they were there from 1200 to 100 B.C. It was fascinating: just like today, cultures mingle, influence and enrich each other; of course there were a few not so pleasant encounters between Etruscans and local residents… Hmm, things have not changed much in some 3200 years!

Many travelers get their ideas from television programs, some of the best are Steve Reeves’s or Patricia Schultz’s: I certainly get tempted when I watch them. It’s also great fun when they go to places where I have already been and when I can recognize my own favorite discoveries. Arthur Frommer used to have a show, and now his website and newsletter are among the most interesting and informative. Television advertizing should not be ignored: I remember when Qantas advertized some fabulous rates to and within Australia, including hotels – I made reservations for myself and my husband the next morning: I enjoyed our trip so much that upon returning home I took a course offered by the Australia Office of Tourism and received their diploma as an "Aussie Specialist"!

I understand that there have been disappointing encounters with travel agents because sometimes they do little more than issue airline tickets and hotel reservations. Is it a wonder that so many travelers resort to the web? Too often they think that cheaper fares and better hotel rates are available there. Sometimes it is true, but more and more frequently, especially when the dollar is weak against foreign currencies, a savvy travel consultant can do better than the web.

How can that be? Tour operators and consolidators who work exclusively with travel agencies negotiate their own rates, they guarantee prices in U.S. dollars, and they guarantee that those prices will not change, no matter what. The image of the travel agency has changed positively: that is wonderful, and I hope the web will become an information instrument rather than a travel planning tool.

What about the weather? -- 20 february 2008

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:15:30 GMT

Sun & Rain on Lake Como - Ph. by Lee Schwartz

When is the best time of year to go to …? As a travel planner, that is probably the most frequent question I hear.

Of course, it is difficult to escape romantic notions such as Paris in the spring, Vienna at Christmas, Rome at Easter, or Holland at tulip time. In Asia, we must avoid the spring sandstorms of Northern China, the summer monsoons of India and Southeast Asia… Otherwise, it is a matter of personal preference and exactly what a traveler wants to do at the chosen destination.

I have spent vacations in London, Rome, and Paris, in the middle of winter: I bundled up, much the same way as in New England. I remember that Christmas in Rome! My husband wanted to go to Berlin, but I objected because I thought that it would be too cold, and instead, suggested Rome: we were so cold (record low temperatures that year), so unprepared, we had to buy warmer clothes – it was unusual weather for Rome, but you never know! Another Christmas, we went to London, quite prepared with our down coats and it was balmy!

We can only generalize, trust what meteorologists have predicted, and basically, hope for the best!

Otherwise, Morocco, Turkey, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires are perfect in November, Laos a little hot and humid in May, the eastern coast of Australia, from Melbourne to Cairns, a bit rainy but nice and mild in March. I think that most of Asia as well as the southern hemisphere are very nice in the fall. Our fall that is, their spring!

And then, who cares? Shopping the post Christmas sales after January 10, in Paris or London, or enjoying the opera and the theater in Milan, Vienna, or Copenhagen during “The” season? Restaurants are open all year round except in France when all the famed eateries close in August… I would not set foot in India in the spring, 110 ° F in Delhi, but it is wonderful in the fall, hot, but dry. Many regions of the world span several climatic zones: the southern coast of Turkey is always Mediterranean, while in winter, Ankara and the central plateau can be quite cold, Peru is very pleasant in September, thanks to the Andes; it is very hot in summer (i.e. January/February).

A long time ago, I decided that the weather would not spoil my explorations! One rainy March, we were in Amsterdam and caught nasty colds: we just walked around with an umbrella in one hand and a large box of tissues under the other arm! We just spent more time inside museums and in concert halls than we expected to, and it was great; besides, one kindly pharmacist gave us her personal favorite pills for getting rid of the worst symptoms.

What is it the Fox said in Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince, when he was told that there are no chickens on the Little Prince’s planet? Very simply: “Nothing is perfect”!

Returning to Turkey - 27 November 2007

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 12:50:52 GMT

Ottoman Military Band - Ph. by D. Santal

Too often, when I visit a foreign country I approach my trip with long nurtured prejudices. I cannot help it. I love the arts: visual arts, architecture, music, good food (the culinary arts!)… I look forward to the surprises a foreign culture offers, I want to learn much about the history of a country, I even hope I will make personal contacts with people.

We just came back from our first in-depth visit of Turkey, actually of part of Turkey, the western part, as we only saw Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia and Ephesus. I was looking for the deeper roots of my western culture. On our list of “things to do”, there were museums, monuments, restaurants, concert halls and jazz clubs. We saw and enjoyed all of that, the depth of our explorations was dizzying.

In Istanbul, hoping to attend a concert of Turkish music, our inquiries led us to a most unexpected venue! The concierge of our hotel recommended the Museum of Military History, just a couple of blocks away: he told us that very often, in the afternoon, there are concerts of Ottoman music there. Until then, I would never have set foot in a military memorabilia museum largely because of my old anti-military attitudes, my lack of curiosity about arms, uniforms or soldiers... That afternoon, we were treated to music and harmonies our western ears were totally unaccustomed to: it sounded somewhat repetitious, but we got caught up in the enthusiastic beat and the joyful mood of the musicians and the spectators: we thoroughly enjoyed the performance, the spectacle, for spectacle it was as well.

Another amazing surprise, also in connection with Turkish culture, was our exposure to the famed Whirling Dervishes. One late evening, in Cappadocia, as we were wondering about what to do next, Cihan, our guide, suggested Whirling Dervishes. When we entered the performing space, we were given pamphlets explaining the service and the customs; I had no idea it was a religious service, I expected a dance with lots of men in white robes, reeling at full speed. Not at all! The dervishes are priests, so to speak, they perform a ceremony, and periodically spin like tops, but fairly slowly, while they form a circle around the room. It looked like a traditional dance, but it was not.

Both events took us out of our usual path, both were visually fantastic, and both helped us appreciate a wonderful country, very much like our own, yet different enough to satisfy our need to know it better for the differences.

The Surprises of Travel - 21 October 2007

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 09:03:19 GMT

I am about to realize one of the travel promises I had made to myself the first time I visited Turkey: to go back there and see it more in depth. The planning brought back memories of a few days in Istanbul, many years ago, somewhat triggered by my previous blog on the surprises of travel.

As a schoolgirl in France, my head and eyes were filled with classical theater, from Molière to Victor Hugo, and of course Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac. To my surprise, when I visited Istanbul, I saw a poster announcing the performance of the play at an outdoor theatre set up in the ruins of a medieval castle: I understood that it was to be performed in Turkish, but I decided to attend anyway. It was amazing! Language was not a barrier as I knew the play almost by heart... The Turkish audience's reactions delighted me: they laughed, cried, oo'ed and ha'ed as I did... Culture, ethnicity, religion were completely out of the equation... We had so much more in common than I ever thought possible!

Another of my special travel memories goes back to my 2003 trip to Cuba. With a group of friends, we went to Havana, the last year Americans were allowed to freely visit the island nation. One early morning, as my husband and I were taking a walk -- our hotel was on the beautiful Marecon along the sea, a man cleaning the street with a huge stick broom, stopped to let us cross the street. I nodded to thank him for his courtesy: he gave me a huge smile, and in Spanish-accented English, he exclaimed: "Good morning!". No single gesture could have made me feel more welcome; the memory of this incident still brings a lump to my throat. To this day I remember him: he was a very tall black man which made his smile absolutely spectacular.

I will return to Cuba! I have a fantasy about attending the Havana Jazz Festival soon.

The Surprises of Travel - 10 October 2007

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 08:17:10 GMT

Palau de la Musica Catalana

For me, one of the special pleasures of travel is a surprise, at the least expected moment when, no matter how researched my destination, or how well-prepared my trip, a positive event takes place which makes the trip memorable. Such a moment can be spectacular or moving, joyful or simply "human": an encounter with a special person, an adventure into another culture... They are all a thrill I associate with travel: those which my clients tell me about when they return, or my own.

Recently, clients from New Jersey went to Greece, on an escorted land tour: very unusual for them because they prefer to rent a car and explore on their own. The surprise was that all their traveling companions on the tour were Australian; a welcome circumstance as they are planning a six-week vacation down-under next fall! They received all kinds of hints, pointers and advice. I will thoroughly enjoy helping them put it all together.

One year, recently, we had wound our way through southern Germany and enjoyed all the extraordinary baroque architecture of the region. We were driving back towards the French border, and around lunchtime, stopped in a small town, just south of Stuttgart for a bite to eat; as we were coming out of the café, I peeked inside the large church on the main square. The interior was wildly baroque, with those painted stucco cherubs jumping out of the ceiling everywhere. It also happened that a full symphony orchestra was rehearsing for that night’s concert: the surprise was that they were performing a most contemporary symphony – the effect and the contrast were astounding.

The last time we were in London, we contacted a man with whom we had become friendly when he lived in Connecticut, as director of New Haven’s famed International Festival of Arts and Ideas. He insisted we pop up (as he put it) to Newcastle for the day: strange idea... all the way to the north of England near the Scottish border – and after all, our minds were full of the antiquated idea that there is nothing but coal in Newcastle! As we really wanted to see him and his family, off we went on the fast train. What a spectacular city! We visited the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art located in a converted 1950s flour mill, saw up close, and admired, the 55-foot tall Angel of the North who greets visitors and natives to the city as they arrive. We also climbed Hadrian’s Wall, a stone fortification the Romans built across the width of modern-day England, and we played with local sheep and goats.

As well as I know Paris, my native city, there are still many surprises there! We had tickets to hear a famous Iraqi oud player at the Institut du Monde Arabe. It boasts a contemporary auditorium with a superb sound system: the surprise there was the seats, undescribable! The architect who designed the Institut (Jean Nouvel) incorporated seating of Mercedes car seats: they were so comfortable, it was difficult to get up and leave at the end.

And there was also the Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona (a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recently restored), the dog-walkers of Buenos Aires who walk up to 30 dogs at a time (a city ordinance limits the groups to that number!). There was also the Sidney (Australia) park ranger who taught us how to play the didgeridoo on a length of PVC pipe, and we will never forget the charming 12-year-old Czech boy who interviewed us for a school assignment, when we were strolling around Prague’s main square; his English was first year English, it was simple, yet quite correct: he wanted to know if we liked his city.

To be successful traveling, we need to keep an open mind and to allow other cultures to penetrate our consciousness. Visits to Europe are always energizing, yet I especially enjoy cultures very different from mine! Moroco and Peru, to name only two, were very special. This fall, we are about to leave for Turkey for another special experience, and next spring will find us in Jordan and also Egypt.

The World at my disposal - May 14, 2007

Sun, 13 May 2007 08:13:24 GMT

Derbyshire - Chatsworth House & Park

There is a television program called "1000 Places to See Before You Die", inspired by the best seller by Patricia Schultz. It would take 250 years to see them all: what a wonderful reason to live a long time and to be very very rich! Another way to think about it, would be to assume that one could live 85 years, and take 15 trips per year starting at age 18, an average of 24 days at each destination! Hmmm... that is tantalizing!

Having set foot on every continent, I can think of many places that I would like to know better, or where I would like to live for awhile. If I wrote a book entitled "Ten Places to See (or see again) Before I Die", China, South Africa, and Japan would be on top of my list of places never seen; Turkey, Cuba, Australia, Morocco, and Thailand, on top of my list of places to see again; not counting France, the United States and Great Britain, because I know and love them so well, I would add Italy, and Spain to the list of places where I would happily live for at least six months. Oops, there are more than ten on my list already!

I love cities, especially large cities. My short list includes Bangkok, Barcelona, Havana, London, Milan, New York, Paris, Prague, San Francisco, St Petersburg -- listed alphabetically, because I don't know how to establish preferences, that way, the criteria are neutral... Visits there always enrich and refresh me mentally, physically, intellectually. I enjoy the intensity of large cities, cultural opportunities, anonimity...

Books and movies often trigger my longing for a particular trip. I just watched, for the n^th time, after reading the novel just as many times, the 2005 film version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It was filmed entirely in Derbyshire, in the north of England. I fell in love all over again, not just with Mr. Darcy, but with the English countryside: I know it well as I had spent many a summer in Northamptonshire over the years! What a feast for the eyes! So much for my avowed love of cities! I absolutely need to live an additional 50 years, or earn the right to be resuscitated: two unlikely possibilities, but THAT is my fantasy.

More information about English counties:

TheCounties of England

Derbyshire and Chatsworth House

Experience Creative Travel - April 1, 2007

Sun, 1 Apr 2007 07:44:10 GMT

Paris: in front of the Musee d'Orsay

In the summer of 1997, when I became a travel planner, I chose a name for my service. At first, Journeys seemed somewhat trite, but it was so simple and descriptive that it stayed. It then became important to define Journeys in order to separate it from all the other travel services available then. I added a tag line and a mission statement.

In the past, when my husband and I wanted to travel, agencies' suggestions did not take into account the reasons why we chose to visit a particular country or region; the choices were limited to the usual, although nice, touristy things to do; it was often boring. We realized quickly that it was better to make our own choices, to do our own research, supply our own itineraries: so now, we have traveled all over the world!

I quickly learned to trust my instincts and in the process, gained a great deal of experience. I also discovered what separates superb from ordinary travel planning. Travel planning became a passion, and Journeys 's mission statement was born: "The mission of Journeys is to provide expert travel planning service to suit clients' imagination, tastes, and budget. We specialize in custom-designed travel."

"Journeys, Experience Creative Travel" came to be!

My goal is to offer itineraries that match my clients' goals and expectations, as well as to provide advice based on my own extensive travels. For instance, whenever I visit a region and select accommodations, I meet and talk not only with the managers or owners of the property, but I also visit other accommodations in the area; sometimes my clients bring ideas their friends have suggested, and I visit or stay at those, enlarging my portfolio.

I fancy myself a gourmet (as well as a gourmand), my list of fine restaurants all over the world is long and varied; most of the eateries that make my list are not described in guides, rather they have been suggested by locals, or I have stumbled on them. I have become an expert at reading posted menus and at knowing whether the food will be good, bad or indifferent.

I also love to shop: I have discovered stores, markets, and malls worth a detour.

Most of all, I am passionate about the arts: I know the great museums of the world, but also the tucked away minor collections, the galleries, the special shows and exhibits. I have established sound working relationships with providers of difficult to obtain tickets for performances almost everywhere, from opera houses to theatrical performances, to concerts...

To paraphrase my former students at Southern Connecticut State University, travel "is a blast!", and I know how to make it so. Trust me!