Totem Travel Blog

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Click for Slideshow

I just returned from a fantastic vacation at Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica.  Whitehouse opened 2 years ago and was the last of 17 Sandals and Beaches Resorts on 5 different Caribbean islands for me to visit.  When I met with the General Manager he said I saved the best for last and he could be right! 

Sandals Whitehouse combines a fabulous beach with three wonderful pools, 7 excellent and diverse restaurants, beautiful rooms (every one oceanfront) and an absolutely outstanding staff.  You can enjoy water volleyball, games, contests, and your favorite Caribbean eats and drinks at the French Village pool; quiet reading and relaxing by the Dutch Village pool; or people watching, sunning & swimming in the huge signature pool with swim up bar near the Italian Village.  There are Jacuzzis scattered throughout the property as well.

On the beach you’ll find lots of lounge chairs in the sun or shade and an excellent watersports staff to entice you with waterskiing, knee boarding, sailing, kayaking, snorkeling, a glass bottom boat and scuba diving.  All complimentary for Sandals guests.

As a certified scuba diver, I made two dives daily with tanks, BCD, mask, fins & snorkel at no cost.  A limited number of wet suits are available for a $5 fee, but most will find the 86 degree water comfortable in a bathing suit.  I sure did!  The dive sites are diverse and I particularly enjoyed “The Maze” with its many swim-throughs and chimneys. Another favorite site was “Deep Cottage” where a few dozen lobster taunted us from under a coral shelf.

If you’re not a diver but would like to try, the resort course is a fantastic deal.  For $70 you receive 2 hours of safety and pool training then one dive daily, with equipment, for the length of your vacation.  Your depth is limited to a safe 35-40 feet and divemasters provide plenty of TLC.  However if you fall in love with diving, Sandals Whitehouse has a complete PADI dive center and teaches all the courses from open water to advance and specialties.  So you can arrive with no dive experience and leave the resort a certified diver.  How cool is that!

When you’re hungry, there’s everything from a beachside bar & grill or Tex-Mex to Asian, Italian and Caribbean specialties with white glove service.   We asked our servers for recommendations and had a great meal every night!  During the day, shorts and flip flops are fine but in the evening “casual elegance” is suggested and men will want long pants and a collared shirt (think khakis & a polo).  None of the restaurants accept reservations so most guests choose a restaurant, check in, then enjoy a drink and music outdoors in the torch lit, Italian style piazza or in the air conditioned martini bar. 

At night there is entertainment at the night club and piano bar but with all the scuba diving, sun and fine dining I must admit to having lights out each night before midnight.  There’s nothing like returning to a beautiful oceanfront room with king size bed, walk in shower and Jacuzzi tub after a long day of play.  Sandals Whitehouse is another piece of paradise and definitely my kind of place!

A one week all inclusive honeymoon or vacation for two has been starting around $3700 with airfare from Seattle, accommodations, meals, drinks, watersports and entertainment.  Join us for our next Caribbean Night or call us when you’re ready to be wowed!  We have 3 certified Sandals Specialists in the office to give you personalized help at no extra cost.

In the old days everyone who knew anything called a travel agent to buy an airline ticket.  Travel agents had specialized computer systems that searched all the airlines to find the lowest fare. Plus they knew “the tricks” like staying a Saturday night or planning a few weeks ahead to get a better price.  

These days everyone has a computer and there are a dozen web sites with excellent airfare search programs.  You can even ask the computer to “keep looking” and send you an email if the fare you need becomes available. 

So with all that free technology available, why haven’t travel agents gone the way of the dinosaur?  Many have, but Totem Travel is still here and growing because we don’t sell airline tickets.  We are Destination Specialists.  

We’ll tell you where to go, what to do and how to get there! We’ll make sure your dream honeymoon is everything you want it to be.  We’ll help you turn a modest budget into the best family vacation you’ve ever had and we’ll tell you why your plan to spend 1 night in London, 2 nights in Paris and 2 nights in Rome may not be the best choice.  

We’ll tell you the truth about the weather and we’ll offer the information you need even if you don’t ask for it.  Try getting that from a computer!

We know that a happy client always comes back and our best source of new business comes from referrals.  So our goal is simple.  We want you to have the best vacation possible at the lowest possible price.  The real question is - why wouldn’t you call us to plan your next trip? 

Spain ~ paella and tapas, siestas, flamenco, bull fights, the running of the bulls, whitewashed villages, the Costa del sol and Mediterranean beaches.  Fabulous!
 
My first trip to Spain was in 2000 just after completing the Spain Specialist Program.  At the time I was seeing a guy that wanted to go to Spain and I didn’t know much about the country.  So I decided to take the specialist course and figured we’d travel to Spain together. 
 
Well, the guy didn’t last, but I completed the course, went to Spain and fell in love with the country.  Spain offers everything from food to culture, history, architecture and vibrant people.
 
The country is truly a melting pot.  For a time, Spain was run by the Sultans and the Alhambra Palace is a great example of the Moor’s influence. Visiting the churches and cathedrals you’ll notice the Jewish influence as well as the Christian and you can’t speak of architecture without mentioning the renowned Gaudi and all he contributed.
 
There is also a lot of African influence, with Spain just across the Straight of Gibraltar from Morocco.  And of course who can forget that Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain to find our New World so many years ago.
 
Spain remains a place for every traveler who has a spirit of adventure. If you’d like to know more about travel to Spain call me at 800-321-7907 or e-mail jennefer@totemtravel.com and we’ll start planning a trip you won’t soon forget.

It’s easy to spend $10,000 or more for a week in Tahiti. In fact on my last trip I stayed in fabulous villas at Hotel Bora Bora and Le Taha’a Private Island and Spa that run $1000 per night. Yes, they are worth it! 

But what if your budget isn’t that generous? You can still enjoy Tahiti on a $4-6K budget; you just need to plan carefully. 

One place to economize is by eliminating airfare to a more remote island. Moorea is a fantastic destination with wonderful beaches, fabulous views and reasonably priced overwater bungalows. And, best of all, you can get there by ferry from Tahiti! That will save most couples $6-700 right away.

Another option is to stay in a traditional hotel room rather than an overwater or beach bungalow. This will save you thousands of dollars and you’ll still enjoy 4 star resort amenities without the luxury price tag. On the other hand, I don’t recommend an overwater bungalow at a 2 star property. It’s like buying an expensive house in a lousy neighborhood. You’ll get much better value with the cheapest room at a nice resort - better beach, better pool, better service, better restaurants.   

Speaking of food, food is expensive in Tahiti so your best bet is to starve… I’m kidding… a little…

There are a few options that will keep body and soul together at a reasonable price. In Papeete, Les Roulottes offers inexpensive outdoor dining along the waterfront and a number of downtown restaurants are moderately priced. On Moorea you can buy cheese and fruit at a local market or have a pizza for dinner. However be forewarned, most couples spend $180 -200 dollars per day for meals. So plan accordingly!

Remember, once you’ve taken care of transportation, food and shelter all the really great things in Tahiti are free! Fabulous beaches, romance, turquoise water, time together, tropical breezes, unlimited sunshine, snorkeling, sunsets, more time together… you get the picture! 

Call me when it’s time to make your plans - Linda, your Tahiti Tiara Specialist