Tag Archives: planforvacation

On the Tenth Day of National #PlanForVacation Day: European River Cruising

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Exploring Europe via a river cruise has gained a large momentum over the past ten years. Several river cruise companies have emerged, built new ships, and today, you have a large choice of itineraries as well as different river cruise companies.

River cruises are best planned well ahead. The pricing can seem steep initially, but a lot is included. Also, promotions and discounts are available if you plan to travel during the off-season, or chose a less popular cruise itinerary.

The most popular river cruise itinerary sails along the Danube River. The Danube originates in Germany and crosses Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine before draining into the Black Sea. A typical River Cruise itinerary, however, travels between the Nuremberg/Regensburg area to Budapest only, making several stops throughout Austria, most notably Vienna.

Photo by JÉSHOOTS on Pexels.com

Equally popular is a Rhine River cruise which sails between Basel, Switzerland and Amsterdam, Netherlands. It travels along the German/French allowing guests to visit the romantic Alsace Region and then continues through Germany on to the Netherlands (or the other way around).

The Seine River is a wonderful option for guests who are interested in Paris, France’s countryside, all the way to Normandy. As it travels a rather short distance, it often is roundtrip and allows for a lot of in-depth stops.

For wine lovers, a Bordeaux river cruise is an excellent option. Staying within a fairly small area, it allows its guests to visit famous wine regions like Pauillac and St. Emilion.

There are many more river cruise options within central Europe all with a different flair and unique experiences.

This blog post is the tenth destination highlight of twelve, leading up to the National #PlanForVacation Day on January 29, 2019. Don’t let your vacation days go to waste, plan a trip!

STEFANIE PICHONNAT
Stefanie Pichonnat is the owner of Cumar Gold Travel; a boutique travel firm specialized in creating customized travel itineraries. Originally from Switzerland, she started exploring Europe at a young age and continues to expand her knowledge every year.  To plan a trip contact her at stefanie@aav-travel.com

The Fifth Day of National #PlanForVacation Day: Grasmere, UK

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There is a good chance that you are either reading this post to find out “why Grasmere and where is it,” or you love, as I do, the Lake District, and know exactly what I am talking about.

If you want to start at the beginning and learn more about the Lake District, visit our earlier post. Less developed and popular than Windermere, Ambleside, or Keswick, Grasmere successfully preserved a “best-kept secret” appeal. A couple of shops, some restaurants, basically a quaint and sleepy village. It’s a good place to get away from the crowds and immerse yourself in what the Lake District is all about when you are not exploring its stunning valleys, lakes, glens, rivers, and mountains.

Lake Grasmere
Rothay River

If you are a lover of poetry, there is a good chance you know William Wordsworth’s work. Grasmere was his home for 14 years, and he referred to it as “the loveliest spot that man hath ever found.” He lived with his sister and wife, in a place called Dove Cottage. Today, his former home is a small museum, highlighting his work but also life in the Lake District. A visit allows you to take a step back in time and get an idea of what his poetry was all about.

Rothay Garden Hotel and Riverside Spa is where you want to:

  • Head back to after a day’s hike
  • Sleep in on a rainy day
  • Warm up by the fire when it is chilly outside
  • Read a book in the garden when the daffodils bloom
  • Relax, soak and marvel at Grasmere’s beautiful fells from the gorgeous spa
  • Enjoy award-winning fine dining while marveling at spectacular garden views

It’s a place where you can take a thoroughly enjoy taking a break from it all and indulge your “introverted” self.

Our pictures were taken on a rainy day, so we are adding the hotel’s video for another perspective. The sun does shine in Grasmere too!

This is the fifth destination highlight of twelve, leading up to the National #PlanForVacation Day on January 29, 2019. Don’t let your vacation days go to waste, plan a trip!

Written by STEFANIE PICHONNAT
Stefanie Pichonnat is the owner of Cumar Gold Travel; a boutique travel firm specialized in creating and customizing personalized travel itineraries. The UK is a long time favorite of hers, having traveled all over. You can contact her at stefanie@aav-travel.com.

The Fourth Day of National #PlanForVacation Day 2019: Private Cave Dining – Negril, Jamaica

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Let’s face it, the majority of visitors traveling to Jamaica for a vacation choose to stay at one of the many all-inclusive resorts. Whether it is out of convenience, or simply because they are scared, some never take the time to explore beyond their hotel’s borders.

Truth be told, Jamaica has a lot of small boutique properties, spread all across the island. Whether you want to stay in the Blue Mountains and marvel at beautiful vistas, enjoy the nightlife in Montego Bay, or sunbathe cliffside in Negril.

While you might not be ready to commit yourself to a vacation at a smaller, not all-inclusive resort (yet), you have options to venture out and experience something different for just an evening for example.

The Caves Resort, for instance, provides a unique and highly romantic opportunity.  Their hotel structure spans across the cliffs and has many caves. When occupancy permits, they allow outside guests to visit for a private cave dinner.

It is recommended to make your reservation at least a couple of weeks ahead of time. To confirm you will need to put down a non-refundable deposit, the remaining balance payable when you come for dinner. The Caves’ helpful front desk staff will also arrange transfer from and to the resort you are staying at, should you wish to. Your dinner reservation will include all your food and drinks while at the resort.

Once you arrive, you can spend some time at the sunset bar for a cocktail before dinner. You will likely meet some of the hotel guests who will be raving about cliffside kayak excursions, amazing food experiences, and contemplate whether or not to jump off a cliff the next day.

On a sunny day, you will be able to enjoy a beautiful sunset. For us, it happened to be the end of a rather enormous downpour. From the sunset bar, you can see Negril’s Lighthouse and Rockhouse Resort in the distance.

 

Once the private cave is set up and ready for you, you will be escorted to your table by your waiter who will cater to your every need for the entire evening. Mind you, wear comfortable shoes as you will have to go up and down steep stairs.

A private dinner at the Caves is a unique and very special experience that you will want to spend with someone truly special.

To make a reservation, send an email to info@thecaveshotel.com. They will respond quickly with availability and menu choices.


Written by STEFANIE PICHONNAT
Stefanie Pichonnat is the owner of Cumar Gold Travel; a boutique travel firm specialized in creating and customizing personalized travel itineraries. You can contact her at stefanie@aav-travel.com.

The Twelve Days of National #PlanForVacation Day 2019

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Every year more than 52% of Americans fail to use all their time off, creating a stockpile of 705 million unused vacation days in 2018! It is a mistery to us how people can let their vacation days to go to waste. Yes, here at Cumar Gold Travel we are all about taking trips abroad. However, no trip is too small. We strongly encourage you to use your vacation days! There are so many beautiful places to see and experience everywhere.

In 2019, the US Travel Association has made it once again their mission to encourage people to plan their vacation, so fewer days go unused in the future. By celebrating January 29, 2019, as the National Plan for Vacation Day, they want to encourage Americans to take their well-deserved time off. We want to take it a step further and give you some ideas!

We want to give you ideas and encourage you to plan a vacation. That is why we decided to create the Twelve Days of National #PlanForVacation Day. For the next twelve days, we’ll be populating this blog post with one destination highlight each day.

For the First Day, leading up to January 29, we will be traveling across the globe to Australia’s Northern Territory, the South part of it to be precise!

In addition, here are three tips to help you get started with your vacation planning:

Let us know if and how you will be using your vacation days; we’d love to hear from you!

Written by STEFANIE PICHONNAT
Stefanie Pichonnat is the owner of Cumar Gold Travel; a boutique travel firm specialized in creating and customizing personalized travel itineraries. You can contact her at stefanie@aav-travel.com.