It’s hard to believe that we’re nearing the end of Hanukkah, that Christmas is in less than 48 hours, and that Kwanza is just around the corner. It certainly feels like the year has flown by.

And yet, what may be harder to believe is that, spring travel is less than 70 days away! And with the blizzard conditions and freezing weather sweeping across the US, I’m sure I’m not the only one looking forward to a little spring!

In a recent article AFAR listed the best places for travel in March 2023 and they definitely include some fantastic spots.

Looking for a new cultural experience? AFAR recommends the Riveria Maya, Mexico, but not for the Spring Break party spots. They recommend visiting on the spring equinox to see the snake Kukulkan appear at Chichén Itzá on March 20. “The feather snake deity of legend appears on the steps,” AFAR says. “It slowly descends as the sun sets, eventually connecting with the stone serpent head that sits at the base of the great staircase here—which has one step for every day of the year.”

Or, AFAR recommends Ubud, Bali for “contemplation and celebration.” On March 22 Bali celebrates the New Year festival of Nyepi which starts with a day of silence and culminates in a all night party on par with Mardi Gras.

If domestic travel is more your speed, AFAR recommends visiting Charleston, South Carolina for their five-day Food and Wine Festival that run March 1-5, 2023. “The programming for 2023 retains many of the regular components, like mollusk-boosting, hands-on demo slash tasting Shuck It, and the bar takeovers, which debuted last year,” AFAR notes.

Or, try out Macon, Georgia for cherry blooms that miss the crowds of Japan and Washington D.C. In fact, Georgia has 350,000 Yoshino cherry trees, almost 9 times the number in the nation’s capitol. Cherry blossoms will be celebrated from March 17-26, 2023 with “an annual mattress race down Cherry Street, plus coronations for various princesses and queens of the fest.” AFAR said. They also mentioned that restaurants offer special menus and cocktails to try during the festival.

Ready to start planning your 2023 spring travel? Contact KaliKosmos Travel today!

I don’t mean to alarm anyone, but winter is only 122 days away!

For many people this means the winter travel season, such as a ski vacation, is equally close at hand.

There are some excellent ski resorts near and far —-consider the big ski slopes in Colorado or the fabulous Whistler resort in B.C.

For something extra special—consider a ski vacation in spectacular Switzerland or the Tyrol and Arlberg regions in Austria. 

And life in the ski resort doesn’t stop at skiing — there are relaxing spas, outstanding restaurants and fun apres ski activities!

Skiing and snowboarding in Colorado is a truly unique experience. The unmistakable peaks of the majestic Rocky Mountains, the sheer variety, volume, and breadth of the resorts, and plentiful annual snowfall make this state one of the most coveted winter playgrounds. The pandemic has given us all a renewed appreciation for the outdoors, and what better way to experience it this winter than at one of these eight Colorado ski resorts.

Each destination offers something unique, like world class art exhibits in Aspen, backcountry cat skiing in Crested Butte, or whiskey tastings in Breckenridge, to name a few, but the best ski resorts in Colorado have two major things in common: great winter weather (allowing for a longer ski season) and exhilarating terrain that makes for an unmatched skiing experience for all skill levels.

Colorado is a Swiss army knife of winter activity, and the key to unlocking it is the Epic Pass, a single season pass that covers different resorts across the US, Canada, Europe, and Japan (including several on this list). At each of the Colorado ski resorts, you can push your skills, master the terrain, and even enjoy some charming non-skiing activities in some of the West’s most idyllic towns.

Whistler Resort, which includes Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, has the largest ski area and two of the longest vertical drops on the continent, as well as one of the world’s most advanced lift systems.

But there’s more to Whistler than skiing and snowboarding; each winter people flow into the resort with no intention of riding a chairlift, preferring to explore the many spas, shops, and restaurants, as well as the varied nightlife.

During the rest of the year, they come to play four championship golf courses, race down the world’s largest downhill bike park, and hike the hundreds of miles of trails. Then there’s horseback riding along mountain ridges, zip-lining across Fitzsimmons Valley, or hopping aboard a helicopter ride to have lunch on one of dozens of nearby glaciers.

Whistler Blackcomb is also now a member of The Mountain Collective, a ski- and perk-pass program that’s good for half a dozen other top-notch resorts including Aspen and Jackson Hole.

The frontier between Tyrol and the province of Salzburgerland to the east is defined by mountains; four passes routed over them are what make access possible. To the west of Tyrol lies Vorarlberg—“before the Arlberg”—the mountain range straddling the border between the two provinces.

In winter you’ll find unrivaled skiing and tobogganing. The famous Arlberg ski resorts are cult destinations for skiers from all over the world. In summer, Bregenz, the historic state capital of Vorarlberg, becomes the “Summer Capital of Austria” when the Bregenz Festival opens with a performance by the Viennese Symphonic Orchestra. Thousands flock to see operas and musicals by the likes of Giuseppe Verdi, Georges Bizet, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which take place on a huge floating stage with the Bodensee (Lake Constance) and the Swiss mountains as a backdrop.

Ready to start planning your winter travel experience? Contact us today and let’s make it a winter vacation to remember!

This summer Britain will celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee June 2-5. If you’re able to visit during the celebration you’ll be rewarded with special events both in London and throughout the country. But, even if you can’t be in Britain during the celebration, there is still plenty to do and see in the United Kingdom.

In her recent Travel Leaders Network blog post, TLN writer Amy Mutscher gives examples of ways to spend time when jumping across the pond.

Amy’s top suggestions include visiting movie and TV filming sights of

• Scotland for the Outlander’s fans,
• Liverpool for the Peaky Blinders fans,
• Cardiff Castle for Doctor Who fans,
• and Bridgerton Hall for Bridgerton fans.

For those wanting an active tour of Britain, Amy suggests

• climbing the historic Cutty Sark and zip lining over the River Thames,
• taking a speed boat on the River Thames,
• exploring Britain’s rivers, coasts and canals on a paddle board,
• or clocking speeds of 70mph while zip lining in Aberdare, South Wales

And for those visiting Britain with kids, Amy suggests

• spending time at the Diana, Princess of Wales’ Memorial Playground near Kensington Palace
• and visiting The Shard for a special Peter Pan Afternoon Tea.

With Britain removing most of the COVID restrictions, now is fantastic time to hire KaliKosmos Travel to plan your British experience. Contact us today.

It’s been a hard year for those who love cruising. Personally, I’ve had my Virgin Voyage moved three times. It’s now scheduled for 2022!

And, that’s a bummer.

Cruising is a wonderful way to get a taste of several locations in short amount of time, enjoy Broadway style entertainment, have a spa day, taste new foods, relax by the pool, try your hand at a new experience (like rock climbing, wave running, go karts, or kickboxing), and only unpack once.

But, until the CDC gives cruising the green light, are those us who crave the ship-life without a travel plan?

No! For the cruise lover, this pause in sailing is a great opportunity to try all inclusive resorts.

In his recent article written for Travel Leaders, Jonathan Hermann discusses reasons Why Cruises Also Love All Inclusive Resorts.

One of the best points Hermann makes is that with most cruises, travelers expect to pay more for speciality dining and alcoholic/carbonated beverages. But, with all inclusive resorts these are part of the package price. In fact, with many resorts, 24 hour room service and top shelf liquor are also included.

Another great point Hermann makes is that at a resort there is room to spread out, which is not often the case for cruise cabins. In the COVID era, KaliKosmos Travel clients are upgrading their resort rooms to suites with more space and private plunge pools. This allows our travelers to enjoy the property and relax without being near other people.

Depending on your resort, there will probably not be go karts, but there could be Sesame Street or Nickelodeon characters at family resorts or unique wellness experiences and spa treatments for the adult-focused resorts.

What about you? Are you a land-locked cruiser unable to travel in your favorite way? Contact KaliKosmos Travel and let us plan your cruise-alternative vacation.

Someone once said that work is how we fill our time in between vacations.

With COVID closures and reduced travel in 2020, work has been longer than most of us have experienced in a long time.

But work does not have to void of travel. This time is a perfect time to dream and plan for the travel that will come later.

One of the best dream to plan to go tools is the Life List (aka Bucket List). A Life List helps set the path to regular travel, big and small, far and near. Here a few practical tips on building your Life List:

1) Choose Your Method.

There are a lot of ways to keep a Life List ranging from a notebook, to a digital document, to even a jar full of notes. The important thing is that whatever you choose, you use. You will want to look at this on a regular basis so make sure it is something that will be easy for you to access. Digital documents (like Google docs are great because you can easily add things like images or links. And they are easy to share with your regular travel mate and your KaliKosmos Travel advisor.

2) Make a List of Where You Have Been

Thinking about past vacations and what you liked (and didn’t like) is a great way to get started. If you’re traveling as a couple this is even more important. You might want to share previous adventures with each other, or agree that exploring things that are completely new are the way to go. Either way, having this list will further the discussion. If you are a solo traveler, then this will help you determine what is really meaningful when it comes to your travel desires. 

3) Next, List Your Destinations

This is the fun step. Use your imagination. At this point, don’t hold back due to time or financial concerns, just list all the places you have ever dreamed of. Where did you want to go when you were 6 years old? Or 10, or 16? Or maybe just last week? Of course, you should make sure you include the places that have always been on your wish list. Remember, this is not the time to hold back. If you need advice, this is a great time to contact your KaliKosmos Travel advisor and ask her what the newly discovered destinations are. You don’t want to miss out.

4) What Do you Want to Experience?

Places are one thing. Activities are another. Have you always wanted to go Northern Lights hunting? Or maybe an African Safari? Is it swimming with dolphins in Mexico that calls to you, or diving with sharks in South Africa? Does visiting the Smithsonian in DC call to you, or maybe hot air ballooning over the dessert Southwest? This is the step where you get to list all the things you’ve wanted to do. As a couple this can be a fun step of discovery. Just like with destinations, your KaliKosmos Travel advisor can help by letting you know about some of the secrets that only travel insiders know about. 

5) Put Things in Order

Your list is probably getting a little long at this point. Now is the time to apply some practical thinking. Look through your destinations list and highlight the 4 or 5 places that mean the most to you. It doesn’t mean you won’t ever see the others, but you do need to start somewhere. Then look through your activities list. Are there any that fit one destination more than another? Add them to your list. Lastly, go through your list one more time to make sure you didn’t leave anything out. Once this is done, you have your basic list finished. Now to apply some action to it.

6) Establish a Timeline

Now you can begin making things happen This is where you begin to organize your dreams into plans. Consider the time and money you wish to invest in travel. Yes, it is an investment. Remember, travel is the activity where you spend money and return richer for it. 
Align your goals with the practical aspects of your budget and available time and, in short order, you will have a plan of where to go and what to do over the next few years. Share this with your KaliKosmos Travel advisor and she will be able to keep on a lookout for opportunities and deals that can get you checking these items off you list.

7) Check Them Off Your List

Of course, none of this really means much if you never go. Once you get started, you’ll find that wanderlust builds and builds. So the choice is yours, do you want to be one of the people who tells the stories of what they have discovered, or the one who listens? 
It’s important to remember that this is YOUR travel Life List. So if work gets in the way sometimes, no worries. You are the master of the list and can always adjust it as need be. But don’t forget it’s impolite to keep a vacation waiting if you can go. 

Ready to dream? Download a blank PDF Life List.

Ready to plan? Contact us and let KaliKosmos Travel show you the difference Professionally Planned Travel can make.