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Friday, August 26
Monday, August 1
Legal Travel to Cuba
There has been quite a bit of media coverage lately of travel to Cuba. With this in mind, please be aware of the following:
- The US Department of Treasury has a list of approved Travel Service Providers to Cuba
- These travel agents or tour operators are licensed by the Treasury to legally arrange travel services in Cuba for U.S. citizens, to collect money from these travelers, and distribute money to Cuban travel suppliers.
- Only those on this list are legally allowed to provide these services.
- Any unlicensed travel service provider that promotes Cuba, provides travel to/within Cuba, and/or collects payments for such travel is violating Federal law and is subject to civil and/or criminal penalities.
Related News:
Friday, July 29
Hot Promos for the Week of 7/31/2011
Here are this weeks hot promotions from Sand & C Travel!
Alaksa
Caribbean
Europe
Asia & the Orient
*All rates are per person, cruise only, no air, based upon double occupancy, and subject to availability at time of booking. Offers are subject to immediate withdrawal at any time by the respective cruise line or tour operator. Significant restrictions apply. Rates include non-commissionable cruise fare. Government taxes, fuel surcharges, and fees are additional. When air booking is processed through Sand & C Travel, either through the tour operator, cruise line, or seperately, an agency service fee will apply. Gratuities, which are mandatory with certain cruise lines, are also additional. Optional insurance is strongly recommended for an additional charge. Offers are for new bookings only and are not combinable with any other promotion, including groups, shipboard credits, etc. See respective cruise line or tour operator's brochure for complete terms and conditions, as well as respective ship's registry, if applicable. All offers based upon faxes or e-mails received by Sand & C Travel, Inc. during the period July 22-29, 2011 from the respective cruise line or tour operator. Note that outside and/or balcony cabin pricing may include obstructed view cabins. Offers may apply to limited categories. Sand & C Travel is not responsible for mis-prints or typographical errors. All passengers are required to carry proper proof of citizenship. For cruises or tours with a total cabin commissionable cruise fare of under $500, a Sand & C Travel booking fee will apply in addition to the cruise line or tour operator charges.
Alaksa
- 7 Night Gulf of Alaska on Diamond Princess departs Sept 17 from $1199* Balcony!
- 7 Night Northbound Alaska on Rhapsody of the Seas departs Sept 2 from $629* Inside/ $1169* Balcony! (Must be booked by August 2 [Crown & Anchor Members can book this on August 1])
Caribbean
- 7 Night Southern Caribbean on Caribbean Princess departs Dec 11 from $449* Inside/ $749* Outside/ $699* Balcony/ $899* Mini-Suite!
Europe
- 12 Night Greek Isles & Turkey on Celebrity Constellation departs Oct 1 from $649* Inside/ $749* Outside/ $899* Veranda (Must be booked on August 2)
- 15 Night Northern Europe & Med Cruise on Vision of the Seas departs Sept 1 from $749* Inside/ $899* Outside/ $2309* Deluxe! (Must be booked by Aug 2 [Crown & Anchor Members can book this on Aug 1])
- 7 Night Adriatic on Voyager of the Seas departs Sept 17 or 24 from $599* Inside/ $1099* Outside Obstructed View/ $1199* Outside!
- Book a select 2011 Avalon Waterways 2011 departure and save $750 or $1000 per person!
- A Unique Opportunity! Jewish Themed Blue Danube cruise on Avalon Waterways! One departure only: October 29, 2012 with Jewish touring included. Inquire about Sand & C Group Space! Book early, this special departure is selling fast!
Asia & the Orient
- 12 Night Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, & Bangkok) with Pacific Delight departs Sept 9, Oct 7, Nov 11 & 18, Jan 6 from $2099*!
*All rates are per person, cruise only, no air, based upon double occupancy, and subject to availability at time of booking. Offers are subject to immediate withdrawal at any time by the respective cruise line or tour operator. Significant restrictions apply. Rates include non-commissionable cruise fare. Government taxes, fuel surcharges, and fees are additional. When air booking is processed through Sand & C Travel, either through the tour operator, cruise line, or seperately, an agency service fee will apply. Gratuities, which are mandatory with certain cruise lines, are also additional. Optional insurance is strongly recommended for an additional charge. Offers are for new bookings only and are not combinable with any other promotion, including groups, shipboard credits, etc. See respective cruise line or tour operator's brochure for complete terms and conditions, as well as respective ship's registry, if applicable. All offers based upon faxes or e-mails received by Sand & C Travel, Inc. during the period July 22-29, 2011 from the respective cruise line or tour operator. Note that outside and/or balcony cabin pricing may include obstructed view cabins. Offers may apply to limited categories. Sand & C Travel is not responsible for mis-prints or typographical errors. All passengers are required to carry proper proof of citizenship. For cruises or tours with a total cabin commissionable cruise fare of under $500, a Sand & C Travel booking fee will apply in addition to the cruise line or tour operator charges.
Wednesday, July 27
Kenya & Tanzania: A Classic Safari
Alan & Cathy have recently returned from a two week safari in Tanzania & Kenya with Tauck Tours. Here is a quick summary of their experience!
As I write this letter, I am flying on a Delta airplane over the Atlantic Ocean from Amsterdam to JFK in New York, returning from my family vacation. For the past 2 weeks, we have been in Eastern Africa with Tauck World Discovery. I ave to tell you that it has been the trip of a lifetime!
I put together a complete daily log of the trip, with each day linked at the bottom of this letter. I am writing this letter to try and give you a very brief overview of our experience. Keep in mind that we did and saw so much during this tour that it is impossible to discuss it all in relatively short letter. We are in the process of going through the thousands of pictures that we took and are posting them on line. The first group are available at this link. We will send out a message when more are vailable on line.
While this was a tour, going on safari to Africa is far different than most others tours that we book, whether with Tauck or any other operator. For one thing, our group consisted of 24 travelers plus a tour director, but we always rode in safari vehicles of only 6 passengers at a time, with a guide/driver. Also, being on safari, you have to go with the flow. There is never a guarantee that you will see what you are hoping for. When you go to a museum on a tour of Europe, the guide knows which piece of art will be where. When on safari, you are at the mercy of the animals. You may end up staying out later than expected, in the hope of making additional sightings. As the guides said, the more open minded you are, the better the chances of seeing great wild life.
As it turned out, our tour director told us that we saw more than almost any group that he knows of that has done this trip. In fact, we saw so many animals and types of birds, I could not begin to name them all! This trip was to Tanzania and Kenya, and here are some of the highlights of the wild life that we saw:
-Literally thousands of wildebeest, warthogs, zebras and gazelle.
-Impalas, Topi and "dick dicks", which are miniature deer.
-Around 20-30 lions, including mothers with cubs not more than 10 feet from our vehicle. We saw one lion stalking a wildebeest, but was too slow make the kill. However, we did see a couple of lions eating carcasses (zebra and wildebeest) after uccessful kills.
-Hundreds of elephants....large, small, old and young. Again, they walked right in front of our truck! We saw elephants fight with each other, play in the river, and ush out their babies when a crocodile appeared.
-Hundreds of giraffe.
-We were within 10 feet of cheetahs and leopards.
-We saw many rhinos, including the very rare white southern rhino (we saw 2 of only 8 in the world!) By the way, they are called white rhinos because of the color of their mouth.
-We saw hundreds of hippos. In fact, the last resort that we stayed at, the Fairmont at Masa Mari, consisted of tents that looked out on a river. We had about 50 hippos right outside our tent.
Have to tell you that they are loud at night!
-We saw hundreds of baboons, chimps and monkeys. The chimps were at two of the properties we stayed at, and are not afraid to go after your food. We had to chase one out of one of our rooms! And one day the four of us were enjoying drinks out by the pool when I chimp ran onto our table and took the pineapple out of my daughter's finished drink, knocking over my wine in the process! In fact, this hotel has 2 full time employees whose job is merely to use a slingshot to shoot at the monkeys who are disturbing the guests by going after their food! One even stole my daughter's sunglasses and ran off with them...we eventually go them back.
In addition to all of the wildlife, we also had the opportunity to interact with the amazing African people. They could not have been more warm to us. What's more, this trip knocked down any pre-conceived notions that I had about their abilities. These are intelligent people who are building successful democracies. The knowledge of our guides was mind boggling. Just finding their way around the bush with no signs or GPS had us mesmerized! And their knowledge of the wildlife was incredible.
We had the opportunity to visit a local village of the Masai people, one of the many tribes in the area. These people live very simply...in small huts as shepherds. No
electricity or running water....the same way they have for years. But they have an amazing knowledge of the area, and many including most children are educated.
For all of the animals and wildlife, the moment my kids enjoyed the most was visiting a school. We went to a pre-school where the children literally welcomed us with open arms. We played and danced with them. They loved our gadgets....fiddling with our watches and cameras. And these kids were incredible....at 3-4 years old they were learning english in addition to Swahili. And I mean writing at this young age! They were also doing arithmetic at a level our kids don't learn until 2-3 years later. If you ask me, within a couple of generations these countries could become strong, modern industrial nations.
Although I could probably go on and on with all we experienced, I am going to conclude this letter. As mentioned above, you can check out my daily log for more details. I will tell you that this is a hectic trip. Just the travel is tough....it was about 25 hours going over and 30 hours coming home. The roads in Africa are mostly dirt, so you are constantly being bounced around in the vehicles. The facilities in many areas are primitive.....most of the many marked our territory at one point or another! (The women usually held it in, for obvious reasons...) But I will tell you, that there is no question it is the best trip that we ever took. In fact, unlike most tours I have been on, I would repeat it tomorrow if I had the opportunity. For our family, it was truly the experience of a lifetime.
If you are in our office, feel free to talk to Cathy or I about it. We would love to share our experiences. Also, I became very friendly with our Tour Director. If you have any particular questions, I could e-mail him for further information.
View Alan's Daily Log:
Tuesday, July 26
FAA Shutdown Impact on Travelers
Due to inaction by the U.S. Congress, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill was not passed. As a result, the FAA began experiencing a partial shutdown at midnight on Friday, July 22, 2011.
However, it's important to note that only non-essential FAA employees are impacted. The FAA has indicated that this will not have any impact on flights or flight safety. Air traffic controllers will remain on the job (TSA employees, who are not part of the FAA, also remain on duty).
The biggest "impact" on consumers is that with no reauthorization, there is no authority to collect taxes on airfares except for airport fees. As of midnight Friday, airlines are no longer collecting taxes on airfares, and most believe that the FAA will not be able to retroactively collect those taxes. (Most airlines are using this as an opportunity to raise airfares without many consumers noticing the difference.)
Both ASTA and the Business Travel Coalition are raising the specter that some consumers may be due a refund if they are traveling during this non-tax period using tickets on which the taxes were already paid. The Air Transport Association estimates that the taxes on a $300 ticket would typically amount to $61.00.
However, it's important to note that only non-essential FAA employees are impacted. The FAA has indicated that this will not have any impact on flights or flight safety. Air traffic controllers will remain on the job (TSA employees, who are not part of the FAA, also remain on duty).
The biggest "impact" on consumers is that with no reauthorization, there is no authority to collect taxes on airfares except for airport fees. As of midnight Friday, airlines are no longer collecting taxes on airfares, and most believe that the FAA will not be able to retroactively collect those taxes. (Most airlines are using this as an opportunity to raise airfares without many consumers noticing the difference.)
Both ASTA and the Business Travel Coalition are raising the specter that some consumers may be due a refund if they are traveling during this non-tax period using tickets on which the taxes were already paid. The Air Transport Association estimates that the taxes on a $300 ticket would typically amount to $61.00.
Notes from Africa: Day 13
Day 13
July 22, 2011
Well, we had a great last evening in Kenya! We got into our trucks for our last "fun drive" and they took us to a beautiful spot in the Masa Mara where there was an amazing cocktail party set up with open bar, hot appetizers, a fire and a gorgeous view. After we got our drinks, everyone in the group told what they got out of the trip, what was the most meaningful experience. It was just wonderful.
Abbe bought us all little gifts. He is so thoughtful! We came back to the hotel, showered and had our last dinner in the bust. It was a special night for the family.
This morning we did not leave the hotel until 10am. We went to the airstrip, waited about 45 minutes for our flight, and then flew on to Nairobi. Since the overseas flights depart late at night, Tauck took us to the Nairobi Serena hotel, and had arranged for day rooms for everyone. The hotel is absolutely magnificent, and the lunch was great. Cathy and I spent about an hour and a half talking to Abbe. It was really nice. We are now relaxing in our room. We got all of our luggage back (we just had duffles in Masa Mari), so we will be reorganizing ourselves for the trip home. We will be gathering at 6pm for dinner and then it is on to the airport. We have a long trip home. The flight leaves for Amsterdam about 10:30pm, then we have an eight hour flight, followed by a six hour layover. Then on to JFK for a three hour layover and finally back to Ft. Lauderdale. We expect to be exhausted when we get home. However, we have so many spectacular memories from this trip, we can deal with a little tired!
July 22, 2011
Well, we had a great last evening in Kenya! We got into our trucks for our last "fun drive" and they took us to a beautiful spot in the Masa Mara where there was an amazing cocktail party set up with open bar, hot appetizers, a fire and a gorgeous view. After we got our drinks, everyone in the group told what they got out of the trip, what was the most meaningful experience. It was just wonderful.
Abbe bought us all little gifts. He is so thoughtful! We came back to the hotel, showered and had our last dinner in the bust. It was a special night for the family.
This morning we did not leave the hotel until 10am. We went to the airstrip, waited about 45 minutes for our flight, and then flew on to Nairobi. Since the overseas flights depart late at night, Tauck took us to the Nairobi Serena hotel, and had arranged for day rooms for everyone. The hotel is absolutely magnificent, and the lunch was great. Cathy and I spent about an hour and a half talking to Abbe. It was really nice. We are now relaxing in our room. We got all of our luggage back (we just had duffles in Masa Mari), so we will be reorganizing ourselves for the trip home. We will be gathering at 6pm for dinner and then it is on to the airport. We have a long trip home. The flight leaves for Amsterdam about 10:30pm, then we have an eight hour flight, followed by a six hour layover. Then on to JFK for a three hour layover and finally back to Ft. Lauderdale. We expect to be exhausted when we get home. However, we have so many spectacular memories from this trip, we can deal with a little tired!
Notes from Africa: Day 12
Day 12
July 21, 2011
After I wrote yesterday afternoon, we went on a short safari ride and came back for dinner. They had pizza and all four of us ordered it as we missed pizza!
I did not sleep great, and we had our 4:30am "wake-up call" (which was a guy yelling into our tent to get up!). We had coffee and cookies and hit the road at 5:30am. It was a 40 minute drive to the air balloons. The only problem was that when we arrived, it was too windy. We waited a while but it did not die down, so we went for a drive instead. We were disappointed but decided to make the most of it. It turned out great- we came across a family of lions who had all just eaten. Dad was on the side and down about were two moms and about eight cubs. We pulled right up next to them; it was great to watch.
We then went to the breakfast site. The hotel had it all set up with hot foods, drinks, and even an omelet station- very nice!
We then did a long drive into a park. We saw endless wildebeest, some lions, zebras, gazelle, and more. The highlight was a stop at the river where there were all of these dead wildebeest that had been killed migrating across in a stampede. While a very ugly sight, it was amazing to see the vultures and crocs feast on them.
We came back to the hotel for lunch and our break. We are leaving in a little while for a "fun" drive- this should be interesting! Hard to believe it is all coming to an end tomorrow. The trip has been the best ever...
July 21, 2011
After I wrote yesterday afternoon, we went on a short safari ride and came back for dinner. They had pizza and all four of us ordered it as we missed pizza!
I did not sleep great, and we had our 4:30am "wake-up call" (which was a guy yelling into our tent to get up!). We had coffee and cookies and hit the road at 5:30am. It was a 40 minute drive to the air balloons. The only problem was that when we arrived, it was too windy. We waited a while but it did not die down, so we went for a drive instead. We were disappointed but decided to make the most of it. It turned out great- we came across a family of lions who had all just eaten. Dad was on the side and down about were two moms and about eight cubs. We pulled right up next to them; it was great to watch.
We then went to the breakfast site. The hotel had it all set up with hot foods, drinks, and even an omelet station- very nice!
We then did a long drive into a park. We saw endless wildebeest, some lions, zebras, gazelle, and more. The highlight was a stop at the river where there were all of these dead wildebeest that had been killed migrating across in a stampede. While a very ugly sight, it was amazing to see the vultures and crocs feast on them.
We came back to the hotel for lunch and our break. We are leaving in a little while for a "fun" drive- this should be interesting! Hard to believe it is all coming to an end tomorrow. The trip has been the best ever...
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