Another amazing African country.  Animals were not as abundant for viewing as they were in other countries however what we did see was beautiful.

Iceland is certainly a destination to experience. Even though it can be pricey there are deals to be found and so much to do and see.  Waterfalls, glaciers, Northern lights, great food and wonderful people- what more could you ask for.

Inside passage from Vancouver on board the Westerdam with Holland America. After a day relaxing at sea we stopped at Juneau where I enjoyed the Mendenhall Glacier Explorer excursion and did a quick hike up to Nugget Falls. The following day was a stop in Skagway where I enjoyed the amazing landscape while on the White Pass Summit Scenic Railroad- unfortunately the Yukon Expedition portion was sold out however this was still a wonderful excursion. The following day was at sea where we cruised around Glacier Bay and were lucky to get very close to the glaciers watching the ice calving (pieces falling from the glacier). Did see a whale breaching but did not have my camera ready! Our last stop was Ketchikan where I took the tour to the Saxman Native Village and Totem Park- very touristy however some good history especially about the totem poles and their meanings. A last relaxing day at see before arriving back in Vancouver to say farewell.

A very interesting tour beginning and ending in Paris and visiting the beaches at Normandy- standing on Juno Beach was extremely reflective given the history of the D-Day landing and the lives that were lost.  We also visited the Canadian cemetery and walked among the headstones- so many brave young lives lost. Had an amazing experience at Mont St Michel and climbing over 300 stairs to the top of the Monastery - what a breathtaking sight.  Off to St Malo to learn about the last privateers.  So much history in this area of Brittany and a must do/see if you are a war/history buff. Enjoyed the beautiful scenery while travelling to the Loire Valley to visit the Chateau at Amboise and Chambord wandering the same streets and Leonardo di Vinci. This trip is not or the feint of heart as there is lots of walking over cobblestone and gravel streets and many steps to climb everywhere.  Comfortable shoes and lots of water are a must.

FINALLY- my dream of over 37 years finally came true!  I spent 10 amazing days exploring a small piece of Australia- from Brisbane and Fraser Island to Cairns and Port Douglas to Sydney and the little know Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.  I had great fun hugging a koala, feeding kangaroos and wallabies, doing a helicopter ride over the Great Barrier and snorkeling, hiking through rainforests, swimming in crystal clear lakes and streams, and climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  All that in 10 days.  I also enjoyed some great accommodations and wonderful food along with the friendly Australian people who were very helpful and happy to have us visit their country. Now, I have to start planning a return trip to see even more.  This is a definite trip of a lifetime and one that should be on everyone's bucket list.  No matter what you choose to do you will not be disappointed- there is something for everyone.

Sept 23-Oct 7- flew to Entebbe, Uganda for 6 nights.  Did safari as well as went on a gorilla trek.  Simply amazing!  Came across 3 Silverbacks with their families- 2 youngsters and a baby.  Definitely a must do for all those who enjoy seeing animals in their natural environment.  Then off to Amman where I was lucky enough to float in the Dead Sea- it is certainly an odd experience however lots of fun.  The sea is getting smaller so this is also a must do.  Off to Petra to explore this amazing ancient city.  Very interesting as well as magnificent structures carved right into the stone.  Finally a jeep safari through Wadi Rum before our time was up.

I just returned from Amazing Kenya where I did 4 different game reserves with Visit Africa.  We visited Amboselli National Park, Mount Kenya, Samburu Game Reserve and of course Masai Mara Game Reserve. The lodges and camps we stayed in were wonderful- clean, food great, people wonderful and our guides were unbelievable. The animals and birds in Kenya are easy to find and view as the landscape is very flat with not a lot of trees for them to hide behind.  We saw the Wildebeast, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, lion (even the male), hippo, topi, hartbeast, impala, gazelle, wart hog, hyena just to name a few and over 70 different species of birds.  If you are interested in exploring South Africa and experiencing a Safari call or email me.

I spent a rather relaxing week Dec 3-10/16 on Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas which sailed from Tampa to Cozumel, Roatan, Costa Maya & Belize. The ship was wonderful and all nicely decorated for Christmas. I was extremely surprised when my ocean view cabin on deck 2 was upgraded to a balcony cabin on deck 7.  The Rhapsody is a very large ship so it was a good walk to the restaurants, spas, pool, etc.  Food overall was good and there was certainly a good selection unless you are gluten-free.  That food di not change at all for breakfast and lunch however they do have a special menu for dinner to choose from. The entertainment that I saw was very good- great comedians.  One of the big shows did not take place as there were technical difficulties so that was disappointing.  Overall the shore excursions were good and the prices were not too bad- mostly diving options since these are all wonderful stops for anyone who snorkels and/or dives.  For more information contact me.  

I was lucky enough to be chosen for a trip to Peru with G Adventures Oct 31-Nov 8/15. Do not let the "adventure" part of this trip scare you away as this trip, while being quite active, was not something that you needed to run a marathon to be able to enjoy.  Training by walking and hiking certainly helped however I did not think (imagine) about climbing stairs!!  Here I was going to Machu Picchu and I knew that I would have to do some climbing and steps but there were LOTS of steps so this is not something that everyone can do.  I was not able to make it to the top to the Sun Gate however did make it to the Guard House which made me very proud. G Adventures is an amazing company to travel with and to deal with and offer everything from very active to Comfort level (my trip).  Beginning Dec 15/15 they are partnering with National Geographic and will be offering many great adventures both on land and on the water. Call me for more details about this or anything else that might be on your "bucket" list.  I know I am having a lot of fun crossing things of my list!  Check out our Facebook page for some of my pictures- Maritime Travel Park Lane.

Spent a few days in Xi'an China and saw the Terra Cotta Warriors- well worth taking the time to see this.  Also spent a few days in Beijing- walked on the Great Wall, went to Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Changling of Ming Tombs and the Sacred Way- Amazing! Then it was on to Ulaan Bataar, Mongolia to begin the adventure to the South Gobi, staying in Ger camps and seeing the Flaming Cliffs and the Singing sand dunes.  Also visited Teralj National Park, Chingghis Khan's 40foot steel monument, Turtle Rock a meditation centre, Yol Valley glacier. We did a lot of driving in the desert in 4 wheel drive jeeps- the roads- such as they are- were very rough so we bounced around a lot.  One thing to ponder if you are planning a trip to Mongolia is there are no washrooms along the way in the desert.  You find a rock or bush and hope another vehicle doesn't come by!!  Certainly an interesting trip for sure. To see  some photos check out our office Facebook page at Maritime Travel Park Lane.    

In a word- AMAZING!! I think this should be a must on everyone's bucket list.  So worth the long flight and drive from Johannesburg.  Had a visit to the Lion Park in Jo'burg. Did a lovely tour along the Panorama Route to arrive at the Sabie River Lodge for 3 nights.  Spent a day at the Jane Goodall Chimpanzee Eden Rescue Park.  Then a 5 day Safari- saw the Big 5- elephants, water buffalo, lions, rhinos and the leopard.  We were then lucky enough to add the wild dog and hyena as well as the giraffe, crocodiles, hippos, zebras, many birds and other wildlife. We then spent 2 nights in the Park at the Skukuza Rest Camp before visiting the Hazyview Elephant Sanctuary and then back to Johannesburg to catch the flight home. Again, absolutely amazing and unforgettable- left me wanting more!

An amazing experience- sailed from Bergen along the coast up to Kirkenes which is about 10 kms from the Russian border. Beautiful scenery and quaint towns and villages- our ship was also a ferry taking the local people between the towns as driving is not always possible or takes much longer than by boat. We crossed the Arctic Circle as well as visited the Northern Cape- the northern most point of land in Europe.  Also saw the Snow hotel in Kirkenes. Definitely worth the adventure!

Cruised on Croisi Europe from Bordeaux through the wine region for 7 days and then back to Bordeaux. Spent a couple of days prior in Bordeaux- did a walking tour of the city - beautiful old architecture and wonderful narrow streets with great shops, restaurants and cafes. Boardwalk along the river's edge for jogging, walking, biking, etc.

RV Toum Tiou II- launched in 2008 and updated in 2011 the Mekong explorer, the Toum Tiou II (which translates to Romeo & Juliet II) is a superb boutique style vessel exuding both charm and world class comfort and service.  Maximum capacity of only 28 passengers, the TTII features all outside facing, teak enhanced cabins with private bathrooms, adjustable beds and large picture window, a panormaic restaurant and a superb sundeck.  The staff is amazing and always ready with a smile.  All lectures, shore excurions and folk performaces are included. While in Siem Reap we stayed at the beautiful Prince D'Angkor Hotel with easy access to many shops and restaurants.  We visited Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayan Temple, Elephanr Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.  We also visited the Artists D'Angkor workshop and strolled along the infamous "Pub Street" where we had dinner and time for some shopping at the night market.  Then next day we set off for our ship and settled in.  The following morning we made a visit to the largest floating village on the Tonle Sap River as well as Kampong Chang- one of Cambodia' largest fishing ports and the centre of fish farming.  We also did a tour of a local pottery farm and a local village with a demonstration of uses for the local sugar sap tree.  Next day was on to Kampong Tralac and a ox cart ride to visit the Wat Leu Pagoda before departing for Phnom Penh.  We did a morning excursion to the Tuol Sleng Museum, the infamous S-21 prison- place of torture and death of thousands of innocent Cambodians at the hands of the Kymer Rouge regime, made famous by the movie "The Killing Fields". Afternoon spent a the Russian Market.  Sail to Vietnam - visit Sa Dec then on to Vinh Long & Cai Be floating markets. We sail on to My Tho which included a visit to Thoi Son Island to view authentic riverside life. After arrival in Saigon we leave our ship and enjoy a full day of sightseeing which included the Post Office, Notrea Dame Cathedral and the Presidential Palace before having lunch at a local restaurant.  After lunch we stopped at a Chinese market to shop for more souvenirs before we arrived at our hotel -Park Royal Hotel.  Our last day started early with a departure to the famous Cu Chi Tunnels.  Built during the Vietnam War as protection from the bombing raids, the tunnels extend underground for over 212kms and range in depth from 3 to 12 meters.  They feature remnants of a living city; schools, community kitchens, sleeping quarters, hospitals as well as military production facilities.  Back to the hotel for a short rest before heading tot he airport for our flight home! An absolutely AMAZING and extremely educational trip- beautiful people, great food and a new culture to experience.